Love Notes by Jari Love

Quick Ways to Burn More Calories

by Jari Love

Are you all about saving time, getting more bang for your buck, and blasting calories? Go for sweat-dripping, fast-paced cardio sessions. If you’ve only got 20 minutes, then opt for one of these intense strategies instead of your normal workout.

Instead of: zoning out on the treadmill
Go for: intervals
Not only do high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts help you burn more calories in a shorter amount of time, but also, mixing up your pace helps you become a better, faster runner. If it’s calorie burn you’re after, then take note: going at your max for even just a little bit can help you burn a substantial amount of calories in the same amount of time, no matter what your running level. Alternating a steady 10-minute mile (6 mph) pace on the treadmill with five 60-second intervals at 7.5 minutes per mile (8 mph), for example, will burn 16 more calories in 20 minutes for a 130-pound person than just running at a steady 10-minute-mile pace — 196 vs. 180 calories. Mix up your pace and timing as much as you want; just make sure you are pushing it for those intervals.

Instead of: your regular circuit workout
Go for: Tabata
Tabata is a form of HIIT you can do with almost any circuit workout. It consists of four-minute blocks of intense exercises (eight rounds at 20-second intervals followed by 10 seconds of rest), and while it can make you feel ready to quit, the payoff is worth it. At 13.5 calories burned per minute, you’ll blast through 270 calories in just 20 minutes.

Instead of: heading for the dumbbell rack
Go for: kettlebells
Need even more of a burn? A recent study by the American Council on Exercise found that the average person burns a whopping 400 calories in just 20 minutes when using the kettlebell. While it takes a little time to learn how to use kettlebells safely, swinging the weights around can save you a lot of time in the gym.

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

Healthy Alternatives to Your Favorite Desserts

by Jari Love

Is your sweet tooth sabotaging your healthy diet? Sugar addiction is real, but fortunately there are ways to curb all of your pesky junk food cravings. By substituting a healthier food that you still find delicious, you can get into the habit of turning to a truly guilt-free dessert — and still enjoying every bite. If you are serious about cutting added sugars, it may be hard to get started at first. Your taste buds are used to huge hits of concentrated sweetness, but they will adjust quicker than you might expect. Before you know it, you’ll be craving hearty fruit salads, and the thought of a frosting-heavy cupcake will just turn your stomach.

Once you trade in the sugary desserts, you won’t miss them nearly as much as you think. In order to get there, you can replace your usual fixes with some naturally-sweet treats. Here are five desserts you can feel good about.

1. Trade the ice cream sundae for yogurt with fruit and nuts

A bowl of plain yogurt contains live cultures of beneficial bacteria to help support a healthy digestive system. Topped with fruit, nuts, seeds, and/or oats, you’ll have a well-rounded yogurt sundae that can double as a hearty breakfast. Berries are a great natural sweetener for your yogurt, or you can add a small drizzle of raw local honey. Be careful, as the honey will up the sugar content of your dessert, but at least it provides added health benefits.

2. Trade cookies for a rice cake with peanut butter

The crunchy sweetness of a cookie might be tough to resist, but you can get a similar experience from a souped-up rice cake. Just don’t skimp on the quality of your rice cake. Try a salt-free brown rice or wild rice variety with your favorite nut butter. Add sliced bananas to this low-calorie treat for sweetness, and sprinkle a few flax seeds for extra nutritional value. This dessert is sure to satisfy your craving for a crunchy and nutty treat.

3. Trade the Popsicle for a slice of watermelon

On a hot summer day, your dessert of choice is probably going to be a cold one. Instead of reaching for a sugary Popsicle or fattening ice cream cone, grab a slice of nature’s perfect summer treat. Watermelon will hydrate and cool you while satisfying your sweet tooth. The juicy melon is also great cubed with a little salt, lime, and chili, if you like a sweet and spicy dessert. And if you are feeling adventurous, try grilling your watermelon. For those who prefer warm desserts, grilled, baked, or pan-fried fruits can turn up both the heat and the sweetness.

