Increase Your Daily Protein Intake By Knowing The Amount In Common Foods

Are you eating enough protein per day? We have all heard that protein is required for muscle recovery and repair. It is also an essential part of the muscle building process. Despite these benefits, most of us are underestimating out daily protein intake.

To help you reach your daily protein goals, here are some common foods and their protein content:

• Large egg – 6 grams
• 4 oz chicken breast without skin – 26 grams
• Chobani no fat Greek yogurt, 6 oz container – 16 grams
• 1 cup 2% milk – 8 grams
• 1 piece of string cheese – 7 grams
• Tuna, 6 oz – 40 grams
• Bacon, 1 slice – 3 grams
• 1/2 cup of cottage cheese – 15 grams
• Beans, 1/2 cup cooked – 7-10 grams
• Peanut butter, 2 Tablespoons – 8 grams protein

What are some of your favorite protein foods? Let us know in the comments section below.

To Build A Better Body,Focus On One Goal At A Time

Most of us have multiple goals. 

We want to build muscle and lose fat. 

Over the long-term both of these goals are achievable. But over the short-term,if you focus on reaching too many goals at one time,you’ll likely hinder your progress on each of them.

Instead of trying to plan your diet and exeercise around multiple goals, set aside a period of time and focus on one goal at a time. Perhaps you are overweight but want to build muscle. Train hard with the weights but put your primary focus on losing fat. After you’ve lost the desired amount of fat, plan a solid muscle building diet and focus on that goal.

If you are carrying around only a little extra fat, it is probably beneficial to focus on muscle building for a while. After you have added the amount of muscle mass you desire, then strip away the fat.

Remember this mantra: the more streamlined your focus, the better your results are likely to be. Pick one goal at a time and get after it!

Did this tip help? Please let us know in the comments section below.

Cook With Olive Oil Instead Of Vegetable Oil For Health

Most people don’t know the difference between olive oil and vegetable oil.

Olive oil is shown to increase good cholesterol levels while decreasing the bad cholesterol levels in our bodies, and helping to prevent against heart disease and certain types of cancer. 

Additionally, olive oil works to promote the secretion of bile from the pancreas.

On the other hand vegetable oil is high in saturated fats, which is more likely to add to your cholesterol problems if you have any.

One thing to note when choosing olive oil vs vegetable oil (and this is why I still have vegetable oil at home),olive oil has a very low burn point.

Meaning if you want to cook something on very high heat (ie wok dish), then you need to use vegetable oil.

For everything else, olive oil is the much healthier choice.

Don’t Wait For The “Perfect Time”: Find The Time To Exercise

So you have a busy lifestyle and work schedule, and you just can’t find time to fit exercise in,Or so you think.

     The reality is this: it’s a lot easier to fit exercise each day than you think. You do not have to do it all at once. You can break up your routine and still get some great benefits. Here are some tips on how to fit exercise into even the busiest lifestyles.

• Be as active as possible. Instead of taking the elevator, take the stairs. Park further away from your work, or get off at the bus stop a block or two away from your office.
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• Workout first during lunch. On your lunch break, hit the gym. Then eat at your desk when you return.
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• Take a short walk. If you do not have a gym near your work, put on your walking shoes and go for a brisk walk.
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• Get up early and exercise. Set your alarm for 30 minutes before anyone else gets up and walk on the treadmill, or pop in an exercise DVD.
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• Take frequent breaks. Take short breaks at work and do a few exercises. You can do squats and lunges anywhere.
•  Make time to also walk around and stretch your body.
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• Play with your kids. Run around with them. Not only will you be spending quality time with them that they will remember, but you are also getting in some great exercise.

Exercise does not necessarily have to mean pump iron or get sweaty on the exercise bike. There are lots of ways that you can fit exercise into your schedule.

Burn 200 Calories In Only 3 Minutes Using This Cardio Approach

A recent study revealed that by adding 2.5 minutes of intense cardio to your session, your body can burn an additional 200 calories.

Researchers had 5 healthy men perform interval training on a stationary bike. They would cycle with all out intensity for 30 seconds, and then follow this period with 4 minutes of low intensity cycling. The result: 200 more calories were burned on that given day.

Let’s look at applications for you in the gym. For every 20 minutes of moderate to low intensity cardio you do, add 2.5 minutes of very high intensity intervals. Your workouts should go something like this:

• Low Intensity – 4 minutes
• High Intensity – 30 seconds
• Low Intensity – 4 minutes
• High Intensity – 30 seconds
• Low Intensity – 4 minutes
• High Intensity – 30 seconds
• Low Intensity – 4 minutes
• High Intensity – 30 seconds
• Low Intensity – 4 minutes
• High Intensity – 30 seconds

This takes your 20 minute cardio session and bumps it to 22.5 minutes. You can use this same strategy to any form of cardio, from skipping rope to running and sprinting.

Have you tried this form of intensity cycling? Let us know in the comments section below.

Use Protein Powder To Help Recover From Intense Workouts

Protein is the building blocks of muscle, without enough daily protein you will not build muscle — it’s that simple. The common belief is tat muscle building takes place in the gym when you’re working out. This couldn’t be further from the truth. When you lift weights you’re actually breaking down muscle tissue, tearing it up, literally! This is what makes your muscles up to 20% larger after training. The actual muscle building process (growth of lean muscle) happens when you’re resting.

To aid in recovery from intense workouts and kick start protein synthesis (muscle repair and regrowth) drink a protein shake within about 30mins after you finish your workout. There’s no concrete evidence that tells you exactly how much protein to have, but 30g is a good guide. That’s about 1.5 scoops of most good whey protein powders.

Improve Your Diet With This Acronym: Eat Less “CRAP”, Eat More “FOOD”

 

Here’s a fun tip in the form of an acronym that can help you to remember which foods to eat more of, and which foods to ignore. The acronym goes like this:

Eat less CRAP, eat more FOOD.

Eat less CRAP:

• C – Carbonated Drinks
• R – Refined Sugar
• A – Artificial Sweeteners and Artificial Colors
• P – Processed Foods

Eat more FOOD:

• F - Fruits and Vegetables
• O - Organic Lean Proteins
• O - Omega 3 Fatty Acids
• D - Drink Water

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR DIETS

As the first ever "Post"....

We thought it necessary to Educate our viewer on how to improve and control what they digest into the tommy!

The best way to improve your diet is by consuming whole foods. When this isn’t possible, do your best to avoid the following 5 food additives.

• Refined Sugar – This includes not only white sugar but also sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup. Added sugars contain no nutritional value whatsoever and are pure empty calories.
• Artificial Colors – These are chemical compounds made from coal-tar derivatives. They can cause allergic reactions, skin rashes and headaches.
• Artificial Flavors – Pure chemistry. Have been linked to allergic reactions, asthma, hyperactivity and more.
• Benzoate Preservatives – These chemicals work to prevents fats from becoming rancid. They can impact estrogen levels, and can lead to hyperactivity, dermatitis and tumors.
• Brominated Vegetable Oil – Works to boost flavor in citrus-based drinks and beverages. Can contribute to liver damage, thyroid and kidney issues.