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Tuesday, July 27, 2010

9 Foods Not to Give Your Kids - By Joe Wilkes

If you've followed the news on childhood obesity lately, you know the state of affairs is pretty grim. Childhood obesity rates have tripled over the past two decades, and most signs point to the next generation being the first whose life expectancy will be shorter than their parents'. Much of the blame for this trend has deservedly been laid at the feet of the producers and marketers of unhealthy food aimed at our youngest consumers, whose parents face an uphill battle: trying to pit fresh, healthy foods devoid of mascots or sidekicks against superheroes and cartoon animals in a struggle to tempt their children's palates and stomachs.

Since most kids have hummingbird metabolisms that adults can only envy, it's often easy to give them a free pass and let them eat whatever they want. But eventually those metabolisms slow down and the pounds settle in. Also, as physical activity decreases and processed food intake increases annually, kids aren't burning calories the way their parents might have when they were their age. And even if the kids aren't getting fat, they are establishing eating habits they'll take into adulthood. As parents, you can help foster a love for healthy eating and exercise that will last your kids a lifetime—hopefully a long one!

Eating can so often be a classic power struggle where kids try to finally locate their mom and dad's last nerve. (I can remember family dinners with my brother and parents that could teach Hezbollah a thing or two about standoffs.) There are a number of strategies you can use to mitigate this type of deadlock. One is to let your kids help with the selection and preparation of the food. If they picked out the veggies at the farmers' market and helped cook them, they might be less inclined to feed them to the family pet. Another is to frame eating vegetables and healthy food as being its own reward. Otherwise, by offering dessert as a reward for finishing vegetables, you create a system where unhealthy food is a treat and healthy food sucks.

With these thoughts in mind, let's take a look at some of the most unhealthy foods being marketed to your kids today, and some healthier alternatives you can offer to replace each of them.

Note: The following recommendations are for school-aged children. Infants and toddlers have different specific nutritional needs, not addressed in this article.

1. Chicken nuggets/tenders. These popular kids' menu items are little nuggets of compressed fat, sodium, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), and in some form, chicken. Depending on the restaurant, chicken might not even be the first ingredient. Oftentimes, the nuggets or tenders are made of ground pieces of chicken meat and skin, pressed into a shape, flavored with HFCS and salt, and batter-fried in hydrogenated oil (the bad, trans-fatty stuff). Then, as if that weren't unhealthy enough, you dunk it in a HFCS- or mayonnaise-based sauce. With all the fat, salt, and sugar, it's easy to understand why they're tasty, but the nutritive value weighed against the huge amount of calories and fat consumed is incredibly lacking. Even healthier-sounding menu items can be deceiving, like McDonald's Premium Breast Strips (5 pieces), which pack 665 calories and 40 grams of fat—and that's before you factor in the dipping sauce. (By comparison, a Big Mac® with sauce has 540 calories and 29 grams of fat.)

Instead: If you're cooking at home, grill a chicken breast and cut it into dipping-size pieces either with a knife or, for extra fun, cookie cutters. Make a healthy dipping sauce from HFCS-free ketchup, marinara sauce, mustard, or yogurt. Let your kids help make the shapes or mix up the sauce. Try and go without breading, but if you must, try dipping the chicken breast in a beaten egg, and then rolling it in cornflake crumbs before you bake it. It'll be crunchy and delicious, but not as fatty.

2. Sugary cereal. I can remember as a child, after going to friends' houses for overnights and being treated to breakfast cereals with marshmallows that turned the milk fluorescent pink or blue, feeling horribly deprived when faced with the less colorful and sugary options served up in my home kitchen. But now I can appreciate my mom and her unpopular brans and granolas. True, they didn't have any cartoon characters on the box or any toy surprises, but they also didn't have the cups of sugar, grams of fat, and hundreds of empty calories that these Saturday morning staples are loaded with.

Instead: Read the labels and try to find cereal that's low in sugar and high in fiber and whole grains. Remember, "wheat" is not the same as "whole wheat." Also, avoid cereals (including some granolas) that have hydrogenated oils, artificial colors, or chemical preservatives. Add raisins, sliced bananas, berries, or other seasonal fruit to the cereal for extra flavor and nutrition. Again, letting your child help design a healthy bowl of cereal from choices you provide will get you a little more buy-in at the breakfast table.

3. Lunch meat and hot dogs. Kids love hot dogs, bologna, and other processed meats, but these are all full of potentially carcinogenic nitrates and nitrites, sodium, saturated fat, and artificial colors and fillers. A study in Los Angeles found that kids who ate 12 hot dogs a month had nine times the risk of developing leukemia.1 And more health risks are being discovered all the time. Leaf through any research about kids' nutrition, and you're bound to read about the bane of the cafeteria—Oscar Mayer's Lunchables®. These and similar prepackaged lunches are loaded with processed meats and crackers made with hydrogenated oils. These innocent-looking meals can boast fat counts of up to 38 grams. That's as much fat as a Burger King® Whopper® and more than half the recommended daily allowance of fat for an adult.

Instead: Get unprocessed meats, like lean turkey breast, chicken, tuna, or roast beef. Use whole wheat bread for sandwiches; or if your kid's dying for Lunchables, fill a small plastic container with whole-grain, low-fat crackers, lean, unprocessed meat, and low-fat cheese. This can be another great time to get out the cookie cutters to make healthy sandwiches more fun. For hot dogs, read labels carefully. Turkey dogs are usually a good bet, but some are pumped up with a fair amount of chemicals and extra fat to disguise their fowl origins. Look for low levels of fat, low sodium, and a list of ingredients you recognize. There are some tasty veggie dogs on the market, although a good deal of trial and error may be involved for the choosy child.