4. Trade the slice of pie for a hearty apple crisp

You might think it’s hard to beat a freshly baked fruit pie, but if you are watching your diet, you won’t believe how satisfying (and how nutritious!) a warm fruit crisp can be. Apples are an excellent and classic choice, but mixing it up with pears, peaches, and/or berries will give your crisp new dimension. This recipe from Pure and Simple is a great place to start if you want to keep it on the healthy side. You can substitute oats for the almond flour if you like. Feel free to try it with less maple syrup and honey, and the sweet juices of your fruit will shine through. For best results, choose fresh fruits that are in season.

5. Trade the milkshake for a smoothie

A ripe banana may be the best natural smoothie sweetener around. Juicy mangoes are another tasty addition. Blend these sweet and nutrient-rich fruits with unsweetened almond milk for a fast and low-calorie drinkable dessert. Add a little organic cacao powder if you want your refreshingly light smoothie to rival a chocolate milkshake in terms of taste. Superfood powders like spirulina or maca can up the nutritional value, making your smoothie either a satisfying dessert or a hearty afternoon pick-me-up.

via cheatsheet.com

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

8 THINGS MISSING FROM YOUR WORKOUT

by Jari Love

Creating an effective exercise routine requires goals. Deciding on what you want to accomplish, and using that as a guiding light to craft your regimen, is an easy way to make sure you’re covering all of your bases, and not skipping any steps on your way to conquering those objectives. But no matter what it is that you are truly after — Tatum-esque six-pack abs, Dwayne Johnson’s shoulders and arms, or maybe just a better level of all-around fitness, sans injury — there are certain elements to every single workout that you want to make sure you’re covering.

According to Mayo Clinic, a world-renowned medical center in Minnesota, exercise should balance five essential elements to lead you to good health. That includes strength training, balance training, aerobic fitness, flexibility, and balance training — all of which, when used in conjunction with one another, produce a “well-rounded” fitness routine.

These elements, though rather vague, have become more or less universally accepted by the fitness community. Getting in shape is about balancing a proper diet with exercise, and depending on your goals, tweaking the individual components until you reach a desired outcome. Those components consist of what the Mayo Clinic has laid out, along with a few peripherals.

With that in mind, we’ve made a list of eight essential things you should adopt into your routine. Some of these aren’t very specific, or may seem like no-brainers — yet people often forget, or simply neglect to take them into account. Read through it, and see if you’re skipping over any of our essential workout components.

1. A Time Limit: While you may hear about some people spending hours in the gym to get a chiseled body, a lot of conventional wisdom says that you should really limit your time among the dumbbells and barbells. The reasoning is simply because of the law of diminishing returns — that is, after a while, your muscles fatigue, and you stop making progress. While you still may be burning calories, for those looking to build muscle, being in the gym for hours may be more detrimental than helpful. Instead, fine-tune your routine and see what lifts you can incorporate that will save you time.

2. Muscle-Group Focus: If you’re experienced in the gym, you know that most people tend to break their lifting regimens up into specific days, like ‘leg day’, or ‘abs day’, for example. And this is solid advice. Focusing on a specific muscle group on different days is a good way to ensure you’re balancing your exercises, and working all of your muscles within a given week. Also, it gives other muscle groups time to rest and recover from the previous workout. So, put a plan into motion, and give your routine a daily focus.

3. Intensity: Go hard, or don’t go at all — it may sound like advice a high school football coach is bestowing upon his team before a big game, but it’s also a useful mantra for your time in the gym. If you’re not going to bring some serious effort to the table when doing your lifts or engaging in your daily run, it’s going to show when you miss your goals. A good way to crank things up to 11 is to use intensity workouts or exercises, which use explosive movements that can lead to serious muscle and strength gains.

4. Water — Lots of Water: This is simple enough: stay hydrated. Have a water bottle nearby, and be sure to be drinking often. In the gym, and especially if you’re on the treadmill, you’re going to be sweating. A lot. Making sure that you’re replenishing your fluids is incredibly important, as dehydration can lead to muscle fatigue and cramps. You’re not playing for Vince Lombardi, after all — so keep slamming the H2O.

5. Failure: What we really mean is, doing a specific exercise or lift to failure. That can be pushups, pullups, curls, or whatever — there are a lot of people who say you should go for the ultimate burnout for at least some of your sets. What ‘lifting to failure’ really means is that you go until you can’t hold proper form any longer, or simply can’t perform the exercise. Of course, this isn’t a good approach for every exercise, but for many of them, fitness experts give it the nod. Just be careful.

