Scottsdale, AZ –  Lucas James, Celebrity Personal Trainer has officially launched  ”Shape Up for Spring” GIVEAWAY!! One lucky winner will receive a brand new iPad mini, PLUS a 12-week custom workout program & personalized healthy meal plan!

Enter here:

http://springgiveaway.lucasjamespersonaltraining.com/

Lucas James Spring Giveaway! is a post from: Lucas James | Celebrity Personal Trainer

Well I am here to tell you once and for all, there is no such thing as spot reduction. In order to have a slimmer tummy, you will have to work out the rest of the body as well. It takes more than crunches to get to the six pack abs of your dreams. This means adding aerobics and cardio to your daily activities along with a more streamlined diet.

It is perfectly alright to be concerned about belly fat as it is the most dangerous type of fat. Not only does it completely wreck a person’s sense of aesthetics but also leads to all sorts of debilitating diseases. I am Lucas James, Celebrity Fitness Trainer and here is my take on how to reduce belly fat, the right way.

Don’t Stress Anything

Even if you aren’t overweight per say, chances are that you will have excessive abdominal fat if you live or work in a high stress environment. When we start to put on weight at our midsections it can be because our Cortisol levels are experiencing a severe hike. Cortisol is secreted when our bodies are experiencing high levels of stress. This hormone breaks down lean muscle and compels the body to hold on tight to the fat stored in the abdominal area. Studies have shown that yo-yo dieting can also put the body under a lot of stress. And this is why your body absolutely refuses to lose its fat reserves no matter how badly you are starving off yourself.

So learning how to deal with stress is an important part of losing belly fat. In fact, stress is a cause of abdominal fat in both men and women with men suffering a lot more than women. Yup, beer guts aren’t just because of beer!

Healthy Meals Are Important

Eating a healthy diet is half the battle won when it comes to belly fat. Instead of consuming empty calories in fast food and sodas, get your energy fix from vegetables, whole grains and protein rich foods. According to researchers, diets that were rich in protein and had a high dairy content lead directly to more abdominal fat loss as well as greater fat loss all over the body.

It is important to watch what you eat when you are trying to eliminate belly fat. Remember that a large soda contains double the calories in a banana. High fructose corn syrup, a form of sugar, is responsible for those calories and they carry absolutely no nutritional value. Sugar is your absolute worst enemy and does nothing but lengthen the weight loss process. So if you have a sugar craving, try alternating it with cinnamon powder. It helps subside sugar cravings but also regulate blood sugar. This is a win-win situation!

Move and Lose It!

Cardio exercises are the most effective when it comes to abdominal weight loss. According to doctors and researchers belly fat is more appropriately named Visceral Fat. This type of fat is located deep in the stomach around the organs. As compared to most of the other types of fat, belly fat is harder to get rid of because of its location. Also this is why crunches don’t work, because crunches impact on the surface muscles while the fat has deep roots. Therefore it is important to remove the fat in order for the muscles to show through.

And there is only one way to lose fat. Exercise!

Cardio and aerobic full-body exercises that help getting rid of more than 500 calories per hour are your best bet for quick weight loss. Remember to push yourself are hard as you can and take regular breaks throughout the hour to increase your stamina. Our AZ fitness trainers can be your perfect companions when you want to get fit, stay motivated and experience fast weight loss.

Also, remember that strolling lightly on the treadmill won’t do the job.  In order to lose weight, exercises have to be performed energetically. The best way to use this machine is to work your way slowly up to long burst of energy in between slow walks to make the best of this exercise.

Beware of Weight-Loss Supplement Sham!

And lastly, remember that there is no way you are going to lose all that belly fat in a week. So no matter how magical a pill sounds, it may end up doing more damage than good. Federal regulators come across hundreds of such dietary supplements every year. When tested these drugs are shown to contain either prescription compounds, or other dangerous concoctions that have not been studies on people at all.

Why would a person subject themselves to such travesty when only a month of hard work can give them concrete results? Exercise and diet are the only way to weight loss the healthy way.

How to Lose Belly Fat Fast in Arizona is a post from: Lucas James | Celebrity Personal Trainer

If you are looking for Scottsdale weight loss solutions, then my personal training facilities are your best bet against the flab! While you decide to make your way over to Lucas James Personal Training, here are some of the rules of weight loss that I like to live by:

Eating Properly Is Half the Battle Won

A healthy diet is important if you want a healthy life devoid of pains, aches and weird illnesses. Eating foods rich in harmful fats and empty calories can lead to chronic illnesses like cancer, heart disease, diabetes etc.

But a healthy diet that doesn’t contain any fat-filled foods and processed items can help you lose a lot of weight with even small amounts of exercise. When your body gets the nutrition it needs along with the essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals not only do you get lose the excessive fat but also develop a strong immune system that can fight illnesses and diseases… like a ninja!

Sugar is your worst enemy; this means that in order to lose weight you need to stay away from the colas, dried stuff and all things sweet.

It is also important to make sure that the energy and calories that you intake are balanced with the energy being spent by your body. And this means lots of physical activity so you can burn what you eat.

