“Buy yourself new exercise clothes, sneakers, or a workout bag,” says Eason. Doing so will prove to yourself that you’re taking your fitness goals seriously. Plus, “not wanting new and/or expensive equipment to go to waste will make you more apt to get off the couch and use it.”
Marijuana may become a very integral part of the capital’s culture now that Initiative 71 has been lit ablaze in Washington, the Washington Post reports.
Despite defying threats from Congress, the District of Columbia legalized the possession of marijuana for recreational purposes today. Though Washington won’t come close to the free-blazing freedom known in Amsterdam—pot shops and open-air smoking is banned—its citizens will be able to grow, possess and use small amounts of pot from private residences.
About 70 percent of city voters approved the legalization in November, and now that the nation’s capital has “gone green,” we may see a similar trend sweep the nation. Alaska legalized marijuana just days ago (what a week!) and at least five states are moving toward legalization votes next year, the Washington Post says.
Does Pot Make You A Better Athlete? >>>
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The Finnish are clearly onto something. Though the Angry Birds ship has sailed—we feel your deep-seeded jealousy toward Rovio’s genius, too—you can jump on Finland’s health bandwagon by stepping into a sauna.
Frequent sauna trips (baths? sits?) may help you live longer, a Finnish study published in JAMA Internal Medicine has found. Saunas are to Finland what Starbucks is to America. For a population of 5.3 million people, there are 3.3. million saunas in Finland, according to InterNations.org. And they have good reason to cherish their sweatboxes.
According to the researchers, saunas are thought to improve blood vessel function, exercise capacity, even lower blood pressure for those suffering hypertension. This new study also suggests there’s an even greater benefit like a lesser likelihood of death from heart, attack, stroke and other heart-related conditions.
About 2,300 Finnish men, averaging 50 years of age, were asked how often they used saunas (at about 174 degrees Fahrenheit); their answers ranged from once weekly to every day. During almost 20 years of follow-up, more than 900 men died. Deaths from heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems were nearly twice as common in once-a-week users than those who frequented a sauna at least four times a week. Time spent sweating mattered, too. Fatal heart-related deaths were less common in men whose sessions lasted over 19 minutes, compared with those who spent less than 11 minutes in the sauna.
Dr. Jari Laukkanen, a University of Eastern Finland researcher and the study's lead author, mused that high temperature and humidity may cause beneficial changes in the cardiovascular system, but more rigorous research is needed to determine how saunas might prolong one's lifespan.
Find Supplements to Power Your Life at GNC Live Well >>>
In the meantime, get sweating. If you can't ward off a heart attack, at least you'll relieve sore muscles and flush toxins from your body.
Is the Sauna Good for Your Workout? >>>
You have to vary reps based on the exercise and what muscles you’re training. Upper-body pressing moves train fast-twitch muscle fibers, so they should mainly be done with lower reps (sets of six to eight). Your leg muscles are designed for endurance, so sets of 12 or more reps are appropriate.
Three cheers for Alaska. The Last Frontier is the new bastion of well-being, according to the 2014 Gallup-Healthways study of 176,702 Americans.
Alaskans exercise more than people in any other state (remember that the next time you use the weather as an excuse), report the lowest stress levels, have the lowest rate of diabetes, and surprisingly enough, the second lowest rate of depression diagnoses in the country, The Atlantic reports.
The state has actually been in the top 10 well-being rankings multiple times since the inaugural survey in 2008, but has never reigned supreme until this year. Hawaii finished top two for the sixth time, while Kentucky and West Virginia have held spots 49 and 50 for six consecutive years. Other rural (and cold) states were top 10, too: South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado Nebraska and Utah, respectively.
People are scored in five categories In the self-reported survey: “purpose (liking what they do each day, being motivated to achieve goals), social status (having supportive relationships and love in one's life), financial status (having minimal economic stress), community (feeling safe, and having pride in one's community).”
Curious how your state ranked? Find out here >>>
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Winter Is Going to Help You Lose Fat, New Study Says >>>
Get in a situp position parallel to a wall. Do a traditional situp, but at the top of the motion turn and slap the wall with both hands. Do 10, then turn and repeat on the opposite side. Next, switch your position so your feet are facing the wall. Now do 10 and slap the wall directly in front of you. Repeat these 30 situps before each cluster.
