Many of my diet and fitness clients ask my opinion on eating organic foods.  Does it really make a difference in your health?  It really depends on how much of a certain food you eat.  At home, my wife drinks a lot of milk, every morning in fact with her ceral.  So, we buy organic milk.  When it comes to apples, pears and bananas, those are foods that we do not eat as frequently, so we buy regular.

It can’t be denied that eliminating toxins from your diet, such as those found in pesticides and hormones used in much of the food we eat, is a healthy idea.  However, like my mother always said, it’s all about moderation.

If you are someone who consumes a great deal of a certain food or drink, like my wife with milk, I definitely recommend switching to the organic alternative.  If you are pregnant or nursing, organic options are a great alternative for obvious reasons.  Don’t go crazy with buying up the organic super market.  For items you eat and drink sparingly, it’s ok to purchase regular fruits and veggies from your supermarket and wash them thoroughly.  Remember, you don’t necessarily have to go to an oganic marktet to purchase these items.  Most chains like Wegmans, Shoprite and Foodtown now offer organic sections which offer the same great selections as the organic markets but for better prices.

Start by placing your bosu ball upside down on the floor.  Grasp the flat base of the bosu ball and position yourself as if you were going to do a push-up.  Tighten up your form by drawing your abs in towards your spine and flatening out your back.  Once you have a steady grasp and a balanced form, slowly raise and lower your legs, beginning with the left and following suit with the right.  As you raise your legs, squeeze your glute muscles as tight as you can.

See the short instructional video below.

Your triceps and chest muscles should be engaged as you firmly hold your stance on the base of the ball.  Your core muscles (abs, obliques, etc) are being worked to support your lower back, and you are drawing your abs in towards your spine, contracting and holding the muscle.  Finally, your butt is getting a good blast with the reverse leg raises. 

Try starting with 10-12 raises per leg.  Don’t rest inbetween changing legs.  After you complete 10-12 on each leg, give yourself a 30 second rest.  Perform 3 sets.  Once you become more advanced at this exercise, you can add to the intesity by wearing ankle weights.

The truth is, there is nothing low fat about the D&D muffins.  I guess you could say, however, that they are LOWER in fat compared to their other muffins.  But, by no means, is this a food that should be labeled as a ‘low fat’ food.

You might be surprised to learn the nutrition facts about low fat blueberry muffin.  I hate to burst your bubble, but here they are:

Calories (%DV based on daily intake of 2,000 cal) 400 cal 20%

Calories from Fat  45  25%

Total Fat 5 g 7.7%

Saturated Fat (DRI 20 g) 2 g 10%

Trans Fat  0 g  

Cholesterol 60 mg 20%

Sodium 490 mg 20.4%

Total Carbohydrate 78 g 26%

Dietary Fiber (DRI 25 g) 3 g 12%

Sugars 33 g 66%

An astounding 66% of the entire sugars you should be eating in one day is contained in just one of these low fat muffins.  If you drink orange juice, regular soda, or any other caloric drink, you will be way over your daily sugar intake.  Wonder why you’re not losing weight now?

Remember, if it tastes too good to be low fat, it is NOT low fat

Walking lunges helps build up your glute muscle which will give you a firmer, rounder bottom.  If you’re lacking in the rear, walking lunges will help give you more of a shape.  If you’re looking to tone and tighten, you’ll see phenomenal results if you make lunges a regular part of your workout. 

Check out the video below which demonstrates the best way to do walking lunges.  As you progress, you can hold 5-10lb dumbbells to intensify your workout.  It’s important to remember to keep your back very straight.  When you lunge forward, your knee should be at a 90 degree angle, and it should not extend over your foot.  Check the form in the video.  Start with about 10-12 lunges per leg.  Once you master the exercise, grab some hand weights to pump it up.

About Master Personal Trainer, Edward Albert

Edward Lee Albert is the man behind Fitness Diets Online. 

I began my career in the 1980’s as a body builder and competed nationally and won the Mr. New Jersey title in ’92.  Shortly thereafter, I began to use my knowledge to help others achieve their goals in fitness and health.  I train individuals ranging in age from 12 to 70 years, from the fitness novice to the professional athlete. 

