How to Find Exercise Types You’ll Like

Exercise Photo by PublicDomainPicturesHaving trouble figuring out what you like? Start with walking, which Beckerman calls the best activity. “Walking is convenient, doesn’t require equipment, and for the majority of people, doesn’t create undue stress on the knees, hips, or ankles,” he says.

If you have joint or orthopedic issues that make walking hard, choose other exercises that might put less stress the body, Myerson says. For instance, use an elliptical trainer at your gym, ride a bike, or take an aquatic exercise class.

Adopting a new habit takes time and effort. So take baby steps. In time, Beckerman says, being active will become as routine for you as brushing your teeth. It can also be a lot more fun than you thought it would be. If not, keep trying new things until you find something that clicks.

Continue reading

CrossFit vs. Gym: Which Is Better?

Crossfit to FightWhether you have just resolved to get in shape or you are an experienced fitness buff who is reevaluating your routine, you might be wondering what how CrossFit compares to traditional weight training in terms of burning fat.

Both can burn calories, but they have many differences in their goals, equipment, and structure.

Some of the goals of traditional weight training may include building strength and increasing muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories that fat, so by adding more muscle, a person can burn more fat.

Typically, this by performing a certain number of lifts, known as repetitions, to form a set. They may do one to three sets of a particular exercise per weight lifting session.

In contrast, CrossFit was designed to meet more generalized goals of achieving overall fitness. Many CrossFit moves incorporate standard weight lifting moves, but the focus is not only on increasing weight, but also on getting more repetitions in a certain amount of time.

Continue reading

Get in Shape for Summer With this High Intensity Circuit Workout

Crossfit to Fight

Slim down for summer, get your body beach ready, buff up for bikini season, get fit before Fourth of July; with summer just around the corner all of these phrases are relevant right about now, but let’s be honest, they’re also kind of obnoxious, too.

Getting in shape for summertime is a perfectly fine goal, but it’s only a short-term one. It’s a great starting point, but what would make it even better is if it were the beginning of a new exercise habit; one you intend to hold onto for life— not only for the sake of staying fit, but for the sake of your overall health too.

The being said, because we know just how important fitness is to your overall health and wellbeing, and because this time of year is a popular time for people to think about losing weight, several weeks back we got in touch with a panel of personal trainers in order to compile a list of their top tips for getting in shape for summer fast.

Continue reading

Added sugar: It’s in nearly everything

Sugar Table sugar has been plentiful in American diets since the 20th century. Before then, it was an expensive condiment known as “white gold.”

Recognizable in this form, consumers also understand that the cheap staple is abundant in their favorite sweet treats. However, common foods in the Standard American Diet are overflowing with hidden sources of sugar.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, sugar consumption per capita increased by 39 percent between the 1950s and the early 2000s. Americans on average eat 16 percent of their total calories from added sugars, mostly from soda, energy and sports drinks, grain-based desserts, sugar-sweetened fruit drinks, dairy-based desserts and candy, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Continue reading

French Cooking with Herbs

Herbs Here is Chef Alain Braux’s personal list of French herbs and their principal uses in French cooking. In almost all cases, fresh herbs will give dramatically better results than their dried counterparts. However, some freeze dried herbs can give you really good flavors as well.

Basil – Basilic

Basil is used almost exclusively in its fresh state, although basil preserved in oil does retain its flavor. Used all over Mediterranean
cuisine – tomato goat cheese salad, eggs, pasta, chicken, fish, vinaigrette recipes and of course pesto. While in season, use all the fresh basil you have, make a large batch of pesto with it and freeze in small containers or ice cube trays.

Bay Leaf – Laurier

Sweet bay or bay laurel is the only type used in cooking. Its dried leaves have a sharp and pronounced taste. They are used in stews, poaching liquids, and marinades. Normally one bay leaf is enough to flavor a whole dish and it is always removed before serving.

Bouquet Garni

A bouquet garni is a bunch of assorted French herbs tied together with kitchen twine and added to soups, stews and sauces. The following
classic French dishes, Boeuf Bourguignon, Soupe a l’Oignon, Bouillabaise, Blanquette de Veau, Poule au Pot and Cassoulet are flavored
with a bouquet garni.

What herbs you choose to put together is up to what is available nearby but the classic choice is thyme, bay leaf, and sage.

Depending on the dish, other choices can be parsley, basil, burnet, chervil, rosemary, peppercorns, savory and tarragon. Some cooks like to
add vegetables such as carrot, celery leaves, celeriac, leek, and onion.

The bouquet is not always bound with string. Its ingredients can be placed into a small sachet, a net like a cheesecloth, a coffee filter, a used bas (hose) or even a tea strainer.

Continue reading