The Beginner’s Guide to Clean Eating

We know what healthy food looks like (or at least have some idea), so why is it challenging to eat healthy on a regular basis? Between a busy career, school, a significant other and kids—life happens, and suddenly our good intention to be healthier falls to the wayside.

Deep down we still want to develop sustainable, clean eating habits because we know our diet, or the culmination of foods we consistently choose over time, impacts the duration and quality of our life. The leading causes of death—heart disease, cancer and stroke—in the U.S. are nutritionally related, and the rest of the developed world is not lagging far behind. Our health, weight, energy level, mood and even sleep are influenced by diet.

When it comes to food, nutrition and which diet really works best, there’s not much that all of us agree on. And with good reason! Nutrition is not one-size-fits-all, largely because our bodies all function a little bit differently. While a lower-carbohydrate diet may work exceptionally well for one individual trying to lose weight, it may not work for the next. On the other end of the spectrum, carb-loading may help one athlete more than others.

But when it comes to achieving good health, and yes, even weight loss, there’s one common ingredient among all diets that have stood the test of time (such as lower-carbohydrate, vegetarian, vegan, Mediterranean and the newer Paleo diets). They all borrow on some or all of these clean eating strategies:

• Eat minimally processed foods, or foods made from minimally processed ingredients.
• Eat mostly plants and plant-based foods.
• Eat animals and animal products that eat mostly plants.

Or to sum it up: Clean eating means choosing real food.

No standard definition for “healthy” food actually exists, just like there’s no cookie-cutter definition for what it means to be healthy, but it shouldn’t stop us from defining what that means to us. “Real food” has no official definition but embodies what a general healthy eating pattern could look like without using airy terms like “balanced,” “honest” and “genuine” to describe it (because who really knows what they mean?).

Real food is simple.

It hasn’t gone through a ton of processing to get from the ground to your plate. Here’s what that looks like: fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, seafood, nuts, seeds, whole grains and beans are all real food. Natural sweeteners, coffee, chocolate and wine count, too—just enjoy them in moderation!

Real food is not processed food.

Another way to think of it is this: Real food is not processed food. According to Dr. Robert Lustig, MD, founder of the Institute for Responsible Nutrition, processed food meets these seven criteria:

1. mass-produced
2. consistent batch to batch
3. consistent country to country
4. specialized ingredients from specialized companies
5. nearly all macronutrients are pre frozen (which means that the fiber is usually removed)
6. emulsified (fat and water don’t separate)
7. long shelf or freezer life

At this point, you’re probably thinking, “Wait a minute, processed foods don’t sound so bad!” True; processed foods can be one of the safest foods on the planet in terms of germs, and that’s great for the short-term. Eating processed foods now and then won’t kill you, but you should really focus on eating mostly real foods if you’re concerned about your long-term health. Check out our handy infographic to learn more:

1. Eat “healthier” without thinking about it. It’s useful to think of food as nutrients (macro- and micronutrients) so we can better understand our body. When it comes to healthy eating, it’s more useful to think of food simply as food. Choosing “real” foods lets you eat healthier from a nutrient perspective without thinking too much about nutrients.

2. Redefine your relationship with food. Do you find yourself labeling food as “good” or “bad” based on a predefined notion of what healthy eating looks like? Nothing should always be that black and white, least of all a healthy relationship with food. Choosing real foods forces you to reevaluate the foods you think are healthy (aka processed foods labeled “low fat,” “sugar-free” and so forth). That being said, if you’re willing to buy real food ingredients to bake a cake, you should be able to enjoy a slice of dessert without a side of guilt.

3. Get the most nutrients out of the foods you’re eating. Processing foods usually removes or destroys valuable nutrients. The two exceptions are fortified foods (think: orange juice with added vitamin D) and preserved foods (think: canned and frozen). Choosing mostly real foods helps you maximize the nutrients you get from the foods you eat.

4. Cook, connect and celebrate with friends and family. Real food means real cooking! Since real foods come in the most natural form, it pushes you to be creative in preparing and cooking your meals. Cooking is an essential skill when it comes to living a healthy life. Since good food is a cause for celebration, get your friends and family members involved if you can.

5. Live a longer, healthier life. “You are what you eat” is a simple mantra capturing the impact that diet quality has on your quality of life. Eating mostly real foods will decrease your chances of getting a debilitating chronic disease like heart disease, stroke, diabetes or cancer. After all, the goal of being physically healthy is to live a long life whilst avoiding these pitfalls.

Home-cooking is at the heart of healthy eating, especially if it involves real food. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Save and organize your favorite recipes. Gather recipes from your favorite cookbooks, food bloggers or the internet at large. Rotate through the recipes as you plan your weekly or monthly meal calendar. If you’re not the planning type, having these recipes on hand will help inspire your cooking adventures.

Choose recipes that use healthy cooking techniques. Delicious food doesn’t have to be complicated; if you’re a beginner cook, choose recipes with 10 ingredients or less. To make your home-cooking even healthier, be mindful about how much sugar, sodium and cooking oil you’re adding to your foods. Here’s a list of common additions you should use mindfully to keep your home-cooked meal healthy:

Added Sugar	Added Sodium	Added Fat
- Granulated sugar - Brown sugar -Honey - Maple syrup - Agave syrup	- Salt - Baking powder - Baking soda - Condiments (hot sauce, mustard, barbecue sauce)	- Canola oil - Olive oil - Vegetable oil - Peanut oil

Keep honing your cooking skills! No one is born an amazing cook, so if you fail at your cooking ploys, remember to learn from them. If you’re a beginner, read these resources to learn more on how to plan and prep your meals: Beginner’s Guide to Meal Planning and Meal Prep.

Stocking up on real foods is a good first step, especially if you plan to eat more of it. Check out these pointers to help you shop real at the grocery store:

Skim the perimeter of the grocery store. It’s where real food lives. We suggest you prioritize the following aisles: fresh produce, whole grains and breads, milk and dairy, meat and seafood. After you’ve loaded your cart, you can proceed to the center aisle for other necessities, just be sure to keep your eye on ingredient lists. Less is more!

Go to the store with a grocery list. Grocery-shopping with a list is your plan for success, because you’ll know exactly what to grab and be less inclined to buy processed convenience food. Ideally, your list should reflect the recipes you intend to prep for the week.

Pick up some handy, real food snacks that require minimal prepping and no recipes. Here are some ideas for you:

No Prep Snacks	Minimal Prep Snacks
- Fresh fruit - Unsweetened dried fruit - Roasted nuts - Dark chocolate - Trail mix - Popcorn - Mozzarella sticks - Baby carrots - Cherry tomatoes - Whole-grain crackers - Yogurt	- Celery sticks - Bell pepper sticks - Hard-boiled eggs

Think outside the grocery store! If you live near a local farmer’s market, go check it out! Farmer’s markets are a good place for you to buy and support local produce, sometimes at a fraction of what you’d pay in a brand-name grocery store. For more information, check out “Real Food Sources.”

Grabbing food on the go can be unavoidable, and we get that. Here are some strategies to choose healthier dishes and keep your food real:

Avoid fast-food and chain restaurants. The majority of meals made by these establishments contain processed foods (nuggets, patties), that use additives, preservatives, flavor enhancers and artificial coloring. If possible, choose restaurants whose main selling point is local, fresh ingredients.

Use the cooking technique as your tip-off. This isn’t a hard-and-fast rule, but it works well when you’re trying to choose healthier fare. Choose dishes that are baked, steamed, sauteed, roasted or boiled. Try to avoid items that are fried, deep-fried or drenched in heavy, cream-based sauces.

Check out the menu before you go. If possible, browse through the restaurant’s menu online first. Choose two to three options that look good to you, making it more likely you’ll make the healthier choice.

