Fresh Feast via Self.com!

Eating healthy in the summer can be difficult. BBQ's, trips to the beach, cocktails, vacation -- all these fun summer activities can help you pack on the pounds.

Take a cue from Self Magazine. This great article is from people who "know". Dishes crafted from chefs who grow their own -- and great tips on what ingredients you can look out for at a local farmer's market for gorgeous and ripe fruits and vegetables.

Recipes in the article include: Farro and Pine Nut Tabbouleh, Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad, Spicy Grilled Tuna with Garden Salsa and Grilled Lamb Loin with Tomato and Cucumber Raita and Israeli Couscous. All so deliciously good and good for you!

Click to see these "Fresh Feast" recipes via Self Magazine Online!!

How to go From Belly Fat, to Belly Flat

Does this summer have you in a mad dash to lose those few extra pounds you stored up over the winter? Look no further, for here are some helpful tips on how to reduce belly fat and lead a more healthy lifestyle.

Steer clear Of “Miracle Weight Loss Solutions”
There are no shortcuts to a leaner you. The internet and late night informercials alike are filled with snake oil, contraptions, and pills all claiming to help you lose weight. These are all to be avoided. Nothing other than good ol’ fashioned hard work will do a darn thing.

Forget about Sit-ups
Doctors agree that sit-ups, crunches, and other similar spot exercises are an effective means of developing abdominal muscles, but will not help in your quest to reduce belly fat. Focusing on just your abdominals will not help you lose weight, instead you must take a holistic approach to your exercise regimen. Make sure your workout includes exercises for each individual part of the body.

Don’t Forget About Cardio
There are many different kinds of cardiovascular exercise, but not all are created equal. Oftentimes, someone will jog for an hour at the same speed in the hopes of burning fat, but this method is relatively ineffective. Interval training is any physical workout which involves alternating periods of high and low intensity. During the high intensity periods, muscles are depleted of their oxygen supply which creates lactic acid (what you would associate with that burning sensation). During the low intensity periods, oxygen is restored to the muscles and the lactic acid dissipates. This allows the body to increase cardiovascular fitness and raises the bodies potential to burn fat. One effective way to go about interval training is to set your treadmill to 60 seconds of jogging followed by 30 seconds of sprinting.

Eat Right
Eating healthy is an integral part to losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Belly fat is closely associated with many health problems including heart disease, diabetes, some types of cancer, and high cholesterol.

A healthy diet emphasizes:
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Whole Grains
• Reduced fat milk products
• Poultry
• Fish
• Beans
• Brown Rice
• Eggs
• Nuts

And Reduces intake of:
• Saturated Fats
• Trans Fats
• Cholesterol
• Salt (sodium)
• Added sugars
• Processed and red meats

Prepare Your Own Meals
The most effective way to insure that your body is ingesting healthy foods is to do your own cooking. If your eating from a bag or a box, it will most likely not aid in weight loss. The American Cancer Society has created a very helpful way to ensure healthy portion sizes by relating everyday objects to correct portions of foods:
■ 1 oz. meat: size of a matchbox
■ 3 oz. meat: size of a deck of cards or bar of soap—the recommended portion for a meal
■ 8 oz. meat: size of a thin paperback book
■ 3 oz. fish: size of a checkbook
■ 1 oz. cheese: size of 4 dice
■ Medium potato: size of a computer mouse
■ 2 Tbs. peanut butter: size of a ping pong ball
■ 1/2 cup pasta: size of a tennis ball
■ Average bagel: size of a hockey puck.
■ Medium apple or orange: the size of a tennis ball
■ 1 cup chopped raw vegetables or fruit: baseball size

Preparing healthy meals does not necessarily have to be labor intensive. Simply adding strawberries to your cereal in the morning, lettuce and tomatoes to your sandwich along with an apple at lunch, and preparing a salad with dinner can account for your daily recommended servings of vegetables and fruit for the day.



*Do you have an idea for an article, have questions or need advice? Please write us at elementfitnessny@gmail.com! Subject: Blog





http://www.mypyramid.gov/guidelines/index.html

Living Smart: The American Cacer Society’s Guide To Eating Healthy and Being Active

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/belly-fat/MC00054/NSECTIONGROUP=2

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/weik51.htm

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=10048

http://www.marc-kent.com/beach-ready-body.html

Celluwhat?

Alright ladies, it's officially summertime! And since I know so many of you out there are dreading beach season, let's take a minute to talk about Cellulite.

What is cellulite?

