MidwestFit.com

Alright, so we found this article on Gizmodo and thought it was pretty interesting. We have always thought that popcorn could be a decent snack every now and then but some new information may confirm that it is actually even better than that…Though the articles title suggests it is healthier than fruits and vegetables, we don’t recommend that. Veggies and fruit are pretty essential ingredients in a healthy diet so please don’t replace them with popcorn. BUT popcorn could be a great source of whole grains. Check out this interesting read here.

-The MidwestFit Team

Here’s some fun little motivation for you all.  Right when I graduated school this past December, I got a job as a Personal Trainer at a fitness center called Miracles Fitness in West Lafayette, right by Purdue.  To make a long story short, the last 4-5 weeks I worked at Miracles I was able to train the owner’s wife, Jen.  She was by far the most fun client I have had yet in my young life. A challenging one at times, but that’s part of what made it so much fun!  Anyways since about the same time I began working at Miracles Fitness, she began her journey to make a complete life style change to becoming a healthy, fit, and happy individual (sounds like a good goal to me).  Well the past few weeks she has been in the process of developing and writing a blog to help give others in a similar situation some motivation to take the steps in the right direction to getting healthy, happy, and fit.

Her blog has recently gone up and can be found here, http://fit4miracles.com/ 

Be sure to check it out in your spare time to read an interesting story about the steps she has taken to change her life style!  Also you’ll get a few side notes along the way about what it’s like to have me as a one on one personal trainer, and I will have a guest blog post on it in the near future! If you check out the Top 10 things I don’t want to hear my trainer say section, you’ll come to the realization that I love oreos, something most clients don’t like to hear about during a training session

Just wanted to give you all some fun motivation to check out on a nice Sunday afternoon.

Have a good one!

- Ben

Here’s some fun little motivation for you all.  Right when I graduated school this past December, I got a job as a Personal Trainer at a fitness center called Miracles Fitness in West Lafayette, right by Purdue.  To make a long story short, the last 4-5 weeks I worked at Miracles I was able to train the owner’s wife, Jen.  She was by far the most fun client I have had yet in my young life. A challenging one at times, but that’s part of what made it so much fun!  Anyways since about the same time I began working at Miracles Fitness, she began her journey to make a complete life style change to becoming a healthy, fit, and happy individual (sounds like a good goal to me).  Well the past few weeks she has been in the process of developing and writing a blog to help give others in a similar situation some motivation to take the steps in the right direction to getting healthy, happy, and fit.

Her blog has recently gone up and can be found here, http://fit4miracles.com/ 

Be sure to check it out in your spare time to read an interesting story about the steps she has taken to change her life style!  Also you’ll get a few side notes along the way about what it’s like to have me as a one on one personal trainer, and I will have a guest blog post on it in the near future! If you check out the Top 10 things I don’t want to hear my trainer say section, you’ll come to the realization that I love oreos, something most clients don’t like to hear about during a training session

Just wanted to give you all some fun motivation to check out on a nice Sunday afternoon.

Have a good one!

- Ben

Ahh yes, the good ole lunch break. Most of your office is probably heading to a nearby eatery to grab a quick bite and there is a very good chance that those eating out won’t be eating the healthiest food there is. Although lately a lot of big cities and downtown areas have started to see an increase in healthier lunch options (like Freshii…mmm), so that is a good thing. But even if we have a hearty, healthy meal for lunch at the office, does that mean we are being as healthy as we can be? I mean after all, most jobs require you to sit at a desk for 8+ hours a day and that is not very active, which means not a lot of calories are getting burnt at work. So how can we stay healthy at the office? Well we are going to throw you some tips below to make things a bit easier for you….Enjoy.

Plan. Planning your meals is one of the best ways to stay healthy. You won’t get caught at lunch trying to figure out what to eat and thus will be less likely to make a bad decision. So when you hit the grocery next, have a list of meals for the week and prepare them on Sunday or the day before you plan to consume them. A food schedule is also a great way to keep track of those calories. So please…plan, plan, plan!

Eat a big breakfast. Eating a big (healthy) breakfast will stage off hunger for long, and likely will keep you from over-eating throughout the entire day while you are at work. Try and get some good protein and whole grains in. Maybe you could have some eggs, whole wheat toast, and a tall glass of orange juice. If you are a cereal nut, take a look at some of the Fiber One options and Kashi.

Snack time is a good thing. Wait? I thought eating between meals was a bad thing? Umm no, it is quite the opposite folks. Eating healthy snacks between meals will help reduce your calorie intake when you do have a meal. It will also boost your metabolism (we will get into that more later).

Here are some healthy snacks:

-Nuts (almonds, peanuts, walnuts)

-Fruit (regular or dried)

-Light Yogurt

-Protein Shake

-Veggies (carrots, celery, broccoli)

-Fat Free-Sugar Free Pudding

-Fiber One Bar (or something similar, maybe a Clif Bar)

-Orville Redenbacher’s Smart Pop

And there are plenty more out there, just be smart…

Split your lunch in half. Eat lunch around 11:30 or 12, but only consume half. Then when 2:30-3:00 rolls around, consume the other half. That way, you aren’t gorging yourself and you will most likely not be “starving” for dinner. Thus, no food binge at night. Also, this means you will consume at least 4 meals in the day. You should try and consume 4-5. Doing this is much better for your metabolism than consuming 3 large meals a day. Seriously, look it up.

