Love Notes by Jari Love

Healthy Orange Chicken and Green Beans

by Jari Love

Healthy Orange Chicken?
Yes! Here’s a recipe that adds fruit to dinner and takes all the guilt out of orange-flavored chicken. There’s no sugar and no fryer involved. Just skinless, boneless chicken breast, marinated in orange juice, pan seared and then baked. Serve it up with orange-spiked green beans for a nutritious, protein-packed meal.
Servings: 4

Here’s what you need:
For the Chicken:
• 2 cups fresh orange juice
• 2 Tablespoons grated orange zest
• 4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts
• fresh ground pepper
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
For the Green Beans:
• 10 oz fresh, organic, green beans
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 Tablespoon grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• dash of salt and pepper

For the Orange-Brandy Sauce:

• 2 Tablespoon coconut oil
• 3 shallots, minced
• 2 Tablespoons brandy
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 navel orange, peeled and each segment cut into 3 pieces
• 1 Tablespoon parsley, chopped

• Dash of salt and pepper

Cook the Chicken:

1. Place the orange juice and orange zest in a large ziplock bag. Season each side of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place the chicken breasts in the ziplock bag, coating each side with juice. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Grease a 12-inch, oven-proof skillet with the olive oil. Place over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts in a single layer, cooking for 3 minutes. Turn the chicken, season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Place the skillet in the oven for 15 minutes, or until a thermometer registers 165 degrees F in the center of the thickest breast.

4. Remove from oven and cover with foil as you make the sauce and cook the beans.

Cook the Green Beans:

1. Wash the beans, snap off and discard the stems. Place in a large ziplock bag with the orange juice and orange zest. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Grease with the olive oil. Remove beans from refrigerator, discarding the juice. Add to the skillet and cook, covered for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove cover, increase the heat and cook for an additional 3 minutes, until the beans are bright green.
Cook the Sauce:
1. In a medium skillet heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the minced shallot, cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the brandy. Return to the heat and cook, scraping the bottom, until the brandy has almost evaporated, about 30 seconds. Increase the heat to high, add the orange juice. Boil for 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, boil for 3 minutes.

2. Add in the orange segments and the parsley. Turn off heat. Season with salt and pepper.

To Serve:

1. Cut the chicken on the diagonal into thin slices and arrange over a pile of green beans. Drizzle with the orange-brandy sauce.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 302 calories, 13g fat, 161mg sodium, 19g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, and 29g protein.

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

7 Health Foods You Should Stop Throwing Away

by Jari Love

You have no problem spending $20 every week on fresh fruits and vegetables. But when you pick off the “weird” parts of the produce and discard them before cooking, you aren’t just tossing a few bucks in the trash—you’re also throwing away some serious nutritional benefits. Also, just because a fruit or vegetable doesn’t look “perfect” doesn’t mean it’s not full of nutrition. It can save you lots of money in some grocery stores that offer “off” fruits and veggies.

These forgotten spare parts come jam-packed with vitamins and heart-saving amino acids, says Leslie Bonci, M.P.H., R.D., director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Add them to your kitchen arsenal and reap the surprising rewards.

1. Cantaloupe Seeds – Their Hidden Powers: These seeds are usually the first to go when you crack open a melon, but they’re high in protein, fiber, vitamin E, and magnesium, says Bonci.

 How to Eat Them: Roast them in the oven and toss with olive oil for a nutrient-packed snack.

2. Onion Skins – Their Hidden Powers: These flaky exteriors are high in quercetin, a compound that can help lower your blood pressure and support a healthy immune system, says Bonci.

How to Eat Them: Add them to a stew or broth for extra flavor, then pick them out before serving.

3. Watermelon Rinds – Their Hidden Powers: These rinds contain the amino acid citrulline, which can help improve your blood flow, says Bonci.

How to Eat Them: Throw them in a quality blender with watermelon flesh (the red part you normally eat), strawberries, and a dash of orange juice for a refreshing smoothie.