Protein laden foods are great aids when your goal is weight loss. Protein helps your body hold onto the muscle through the weight loss process, it also improves muscle fitness and helps build HDL or good cholesterol levels in our bodies.

Although weight lifters and body builders have forever been singing praises of protein rich food, new research suggests that protein can satisfy hunger in a much more efficient manner when compared to fats and carbohydrates.

Nutritionists and doctors suggest eating around 120 grams of proteins a day. Ask your triner or nutritionist for the best way of doing this.

You May Not Like Cardio But It’s Here To Stay!

What happens is that you get up bright and early for the morning jog for 4 days in a row, but on the 5^th day skipping a day’s cardio doesn’t seem like much of an issue. And soon you are missing whole weeks of cardio exercises. This happens because cardio-intensive exercises consist of repetitive actions.

What I suggest is that you mix it up. May be jog one day and then cycle the next.

Cardio is important for weight loss because it gets you burning more calories than any other exercise. It challenges you inside and out, so you are sweating, panting and burning more calories than ever. Besides if a cardio exercise becomes too easy for you, it is quite simple to rev up the intensity of the exercise. For example just increase the speed, or incline. Climb a hill instead of jogging or try a completely new exercise such as swimming.

Cardio is also an effective exercise because it can be done almost every day. With strength and weight training you need to give rest to your muscles between each exercise in order to recover and grow. But with cardio you can safely perform the exercises most days without worrying about overtraining.

Get Your Sleep On!

Doctors advise to sleep at least 7 hours every night. And when you don’t do that, two things happen to your body: first of all, you feel hungry even when you are full and secondly, your body’s fat stores only get bigger.

Researchers recommend that in order to lose weight, people must adjust their sleeping habits along with their eating habits. Avoid eating large meals before bedtime, stop eating at least 3 hours prior to going to sleep. Also don’t exercise right before bed time either. Don’t take caffeine rich foods and drinks in the evening s these will interfere with a healthy sleep later on in the night.

And if none of this is helping with the sleep, it is important to get in touch with a doctor to find out the causes.

Drink Enough Water for Weight Loss

Water is the most important supplement you can give yourself. It helps transport nutrients all over the boy and gets rids of the waste. Cold water can help speed up your metabolism and help burn calories. Yes, drinking cold water helps burn calories! How awesome is that? Your body works hard to warm it up meaning weight loss for you! Water also keeps you full and away from meaningless snacking at odd hours. So if it isn’t time to eat, get your drink on for the ultimate weight loss solution!

The Best Healthy Weight Loss Diet Program is a post from: Lucas James | Celebrity Personal Trainer

Lucas James, Scottsdale weight loss expert and celebrity personal  trainer and I will share with you my tips to achieve weight loss goals the healthy way.

Quick weight loss isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible either. Everyone loses weight at their own pace, but it is important to keep your eyes on the goal and not fall into the trap of fad diets. These might leave you thinner for a while, but you will also be much less healthier than ever before and more susceptible to gaining it all back.

Eat Healthy

Nothing is more important than a healthy meal diet plan that limits starches and sugars. Cutting out sugars and starches from your diet leads to quick weight loss. But don’t get fooled by the initial rapid weight loss, as in the start the body isn’t losing any fat; most of the weight lost is just the water and fluids leaving the body. Our resident Scottsdale Nutrition Expert says that real weight loss happens with long-term dedication to diet and exercise.

Reducing starches, salt and sugars can help you lose fluids resulting in a weight loss of up to 5 pounds in the first week alone. It is recommended that you also include fruits, vegetables, egg whites, soy products, skinless poultry, fish and at least 95% lean meat into your diet to reap the benefits of a healthier, thinner lifestyle.

Vegetables are important because in addition to providing essential nutrients, these also keep you fuller for longer. Give up the habit of grazing when standing in front of the refrigerator; this is where bad eating habits begin. Same goes for eating in front of a television. Instead, get a plate, decide on portions and eat whilst being seated properly at the table.

Drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated for the long bouts of exercises that are soon to come and also to get full in between meals. Many people can’t differentiate between thirst and hunger and start eating every time they should be drinking water. So keep a bottle of water handy every time you feel like eating something and only eat when it is time to eat. Also make sure to stay away from sugar and caffeinated drinks.

If you suspect that you are an emotional eater, get a food diary to write down what you ate every time you eat. It also helps to write down what you were feeling when you decided it was time to eat something.

Get a hobby! Most people eat because there is nothing better to do. And if weight loss is your number one priority, then skipping meals shouldn’t be on your agenda. Eat nice, big meals at breakfast, lunch and dinner and snack in between religiously. But remember to keep it healthy.

Fish, poultry and lean meats come together to make extremely healthy, protein heavy meals. High protein diets can help you lose weight the fast and healthy way. Combine a high protein diet with an exhilarating exercise regimen to lose weigh fast.

Cardio exercises

I also suggest that you find the best personal trainer to help you through full body workouts that aim to burn at least 500 calories in an hour. If you can burn 500 more calories than you eat everyday for seven days straight, you will witness a weight loss of about 2 pounds or more per week. Yes, it’s hard work!