6. Cardio: By cardio, we mean that you’re getting your heart rate up, and burning some serious calories. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to go out and sprint hills, or even get on the treadmill. Doing some jumping jacks, using a jump rope, or even engaging in a fast circuit with dumbbells or machines around the gym will get your heart racing and the sweat pouring. Of course, many lifters are wary of cardio, but getting a tad into every workout can help you warm up, cool down, or just burn off some extra calories.

7. Pushing/Pulling: These are the core movements that define your workout and build muscle. Think about it; whether you’re deadlifting or bench pressing, you’re pushing or pulling weight either toward your core, or away from it, and that is where the actual exercise is happening. And this is what you want to make sure you’re doing every time you work out. For lifters, this isn’t much of a problem. For some, it’s simply getting your form nailed down. Push/Pull workouts have become a rather common thing nowadays, so if you need some guidance, there is plenty to be found.

8. A Cool-Down Period: This is one of the most-skipped elements, and it’s easy to sympathize with those that do. A cool-down period after your workout can help minimize soreness later on, and get you prepared for your next workout in a shorter time frame. Using a foam roll, stretching, or simply hitting the treadmill for a ten minute walk or jog should suffice, as long as you’re going from a ten to a zero on the intensity scale. Think of it like waking up in the morning — you don’t jump out of bed and go right into hyper productivity. It’s the same with your workouts, just in the opposite direction. Give your body a chance to slow down and relax. Also, make sure to have some water and a protein shake.

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

FIGHT HOLIDAY WEIGHT GAIN

by Jari Love

‘Tis the season for merriment, celebrating, and complete overindulgence. All of a sudden, your typically healthy diet morphs into one based predominantly on candy, cheese, fatty meats, and pastries thanks to an abundance of holiday parties. Packing on the pounds seems inevitable.

Interestingly, the average amount of weight an American gains during the holiday season is far less than most would assume. According to a 2000 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, most folks only add about 1 pound to their frame during this time period. The bigger problem is most fail to lose this weight once the season ends. Repeat this pattern every year, and it’s all too easy to gain 10 pounds or more in a decade.

In order to avoid the creep of holiday pounds, you need some strategies. Nothing crazy like fasting or running an ultra-marathon, but practical suggestions that are doable. We’re here to help. These seven tips will help you keep your figure through the year’s end without losing your mind.

1. Avoid skipping meals

Opting out of breakfast or lunch seems like a good way to reduce calories leading up to a holiday party complete with a buffet and tasty treats. The idea is you have more wiggle room since you reduced your consumption earlier in the day, yet this strategy rarely pays off. If you show up famished, you’ll wind up eating far more than you normally would.

Some researchers agree. A study published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry fed one group of mice a restricted diet only once every 24 hours while the other group was allowed to graze on a normal amount of food throughout the day. The mice on the restricted, fasting diet initially lost weight, but once researchers restored their allotted calories to a normal amount, they gained all of it back and stored more fat around their bellies.

And keep in mind, most of the eats at these get togethers are very high in calories and low in nutrients that keep you full. A bowl of oatmeal earlier in the day will do a lot more to keep you satisfied than one measly cookie.

2. Socialize with your friends at parties

Food plays such a huge role in celebrations, it can be easy to forget why you’re even celebrating. Chances are good a few friends, or at least colleagues you generally like, will be at every gathering you attend. Instead of spending all your time at the buffet table or next to the bar, mingle with your peers. Talk to them, engage, laugh, and enjoy their company. Many of us eat out of boredom, so you’re a lot less likely to overdo it if you’re actually having a good time.

3. Start your day with a workout

December’s calendar probably looks as decorative as a Christmas tree thanks to so many parties and other events. Such a packed schedule often means regular workouts become infrequent workouts. Fight back with a morning sweat session, even if it means waking up a little bit earlier. It’s the easiest way to make sure you stay active without cutting into social events.

