The kids are getting out of school, work slows down and the weather is warm; summer must be around the corner!  Summer is a time of relaxation and vacation for many people and families.  We like to use vacations as a “break” from our normal routines, which sometimes means eating out more and “cheating” from an otherwise healthy lifestyle.  I completely agree that vacations are a time to indulge and experience new flavors and foods that cannot otherwise be experienced at home.

Every January 1st, millions around the globe make the commitment, yet so few actually follow through with the resolution: I will live healthier.  We all know what we need to do to live healthier: eat more fruits and vegetables, less sugar and fried foods, more exercise, and so on.  But then why the heck are so few of us able to do it?  And maintain it? The answer to this question involves understanding the process of change and all of the decisions surrounding it, most notabl

Too often I see people drinking flavored, caloric sports drinks when doing highly inactive things…namely watching TV, eating dinner or going for a leisurely “walk”.  While many know that these drinks are not really healthy, they still choose to have them because it “tastes better than water”.  If someone is weaning off of soda, then by all means replace soda (about 100 calories per 8 oz.) with a sports drink (about 50-75 calories per 8 oz.).  But be aware that the average 20

Movement, by Gray Cook As a personal trainer and movement correction practitioner, I am always trying to tow the line between providing my clients with an opportunity to get stronger and burn calories while maintaining a safe training environment that reduces injury risk.  As Mike Boyle has said, the goal of the best trainers are to “Reduce injury risk while enhancing performance.” I have used the Functional Movement Screen with my clients for a number of years now, however,

An interesting article and study from an exercise kinesiology researcher at UNC.  Turns out that free radicals aren’t all doom and gloom.  They are actually a part of a complex signaling network that tells your body how to properly adapt to a bout of exercise.  Those who choose to take antioxidant supplements to “fight free radicals” may actually putting themselves more at a deficit than an advantage. And the author’s ultimate recommendation?  “In conclusion, if you have a we

The genetically modified salmon are coming! http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/sep/07/gm-salmon-industrial-food-system?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter And genetically modified sugar beets…coming to packaged sugary foods at a supermarket near you: http://food.change.org/blog/view/usda_illegally_issues_permits_for_genetically_engineered_sugar_beets The rationale for such “innovations” are usually in response to crises such as feeding the third wor