What does “real” food look like to you? Share your opinions in the comments below.

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Lemon Chicken & Asparagus Stir-Fry

Check out this 25-minute stir-fry from Clean Eating that is loaded with fresh veggies like asparagus. It bursts with bright, lemony flavor and plenty of crunch.

Lemon Chicken & Asparagus Stir-Fry

Ingredients

• 1 lemon, juiced and grated
• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1-inch strips
• 1 small head napa cabbage, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 large orange bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and soy sauce; set aside.

In a large wok on medium heat, heat oil. Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until cooked through and no longer pink inside. Add cabbage, asparagus, bell peppers, ginger, pepper flakes and chili powder; cook for 4–5 minutes more, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add soy sauce mixture and toss. Stir in lemon zest (if using), and sprinkle with scallions.

Nutrition Information

Serves: 4 |  Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe

Per serving: Calories: 260; Total Fat: 8g; Saturated Fat: 2g; Monounsaturated Fat: 5g; Cholesterol: 65mg; Sodium: 540mg; Carbohydrate: 14g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugar: 5g; Protein: 32g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 598mg; Iron: 29%; Vitamin A: 44%; Vitamin C: 105%; Calcium: 8% 

Clean Eating is not a diet; it’s a lifestyle approach to food. Our magazine features delicious, healthy recipes and weight loss meal plans that highlight real foods and natural ingredients. Join our mailing list to get exclusive weekly recipes and delivered straight to your inbox. And follow Clean Eating magazine on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for daily inspiration.

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“Rule Yourself” Reminds Us to Celebrate Every Step of the Journey

Whatever your health and fitness goals are, and no matter what stage of the journey you’re in, it’s important to remember that nobody reaches all of their goals instantly. Even the fittest professional athlete is the sum of thousands of hours of training day in and day out. Under Armour’s new Rule Yourself campaign celebrates that all health and fitness goals worth striving for require hard work and dedication. No matter what your goal, we all need to be reminded that every meal logged, mile walked and workout tracked counts.

 

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Consider This If “Eat Less, Exercise More” Isn’t Working for You

Here’s some news that might be of interest to anyone who’s ever struggled to get fit—and been met with a sigh and a haughty, “Just eat less and exercise more.” Your intuition—not to mention your experience—might have suggested that things weren’t really so simple—and new research backs that up. Turns out, the science behind the slogan is much more complex than it seems. “If you just try to eat less and exercise more, most people will lose that battle—metabolism wins,” David Ludwig, M.D., Ph.D., director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Boston Children’s Hospital, tells Time.

Ludwig describes the number of people who can successfully lose weight following that advice as “exceedingly small.” Why? Ludwig and his team say it underestimates the role of how certain foods can affect weight gain—specifically, refined carbohydrates. Eating refined carbs, like certain breads, white rice, pasta, chips, crackers, and so on, raises insulin levels, which in turn can spur cells to store fat, leading to weight gain—to some degree regardless of caloric intake.

For a simple illustration of this seeming paradox, consider the work of diabetes researchers like George Campbell. In the mid-1960s, Campbell studied a community of Indian immigrants in South Africa who performed extensive manual labor and ate only around 1600 calories per day, but were, in his words, “enormously fat.” Campbell came to believe that the culprit was their diet, consisting of around 80 pounds of sugar per year (representing approximately 25% of their caloric intake) and refined carbohydrates. Another long-term research project, The Tokelau Island Migration Study (TIMS), which began in the 1960s, studied the impact of imported foods on a Polynesian community. In 20 years, the islanders transitioned from a diet nearly devoid of refined carbohydrates to one in which they played a central role: “Through the 1960s the only noteworthy problems were skin diseases, asthma and infectious diseases. In the decades that followed, just as diabetologist George Campbell predicted, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, gout and cancer appeared.”

What does this mean for us? Diet and weight loss will likely always be more complicated than “exercise more, eat less”—no matter what a well-meaning relative or personal trainer might suggest. And it’s worth considering the potential outsize, knock-on effects of refined carbohydrates on our bodies. It is perhaps more valuable to think: “Healthy diet, healthy body”—and to carefully consider whether any food that comes out of a box, as so many refined carbs do, qualifies for the former, or will help achieve the latter.

To read more on George Campbell and TIMS:

• “Obesity is a Disease—Are Refined Carbohydrates the Cause?” by Patrick Earvolino
• “Nutrition Transition” from Zeroing in on Health
• “The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: The Final Word” from Whole Health Source

How do you feel about refined carbohydrates? Do they have a place in your diet? Share in the comments below.

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French Toast Sticks

Wanna set a food alarm to wake up your family? Crispy French toast sticks from Fit Foodie Finds will do the trick! Made with just 6 ingredients, this morning finger food can be dunked headfirst into maple syrup or fruit yogurt. Enjoy with a side of fresh fruit or a hard-boiled egg.

French Toast Sticks

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 8 slices 100% whole-grain bread

Directions

Begin by whisking together eggs, almond milk, vanilla, cinnamon and maple syrup. Then prep bread by cutting each slice into 4 strips. Set aside.

Spray a skillet with cooking oil; heat skillet on medium heat.

Dunk each piece of bread into the egg mixture, making sure each piece is generously coated on both sides. Place on the skillet, and cook for about 3–5 minutes, or until the bottom turns golden brown. Flip and continue cooking for about 3–5 minutes, until the second side is golden brown.

 

Nutrition Information

Serves: 4 |  Serving Size: 8 French toast sticks

Per serving: Calories: 272; Total Fat: 11g; Saturated Fat: 2g; Monounsaturated Fat: 3g; Cholesterol: 279mg; Sodium: 375mg; Carbohydrate: 29g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugar: 7g; Protein: 18g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 132mg; Iron: 17%; Vitamin A: 11%; Vitamin C: 0%; Calcium: 16% 

Lee is the author, recipe creator and photographer behind the healthy food blog, FitFoodieFinds. She’s based in the Twin Cities, where she runs her blog full-time, teaches group fitness, and loves anything and everything about the outdoors. Check out her out on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Photo courtesy of Lee Hersh. Recipe originally published on FitFoodieFinds.

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Does Drinking Alcohol Trigger Overeating?

You’ve even been eating healthier, watching portion sizes and haven’t skipped a workout in weeks. So what could be the culprit behind those few extra pounds you’ve put on? Here’s the hard truth: Drinks after work may be to blame, but not in the way you think.

According to a recent study, alcohol exposure sensitizes the brain’s response to food aromas and increases caloric intake. That means that those pre-dinner rooftop drinks could be affecting the cravings in your belly, convincing you to place a heartier dinner order than you normally would. “The ‘aperitif effect,” or consumption of more food after drinking, has been known for some time now, but there has never been a consensus on what causes you to eat more—what alcohol is doing to lead to this,” says William J. A. Eiler II, PhD, lead author of the study. “Our findings lead us to believe that alcohol may make the aromas from food more appealing. As a result of the food smelling better, we may be compelled to eat more of it.”

The study involved 35 healthy women, who received alcohol via an IV drip on one visit and a placebo during another. Wondering why they didn’t just line up glasses of wine? The goal of the test was to look solely at the brain’s role with alcohol consumption, minus any interference from the stomach. The participants’ brain responses to food and non-food aromas were then measured in response to two lunches: pasta with Italian meat sauce and beef with noodles. The study’s findings indicated that participants ate more when they received intravenous alcohol.

So how much alcohol until you notice the effect? “That is a good question and one that will have to be answered by further research,” says Eiler. “In our study, we maintained all our subjects at a breath alcohol concentration of 0.05 percent, which is equivalent to a couple of glasses of wine. I would hazard to say that there is likely a ‘sweet spot’ where drinking before a meal increases your consumption, with too little having no effect and too much leading to a decrease in eating.”