Cellulite is a topographic skin change that is claimed to occur in most post-pubertal females. It presents as a modification of skin topography evident by skin dimpling and modularity that occurs mainly in women on the pelvic region, lower limbs, and abdomen and is caused by the herniation of subcutaneous fat within fibrous connective tissue, leading to a padded or "cottage cheese" like appearance.[wikipedia.com]



Nearly 95% of post-pubescent women are affected by cellulite. It's a condition most commonly found in women due to skin conditions and composition. It relates to aging, fat storage, diet, life's stress and exercise and is all a matter of timing. Any combination of those factors can allow fat to accumulate and fluids to develop, weakening the epidermis. The weakening of the skin causes fat to push to the surface causing the lumpy and "orange peel-like" appearance.

How can I treat it/prevent it?
Daily Exercise

Cellulite exercises, such as resistance training, can reduce as well as eliminate the presence of cellulite on your body. The key? Muscle. For every pound of muscle in your body, you'll burn an extra 50 calories a day. The combination of fat burning and toning exercises is a sure and quick way to get results.

Cardio

Fat burning and metabolism play an important role here. Think fast paced walking, jogging and swimming. The actual ideal cellulite exercises include the cardiovascular cellulite exercise. The more fat you burn, and the more fat you replace with muscle, the less cellulite you'll see. Cardio is also known to improve blood and lymphatic circulation. Plain and simple.

Anaerobic Workout

Instead of just turning into excess fat, this type of exercise will convert fat into actual muscle tissue. It's extremely important for women who have already acquired cellulite and are not actually overweight. Think strength and weight training.

Stay hydrated!


This is one of the simplest and best ways to fight any type of skin issue from acne to cellulite. The more hydrated you are, the plumper your cells will be -- improving the tone, texture and appearance of your skin.

Detox, Detox, Detox

Believe it or not, you can eat your way out of cellulite as well. Since hydration is such a key component, choose foods with lots of water in them like tomatoes to keep skin healthy and supple. Pick vitamin C packed items, such as colorful veggies, as the vitamin C is essential in preventing the breaking down of collagen. Keep your blood sugar stable with whole grains, such as brown rice and wheat bread, to keep those fat-storing insulin spikes to a minimum. Hit up the following foods the next time you're at the local grocery.


Cellulite-fighting foods shopping list

Apples
Brown rice
Celery
Cucumber
Grapes
Kiwifruit
Lettuce
Mangos
Oatmeal
Oranges
Papaya
Popcorn
Quinoa
Red bell peppers
Tomatoes
Watermelon





*Do you have an idea for an article, have questions or need advice? Please write us at elementfitnessny@gmail.com! Subject: Blog

Lose Your Booty to earn some Booty!

While we all know that healthy bodies are synonymous with healthy minds,did you know your healthy body and diet plan can earn you some cold hard cash or rewards?

Along with overall better performance in many areas in your life, taking care of your body can take care of your wallet as well. Many employers, in an effort to encourage employees to set health goals and care about their weight, are offering incentives such as cash, paid vacation time, lower healthcare premiums, and other rewards for being committed to a healthier lifestyle.

While this concept may be controversial, these seemingly attractive programs have a pretty high failure rate. Employers taking part in programs that reward employees looking to improve their overall health should get two thumbs up for caring, yet employees don't seem to find the financial benefits worth it.

IBM employee, Kevin Acocella, stated that he failed twice in keeping with his goals. His excuse? The environment. After relocating from IBM’s New York City office to the San Jose, California office, he felt there were more health-friendly activities as part of the local culture and has since stayed on track, losing 9 pounds in 3 months.

Studies are being conducted on the best ways to encourage employees to lose weight. While a reward is linked to much success with weight loss, it has also been proven that, in general, people are more concerned about losing potential money than receiving money that is not already theirs. This logic has led some employers to take a deposit from participating employees which will only be refunded if they are successful in achieving their goals.

StickK.com, a website developed by a Yale economics professor, uses a method of motivation in which the deposited money will go towards an organization the unsuccessful employee hates. While research is still being conducted on the most effective ways to reward healthy employees, there is still little known about maintaining health for the long-term.

While some employers are concerned about the legal risks they may be taking in participating in weight-loss challenges, concerned employees may perceive their actions as invasive and offensive by calling out cheaters, assigning co-workers as counselors, and maintaining an overall presence in the lifestyle of employees. Others, however, are taking risks for rewards and taking on the creative challenge to stay healthy while enjoying a little healthy competition between themselves and co-workers.


Would you participate in a program like the ones described above? Element Fitness NY wants to hear what you have to say!