4. Juice and juice-flavored drinks. Juice—what could be wrong with juice? While 100 percent juice is a good source of vitamin C, it doesn't have the fiber of whole fruit, and provides calories mostly from sugar and carbohydrates. Too much juice can lead to obesity and tooth decay, among other problems. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests 4 to 6 ounces of juice per day for kids under six, and 8 to 12 ounces for older kids. Juice drinks that aren't 100 percent juice are usually laced with artificial colors and that old standby, high fructose corn syrup, and should be avoided. Your best bet is to make your own juice from fresh, seasonal fruit. You won't have to worry about all the additives, and it's another way you can involve your kids in the cooking process. Let them design their own juice "cocktail." And if you were even considering soda, read the Steve Edwards article "Top 10 Reasons to Give Up Soda".

Instead: Water is still the best thirst quencher. Explain the importance of good hydration to your kids, and try to set a good example yourself by carrying around a healthy reusable hard plastic or stainless steel water bottle. Get your kids used to carrying a small bottle of water in their backpack or attached to their bike. If they're very water averse, try water with a splash of fruit juice in it. But just a splash. The idea is to get your kids used to not having things be overly sweet, overly salty, or overly fatty. Another great beverage is milk. Growing kids need plenty of milk (or fortified nondairy milks, like soy or almond)—which is filled with nutrients, calcium, and (in the case of dairy and soy) protein—but they don't need too much fat, so choosing low-fat or nonfat options will help ensure that they get their milk without actually beginning to resemble a cow.

5. French fries. High in calories, high in fat, and high in sodium—and unsurprisingly the most popular "vegetable" among kids. Fries offer virtually none of the nutrients found in broccoli, carrots, spinach, or other veggies not cooked up in a deep fryer, and the fat they're fried in is often trans fat, the unhealthiest kind for the heart. To top it all off, studies are beginning to show cancer-causing properties from acrylamide, a toxic substance that is created when starchy foods like potatoes are heated to extreme temperatures. In some tests, the amount of acrylamide in French fries was 300 to 600 times higher than the amount the EPA allows in a glass of water.2

Instead: Vegetables like baby carrots, celery sticks, and other crudités are great options, but if potatoes must be had, there are some options that don't involve melting a brick of fat. A scooped-out potato skin with low-fat chili and a little cheese can provide lots of fiber and vitamins, with even higher amounts if the chili has beans. You can also try making baked fries, using slices of potato with a light brushing of olive oil. Or the classic baked potato could be a hit, with plain yogurt or cottage cheese instead of sour cream and butter.

6. Potato chips, Cheetos, Doritos, etc. These are full of fat, oftentimes saturated, and way more sodium than any child or adult should eat. Some chips also have the acrylamide problem discussed in #5, French fries, above. Also, watch out for innocent-seeming baked and low-fat chips that contain olestra or other fake fats and chemicals that could present health issues for kids.

Instead: Kids gotta snack, and in fact, since their stomachs are smaller, they aren't usually able to go as long between meals as adults. Cut-up vegetables are the best thing if your kids want to get their crunch on, but air-popped popcorn and some baked chips are okay, too. You can control how much salt goes on the popcorn, or involve your child in experimenting with other toppings like red pepper, Parmesan cheese, or dried herbs. Try making your own trail mix with your kids. They might be more excited to eat their own personal blend, and that way you can avoid certain store-bought trail mixes, which sometimes contain ingredients like chocolate chips and marshmallows that aren't exactly on the healthy snack trail.

7. Fruit leather. Many of these gelatinous snacks like roll-ups or fruit bites contain just a trace amount of fruit, but lots of sugar or HFCS and bright artificial colors. Don't be misled by all the products that include the word "fruit" on their box. Real fruit is in the produce section, not the candy aisle.

Instead: If your child doesn't show interest in fruit in its natural state, there are some ways you can make it more interesting without losing its nutritional value. For a healthy frozen treat, try filling ice-cube or frozen-pop trays with fruit juice or freezing grapes. Or buy unflavored gelatin and mix it with fruit juice and/or pieces of fruit to make gelatin treats without the added sugar and color (let it solidify in big flat casserole dishes or roasting pans—another good time for the cookie cutters!) Try serving some raisins, dried apricots, apples, peaches, or other dried fruits that might give you that chewy, leathery texture without the sugar.

8. Doughnuts. These little deep-fried gobs of joy are favorites for kids and adults alike, but they are full of fat and trans-fatty acids, and of course, sugar. Toaster pastries, muffins, and cinnamon buns aren't much better. The worst thing about doughnuts and these other pastries, aside from their nutritional content, is that they're often presented to children as acceptable breakfast choices. These delicious deadlies need to be categorized properly—as desserts, to be eaten very sparingly. And you can't have dessert for breakfast.

Instead: Honestly, a slice of whole-wheat toast spread with sugar-free fruit spread or peanut butter isn't going to get as many fans as a chocolate-filled Krispy Kreme, but at some point, you have to stand firm. Be the cop who doesn't like doughnuts. Doughnuts—not for breakfast. Period.

9. Pizza. In moderation, pizza can be a fairly decent choice. If you order the right toppings, you can get in most of your food groups. The problem comes with processed meats like pepperoni and sausage, which add fat and nitrates/nitrites (see #3, Lunch meat and hot dogs, above); and the overabundance of cheese, which will also provide more calories and fat than a child needs.