Stand holding two dumbbells at your sides. Keep your shoulder blades down and draw your elbows up and back as high as you can, pause, and slowly return to the start position. This hits the whole trap hard, versus the traditional shrug which only gets the upper traps.
Constantly holding that extra 20-pound weight forces your neck and back muscles to work overtime. “They become overused and tired,” says Queiros. Then, when you finally relax them (say, at home after work), the muscles tense up and could spasm, causing nasty tension headaches.
Is knee pain stopping you from registering for that 10k, or even hopping on the treadmill? “There’s this misconception that running is bad for your knees, but when you look at the science on it, it’s actually probably good for your knees,” says sports medicine physician Jordan Metzl, MD, author of Running Strong.
If your knees are achy, it could be that you need to tweak your form. A new study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise finds that leaning forward slightly while running can help reduce the load put on your knees. That means they won’t absorb as much shock from all that pounding the pavement.
Lean from your ankles, not hips, almost like you’re falling forward (think: skiers stance.) But, the best way to get in the right position—and protect your knees and other joints—is actually to shorten your stride length and take more steps per minute, says Metzl. Doing so will propel your body forward so you’ll get that lean naturally, without having to think about how you stand with ski poles. “It’s a lot easier to change how quickly your feet turn over than it is to change your body position, but it will get you a similar injury-prevention effect,” says Metzl. Plus, this simple trick can also make you a more efficient (read: faster) runner, per other research.
Next time you lace up, look at your watch and count how many times your left foot hits the ground in one minute. Shoot for 80 strikes per minute (160 left and right foot strikes.) “If you’re getting 60 or 65 left foot strikes a minute, that means your stride is too long, which puts much more compressive force on your knees,” says Metzl. Try using a metronome app like Run Tempo ($0.99, iTunes) to help you quicken your turnover—and save your knees. Here’s to lots of pain-free running once the weather permits us to get back outside!
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You don't need a treadmill to torch calories. In fact, if your goal is to burn fat, intervals and circuits are essential. Aside from being a quick method to getting in a great workout, intense periods of work with short recovery segments, allow you to keep the workout intensity high while still maintaining form; they're also extremely effective for transforming your physique. Intense circuits also stimulate muscle-building hormones and put your body in a perfect state to build lean mass.
The key to making an interval workout is including movements that challenge your entire body in a single exercise. Aim to include at least two exercises back to back before allowing your body to recover. Catch your breath in between rounds, but don’t allow yourself to recover fully before attacking the next set. Include at least a day of rest in between workouts as these intervals are intense, and you'll see results a treadmill could never replicate. To get you started, try these 10 alternatives to traditional cardio.
Hold two dumbbells by your shoulders with a neutral grip. Stand shoulder-width apart with your toes slightly out. Start the movement by sitting backwards and spreading your knees apart. Descend below parallel while keeping your lower back flat. At the bottom, drive through your heels and keep your knees apart. Drive up and push overhead at the same time.
In the past few years, researchers have discovered that, like khakis at the Gap, fat comes in many different shades—each with unique molecular properties and health implications. From reddish brown to beige, fat is more complicated than we might think. What does the fat rainbow mean for you? Here’s everything you need to know.
Zero Belly, Zero Excuses >>>
Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is found in the back of the neck, and serves to convert food to heat. It acts like a muscle when stimulated by cold environments, burning calories for fuel. An adult of normal or below-normal weight naturally stores about 2–3 ounces of brown fat—enough to burn 250 calories over the course of three hours when stimulated. As for standing in a cold shower to lose weight, it could work, but “shivering yourself skinny” has yet to be proven effective.
11 Food Compounds That Turn Off Fat Genes >>>
If you really want your results from the gym to spill over into the boardroom, you may be better off exercising before work than after: ”You’d be activating your muscles and the systems that get your body to fight depression,” says Keith Barr, M.D., head of the UC Davis Functional Molecular Biology Lab. But if the early a.m. is out of the question, the next best thing is hitting the gym when your colleagues are ordering Chipotle. With this rigorous routine, you’ll have ample time to shower, change, and get back to your cube within an hour.
DIRECTIONS:
For each exercise, choose a load that allows you 10–15 reps. Set a timer for eight minutes. Alternate sets of “a” and “b” exercises, resting minimally between sets until time is up. On each set, perform two fewer reps than you’re capable of (leave a couple in the tank).
