Rosemary Lamb Chops

This recipe pulls tantalizing flavor from rosemary, garlic and pepper. Broiling is a healthy cooking method since it doesn't require that you add fat. Remember to trim any visible fat from the meat before cooking. Servings: 4

Here's what you need...

-8 (4oz) loin lamb chops, trimmed of fat
-1/2 cup dry red wine
-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
-1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
-4 garlic cloves, minced
-Freshly ground black pepper
-1/4 teaspoon salt

1-Heat broiler. Generously pierce lamb chops with fork. Place in shallow dish; add wine. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes to marinate.

2-In a small bowl combine Worcestershire sauce, rosemary and garlic; mix well. Set aside.

3-Remove lamb from marinade; discard marinade. Place lamb on broiler pan. Spoon half of sauce mixture evenly over chops; sprinkle generously with pepper. Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until browned.

4-Turn chops. Spoon remaining sauce over lamb; sprinkle with pepper. Cook an additional 4 to 5 minutes or to desired doneness. Sprinkle lamb with salt.
Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 190 calories, 9g fat, 1g carbohydrate, 0g fiber, and 26g protein.

Too Little of a Good Thing

Do you know the absolute BEST way to GAIN weight? Not eating. Does that come as a surprise? Fasting for extended periods of time actually slows your metabolism (your body's rate of calorie burning). Add to that the fact that you will lose muscle and energy by not supplying your body with proper nutrients. Instead eat small healthy meals every 4 hours.

The 5 Most Outrageous Weight Loss Myths

These days you can't go anywhere without hearing about a new weight loss breakthrough. A pill, a cream, or a new fad diet - you name it and it's going to solve all of your weight loss problems in 30 days or less. Or not.

The truth is that most of the things you hear about weight loss are hype. Plain and simple.

Here are the top 5 myths about weight loss:

Myth #1: You can spot reduce fat from specific areas of your body
This myth is as old as the hills, yet it persists. It must be that the thought of melting fat from any desired part of the body is so appealing, however untrue it may be.

In reality your body will lose weight wherever it wants to. It's safe to assume that you'll lose fat 'last place on, first place off'. So if you put on weight first in your thighs and then on your waist, then expect it to come off your waist first and then your thighs.

Myth #2: You have to count calories for weight loss

There are so many fad diets out there that paint the picture that weight loss is a complicated process. You have to eat certain foods at certain times and avoid other foods at all costs. Of course all of these popular diets conflict over which foods you should or shouldn't eat.

The truth is that you don't have to make weight loss such a science. Simply eat healthy fresh foods that haven't been processed, and eat smaller amounts than you're eating today.

No brain science there, just results.

Myth #3: You will bulk up with resistance training

I can't tell you how many times I've heard women tell me that they won't do resistance training because they don't want to bulk up. Each time I have to hide my smile.

You see, the process of bulking your muscles takes a lot of hard work. You have to consume high amounts of protein and you have to consistently tax your muscles to fatigue. And you have to have the male hormone testosterone coursing through your body. In short, there is no way to accidentally bulk up.

Myth #4: You can get a six pack from crunches

Just focusing on crunches will not make your midsection chiseled. Hey, ab crunches are great, and you should do them, but don't rely on them to get into great shape.

A trim midsection will only come as a result of proper nutrition, effective cardio and consistent resistance training.

Myth #5: Cardio is the most important exercise for fat loss

Most people think of cardiovascular activities when they think of working out. Going for a run, riding a stationary bike, or taking an aerobics class. Well, times have changed and so should your workout.

The benefits of resistance training now trump straight cardiovascular training. Resistance training strengthens your heart while toning muscles and increasing bone density.

Cardio workouts are not completely a thing of the past, they should fit into your overall plan for health and wellness. The benefits of resistance training, especially in fat loss, are astounding.

Do you have other weight loss beliefs that simply aren't delivering results? Call or email me today and I'll help you bust the myths, discover the truth, and create a fitness and fat loss program that will give you the body that you deserve.

Is Your Goal Smart?

The much anticipated 2008 Beijing Olympic games are now in full swing. I find it inspiring to watch athletes perform at the top of their game, don't you?

It's amazing to see what the human body is capable of when it's trained for a particular event.

Every athlete in the Olympics has trained for thousands of hours in a very specific way for their sport. These athletes know precisely what they want their bodies to do and they train in a focused manner to be the best. You can bet that they see a gold medal every time they close their eyes. Now that's focus.

What about you? What do you train for?

You see, whether you realize it or not, you too are training for a specific reason. Maybe your goals are more in line with losing 15 pounds rather than winning a gold medal, but your training needs to be just as specific in order to achieve your desired results.

Do you know why you exercise? Is it to lose weight? Is it to lower your blood pressure? Is it to shrink your waist? Is it to pick up a bag of groceries with more ease?

