How to Tell When You’re Really Dehydrated

by Jari Love

Did you know that once you hit the point of being thirsty, you’re already dehydrated? Our bodies are between 50 and 75 percent water, so once you’re dehydrated, the amount of water in the body has already dropped below what’s needed for normal body function. Here are signs that it is time to drink up! 

You Feel Tired 

If you feel tired throughout your day, try filling up on water before reaching for a caffeinated beverage and see if that makes a difference. After a full night’s rest it’s common to be slightly dehydrated in the morning; so don’t forget to include drinking a glass of H2O in your morning routine to jump-start your metabolism and your brain! 

A Little Moody 

A recent study found that mild dehydration can affect your mood and interfere with your ability to concentrate. If you’re sitting at your desk and feeling a little low, sipping water could help you snap into focus. 

You’re Having Trouble Going 

Water helps to keeps your digestive system moving and your intestines flexible to avoid chronic constipation. It only makes sense that you’d have difficulty with your bowel movements if you’re not staying hydrated. Keep things moving by drink plenty of fluids throughout your day. 

You Have a Headache 

Mild headaches are a classic sign of dehydration. Drinking eight ounces of water when you feel the pain coming on might just keep the headache at bay. So sip up before reaching for the aspirin. 

You Have Bad Breath 

Dry mouth leads to bad breath. You need salvia to fight stink-inducing bacteria, so drinking water regularly should keep your breath in check. 

via popsugar.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.

Does Exercise Make You Hungry?

by Jari Love

If you’ve stuck to a new workout routine, chances are you know what the fuss is all about: the exercise-induced endorphins, the sense of accomplishment after you crush a workout, the realization that you actually like being sweaty. But one thing that may not make you love your workout routine: that ravenous, want-to-eat-everything feeling you get after a workout. 

Since weight loss is a combination of burning enough calories and eating fewer calories to create a deficit, if you’re trying to drop pounds, chances are you don’t exactly love the fact that you want to eat all the calories in your fridge when you’ve spent the last 45 minutes burning just a fraction of that. So what exactly makes you hungry after you work out, and how can you change your habits? 

Why You’re So Hungry After a Workout 

It could be the type of workout you’re doing. Studies have shown that the more intensely you exercise, the less ghrelin (the “hunger hormone”) your body produces, so a long, low-intensity session could be the reason why you’re ravenous. But other research in women shows that even those who exercise intensely eat more calories after exercise than those who don’t work out, so this isn’t the only appetite-inducing culprit. If you’ve just finished an intense session and still feel like downing an entire pizza, it could be dehydration. Many times our bodies mistake thirst for hunger, so if you’re not adequately hydrated during a workout, you may feel superhungry afterward. 

One study found that the more fit you are, the less you feel like rewarding yourself with food after a workout, so another reason why you’re famished after exercise might be your body and brain haven’t gotten used to your workout habit yet. 

How to Prevent Disproportionate Hunger After a Workout 

If you’re noticing that you’re eating more than you should after a workout, it can be discouraging to want to keep up with your routine. But regularly exercising at least 20 to 30 minutes a day is important for not just weight loss, but also for preventing diseases, boosting immunity, and feeling happier — which means quitting your gym routine because you may be eating a few extra calories is not a good excuse. Instead of forgoing fitness altogether, try these habits to see if they make a difference in your post-workout meal habits. 

– Try doing HIIT (high-intensity interval) workouts instead of low-intensity ones; these bursts can help suppress your hunger hormone.

– Drink enough water before and during your workout; here’s how to make sure you’re getting enough.

– Make sure you’re strength training at least three times a week; muscles boost your metabolism so you’re burning more calories all day long, even when you’re sitting at your desk.

– Eat a small pre-workout snack at least 30 minutes before your session so you perform better and won’t deplete your body of all its energy stores.

– Have a high-carb, high-protein snack after a workout, then eat your dinner a little later. It will help build muscle and energy stores, and eating a low-calorie pre-workout snack before sitting down to a meal can prevent you from overeating when you’ve got a full plate in front of you.