Old or young, what every man needs is a workout plan tailored to their abilities. Over time, with the right program, you’ll begin to master every move and notice that abdominal V pop.
Whether you’re looking to burn fat, build muscle, or start a new regimen -- simply begin by disciplining your mind, because we’ve compiled a list of workout plans for every man. From the beginner to the devoted gym rat, follow this guide designed to build your best body.
Looking for a rapid-fat loss solution? The 21-Day Shred, your blueprint to building a rock solid, shredded body is back and better than ever. Get the full plan on your iPhone and iPad devices or download your PDF copy.
The holiday of lovers (a.k.a. V-Day) happens to fall upon National Condom Day. Coincidence? I think not.
For your enjoyment and nostalgia, here’s a look at the history of condoms, courtesy of LifeStyle Condoms.
Take a peak at what your ancestors used to wrap it up. Spoiler: it isn’t pretty. Prior to the 1400s, Asian aristocrats were using intestines, oiled paper and animal horns.
And to think you complain about rubber…
Condom Etiquette 101 >>>
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There's a certain poetic justice to giving up calories so someone else can have them. That seems to be the idea behind Fitbit's FitForFood campaign.
Fitbit is partnering with Feeding America, a nationwide network of 200 food banks that provides food to more than 46 million people. The goal of the partnership is for participants, wearing a Fitbit device, to burn 1 billion calories, and Fitbit will donate 1.5 million meals to Feeding America. Participants can opt-in to have their burnt calories tracked for people in need by going to www.fitbit.com/fitforfood.
Anyone wearing a Fitbit Surge, Fitbit Charge, Fitbit Charge HR, Fitbit Flex, Fitbit Zip or Fitbit One (along with the Aria Smart Scale) can participate. See the video below with FitForFood spokesman Joel McHale, and help feed the hungry.
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A well-designed article – optimized for search – about drinking alligator tears to cure Strep always has the potential to creep to the top of a Google results page on “Sore Throat.” Such are the perils of the Internet.
Until now.
With help from physicians at the Mayo Clinic, Google announced Tuesday that it has weeded out dubious medical advice from the top results on more than 400 common illness search terms.
From a blog post released by Google:
“Starting in the next few days, when you ask Google about common health conditions, you’ll start getting relevant medical facts right up front from the Knowledge Graph. We’ll show you typical symptoms and treatments, as well as details on how common the condition is—whether it’s critical, if it’s contagious, what ages it affects, and more.”
Even with the additional validation Google has implemented, for you cyber medics out there the best search term during any kind of serious illness will always be “nearest doctor.”
Seven Superfoods to Boost Immunity >>>
ACTOR
"John Malkovich. There are powerful actors, and then there's this actor. Everyone is impressed, rightly, with Daniel Day-Lewis's recent work, but Mr. Malkovich has been every bit his equal for a long time."
CLASSIC FILM
"2001: A Space Odyssey. It's pure candy for my smartest side. It also is responsible, along with Immortal Beloved, for my love of classical music."
TV SHOW
"Countdown With Keith Olbermann. Usually, the people yelling the loudest are those who want to distract you from the facts. Keith's volume is there to highlight the facts. We should all send his parents a fruit basket."
RESTAURANT
"Dodger Stadium. My colon is miserable, but my mouth is elated. There may have been a better way to say that."
BICYCLE
"Orbea. I recently caught the road-bike bug. I wear the funny outfits and everything. I'm not sure if this is the 'best' bike, but it feels like a sports car."
PLAY
"Burn This. I saw this back when I was young enough to quit this moronic way to make a living. Malkovich was in it, and watching him hooked me for life--to acting and his talent."
BOOK
"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. My parents inexplicably made reading a source of punishment, so it wasn't until I moved out, experimented with drugs, and read this that my enjoyment of reading developed."
MOVIE
"The King of Comedy. I think this is Robert De Niro's best work, which is saying a lot. Martin Scorsese didn't do too shabby either."
VACATION
"Anywhere with snow. I moved away from snowy places before I was old enough to have to shovel it, so to me, it has always meant snowmen and skiing."
ROMANTIC EVENING
"Lying on the couch watching a movie with my daughter sleeping on me and my wife."
DAD ACTIVITY
"Walking anywhere with her on my shoulders."