Cardio and strength training experts should become your best friends. Weight loss Phoenix experts suggest cardio as the most effective exercise to lose weight. It burns the highest number of calories and is perfect for those aspiring to lose weight. But to top it off, it would be best to conclude your exercise sessions with a bit of strength training. Or you can opt to alternate between the two throughout multiple workouts if you can’t combine both into one session.

Remember, if you are already suffering from chronic obesity, it is best to consult your doctor before getting into any exercise program. They can assess whether you are fit to take on a certain amount of exertion and stress to get you ready for the workout.

Importance of Sleep

According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleeping for less than 7 hours results in an increased risk of becoming obese and diabetic. So keep your sleeping habits in check if you want to lose weight quickly and effectively.

Be Consistent In Eating Healthy and Exercising

Though you should exercise more, be sure to pace yourself and make sure to exercise responsibly to avoid injury.  Losing weight requires close to an hour a day of moderate exercise, one study shows.

Scottsdale Personal Trainer Shares His Secrets on How to Lose Weight Fast is a post from: Lucas James | Celebrity Personal Trainer

Normally testosterone in bloodstream is somewhere between 300 and 1000 ng/dl. But, testosterone levels start to wane with progressing age. By the time a man hits 40, he has started experiencing brittle bones and muscle loss leading to impotence by age 60. That is if he gets to live that long, as low testosterone levels in blood have been known to cause heart attacks and other fatal problems. This slow and fatal decrease in testosterone in a man’s body is called hypogonadism, and may be caused from a long list of things including prescription drugs, a pituitary gland disorder and testicular injury etc.

Research shows that men over the age of 45, suffering from low testosterone levels, are more susceptible to suffering from obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure than others with normal testosterone levels. Although there is no indication that hypogonadism causes these conditions, in fact, the causality may be the other way round. But the fact remains that men suffering poor health are also prone to develop low testosterone levels.

Our Scottsdale personal trainer shares the following tips to safeguard from low testosterone levels and how to raise those using safe and completely natural methods.

Best Exercises

Lucas James, Celebrity Personal Trainer, suggests that it’s best to stick with the tough exercises. Studies support this advice as there is evidence that squats, bench pressing and back rows are far more effective for increasing testosterone. And even though it may seem that you are actually using the same amount of effort when doing bicep curls and triceps push downs, these exercises aren’t nearly as beneficial as the ones mentioned above.

It is also important to squeeze out at least five repetitions per set. According to a European study, the best workload to increase testosterone is started by using a weight that is heavy enough to be lifted five times only. Or you can stop by the best facilities for personal training for all the pointers.

It is also recommended that do a minimum of three sets of each weight-lifting movement to get the full benefits for your testosterone levels. According to a research conducted at Penn State University, doing at least three sets of each exercise results in greater testosterone level increases than doing just one or two sets.

It is also imperative to get complete rest; doctors recommend at least a minutes rest between sets. So you can regain your strength and continue lifting for maximum benefit.

Healthy Food

If you feel the need for midnight snacks then nuts should be your number one choice. AZ fitness lovers should know that men who eat diets rich in monounsaturated fat have the highest levels of testosterone according to a study. Monounsaturated fat can be found in peanuts, olive oil, canola oil, and peanut butter. Scientists aren’t sure why monounsaturated fat has such an amazing effect on testes, but it does.

Next, make sure to eat a healthy, balanced diet if you want to maximize your testosterone levels. A healthy meal plan is important and can do a body a lot of good when combined with lots of exercise and the right attitude.

Zinc is also shown to affect testosterone levels positively. So consult a doctor and get multivitamins that contain Zinc along with Vitamin B6 and Magnesium to aid in Zinc absorption. These minerals can greatly aid in raising testosterone levels.

Other Healthy or Natural Ways to Raise It

Testosterone is affected by lifestyle decisions. So make some basic modifications to your life such as reducing alcohol. Normal healthy men can experience a 30% drop in their testosterone levels when consuming personally reasonable levels of alcohol.  So for those of us already running low on testosterone, indulging in even acceptable levels of alcohol is a big no-no. Chronic alcoholics can have their testosterone levels reduced by up to 50% resulting in the loss of facial hair, impotency and increased fat deposits in the chest area.

It is also important for men to build muscle mass that is healthy and natural. Keep a tab on your sleeping patterns as a reduction in sleep can have a huge impact on testosterone. Keep your bedroom cooler than the rest of the house. Always use the bathroom before going to bed and don’t sleep in tight pants or on your stomach.

Follow these simple rules for a better, happier, healthier lifestyle.

Sources:

Men’s Low Testosterone

Low Testosterone Cure

Male Testosterone Problems

How to Increase Men’s Testosterone Naturally

Lucas James, Celebrity Personal Trainer, Shares Tips On How to Remedy Low Testosterone in Men Naturally is a post from: Lucas James | Celebrity Personal Trainer

          While a basic diet and fitness program can help you set general guidelines for proper nutrition and healthy physical activity, it is more beneficial to have in-depth medical history information, anthropometric data and even diagnostic testing to create a truly customized and effective training program.

