Barbell Squats

Video: One of the best leg exercises you can do is the squat.

Buying Healthy Food In Bulk

It’s no secret in the United States that eating unhealthy is often the easier, cheaper option. One visit to the specialty health food stores would convince anybody that eating healthy isn’t cost-effective. The word “organic” has become synonymous with “expensive” and many people have repeatedly turned back to frozen television dinners after being dismayed at the cost of “eating healthy”.

An idea for those who would like to bring more lean meats and vegetables into their diets is to consider buying food in bulk and storing the excess in a freezer. Many bulk food companies have cropped up in recent years, most requiring a membership to take part in the deals they offer. While paying for a membership to buy food may not seem to be in line with “living on the cheap” if the membership is managed correctly and used to purchase things with the idea of storing them up and eating them over an extended period of time, the decision to partake may end up being cheaper than purchasing processed food.

The way to make bulk food work for you and your family is to appropriately plan for the ways in which you use the food and be able to store it properly. A freezer will go a long way toward keeping bulk food in good condition for a long period of time. If the freezer in your daily refrigerator isn’t large enough to be able to compensate for the amount of food you buy in bulk, purchasing a separate freezer may help you save money in the long run.

Another way to make the most out of bulk food is to consider buying a vacuum sealer. These allow you to remove the air from bags with much higher competency as compared to simply rolling the air out of Ziploc style bags. This is a great way to help save opened containers of both meat and vegetables by protecting them from freezer burn.

Buying food in bulk is a great way to help get healthier items into your kitchen while saving money. There may be a bit of an initial investment in the extra freezer, bulk food store memberships, and vacuum sealers required to make the most of buying your food in bulk. Good luck with eating healthier ?

Weight Train at Home with Everyday Items

Want to get into some weight training but can’t afford a full set of weights yet? Well if you use your imagination you can. There are many household items which you can use and still reap the benefits of weight training.

To start off weight training you don’t necessarily require a home weight gym. If you can afford it you can purchase a pair of dumbbells in the five or ten pound range. This is more than enough to get you started and in the meantime you can save for heavier weights as required.

If not you can improvise at home by using several items lying around your home. When beginning weight training you should always start with very light weights at first. You can easily use cans of food that are in your kitchen cupboards. As you progress you can use small water bottles.

If you have small children you can practice picking them up and just carrying them around. They will have fun and you will be getting a workout. Get your child to sit on your feet while doing some sit ups.

Other household items that can be substituted for weights are bags of sugar and a bag of potatoes. This weight can really add up and give you some great resistance.

When performing your weight training exercises you can make even a light weight have more resistance by slowing down your movements. At the same time really concentrate on the muscle you are trying to train. This can really make a huge difference in your results.

As your need for heavier weights increases you can fill water jugs with sand for added weight. Do you have an old tire in your garage? This can be a very useful weight training tool, just start moving in around your backyard for a great workout.

Another idea for weight training is to use your own body as resistance. This can be done by doing push ups in different positions. Try using your stairs to do push ups on. Start with a higher step and really lower your body down to the stair. As this becomes easy drop down one level until you are on the bottom step. This is also a great method to use if you have trouble doing a full body push up from the beginning. You could even use a wall to perform push ups and squats.

With a little imagination and resourcefulness it is still possible to find ways to weight train while on a budget.

Diet Crab Rolls

Ingredients

6 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise (we used Hellman’s)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3/4 pound fresh crabmeat, picked over

3 tablespoons finely chopped green onions

Olive oil cooking spray (about 2 teaspoons)

4 hot dog buns, sides split open

4 red leaf or Bibb lettuce leaves

Directions

Whisk together low fat mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon peel, and cayenne pepper in medium bowl. Mix in crabmeat and chopped green onions. Season crab salad to taste with salt and pepper. Spray cut sides of hot dog buns with olive oil. Warm large skillet over medium heat 1 minute. Place buns, buttered side down, in preheated skillet and toast until golden, about 5 minutes. Place 2 toasted buns on each of 2 plates. Place 1 lettuce leaf inside each bun. Divide crab salad among buns and serve.

Save by Making Your Own Beef and Snow Peas Chinese Food

Ingredients

1 pound boneless top sirloin

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 can sliced water chestnuts

2/3 cup low fat beef broth

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 – 6 ounce package frozen snow pea pods, thawed and drained

Directions

Heat wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add oil to coat. Add garlic and sirloin which has been thinly sliced. (Partially freezing makes slicing meat across grain easy.) Stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes or until just brown.

Add salt and pepper, stirring in beef broth. Mix cornstarch, water and soy sauce. Slowly stir into broth mixture and bring to a boil and cook until thickened, about one minute. Stir in ginger, pea pods and water chestnuts. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes until peas are crisp-tender.