MOVIE
"Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove: He created a work of art that was political, but he didn't make it didactic; it was really entertaining. There was a message, but he let it ease its way in. I think everyone has been chasing that high-water mark for a long time. I love a lot of Kubrick's work. I would have killed to be in Full Metal Jacket…no pun intended."
ALBUM
"I love the Police's Outlandos d'Amour. Those were sounds that you had never really heard together. Stewart Copeland is doing the funky-ass syncopation, with Sting's singing, and Andy Summers's stunning guitar. I also love the English Beat, the Beastie Boys, and Ben Harper. In my CD cartridge right now, there's Biggie Smalls, the new Bob Dylan, and the new Beck."
HOTEL
"The sexiest hotel I've ever seen is a place called Hotel Costes, in Paris. There's big, red crushed velvet everywhere in the lobby. You go to the spa, and it's like an indoor pool from the 1920s. I saw the actress Monica Bellucci in the lobby one day, so I kind of attempted to speak to her. She was probably frightened and wanted to call security. Still, I love that joint."
EXCUSE NOT TO HAVE A BEST LIST
"The Dalai Lama was once asked for his favorite chant, and he said it was better not to have a favorite anything, which I think is a great thought. Also, I did this sort of thing once and I gave away the name of my favorite acupuncturist, who's my hero, and now I can't even find him anymore. I don't know if I can give away all my secrets."
BEST CAR
"The new Aston Martin, in gray. Dude, that thing's nutty. Just crazy cool."
BEST GROWN-UP TOY
"Dirt bike. Without question. That's the most fun I've ever had on a toy."
BEST DRINK
"A margarita. Just the feeling of sitting down with one is great, even before you drink it."
BEST LEISURE ACTIVITY
"Normally, I'd say fishing, but fishing ain't leisure in Hawaii, it's war. So, kayaking with my wife. That and hiking. There are so many places here where you can just stop and look out. It's calming and healing."
BEST MOVIE
"I love Jeremiah Johnson. I've always dreamed of being a frontiersman, so that movie defined the dream for me."
ON LOYALTY
"For me, loyalty means everything, but I want loyalty in truth, being diligent and truthful in your dealings with people. I don't want you to be loyal to me just to be loyal. I don't believe in that."
ON HIS BEST LIFE
"I love my existence here in Hawaii. The beauty and the peace…. If you can find that place for yourself, wherever it may be, you're absolutely golden."
FOOD
Sushi Nozawa, in Studio City, L.A. Sit at the bar, and do not attempt to order anything other than the “Trust Me” special, or else the owner will kick your ass to the curb. They call him “the Scowler,” and his sushi melts in your mouth.
DRINK
Johnnie Walker Black Label. You can drink it wearing dress shoes or flip-flops, or LA Gears, for that matter. Few liquors have that versatility.
ESCAPE
The little-known Water Island, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. You rent a funky little house, cook your own meals, sit on the beach, and get around on golf carts.
TUNES
I’m a big fan of world music, especially this amazing Mexican singer named Lhasa. She’s sultry, breathy, coquettish. Think Manu Chao with a cello and breasts.
GEAR
I’ve got a Breitling watch that I love; I like the weight and the fact that it’s not bling. I also wear one-star Converse Chucks, like Don Haskins used to.
HOTEL
"The Park Hyatt Tokyo, where Lost in Translation was filmed. You can't help but think how right Sofia Coppola got it when she shot there. It has probably the greatest view from a gym anywhere in the world. The Ritz or the George V (the Four Seasons) in Paris for the bar, which I believe was Hemingway's."
BEST CLASSIC RIDES
"My 1978 Datsun 280Z was the first cool car I owned, and it still holds a place near to my heart.I love my 1970 Chevelle. It's blue with white racing stripes…convertible. My kids call this the loud car. It has a brand-new engine. It's loud. I ride it hard. My Harley Custom SofTail sits on the floor of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It's the bike I took across the country a couple times in search of Route 66."
BEST BOARDWALK
"Seaside, Wildwood, and Asbury Park, on the Jersey shore. For those of you who never got to experience the boardwalks in Jersey back in the day, I wish I could give that to you."
BEST JUNK-FOOD RESTAURANT
"Go see Mrs. Max at Max's in Long Branch during the summer. Order a hot dog. Everything you need to dress it is on the table. Order the onion rings and pretend you're a Soprano. Order a really cold root beer. If you have room for dessert, it's all there. You'll see all your favorite Jersey guys' pics on the walls. And oh yeah--tell Mrs. Max I said hi."