– Stick with it. As your body adapts to your new healthy habit, you’ll figure out what works for fueling it while still sticking to your weight-loss goals. 

via popsugar.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.

Sculpting Exercises for Troubled Areas

by Jari Love

Admit it, we all have 1 or 2 troubled areas that we’d like to focus on. But remember, spot training doesn’t work when it comes to fat loss. You can train do 1000 crunches a day and that doesn’t mean you’ll get a 6-pack. But spot training does make those individual muscles stronger, then your cardio intervals and meal planning with help shed the fat that covers your new muscles. 

But in the next couple of blogs of this series, I’ll give you some exercises for troubled areas that you can do at home or at the gym. I’ll also give you a weekly workout plan. Today, we’ll focus on Sculpting Exercises for troubled areas. For demonstrations of these exercises, check out any of my Get RIPPED videos where we use these exercises for maximum fat burn. Follow the chart below for the frequency, Intensity, Timing and Type of exercises for your fitness level. This is what personal training programs look like. 

Lunge with reverse flye (upper back, hamstrings, quads): Step one leg back, bending the knees, so one knee almost touches the floor. As you step back into a lunge, extend you arms back like wings on a plane. As you flye your arms back, squeeze your shoulder blades like they are squishing a pencil. Return arms to starting position by your hips and stand feet back together. Alternate legs. 

Modification: Seated Reverse Flye: Sit in a chair, bend forward at the hips, keep chest proud and back straight. With straight arms, extend arms out to the side and behind you, squeezing that invisible pencil in between your shoulder blades. 

Crossover squat with pullback (butt, quads, hamstrings, chest, shoulders): Imagine taking a curtsey with hand weight. So do a curtsey, with underhand grip of your weights, pull weights up to your bra line under your armpits. Step out of the curtsey, and relax arms back down to your side. Repeat on other side. 

Modification: Regular Squat with Pullback – Place feet shoulder width apart with toes pointing forward. Squat down, and as you stand out of your squat, pull the arms back up to your bra strap line. 

Single-leg squat with lateral raise (glutes, hamstrings, quads,  medial delts, core): Stand on one foot, with the other foot behind you or in front of you. Squat down on one leg, like you’re sitting on a chair. As you stand up, lift the weights up to shoulder height, keeping the arms as straight as possible. 

Modification: Supported Single Leg Squat – hold onto a chair to do squat. Do Lateral Raise separately keeping arms bent to a 90 degree angle. 

Lateral lunge with L-Raise (glutes, hamstrings, quads, medial/lateral delts): Start with feet together and arms holding weights by your side at 90 degrees. Step your left foot out to the side as far as you can into a lunge. As you lunge, keep your elbows at 90 degrees, raise your left arm to shoulder height in front of you, and your right arm to shoulder height to the right side. 

Modification: Wide Squat with L-Raise keeping arms bent to 90 degree angle. Make sure knees stay behind toes for Wide Squat. 

Push-up (chest, shoulders, back, core): Get into a plank position, with hands directly under the shoulders. Push your heels back and imagine a string pulling the crown of your head in opposite directions. Bend your elbows and lower towards the floor, keeping that strong plank position with no sagging in the hips. Bend till your elbows are at 90 degrees and return up to plank position. Repeat. 

Modification: Floor Pushup on knees, or Standing Pushup Against Wall

 Tricep Kickback with leg extension: Standing, holding weights in hands with elbows at 90 degrees. Lift your left leg back, like a leg lift. As you lift your leg, straighten your elbows, squeezing the triceps. 

Modification: Tricep Kickback on knees without doing leg extension. 

Bicep curl with knee-up (biceps, hips, quads):  Stand up, with arms holding weights at your sides. As you lift your right leg up, bend your elbows and lift your weights as a bicep curl.