Our programs focus on altering daily health behaviors by incorporating one-on-one personal training and nutrition consulting along with customized nutrition and exercise plans.  When creating our individualized programs there are a few health and medical diagnostic tests that will enable us to provide you with the most accurate and effective program for accomplishing your unique health and fitness goals.

For all our clients we determine: Body Fat Percentage, Total Body Weight, BMI and Body Weight Composition, Body Measurements, Blood Pressure Resting Heart Rate & Appropriate Heart Rate Exercise Zones, General Caloric Intake, Strength & Conditioning levels, and Flexibility – Range of Motion.

Each piece of data helps us to paint a more detailed picture of your current health status and in turn design a more comprehensive exercise and diet program that is safe, effective and easy to adhere to.  Much of this data will help us to create an effective personalized nutrition plan and determine what type of exercise, at what intensity level is most efficient for helping you burn fat and carbohydrates.

In addition to this data, specific health and medical information can help fine-tune your program to maximize overall efficacy and your fitness results.

Comprehensive Health Diagnostic Testing:

• For Endurance Athletes & Individuals with Respiratory Problems:                                                                                            VO2Max Testing & Oxygen Saturation Tests can provide information about the maximum oxygen capacity of an individual and their ability to transport and use oxygen during varied exercise intensities. This ultimately reflects their level of physical fitness, which is related to the efficiency of one’s body.  Similarly, oxygen saturation tells us how well your blood cells are able to transport oxygen to your body tissues, and therefore your ability to fuel your body tissues with the necessary amount of oxygen to stay alive.

• For Individuals with Cardiovascular Disease or Circulation Problems:                                                                                          Stress Tests and Full Lipid Profile | Cholesterol Testing (HDL, LDL , TC) can provide information about the heart’s ability to respond to external stress induced by exercise or drug stimulation. Cardiac stress tests compare coronary circulation at rest with circulation during maximum physical exertion. This ultimately helps identify any abnormal blood flow to the heart’s muscle tissue.  Lipid & Cholesterol testing is important for determining an individual’s risk factor for cardiovascular disease.  These measures include LDL (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, referred to as “bad” cholesterol), HDL (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, referred to as “good” cholesterol) Triglycerides (fat molecules from the foods we consume that are found in blood ).

• For individuals pre-diabetic conditions or diabetes:                                                                                                                           Glucose testing and Insulin sensitivity testing can provide information on how well your body can use the sugar or carbohydrates you eat to fuel your muscle tissues and cells. Insulin resistance is a physiological condition that occurs with diabetes where the insulin hormone is less effective at lowering blood sugar levels due to a decrease in function or a decrease in insulin production. The resulting rise in blood glucose levels outside the normal range can cause adverse health effects.

• With Competitive Athletes or Individuals with Compromised health:  A Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP) consisting of a panel of tests and gives your physician or team of healthcare professionals important information in regards to an individuals’ current kidney function, liver function, electrolyte and acid/base balance as well as of blood sugar and blood protein levels.  Each of these tests and biomarkers helps to provide a comprehensive evaluation of how well your body is functioning internally, in terms of metabolism and growth, and in response to any disease state.

Customized Lifestyle Planning & Health Testing is a post from: Lucas James | Celebrity Personal Trainer

Create a NEW Healthy Lifestyle Today! is a post from: Lucas James | Celebrity Personal Trainer

While proper nutrition and adequate physical activity are both important components of preventative health and maintaining a healthy body, there are other factors, both environmental and genetic, which affect our overall health.  Since illnesses, diseases, and nutritional deficiencies can often exhibit similar symptoms, it can be difficult to determine what the exact cause of a specific problem is.

Whether you’ve displayed specific signs or symptoms of a disease and are looking to determine the cause, or simply want to assess your current state of health, the most reliable option for evaluating disease, deficiencies or illness is through medical diagnostic testing.  There are a variety of testing methods and equipment used to diagnose specific medical ailments or conditions, each unique to the particular problem and affected body system.

The application of a ‘routine medical testing’, such as blood sampling, is typically for broad diagnostic purposes.  For example if you are admitted to the emergency room with various symptoms of illness but no apparent cause, doctors will run a panel of tests and blood work to obtain a general profile of your health.  Standard diagnostic tests are used as a baseline for medical practitioners to establish medical diagnosis. These tests are usually non-invasive or minimally invasive, involving biological samples testing using either blood or urine.  There are however, other various diagnostic procedures used to identify and diagnose specific disease, illness, deficiencies or hampered organ and body function.

Since at Lucas James Personal Training we’re concerned with educating our clients and overall health, we’ve taken the time to briefly describe the most common diagnostic tests for various ailments. 

• Kidney Function: Involves a urinalysis diagnostic test for routine urine examination to identify abnormal cells, debris, bacterial infection, and bio-chemicals that are indicative of various illnesses. A urine culture can be created from the urine sample to grow a larger bacteria colony in a controlled laboratory environment to diagnose any bacterial urine infections.

