Please watch my YouTube video review of Halo Top Ice Cream! I kind of went overboard and got eleven different flavors to try out, and I sampled all of them in one videotaping segment. YUM YUM!
Go to http://www.halotop.com for more information on this fantastic company! They have a store locator so you can find out where to purchase this all natural, high protein, low sugar frozen treat!
Please check out my review of Click’s All-In-One Coffee and Protein Drink Mix review! I’m not kidding when I say this product is DELICIOUS! It also mixes well, and provides 16 grams of protein in a mere 120 calories.
This all-in-one coffee and protein drink mix is a delicious beverage!
IMPORTANT NOTE: I mixed the cold version in a blender bottle with a wire mixing ball. If you decide to microwave such a container, it is CRITICAL that you REMOVE the metal ball and vent or take the top off!!!
A better option is to pour the mixed cold beverage into a microwave-safe container and then heat it up.
BRAVO!
I thought it would be fun to repost this interview with Strength Addicts from last December. This interview covers my competition history, philosophy on competing, and much more.
I hope you enjoy it!
Now that I have been weight training for over 25 years, I have an intuitive sense of proper breathing mechanics when I lift weights, as many seasoned gym beasts can also attest to. However, those of you who are not as experienced or comfortable around a weight room might not know how to breathe properly.
The basic concept is that you will EXHALE on the exertion phase and INHALE on the relaxation phase of the exercise.
Let’s use the wide grip lat pulldown exercise as an example (which incidentally should be performed so that you bring the bar to your upper chest and NOT behind your back). You will exhale as you pull the bar down, then inhale when you return the bar to the starting position.
Most exercises can be performed using this basic technique, but if you are lifting very heavy weights, or even lifting heavy boxes, you can employ a breathing technique called the Valsalva Maneuver, in which you inhale deeply, then hold your breath while lifting the weight. This increases intra-abdominal pressure and thug confers support to the back. However, if you have high blood pressure, this movement can cause your blood pressure to skyrocket. Other relatively common symptoms which can occur during the Valsalva Maneuver are dizziness and fainting. As an alternative, you can simply contract your abdominals, keeping them tight, and continue to breathe normally during the movement.
Flex Flavors is a stevia-based, sugar-free, gluten-free flavoring system which is all-natural and incredibly delicious! There is an amazing variety of flavors available too!
Check out this flavor lineup:
Bananas Foster
Birthday Cake
Blueberry Sky
Coconut Biscotti
Creme Brulee
Fruity Hoops Cereal
Italian Cookie
Lemon Meringue
Maple Bacon
Monkey Bread
Peach Cobbler
Peanut Butter Crunch
Pumpkin Spice
Razzmatazz
Strawberry Fields
You can either choose a favorite flavor and buy a box (or 2 or 3…), or you can get the variety pack and try all 15 flavors!
To order, please visit http://devotionnutrition.com/store/flex-flavors/
Social media is pretty much here to stay, as evidenced by the worldwide participation which has emerged. Truth be told, it can be fantastic way to build a brand and to advertise products and services. However, social media has also provided very easy access to smut and porn of all degrees (I’m guessing at the extent here, since I have no idea how far that river extends). My belief is that as long as no one is getting hurt or bullied, all is fair and that the more salacious profiles should be able to do their thing. Seriously, if that’s your thing, then rock on.
However, this post is about the so-called “above board” profiles whose admins are young fitness women and men desperate to increase their following by whatever means they can. Here’s my contention: if you are truly a FITNESS person, the occasional selfie which features your ample bosom or buttocks seems reasonable, but if you are littering your Snapchat or Instagram account with images of your big fake twins (either pectoral or down south) and proclaiming that you are just trying to spread the love, you’re not fooling anyone. Guys are surely sending their “love”, and certainly not in a proper or flattering way. Why would you even take pride in growing numbers of followers if you know that you are only building an online spank bank for creeps?
I understand that some men are so creepy that they’ll get off on images of models in bras from a 1954 Sears catalog, but if you are posting pics of yourself bending over bare-assed, you are truly asking for attention from the least savory members of society. And if that’s the case, shame on you. The only value you have when you consistently post scandalous images of your barely-clothed body is as a hot piece of ass, and certainly not someone with any authority or intellectual merit, even if you hold three doctorates and have won a bunch of academic awards.
I’m not saying you can’t be sexy, but there is a lot to be said for leaving something to the imagination. If you are revealing any part of yourself which might only otherwise be revealed behind closed doors to the object of your lust, you’d better think twice about what kind of riff-raff such an image will attract.
A good filter to use when you are thinking of posting an image on social media is to ask yourself, “Would I be okay with my dad/mom/daughter/son/brother/sister/grandpa/grandma seeing this image?” Try not to rationalize the response, but really pay attention to what the image conveys, as well as what kind of audience it will draw in. Another good filter is to ask yourself, “Will I be proud or embarrassed about this image in 5/10/1/20/25/30 years?”
In summary, if you are a fitness person with a social media profile which features a constant display of body parts and crevices which should only be seen by your lover, and which are not in any way related to the porn industry, you might as well switch industries. That is, unless you want to be recognized for something other than your lady humps or your baby-maker!