It’s never too early or too late to make a commitment to better health.  For the past 6 years, I have assumed ownership of the Ultimate Fitness Training Center in NJ. 

We serve a range of clients, young and old with personalized fitness programs and diet plans.  I design fitness programs that work and keep you motivated and interested.  I believe in simple lifestyle changes to help you achieve your goals while still enjoying the best life has to offer.

If you’d like to ask me a question about your fitness and diet goals, click here to contact me.

If the lights are not on when you arrive (that would only happen if it was very late at night and no one else was in the gym), as soon as you open the front door, the lights will illuminate the entire gym.

The new 24 hour access will be great for cops, firemen, EMT workers, and anyone with overnight shift work.  All emergency response employees will be offered a discounted membership rate of $16 per month, so please spread the word.

The new 24 hours will take effect in about a week or so.  In the mean time, you can contact me if you have any questions.

I am a big fan of all natural peanut butter and almond butter.  The commercial types contain far too many hydrogenated oils, salt and saturated fats.  On their own, peanuts and almonds are good sources of protein, the raw, unsalted type.  Almonds especially are a good source of vitamin E which is great for your heart, hair and skin.

I was disappointed when I read the ingredient label for Skippy’s all natural peanut butter.  Although they have managed to eliminate most of their saturated fat, it still contains palm oil, sugar and salt.  Not the purest of ingredients.  Palm oil has unecessary saturated fat and why add sugar when peanut butter is normally paired with sugar infused jelly?  All natural peanut butter should just contain peanuts.  I really feel like the label on Skippy All Natural Peanut Butter is misleading.  When consumers see ‘all natural’,  they think of a product that is healthy.  Although the all natural version is healthier than their original formula, it still is not a good option for consumers looking to eliminate some of the junk found in commercially prepared foods.

In my house, we use Maple Grove All Natural peanut butter. It’s found right next to the rest of processed peanut spreads and for around the same price.  When you look at the ingredients for Maple Grove peanut butter, the only thing you will see is ‘peanuts’.  If you’ve never had all natural peanut butter, there are a few things to note.  First of all the taste is entirely different.  Once you try it, you will realize all of the chemicals that are added to commercially jarred peanut butter to get that texture and flavor.  It’s a very strong, peanut flavor. Second, the natural oils found in peanuts separate from the peanut butter and rise to the top.  This is a natural process since there are no binders used to prevent this from happening.  All you do is stir it right back in to your peanut butter. It adds to the creamy flavor and texture.

Smuckers also has a decent brand of all natural peanut butter, however salt is added.  If you are watching your sodium intake, stick with Maple Grove. Both brands offer chunky and creamy peanut butter.

Peanut Butter is packed with calories, so for dieters I recommend using peanut butter in small amounts in conjunction with a reduced carbohydrate diet.

Fitness and diet questions?  Email us your thoughts.

If you suffer from chronic, painful heartburn, see a doctor immediately. If left untreated, chronic heartuburn can cause sleep problems, chronic cough and even asthma. Even more startling, years of chronic heartburn can cause permanent structural changes to the lining of your esophagus, putting you at a higher risk for esophageal adenocarcinoma—a very aggressive and deadly cancer.

If you suffer from occasional heartburn, you can get some relief by doing the following:

1. Cut back on fried, fatty foods
2. Eat more complex carbohydrates (bread, pasta, potatoes)
3. Reduce your intake of chocolate, peppermint, coffee, alcohol and raw onions
4. Reduce your intake of citrus juices and fruits
5. Avoid spicy foods
6. If you are overweight, losing 10-15 pounds may help your condition
7. Avoid lying down for at least 3 hours after eating, when you stand, gravity helps prevent acid reflux.  Sleeping with your head elevated may also help
8. Lie on your left side rather than your right side.  It sounds strange but it’s true.  It’s because the esophagus enters the stomach from the right, so when you lie on your right side, the esophagus is below the stomach opening, makeit it easier for acid to flow downward and into the esophagus. 
9. Avoid drinking alcohol and then going straight to bed

 Serves 4; Cook Time: 30 minutes

 Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 stick of celery, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 pound 99% fat-free ground turkey
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 14 1/2-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce, no salt added
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 tbsp fat-free sour cream or yogurt
• 4 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro (optional)

 Preparation:

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven. Add onion, celery, chopped pepper and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Crumble the turkey into the pan, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook for about 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in chili powder, cumin, coriander and oregano. Add in tomatoes and tomato sauce, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans, mix well and cook on low heat for a further 5-10 minutes.