 Modification: Do Bicep Curl without the knee raise. To replace the knee raise – lie on floor on your back and to alternating Toe Taps to work the abdominals 

Sculpting Intervals: Advanced / Intermediate / Beginner

Frequency: 3-4x per week / 3x per week / 2x per week

Intensity: Do 3-4 sets/15-20 reps 2-3 sets/15 reps 1 Set/15-20 reps

Time: 60 minutes / 30-60 minutes / 45-60 minutes

Type: High Intensity,3-10lb dumbbells / Body weight or3-10lb dumbbells / Body weight or 3-5lb

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.

Eat Real Food for Weight Loss

by Jari Love

Most people think that weight loss comes from giving up the foods that they enjoy and that staying skinny means never enjoying eating out again. While some dietary modifications are necessary for success, you hardly have to stop eating for pleasure. There are a few tips that will let you bend the rules a little more and still succeed, and we’d like to share them with you.

Meat Isn’t the Problem for Weight Loss

While more doctors are advising that you should eat less meat, only a few are saying don’t eat it all. Much of the issue with meat being linked to illness comes from pollution that animals absorb when they live in factory environments, not from the meat itself. Even the famous vegan doctor Michael Greger cited carcinogens from industrial environments, not the meat itself, as the cause of disease.

The solution to this issue is simply to eat more local meats and just moderate your portions. Meats do provide protein and iron in large amounts. Grass-fed beef is far richer in nutrients and is easier to digest.

Sweets Are Not the Problem for Weight Loss, Either

Natural sweeteners are an excellent replacement for processed sugars, just don’t heap them onto your food. Honey is an excellent sweetener that is also known to help loosen sinus congestion. So is maple syrup. Cookies can be made with raw cane sugar and can also be sweetened with natural molasses.

For Weight Loss Whole Grains Are the Best Choice for Breads and Cereals

Did you cringe when you were advised by a diet plan to eat a hamburger without the bun? Then forget you were ever told that. We already know that meat isn’t the problem, you just want to have a better burger.

So go ahead, grill that quarter pounder, and serve it on a good quality, wholegrain bun. Whole grains undergo less processing and retain more nutrients. Buns made from whole grains typically aren’t enriched with chemicals, but read the label to make sure.

Cereals made from whole grains are available in every grocery store. They are nothing new, and nowadays, they are so popular that you can easily find a cereal that is not only healthy but tasty. Wholegrain cereals that include natural berries, raisins and other sweet fruits are fine. The fruits add a bit of flavor and help you absorb the iron.

Whole Foods Make Your Body Work Better

Weight loss isn’t just about cutting calories and carbs. A lot of times, people are a bit overweight just because their bodies are slow to metabolize foods. Processed foods move more slowly through your system and waste byproducts back up. This slows you down and makes you feel lethargic.

Whole foods digest quicker and your body doesn’t have to do as much work to process them. As a result, you can lose weight just by eating better-quality foods and not having to count calories all the time. You do still need to moderate your portions, but the RDA labels on most foods will give you the information you need.

Look At the Food Labels and Plan Accordingly

If your recommended daily allowance of carbohydrates is 300 grams a day, just look at the labels of foods you are eating and see how many carbs you’re consuming. Check the labels for a few days, or maybe a week and take a few notes. Then make your daily plan according to the recommended daily allowance. All that’s left to do is just make sure you eat a fun-enough variety of foods so that you’re still enjoying life.

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.

Are Egg Whites the Best Protein Choice?

by Jari Love

If you want to get healthy, then you will need to consume a high-protein, low carb diet. Many people associate protein with chicken or lean beef, and they forget that there is something that offers an even better source. Egg whites are the best source of protein and have been recognized for their quality nutrient value. Each egg white that you consumer has about 3.6 to 4 grams of protein in it. That should immediately tell you this is a good source of food for you, but that isn’t the only reason.