4. Broccoli Leaves – Their Hidden Powers: These leafy greens are a triple threat with high levels of vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium, says Bonci.

How to Eat Them: Cut them up and throw them into a stir-fry along with the rest of the broccoli. This is one simple way to make your diet better.

5. Celery Tops – Their Hidden Powers: They’re super flavorful and full of muscle-building magnesium, bone-strengthening calcium, and vitamin C, says Bonci.

How to Eat Them: Use them like an herb and add to a vegetable or chicken soup.

6. Orange Peels – Their Hidden Powers: You already knew they smell fantastic, but they’re also rich in digestive system-soothing fiber and immune-boosting vitamin C, says Bonci.

How to Eat Them: Use a cheese grater to sprinkle some on top of fish or chicken.

7. Swiss Chard Stalks – Their Hidden Powers: Their vibrant, reddish-purple color signals that they’re high in carotenoids, which act as disease-fighting antioxidants. They’re also full of Vitamin K, an important nutrient for boosting bone health, says Bonci.

How to Eat Them: Sauté them with mushrooms and onions for a tasty side dish. Via yahoo.com

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

Quiz: Are You Addicted To Sugar?

by Jari Love

Is your relationship with sugar pretty much fine, totally out of whack, or somewhere in between (say, “it’s complicated”)? Our throwback-style quiz—devised with the help of registered dietitian Ilyse Schapiro—will help you figure out the answer.

1. How often do you eat or drink sugary foods or beverages (including ones made with no-calorie sweeteners)?

2. What’s your typical breakfast like?

3. How much sugar or sweetener do you usually add to your coffee?

4. How often do you go out of your way to get something sugary—like stopping at the store just to buy candy?

6. Do you hide sugary foods to eat later?

7. Do you ever feel powerless in front of sugary foods or foods made with refined flour, like white bread?

8. While indulging, do you ever tell yourself that this is the “last time” you’ll ever eat like this?

OK! Now it’s time to add up your score. If you got…

Mostly As: You may be immortal.

You’re definitely not addicted to sugar. In fact, it sounds like you’re practically immune to the sweet stuff altogether, which makes us wonder if you’re even human. What’s your secret?

Mostly Bs: You and sugar are a-OK.

Congratulations! It sounds like you have a healthy relationship with sugar. You enjoy sweet stuff when you’re in the mood, but dessert doesn’t rule your life. So don’t try to cut back—it might end up backfiring by making you feel deprived. “Treat yourself to one small thing per day. If you allow yourself that one treat, you won’t feel like you’re missing out and you’ll be less likely to binge,” says Schapiro.

Mostly Cs: You’re a sugar fiend.

Addiction might be a strong word, but it sounds like you have an unhealthy relationship with sugar. Instead of trying to quit cold turkey, try working with a dietitian to help you scale back on the sweet stuff gradually (like, by using just two packets in your coffee instead of three, or doing dessert three times a week instead of every night). “If you just cut it out, you’ll be thinking about it constantly and it will run your life,” says Schapiro.

via prevention.com

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

Get Stronger Triceps

by Jari Love

5 Exercises for Stronger Triceps

To get seriously cut arms, you need to devote a fair amount of attention to the biggest muscle in the area, and it’s not what you think. Biceps get a lot of attention because they’re located on the front of our arms, the part we see when we look in the mirror. While keeping them strong is important for everyday activities and overall strength, your triceps actually make up a larger portion of your arm. Neglecting these muscles can lead to imbalance, injury, and even hinder your ability to get stronger as they assist in pushing motions.

Let’s do a brief anatomy lesson to understand your triceps a little better. Tri, meaning three, accurately describes the backsides of your arms. This muscle group comprises the long, lateral, and medial heads. They each connect to the scapula and humerus, then travel down the backside of the arm where they connect at the ulna on your forearm. Together, they work to enable extension at the elbow.