Take your time, it isn’t a race. There is a delay from the brain to the stomach. Therefore, if you eat fast, you will over eat. So eat slowly and take your time. Have a bite, then wait a minute before you have another. This will let you know when you are truly full and that way you can save some of your meal for later. Even better, this helps you save money!

Put down the soda! Quit drinking that diet coke all the time. Especially quit drinking that regular coke! Instead, grab yourself a diet green tea (100% all natural). Green tea is known to boost metabolism. Also, have a cup of joe. The caffeine in the coffee will get your heart pumping and burning cals and it is a better way to get caffeine than from a diet soda. Either way, always be sure to take in water throughout the day. But you already knew that.

Split up your workouts. Yes, this requires getting up early. But try doing your run or bike in the morning, and your strength exercise later in the day (or vice versa). Either way you split it up, doing 2 workouts a day will rev your metabolism and you will be blasting fat 24/7!

Okay, so hopefully that was pretty helpful.

We are always looking for ways to boost metabolism, whether it is through our intense runs or tough circuits. But one of the best ways to get your body burning fat, is combining good exercise with good nutrition. So, we wanted to share a quick article that shows a few things you can put into your body to help get the most out of it.

15 Fat-burning Foods

-The MidwestFit Team

We absolutely love chocolate milk here at MidwestFit, and for all those looking for an excuse to drink it, here you go!  In an exercise physiology class of mine we studied an experiment performed with the IU Cycling Club that covered all of the benefits for drinking chocolate milk between exercise bouts.  Give this similar article a read!  Chocolate milk has the perfect balance of carbohydrates, protein, and sodium (still drink your water of course) to use in between your exercise bouts to replenish your blood and muscle glucose levels, to repair your muscles, and to get you ready for your next workout!

Benefits of Chocolate Milk

Have a great weekend!

- MidwestFit Team

Here’s a great recipe for some smoked salmon.  It’s grilling season, so here’s one to grill with and keep healthy!

Salmon is a rich source of omega 3 as well as protein. Couple that with sprouted grain tortilla and fresh arugula and you’ve got yourself a healthy, balanced meal that’s ready in only 5 minutes.
Servings: 2

Here’s what you need:
1 Sprouted grain tortilla
1 Tablespoon low fat cream cheese
4 oz Smoked salmon
1/2 cup Arugula
Dash of salt and pepper
Spread the cream cheese evenly over one side of tortilla. Place the salmon in the center of the tortilla. Top with arugula. Add a dash of salt and pepper.
Roll the tortilla and slice in half.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 175 calories, 6g fat, 12.5g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, and 16.5g protein.

WARNING: We are not responsible for anything you may be allergic to or any other health issues you may have with the food we suggest to eat. The responsibility is up to you to make sure what you put in your body is healthy and safe for you personally.

We recently stumbled across an article listing some of the benefits of green tea.  It has many potential benefits that include boosting metabolism to help lose weight and burn fat, plus it is rich in antioxidants which are responsible for keeping our cells and body healthy.  Give it a read!

Benefits of Green Tea

- MidwestFit Team

Your diet should be filled with vegetables, with asparagus at the top of the list. This asparagus recipe is easy to make and tastes great. Serve it with a piece of white fish, chicken breast or other lean meat for a healthy meal.
Servings: 4

Here’s what you need:

• 1 bunch asparagus
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons garlic, minced
• dash of salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut off the tough ends of the asparagus.
2. In a casserole dish, combine the asparagus, oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until tender.
3. Remove from oven and mix in the lemon juice. Serve and enjoy!

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 47 calories, 2g fat, 5g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, and 3g protein.

WARNING: We are not responsible for anything you may be allergic to or any other health issues you may have with the food we suggest to eat. The responsibility is up to you to make sure what you put in your body is healthy and safe for you personally.

A common mistake in people trying to lose weight is the practice of skipping meals. Breakfast being one of those meals skipped. In other cases, people will eat a very light breakfast (nutrition bar, bowl of cereal, etc.). This is a mistake. Actually, losing weight is accomplished by NOT skipping meals like breakfast and instead eating 4-5 smaller meals a day. But think of breakfast as filling your car up with gas before a road trip. You are the car, breakfast is the gasoline and your day is the road trip. You wouldn’t put $5 of gas in your tank at the beginning of the trip just to have to put more in after a few miles would you? So eat a hearty, healthy breakfast and be more prepared to make healthy choices throughout the day.

Here are some articles talking about the benefits of eating breakfast:

Don’t Skip Breakfast

Benefits of Eating Breakfast

Lose Weight: Eat Breakfast

-The MidwestFit Team