Egg whites contain numerous different nutrients that your body needs, including niacin, vitamin B12, iron, zinc, copper, folate, and riboflavin. So, when you eat an egg white, you are essentially taking a multivitamin, only one that is natural and better for you. In fact, egg whites offer the most complete source of protein that you can find. They have amino acids that will help you remain healthy too. These amino acids will ensure your body is able to use all of the protein in the egg white by supporting healthy tissues, building up your immune system, and helping your cells produce enzymes. Enzymes are proteins that your body needs for a healthy metabolism, and as you know, when your metabolism is higher, you will be able to lose weight more easily.

Additionally, when your cells are producing enzymes, then you will have healthier hemoglobin. That is a protein that is found in the blood and that works to transport oxygen to the rest of your body, including organs and tissues.

Egg whites offer all of this, and they only have about 17 calories. As you can see, they have a lot to offer, and, they can be used as a base for so many other foods and recipes that you will easily be able to work them into your healthy diet.

When you start working on your health and weight, you have to consider ensuring you are getting enough protein. There are different protein options, but none of them can quite compare to egg whites. These whites are healthy for you, chock full of nutrients, low in calories, and full of the proteins that your body needs. They are a complete source, which is different from other proteins that you could choose, making them the very best option available for your healthy diet.

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.

Plants That Fight Disease

by Jari Love

It all started one day when Elizabeth Millard was feeling tired and worn out from working the farm she cofounded near Minneapolis, MN. She grabbed a couple of leaves of holy basil off a nearby plant and popped them into her mouth. Moments later, she says, she felt surprisingly energized. “That’s when I really started to recognize the potency and medicinal potential of herbs and other plants,” says Millard, who went on to write the book Backyard Pharmacy. “We can grow our own medicine.”

 Brian Hetrich sees firsthand the healing power of plants. His job is to grow many of the fruits and vegetables served at the Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach, FL, which emphasizes food as medicine. “Nature has provided some very powerful tools for boosting your body’s immune system, which is ultimately what keeps you strong and healthy,” says Hetrich, who was trained as a naturopathic doctor. “There’s no better way to harness the healing potential of food than by growing it yourself in your own garden.”

 Fortunately, you don’t need a green thumb to turn seeds or small plants into robust herbs and vegetables. (And worst case, there’s always the farmers’ market!) Here, Hetrich and Millard list their top picks for easy-to-grow plants with documented healing abilities. For best results, eat your produce whole, fresh, ripe, and raw.

Garlic

 Superpowers: It’s antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antifungal, and it reduces inflammation. Studies show garlic can lower the risk of lung cancer, prostate cancer, and osteoarthritis and can destroy certain cancer cells. Preliminary findings suggest that it may also lower high cholesterol and blood pressure in people with hypertension.

 Everyday perk: Eating garlic regularly could help you avoid the common cold, according to a study in the journal American Family Physician. Millard likes to mince fresh garlic, let it sit 15 minutes for the active ingredients to “develop,” and then swallow it like a pill if she feels like she’s getting sick. “It’s not great for personal relationships, but it’s incredibly effective,” she says. “I haven’t had a cold in 10 years.”

 Growing guide: In spring or fall, buy “seed garlic” online or from a local farmer or gardening supply store. (Don’t bother trying to plant bulbs from the supermarket, which have been sprayed so they won’t sprout.) Plant individual cloves, sharper side facing up, about 3 to 4 inches below the soil and about 18 inches apart. If you’re planting in the fall, cover the soil with some type of mulch (straw, hay, leaves, or grass clippings) to keep it warm in winter. When the ropey tendril that is the flowering stalk of the plant grows in spring, snip it off to keep the nutrients going down into the garlic instead of into flowers. Wait 2 weeks; then harvest the bulbs.

Broccoli Sprouts

 Superpowers: With concentrated stores of the compound sulforaphane, broccoli sprouts mobilize the body’s natural cancer-fighting resources, inhibiting tumor growth. Johns Hopkins University researchers call broccoli sprouts—which also deliver a full profile of enzymes, vitamins, and minerals—the single most powerful cancer-fighter around. The sprouts have also been shown to lower blood sugar and cholesterol, which protects against heart disease. (Learn how you can get your blood pressure under control sans pills with Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally.) They’re 10 to 30 times more potent than fully grown broccoli because they’re baby plants in their prime.