BEST LULLABY TO SING A CHILD TO SLEEP
"I make them up in the moment."
BEST WORKOUT
"I was doing Workout 101 for years: treadmill, elliptical, weights. Now I'm going to do yoga. I went for my first time, and I enjoyed it. I'm a 21st-century man."
BEST BOOK
"The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, by Robin Sharma. Let's just say it was one of the most influential books for me, because it talked about how more and bigger is not always better. I came to that realization a decade and a half ago. I bought lots of copies for friends who were in similar situations, some of the guys in the band, other people in our line of work."
BEST JEANS
"Levi's are my favorite, but the truth is I want the Levi's of my youth: zipper, one button, straight legs. There are too many freakin' flavors today. I don't want Rocky Road vanilla twirl, I don't want 99 flavors, I want basics. I wear Lucky's or Diesel now. I sound like a cranky old man, don't I?"
BEST BOOK
Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West is one of my favorite books by Cormac McCarthy. It's a dark, twisted journey that descends deep into the badlands of America during the bloody expansion of the West.
BEST HOTEL
The Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok is number one in my book. You can sit on the terrace and watch the boats go up and down the Chao Praya River. The service is the best in the world. There's a porter who puts tags on your luggage with handwritten words of wisdom.
BEST MUSIC
I have a massive collection of LPs and 45s, as well as 78s, which are so fragile that collecting them is masochistic. One of my favorites is So Caballo, by Arsenio Rodríguez, the great Cuban guitar player. It's cracked, but it still plays. I Krazy-Glued it. Lately, I've been listening to Brazilian music. I like an LP by Orlann Divo called A Chave do Sucesso.
WHEELS
"Triumph has a motorcycle that looks like the old ones, and they're so beautiful. I grew up riding dirt bikes, but I had so many bad accidents--I got knocked out once and went to the emergency room twice. One of the few intelligent decisions I've made is not getting a motorcycle."
CARS
"I always liked that Aston Martin from the '70s. Not the James Bond model, but the one that looks like a Camaro. I like muscle cars--Chevy Cavaliers and Chevelles--but you gotta know how to tinker with them."
TIMEPIECE
"The Rolex GMT-Master has always been my favorite watch. It has the best design and functionality. You can get it wet and never have to take it off, and you can also kind of break them in. I'm on my third."
MUSIC
"I probably have three iPods, but I have never really gotten them set up. I still travel with a stack of CDs and use hotel players. I always have Willie, Waylon, George Jones, Hank Williams, the Stones, Neil Young, '70s Dylan, and the Band. I wish I would broaden my horizons. I really like the Kings of Leon's first album, Youth & Young Manhood, a lot."
EATS
"Babbo, in New York City, is incredible. It's one of those Mario Batali restaurants. And Craft, on East 19th Street, has all kinds of little servings of crazy meats and great stuff."
BOOKS
"I've been reading an LBJ biography that is so dense, you read 10 pages of it and you're ready for a nap. Ralph Steadman, Hunter S. Thompson's illustrator, has a really good book out right now called The Joke's Over. It's an honest look at their relationship and Thompson's kind of taking him for granted."
PDA
"I never was a computer or e-mail guy, but with a PDA, I can take care of stuff. It's a different form of communication. I would never call a friend 15 times a day, but PDAs are fun in terms of writing and kidding around."
CLOTHES
"For important occasions, I have Turnbull & Asser shirts and a custom-made suit. I used to have six suits, but when you have brothers the same size as you, and you go out of town for six months, things get pilfered. When you get a handmade suit, you realize why somebody like Clapton does it."
GETAWAY
"As you go through Malibu by Leo Carrillo Beach, there's a little roadside place called Neptune's Net where they have beer and fried fish."
DRINK
"I don't drink wine. I'll have a little tequila occasionally, and I like Mexican beers: Tecate, Modelo Especial, and Pacifico."
RESTAURANT TO HIT WHEN ON THE ROAD
"BLT Prime in New York City. I get the short ribs every time. To die for."
CAR
"Aw, shit. Aston Martin. The James Bond Aston Martin. It's the Bond thing is what it is."
QUARTERBACK OF ALL TIME
"Joe Montana. Some of the best times in my life were when my dad took me to football games and fired up the barbecue, and I'd throw the ball around the parking lot before the game. I was such a fan of the 49ers and Montana growing up. He was the most clutch, the guy you want with two minutes left in the game. He always found a way to pull it out."