• Skin Cancer Screening: Involves a semi-invasive procedure where physicans take biopsies (skin samples) of abnormally appearing growths or areas of the skin in order to detect cancerous cells, precancerous cells, infections, and other abnormal skin conditions.  There are both needle biopsies, used to take a small sample of the area in interest to test, and more surgical procedures to remove tumors where abnormal areas of the skin are removed to test for cancer or other skin disease.

• Lung Function: The most important indicator of body oxygenation is Oxygen Saturation testing. This is an indication of how well your blood cells are transporting oxygen to the rest of your body i.e. organs, muscles etc. Your red blood cells must carry sufficient oxygen to your body tissues to you’re your alive. Normal O2 saturation is 95%-100%.  Individuals with lung disease or other respiratory conditions will have either fewer red blood cell production or inhibited function resulting in decreased oxygen saturation

• Heart Function:  Stress tests are among the best diagnostic tools for diagnosing heart disease, as well as a useful method for estimating the risk of developing heart disease in individuals with heightened risk factors such as hyperlipidemia or high cholesterol. In order to determine how efficient your heart function is, i.e. how hard your heart has to work to send blood to the rest of your body, physicians will implement a stress test, also known as a ‘treadmill test’ or ‘exercise tolerance test’. This measurement indicates if your heart is receiving enough blood flow and oxygen when working under stress, such as during exercise. Stress tests are often given to individuals experiencing chest pain or other symptoms of cardiovascular disease, based on previous medical examination and EKG monitoring.  The test can also be used as a means for continual assessment during treatments for heart disease to gauge the safety of a prescribed exercise program.

• Cholesterol Testing & Lipids profile: is a simple blood test that assesses your high-density Lipoprotein levels (HDL) or ‘Good Cholesterol’, Low-density Lipoprotein level (LDL) or ‘Bad Cholesterol’ and total blood triglyceride levels (fat).  Each of these are indicators of high cholesterol and fat which when elevated, are risk factors for various metabolic diseases and cardiovascular disease.

• Body / Cellular Inflammation: (Hs-CRP) testing through blood samples, measures C-reactive protein levels which when elevated are indicative of  body inflammation.  Inflammation doesn’t necessarily mean a swollen body, but is a general measure of disease due to bacterial, viral, fungal infections and general body stress due to a diseased state.  For example, individuals with cancer often have elevated CRP levels due to the stress on their body cells.

• Liver function: Can be tested by examining the levels of specific enzymes that are indicative of liver damage.  For example, ALT and AST are biomarkers of liver injury measured through blood testing. Both levels are elevated with damage to the liver and reduced liver function.

• Diabetes: A diabetic state is typically determined by blood glucose & insulin resistance testing.  Both types of the disease will cause hampered insulin function.  Type-I diabetes is a genetic disorder where the pancreatic beta-cells that create our bodies insulin are impaired.  Due to the lack of functioning insulin, our body can’t take sugar from the blood to our organs and muscles to use as energy.  With type-II diabetes, poor diet causes hampered insulin efficiency and a similar end effect.  When specific conditions are concerned, such as inhibited blood flow due to capillary deterioration of the eyes, doctors can see changes in the blood vessels with a special test called fluorescein angiography. During this test, a chemical will temporarily make the blood vessels fluorescent to show any leaks. In terms of decreased eye function, the substance can be injected into an arm or hand  while during an eye examination.

• Back/ Spine/ Nervous system: An MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a noninvasive technique used in visualizing different body tissues. An MRI of the spine can reveal any abnormalities in the vertebral discs, nerves, spinal cord, and surrounding back muscles.  A benefit of MRI use is that it does emit any radiation.  It functions by using radio waves, magnetic fields and  computer processing to create in-depth images. MRI pictures are created from multiple segmented slides or slices, forming a cross-section of the area being viewed. Due to the spacing of the image slices, doctors get detailed representation of a particular area with the advantage of a scaled map.

• Bone Density/ Osteoporosis- Both men and women older than 50 will typically begin to lose bone thickness and density as they age. Exercise and various nutritional interventions and pharmaceutical treatments can help prevent and even restore bone loss. When bones are thin the condition is reffered to as osteopenia. When they are severely thin and structurally compromised the condition is called osteoporosis. A test called bone densitometry can use x-rays to determine the thickness and strength of your bones for diagnosis. There are different types of equipment and x-ray scanners such as dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and radiographic absorptiometry.  However, there are also other methods that do not use x-rays such as quantitative ultrasound.  These measurement are important because bone density tests provide a precise measure of whether you have osteopenia or osteoporosis.

• Gastro-Intestinal – To examine any upper GI disorder a barium swallow or upper GI series is performed.   An x-ray test is used to examine the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. It can be useful for diagnosing G.I cancers, ulcers, narrowing of the esophagus, and some instances of inflammation in the intestine. Swallowing liquid barium allows for contrast on the x-rays. The barium temporarily coats the lining of the upper GI tract, making the outline of these organs visible on the x ray.