The first step toward getting the body of your dreams is to set a goal. This simple act, when done correctly, will instantly calm your frustrations and fill you with hope.

Here's how to make your goals SMART.

Specific: Ask yourself questions like: How many inches do I want to lose? What pant size do I want to be? Be painstakingly specific with yourself. It has been proven that the more specific your goal is the more likely you are to achieve it.

Measurable: You've got to be able to measure your results. It could be in pounds or body fat percentage or inches. It could even be fitting into a particular pair of pants that you haven't worn in years. The key is that you need to be able to physically measure your progress.

Attainable: If you have fifty pounds to lose it won't all come off in one month. Setting unattainable goals simply sets you up for failure. If you have a major fat loss goal then break it down into small attainable goals. As you achieve each smaller goal you will reinforce your progress and ultimately can attain any desired goal.

Realistic: This step is all about knowing yourself. What type of program would you realistically stick with? If you despise running then don't base your weight loss program on 6am jogs. Look honestly at your abilities, but don't underestimate yourself either. You'll need to push yourself to achieve your goal.


Timely: Every great goal is set on a timeline. Keeping the above steps in mind, give yourself an exact date and time that your goal needs to be accomplished by.

Now it's time to get to work. Write down your SMART goal and place it somewhere that you see often then tell three people of importance in your life about your goal.

Have the focus and the drive to pursue your SMART goal, just like the Olympians, and go make yourself proud!

I love nothing more than seeing my clients achieve their goals. Call me at the number above or reply to this email to get started on a fitness program that is specific to your goal.

Defintion of Common Nutritional Terms (Food Labels)

FAT FREE - Product has less than 1/2 (0.5) grams of fat per serving. This value will be rounded to zero.

99 FAT FREE - Every 100 grams of food will have 1 gram or less of fat.

LOW FAT - Product has 3 grams of fat or less per serving.

REDUCED FAT - Fat has been reduced by at least 25 percent (compared to a similar food).

LIGHT (LITE) - Product has 33 fewer calories or 50 less fat per serving than a comparable product.

LEAN - For meat and poultry only. Product has less than 10 grams fat, less than 4 grams saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams cholesterol per serving.

LOW CALORIE - Product has 40 calories or less per serving.

SATURATED FAT FREE - Product has less than 0.5 grams saturated fat per serving. This value will be rounded to zero.

LOW IN SATURATED FAT - Product has one gram or less saturated fat per serving.

CHOLESTEROL FREE - Product has less than 2 milligrams of cholesterol per serving. This value will be rounded to zero.

LOW CHOLESTEROL - Product has 20 milligrams or less cholesterol and two grams or less of saturated fat per serving.

SODIUM FREE - Product has less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving. This value will be rounded to zero.

VERY LOW SODIUM - Product has 35 milligrams or less of sodium per serving.

LOW SODIUM - Product has 140 milligrams or less of sodium per serving.

GOOD SOURCE - Used for fiber, protein, vitamins, or minerals. Product has at least 10 of the Daily Value for the particular nutrient.

HIGH IN (EXCELLENT SOURCE) - Used for fiber, protein, vitamins, or minerals. Product has at least 20 of the Daily Value for the particular nutrient.

How Much Water Should I Drink Daily?

You should drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. There is a formula used out there especially in the hiking/biking or running world that says half of your weight in oz, so if your weight is 120 lbs, you would need 60 oz of water daily. If you are a coffee drinker then you should add an extra glass of water for each cup of coffee.

Television Viewing: A New Health Risk Factor

A new study in the American College of Sports Medicine journal gives evidence that sedentary time, involving prolonged sitting and absence of whole-body movement, is an independent risk factor for several health outcomes.

The study included 2,033 women and 2,031 men, all who reported being physically active at least 2.5 hours a week (30 minutes, 5 days per week). They were also all free of diabetes and heart disease. Researchers then looked at the total number of hours daily spent watching television and compared TV time to the prevalence of metabolic risk factors.

In men they found that as the hours of daily TV viewing increased, so did their:

>Waist circumference (indicating increased abdominal fat)
>Systolic blood pressure
>Blood glucose levels

All increases showed a dose-response relationship (the more TV they watched, the higher their risks). All three of these risks are primary risks for metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and heart disease. These findings were adjusted not only for physical activity but also age, education, smoking, income level, alcohol intake, diet quality, and family history of heart disease or diabetes.

In women they also found a dose response relationship between hours of TV viewing and:

>Waist circumference
>Systolic blood pressure
>Blood glucose levels
>Blood triglyceride levels
>Blood HDL levels

Detrimental health changes were observed in women who watched more than an hour of TV daily, and in men who watched 2 hours or more of TV daily. The highest risks were linked to women watching 2 hours or more of TV daily and men watching 3 or more hours daily.