For those of you who are keeping an eye on your weight, be aware of the amount of and what types of pre-meal beverages you’re consuming. For example, your favorite craft beer might be pretty calorically dense, explains Eiler. “This can be compounded by the aperitif effect as you are not only increasing your caloric intake by drinking, you are likely to indulge a little more while eating your meal,” he says. A solid rule of thumb: When you know you’ll be drinking, “plan ahead by preparing smaller portions or making healthier choices.”

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2 Science-Backed Strategies to Avoid Long-Term Weight Gain

With weight gain, slow and steady is the common pace—we often look back, wondering: “How did I get to this weight?” Long-term weight gain typically happens at a miniscule 1-2 pounds per year, which can snowball into something substantial as we age. Fad diets lure us with the promise of rapid weight loss, but researchers are looking at it from a different angle: Can changing what we eat stop long-term steady weight gain?

What the Science Says

Scientists from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy did a study using data collected from 120,784 healthy, non-obese, middle-age participants in three well-established cohorts: Nurses’ Health Study, Nurses’ Health Study II, Health Professionals’ Follow-up Study. Data was collected at every four-year period for 16 to 24 years.

Researchers were interested in how participants’ diet quality affected their trend in weight gain. Without altering anyone’s food intake, the researchers looked at what participants consumed, with a focus on protein and the glycemic load (GL)—two measures of diet quality. Then, they examined how changes in participants’ weight corresponded to diet quality. Why?

High-protein foods (think meats, dairy, nuts, beans) are thought to help with weight loss because of their ability to promote satiety, spare lean muscle mass, and help offset the slow in metabolism. GL was used because it reveals both carbohydrate quality and quantity. The more popular “glycemic index” (GI) is used to assess how a food will increase your blood sugar, but this doesn’t account for the amount of the food that you eat. GL accounts for both the food’s GI and portion eaten. High GL foods (think refined carbs) are thought to make weight gain more likely because they make your blood sugar rise rapidly—leading to insulin release, which favors fat storage.

Weighty Findings

Once the data was collected, the researchers could then summarize “associations,” also known as data trends, between certain types of food and weight gain or loss. Here are some of their weightier findings:

• Not all protein foods are created equal. Certain protein foods appeared to be better than others when it comes to preventing weight gain. Nuts, peanut butter, fish, yogurt and low-fat cheese were associated with weight loss while red meat and processed meat were associated with weight gain.
• Eggs and cheese aren’t necessarily diet-busters. These foods were only associated with weight gain if the diet’s glycemic load was also high.
• High glycemic load diets were worse for weight loss. Foods with a high glycemic load (think white bread, potatoes, soda) were associated with weight gain. A diet with a higher GL ranking is positively associated with weight gain. In fact, a 50-unit increase in daily glycemic load (about two bagels) resulted in a 1-pound weight gain every 4 years.
• The type of protein consumed worked in combination with GL to affect weight. For example, someone who eats a high glycemic load diet plus a lot of red/processed meat would gain more weight than if he ate a low glycemic load diet with the same amount of red/processed meat.

Keep in mind that the results of this study are “associations” meant to show relationships between diet quality and weight gain or loss. This does not confirm that particular diet types cause weight gain or loss. Nonetheless, these relationships are still important, given that we’re looking at a large group of participants over the course of decades.

What’s the Takeaway?

This study confirms that the quality of your diet matters for keeping your weight in check over a long period of time. A balanced diet rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables will help you maintain a low glycemic load. Choosing lean protein sources like chicken, fish, nut butter and low-fat cheese will reduce the amount of fat—particularly saturated fat—in your diet. Both glycemic load and protein type are indicators of your diet quality, and will affect your weight.

It’s apparent that a calorie is not a calorie in this case, so do calories still count when it comes to weight loss? The answer is a resounding Yes! Even though the study focused on diet quality, this is just one factor out of many that affect our weight. To be successful at maintaining a healthy weight, both the number of calories consumed and the quality of those calories matters.

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Tex-Mex Baked Spaghetti Squash

Instead of scraping the delights out of the shell and tossing it away, we’re giving the entire squash the credit it deserves. This Tex-Mex Baked Spaghetti Squash from The Honour System is stuffed with protein-packed beans and chili-lime chicken. Toss in some spice via salsa, fresh cilantro, and top it all off with a unique cheese blend and you’ve got a delicious dinner.

Tex-Mex Baked Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients

• 1 (3-ounce) cooked Chicken Breast, cut into chunks
• 1 medium Spaghetti Squash (about 4 cups cooked)
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 cup Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup fresh Salsa
• 3 tablespoons fresh Coriander, chopped
• 1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Sea Salt & Pepper
• 1 tablespoon Chili Flakes, optional

Directions

Preheat your oven to 425°F and line your baking sheet with parchment.

Cut the squash in half, rub with inside with olive oil and sprinkle sea salt & pepper. Place face down on the baking sheet & bake for about 25-30 minutes. The edges on the inside should be a bit browned and shreds should form easily with a fork.

Meanwhile, toss the chili flakes with the cheeses and stir the fresh coriander into the salsa.

When the squash is ready, take it out and let it stand for 5 minutes. Turn the oven to the broiler setting. Fully shred the squash, leaving the shell intact. You will be stuffing it!

Transfer the spaghetti squash to a mixing bowl. Stir in the salsa, followed by the beans and chicken. Split the mixture in half and stuff each squash shell. Top with the shredded cheese.

Place them back on the same baking sheet & broil until bubbly and browned. About 3-4 minutes.

Nutrition Information

Serves: 2| Serving Size: 1/2 spaghetti squash

Per serving: Calories: 472; Total Fat: 19g; Saturated Fat: 8g; Monounsaturated Fat: 8g; Cholesterol: 35mg; Sodium: 657mg; Total Carbohydrate: 44g; Dietary Fiber: 10g; Sugars: 10g; Protein: 28g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 707mg; Vitamin A: 15%; Vitamin C: 21%; Calcium: 35%; Iron: 16%

The Honour System is your one-stop resource for healthy, real food recipes. With mouth watering photography and step by step instructions, they show you how to eat well and how you can treat yourself without cheating yourself. For more, follow The Honor System on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.

Photo courtesy of Sharon Rhodes. Original recipe published on The Honour System.

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5 Free, Low Impact Cardio Videos to Try at Home

“Low impact” typically refers to workouts that avoid jumping, or where you’ll always have one foot in contact with the ground at all times. But don’t be fooled; low impact doesn’t have to equal low intensity! There are plenty of ways to get your heart rate up without jumping or jogging. Swimming, cycling, walking, rowing, water aerobics, using the elliptical trainer and even kettlebell-style weight training are all great forms of low impact, calorie-burning exercise.

And, if you are looking for new ways to increase your cardiovascular fitness without stressing your joints, here are 5 free, low impact YouTube videos that you can try at home today:

9-Minute Low Impact HIIT

This high-intensity interval training session (HIIT) is short and sweet for a reason. You’ll be working hard the entire time to make the most out of every sweaty second. All you need for this routine is a small space to move around in and a little bit of coordination.

1-Mile Power Indoor Walk

Not quite ready for HIIT? No problem! Try this fast paced, 1-mile indoor walk instead. You’ll still burn plenty of calories in a minimal amount of space (and time), without jumping or jogging.

30-Minute Low Impact Quiet Barefoot Cardio

Looking for a longer session that doesn’t even require shoes? Check out this fusion-style workout that incorporates moves from low impact aerobics, Pilates and even yoga for a unique cardio combo. (This series does include some floor work and plank positions, so if you aren’t quite ready for those please be sure to modify or skip any exercises that don’t work for your current fitness level.)

