How To Choose The Best Protein

On November 13, 2010, In Nutrition, By Taylor John

In this day and age if your not using a protein supplement in your diet then you are failing behind. Protein supplements are great for helping to gain lean muscle, replacing a meal, controlling your fat intake and balancing a well rounded diet. Only problem is that there are so many kinds of protein supplements on the market right now, how are you expected to choose the best one? Here are a few tips:

  • Don’t buy on looks alone - some proteins come in really nice and flashy packaging but may lack a quality product. Always do research on a product before you buy it.
  • Check the label – Make sure your getting what your paying for, look for things like 100% whey protein and make sure there aren’t other ingredients in the product being used as filler.
  • Ask around – Ask people you know about products they have used before, you want to ask things like: did it mix well, how was the taste, how many scoops per jar, would you get it again?

Choosing the right protein can be crucial when it comes to your health and fitness, not only can it be expensive it can also scause you to lack results.

Check out this video of some of the most popular proteins on the market right now:

Top 5 Protein Review

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Increasing your metabolism

On September 14, 2010, In Health, By Taylor John

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As your knowledge of health and fitness continues to grow you will hear more and more words said repeatedly  that you may not fully understand. One of those words will be “metabolism”; without going into a scientific ramble for 2 minutes metabolism basically involves a network of your hormones and enzymes that convert the food you eat into energy and also how efficiently you can burn that energy.

Think of the food you eat as gasoline and your body is the engine, if you’re eating fatty foods like deep fried chicken, french fires, greasy hamburgers etc… then you’re giving your body a low grade fuel. While if you’re eating lean meats, green leafy veggie’s and other healthy alternatives its like giving your body high grade rocket fuel which can be burnt off fast and clean.

What affects your metabolism?

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How To Stay Fit Through Winter

On September 8, 2010, In Health, By Darren

Once the colder months start to dawn on us we all seem to fall back into the classic routine of over eating comfort food and curling up on the sofa night after night. Make a change this winter and stay on top of your health, there are countless reasons why you should stay strong and fit all year round. Here are some ideas to help you stay healthy all year long.

  • Set Goals- If you set realistic goals with an appropriate time frame you are much more likely to achieve it. Set monthly goals whether its a body weight you want to reach or an amount of weight for an exercise you want to lift; any goals you can set will be beneficial.
  • Partner Up- Having a workout partner will keep you motivated, if you have someone to workout with you will find that you feed off of each others energy and will both see great results.
  • Have Fun- There are plenty of winter activities that you can do while getting a good workout, skiing and snowboarding is one of the most popular ways to get exercise in the winter. There are also lots of indoor sports groups you can join whether it’s hockey, basketball or soccer – any group you join will get you out of the house and get you active.
  • Timing Your Workouts- It’s too much to ask yourself to workout everyday, you need to find a time to get to the gym that works for you. I find getting up first thing in the morning to work out is the best time for me. My workout gives me a great energy boost for the day, but if late afternoon or nights work better for you than make sure to make the time to get in.
  • Stay Committed- The most important part is to not slip and miss a workout that you have planned. Missing one workout turns into a snowball effect and next thing you know your right back where you started. Plan for rest days so your not going to skip on a workout day and you will keep your motivation levels high all winter.

Another problem with the winter months is your diet, it’s easy to put on that extra layer of fat in winter for so many reasons. Really try to watch what you eat and plan accordingly for what your going to eat throughout the day. Pack your own lunches so you don’t find yourself at a fast food joint every day . Eat small meals 5 times a day rather then indulging in 2 or 3 big meals. Just because it’s winter time doesn’t mean you have to hibernate, get out and get active you’ll be surprised how much faster the time will pass and you’ll already be able to fit into your swimsuit.

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Why You Should Work Out At A Gym

On May 22, 2010, In Fitness, By Darren

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Many people are building home gyms either for the convenience of  not driving 10 minutes to the gym, or they feel embarrassed about themselves and don’t want to be  judged in a social environment. Both these reasons may be why your workouts are not working as effectively as they could be. Also being embarrassed at the gym should never be an issue as you are doing it for you! So lets take a look why it’s so much better to drive the 10 minutes to a real gym:

  • Getting out into a social environment is a great why to give you a little extra motivation.
  • Seeing other people sharing some of the same goals as you and the gym will be a real boost for you to keep you coming back.
  • The gym is a great place to meet people with some of the same lifestyle qualities as yourself.
  • The amount  of equipment at a gym will be much better then a home gym unless you’re will to spend a pretty penny.
  • Once you’ve made a commitment of driving to the gym you are much more likely to stay longer and get a better workout so you don’t feel like you drove to the gym for no reason.
  • You can find a spotter at the gym if you need one. If there is not many people working out just go ask an employee, I’d be very shocked if they said no.