It appears that, even though all of these people met minimal guidelines for physical activity, long periods of inactivity, such as watching TV, should be considered a unique modifiable behavior, an independent risk factor for metabolic diseases. It seems the body was designed for activity and long periods of inactivity can result in poorer health and increased risk for serious health problems.

Just as there are national guidelines for physical activity, the authors of this study suggest that there also needs to be similar guidelines for inactivity. They suggest no more than 2 hours of leisure-time screen time per day may be a practical starting point. Children are recommended to spend no more than an hour a day of screen time. Persons engaging in more time than this are significantly increasing their risk for obesity, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and coronary heart disease.

Excessive TV viewing can now be considered a new risk factor putting people at increased risk for some of our nation's most serious health problems. Excess TV viewing can replace time normally spent in moderate activities such as household chores, gardening, playing with the kids, and other light-intensity activities that contribute to better health in addition to a regular exercise program.

If you just have to watch a favorite, lengthy movie or football game, here is a way to beat the system: Bring your stationary bicycle to the TV, or a treadmill, and put in some active miles while watching. The goal is to avoid long periods of sitting, which is a health hazard.

Reference:

Healy GN, et al. Television time and continuous metabolic risk in physically active adults. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2008;40(4):639-645.

Is your goal SMART?

The much anticipated 2008 Beijing Olympic games are now in full swing. I find it inspiring to watch athletes perform at the top of their game, don't you?

It's amazing to see what the human body is capable of when it's trained for a particular event.

Every athlete in the Olympics has trained for thousands of hours in a very specific way for their sport. These athletes know precisely what they want their bodies to do and they train in a focused manner to be the best. You can bet that they see a gold medal every time they close their eyes. Now that's focus.

What about you? What do you train for?

You see, whether you realize it or not, you too are training for a specific reason. Maybe your goals are more in line with losing 15 pounds rather than winning a gold medal, but your training needs to be just as specific in order to achieve your desired results.

Do you know why you exercise? Is it to lose weight? Is it to lower your blood pressure? Is it to shrink your waist? Is it to pick up a bag of groceries with more ease?

The first step toward getting the body of your dreams is to set a goal. This simple act, when done correctly, will instantly calm your frustrations and fill you with hope.

Here's how to make your goals SMART.

Specific: Ask yourself questions like: How many inches do I want to lose? What pant size do I want to be? Be painstakingly specific with yourself. It has been proven that the more specific your goal is the more likely you are to achieve it.

Measurable: You've got to be able to measure your results. It could be in pounds or body fat percentage or inches. It could even be fitting into a particular pair of pants that you haven't worn in years. The key is that you need to be able to physically measure your progress.

Attainable: If you have fifty pounds to lose it won't all come off in one month. Setting unattainable goals simply sets you up for failure. If you have a major fat loss goal then break it down into small attainable goals. As you achieve each smaller goal you will reinforce your progress and ultimately can attain any desired goal.

Realistic: This step is all about knowing yourself. What type of program would you realistically stick with? If you despise running then don't base your weight loss program on 6am jogs. Look honestly at your abilities, but don't underestimate yourself either. You'll need to push yourself to achieve your goal.

Timely: Every great goal is set on a timeline. Keeping the above steps in mind, give yourself an exact date and time that your goal needs to be accomplished by.

Now it's time to get to work. Write down your SMART goal and place it somewhere that you see often then tell three people of importance in your life about your goal.

Have the focus and the drive to pursue your SMART goal, just like the Olympians, and go make yourself proud!

I love nothing more than seeing my clients achieve their goals. Call me at 520-744-5108 or email me at nordine@nordinez.com to get started on a fitness program that is specific to your goal.

7 Reasons You Aren't Losing Weight

In a high tech world, there’s a whole slew of ways to determine whether you’re losing body fat on your diet and exercise regimen. The favorite traditional methods of measuring body fat include underwater weighing and skin calipers. The newest rage is a specialized bathroom scale that sends infrared beams through your body to determine how much of your body weight is actually fat and how much is lean body mass; muscle and bones. (How fat are your feet, anyway?)

Still, the most tried and true device, and possibly the most accurate way to determine if your dieting efforts are working – is the old fashion bathroom scale! If you’re losing weight on the scale, you’re also losing fat. Sure, if you’re dropping more than 3 pounds per week or your energy levels are waning, you’re likely to be shedding some valuable muscle also along the way.

However, if you’re losing 1-2 pounds every 1-3 weeks, and your energy and strength levels are stable, you’re likely shedding almost exclusively fat. That said; let’s explore the top reasons why people fail to see the body trimming results they hope to achieve.