30-Minute Cardio Core Fusion Flow

Work deep into your core muscles, and slide and glide away some extra calories with this fun, flowing cardio routine. For this workout, you’ll need two gliding discs (or two small towels or a set of paper plates) and no shoes. There is some brief floor work, but feel free to modify the plank positions by placing your hands on a chair (instead of the floor) for more support during the movements.

45-Minute Cardio Ball Ballet

If you are bored with your regular cardio, then this may just be the routine you need to mix things up! This barefoot session incorporates a small playground ball, but it can also be done without a ball or by holding a similarly weighted object (a small soccer ball, teddy bear, etc.) to add an extra challenge for your core muscles and improve your coordination skills.

Looking for a complete, low impact program? Check out my “Walk On: 21 Day Weight Loss Plan”! This jump-free series has everything you need to get great results using low impact exercise.

Tell me, what’s your favorite form of low impact exercise? I’d love to hear what works for you; please share your best tips in the comments below!

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The 5 Best Exercises for a Stronger Back

When it comes to strengthening the core, a strong back is often overlooked. We shift our focus entirely to the front of our bodies or our abdominals and forget that developing midsection strength and postural support should also involve the upper and lower back. Further, much of our days are spent sitting, looking at a computer, phone or other device with our bodies flexed forward. Building and maintaining a strong back can combat muscular imbalances and help maintain proper posture.

I recommend these exercises be preformed as part of your total body strength program, so combine these moves with abdominal exercises or upper body strength training. Space out these workouts so you’re not performing these same moves on back-to-back days. Start by trying to perform 8-10 repetitions of each exercise and work your way up to 12-15 repetitions.

Major muscles worked: Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezious, Rhomboids, Erector Spinae, Teres Major

Warm up with torso rotations, side reaches or lateral flexion of the spine and cat-cow movements on the floor.

Superman

Lying down in a prone position with your arms crossed and your head resting on your hands, start by gently lifting your shoulder off the floor, extending your spine. You can keep your head relaxed on the back side of your hands for support to maintain a neutral neck. Slowly release back towards the floor. Keep your shoulders relaxed and pulled down away from your ears throughout the range of motion. For an added challenge, simultaneously squeeze your gluteals to gently lift your legs off the floor. Keep your legs long and your feet relaxed. (Do not bend your knees or pull your heels towards your glutes.)

Bird Dog

Start in a prone position with your hands placed below your shoulders and your knees below your hips. Simultaneously extend your right arm forward and extend your left leg back, moving slowly and maintaining your balance. Squeeze your glutes to lift your leg and pull your belly button toward your spine to activate the transversus abdominals to maintain stability. Be careful not to arch your back. Feel your scapula pull down as you reach the arm forward.

Single Arm Row (Bent Over Row/Plank Row)

You can stand with legs staggered or in a wide, stable stance. Flex forward at you hips, maintaining a neutral spine as you allow one arm to extend toward the floor. Keeping your arm in a neutral grip with your hand facing the midline of your body, row or pull the weight up, with your arm skimming the side of your body. Pull through a full range of motion while keeping your torso stable.

Bent Over Row (progression): For more of a challenge, you can do a bent over row using 2 weights at the same time. Still flex forward at your hips and maintain a neutral spine, but your palms will face your body. Pull the weights up, flexing your elbows and squeezing between your scapula (shoulder blades). You will use slightly different muscles for a bent over row.

Plank Row (progression): For an additional challenge, you can come to the floor for a plank row. Start on your knees and pull the weight up with your arm flexing and skimming your torso. Alternate right and left arm pulls. You can come up to your toes in a plank-like position for an extra bonus. Remember to pull your belly button toward your spine to maintain stability through your abdominal wall, and squeeze your glutes for extra support and stability.

Reverse Fly

Start in a standing position and flex forward at your hips. Help stabilize your hip-spine angle by keeping your knees soft, belly button pulled toward the spine and your hips slightly pushed back. Let your arms extend towards the floor, keeping your palms facing each other and the midline of your body. While keeping your head and neck neutral and elbows soft, start to squeeze between your shoulder blades and feel your scapula slide together as you lift the weights laterally.

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3 Lunch Picks at Starbucks Under 450 Calories

If you’re used to thinking of Starbucks as just coffee, coffee, and more coffee with the occasional mini vanilla scone thrown in—you are missing out. The Bux actually offers some awesome food options for both breakfast and lunch. Try one of our picks for a healthy midday meal that you’ll be able to find no matter where you are this summer.

Thai-Style Peanut Chicken Wrap: It’s got exciting flavors and lots of filling (not loads of bread-y stuff with a sad sprinkling of chicken). We were also impressed how low it is in sodium—a hard quality to find in a fast food sandwich. The only thing this wrap doesn’t provide is enough veggies, so pack an extra serving into your afternoon snack and dinner.

430 calories, 20g fat, 510mg sodium, 51g carbs, 4g fiber, 11g protein

Hearty Veggie & Brown Rice Salad Bowl: This salad is topped with brown rice and roasted butternut squash, which are both satisfying sources of high-fiber carbs. And while the dressing is super creamy, it’s dairy-free. The meal is slightly light on protein, but the extra fiber will keep you feeling full.

430 calories, 22g fat, 640mg sodium, 50g carbs, 8g fiber, 10g protein

Zesty Chicken & Black Bean Salad Bowl and Seasonal Harvest Fruit Blend: The beans and quinoa in this salad beef up its protein and fiber content, making it especially satiating. Add the fruit and you’ll be getting 12 grams of fiber—nearly half of your daily needs—and 20 grams of muscle-building protein. All in all, that’s one perfectly balanced lunch.

450 calories, 15g fat, 850mg sodium, 62g carbs, 12g fiber, 20g protein

Photo courtesy of SELF.

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How to Wash Your Workout Gear

Remember the iconic scenes from the “Rocky” movies when Sylvester Stallone runs up the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, pumping his fists in triumph as he reaches the top? Now, do you remember what he was wearing? Allow me to jog your memory: a full cotton sweat suit. While Rocky remains an inspiring character, when you consider the advances made in the materials used to construct workout wear, his choice of ensemble would be questionable at best in today’s world.

In 2015, you’d be hard-pressed to find any serious workout gear made from the same fabrics Rocky relied upon. To be sure, there’s a saying in the fitness industry, “Cotton is rotten.” This is a result of the fact that cotton absorbs and holds sweat during (and long after) workouts, making you feel heavy, hot and wet during exercise and then chilly when you stop moving.

The newest class of workout gear made from “technical” fibers will wick sweat away from your body and control temperature close to your skin. This means you’ll be more comfortable while working out, rather than lugging around heavy, sweat-soaked cotton. You’ll pay more for the performance wear, of course, but once you switch, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.

Just because today’s workout wear is high tech, however, doesn’t mean it’s stink-free. Some brands tout special antimicrobial properties, but, in most cases, a single workout will leave your duds rank and in need of washing.

Since tech fibers can be more delicate than those of Rocky’s famous sweat suits, there are some general rules you should follow when washing them if you hope to preserve them. If you’ve ever washed your workout clothes only to find that they still stink after the fact, you’ve probably already come to this conclusion. Not only can washing them the wrong way mean they don’t get clean, but it can also degrade the fibers and shorten the life span of some very expensive exercise ensembles.

Here are the do’s and don’ts of washing your workout gear:

1. Don’t use fabric softener.
Fabric softener can often be blamed for keeping workout clothes from getting totally clean when they are in the wash cycle. Since it tends to coat these types of fibers, fabric softener prevents them from being able to absorb the water when being washed.

2. Don’t use too much detergent.
In the same way that fabric softener can keep water in the wash cycle from penetrating fabrics, so can detergent. Use slightly less than you would for your regular clothes, and this should limit the viscosity enough to do the job.