Here are some reasons to avoid a home workout:

  • It’s much easier to quit when all you have to do is walk 15 feet and you are at your couch eating a salty snack.
  • Not having a spotter will not allow you to lift at your maximum potential and it is also a safety issue.
  • The equipment you will be using will likely be much worse then a gym and you will not have nearly the same variety.
  • There are way to many distractions in your house that you won’t get the focus and full dedication of going to a gym.

Getting to a gym can be very useful if you’re on a workout plan that requires some equipment that a home gym can’t offer. A good workout manual can be very useful for tracking your progress, giving your new ideas for  workouts at the gym, teach you correct form and give you extra incentive to get to the gym. If you are interested in a great workout system check out our V.T.S program, I personally guarantee this 8 week program will get you the results you want and will help you stay in shape after you’ve finished. It includes over 50 workout ideas, a great log book, tones of healthy, tasty meal ideas and you get a lifetime membership to the V.T.S team.

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BBQ Shrimp and Salad Recipe

On May 14, 2010, In Nutrition, By Taylor John

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Tis the season for grilling! and nothing beats a great tasting fresh and healthy salad made fast and delicious. Even if your not a huge seafood fan, you will have a hard time not falling in love with this easy to make summer specialty. Here’s what you need before you fire up the grill:

  • 3/4 lbs of large peeled and deveined shrimp
  • Your favorite bbq sauce
  • 1/3 cup of almonds
  • 4 oz’s of romaine lettuce

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5 Reasons Your Workouts Aren’t Working

On May 2, 2010, In Fitness, By Darren

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Many people go to the gym and work hard but still don’t see results, this can be due to of many different things but typically it comes down to these 5 critical points.

  • Dedication- If you only go to the gym once every couple weeks and expect to see results your way off. One hard workout will get your blood pumping and your body sweating but for actually seeing results your waisting your time. It is much more efficient to have 4 short workouts spread throughout the week rather then one long workout once every now and then.
  • Proper Workouts- To see actual results you need to follow a smart workout plan, jumping from exercises to exercise at the gym with bad form will not only minimize your results, its a great way to get yourself injured. You have two choices here, either make a custom plan for yourself or get some help, there are many great workout plans out there including the one we offer.

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Why Margarine Is Healthier Then Butter

On April 24, 2010, In Nutrition, By Taylor John

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This is always a subject of debate, but when all is said and done you need to take care of what’s most important in your body… Your heart. Without a healthy heart your life expectancy goes down, you can’t be physical active and can’t enjoy life and all it has to offer. So here is why Margarine is healthier then butter:

  1. Margarine is made from vegetable oils, so it doesn’t contain any cholesterol, where are butter is made from animal fat so it does contain a significant amount of cholesterol.
  2. Margarine is higher in “healthy fats” both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, which can help to lower your LDL cholesterol levels. Butter on the other hand is higher in “bad fats” like saturated and Trans-fat.

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Health Risks Of Sodium Rich Foods

On March 22, 2010, In Health, By Darren

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Most food sources today are extremely high in sodium and can take a real toll on your health and body. The body needs approximately 500 mg of sodium for functional purposes and to keep a natural balance of water in your system. Having to much sodium can cause health problems such as heart diseases and high blood pressure. These problems will begin to occur with a diet that consists of more then 2400 mg of sodium daily.

Some major contributors to a high sodium diet are;

  • Fast foods- some fast food  meals can contain over 1000 mg in just one serving, which is more then half of your recommended daily intake. Fast food may be convenient and taste good but has several negative health factors and reasons to avoid it.

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The Health Benefits Of Iron

On March 10, 2010, In Health, By Taylor John

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Having a balanced diet is a lot tougher than most people think, its not easy getting all those precious vitamins and minerals into your body day in and day out. One very over-looked mineral is Iron and that’s why it is essential to get enough into your daily diet.

Types of Iron

There are two types of iron in foods and they are “Haem-Iron” and “non-Haem Iron”, if you are someone who suffers from lower levels of Iron in your body you should try to get more “Haem-Iron” into your meals because it is more easily absorbed than “Non-Haem-iron”.

“Haem-Iron” foods include:

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The Best Source of Proteins

On March 4, 2010, In Nutrition, By Darren

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There are many ways to incorporate protein in your diet, some healthy options include: Lean meats, eggs, soy, or supplements such as whey protein. Even though protein isn’t hard to come by there is defiantly proteins you should be looking for and proteins you should be staying away from. A variety of these proteins is what you should be aiming for, not only is it great for building muscle it also provides satisfying flavor which may stop you from getting other cravings during the day.

Here is a list of the top sources of healthy protein;

  • Chicken- Chicken and other poultry has about 7 grams of protein per ounce with limited fats and carbs. Although when you have breaded or deep fried chicken the fats and carbohydrates will increase dramatically. Preferably your want fresh skinless chicken for taste and overall nutrition.

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