Instead: Try making your own pizza with your kids. Use premade whole wheat crusts, or whole wheat tortillas, English muffins, or bread as a base. Then brush on HFCS-free sauce, and set up a workstation with healthy ingredients like diced chicken breast, sliced turkey dogs, and vegetables that each child can use to build his or her own pizza. Then sprinkle on a little cheese, bake, and serve. If your child gets used to eating pizza like this, delivery pizzas may seem unbearably greasy after awhile.

Someday your children will come to realize that caped men in tights and sponges who live under the sea might not have their best interests at heart when it comes to food. Until then, however, why not involve them in the process of selecting and preparing healthier alternatives? Some of these cleverly disguised wholesome foods might become their favorites. Who knows, they may even tempt some of the overgrown children among us!

1 Peters J, et al "Processed meats and risk of childhood leukemia (California, USA)" Cancer Causes & Control 5: 195-202, 1994

2 Tareke E, Rydberg P, Karlsson P, et al. Analysis of acrylamide, a carcinogen formed in heated foodstuffs, J. of Agri and Food Chem. 2002;50:4988-5006

Top 10 Reasons to Give Up Soda - By Steve Edwards

If you're looking for a scapegoat in the obesity epidemic, look no further than soda. It's the single greatest caloric source in the world, accounting for somewhere between 11 and 19 percent of all the calories consumed worldwide. It's cheap, addictive, and readily available, which generally means it'll take some willpower to avoid. But don't despair, as we at Beachbody® are here to help. We now present our top 10 reasons to give up soda. Drumroll, please . . .

10. Soda may cause cancer. According to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, consuming two or more soft drinks per week increased the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by nearly twofold compared to individuals who didn't consume soft drinks. As reported, the study "followed 60,524 men and women in the Singapore Chinese Health Study for 14 years. During that time, there were 140 pancreatic cancer cases. Those who consumed two or more soft drinks per week (averaging five per week) had an 87 percent increased risk compared with individuals who did not."

Then why, you're probably asking yourself, is this number 10 on our list, and why is soda still even on the shelf? Not that I'd challenge the ability of such large corporate power to hide such a thing but, in this case, the study slit its own throat. As one of the researchers noted, "Soft drink consumption in Singapore was associated with several other adverse health behaviors such as smoking and red meat intake, which we can't accurately control for," meaning that we have no way of knowing for sure if soda was the culprit. Still, it doesn't hurt to know that when you drink soda it lumps you into a fairly unhealthy user group.1

9. It's not just about calories. Calories grab headlines, but recent science is showing that diet soda drinkers are still in the crosshairs. A 2005 study by the University of Texas Health Science Center showed there's a 41 percent increased risk of being obese—and a 65 percent increased risk of becoming overweight during the next 7 or 8 years—for every can of diet soda a person consumes in a day. Admittedly, this one should be higher on the list, but I wanted to make sure the article-skimming crowd knew the score up front: that diet sodas are very much a part of the problem.

8. It's the water . . . and a lot more. Okay, so that was a beer slogan, but soda is also made up mainly of water, and when you're slinging as much of it as they are, and you need to sling it cheap, sometimes you can't help but run into problems with your supply chain. In India, Coca-Cola® has found itself in hot water, and not the kind they thought they were purchasing rights to. Two of their factories have been closed, but one continues to run amok.

According to a report in The Ecologist, "They accuse the company of over-extracting groundwater, lowering the water tables and leaving farmers and the local community unable to dig deep enough to get to vital water supplies. Since the bottling plant was opened in 2000, water levels in the area have dropped six metres, and when a severe drought hit the region earlier this year the crops failed and livelihoods were destroyed."2

7. BPA: not just for water bottles anymore. Nalgene® and other water bottle companies took the heat when the dangers of bisphenol A (BPA) were made public a couple years back. While these companies went to great lengths to save their businesses, the soda companies somehow flew under the radar and continue to use it in their products. A recent Canadian study has found that BPA exists "in the vast majority" of the soft drinks tested. Most of these were under the national limits set for toxicity, but some were not. And remember how much soda the average person consumes, meaning odds are most soda consumers are at some risk.

"Out of 72 drinks tested, 69 were found to contain BPA at levels below what Health Canada says is the safe upper limit. However, studies in peer-reviewed science journals have indicated that even at very low doses, BPA can increase breast and ovarian cancer cell growth and the growth of some prostate cancer cells in animals."3

6. Can convenience. As in the 1950s colloquialism: can it. Speaking of the 1950s, those were the happy days when most of our soda was consumed at soda fountains, obesity was a term hardly anyone had heard of, and the most feared epidemic was one involving atomically mutated insects taking over the world. Now instead of hoofing it down to the corner confectionery for one soda, we fill trucks with pallets of shrink-wrapped cans or bottles and quaff the stuff by the six-pack. Not only does this ensure that our diets will be out of balance, it wreaks havoc on the world around us. The bottled-water industry (which is mostly owned by the soda industry) famously uses 17 million barrels of oil a year, and the aluminum industry uses as much electricity as the entire continent of Africa. Not only that, aluminum mining accounts for a ton of toxic chemicals left behind for every ton of the metal produced.4

5. The Frankenfood factor. Whether you consume diet or regular soda, you're getting all the genetically modified food you need and more, via high fructose corn syrup or aspartame. Both of these are under plenty of scientific as well as anecdotal scrutiny. Findings aren't pretty, but so far this multibillion-dollar industry has kept these sweeteners on the shelves while alternative sweeteners meeting cost requirements are explored. Since it's almost impossible to read health headlines without finding one of these ingredients in some type of controversy, I'll just use one example:

"The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition and food safety advocacy group, called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to review the claims, which stem from research conducted by the European Ramazzini Foundation in Italy. The foundation reported that rats who consumed aspartame in exceedingly large quantities were more likely to develop cancer. CSPI executive director Michael Jacobson considers this an important finding that should not be overlooked." 5

I know, there I go again with the cancer. But some people need to be shocked in order to take action. For me, seeing the Diet Coke® and Mentos® experiment was all I needed to swear off the stuff.