3. Do use sport-specific detergent.
There are a number of special detergents on the market formulated for washing workout clothes. If you find your duds are particularly stinky, this is a good thing to try.

4. Don’t let your gear sit around.
Mold and mildew can begin to grow on workout gear that is left in a gym bag or laundry basket. Be sure to get those items in the washing machine sooner rather than later to prevent the buildup of nasty stenches.

5. Do soak stinky items.
By soaking the worst-smelling garments in one part white vinegar to four parts water, you can often kill anything that’s particularly pesky when it comes to odors. Throw them in a bucket or sink for a half hour prior to washing.

6. Do use cold water.
Since technical fibers are generally on the delicate side, in most cases it’s best to use cold water to wash them. This will help maintain any special performance properties for many workouts to come.

7. Don’t cook your clothes.
Setting the dryer to tumble-dry low is usually your best bet with workout gear. Even better: Consider line-drying outside. These approaches prevent you from drying out spandex, Lycra and other similar fibers.

8. Don’t submerge your kicks.
Unless you’re ready to turn your workout footwear into lawn-mowing shoes, don’t put them in the washing machine. You can degrade the midsole cushioning and render them less protective when it comes to pavement pounding and other active endeavors.

9. Do read the label.
Performance fabrics often require special care beyond these do’s and don’ts. Always check the label to ensure you’re maintaining the integrity of the performance fibers and any special attributes, like UPF, anti-odor or compression.

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Hawaiian Chicken Kebabs & Cilantro Lime Rice

The flavors of the Pacific (sweet pineapple, ginger and soy) accompany bite-sized pieces of boneless chicken in this grilled kebab. The secret ingredient? Toasted sesame oil. Its strong aroma means it only takes a small amount to add big flavor. Serve kebab over cilantro lime rice for a complete meal.

Hawaiian Chicken Kebabs & Cilantro Lime Rice

Ingredients

For chicken kebabs

• 8 (12-inch) wooden or metal skewers
• 1/4 cup (60 grams) orange-pineapple juice
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (certified gluten-free if necessary)
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dark or toasted sesame oil
• 1/2  teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 pound (450 grams) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 medium (240 grams) red bell peppers, cut into pieces
• 2 cups (336 grams) cubed pineapple
• Cooking spray

For cilantro lime rice

• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1 cup (280 grams) uncooked jasmine, basmati or long-grain white rice (certified gluten-free if necessary)
• 1 3/4 cups (420 grams) low-sodium chicken broth (certified gluten-free if necessary)
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup (8 grams) chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

For chicken kebabs

Soak wooden skewers, if using, in water at least 30 minutes.

Combine orange juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger and garlic in a large plastic zip top bag or shallow glass baking dish. Add chicken and bell peppers; cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator, turning occasionally.

Meanwhile, prepare a charcoal fire or preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Remove chicken and peppers from marinade, discarding marinade. Thread chicken, peppers and pineapple on wood or metal skewers. Place skewers on grill rack coated with cooking spray.

Grill 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until chicken is cooked through. Serve with cilantro lime rice.

For cilantro lime rice

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ginger and rice; cook 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 17-18 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Nutrition Information

Serves: 4 |  Serving Size: 2 kebabs + 1 1/4 cup cilantro lime rice

Per serving: Calories: 412; Total Fat: 6g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 41mg; Sodium: 507mg; Carbohydrate: 57g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Sugar: 14g; Protein: 30g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 269mg; Iron: 3%; Vitamin A: 49%; Vitamin C: 201%; Calcium: 2%

Energizing Tips (optional)

• Serve with a side salad (1 cup salad greens + 2 tablespoons vinaigrette) to increase calories and fiber. (Per serving: Calories: 445; Fat: 9g; Carbohydrate: 60g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugar: 16g; Protein: 31g) 

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10 Simple Clean Eating Swaps

When it comes to eating better, an easy place to start is to cut back on the amount of highly processed foods you’ve been noshing on. Are you bummed at the thought of overhauling your diet … yet again? Well, you can officially relax, because replacing a few go-to convenience foods (“potato” chips in a cardboard tube, we’re looking at you!) with simple, homemade alternatives every so often is a way to do this with less freak-out potential. If you’re looking for some ideas, here are 10 nonintimidating real-food swaps for some common convenience foods to help you get started:

1. Instead of fruit-flavored yogurt, make your own fresh, fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt. Skip the added sugar and modified food starch by simply dicing your favorite fruit and combining with plain yogurt. Pack a couple of single-serving containers for yourself, and store in the fridge until hunger hits. Add a sprinkle of homemade granola for a touch more sweetness, if desired.

2. Instead of frozen or fast-food breakfast sandwiches, whip up some of these simple egg sandwiches. Store-bought kinds are packed with preservatives, hydrogenated oils, added sugars and who knows what else. If you like the convenience factor, make a double batch and freeze leftovers for a quick, reheatable breakfast go-to.

3. Instead of instant oatmeal packets, throw together some make-ahead instant oatmeal jars. By purchasing oatmeal, dried fruit and nuts in bulk, you can make your own version of instant oatmeal without all of those added sugars and save money at the same time. Use adorable mason jars to portion out your meal, or some light ziplock bags will also do the trick.

4. Instead of 100-calorie cookie packs, enjoy two satisfying oatmeal chocolate chip breakfast cookies instead. All you need are ripe bananas, old-fashioned oats and some chocolate chips. Make a batch, and portion into plastic bags to satisfy your sweet tooth at work all week long.

5. Instead of cheesy-flavored chips, opt for cheesy popcorn. If your favorite chips come with a long list of ingredients, consider switching to good ol’ stove-popped popcorn which is packed with antioxidants and fiber. Pop kernels in a little high-heat oil (i.e., canola, avocado or grape seed) over medium-high heat and season to taste with salt, pepper and shredded Parmesan cheese, or shake on your spice blend of choice. Divide the batch into several single-serving bags for a healthy, portable snack.

If you need a chip fix in a pinch, choose a bag with a short ingredient list, avoiding varieties with hydrogenated oils and artificial flavors.

6. Instead of a chewy granola bar, make these easy, no-bake granola bars. The mix of dates and seeds gives these bars more than double the amount of fiber in most store-bought brands, and with far fewer ingredients.

7. Instead of fruit juice, eat the actual fruit (and drink water instead)! Yes, even if you’re drinking homemade, organic 100% juice. The downfall to fruit juice is that most have little to no fiber, which is separated in the extraction process. This essentially leaves you with a glass of concentrated sugars plus whatever vitamins are not destroyed from processing. Eating fruit rather than drinking it will provide more fiber and those important vitamins and minerals for far fewer calories. Many whole fruits like apples, oranges, bananas, peaches, pears and kiwi are perfectly portion-size and portable.

8. Instead of jarred tomato sauce, make a simple 10-minute marinara. For a more filling and nutritious sauce, toss in whatever veggies you have hiding in the fridge. Diced onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini and summer squash cook fast. When the veggies are tender, your sauce is done. Most jarred tomato sauces contain a surprising amount of added sugar, and some even have preservatives.

9. Instead of margarine, sauté using plant-based cooking oil. Vegetable oils are the main ingredient in most margarines but are usually accompanied by preservatives, artificial flavors and not-so-natural thickeners and emulsifiers. You’re better off just using the real thing! Check out our guide to cooking oils to find out which ones are best for the type of cooking you’re doing.

10. Instead of bottled salad dressing, whisk together a simple vinaigrette. Most bottled dressings come with superlong ingredient lists and use highly refined oils that are stripped of flavor and nutrients. To make up for the lack of flavor, most contain added sugar and artificial flavors, in addition to preservatives that extend shelf life. Making your own dressing takes just a few minutes and uses ingredients you likely already have on hand. Check out this simple salad dressing formula from Cook Smarts for some satisfying ways to dress your salad with real ingredients.