Everyday perk: Sulforaphane may reduce symptoms of asthma and other respiratory disorders, according to two separate peer-reviewed studies, because it tamps down oxidative stress and inflammation in the airways.

 Growing guide: At any time of year, place 1/2 cup of broccoli sprout seeds in a mason jar with a sprout lid (or cheese cloth secured with a rubber band). Add 2 cups of room-temperature water and soak for 8 hours. Drain. Rinse again and repeat the process twice a day for 3 days. Your sprouts are sweetest, most tender, and most nutritious when the tails, or the roots, are about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch long. Yields approximately 2 cups in just 72 hours! Sprouts can be dried and stored in the refrigerator in a covered container, where they will keep for up to 5 days.

Mint

Superpowers: Mint may beat back prostate and liver cancer using the compound peryllyl alcohol, along with carotenoids and retinoids, according to two 2012 studies. Another compound, rosmarinic acid, scavenges free radicals and lowers inflammation, reducing seasonal allergy symptoms significantly, according to other findings. Preliminary lab tests suggest that peppermint oil may also boost the effectiveness of medications used for yeast infections.

 Everyday perk: Mint can ease digestion. It works by relaxing the muscular lining of the digestive tract to quiet cramps and gas and reduce abdominal pain—even in people with irritable bowel syndrome, according to a 2010 study. “Mint is a good thing to have when you realize that you shouldn’t have eaten all that food on a stick at the state fair,” Millard says.

 Growing guide: In the spring, buy a starter plant and grow it in a pot (lest it take over the rest of your garden because it’s so invasive). Give it partial sun rather than full sun—plants are always growing and expending energy when exposed to sunlight, so taking it into the shade for some of the day gives it a break. Err on the side of dryness. Herbs hate soggy roots!

Asparagus

 Superpowers: This slender stalk has one of the all-time highest levels of glutathione, a detoxifying compound that removes poisons, including carcinogens and free radicals, from the body. It’s also anti-inflammatory, making it a top fighter of common chronic health problems including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. Asparagus is also rich in B vitamins, folate, vitamin C, vitamin K, calcium, zinc, manganese, selenium, and iron.

 Everyday perk: Asparagus could be your hangover helper. Korean researchers have found that its extracts boost levels of enzymes that are key to breaking down alcohol.

 Growing guide: Plant this perennial once and you’ll have stalks for 25 years. In early spring, buy 1-year-old Jersey Knight or Jersey Giant crowns and plant them in an area of your yard that is well drained and gets full sun. Plant asparagus crowns 6 inches down in rich or sandy soil. Place them in 4 rows, 12 inches apart. Cover them with 3 inches of soil. After 2 weeks, add more soil so it’s slightly mounded above ground level. Cover with plenty of mulch to keep out weeds, and water regularly (at least once every 3 days if it’s not raining). Hetrich suggests not harvesting any spears in the first 2 years so that all the plant’s energy can be used for establishing deep roots. When you do harvest it, use a sharp knife to cut the spears at ground level. Make the most of your bounty with these 8 delicious asparagus recipes.

Basil

 Superpowers: Antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties, not to mention beta-carotene and magnesium, give basil a key role in protecting cells against a host of diseases, including heart disease, asthma, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel diseases.

Everyday perk: It may help soothe headaches. A component of basil called eugenol has been shown to work in the same way as over-the-counter remedies such as aspirin and ibuprofen to block the activity of an enzyme called cyclooxygenase (COX). Millard recommends chewing on basil leaves to dull headache pain.

Growing guide: There are more than 60 varieties, but Millard prefers Sweet Italian, Luscious, Thai basil (which has a licorice taste), and purple basil (because it’s pretty). Buy a starter plant in the spring and transplant it outside immediately, using standard outdoor gardening soil—make sure it’s not too compacted. Water the soil instead of the leaves, because they can be susceptible to disease. Expect your basil to grow to about 5 inches tall, depending on the variety.