4. Foreign news cares how much soda we sell in our schools. How bad is your country's problem when the whole world is watching its daily actions? "Nearly one in three children and teenagers in the U.S. are overweight or obese and health experts say sugary drinks are part of the problem." 6 Yep, bad. The world is well aware of the problems soda is causing and is looking to us to lead. And we certainly are trying. Are you with the program?

"Under the voluntary guidelines, in place since 2006, full-calorie soft drinks were removed from school canteens and vending machines. Lighter drinks, including low-fat milk, diet sodas, juices, flavoured waters and teas were promoted in their place."6

And, while great and all, it appears that no one got the memo about diet sodas.

3. Diet? Um, that's just like your opinion, man. When it comes to soda, treat the word "diet" as a slogan. A study at Boston University's School of Medicine linked diet soda with increased risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. To be more specific, the study "found adults who drink one or more sodas a day had about a 50 percent higher risk of metabolic syndrome," which is a cluster of risk factors such as excessive fat around the waist, low levels of "good" cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other symptoms that lead to heart disease and/or diabetes. And, for those of you only concerned about how you look in the mirror, "Those who drank one or more soft drinks a day had a 31 percent greater risk of becoming obese."

2. Soda outkills terrorists. A study out of the University of California, San Francisco, shows that soda has killed at least 6,000 Americans in the last decade.

From ABC News: "The new analysis, presented Friday at the American Heart Association's 50th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, offers a picture of just how horrifying the damage done by excess consumption of sugary drinks can be.

"Using a computer model and data from the Framingham Heart Study, the Nurses Health Study and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers estimated that the escalating consumption between 1990 and 2000 of soda and sugar-sweetened beverages, which they abbreviated as 'SSBs,' led to 75,000 new cases of diabetes and 14,000 new cases of coronary heart disease.

"What's more, the burden of the diseases translated into a $300 million to $550 million increase in health care costs between 2000 and 2010."7

1. It's the "real thing" . . . not exactly. Should having the number-one source of calories in the world come from something that's entirely manmade be a metaphor for a dying world? It doesn't have to be this way. After all, there's nothing in soda that we need. In fact, there's nothing in soda that even comes from the earth except caffeine, and that's optional. It's a mixture of altered water (injected with carbon dioxide gas), artificial flavors (yes, "natural flavor" is artificial), artificial color, and phosphoric acid, along with its sole caloric source that is a by-product of genetically modified corn production and offers virtually no nutritional value. It's about as real as The Thing.

Sources:
1 http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-02/aafc-sdc020310.php
2 http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/373906/cocacola_just_part_of_indias_water_freeforall.html
3 http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/03/05/popcans.html
4 http://www.pacinst.org/topics/water_and_sustainability/bottled_water/bottled_water_and_energy.html, http://www.earth-policy.org/index.php?/books/eco/eech6_ss3
5 http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Diet/story?id=3317079&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
6 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8557195.stm
7http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/study-sugary-drinks-lead-early-grave/story?id=10019518"

Friday, July 23, 2010

9 Ways to Eat Healthily (and Cheaply) - Incredibly helpful read

By Joe Wilkes From the Team Beachbody newsletter. Sign up for the FREE newsletter and get more weekly help like this right here: http://PassionFitness.info Click the "Join" Link and sign up for the Club or for the FREE membership.

By now, most of us know what we should be eating—fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and fish, among other foods. But anyone heading off to the supermarket with a shopping list of the best recommendations for a healthy diet is in for a bit of sticker shock. Over a two-year period, a recent University of Washington study tracked the costs of "nutrient-dense" foods (foods high in vitamins and minerals and low in calories) and "energy-dense" foods (foods high in calories and low in vitamins and minerals—a.k.a. junk).* The nutrient-dense foods rose in cost by almost 20 percent while the cost of junk food declined. The study found that getting your average day's worth of 2,000 calories from the junk side cost $3.52 while getting your 2,000-calories' worth from nutrient-dense cuisine would cost $36.32. Since the average American spends about $7.00 a day on food, you can see where the rise in obesity might come from.

Other studies have shown similar findings. While the income percentage that Americans spend on food has decreased dramatically over the last few years, the obesity rate has risen even more dramatically, as has the incidence of type 2 diabetes, an obesity-related disease. And the obesity rate has grown the most in the most impoverished sectors of society, further emphasizing the connection between the rising costs of nutrient-dense foods, declining junk-food costs, and rising obesity rates. If you've priced out what a nice piece of Chilean sea bass with a side of asparagus costs compared to the latest offering from your local fast food joint's dollar menu, it's easy to be tempted to go to the dark side—especially if your budget is shrinking more than your waistline.

It is possible, however, to eat healthily and still have some money left over. Even on the tightest budget, you can do a little legwork and research to make the most nutritious choices for you and your family. And even if you're fortunate enough to have the cash to eat whatever you want, whenever you want, as my grandfather would say, "There's no point putting your paycheck through your stomach." (And he lived to be almost 100 . . . but that was before the advent of dollar menus.) Here are nine tips for getting the most nutritional bang for your buck.