Your Natural Way To Lose Belly Fat

Do you want to know the natural way to lose belly fat? Do you dream of washboard abs or a flat stomach but don’t want to take pills, potions, or shakes? Do you long for an exercise program that doesn’t depend on complicated abdominal crunches that take an athlete to actually pull off?

Well I have a solution for you. There is a natural way to lose belly fat. It’s called a proper diet and exercise.

First of all, you want to have a balanced low calorie diet. One suggestion is to “eat around the outside of the supermarket.” That is, don’t go into the isles where all the processed food is. Instead, eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables as well as a moderate amount of lean meat and low fat dairy products. Bulk up with natural foods like whole grains and legumes.

Be aware that there are food choices that you can make to save calories. For instance, swapping 2 cups of air popped popcorn for 1 cup of potato chips saves you 95 calories. And, instead of eating the prepackaged fruit on the bottom strawberry yogurt, eat 1 cup of sliced strawberries with 1 cup of fat free vanilla yogurt and save 105 calories.

Then, start to ramp up a cardio routine. You should be doing heart healthy exercises at least 5 times a week. One study showed that dieters who also walked for 50 minutes 3 times a week lost nearly twice as much belly fat as those who only reduced their calories.

You should aim for 45 minutes of strenuous exercise as a natural way to lose belly fat. This exercise can include moderate to fast walking, jogging, cycling, or using any cardio machine at your gym.

One popular routine that can burn up to 500 calories in a single session has you warming up for 3 minutes, picking up the intensity for 3 minutes, pushing yourself as hard as you can for two minutes, then slowing down for 3 minutes followed by pushing yourself for another 2 minutes. Repeat this for a total of 45 minutes before doing a 2 minute cool down period.

You should be doing strength training on top of your cardio as well. Working your muscles is key to finding the natural way to lose belly fat.

Buy a belly ball and work out with this large 22 inch stability ball. They cost about $30 in sporting goods stores, and if you are serious about finding a natural way to lose belly fat, you’ll get one. Lie on your back and hold the ball in the air between your legs for one minute. It’s easier to get the hang of than a traditional crunch and will strengthen your muscles just as well. The book that comes with the stability ball will explain more exercises.

Diet and proper exercise including both cardio and strength training routines are key to the natural way to lose belly fat.

Whole Wheat Pancakes Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

2 tbsp honey

Directions

Whisk whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

In a small bowl, combine egg, buttermilk and honey.

Make a well in dry ingredients and stir in egg and buttermilk mixture. Allow batter to rest for a few minutes.

Set a nonstick frying pan to medium-high heat. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls on to griddle or pan. Cook until the edges begin to dry and bubbles appear in the pancakes. Flip and cook for 1-2 minutes more.

(Makes 8 pancakes)

How-to Exercise Tips for Overweight Teenagers

More and more teens are presenting as overweight and obese. It is becoming an epidemic that is putting a strain on the medical resources and the life expectancy of many young people. All of which, given the state of the average teenager’s diet, is no surprise. Therefore, finding a free weight loss for teens program has become a regular quest.

With this in mind, it is important that any program of weight loss that is going to work has to be one that does not exploit or offer unrealistic goals. Instead a weight loss program that takes into account the growing and changing body and mind of the teenager should always the preferred option.

Without a doubt, any free weight loss for teens program should start with the basics. A close look should be taken at what the teenager is eating on a regular basis and also, how much physical activity the teenager is taking.

As already stated, some teenagers do not have the healthiest of diets. Many of them exist on nothing more than junk food. If this is the case, then the first thing that has to go is that junk food diet. The more junk food that can be cut out of the diet, the more weight is likely to be lost.

Instead a diet made up of fresh fruits and vegetables is what is needed. This might not sound as interesting as a diet of pizza, fries and hamburgers, but the more fruit and vegetables that are eaten, the better the all round weight management and health. Does that mean no more pizza ever? Well no, it just means that pizza, and other considered junk foods, should be eaten sparingly and not eaten as the norm.

The next step towards finding a free weight loss for teens program, is to make sure that there is plenty of regular exercise being taken. That means getting the heart and lungs pumping and working at least three or four times per week for at least twenty minutes at a time. It doesn’t mean that any teen who is not gym orientated or who does not enjoy jogging has to start doing those particular activities. No, any sport or activity that is not preferred, should not be undertaken. Going for a vigorous walk a few times a week is considered adequate exercise. Whatever the exercise taken, it should be done so willingly, only then is it more likely to be continued.

Above all, a free weight loss for teens plan should be realistic and not set the teenager up for failure. Repeated failures are demoralizing and will only result in weight gain. Small, steady progress is always the way to go to see long lasting weight loss.

How to do behind the back shrugs with a barbell

Video: A demonstration of behind the back shrugs with a barbell. A good exercise for the back and traps.

How to do arm circles

Video: A great way to warmup your shoulders is to do arm circles as shown in this video.