Though many guys target their triceps with weights, often heavy ones, this isn’t necessary. Going for a load that’s too heavy can also compromise your form and, ultimately, lead to an ineffective workout. With nothing more than a resistance band, you can get an effective tricep workout with these five moves. Your arms will thank you.

1. Close-Grip Pushup

Basic pushups do a decent job of targeting the triceps, though much of the work is also done by the chest and shoulder muscles. One of the benefits of this bodyweight exercise is the ability to change the target muscles by altering your position. To increase the load on your triceps, the close-grip, or diamond pushup, is one of the most effective moves; all you have to do is bring your hands closer together.

To perform this pushup variation, start in the standard position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your legs fully extended. Before you start moving, bring your hands close to each other and touch your thumbs and index fingers together. From this position, slowly lower yourself until your chest is just a few inches above the ground, making sure to keep your core tight during the move, then press yourself straight back up.

Even if you can crank out regular pushups at an astounding rate, you’ll likely need to reduce your number of repetitions for this challenging exercise. Men’s Fitness recommends four sets of as many repetitions as possible.

2. Crab Walk

Most strength training exercises move in one plane of motion. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it means you have to rely on a lot more exercises in order to reach all the muscles you want to target. Muscle & Fitness likes crab walks because they target your shoulders and triceps while forcing you to build stability. This means all three muscles in your triceps will be engaged as you work to maintain balance.

Get into position with your chest facing up, hands and feet flat on the floor. Your fingers should be pointed behind you and your knees should be bent. Next, crawl by simultaneously stepping your left leg and right hand forward, then you right leg and left hand forward. Try to keep yourself as stable as possible while you move.

For more of a challenge, you can also move to the side. Perhaps the best part about this exercise is it requires no equipment, which means you can do it in the privacy of your own home. Let’s be honest, it looks a little strange.

3. Plank-to-Triceps Extension

Plank-to-triceps extensions should be your replacement from tricep kickbacks, a move that involves extending your arm backwards with a dumbbell as you lean forward on a bench. In reality, this exercise just isn’t very effective.

Muscle For Life explains that kickbacks are far too easy and you often don’t feel any burn until you’re nearly finished. Additionally, it’s easy to get away with cheating since you can switch to a swinging motion. With the plank-to-triceps extension, you don’t have an opportunity to shortchange the move.

Start in a plank position with your weight resting on your forearms, your palms resting on the floor, and your legs extended as usual. Press your palms firmly into the ground and contract your triceps to raise your elbows off the ground until you’re in the pushup position, keeping your core tight the whole time. Men’s Health recommends aiming for 15 to 20 repetitions.

4. Bodyweight Dips

Everyone likes to load this exercise with tons of weight — without giving much thought to the correct form. It doesn’t matter that you’re holding 60 extra pounds of weight if you barely bend your elbows. For most guys, performing dips without adding any additional load will be sufficient when they cover a full range of motion.

For this move, you need two parallel bars that are spaced a few feet apart. The gym is full of equipment for this specific move, but you can find suitable choices in a lot of places, such a local park. Grasp a bar with each hand and begin with your arms fully extended and your feet raised off the ground. Lower yourself down until your elbows reach 90-degree angles, then push yourself up until your arms are fully extended again. Make sure to keep your elbows close to your body as you move up and down rather than allowing them to wing out to the side. ACE Fitness demonstrates the proper form and offers a more detailed outline if you need some guidance.

Though this move is great for strengthening triceps, it can be hard on shoulders, so you don’t want to dip past the point when your elbows are at 90-degree angles. If you’ve had shoulder injuries in the past, you may want to skip this one.

5. Band Skull Crushers

Of all the weighted exercises that target triceps, skull crushers might be the best. Marc Perry, CSCS, CPT, and creator of BuiltLean, even says that it’s his favorite exercise to target the area because it activates all three muscles. Unfortunately, you really shouldn’t perform this move without a spotter. If you swap the heavy barbell for a substantial resistance band, though, it’s much safer to do on your own.