Some evidence even suggests morning workouts may be better for weight maintenance than sweating it up later in the day. A 2010 Belgian study fed participants a high calorie, high fat diet for six weeks and divided them into a group that didn’t exercise, one that exercised after eating, and one that exercised before eating anything in the morning. Both those who remained sedentary and those who worked out after eating gained weight while those who exercised in a fasted state were able to maintain their weight. Try going for a run, hitting the stationary bike, or a circuit.

4. Don’t try to shed pounds during the holiday season

Even if you’re working toward a weight-loss goal, give yourself a little bit of a break during the season of all things butter and sugar. Keep your focus on maintaining rather than shedding pounds or you’ll make yourself crazy. Even the most organized guy will probably run into a situation or two where he doesn’t have the option to eat something nutritious. A busy day at the office might mean dinner ends up being some passed appetizers and a cookie at your office party. No worries, just get back on track the next day.

5. Tank up on water

Staying hydrated keeps your body functioning properly and it could also keep you from overeating. Those who know they head to the food when they get bored should grab a glass of water instead. It gives you something to do the same way a pile of snacks does without the additional calories.

Feeling hungry? Drink some water first. SparkPeople explained the hunger and thirst cues are very similar and often difficult to tell apart. The desire to eat may evaporate after downing a tall glass of H2O.

Also, be wary of alcohol. Those liquid calories can be a real killer. For every cocktail, beer, or glass of wine you have, follow it with a full glass of water. It slows you down and helps to balance out the diuretic effect alcohol has on your body.

6. Embrace the crudité platter

Cookies and salty snacks disappear from the buffet table at a rapid pace while the crudité tray remains untouched in the corner. Embrace the veggie platter. The veggie platter is your friend. It’s the one opportunity to load up on fiber and other important nutrients. Stock you plate with as many veggies as you’d like, keeping the fatty dip to a minimum. Filling your belly with produce will leave a lot less room for the unhealthy stuff. It’s the same idea of starting a meal with soup or salad, a strategy many nutrition experts recommend to avoid overeating.

7. Choose your indulgences wisely

If your mom makes the best holiday cake in the world, you should absolutely have that cake. Skip the other treats you don’t care much about, and allow yourself to enjoy something you really love. Those with a serious sweet tooth might have trouble saying no to trying multiple goodies, but they can still be smart about it. Fill one plate with a selection of treats, then split it with a bunch of friends. You’ll end up with just a bite or two of each dessert, which is just right for a little bit of a splurge.

Looking for help in avoiding the holiday weight gain? Sign-up for your FREE 7-day trial for Jari Love’s On Demand! Receive tips, recipes and MORE on how to lose weight and feel great!

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

8 Reasons to do Squat Exercises

by Jari Love

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

Holiday Weight Gain? Lose Weight Fast!

by Jari Love

Here’s how to recover from the holidays and lose weight fast:

The holidays are such a magical time of the year! You spend time with family. You decorate, exchange gifts, talk about all the things you are thankful for, and…eat. It’s hard to not overeat during the holiday season because there are so many good things, like sugary cookies, heaps of pot roast, turkey, and dressing. It’s no wonder so many of us put on the pounds during the months of November and December. Of course, though, after the holidays, you are left feeling very bad about all that extra weight you have gained.

The good news is that you can lose that holiday weight gain fast. You just need a plan of action. You also need to set goals and stick to them. Then, you can enjoy a healthier, more physically fit you. What does it take to drop those pounds quickly? Here is what you need to know.

Start by Understanding Your Body

You need to understand your body and how it works. If you eat the wrong foods, then your body will not use those calories for energy. You will continue storing fat. However, when you eat the right foods and exercise like you should, then your body will have no choice but to burn fat stores. You cannot just tackle one thing: exercise or diet and expect to lose all of those holiday pounds. Instead, when you understand your body, you will see why it is important to work on both healthy foods and a quality exercise plan.

Keep Track of What You Are Eating

It’s a good idea to know what you are eating. “Being aware of what you eat can serve as an effective reminder of which foods to avoid as you work on dropping holiday pounds.” (Black, 2010) By knowing what you are eating, you can actually determine what you need to adjust in your diet to be healthier. You may be consuming quite a few empty calories without even realizing it. In fact, if you are trying to live a healthy lifestyle, it’s a good idea to keep a food and exercise journal throughout the year.