MUSIC TO FIRE YOU UP
"I'm a mood music kind of guy, so it depends. Different tunes at different times. U2 and Jay-Z are my two favorites."
DEFENDER OF ALL TIME
"The best I've ever seen--and I've played against him--is Jason Taylor [New York Jets defensive end]. He changes the outcome of every game he plays in. He plays so hard on every down. Whatever we try to do to defend against him just doesn't work. He's got so much talent, but the difference is he's as determined as any player we have played against."
REASON TO CHOOSE FOOTBALL
"Football is all strategy. It's so rare these days to see the same play on multiple occasions. Mentally, physically, it challenges everything you're about. The great part about football is that the best team usually wins. The team with the most determination and the best work ethic usually comes out on top. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it. That's why it's easy to work at it and why guys on other teams who really love the game end up playing for the Patriots and why we've achieved such great things over here. We love playing football, and we love making sacrifices for the team and the game. That's the ultimate payoff, when you're sitting there at the end of the season holding up the Super Bowl trophy."
Featuring sweet dried figs on this marvelous macaroons! Incredibly amazing but low in fat and calories.
A balance of deep flavor and sweetness that makes this dish perfect to go with your mashed potatoes or boiled rice!
Hillman got into the supplement business on the ground floor. It was 1985, and the entrepreneur was already a partner in a gym called LivingWell, and VP of sales for a supplement retailer. He eventually left and teamed up with a new pal, Jeff Compton, a competitive bodybuilder and winner of the 1993 North Carolina state bodybuilding championships, to sell supplements for Vitalabs, a private-label manufacturer.
Their sales were good; but when gyms’ checks for their purchases would bounce, the company would take it out of the pair’s paychecks — and the gig eventually grew frustrating. “I saw a need then for a one-stop shop,” says Hillman, “and that’s when we decided to go out on our own.”
In 1990, most gyms were in the hands of competitive bodybuilders the duo already knew from events. This was before the Internet and big-chain supplement stores and easy-to-order-from catalogs, so gyms had a hard time staying up to date as the supplement market grew. To fill this glaring hole in the marketplace, Hillman and Compton decided to become not sales people but actual distributors — and Europa Sports Products was created. The name came from the Europa gym in Greece, where Hillman worked out on his frequent trips to Europe with Mr. Olympia Lee Haney doing seminars. So the pair started working out of Hillman’s living room — and supplement history was made.
But there were obstacles. Hillman remembers the early days, when the line between legal supplements and illicit performance drugs was still blurry, and many athletes avoided supplements altogether.
“At the [bodybuilding] shows, guys would say they were ‘all-natural’ and didn’t want to take anything.” But as awareness grew, they started expanding their horizons by using egg powders and amino acids to bulk up and speed muscle recovery. Hillman sees the same thing happening today with the functional fitness and CrossFit crowds — who for the most part have avoided nutritional supplements — blowing up into a megamarket for nutritional supplements.
“These guys are starting to realize they need their protein powders and branched-chain amino acids for recovery,” he says, giving as an example Rogue Fitness, the popular CrossFit strength-equipment manufacturer, which didn’t start offering supplements until earlier this year but now sells a wide variety of proteins, energy drinks, vitamins, and sleep enhancers. “All of a sudden we’re setting up at all the regional events for CrossFit,” says Hillman.
As for the next big leap in nutrition, Hillman believes it’ll be something far more surprising — specifically, a supplement in the form of a new protein. “We have enough casein and whey protein today, but it won’t last forever,” he says. The fitness world has gotten the religion of protein in a big way, and demand is rising. Chobani’s decision to add a few grams of whey protein to each container of yogurt will tighten the market all by itself, Hillman says, driving prices higher, so something else is needed. In case you’re wondering, that something else he’s talking about is bug protein.
“There’s a ‘yuck’ factor,” he says, “but we used to have that same problem with sushi.” And unlike traditional protein supplements, bugs are high in omega-3s and other essential nutrients because they’re ground whole. “They’re the perfect combination of protein and fats because you’re eating the whole thing; but this is going to take a while to go mainstream.”
We’ll agree with him there (and also freak out knowing that he’s probably right about all this, given his track record). But in the meantime, after all his years of experience, Hillman has some great lessons to share about how to become successful in business and in life. Here, his top three pieces of advice.