1. 'Tis the season. Eating seasonally is the best way to get the most delicious fresh fruits and vegetables. When harvest time comes around for your favorite fruit or veggie, the market is usually glutted, and following the time-honored supply-and-demand curve, the prices of those fruits and veggies plummet. And not only is it cheap to eat fruits and veggies that are in season, it's the best time to get the most flavor for your money. Most fresh fruits and veggies sold in the off-season are either shipped from faraway lands or produced in greenhouse factories and don't have nearly the richness of flavors produced by Mother Nature. It's a good time to stock up, eat what you can, and freeze or can the rest for a rainy day. If you're fortunate enough to live in a community with a decent farmers' market, it pays to get to know the men and women who are selling the produce. They can let you know when the best time to buy the best stuff is and give you a preview of what's coming up harvest-wise, so you can plan your menu accordingly.

2. The big freeze. Speaking of freezing and canning, these are great ways to save money and still have your nutritional needs met. Not only are frozen and canned foods way cheaper than fresh foods, but in many cases, they're more nutritious. Fruits and vegetables are usually preserved within hours of harvest, when they have their maximum vitamins and minerals. Fresh fruits and vegetables can take days, or even weeks, to make the journey from the field to your table. Add that to any time spent lingering on supermarket shelves and then your fridge's crisper drawer, and suddenly, fresh doesn't seem so fresh anymore. And for many recipes, frozen or canned might even be better than fresh. A pint of fresh off-season blueberries can cost more than $5.00 while a one-pound bag of frozen blueberries can cost less than $3.00. And the frozen berries will be a lot better in your morning smoothie. Any chef will tell you about the virtues of canned tomatoes over fresh ones when making your favorite pasta sauce. The only thing to be wary of is the sodium and sugar content in canned goods or frozen veggies that contain high-calorie sauces or other not-so-healthy ingredients in not-so-healthy amounts.

3. Shop around. Smokey Robinson was right. It does pay to shop around. Check out those supermarket circulars that are stuffed into your mailbox every week. Each week, your supermarket advertises "loss leaders," including fruits, veggies, lean meats, and fish. Their hope is to lure you into the store with these bargains that they don't make so much money on and tempt you to buy extra high-profit stuff while you're there. But if you stick to your list, you can fill your cart with the loss leaders and save a ton of money. They'll usually be items that are in season as well, since they're cheaper for the store to buy anyway. Also, signing up for their club or rewards cards can help save you money, too. It's better to monitor sales and promotions rather than clipping coupons, as coupons are generally for processed, less healthy foods—although you can sometimes find good coupons for canned and frozen produce.

4. Get to know your grocer. And your butcher, your produce manager, etc. Find out what day produce is delivered to the store so you get maximum freshness for your dollar. Find out from the butcher when meat goes into the half-off section as its expiration date approaches. The meat isn't spoiled yet, and if you cook or freeze it that day or the next, it's no different from buying full-priced cuts and leaving them in your refrigerator for a couple of days. Only your pocketbook knows the difference. Also, many butchers will custom-grind for you without charge. If a package of factory-ground turkey breast costs $6.00 a pound and a whole turkey breast costs $2.00 a pound, why not buy the whole breast and ask your butcher to grind it for you? You'll save a lot of money, and you'll actually know what went into the turkey burger you're eating.

5. Think outside the big box. Instead of always going to the big-box supermarket chains, investigate if there are farmers' markets or food co-ops in your area. The food will be fresher, cheaper, and hopefully, not as coated with pesticides, waxes, or other unsavory elements. It's a good way to save money and support your local community at the same time. You can get organic produce for the same price or cheaper than traditionally grown produce this way as well. (It's also worth checking out what your state defines as organic.) Organic food is great, but if you're trying to save money, traditionally grown food isn't essentially less nutritious than organic; it just may require a little more scrubbing.

6. Start your own farm. If you have a yard, start your own vegetable and/or herb garden. With a little online research, you can find out what grows well and easily in your neck of the woods. And if you're an apartment dweller like me, you can get a lot out of a container garden. I have big pots on my balcony that keep me in tomatoes, peppers, and fresh herbs all summer long. And if you don't have a balcony, you can grow small pots of herbs in your kitchen—decorative, tasty, and economical!

7. Plan ahead. Take some time on Sunday to plan out your menu for the week for all your meals and snacks. Find out what's in season and on sale in your area. If you can only make one shopping trip for the week, front-load your menu with fresh ingredients and stock up on canned and frozen items for the latter half of the week. One of the areas where my budget always falls apart is not having the ingredients that I'll need or a plan for dinner; I end up grabbing takeout or having food delivered—both unhealthy and expensive. Just by planning ahead and not wasting money on unplanned restaurant meals, you'll find that you have a lot more money to spend at the grocery store so you won't have to cut as many corners for the meals you prepare.

8. Tap into tap water. Not your wallet. If you're going to spend money on your beverages, invest in a decent water filter to improve the taste of your tap water. As we've discussed in other articles, tap water is subject to a lot more regulations than bottled water, which is good for you, and it's not shipped in from Fiji or Norway, which is good for the environment. And it's practically free! It's a lot better for your waistline and your wallet than multiple trips to the soda machine.

9. Take your vitamins. Here's the easiest, most economical way to ensure that you always get a base level of proper nutrition. Taking a good multivitamin and a fish oil supplement will help you get the benefits of a diet that would otherwise cost a whole lot more to get you the same nutrients you'd get from food sources—and fish oil supplements are especially good for those who don't care for fish.

*Don't confuse "nutrient-dense" foods with "high-density" foods, which is a common term for "energy-dense" foods. High-density foods aren't always unhealthy but your diet should consist of mainly "low-density" foods that have few calories per volume, generally due to the presence of fiber. Foods in their natural state tend to be low volume. Processed foods tend to be high volume.