Red Cabbage Microgreens

Superpowers: USDA researchers in 2012 found that red cabbage microgreens—the super-baby version of red cabbage, less than 2 weeks old—have a sixfold higher vitamin C concentration and 69 times the vitamin K of the mature vegetable. Vitamin C is a superstar antioxidant, fighting inflammation and guarding against cell damage to help prevent chronic conditions, including heart disease. It’s also a key ingredient in collagen, strengthening muscles, skin, bones, and other connective tissues. Vitamin K helps with blood clotting and bone building, keeping osteoporosis, atherosclerosis, and cancer at bay, according to another 2012 study.

Everyday perk: Help prevent colds and flu. Vitamin C boosts the immune system by stimulating production of white blood cells—the body’s first line of defense against bacteria and infections.

Growing guide: Start with red cabbage seeds—or special microgreen seeds. Fill a seeding tray (or even a baking dish) with about 2 inches of organic potting soil or seed-starting medium. Sprinkle the seeds around and add a light layer of soil on top. Water thoroughly just this one time; then set the tray on a sunny windowsill and use a spray bottle to mist with water a few times a day. In a little over a week, you should have a lush mini field of microgreens. Harvest at the 10-day mark, when greens are about 2 inches high.

Chamomile

Superpowers: This antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial herb is one of the most well documented medicinal plants in the world, according to the National Institutes of Health. Preliminary findings suggest that it may deactivate cancer cells, but proven benefits include speeding wound healing (especially burns), preventing and treating colds, protecting against bacterial infections, calming muscle spasms (great for menstrual cramps), easing stomach upset, and promoting sleep.

Everyday perk: Chamomile tea is the ultimate chill-out tonic, soothing frayed nerves. German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) may relieve anxiety and even reduce symptoms of mild depression, according to a 2012 study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Growing guide: Buy a packet of seeds and plant them inside initially because the roots like to be warm. (Or invest in a germination heat mat, about $20 at gardening shops.) After 6 to 8 weeks, transplant chamomile to a sunny spot outside with good airflow. Water it about once a week, or when it looks dry. (Chamomile is happiest when somewhat neglected.) In a couple of months, harvest the little yellow-and-white daisylike flowers. Dry them on a screen or a rack. Crumble the flowers and place them directly in a tea ball. Add boiling water, steep, and enjoy!

h/t prevention.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.

Obesity Prevention: Screen and Sedentary Time

by Jari Love

In today’s age electronics and screens surround us. T.V, ipads, computers and smartphones are part of our daily lives. But more and more studies are linking the amount of time we spend with these screens and the associated “sit time” with obesity. In a recent article published by Harvard, researchers found that higher amounts of screen and “sit” time negatively impact both Body Mass Index (BMI) and overall health.

There is strong evidence to suggest that cutting back on T.V time can help with weight control in both children and adults.

1. Early TV habits have long lasting effects. The more TV children watch, the more likely they are to be overweight. This tendency is particularly apparent in children who have T.V’s in their bedrooms. Not only this, but children who watch a lot of television are at a higher risk for obesity well into adulthood and mid-life.

2. Trials designed to reduce children’s TV use, have found improvements in body mass index (BMI), body fat, and other obesity-related measures.

3. In The Planet Health trial, for example, students assigned to receive lessons on the benefits of reduced TV time had lower rates of obesity in girls. While another trial found that third- and fourth-graders who received an 18-lesson “TV turnoff” curriculum cut back on TV time and on meals eaten while watching and had a relative decrease in BMI and other measures of body fatness.

4. There is also evidence that the more television adults watch, the more likely they are to gain weight or become overweight or obese. Related to T.V linked obesity issues is evidence that too much TV watching also increases the risk of weight-related chronic diseases.

5. The Nurses’ Health Study, as one among many similar studies, followed more than 50,000 middle-age women for six years. A summarized analysis of these studies found that for every two hours two hours spent watching TV, the risk of developing diabetes, developing heart disease, and early death increased by 20, 15, and 13 percent, respectively.