There are a couple ways to set this move up, though the easiest is probably on the floor. Use something pretty heavy to weigh down the middle portion of a resistance band then get yourself into position lying on your back with the band fully extended and your arms pointed straight up at the ceiling. Slowly lower your hands towards your head, keeping your elbows steady, until they’re just a few inches above your forehead. Then, press your arms to extend the band until you’re back in the starting position.

via cheatsheet.com

 

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

8 Weight Loss Mistakes

by Jari Love

8 Common Weight Loss Mistakes You Should Avoid 

So, you’re about to embark on a new weight loss journey, or maybe you’re already into one. Before you get ahead of yourself, here are 8 common weight loss mistakes people tend to make that keep them from reaching their goals. Be prepared so that you know how to navigate through these typical problems.

1. Over-Exercising: I know you’re excited. Your motivation has probably never been higher. Why don’t we keep it that way by not burning yourself out in the first couple of weeks. Exercise is great, and you should be doing a combination of strength training and cardiovascular training, but that doesn’t mean that more is always better.

Make small changes to your exercise program just like you do with your diet. You don’t have to go from nothing to everything overnight. Build yourself up to 1, 2, and then 3 days of strength training a week. Do something you enjoy. Two hours every single day of high-intensity exercise for someone who hasn’t built up to that work load is either asking for injury, or will be burnt out in weeks.

2. Cutting Calories Too Low: Of course you need to eat less than you burn if you want to lose weight, but cutting calories too low will not get you to your goal any faster. In fact, it’s likely to slow down your progress.

Prolonged calorie restriction causes a down-regulation of important fat-burning hormones like thyroid, and appetite-controlling hormones like leptin and ghrelin. Lower your calories, but the smaller the deficit the better. Go too low and you’ll be wondering why you’re not losing any weight.

3. Becoming Obsessed With Your Weight and the Scale: Gotta lose weight. Gotta lose weight. Wrong! Gotta lose FAT. How often do you weigh yourself? Is it weekly? Daily? More than once a day? It’s a great feeling when you see that number on the scale go down, but how do you react when it goes up? I’m going to guess that reaction isn’t good.

The scale is not going to tell you everything you need to know about your progress. It’s only going to tell you how heavy you are. It won’t tell you how much muscle you’ve put on, or how much fat you’ve lost.

Obsessing over your weight can lead to frustrations, which can lead to you giving up on your lifestyle change. Do yourself a favor and only weigh yourself when it’s necessary, such as when you’re taking body fat readings.

4. Changing Up Your Routine Too Often: I’ve been guilty of this so many times I’ve lost track. I try out this eating style for a week or so and then I read somewhere else about another eating style that might be better. I start questioning whether I’m doing everything I can to reach my goals. So I end up changing up my routine, and in the process, I never give the original eating style a chance to work.

I know it’s a hard thing to do, but once you decide on a way to eat and exercise, stick with it. If it hasn’t even been a month, there’s no reason to even consider changing anything.

If after a month your body fat measurements haven’t changed, you can start looking into making small changes to your current routine. That doesn’t mean change every single thing. It means change 1 or 2 things and see if that gets the progress moving forward again.

5. Overdoing Your Cheat Meals: Cheat meals are a double-edged sword. On the one hand they can keep you sane and possibly even improve your fat loss progress. On the other hand, they can keep you in a never-ending binge/purge cycle where one cheat meal makes it hard to get back onto your healthy eating plan.

Cheat meals should not be binge fests. They should still be controlled. Eat what you want, but remain mindful of portion sizes. A bad day of binge eating can knock out a week’s worth of progress, or worse, can make you revert back to your old unhealthy lifestyle.

6. Having Unrealistic Expectations: Let’s see, you want to lose 50 pounds, so at 2 pounds per week, that would mean you will hit your weight loss goal in 25 weeks. Wrong. I’m not going to go so far as to say it can’t be done, but realistically, it’s not going to happen, and you’re going to get discouraged when you start falling behind that pace. So much so, that when your expectations aren’t met, you end up giving up because it just takes too long.