Mangia!

It’s not necessarily true that being a vegetarian will help you lose weight.  Sometimes vegetarians can supplement meat in their diet with carbohydrates.  They end up eating a lot of rice and pasta which can turn into unused calories and the pounds pack on.

Also, your body needs protein in order to maintain lean muscle.  Without lean muscle, your body can not burn calories efficiently.  Muscle burns more calories and burns them faster.

If you eat meat, you can get protein from chicken and fish (and red meat sparingly).  If you don’t eat meat, you’ll need to eat tofu to get enough protein. Some vegetarians argue that they get enough protein from beans, but again, beans are packed with extra carbohydrates and they are not a ‘complete protein’.  Generally proteins derived from animal foods (meats, fish, poultry, cheese, eggs, yogurt, and milk) are complete. 

So the bottom line when it comes to healthy eating is balance and portion.  If you want to be healthy, you need a balance of protein, carbs, good fats, vitamins and minerals.  Eliminating any of the above in its entirety is never a good idea (ex: carb free diets). 

Each of your meals should contain a small amount of protein, carbohydrate and good fat.  You can reduce or eliminate your carbs at night as long as you get a healthy dose during the day.

For example:

Breakfast:

Oatmeal (carbohydrate), 2 egg whites (protein), slice of smoked salmon (good fat)

Lunch:

Mesculan lettuce with grilled chicken (protein), small side of whole wheat pasta (carbohydrate), drizzled olive oil (good fat) and balsamic vinegar over your salad.

You get the idea….if you want to reduce your meat intake, I suggest you do your research on complete proteins and find out which vegetarian options (like tofu and beans) are your best source for a balanced diet.

Getting good fats (omega 3s) is the most challenging part for Americans.  The typical American diet contains very little, if any Omega 3 fatty acids.  Omega 3s are known to help prevent cancer, cardio vascular disease, boost immune function, enhance brain function and more. 

If you wan to get a good dose of Omega 3s, here are some foods that are high in the essential fatty acid:

•  Salmon
• Flax Seeds
• Walnuts
• Sardines
• Mackerel
• Cooked soybeans
• Raw tofu
• Halibut

As a We Can! community partner, Ultimate Fitness will offer free public workshops and seminars on healthy eating and physical fitness to Monmouth County children and their families. 

Edward Albert, owner and director of Personal Training at Ultimate Fitness, is proud to partner with such a remarkable organization.  “I firmly believe that the majority of overweight Americans, men, women and children, are that way in part due to lack of proper education and information about healthy eating.  If we can help educate our community members, we can help break the dangerous cycles of overeating and sedentary lifestyles.”

Ultimate Fitness will begin workshops in January of 2010.  The workshops are completely free to the public.  Albert wants the public to know that they do not have to be members of his gym to attend the workshop.  “I don’t care which gym you go to, as long as you go,” says Albert.  “Anyone is welcome to attend the workshop and I encourage everyone to attend at least one.”

Community workshops will be announced through local businesses, schools and via email, by way of Edward Albert’s mailing list.  Anyone who would like to be added to that list and be notified of upcoming events should send an email to Stacey.Berlin@gmail.com with a request to be added to the Ultimate Fitness mailing list.  Albert hopes public school systems will also allow him to distribute fliers to students and parents regarding the upcoming workshops. 

For more information on Ultimate Fitness Gym, visit http://www.ultimatefitnesstrainingcenter.com . 

Edward’s diet and fitness blog is located online at http://www.fitnessdietsonline.com, he is also on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NJFitnessExpert

About Edward Albert

Edward Albert is the owner and director of personal training at Ultimate Fitness Training Center in Ocean NJ.  Albert has been in the fitness industry for over 20 years and is a former bodybuilder.  In 1992, Albert held the title of Mr. New Jersey.  Today Albert is dedicated to improving the life and longevity of individuals of all ages, shapes and sizes.  

Media Contact

Stacey Berlin

Stacey@tcr-marketing.com

732-757-7944

http://www.tcr-marketing.com