• Anemia & Vitamin Deficiencies:  People with anemia have fewer red blood cells than normal. In vitamin related anemia,  related to a lack of vitamin B-12 and folate, red blood cells appear large and underdeveloped. In advanced deficiencies, the other components of whole blood, white blood cells and platelets, appear abnormal under microscope inspection as well.  Since  Folate and vitamin B-12 deficiencies can exhibit similar symptoms, they are both measured simultaneously.

Preventative Health & Medical Diagnostics is a post from: Lucas James | Celebrity Personal Trainer

While goals for weight-loss and gaining lean muscle might seem like two completely opposite concepts, they’re actually quite similar processes.  Physiologically, the more lean muscle you have, the easier it is for your body to burn fat. Vis-vera, the less fat you have, the easier it is for your body to metabolize the foods you eat and build more dense, leaner muscle tissue.  Current research also suggests that protein may satisfy hunger better than both fats and carbohydrates.

With either fitness goal in mind, eating a high protein diet will help you both burn fat and reduce your body weight, while helping support lean muscle growth, weight loss, and reduce muscle catabolism or breakdown.

Aside from its dietary functions, our bodies use protein at all stages of growth and development throughout our lives for a variety of bodily processes. Protein is a major component in all body cells, including both muscle tissue and bones. It is also a crucial component of our immune systems, helping to fight off infection and protect our bodies.

In terms of eating too much protein, there are no real dangers associated with high protein intake unless you have specific digestive problems or kidney disease.  If this is the case, the high nitrogen content found in protein can place added stress on an already damaged kidney filtration system. Too much protein can have side effects if it comprises too large a part of your total diet, causing gastro-intestinal disorders or problems with proper nutrient absorption. Keeping this in mind, protein is important, especially for weight loss and healthy muscle growth, but so are carbohydrates and fats within a balanced diet.

The best sources for protein are typically lean meats, but also include plant sources such as tofu, beans, soy, nuts, saitan and quinoa.  For animal protein sources  we suggest incorporating foods such as chicken breast, lean fish such as Tuna, ‘fatty’ Omega-3 fish such as salmon, egg whites, turkey, skim dairy products, shrimp, veal or lean cuts of pork.  Depending on your dietary preferences you might decide to eat only a few of these options, but all will provide you with healthy helpings of protein! However, not all sources of protein are equal. Here’s a list from the United States Department of Agriculture describing the differences in amounts for some of the foods listed above.

There are no real dangers associated with high protein intake unless you have specific digestive problems or kidney disease. Too much protein can have side effects. If they take up too large a part of your diet it can cause gastro-intestinal disorders the likes of which you have never seen.  The chances of consuming too much protein is typically unlikely, but it’s always important to consult your physician or dietician before starting any new diet.

The main concern with high protein diets is a lack of carbohydrates. When there’s an insufficient carbohydrate intake, you have a drop in blood sugar and your body if forced to convert stored glycogen or sugar from the liver and muscles to its usable form.  The main issue is that this process known as ‘gluconeogenesis’ results in muscle breakdown.  Another concern is that high-protein diets are often high in saturated fat as well from animal sources such as red meat. For this reason, its important to limit the amount of red meat you eat to 2-3 times a week maximum, while focusing on leaner sources of protein.

Here are a few healthy, high-protein, low-fat chicken recipes:

(Sourced: about.com)

This baked honey mustard chicken makes such a simple yet delicious everyday low fat chicken dish. It also uses few ingredients, ones that you’ll likely have in your pantry already. Serve with some rice and your favorite vegetables.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 six-ounce chicken breasts

Preparation:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place a rack on top and spray with cooking spray.

-Combine honey, mustard, oil, curry powder, and pepper in a small bowl. Brush chicken pieces all over with the honey mustard mixture, then place chicken breasts on the rack.

-Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning half way through. Baste every 10 minutes or so with the remaining honey mustard glaze.

Per serving: Calories 268, Calories from Fat 52, Total Fat 5.9g (sat 2.2g), Cholesterol 82mg, Sodium 483mg, Carbohydrate 21g, Fiber 0.3g, Protein 32.9g

Here’s a simple summer chicken w/ tomatoes recipe that makes the most of fresh tomatoes and basil, and a generous dose of garlic. I like to use the punnets of mini heirloom tomatoes or at least a mix of red and yellow cherry or grape tomatoes.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 22 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 4 5-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 ounce basil, slivered
• 8 ounces cherry tomatoes

Preparation:

-Preheat broiler and spray pan briefly with nonstick cooking spray

-Place chicken breasts on broiler pan.

-Whisk oil, vinegar and garlic together

-Brush half of vinaigrette on to chicken breasts, and sprinkle half the slivered basil on top of chicken.

-Broil 5-6 minutes, then turn over. Brush second side with remaining vinaigrette and sprinkle remaining basil.

-Add tomatoes to broiler pan, surrounding chicken.