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The (Unofficial) Official Guide to Activity Trackers

Activity trackers have never been hotter. Between 2014 and 2018, sales of wearables, including trackers, are expected to grow from 29 million to 172 million globally, according to CCS Insight. More telling? A PwC US survey revealed that 20 percent of Americans use a wearable.

But can activity trackers really help you get healthier, even lose weight? Yes—with a few caveats. “Trackers can help you get a handle on things about your health that you can’t sense, especially your activity level,” says Joseph C. Kvedar, M.D., vice president of Partners HealthCare Connected Health in Boston, adding that when people first start wearing them, they notice how inactive they are.

However, just gaining that data isn’t enough. “Unless you have motivation to improve, either internally or from social support, trackers become useless,” Kvedar says. In fact, among people in the PwC US survey who bought a wearable a year prior, 33% said they no longer use it. Interested in seeing the full picture of your health and fitness? These devices can’t help you because most show you only one aspect, your activity and some also your sleep, but most send you searching elsewhere for tracking and data related to your workout performance and nutrition.

That may be because trackers alone do little to motivate people, which is why some manufacturers have added online communities so that their tracker wearers can participate in challenges and earn awards. Plus, seeing hard data can be discouraging to some people, especially if the data doesn’t match their expectations, as studies have shown that people often overestimate their level of activity.

Shortcomings aside, though, trackers could still be a game changer for some individuals. Ready to join the tracking crowd? Here are five you may want to consider:

1) Fitbit Charge HR ($149.95, fitbit.com)

Pros: Fitbit stepped up its game with its latest wristband, which features heart rate monitoring. You’ll still find the usual Fitbit features like distance, steps, calories, stairs climbed and sleep, but the Charge HR can also display incoming calls and texts when paired with a phone. Plus, the band vibrates when you reach your steps goal. Fitbit also awards badges for meeting milestones, and an online community gives support.

Cons: While you’ll only pay slightly more for the Charge HR’s heart rate monitoring (compared to the heart rate monitor-free Charge), it’s not always accurate during higher intensity activities and may not be worth it if you already have a heart rate monitor. And while it’s relatively consistent at tracking distance for running and walking, you have to log other workouts manually to get credit. Note that no tracker is 100% accurate, although a study of five trackers by the American Council on Exercise found that they all tracked steps taken within about 10% accuracy rate, giving the most accurate readings with lower-intensity activities like walking.

2) Jawbone Up2 ($99.99, jawbone.com)

Pros: Thought about setting an hourly alarm to encourage you to get off your butt? The Up2 comes with a customizable idle alert, giving you a reminder to move. Of course, the Up2 tracks standard variables like miles, active time and calorie burn, but where it excels is through its Smart Coach, which gathers data about you and then offers suggestions based on your habits to help you get healthier.

Cons: The band doesn’t automatically go into sleep mode; you have to set it. Just be warned, though, as sleep tracking on any device may not be that effective, Kvedar says. You also have to enter activities other than walking and running manually.

3) Misfit Shine ($99.99, misfit.com)

Pros: This quarter-sized, aluminum tracker scores big for its versatility in how you can wear it. Turn it into a watch with a sport or leather band, slip it into a clip that you attach to your clothing, or wear it as a necklace. The Shine tracks not only when walking, running and sleeping, but also during cycling and swimming (up to 50 meters deep). It runs on a replaceable battery, eliminating charging hassles, and lets you compete or share milestones with other Shine users.

Cons: Shine only displays a series of lights to indicate how close you are to your goal, which may turn off data geeks. When you do want hard data—which is limited to calories burned, distance traveled, steps taken and sleep quality and duration—you’ll have to tap the app to sync it. Shine also doesn’t automatically go into sleep mode.

4) Withings Activite ($450, withings.com)

Pros: Don’t want anybody to know you’re wearing a tracker? Check out this classy, water-resistant (up to 50 meters) watch-plus-tracker, which logs steps, calories and sleep. It can even wake you with a vibration. The watch face features two dials, one that shows time (which, when connected to your smartphone, automatically adjusts to whatever time zone you’re in) and the other how close you are to your steps goal. Through its app, you get tips, reminders and badges, and can start or participate in challenges.

Cons: Unless you’re also looking for a watch, the cost makes this an unwise choice. And if you like hard numbers at your fingertips, this tracker may disappoint.

5) Garmin Vivofit2 ($99.99, garmin.com)

Pros: Forget about losing juice from your tracker’s charge; Vivofit2 runs off a replaceable battery, which should last for at least a year. And while you can track all of the usuals with this one, including steps, calories, distance and sleep, it also lets you know when you’ve been inactive. A red bar will appear on the display, growing every 15 minutes until you move; after an hour of inactivity, you’ll hear a quiet alert. It’s waterproof so you can wear it 24-7, even when showering and swimming. Motivation is provided with virtual badges, online community and challenges.

Cons: You have to set the band to go into sleep mode. People have also complained about syncing issues.

Summary

The tracking craze is white hot but the leading devices on the market today have cons you should be aware of before taking the plunge.

Originally published on Under Armour.

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5 Work-Friendly Sandwiches Under 400 Calories

Packing for lunch is a truly tricky situation, especially if cooking isn’t your forte. Sandwiches make the perfect quick and complete meal—lean protein and high-fiber veggies rest between 2 slabs of high-energy carbs to power you through the day. Check out these 5 work-friendly sandwiches all under 400 calories each!

1. Chicken Panini with Butternut Squash | Healthy Nibbles & Bits
Got some leftover chicken? Try your hand at this chicken panini with butternut squash spread. A panini makes the perfect brown-bag lunch item: crispy bread on the outside and melted cheese, chicken and spinach on the inside. The butternut squash spread is high in vitamin A and just enough moisture for this pack-and-go meal. Recipe makes 1 sandwich. Nutrition info is for 1 sandwich plus 3 tablespoons butternut squash spread.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 334; Total Fat: 11g; Saturated Fat: 5g; Monounsaturated Fat: 3g; Cholesterol: 68mg; Sodium: 560mg; Carbohydrate: 32g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugar: 4g; Protein: 31g

2. Garlicky Bacon & Spinach Grilled Cheese | Cooking Light
Grilled cheese lovers, rejoice! Crispy bacon and fragrant garlic take this grilled cheese to another level. Since this sandwich comes in at under 300 calories, you can pair it with fresh fruit for a complete meal. Recipe makes 4 servings at 1 sandwich each.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 293; Total Fat: 11g; Saturated Fat: 5g; Monounsaturated Fat: 4g; Cholesterol: 33mg; Sodium: 666mg; Carbohydrate: 30g; Dietary Fiber: 1g; Sugar: 1g; Protein: 16g

3. Turkey Apple Chutney Sandwich | The Salt Solution Cookbook
Creamy chutney spread changes an ordinary turkey sandwich into something exciting. Serve with a piece of fruit for a complete brown-bag lunch. If you don’t have chutney on hand, substitute 1 tablespoon of apricot jam and a pinch of curry powder. Recipe makes 2 servings at 1 sandwich each.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 254; Total Fat: 5g; Saturated Fat: 2g; Monounsaturated Fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 23mg; Sodium: 578mg; Carbohydrate: 36g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugar: 12g; Protein: 19g

4. High-Protein Chicken Salad | MyFitnessPal Original Recipes
If you have leftover rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken breast, make this high-protein chicken salad as an easy lunch option. Lean shredded chicken is combined with creamy yogurt, crispy apples and sweet grapes for a tasty, tangy combo. Pack the chicken salad separate from your bread and assemble during lunchtime! Recipe makes 6 servings at 1 sandwich each (each sandwich contains 3/4 cup chicke salad + 2 slices whole-grain bread + 1 lettuce leaf).