Set a goal of .5-1% body fat loss every 1-2 weeks, with the lower number being the most realistic. Take a bigger view of your timeline and remember that this is a lifestyle change and not a 2lb/week weight loss plan. The weight will come off, but you have to get out of the day to day weight loss mentality.

7. Obsessing Over Calories and Macronutrient Ratios: How many calories should you eat? How much protein, fat, and carbohydrates are optimal for weight loss? Don’t worry about it! At least don’t worry about it yet. For now, focus on improving the quality of your diet and getting active. Once your diet is 90% whole foods and you’re exercising consistently, you can start playing around with meal timing, carb cycling, or various macronutrient ratios.

In the beginning, it’s quality over quantity. At least that should be your main focus. Cutting calories to an already bad diet will further lower the amount of nutrients you get, and if you add exercise in at the same time, the nutrient deficiencies get even worse. Block out all that noise and focus your attention on one thing only – eating healthier food.

8. Only Focusing on External Appearance: It’s been a month of eating healthy food and being active, but you haven’t lost any weight, so you haven’t made any progress – or so you think. It’s hard to think about all the positive changes you’re making to the inside of your body and to your health because you can’t directly see them. However, all that hard work is changing your body from the inside out.

Even if your weight hasn’t moved in weeks, take solace in the fact that you are a healthier person than you were just weeks ago. It’s only a matter of time before those internal changes start reflecting on the outside. Be patient, smile, and love the new person you are becoming.

h/t coachcalorie.com

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

Types of Foods to Avoid Late at Night

by Jari Love

There’s no need to deny yourself a late-night snack if you’re feeling hungry, but you still have to think smart when it comes to eating late. Eating the wrong foods will disrupt your sleep while also adding a lot of unneeded calories to your day. Instead of just diving into the nearest, tastiest-looking item in your fridge, here are five types of foods to avoid at night and why.

1. Greasy or fat-filled foods: Greasy, heavy, fatty foods not only make you feel sluggish the next morning, but they also make your stomach work overdrive to digest all that food. Stay away from things like fast food, nuts, ice cream, or super cheesy foods right before bed.

2. High-carb or sugary foods: A little bit of something sweet before bed may be just what you need to rest happy, but if you gobble a huge slice of chocolate cake, the spike in your blood-sugar levels could cause your energy levels to spike and plummet, disrupting your sleep in the process. Avoid cake, cookies, or other desserts as well as carby snacks like crackers or white bread and munch on an apple instead.

3. Red meat and other proteins: Like fatty foods, eating red meats late at night will sit in your stomach and make it hard for you to fall asleep while you’re digesting (red meat may affect you the worst, but eating a large portion of chicken or pork would have the same effect as well). You don’t have to avoid protein altogether, just make sure you go for lean and small portions, like deli-sliced turkey breast or a cup of yogurt.

4. Spicy foods: Spices may be a natural cure-all for a range of ailments, but when you’re craving something to eat late at night, step away from the hot sauce. Spicy, peppery foods may upset your stomach, and the chemicals in spicy food can also stimulate your senses, making it hard to fall asleep.

5. Big portions: Late-night snacking shouldn’t turn into a late-night meal. Keep the total amount of calories under 200 so you won’t have any problems going and staying asleep. You’ll also feel good knowing that you didn’t undo all your healthy eating habits of the day right before bedtime.

So what should you eat instead? Small, light portions that will also calm cravings and help you sleep. Try incorporating these sleep-inducing foods or these low-calorie late-night snacks that hit all your sweet or salty cravings. And remember to limit how much alcohol you drink as well, since too many drinks can keep you up at night.

via popsugar.com

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

Tweaks to Better Work Your Glutes

by Jari Love

Buns of steel, right this way...