~*Do you have an idea for an article, have questions or need advice? Please write us at elementfitnessny@gmail.com! Subject: Blog


*http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1950896,00.html?artId=1950896?contType=article?chn=sciHealth
**http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/34664760#37466193
***http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37385706/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/wid/11915773/page/2/

What's your Happy Weight? (Via Self.com)

According to Self.com, 87% of women of a normal or healthy weight wished the scale would say they've dropped a few pounds. In a recent article, they invited readers to drop the unrealistic goals and use a formula to find your healthy and maintainable number you can reach and not compulsively obsess over. They even provide you with details as to how this oh-so-wonderful formula works, dealing with things like frame size, family weight history, age, smoking, whether or not you have children, if you allow yourself treats and weight training. They even have a handy little chart to teach you how to determine the size of your frame.

This is a great tool and something every-body (pun intended) can use!

Enjoy!

Happy Weight Calculator via Self.com

** Do you have an idea for an article, have questions or need advice? Please write us at elementfitnessny@gmail.com! Subject: Blog

Workouts on the go...

We hear it time and time again: "I don't have time to workout!" "The TV workouts on the Fitness channel are too early in the morning!" "I'm constantly on the go and away from my equipment and gym!"

Well, FitnessMagazine.com has found a solution for your whining and ninnying!
Announcing Fitness Magazine Workouts on the Go! Workouts that travel with you and download to your computer or ipod! Costing on average between $2 - $30 dollars, these handy videos can service in helping you achieve your weightloss or fitness goals from anywhere! We love it, and you will too.

Click on the link below for more details and how to download!
Fitness Magazine's Workouts on the Go

May is National Runners Month!

Since May is National Runner's Month, we at Element Fitness thought we'd take some time to go over some of the Most Commons Running Mistakes made by new runners so you can avoid them and run happy and healthy!

Mistake #1: Wearing the Wrong Shoes
The problem: Wearing the incorrect shoes or old running shoes can lead to injuries.
The solution: Make your way to a specialty shoe store that has knowledgeable salespersons who can help you evaluate your foot type and running style.The sales people will determine whether you're an overpronator, underpronator, or neutral runner,and make shoe recommendations accordingly. When you do get your hands on the "right" pair of shoes, be sure to replace them every approximately 350 miles. Also, alternate your shoes -- they'll last longer when you allow them to decompress and dry out between runs.


Mistake #2: Too fast, Too much, Too soon.
The problem: Many people that are new to running make the "too fast, too soon" mistake. In this case, more is not better. As a result, they often develop problems associated with overuse sucha s shin splints, ITB or runner's knee.
The solution: Take it slow! Early on your development, be conservative aout how much, long and often you run. Also, pay attention to your body's aches and pains. If it gets worse, its a sign that you should stop for a while. Don't try to be a hero and run through pain. Lastly, take at least one full day off exercise every week. Those rest days are important to your body's recovery and injury prevention.


Mistake #3: Bad Form.
The problem: Some runners have a tendency to swing their arms side to side, inhibiting their ability to breathe properly and causing them to slouch. While some hold their hands to their chest, causing tightness and tension in their shoulders and neck.
The solution: Really try to keep your hands at waist level, just ever so lightly brushing your hip. With your head up, back straight and shoulders level, keep your posture straight with your arms at a 90 degree angle, holding your elbows at your sides. As the run progresses and you start to feel tired, don't slouch. Instead, poke your chest our and imagine there's a shelf holding your chin upright.



Mistake #4: Not Staying Hydrated.
The problem: A lot of people underestimate how much fluid is lost during runs and exercise. They avoid drinking because they're worried about getting "side stiches"and as a result, they experience dehydration which can be extremely detrimental to your health and performance.
The solution: Pay attention to how much you're drinking before, during and after exercise. As some basic guidelines; Try to drink 16-24 oz. of water before your run, take in 6-8 oz. every 20 minutes during your run, and drink 20 to 24 fl oz. of water for every pound lost after you're done with your workout.

Mistake #5: Not Keeping Yourself Properly Fueled.
The problem: Many people tend to underestimate the importance of nutrition for both their overall health and exercise performance. When and what you consume before, during and after your runs can have a huge effect on your body's abilities and performance and recovery.
The solution: An hour and half before your run, try eating a light snack or meal. Things low in fat, fiber and protein but high in carbohydrates works the best. Try a bagel with peanut butter, an energy bar or banana, or cold cereal. To avoid mid-run bloat, avoid things that are high in fiber, rich or high in fat. Also, to breed healthy muscle building, try to replenish energy as quickly as possible after a workout. As a basic rule of thumb, keep your post-workout food to a ratio of 1g protein per 3g of carbs. Try: A PB&J, yogurt smoothie, or chocolate milk.

Happy Running! And we hope to hear you've joined in on National Running Month!


** Do you have an idea for an article, have questions or need advice? Please write us at elementfitnessny@gmail.com! Subject: Blog

Sponsored by Dick's Sporting Goods, May is National Runners Month! Check out the Official Website for Twitterfeeds and Deals of the Week. http://www.nationalrunnersmonth.com/