Tom Passion For Fitness 

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

A Sure-Fire way to make Drunk Driving Disappear - Who's in? Spread the word

A bigger killer than war continues on and on and on...
Soldiers Killed in WW I + WW II + Vietnam: 594,161
DUI Related Deaths Since WW I: 1.7 Million (estimate)

Current War:
2007: Soldiers Killed in Iraq: 4,013
2007: DUI Deaths: Estimated 17,600 (41% of all traffic fatalities)

All of us have cell phones now a days.  When you're out and about and you see someone driving in a drunken manor whip out your cell phone and save some innocent lives by doing something so EASY; call 911 and direct law enforcement to pull that driver over!  Don't assume someone else will do it. YOU do it and avoid Kitty Genovese Syndrome.  Bad Samaritans let drunk drivers kill innocent people every day.  Remember this.. Everyone you love and care about are on the same roads as the drunk driving killers.

This is exactly how we make Drunk Driving Disappear and save literally thousands of innocent lives every year.  Every 30 minutes someone making the decision NOT to drink and drive is killed by someone making the decision to drink and drive.  Is their a bigger infringement on personal freedom or even on the freedom to simply live?  Then there is the sorrow for the surviving loved ones.

If the offenders are put on notice that EVERYONE is a potential de facto police dispatcher then they will be deterred from drinking and driving in the first place.  I'd seriously bet my new house that drunk driving will disappear by 90%-99% if WE law abiding people step up and use our cell phones!  At first there would be a HUGE wave of drunk driving arrests.  It would serve as a very 'sobering' wake up call - pun intended.  After the wake up call they would surely be deterred because not even a drunk is willing to suddenly ruin their life over night.  They are willing to slowly ruin their life over a period of time for instant gratification, much like drug addicts, but they will not make a decision that will ruin there life if the consequences can be felt over night.  That's just a fact of human nature that we should be harnessing to make drunk driving disappear.  We CANNOT rely on the police to do all the work for us.  WE must work with the police.  Self reliance is what built this country and made our country so great.  Lets take our roads back, literally save our lives, and put an end to something we have power over IF we just exercise that power!  We are so up in arms over war deaths, something we have virtually no power over, all the while as a nation we have ALL the power to stop Drunk Drivers and we are seemingly to apathetic about this killer that kills more than the war machine.  And it would be so EASY to do if we just use our cell phones!

If you think it doesn't affect you and if you don't really care to do your part watch my video "Start caring and hate apathy enough to kill it"

Deterrence is a powerful thing.   Look at it on a different more grand scale.  During the cold war we built the worlds largest nuclear arsenal, not because we had any plans of using them, but so that we'd never have to use them or even so much as witness another nation using one of theirs on another nation.  Our nuclear program was a deterrence and it worked!   The same holds true about gun violence.  The overwhelming majority of gun violence is condensed to areas in our country where local ordinances disarm law abiding people.  Gun wielding criminals condense to those areas and kill both innocent and non innocent people every day.  If they try that in areas where any law abiding person could be "packing heat" they know it's a potential suicide mission and most criminals aren't on suicide missions so they are deterred from those areas where any law abiding person could be "packing heat".

So who's in?  Who will be the good Samaritan who dials 911 on their cell phone to report drunk drivers?  It's so easy!  I hope you don't let it fall on someone elses shoulder no matter how many people are present at the scene.  We have the power to deter.  It's too easy and too costly not to exercise that power!  So then if we have the power why must we let a bigger killer than war continue on and on and on???  My call to action is for everyone to stop that and use our cell phones!!!

Tom
 p.s. In addition to the deaths there are also the severely injured and maimed.  Look at just one example of many and then see if you're still willing to let someone else call 911 http://www.rachelelliott.org/Drunk_Driving_Statistics.html

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Do you have the Character to achieve something great as defined by your own goals?

Babe Ruth lead the professional baseball league in strike outs but he also lead the league in home runs. Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times before he invented the light bulb. The wright brothers spent years failing until their tireless inexhaustible refinements brought them to inventing the airplane and its first successful flight at Kitty Hawk. I personally hear excuses and have to deal with people flaking out of appointments without so much as a phone call more often than most are willing to endure but I bought a new house in cash, retired from the day job life, and declared my personal independence all at age 32 years old and in the best physical health of my life.

Do you have the guts, the drive, the persistence, the character, the philosophies ingrained within you to fail over and over until you achieve something great through personal growth and development? That "something great" is different for everyone so lets just call it personal freedom to encompass everything for everyone.

I retired from day job life and purchased a new home in cash all at age 32. This is a purchase 95% of Americans are never able to make in their whole lifetime. Consequently 95% of Americans are not willing to fail 10,000 times, lead the league in strike outs, or spend years of their efforts failing until their tireless inexhaustible refinements achieve something life changing. The 5% is equally as deserving as the 95%. That's not a judgment statement. Some of those in the 95% are happier than some who are in the 5% and vice versa. My belief is that the universe has a mysterious way of rewarding everyone by way of deserving accordingly. In other words, if you want to reap first you must sew.

The "I don't want to try anything new if I can't do it right the first time" philosophy is a sure fire formula for failure and the universe in its mysterious powers will reward accordingly. Not the kind of failure that brings you closer to success, but the kind of failure that brings a person to loser-ville.