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 364; Total Fat: 6g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 65mg; Sodium: 412mg; Carbohydrate: 44g; Dietary Fiber: 7g; Sugar: 10g; Protein: 34g

5. Brie and Apple Sandwich | Hello Little Home
Tart, savory and creamy get rolled into one with this panini recipe. Snappy green apples pair with mild-mannered Brie and crispy Italian bread. You can follow the recipe and use mustard as a spread, or replace it with jam if you have a sweet tooth. Recipe makes 4 servings at 1 sandwich each.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 380; Total Fat: 17g; Saturated Fat: 10g; Monounsaturated Fat: 5g; Cholesterol: 57mg; Sodium: 929mg; Carbohydrate: 44g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Sugar: 9g; Protein: 20g

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7-Minute Routine to Improve Mobility

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a workout and unsure of why you’re putting yourself through all this torture? They say that working out is good for you, but what’s the point, especially when it’s so hard? Well, I have some exciting news: We’ve curated this workout to specifically train you to live better. Every single exercise will enhance your everyday movements like carrying and balancing, making you stronger at the things you do every day — even when you’re not working out.

The Workout
Scroll down for full explanations and pictures.

1. Skips
2. Deadlifts
3. Forward Lunge
4. Basic Sit-Up
5. Russian Twist
6. Plank
7. Squat

Equipment: Dumbbells

Focus: Total body

Total time: 7 minutes

Instructions: Perform each more for one minute with no rest in between. If you are short on time perform this once. If you can spare 23 minutes, then perform this routine three times with one minute of rest in between sets. Then, watch yourself get stronger doing everyday things!

1. Skips: We’re pretty sure you’ve done this one before, but just in case, leap forward on one leg and do a little hop and then switch to the other leg.

2. Deadlifts: Begin standing with feet hip width apart. Slide dumbbells towards legs as you lower into a half squat. Come back to standing.

3. Forward Lunge: Being standing with feet hip width apart. Step one foot forward as far as you can as you can while bending both knees to come into a lunge.

4. Basic Sit-Up: Lie on your back with hands behind your head and knees towards the sky. Draw your belly button towards your spine as your lift your back off the ground into a crunch.

5. Russian Twist: Sit with your feet off the ground and shins parallel to the floor. Lean back 45 degrees and twist your torso side to side.

6. Plank: Place your hands directly under your shoulders and come up to a high push-up position with your feet extended behind you. Imagine there is a straight line from head to toe.

7. Squat: Stand with your feet a little more than hip-width apart. Sit your hips down and back as if you were sitting onto a chair. Make sure your knees do not pass your toes and your heels do not lift off the ground.

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How to Break Your Body-Shaming Habit

I know a woman (not a client) who, about a year ago, decided to do something pretty radical to her body. It affected everything—from what she ate to how she worked out to the clothes she wore. This experiment was so radical that she even ended up making new friends and buying new clothes.

It wasn’t a diet, exercise plan, a gym membership or a life coach. In fact, it was only one thing, and it took her less than 15 minutes to do. … Not 15 minutes a day, 15 minutes once.

She changed whom she followed on Instagram.

“I realized I was looking at certain women in my Instagram feed and feeling bad about my body,” she says. “So I unfollowed them and followed more women who were beautiful, but in a wider variety of shapes, sizes and colors. I just added more variety to the images I was seeing every day when I scrolled through my phone.”

After a few weeks, she also started following women who were doing things with their bodies that she wanted to do. Strong things. So she followed Olympic weight lifters. Javelin throwers. Women doing handstands and flipping logs.

“I was enjoying following them so much that the ‘fitspiration’ crap on my Pinterest board started looking stupid. Those women were just skinny and sweaty. So I started unfollowing them, and my Pinterest board started to look like my Instagram feed. And I was feeling even better about myself.”

Already lifting weights a few times a week, she started trying to lift a little heavier when her body felt like it. Soon she was carrying heavy, squatting heavy and eating differently, too. “It just made sense. I wanted to take care of myself, and it felt good. I wasn’t depriving myself.”

Soon she was reading different magazines. “A lot of the fitness, nutrition and women’s magazines were reminding me of what I had unfollowed on social media. So I started reading more cooking magazines. Not diet magazines, cooking magazines. Then I started watching different movies and TV shows, too. More about middle-aged women, about their ambitions, their lives, and not if they were pretty enough. It wasn’t really even conscious until I realized how good it made me feel to watch stories about women as people instead of objects.

“A few months later, people started asking me if I had lost weight, but I have no idea. I didn’t weigh myself as a rule, because when I did that, I just got into a shame spiral. I’ve definitely had to buy new clothes, but [it’s] because I’m shaped differently now.”

This story might seem extreme, but it’s not off base. Social science literature calls this a “change in the motivational climate.” Some version of body acceptance can be found in just about any long-term weight management study that measures it. In fact, body acceptance might be more important at certain stages of a weight-loss journey than almost anything else.

In a study with 239 overweight women, study authors found “Reducing the levels of concern with body image (i.e., the investment in appearance) … is more strongly related to the successful adaptation of eating behavior.” The researchers (and many subsequent study authors) concluded that body self-acceptance and a further emphasis on diet and exercise for deeper reasons like, “I do this because this is part of who I am,” result in better choices about what to eat without feelings of social pressure.

We start to do the hard things … because we want to do them! In motivation research, this is called “autonomy,” and it’s the opposite of feeling controlled. It is the feeling that you’re acting in accordance with your own values and of your own free will. And, according to 40 years of motivation research, it is the most important factor in permanent change. Yes, even more important than Pinterest “fitspo.”

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Parmesan Spinach Scramble

If you’re looking for a way to uses up that tub of spinach in the fridge, make this simple scrambled egg dish. It’s an easy breakfast (or dinner) option that’s low in carbohydrates. Simply scramble, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and serve!

Parmesan Spinach Scramble

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs (50 grams each)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 3 cups (90 grams) baby spinach
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan

Directions

Crack eggs into a medium bowl. Add salt and pepper, and whisk until well combined.

Heat a medium pan over medium-low heat. Add butter, wait for it to melt, and add spinach. Cover and cook until wilted, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the whisked egg to the spinach, and allow eggs to cook. Stir occasionally until eggs are set, about 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle Parmesan over the eggs, and serve.

Nutrition Information

Serves: 1 |  Serving Size: 1 cup

Per serving: Calories: 237; Total Fat: 15g; Saturated Fat: 7g; Monounsaturated Fat: 4g; Cholesterol: 390mg; Sodium: 714mg; Carbohydrate: 4g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Sugar: 0g; Protein: 19g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 847mg; Iron: 32%; Vitamin A: 253%; Vitamin C: 0%; Calcium: 24%

Energizing Tips (optional)

• Serve with 1/2 large whole-grain bagel to add calories and carbs. (Per serving: Calories: 407; Total Fat: 16g; Carbohydrate: 38g; Dietary Fiber: 6g; Sugar: 3g; Protein: 26g)
• Serve along with 1 medium banana to add calories, carbs and potassium. (Per serving: Calories: 342; Total Fat: 15g; Carbohydrate: 31g; Dietary Fiber: 6g; Sugar: 14g; Protein: 20g)

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The Anatomy of a Sports Drink

As you chug down your favorite sports drink after a long workout to rehydrate, have you ever wondered what exactly is in that bottle? To understand the effects of a sports drink on your body, take a look at the main components and what each one does to help your performance.

Water (92–94%)
This may seem intuitive, but good ol’ water is the key to rehydration! The goal is to drink enough fluid to replenish what was lost during activity, and the main component of sports drinks—water—allows for this.