Hit the Exercise Plan…Hard

Exercise, and the right kind of exercise, is key to losing weight fast. Weight training will be the most successful option, but most people think of cardio instead. However, when you use weights, you will actually be building muscle, dropping pounds, and making yourself healthier overall.  When you use the right exercise program that involves weight training, you will actually be able to burn as many calories as you would if you ran on a treadmill.

The Goal Is Muscle Overload

When you work out, you may be tempted to quit when you get tired, but you may not be taxing your muscles enough. Through the proper form and lighter weights than you may think you need, you can actually lose more weight and build more muscle than you would have imagined. Essentially, you want your muscles to build fiber over time, and that means pushing them through resistance training. As you build the muscle, you will burn the fat and pounds you put on through the holidays.

Structure and Repetition Will Help

When you face losing weight and you want to drop the pounds quickly, you need to understand the importance of structure and repetition. By doing the right number of reps in each type of weight training, you will be able to tax your muscles as much as you should without risking injury.

Structure is important in any exercise and weight loss regime. You need to build a plan and stick to it. This holds true for the exercise itself as well as your dietary plan. When you have a structured routine for your daily plan, you will be able to stick with it without accidentally slacking off.

Finally, if you want to lose weight fast, you should never starve yourself. You may think that by skipping meals, you can drop the pounds, but you will actually be sabotaging yourself. Your body will start slowing down and burning muscle instead of fat. Make sure you are eating a healthy diet to see the best results. Those holiday pounds don’t have to stay on throughout the year. With the right plan, you can lose them fast!

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

7 FUN WAYS TO BURN CALORIES

by Jari Love

Not everyone loves hitting the treadmill. Here are some ways to burn calories while having fun. Add one or two of these activities to your daily routine and watch the benefits add up!

1. Dance it Off
Rock out to four of your favorite songs in a row. Turn, Twist, Shake, Jump, Hard Core Air Guitar Solo, and Shimmy off 100 calories. You just got more booty-licious and boosted your mood with your favorite tunes—sounds like a great deal!

2. Bike it Off
Instead of driving to your local coffee hang out to get your morning coffee why not bike there. Biking is one of the most fun modes of transportation, good for the environment and good for you. Keep those pedals moving for at least 15 minutes and you’ve cycled away another 100 calories.

3. Shop it Off
No seriously, keeping up a steady shopping pace for 40 minutes means you are 100 calories closer to fitting into that perfect outfit you picked out during your shopping workout.

4. Tee it Off
Golfing and walking the whole round is a great way to burn calories. Not a golfer? No problem even a round of mini-golf can burn up to 100 calories a round. Take your kids, take your main squeeze, make a date of it with your friends. Act like a champion when you sink your puts by jumping, fist pumping and victory dancing and you’ll burn even more!

5. Dig it Off
Planting a garden this spring? Just 25 minutes of digging, weeding and planting torch through 100 calories. Hello Dandelions! Winter blahs? Go get that snow shovel, only 15 minutes here will have you melting off those 100 calories. Bring it on Jack Frost!

6. Bounce it Off
Remember when you were a kid and spent the whole summer on your trampoline? Well it’s time to bring the bounce back. Jump for Joy because only half an hour on the old trampoline bounces off 100 calories.

7. Climb it Off
Want to try something new? Try out your local climbing wall. Just 10 minutes of climbing will bring your weight loss to new heights by dropping 100 calories.

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

Interval Training For Fast Results

by Jari Love

Want to get more out of your workouts? Then try interval training for fast results!
There’s a little secret in the fitness world called interval training.
What is interval training? Rather than doing the same cardio exercise your entire workout, interval training alternates short, high-intensity bursts of exercise with slower, low-intensity periods of recovery.
Research has shown that such intervals of high and low-intensity activity burn more calories and build fitness quicker in a shorter amount of time.
Once designed for elite athletes, interval training is now something the average fit person can try. You don’t need fancy equipment or special training to rev up your routine with interval training.
Read on to learn more about this fast, slow, fast, slow method of training and weight loss.