-Broil for 5-6 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Serving: Calories 198, Calories from Fat 48, Total Fat 5.4g (sat 1g), Cholesterol 82mg, Sodium 98mg, Carbohydrate 4g, Fiber 1.1g, Protein 33.5g 

This low fat baked chicken and rice dish has become a staple in our house. It’s quick and easy to prepare, and the whole family will eat it.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 4 5-6 ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup long grain rice, uncooked
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped (1/2 a six-ounce bag)

Preparation:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

-Place chicken breasts in a single layer in baking dish that can accommodate the chicken in one layer.

-Combine uncooked rice, chicken broth, tomatoes, onion, garlic and oregano in a medium bowl. Stir in chopped spinach. Spoon mixture over chicken. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 35-40-minutes, until chicken is cooked through (165 degrees f) and rice is tender.

Serves 4.

Per Serving: Calories 372, Calories from Fat 23, Total Fat 2.5g (sat 0.6g), Cholesterol 82mg, Sodium 266mg, Carbohydrate 48.3g, Fiber 3.8g, Protein 38.9g

Here’s some High-Protein Vegetarian Recipes:

This Mexican casserole recipe is a one dish vegetarian casserole perfect for those busy nights. You can get this meatless vegetarian enchilada baked Mexican casserole in the oven in just a few minutes. A simple Mexican-inspired meal the whole family Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped onion, fresh or frozen
• 1 1/2 cups chopped red pepper, fresh or frozen
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup salsa
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 15.8 ounce cans black beans, drained
• 12 6-inch corn tortillas
• 2 cups Monterey Jack and Cheddar blend cheese shredded
• 3 tomatoes chopped (optional)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives (optional)

Preparation:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Combine onion pepper, garlic, salsa, cumin and black beans in large skillet and bring to simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently for 3 minutes.

-Arrange 6 tortillas in bottom of 9″ x 13″ baking dish overlapping them as necessary. -Spread half of bean mixture over tortillas and sprinkle with half of cheese. Repeat layering process with remaining tortillas, bean mixture and cheese.

-Cover dish with foil and bake 15 minutes. Carefully remove foil and serve warm.

-Garnish with tomatoes, sour cream and olives.

Makes 8 servings of Mexican enchilada casserole.

Nutritional Information per Serving: (excluding optional ingredients)
Calories: 605
Fat: 11.5 grams
Fiber: 21.4 grams
Cholesterol: 25 mg
Protein: 34.9 grams
Vitamin A: 24% , Vitamin C: 51%, Calcium: 40%, Iron: 39% 

Easy Whole Wheat Vegetarian Lasagna. Make your lasagna just a bit healthier by using this recipe, which calls for whole wheat lasagna noodles and spinach. Even though it uses whole wheat noodles, this Italian spinach lasagna is incredibly rich and creamy as it uses plenty of mozzarella, Parmesan, and low-fat cottage cheese. Recipe courtesy of the Wheat Foods Council.

Ingredients: 

• 1 8 ounce package whole wheat lasagne noodles, cooked slightly (al dente)
• 1 9 ounce package frozen raw spinach
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups low-fat cottage cheese
• 3 cups pre-made or store-bought pasta sauce
• 3 cups grated low-moisture part skim mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

-Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

-In medium mixing bowl, beat eggs; add cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese. Spray a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

-Put one layer of slightly cooked lasagna noodles flat across the bottom of the baking dish. Add 1/2 the leaf spinach, pressing down lightly and evenly over noodles. Top with another layer of lasagna noodles. Top this layer of noodles with the cottage cheese mixture; add the remaining spinach. Then add the last of the lasagna noodles laid evenly on top of spinach. Spread pasta sauce evenly over the top; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Press down lightly.

-Cover baking dish with foil, using foil sprayed with cooking spray and keeping foil off the center of the lasagna. Secure sides tightly over baking dish.

-Bake about 1 hour 15 minutes in oven. To lightly brown the top, remove foil for a few minutes at the end of baking time.

-Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Servings: Provides 10 servings

Calories/Serving: 373 calories/serving

Nutrition: One serving provides approximately: 373 calories, 33 g protein, 33 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 12 g fat (7 g saturated), 110 mg cholesterol, 142 mcg folate, 3 mg iron and 671 mg sodium.

High Protein Diets & Recipes is a post from: Lucas James | Celebrity Personal Trainer

Here are a few pieces of exercise equipment that may help you achieve your health and fitness goals with a description for various applications and workouts from Lucas James Personal Training.

Stability, Core & Resistance

*Exercise Ball Exercises: Seated Crunches, Side Crunches, Back Extensions, Stability Ball Shoulder Press, Stability Ball mountain climbers, Squat & Reach

Swiss / Stability Ball – The greatest benefit of training with a stability or swiss ball is that it helps target your core muscles that are essential for stability and flexibility.  Another added bonus is that you can incorporate your stability ball with other equipment at your gym such as dumbbells, barbells and other free-weights to augment your typical workout.

*Kettle Bell Exercises: Dead Lift, Bent Row, Front Squat, Single Sided Ab Cross-over

Kettlebells, for as simple as they are, often look like intimidating pieces of equipment. However, they’re simple to use just like a regular dumbbell and actually make traditional dumbbell exercises more challenging.  Since the weight in a kettlebell is not evenly distributed you are forced to engage accessory stabilization muscles to workout harder. Kettle bells can be used to target your arms, shoulders, back, gluts, and core muscles.