I am financially free in an economy that is currently devastating tens of millions of people. I am more physically fit and free than I've ever been in my life all while my country's bill of health is the worst its ever been not just in our own nation, but in the history of the entire industrial world. Money isn't everything and what better nation to lead by example than the United States.  We are the richest nation in the world and the most disease riddled. We are the only nation in the world who's poverty stricken people are over fed, under nourished, and fat.

My ultimate vehicle for claiming my own personal independence, my own freedom, living my American dream is the Team Beachbody Coaching Opportunity.

I endure more excuses, more nos, more negative everything than most people. But I have more of my own freedom than most people. Financially speaking I'm in the top 5%. For people only in their 30s I am in the top 1%. Do you think its worth going through all the negative people? YES!! It is. Besides I'm also surrounded by many very positive nurturing people just within this absolutely wonderful team of Coaches. And that is why I succeed. I am involved! I'm connected! And you can be to IF you want to.  I sift through the weeds and place my focus, my energy, and my emotional stock into positive nurturing kind of people.   I minimize my involvement and sometimes terminate my involvement in people who make me sick because my success depends on it and there is no honor in letting someone, including friends, drag you down with them.  Don't you agree?  If someone loves you they won't insist on dragging you down with them.  Instead, if they love you, they will nurture and support you and hopefully rise up with you if they are sinking and need to make some changes to.

A good question for you to ask yourself to see if the Team Beachbody opportunity is right for you would be, "Am I willing to go through the weeds, the thorns, the hot sun, the rocky grounds and the negative people to get to the fertile soil, the positive nurturing people, the calm cool days, the fruits, the prize, and ultimately gain my own personal freedom? Am I willing to do the things that most people are not willing to do so that I can have the things that most people don't have because I deserve it for doing those things most won't do? Am I willing to stop thinking about it, exit "analytical paralysis" and enter into action???"

Ask yourself those questions and be honest because I know this opportunity is not for everyone. If you're not willing to absolutely commit yourself to personal growth then this opportunity is not for you. If you are then it is. I'm not just talking a good game here my life has changed in every way forever and I want yours to change to IF you want it to. This is an awesome business, I'm proving its an awesome business, you can prove its an awesome business with your own future success story.

Team up with me in Team Passion Beachbody Coaches. Its not just me, it's us. There are many of us in Team Passion and in Team Beachbody. It's a people helping people business bringing the fun and the passion into what we are doing driven by a meaningful purpose and many, many forged friendships.

Are you ready to make some changes and to be part of a Team?

Call me lets get started in this process. 262-344-1733.

Tom
http://passionforfitness.info

Monday, July 12, 2010

What has Shakeology done for me? - A fellow Coach testimonial from Melanie Bolen

I know you've likely seen me post about it, or have seen it elsewhere by now, but I'm not sure I've talked before about what I get out of Shakeology. So, I thought I'd take a moment to do that.
Sure you can read the info on the website (http://HeavenInAGlass.info), check out the success stories, view the doctor videos, and more... but it's always good to get feedback about it from people you know and have encountered in your life. So, I figured I'd share with you the benefits that Shakeology has given me.

1.) It controls my sugar cravings.

I have a mad crazy sweet tooth, to this day. When I drink Shakeology it not only satisfies my sweet tooth, but it keeps me from craving more sugar. If I eat anything else sugary it usually spikes the sugar cravings... not Shakeology.


2.) It helps to regulate my appetite.

Believe it or not, it actually IS quite filling. It keeps me full at meal time and for many hours after that. So, it not only helps me control my sugar cravings, but it helps me control my old binge eating habits overall.

3.) My skin looks SOOOO much better!

Those who have known me for years know that I've always struggled with acne. I even went on Accutane last year, and that did clear it up... for a while. Some months after getting taken off Accutane the pimples started coming back. I started using Proactiv, but it mainly dried my skin out.
NOW, you can tell when I am drinking my Shakeology and when I'm not. When I drink Shakeology my skin tone is much more even, I have either no or very few pimples (and when I do get them they are those quick to go away surface zits and not the deep everlasting kind), and I swear my skin just looks more well nourished and younger. If I miss a few days of Shakeology I look more tired and discolored in my skin.

4.) I have plenty of energy to do what I need to do.

The reason you may have no energy is because you don't eat the right foods. Most of the foods out there today are not designed to really fuel the body... rather, they are designed to buy into the mad cravings that we, as a human race, have. It's amazing what your body will do for you if you give it the nutrients it needs. Shakeology does that... 'nuff said!

So, that's what it's done for me.
Of course, I'm just the tip of the ice berg. It's been shown to help regulate blood insulin levels (a big plus for Diabetics), help people lose weight (which is a "duh" if you use it as a meal replacement shake), help lower people's cholesterol numbers, and people, many people, have gotten taken off of prescription meds because of what Shakeology has done for them.

Instead of continuing to solve the symptoms with prescriptions medications, why not actually work on solving the problem!

Check out more info on Shakeology at http://HeavenInAGlass.info

You can also order from that link!

If you want to know how to get the BEST PRICE on Shakeology, keep reading below so that you can see what your best options are!

Shakeology Info, Cost, and Pricing Breakdown...

Get yours at http://HeavenInAGlass.info


INFO YOU SHOULD KNOW IF YOU ARE ORDERING SHAKEOLOGY

1) Home Direct Customers get FREE Shipping , which saves them $8.90 per order per month. Home Direct places you on a 30 day auto ship program, where you receive the product automatically each month. Home direct customers also get FREE shakeology workouts and a FREE Shakeology Shaker Cup (a $33.45 Value). Home Direct is NOT a contract, and you still get your 30 days to try Shakeology with a full refund when ordering with this option.