Theory Behind Interval Training
By alternating high-intensity movements with low-intensity movements, you’re working both your aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic (without oxygen) systems. High-intensity exercise causes your muscles to produce lactic acid (waste products), which lead to muscle soreness. Too much lactic acid build up causes exercise to become exhausting and painful.
Alternating hard and easy exercise will reduce the amount of lactic acid that accumulates, thereby making exercise more comfortable, improving your endurance and increasing your speed.

Interval Length
So how long should intervals be?
The answer is, it doesn’t matter.
There are no real hard-and-fast rules about interval length. Varying lengths bring varying benefits. So how fast and how often you pick up the pace depends on you.
Beginners should aim for no longer than 30 seconds of high-intensity bursts. If you’re feeling strong and are in good shape, go ahead and push yourself a bit longer.

Know the Risks
While a no-rules approach may sound appealing, interval training isn’t for the beginner. If you’re new in the land of fitness, take your time as you increase the intensity of your workouts.
Rushing into high-intensity exercise may lead to injury. Start out slowly. Add one or two high-intensity intervals each workout. Slow down if you feel you’re overdoing it. As your stamina increases, feel free to challenge yourself.

Sample Workouts
Remember, there’s no set rule about how to do interval training. It can be tailored to your fitness level and type of exercise.
An interval-training workout involves four variables that can be changed to meet your goals: intensity of intervals, duration of intervals, duration of recovery intervals, and the number of interval repetitions.
Interval training can be casual, spur of the moment bursts of activity depending on how you’re feeling that day or if you’re working towards a more specific sports or fitness goal you can take a more sophisticated, scientific approach.
Interval training workouts have been designed for plyometrics, sprints, stair running, jump rope, speed drills, and agility drills.
A simple example of interval training for walking would be to add short bursts of jogging or alternate slower walking with brisk walking. If you walk outdoors, you could jog or walk faster between certain landmarks such as mailboxes or street signs, then slow down for a short distance.
A second example that really gets your heart pumping and improves fitness in a short amount of time includes running, rowing, or cycling. Warm up for about 15 minutes, then run, row, or cycle as hard as you can (at 90 percent of your maximum heart rate) for three minutes. Then go easy for three minutes, allowing your body to recover. Repeat these three-minute intervals of high- and low-intensity exercise three or four times. Then cool down for 10 minutes.

Increase Your Intensity
To get the most out of your interval training try the following:
• Add Resistance. Between sets of cardio do a set with dumbbells, resistance bands or with your body weight.
• Increase Speed. Really push yourself during the sprinting intervals. Remember, it’s only a handful of seconds.
• Lengthen Intervals. Add a few seconds to your intense intervals.
• Change Exercises. If you’ve been sprinting then switch to burpees or high knees.

Here are WORKOUTS that help you increase your exercise intensity.

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

How To Cut Sugar From Your Life

by Jari Love

Recently I posted an article about why sugar is so bad for you. However, cutting sugar from your diet can be challenging. I recently had a client come to me for help eliminating sugar from her diet for good. Danielle is a mom of two and works part time. Once her youngest hit 4 Danielle decided it was time to make some changes in her life, and she started seeing me and coming to my classes on a regular basis. Danielle loved the classes, but found herself craving sweet stuff all the time particularly after workouts, but knew giving in to her cravings wasn’t going to get her the results she wanted. She came to talk to me to see whether I could offer any advice not only for herself, but also for her two boys.

One of the problems with sugar is that it acts like a drug. As sugars are released into your bloodstream your blood sugar rises. Your pancreas works to regulate that blood sugar level by releasing insulin. Insulin’s job is to move sugar from your blood into your cells where you can use it as energy. However, the more refined the sugar the faster this happens and the faster your pancreas has to work in order to regulate your blood sugar levels. This puts a lot of stress on your pancreas, and sometimes, if you eat even small doses of poor-quality highly refined sugars like corn syrup, you experience those tremendous highs and lows of blood sugar spikes and crashes, which leads you crave even more sugar.

If you consume more sugar than your body needs to fuel its cells, that excess sugar is stored as fat! Additionally, if your pancreas is constantly producing insulin to regulate your blood sugar levels, your body can’t produce glucagon which is the hormone that releases fat so your body can burn it off. If you are eating lots of sugar, not only is your body storing that extra sugar as fat, it is also not burning any stored fat.