If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you have probably seen my posts about MitoXcell products. I am particularly fond of the original MitoXcell blend which I have every day, and which I swear by for peak performance and recovery as well as optimal cellular health.
Please check out my ambassador profile on the MitoXcell website!
I strongly encourage everyone to try MitoXcell products! Go to http://www.MitoXcell.com to shop, and be sure to enter my discount code at checkout for 25% off your order!
Discount code: NAITO25
I would LOVE to hear what other people think of women over the age of 20 wearing yoga pants after finding out about this Rhode Island man’s rant. The town of Barrington has a yoga pant parade planned as a huge slap in the face to this narrow-minded individual, and to that, I say BRAVO!
Click on the link below to read more about the backlash in the community following Alan Sorrentino’s letter:
‘Yoga pants parade’ planned after man’s letter to the editor
There is a funny story about how I acquired my first slow cooker, and one which resulted in some resistance to using it for a number of years. I was living with a boyfriend who thought it would be a brilliant idea to give me a Crock Pot for Christmas that year. I am sure many of you know what a faux pas that was! I was so pissed that I refused to even unpack the item for several months, then finally relented and used it. I actually loved the convenience it afforded me, especially since I was expected to cook dinner for my man on a nightly basis. I made stews, soups, chicken, jambalaya, and didn’t have to make much of an effort to create these wonderful home-cooked meals.
Thankfully my resistance to using a slow cooker has passed over the years. Whenever I use my slow cooker I am always rewarded with moist, perfectly cooked meat with minimal effort. It’s a snap to throw meat into the slow cooker, add liquid, chopped veggies and seasonings, then allow the cooker to do its thing from 4 to 10 hours while I go about my day. I still prefer the awesome char that comes from broiling or grilling, but with my crazy schedule, it is often impossible to find the time to employ those cooking methods. So if you’re one of those people who never seems to have time to cook, but you prefer home-cooked meals, consider using a slow cooker.
One thing I have noticed is that whenever I cook chicken breast in the slow cooker, it tends to taste the same no matter what seasonings I use. At some point I may try a brine or marinade and put the mixture in the fridge overnight to infuse the meat with flavor, then cook it with the slow cooker the following day. Once I figure out a good prep mixture, I will share the recipe on my blogsite.
There is a favorite recipe which I have for beef (particularly beef shortribs) which is absolutely delicious and incredibly simple. Cover the entire surface of the beef shortribs or roast with medium grind black pepper and rub into meat, then place into slow cooker. Chop green onions to make 1/4 cup and one shallot then set aside. Mix 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1/3 cup water and 1 clove crushed garlic in a bowl, then add the green onions and shallots. Pour mixture over beef, place lid on cooker and cook for 8 to 10 hours.
You can even cook a whole chicken in the slow cooker with little effort. Simply season the bird, place in the slow cooker, add chopped vegetables, water, olive oil, garlic cloves, lemon juice and set the cooker on high heat for 4 to 6 hours. If you’re really pressed for time, you can set a rice cooker to cook brown rice so that both dishes are completely ready for you when you get home.
If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can purchase one for as little as $30 (get at least a 3 quart size). I have the 6 quart cooker which allows me to cook whole roasts and whole chickens without an issue. These gems also last a good, long time. The one that my old boyfriend gave me lasted twenty years before I had to replace it with a new model. Slow cookers will simplify your life in the kitchen!
As a physician and fitness professional, I regularly evaluate people who want to lose weight and have often been asked if I can prescribe a weight loss aid such as phentermine, or place them on the HCG diet. I am staunchly opposed to medications and fad diets, and will never promote or prescribe them. Though I know that upsets some people, I refuse to compromise my strong beliefs and allow a patient or client to bully me.
Despite the fact that there is increasing awareness of proper nutrition, there are still plenty of people who make a habit of consuming foods which contain large amounts of fat, hidden sugar and salt, and preservatives. Quite often the portions consumed at one sitting are so large that the body ends up in storage mode which can lead to weight gain. By becoming aware of the value of nutrient-dense foods and re-patterning one’s eating habits so that such foods form the foundation of a daily meal plan, long-term weight loss and maintenance of a healthy weight can be accomplished.
However, the media pushes “quick fixes” by promoting severe caloric restriction and plans which are nutritionally unbalanced, thus creating a state of malnutrition. Fad diets such as the HCG diet are NOT HEALTHY, plain and simple. I don’t care how many of you want to argue against that, I am digging my heels in on this one. Any diet which requires an interval of time in which 500 calories are consumed daily is just plain stupid. That is, unless you want to trigger massive rebound weight gain.
It doesn’t get much better when looking at the weight loss pills which are available either. Many of those products can have deleterious adverse effects and should be taken with caution, if at all. The only exception I make is with thermogenics, which, if used properly, can serve as an effective aid in weight loss. And what about raspberry ketones, L-carnitine, and CLA? They are all great for AIDING in weight loss, but none of those supplements alone can melt away fat or offset a piss-poor diet.
The best “magic pill” doesn’t even exist. So I suggest you take a more realistic view of your daily habits and commit yourself to CHANGING THEM if they are unhealthy. Throw out processed foods, sugar, and avoid drinking alcohol on a daily basis. Pack your kitchen with nutrient-dense foods, drink plenty of water, don’t skip meals, and get plenty of sleep.