Carbohydrates (6–8%)
At high intensities and for long-duration exercise, carbohydrates (sugars) are the primary fuel source for your muscles and brain. After exercising for longer than an hour, blood sugar and glycogen (your muscles’ energy reserves) levels begin to deplete. Because the body has limited carbohydrate stores, this is where a sports drink can come in handy.

Current guidelines from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommend that sports drinks contain a 6–8% carbohydrate concentration because this level is isotonic with blood (meaning they contain similar amounts of salt and sugar as blood), allowing the body to absorb the fluids faster.

If you want to reduce your sugar intake, there are numerous low-calorie, low-sugar and even sugar-free sports drink options on the market that do a great job at rehydrating, especially for shorter and lower intensity workouts. Since these options contain significantly less sugar than their higher-calorie counterparts, low-calorie or reduced-sugar sports drinks are less ideal for fueling muscles before, during and after particularly tough or long workouts.

Unlike a banana, which contains only two forms of sugar (fructose and glucose), sports drinks are designed to contain a mix of carbohydrates so that the sugar transporters in your gut do not become overwhelmed. Research has suggested that a blend of sugars, like glucose, sucrose, dextrose or fructose, allows your body to optimally absorb all sugars, meaning more carbohydrates get to your muscles as fuel.

While carbs can enhance performance, too many carbs during exercise overwhelm the gut and upset the digestive system. Most endurance athletes perform best when they eat about 30–60 grams of carbohydrates per hour. Keep in mind that carbohydrate replenishment during exercise is most important when exercise lasts longer than an hour.

Electrolytes (Less than 1%)
Sodium: The superstar of all electrolytes, as it’s lost in the greatest amount in sweat. Loss of sodium creates poor fluid balance and may lead to muscle cramps and, while rare, hyponatremia (i.e., blood sodium levels that are way lower than normal). While sodium has received much criticism in the Western diet, athletes often have higher sodium needs than the general population. The presence of sodium in a sports drink can enhance and maintain thirst, prompting more liquid consumption and hydration, which improves performance. For prolonged intense exercise, the presence of sodium will offset sodium lost in sweat and help the body maintain optimal blood volume. Sodium replenishment isn’t usually necessary for activities lasting less than an hour, unless you’re exercising in hot and humid environments or at high intensities.

Potassium: This important electrolyte plays a critical role in muscle contraction and regulating blood pressure. In conjunction with sodium, it can aid in preventing muscle cramps—a crucial aspect to performing your very best. While potassium losses are not as high as sodium losses in sweat, it is still important to replenish your potassium levels to maintain the proper electrolyte balance.

Magnesium and Calcium: These two electrolytes work in conjunction to aid muscle contractions—calcium allows for the contractions while magnesium allows your muscles to relax. The combination of these two electrolytes is crucial for optimal muscle function.

Additional Minerals
Some sports drinks also incorporate minerals, such as sodium bicarbonate. Sodium bicarbonate serves to buffer the lactic acid buildup (frequently felt as “muscle burn”) from performance, thus making the blood less acidic. This can delay the onset of fatigue and enhance endurance capacity.

3 Tips for Sipping Sports Drinks
Proper hydration is necessary before, during and after an intense workout. While plain water is an effective way of hydrating your body before activity, a sports drink can provide you with a needed energy and performance boost during a longer workout.

1. Two hours before a workout, drink 16 ounces of water. If planning on working out at a high intensity for a long duration, you may benefit from sports drinks or a high-electrolyte drink before training.

2. Aim to drink 4–6 ounces of water or a sports drink every 15–20 minutes. This will help you maintain good hydration. After prolonged activity, sports drinks quickly replenish levels of electrolytes lost to sweat, as well as help restore proper fluid balance.

3. For tough workouts lasting more than 1 hour, consider drinking 16 fluid ounces of a sports drink for every pound lost through sweat. Consuming sports drinks immediately following activity can be advantageous as compared to plain water if your electrolyte levels have been significantly depleted during the training session. With all the fluid-replacement options on the market, experiment with which drinks hydrate you the best for your workouts.

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3 Ways to Use Tracked Data to Meet Your Goals

I recently met a man at a gym where I consult wearing an Apple watch and a Basis watch, two heavy-duty trackers. He also tracked his food with MyFitnessPal, his sleep, his weight with a wifi scale, and a bunch of other things, too, all on disparate platforms. And after a year with all that data, his progress towards his goals had slowed to a crawl. You’d think he’d be doing better than ever, but he wasn’t able to suss through all the crazed web of the different data sets and apps to find a successful path to his goal.

Progress in the beginning of a health and fitness journey is relatively easy. Beginners just need to be pointed in the right direction and consistent and “things happen.” But things get trickier when you’re not a beginner anymore. When you hit your first plateau (the true sign you’re no longer a beginner), it suddenly matters “what” you actually do at the gym. And from here on out, you’re going to have to actually think about optimal, and how to avoid hurting your potential progress.

Data and goals are essential to optimizing, but like the gentleman with more data tracking than the space shuttle, they may be holding you back. Here are three accidental ways you could be hurting your health goals.

1. Data Is not Wisdom

In 1989, Russel Ackoff gave a speech to International Society for General Systems Research in which he coined the “Knowledge Pyramid.”

Tracking everything doesn’t lead to insights. Knowledge and expertise does. That’s why even the best athletes have coaches and usually lots of them. Experts are people you pay to help you interpret the data and help you find one path among many. Devices available today aren’t substitutes for these experts; they aren’t able to extract insights from your data to help to make these decisions. No longer being a beginner means you’re going to have to manage lots of potential options, some of which you might not even know are out there. And as Russell Ackoff noted in 2002, data can actually confuse people even more. “[People] who don’t know how to measure what they want settle for wanting what they can measure.” And getting clear on what your goals are, is the first step to utilizing that data and expertise.

2. Fitness Is not Health

My mentor Dan John likes to remind just about anyone who’ll listen that, “fitness and health are not the same thing.” Fitness is the ability to do a task. Health is fuzzier. I ran a sub-3hr marathon, but I almost severed both my achilles tendons, kept getting infections, and had exactly zero libido for almost 3 months leading up to it. I was unhealthy. The World Health Organization calls health, “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Put another way, health is waking up with pretty much the same chance of dropping dead as yesterday.

The reason I bring this up is that many people get hung up on metrics thinking they’re health. But most metrics measure “fitness” for tasks. And being fit for many tasks could require a temporary sacrifice of your health. Like marathon running. And that’s not bad, it just is. So ask yourself, “Do I have health goals … or fitness goals?”

3. “Goal” Trumps “Goals”

Finally, one of the easiest ways to hurt your goals, is to have more than one. In fact, I call trying to achieve more than outcome goal at a time, “The Intermediate Mistake.” Beginners’ often just want to get better. At anything. Advanced athletes know exactly what they want with crystal clarity. The “Intermediate Mistake” is not having a clear idea of what you want and pursuing it all at once.

You can’t run 6 days a week and CrossFit 6 days a week and hope to get better at either of them very efficiently. It’s great to have multiple interests and variety in your training, but as you get better, you’ll have to choose where you spend your energy and time because you have to manage recovery. I’m not saying you have to specialize in one sport, but prioritizing one goal to do first is the hallmark of clarity.

The tool I use for this with clients is called, “5-3-1st,” and it’s pretty simple.

1. List your top 5 health and fitness goals.
2. Of those, what are your top 3?
3. Of those, what is the first goal you would like to achieve?

If you take the time to prioritize the order in which you would like to achieve your goals, you will save a lot of time and energy that you might have wasted trying to run in two directions at once.

This article originally appeared on the Under Armour blog.

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