One of the reasons that your diet is filled with so much sugar is that some form of refined sugar is included in virtually every single processed food. This is yet another reason that it’s important to cut those processed and packaged convenience foods out of your diet. Even some “health foods” should be avoided due to their high sugar content. One of the first fixes Danielle made to her and her boys’ diet was to cut out juice boxes and orange juice for breakfast. 1 8oz glass of orange juice contains 25 grams of sugar which is about half the recommended daily intake for an average adult! Danielle cut out her boys’ juice intake and found this simple change significantly helped reduce their mood swings and “tired” tantrums. Danielle also cut out her morning glass of orange juice and found she was less tired half way through the morning and could forgo her sugar fix.

I also recommended that Danielle and her boys upped their protein, particularly at breakfast. A diet rich in protein keeps you full, satisfied and less likely to crave sweets. A great way to make sure that you are getting enough is to plan each meal and snack around a protein. Danielle began planning breakfasts around eggs and protein shakes which also helped her ward off those cravings.

The biggest change Danielle made to her diet was cutting out all products containing artificial sweeteners. Danielle had initially tried to cut sugar by switching to products with sugar alternatives. The problem with these artificial sweeteners is they actually interfere with our hormonal system’s ability to detect when we’ve eaten enough. Artificial sweeteners make our body think we’ve had something sweet, but when the calories aren’t there our body craves them—making us eat more food to satisfy the deficit.

Danielle got rid of all those artificial sweeteners and replaced them with whole fruit and the occasional piece of dark chocolate. Eating a piece of whole fruit when you are craving something sweet is a good option, since you can have your sweet fix, while also ingesting vitamins and minerals. The fiber present in fruit also helps slow down the sugar’s release into your blood stream thus putting less stress on your pancreas.
Danielle replaced her secret indulgence— Twizzlers licorice—with a small square of dark chocolate for those times when she just had to have something sweet. Consuming Dark Chocolate that is 70% or higher in cocoa content releases endorphins that suppress pain and stress. The flavonoids found in cocoa can also help reduce blood pressure and the B-vitamins are an additional stress busting benefit. The benefit of the cocoa, in addition to the lowered sugar content, makes dark chocolate an occasionally justifiable treat.

Danielle found that the longer she and her boys went without sugar, the less they craved it. As you begin to limit your intake of refined sugars, you’ll find that your tolerance for sugar decreases. This means that something that didn’t taste sweet before – say a green apple – now has uncanny depths of sweetness. What’s happening is that your sweet receptors are becoming more finely tuned, now that you’re not overwhelming your palate with sickly-sweet refined sugar. Danielle found she actually had more energy once she decided to kick the sugar habit, and as a bonus after only three weeks on the no sugar plan, she found she had lost an extra 4 pounds!

Remember, diet is a huge part of your weight management program, but a regular, challenging exercise routine is also a must. Not only will a challenging exercise program help you get into amazing shape, it also reduces your cravings for sugar. The endorphin rush brought on by vigorous exercise is an even more powerful feel-good-feeling than the pleasure gotten by indulging in sugary foods.

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

Homemade Chicken Soup Recipe

by Jari Love

This homemade chicken soup recipe is made without added carbs like noodles or potatoes. It’s filled with fiber, protein and lots of delicious flavor. Enjoy!

Here’s what you need…

• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 medium organic yellow onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, grated
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon curry powder
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 quarts chicken broth
• 3 cups diced roasted chicken
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 organic apple, chopped
• dash of salt and pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• zest from 1 lemon
• 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

1. In a large pot, over medium heat, melt the coconut oil and add the onion, carrots and celery.
2. After 5 minutes add the garlic and curry powder.
3. After a couple minutes add the chicken broth, chicken, bay leaf, apple, pepper, thyme, and lemon zest. Stir well.
4. Bring to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes.
5. Stir in the coconut milk, and some salt if desired, remove the bay leaf and serve.
6. Enjoy your Homemade Chicken Soup!

Servings: 8

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 166 calories, 5g fat, 175mg sodium, 9g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, and 19g protein

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program, and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.