Your butt is the biggest and most important muscle you have, but your glutes can get a case of the lazies, forgetting to “activate” or “turn on” sufficiently during everyday tasks or workouts, says certified strength and conditioning specialist Bret Contreras, coauthor of Strong Curves: A Woman’s Guide to Building a Better Butt and Body. There’s a textbook term for this phenomenon—gluteal amnesia—and it could be dragging you (and your fitness goals) down. After all, your rear assists in every type of motion: running, jumping, lifting, you name it.

Making a few simple adjustments to your strength-training routine can score you a better backside burn, ASAP.

Focus, Focus
During a hip extension (lifting and lengthening your leg), consciously squeezing your glutes can increase their activation by about an extra 12 percent, suggests research in the Journal of Athletic Training.

Drop It Low
Deep squats—where your hips dip below your knees—can almost double your glutes’ contribution as you return to a standing position, according to a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

Lean In
“If you tilt your torso forward to a 30- to 45-degree angle during a lunge, you’ll feel a hotter burn in your glutes,” says Contreras. The angle throws more stress onto your booty.

Get a Leg Up
Compared with double-leg exercises (like deadlifts), single-limb versions (like one-leg squats) can activate your gluteus medius and gluteus maximus by an extra 33 percent and 21 percent, respectively, according to a study in Physical Therapy in Sport.

via womenshealthmag.com

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

3 Moves for Rocking Abs – Fitness

by Jari Love

3 Moves for Rocking Abs – Fitness

We all know that doing 1000s of sit ups won’t give us a six pack. In order to have a six pack we have to shed the layer of fat over our abs. That being said however, ab exercises are a must not only to strengthen your core, but also to tone, shape and reduce your waistline. Regular ab exercises are an essential part of your strength and conditioning. Here are three top ab exercises to help strengthen your core and help you get that swim suit ready body.

 

1. Knee Tucks:

• Start on your back, bend your knees into your chest, point your toes together, and open knees out to the sides in a diamond shape, keeping toes touching.
• Extend both arms overhead on either side of your ears, palms facing up.
• Lift your hips off the floor and bring your knees up towards your armpits.
• Slowly lower your hips back down to start position. Careful not to use momentum. Repeat 2 sets of 12 reps.

 

2. Plank:

• Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor.
• Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows.
• Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air or sagging in the middle.
• Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for 3-5 reps.

 

3. One-Arm Full Sit Ups:

• Start lying on your back with your right knee bent, foot flat on the floor, and left leg extended straight out on the floor.
• Extend your right arm to the ceiling and reach your left arm towards your left foot. Sit all the way up, rolling through your back, keeping your right foot on the floor, and your right arm up over your shoulder.
• Slowly roll back down to the floor. That’s one rep. Repeat 15 times on one side, 15 times on the other.
• For an extra challenge hold a dumbbell in your extended arm.

 

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

8 Superfoods on a Budget

by Jari Love

Healthy eating is the ultimate paradox: It’s great for your body and terrible for your bank account.

When I recently joined the “clean eating living cult” — or rather when I made it a priority to eat fresh instead of processed — I noticed two things: my weight went down and my grocery bill went up.

 I was expecting, and even hoping for, option No. 1. I figured that clean eating was the way to go if I wanted to improve energy, drop a few pounds and possibly live forever. I just didn’t think about the fact that eating au naturel would cost me — filling more than half my grocery cart with produce for salads, stir-fries, juices and fermented vegetables added at least an extra $100 at checkout.

 It was then I knew that I couldn’t go into grocery shopping blind, not if I wanted to sustain my super-awesome healthy lifestyle. I began to do some research to figure out how to get the most nutritional bang for my buck. I consulted with a few experts for guidance, and here’s what I found: These inexpensive superfoods can fit into a minimal grocery budget to provide you with healthy meal options all week long.

1.  Broccoli: 

If you’re looking for another good excuse not to eat your broccoli, this broccoli-as-a-superfood-campaign is not going to help you one bit. Broccoli may be everyone’s most hated veggie, but it’s also the “king of glucoraphanin, an antioxidant that supports your body’s unique detoxification pathway,” explains Tori Holthaus, RDN, of Yes! Nutrition. Holthaus advises, “To save money on broccoli, find it in the frozen aisle and keep it in your freezer so it never goes bad. Added bonus? Frozen foods are often picked at the peak of ripeness before frozen, thereby locking in their nutrients.”