*Medicine Ball: JackKnife Crunches w Medicine Ball, Medicine Ball front squats, Russian Twists, Medicine Ball Abdominal-Toss, Wood-Choppers with Medicine Ball.

Like Kettlebells, medicine balls are weighted and can be used for a variety of exercises.  They vary in weight depending on your intended use and proficiency.  Medicine Balls are often used in tandem with core abdominal exercises to add resistance and increase muscle tone.

Resistance & Strength

*Resistance Band Exercises: Resistance Band Chest Flys (Incline, Flat & Decline), Tricep Extensions, Tricep Kick Backs, Bicep Curls, Reverse Back-Flys, Lat Pull-Throughs, Side Deltoid Raises, Front Deltoid Raises, Shoulder Press, Abductor Side Leg Raises, Squats, Lunges.

Resistance bands are widely used for both general strength and conditioning, as well as, rehabilitation and injury prevention. They are inexpensive and highly portable, making them ideal for exercising at home or within a circuit training routine to help condition your cardiovascular system. Since they are light-weight pieces of exercise equipment they are easy to travel with as well, so no excuses!

*Light Dumbbells: Core exercises with dumbbells braced between your feet or legs. (Hanging Leg or Knee raises), Bicep curls, Tricep extensions, Tricep kick-backs,  front rows for your traps, Shoulder press, Shoulder Side and Front Raises, Lying chest flys and chest press.

Dumbbells are a great and versatile piece of equipment, but can be highly immobile and difficult to bring around if you need to be mobile.  You can use them individually or together, depending on the exercise and your personal goals and preference. There are adjustable dumbbells available that allow you to manually adjust the weight and change between different exercises and movements. Most commonly however are fixed dumbbells of a specific weight that require you to spend money on additional sets of varied heaviness.   A majority of Dumbbell exercises can be done just as easily with resistance bands, as noted above.

Flexibility

*Pads & Foam such as a Yoga Brick or Foam Roller: Exercises typically include stretching movements to elongate muscle fibers and help stretch your muscles.  Some stretches are: Calf Stretch, shin stretch, hamstring stretch, gluts stretch, IT band stretch, quad stretch, lats-back-spine stretch.

Foam roller exercises are sometimes referred to as self-myofascial-release (SMR) exercises, because they can be used to relieve deep muscle tension without any assistance.  SMR is a form of soft-tissue muscle therapy that helps reduce muscle pain and tension and increase range of motion. It is essentially a way to massage and stretch your while increasing your flexibility to allow for increased muscle fiber development and strength. Foam rollers are often used for injury rehabilitation as well.

Endurance:

*Cardio Machines & Exercise Bikes: Can be use for…you guessed it: Cardiovascular conditioning / endurance and toning.

Since Treadmills, Ellipticals and Exercise Bikes are quite expensive, they are typically the last piece of exercise equipment you’ll invest in, unless advised by a doctor.  Even then, they are available for use at most sports and athletic clubs and gyms.  Exercise Bikes are the best piece of cardio-equipment for building your leg muscles while engaging in cardio exercise.  While you can increase the incline on a treadmill and resistance on an elliptical, you don’t quite get the isolation effect that you do from sitting on a bike.  When exercising on any piece of cardio equipment, make sure to vary your routine, just as you would with resistance training.  Try alternating between fast sprints and long medium paced intervals to confuse your muscles and increase your calorie burning potential!

High-End Fitness Equipment & Manufacturers:

When looking for high-end or professional fitness equipment, don’t be fooled…pay attention to the details! Machines might look similar but perform completely different!  If you’re looking for an elliptical machine note that the Precor brand invented the Elliptical Fitness Cross trainer.

Keep your eyes open for ellipticals with:

*Adjustable incline – changing the degree /motion of your workout and therefore the way you’re targeting your muscles.

*Adjustable resistance – changing the degree of difficulty, increasing resistance allowing for a strength training effect.

*Electronic Features – such as a Heart Rate Monitor option & Calorie Counting function.

*A true ‘Elliptical motion’.  Its important to note that the elliptical motion provides the truest simulation to walking and running available without impact force on your lower extremities.  When trying a machine note the feel of the motion. Some machines may have a bad spot or ‘kick’ where your heel can come off of the platform. You want to avoid this bounce in your motion.

*Dependent upper body motion. Various machines will include upper body levers to add an upper body workout element.  This can also help with stability and balance while cross training.

Treadmills are the most popular piece of fitness training equipment. Star Trac is a pioneer in new technologies for treadmill training such as integrated video screens with personalized digital trainers to take you through a cardio workout.

*Look for a 60 inch deck for runners with a wide stride.

*Nicer treadmills have a top speed of 12 mph and 12% maximum incline. They often have stronger motors with a longer lifespan than cheap models.

*Look for a prominent gauge luster with buttons you can read while engaging in exercise.

Exercise Equipment: What’s Right For You? is a post from: Lucas James | Celebrity Personal Trainer