Training your forearms serve two main purposes: increasing strength in other exercises (such as the deadlift) and making your upper body more symmetrical. Failing to train forearms results in less grip strength and for some people, simply put, skinny-looking arms. Target this highly important body part with these 20 forearm exercises.
Are you the type of fitness enthusiast who needs a coach, friend or just anyone or anything to motivate you to go the gym? If so, you might find that the environment and structure of a fitness class is exactly what your training regimen has been missing. Whether you sign up for a bunch or just try it once, a fitness class is a great way to add variety to your strength and conditioning routine. Check out these nine trendy and effective fitness classes in 2015 to see what the hype is all about.
Looking for rapid fat-loss? Download The 21-Day Shred for iPhone or iPad devices. No iOS? Get the PDF.
First thing’s first. You have to figure out what your goal is. And just in case you forgot why you started training in the first place, it’s probably to accomplish one of three things -- getting stronger, getting bigger, or getting leaner. Are all these goals independent of each other? No. But it’s a good idea to put the majority of your efforts into one at a time. The Shred will be all about rapid-fat loss, so get yourself mentally prepared for hyperfocused workouts.
Three days from the Super Bowl, as our nation ransacks super markets and liquor stores like the most obese country in the world should, the Internet is buzzing with obscene consumption facts. This Sunday is, after all, the second highest caloric gorge fest of the year – behind Thanksgiving, of course.
But stuck between mildly surprising stats like 120 pounds of avocados consumed and 1.2 billion wings shoved down gullets, there’s one figure that’s simply astounding. No really, it’s unbelievable.
According to here, here, here, and here, Americans slug 325.5 million gallons of beer on Super Bowl Sunday.
Sorry, I know it’s Thursday, but let’s do some math.
If you believe this number (we remain skeptical), every man, woman, and child – all 316 million of us – would have to drink just over a gallon of the good stuff. That’s 128 ounces, or about 10 cans.
Get Healthy Food & Snacks at GNC Live Well >>>
While your pregnant wife and four-year-old son start slurping their own six packs (which they need to do if this number is in any way accurate), let’s figure out just how terrible it is for you to drink your own share of the frothy statistic.
A gallon of light beer (because if your stomach can handle a gallon of heavy beer in a day, you’ve got other problems) will cost you just over 1,500 calories and 150g carbs. A 185-pound man would need to stumble (you won’t be running after 10 beers) just over 10 miles to burn it all off.
Assuming you consume the brewskis over a 5-hour span, that same 185-pound man’s BAC would be .135 – legally unable to drive, physically unable to do just about anything besides sing loudly and take a nap on the couch.
So, believe the stat or not, we know you are going to crack a few cold ones before kick-off. Before you do, we recommend you learn how to imbibe like an athlete. Rule one? Do not drink a gallon of beer. But we assume you already know that.
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Your antidote against oral cancer may be steeping in a kettle.
According to a Penn State study, a compound found in green tea may trigger a cycle that kills oral cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone. Joshua Lambert, associate professor of food science and co-director of Penn State's Center for Plant and Mushroom Foods for Health boils it down:
"EGCG [the compound in green tea] is doing something to damage the mitochondria and that mitochondrial damage sets up a cycle causing more damage and it spirals out, until the cell undergoes programmed cell death."
The study was conducted on cells in petri dishes. Still, the idea that EGCG can selectively affect the activity of cancer cells is promising. It means it's probably applicable to other kinds of cancer cells as well. Tea time, anyone?
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One third of the world’s population is overweight or obese, according to the World Health Organization’s estimates. We’ve got a huge problem, and since drastic times call for drastic measures, scientists have thought up an interesting solution: chili peppers.
Researchers from the University of Wyoming’s School of Pharmacy believe capsaicin, the chief ingredient in chili peppers, is a promising potential diet-based supplement.
In the study, researchers found that capsaicin prevented weight gain in mice, even when test subjects were fed a high-fat diet. The capsaicin didn’t affect their intake of water or food, though it did significantly increase their metabolic activity and energy expenditure.
Capsaicin has the potential to stimulate energy burning by activating receptors in white and brown fat cells, which could help to manage or even prevent obesity and other related health concerns like Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease.
The researchers have submitted a patent application for the drug, so stay tuned.
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