 For those who just can’t and will not ever get on board the broccoli train, there is something behind door No. 2. Holthaus recommends mixing it up with her favorite new superfood BroccoLeaf, the leaf that grows alongside the broccoli plant. She tells SheKnows, “Just one serving contains an adult daily dose of vitamin C and as much calcium as a glass of milk. Prices vary per store, but I’ve found it for $1 a bundle — quite a deal!”

2. Chickpeas

Chickpeas make the superfood lineup, not just because of their rich nutrient profile, but because they moonlight as a delicious dip that everyone wants to eat. Amy Gorin, nutrition expert and contributing blogger for Weight Watchers, goes so far as to call chickpeas a “superfood for weight loss.” She explains, “Hummus is made of chickpeas, which are an excellent source of fiber — helping to build a healthy digestive system and keep you feeling full and satisfied. They also offer protein that fills you up.”

 

Of course, as holistic nutritionist and The New York Times best-selling author of The All-Day Energy Diet Yuri Elkaim points out, you can still enjoy chickpeas the good old-fashioned way and receive the same health benefits. Elkaim endorses inexpensive legumes (including chickpeas) as a low-fat, high-fiber plant food and protein source that can protect against heart disease.

3. Cucumber

Let’s just call cucumber the dark horse of the superfood world. It’s always in the produce section, just hanging around and waiting to be picked for a fresh salad — like an eighth-grade girl at a dance. It’s been right under your nose the whole time, but I bet you didn’t know this low-cal, low-cost veggie was really that good for you. Cucumber earns its superfood title because of its high phosphorus content, which Dr. Leslie Renee Townsend, regional dental director for Jefferson Dental Clinics, calls “essential for calcium absorption.”

 Dr. Townsend suggests, “Crunch cucumbers in salads or try marinating slices overnight in a simple vinaigrette made with red wine vinegar, herbs and garlic.” 

4. Greek yogurt

As someone who has taken my clean eating so far that my husband and I now ferment kefir, I’m all about the probiotics in my belly. Gastroenterologist and co-founder of Tula skincare line Dr. Roshini Raj agrees, recommending affordable Greek yogurt for its delicious taste and as a bountiful source of friendly bacteria.

 Hey, it’s doctor’s orders: “Greek yogurt helps you maintain a healthy balance of intestinal microbes that aid digestion. Besides gut well-being, probiotics have other health-promoting benefits: They help boost the immune system, assist with the production of vitamins, including vitamins K, B12, B5 and biotin, and help prevent anti-inflammatory molecules from entering the bloodstream,” explains Dr. Raj. 

5. Leafy greens

If you’re stuck on the hamster wheel of buying ridiculously expensive superfoods at hipster supermarkets (Whole Foods, I’m looking at you), it’s time to stop the insanity. Dr. Townsend says it is a “common misconception” that health food has to be pricey. Some of the cheapest — and most nutritious — superfoods can be found in the fruit and veggie department of your local grocery store.

 It’s time to accept that your two new best friends should be spinach and kale. For spinach, Dr. Townsend recommends: “Try getting creative with this classic green — tossing it into pasta and rice dishes, stir-fry and even soups. This vegetable delivers a great source of iron, which promotes tongue and muscular health, along with a notable dose of a half-dozen other essential vitamins.” For kale, Dr. Townsend adds: “This leafy green packs a whopping amount of absorbable calcium, great for healthy teeth and bones. Try tossing kale into green salads or sautéed with a bit of pancetta and garlic.” 

6. Oatmeal

OK, this one is easy. You probably have oatmeal lurking in the back of your kitchen cabinets right now. Not only does this hot breakfast stick to your ribs and provide an excellent source of lipids, vitamins and minerals, but it clocks in at a shockingly low 13 cents per serving, according to Holthaus’ estimations.