6. A small pilot study in 36 men and women found that adults who cut their TV viewing time by half, compared to a control group with no limits on TV, burned more calories each day, and had a greater reduction in BMI than the control group.

7. Screen and TV watching may contribute to obesity and poor health in several ways: by displacing physical activity, promoting poor diets, enabling poor snacking choices and by interfering with sleep.

8. Many studies show that TV viewing is associated with greater calorie intake or poorer diet quality: food-related TV ads often promote high-calorie, low-nutrient foods and drinks; TV shows and movies frequently feature Branded products which are overwhelmingly for unhealthy foods; TV food ads influence food consumption, shows that feature food ads saw an increase of 45 percent in snack consumption than in shows with non-food advertising

9. TV food and drink advertising to children ages 2–11 decreased from 2004 to 2008; however, advertising to adolescents (12–17) and adults (18–49) rose substantially in the same period. A recent review of the sugary drink advertising market found that children’s and teens’ exposure to sugary soda ads doubled from 2008 to 2010, with Coca Cola (a CFBAI member) and Dr. Pepper Snapple Group (not a member) leading the way.

10. There are no overarching nutrition standards for what constitutes a “healthy” food or drink—and the future of such standards is a matter of hot political debate. Proposed standards, released in April 2011, have been met by strong resistance from the food and beverage industry and have been stymied by Congress.

11. Game playing, sitting at work, driving, and obesity—have not been studied as extensively as TV watching. But there is evidence that these other forms of “sit time” can contribute to obesity

12. There’s evidence that spending too much time sitting—at work or at home—increases the risk of becoming obese, and may also increase the risk of chronic diseases and early death. It is unclear whether sitting itself is the culprit, or whether sitting is just a marker of another unhealthy aspect of lifestyle. It’s also possible that other types of modern sedentary behaviors promote overeating in different ways: Reading or working on the computer, for example, may increase people’s stress and lead to overeating, while listening to music may distract people from noticing whether they are hungry or full.

13. Overall, there is little doubt that time spent watching TV is an important risk factor for obesity—and a modifiable risk factor. There’s evidence that excessive marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages on television contributes to the TV–obesity link.

14. Ways to curb exposure to TV and media: limit children’s screen time to no more than two hours per day–The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends no screen time for children under the age of 2; Make children’s bedrooms TV-free and Internet; advocate for stricter regulations on TV/media food and beverage advertising to children.

15. Staying active helps with weight control, as does limiting sedentary activities—recreational computer time, driving, and the like. Replace “sit time” with “fit time”—walking or biking for part or all of a workday commute, instead of driving, or playing in the park instead of playing video games. Help creating an environments that supports active lifestyles, and be aware of media and advertising’s influence on your food intake and choices.

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.

Quick Tabata Workout

by Jari Love

Tabata workouts are short and intense bursts of exercise that are designed to burn maximum fat and calories. The idea behind Tabata is that you work as hard as you possibly can for 20 seconds, then take 10 seconds to rest, and then repeat that for a total of 8 times. This is the first HIIT workout ever created, by a guy in Japan.

You can use any exercise in a tabata workout, but the main thing is to chose an exercise that will work all your muscle groups and elevate your heart rate.

Start any workout with a little warm-up to get your blood flowing before doing any intense exercise. Then set a timer, either on your watch or phone and get to work. It is a total of 4 minutes, so there’s no room for excuses in not getting a workout done on this busy Monday.

Here’s your workout! Let me know how it goes. I have instructions below on how to do a burpee.

Browse Tabata Workouts

To do a burpee, start standing straight up with your core engaged like you’re being punched in the stomach. Then bend your knees and reach your hands down to the floor. Hop your feet back, keeping your core strong, not letting your back sag, into a plank. Do a pushup (if you can). Finally hop the feet back to your hands and stand up. If you’re advanced, you can add a tuck jump when you stand up.

Burpees work your quads, glutes, core, shoulders, and chest. Best workout ever!

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.