2) Club Members get 10% off all purchases, including Shakeology, and receive online personalized nutritional planning along with other premium club membership services and information such as trainer tips and recipes. Club members pay $38.87 per quarter, an average of $12.95 per month. (join the club at http://HeavenInAGlass.info)

3) Coaches get 25% off all product purchases, which saves $29.97 a month on Shakeology alone. The cost for a coach account is $39.95 one time sign up fee, followed by $14.95 per month coach fee. You can also earn 25% commission for referring customers who purchase products through your coach website. (become a coach at http://HeavenInAGlass.info). There is also an amazing Shakeology Starter Kit option you can get while you sign up to be a coach that will not only get you Shakeology, but get you a plethora of promotional materials for starting your business!


4) Shakeology Doctor Video Link: http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/metalpalace?bctid=82906800001

SHAKEOLOGY PRICING AND COST BREAKDOWN*

Retail Customers: $119.95 + S&H $8.90 = $127.85

Retail on Home Direct: $119.95 + tax (free S&H.. save $8.90)= $119.95

Club Member (10% discount): $107.95 + S&H $8.90 + $12.95 (cm fee) = $129.80

Club Member Home Direct: $107.95 + $12.95 (cm fee)= $120.90

Coach Account (25% off): $89.96 + $8.90 S&H + $14.95 (coach fee)= $ 113.81

Coach Account Home Direct: $89.96 + $14.95 (Coach Fee)= $ 104.91 **

* All orders additionally include tax charges pertinent to your location. Taxes are not reflected in this example. If you are a customer you are taxed on retail price, if you are a coach ordering for personal use you get taxed on the coach price (so, that's another savings right there!)

** The cheapest way to order Shakeology is as Coach Home Direct. The 25% discount alone, along with Free Shipping, will save you money each and every month, up to $22.95 per shipment.

You can sign up as a coach by logging into your 1) Teambeachbody.com account, and clicking “coach- Become a coach” and going through the sign up process. OR 2) Going to http://PassionFitness.info and clicking "coach" and signing up through this website (if you want to be sure that I am your sponsorer when signing up). Contact me if you need assistance.

To Order Shakeology for the First time go to http://HeavenInAGlass.info and click "order now"

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Network Marketing "101" Simplified by Tom Birkenmeyer!

We've been doing it our entire lives.  People desire to interact with other people.  It's a human trait we all have embedded within us.  Even the introverted, such as myself, have a desire to interact with other human beings.  Within all of us is a built-in human desire to share our experience both the good and the bad and that desire is inescapable.  We all want to have relevance.  To go deeper, we all want to love and feel loved.  I don't think anyone wants to have all the money in the world and not have a single friend or loved one to share our happiness with.

The Team Beachbody Coaching Opportunity is a Network Marketing business.  When you experience a great movie, a wonderful vacation destination, a delicious dessert etc do you keep it all to yourself?  Nope.  You tell people about it.  You share the experience.  That's EXACTLY what being a Team Beachbody coach entails.  When you use Team Beachbody Products, see and feel it working in your life you're going to tell other people about it.  It won't even matter if their is a weekly pay check involved or not you are going to be so excited and feel so wonderful that you're going to share the experience with other people.  Some of those people are going follow your example because they are looking for a similar experience.  If you're a Team Beachbody coach you'll get paid for the referral.  If you're not a coach then you won't.  Either way, if you get paid or don't get paid, you're sharing an experience with other people.    That's easy you can do that.  Right?  Yes you can because you already are you're just not getting paid for it.

In my opinion one of the worst things a new Team Beachbody Coach can do is put on a "sales person" hat and try to sell Team Beachbody because that's what they've been programmed to believe network marketing is.  Persuading and convincing isn't going to set you free financially unless you're some kind of sales genius, which I certainly am not.  Sharing from your heart in something you believe in will build a thriving business that you can set your self financially free with, and, you get to bring your friends and family with you!

I retired from my day job because I shared how I got into the best shape of my life with other people.  That's easy and anyone can do it.

I just bought my first home in cash because of this network marketing opportunity in Team Beachbody coaching.  I'm not doing anything fancy I'm just sharing my experiences with others.  I'm in the best physical shape of my life because of these products and I'd bet the farm that if you got into the best shape of your life using these products you're going to be so excited you won't be able to contain yourself.  You're going to tell people about it!  Since some of those people are going to sign up for Team Beachbody anyway why not be in a position to set your self free financially from it?  If you don't then someone else will earn money from your friends instead of you.  

The simple philosophy is if you give service to others while being kind to yourself you can be wealthy and happy while bringing others with you.  In my opinion there is nothing better, more moral, and their is nothing that has more of a positive impact on lives than that.

Do you have a vehicle in place to harness the things you've already been doing your whole life to get in the best shape of your life and set yourself financially free?   This vehicle works.  I'm 32 years old and I just bought a home in cash and retired from a "day job" in February of 2010.  Most people spend their whole lives still owing money to a mortgage company let alone paying for a house in cash with nothing structured and depend on a pension to live after retirement at the old age of 65!  I'm able to make a purchase that over 90% of Americans are not able to make NOT because I'm doing something different. We are all sharing our experiences with others.  I'm able to buy a home in cash and retire from a "day job" at 32 years old because I got in the best shape of my life via the Team Beachbody Coaching Opportunity and I unselfishly share my experience with others.  Today I'm amending that to unselfishly sharing my financial success with other people.  I'm sharing with YOU simply via this article because I want YOU to have more, IF you want more.

If you're ready and only if you're ready sign up with me and lets get going so YOU can achieve your own American Dream that YOU define for yourself:  http://PassionFitness.info

Tom