 “Oatmeal is a superfood that’s super affordable! Purchase your oatmeal in large canisters or from the bulk bins instead of individual packets to save money. Oats contain fiber to help you feel fuller longer, to help enable better digestive health and to keep your heart healthy too,” Holthaus says. 

7. Seasonal fruit

This superfood hack is so ingenious, I wonder why I didn’t think of it myself. As you’ve probably noticed by now, seasonal produce on display at the supermarket is cheap, cheap, cheap. Billy Polson, founder of DIAKADI, the Bay Area’s elite personal training facility, explains that not only is fruit cheaper in season, but it is also better for you when you are buying it at its peak.

 Polson says, “The seasonal fruit is typically on sale, so you can get a good bang for buck. When you buy what’s in season, you are buying food that is at the peak of its supply. It costs less for farmers and distribution companies to harvest and get to your grocery store. It may seem like common sense, but it’s one of those things many of us ignore when we’re out shopping. And, it’s an added bonus that eating foods in season is great for your body.” 

8. Teff

Move over, quinoa, teff is the hip, new grain on the block. Though I had never heard of teff before, Lori Kenyon Farley, certified nutrition consultant and co-founder of Project Juice, reminded me that most “new” superfoods as we know them are hardly new at all. “[They], in fact, are items that have been in other parts of the world for centuries or longer, as part of a healthy diet, or by healers when specific nutrients were needed.”

 Farley considers teff an all-star ancient grain to add to your grocery list because of its rich iron and magnesium content. Often cheaper than trendy quinoa, teff also happens to be naturally gluten-free. Farley says, “Similar to quinoa, it is a great source of plant protein and contains eight essential amino acids needed for the body to grow and repair.”

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

Foolproof Ways to Make Exercise a Habit

by Jari Love

Here's how you can turn a once-in-a-while workout into a lifelong habit.

Think tracking the numbers on the scale motivates you? Think again. “External feedback, like focusing on pounds lost or how your clothes fit, isn’t sustainable for most people,” says Michelle Segar, Ph.D., a psychologist and the author of No Sweat. “You may see results one day or week, but when you don’t, you won’t want to exercise.” Segar, a University of Michigan researcher who has spent her career studying motivation and behavior change, has identified science-backed solutions that do work.

Think of exercise as your secret weapon. You have to give physical activity extra importance if you’re going to make time for it. One way to do that: “View it as an escape from your day that brings you energy and well-being,” says Segar. “In studies I’ve conducted, women who do this make exercise a regular practice, while those who don’t end up skipping it.” Finding an activity that you love and combining it with other things that make you feel good, like running through your favorite park or listening to a funny podcast while you work out, can make it even more enjoyable, which ups the odds that you’ll do it again tomorrow.

Be single-minded. It’s tempting to overhaul several areas of your life at once—starting a new workout the same week you cut sugar from your diet, for example. But that sets you up for failure. “We don’t have the cognitive capacity to change lots of things at one time and sustain what we’ve changed,” says Segar. If you’re new to exercise, give yourself a few months to stay consistent, then move forward with other goals.

Ditch the weekend-warrior mentality. It’s better to exercise for 10 minutes four times a week than to hit the gym only for an hour and only on Saturday. “Research clearly shows that the people who stick with exercise for life are the ones who make it a staple of their week,” says Segar. “Consistency is what helps you keep at it during life’s ebbs and flows. When exercise is a part of your day, just like showering or sleep, barriers such as bad weather, work issues, kids, and even a bad mood don’t stop you from getting at least a little activity,” says Segar.

Stop saying yes all the time. Life is hectic; people and events will unintentionally hijack your goals if you let them, says Segar. You don’t have to automatically say no when someone asks you to do something that interferes with your workout. But do pause before you respond and ask yourself, Is this request important enough to trump my feeling good and fueling the rest of my life? As Segar says, “You don’t want your default to be yes if it’s at the expense of your well-being.”

via realsimple.com

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