The 7 roadblocks that keep many frustrated are outlined below. Fix or avoid most of these troublesome 7, and your fat loss will be so smooth.

1) Too Many Carbohydrates.
I’m no fan of strict low carb diets, but any additional carbs above and beyond those needed to saturate your muscles with glycogen have a good probability of being stored as body fat. While bodybuilding training requires a high carb intake, many novices and intermediate trainees simply do not train hard enough to justify a massive carb intake. Depending on your size and level of training intensity, split your carb intake into 5 servings per day and aim for 30-60 grams of carbs per meal to shed fat. Start at a higher intake such as 60 grams of carbs per meal. If you lose weight, continue with 60 grams per meal. If you fail to lose, drop to 50 grams per meal.

2) Too Much Protein.
Surprise! This factoid is tied to carbohydrate restriction. When dieting to lean down, carbohydrates ought to be slowly reduced. However, many dieters take an overly aggressive approach in hopes of making miracle-type progress and cut back too far in the carb department.

When you restrict carbs, your protein intake should increase. But – and this is a big one – over compensating by eating too much protein can also prevent fat loss by contributing to a calorie surplus. As a rule, shoot for .74 to 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight each day while trying to add weight and muscle. When ripping up, start chopping away at your carbs and increase the protein to 1.25 to 1.50 grams per pound of body weight. Anything more- will just be stored as fat.

3) Skip The Late Night Carbs.
Don’t believe the conflicting research. The fact remains, carbs eaten at night are less likely to be burned off as fuel and are more likely be stored as body fat. That means; forego the pasta, potato or rice at meal 5 (your final meal of the day) for lean proteins like fowl or fish, along with a side dish of veggies. Or enjoy a Whey Science™ or a Soy Protein Science™ protein shake which provides quality muscle building whey protein without a lot of carbohydrates. You don’t need the carbs at night anyway. Go to the NZ Nutrition Store to get your protein today.

4) Wrong Breakfast.
Want to get lean and eat a lot? Chow down at breakfast. Of your 5 daily meals, the one that is least likely to end up on your hips, thighs and lower back is the first one. In the morning, muscle glycogen stores are lower than during any other part of the day. When glycogen stores are low, your body’s capacity to take carbohydrates and store them as body fat is hampered. So pack in the carbs at breakfast –along with 20-40 grams of high quality protein to jump-start your day. And don’t worry about getting fat.

5) Too Much Cardio.
What happens to the guy or gal who performs 1-2 hours of cardio a day? (We know you’re out there!) They send their body into a tailspin, a state where the "starvation hormones" secreted by the body skyrocket (it’s your body’s survival mechanism, a response to too much exercise!) causing fat cells to try to hoard their energy! Moderate cardio is the way to go. Four to five 20-40 minutes sessions per week is all that it takes. Any more than that and you run the risk of losing precious muscle tissue, which negatively affects your metabolic rate and your ability to train.

6) Never "Cheating" on Your Diet.
Once in a while you should let loose and give yourself a break from the rigors of dieting and scale watching. In fact, it’s helpful in losing weight. That’s because continual dieting eventually leads to roadblocks where the body responds by slowing its metabolic rate. Strict dieting also takes its toll on you mentally, and can leave you feeling deprived. That’s a bad combination! Taking in a couple of high calorie meals once every 7-10 days not only provides a mental break from dieting, but helps you side-step roadblocks by preventing the body from entering a starvation state where the metabolic rate slows.

7) Paying Attention to the scale only.
Ok this may sound contradictory, but the scale is not the "end-all" measurement of progress. You also monitor a couple of other things, primarily energy and strength. If you’re losing weight and you have plenty of energy and strength, you’re losing body fat – guaranteed. On the flip side, if you’re losing weight yet feeling really tired or are seeing constant drops in the weights you use during your workouts, then you’re likely also burning off muscle tissue. If no energy and a loss in strength is the case, then you’re likely violating several of the above tips and will need to rectify them to get back on track.

And there you have it. Avoid these obstacles to losing weight and enjoy your new lean body!

Should I Eat Before or After Workout?

Never sit down to a full meal immediately before or after a workout. That doesn't mean you should eat nothing, just make it light. You don't want a lot of food in your stomach when you are trying to work out. Afterwards, you want to give your body ample time to recover before you consume a full meal. If you are trying to digest a big meal, both your stomach and muscles will be fighting for blood supply. The end result is that your heart will be working twice as hard to send nutrients to the muscles and the stomach. If you eat too heavily before, you experience the unpleasant sensation of indigestion or may end up sick. You are better off training on a somewhat empty stomach. Try a piece of fruit or half a bagel for energy. Remember, it isn't what you ate an hour before that sustains your energy level. It's what and how you have been eating or drinking the previous few days.

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