Two Healthy Holiday Desserts For You

I know, I know, I know. The holidays are here and temptation seems to be EVERYWHERE. Now is NOT the time for those with a sweet tooth to fall off the wagon.

So that's why I've got two great Holiday dessert ideas for you that won't pack on the pounds.

First, is Grilled Banana Splits. Here's the simple ingredients you'll need:

4 ripe bananas

2 Tbsp chocolate chips

1/2 cup non-fat, frozen vanilla yogurt

4 tsp chopped walnuts


Here are the easy-to-follow directions:

1- Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2- Place each banana on its side on a piece of foil. Cut a slit lengthwise across the top. Leave the skin attached.

3- Push 1/2 Tbsp chocolate chips into the slit of each banana.

4- Wrap the bananas with the foil, leaving the top open. Grill or bake about 15 minutes or until the chocolate melts.

5- Loosen the foil and press the bananas open a little.

6- Top each banana with 2Tbsp of the frozen yogurt and sprinkle with 1tsp walnuts.

That's it for a nutritious and delicious treat!

Second, if you like your life even easier, and you're a big fan of Dark Chocolate, you are going to LOVE Prograde Cravers. I seriously cannot even begin to tell you how delicious they taste.

You have to watch this video to see for yourself. You'll see fitness professionals tasting Prograde Cravers for the very first time. Yes, fitness pros that have tasted every bar on the planet are amazed at how good they taste.

Trust me, you have to see this: 

 http://www.GetProgradeNutrition.com/cravers

Yours in health,

Nate Miracle

PS - Seriously, Cravers make the PERFECT holiday dessert. They are less than 200 calories and are made from organic dark chocolate. http://www.GetProgradeNutrtion.com/cravers

Is Oprah is the world record holder for the most weight lost ever?

Oprah has been in the news again lately. So whats new, right?

Apparently she has increased her weight to 200 pounds again.

There’s a reason why some people say Oprah is the world record holder for the most weight lost EVER. She goes on diets, she loses 10-20-30 lbs, then gains it back. And she does it over and over again. In my opinion, its pretty bad for someone who is always promoting the latest diet craze, and then gains all the weight back and more afterwards.

If you go on 7 diets and lose 20 pounds each time, that’s 140 pounds you’ll have to lose, gain back, and lose again.

Why put yourself through all that trouble?

Wouldn't it just be easier to lose the weight the healthy way, and only have to do it once?

The thing is, losing fat isn’t hard, in fact it’s really simple if you have a proven blueprint.

Just the other day I was talking to my pal Todd Scott, the author of "How To Get Six Packs Abs". We were talking about all the “so called” short cuts and fat loss scams that are on the market, and how people are easily victimized by companies eager to play to the consumer’s weakness.

So, during our conversation Todd mentioned that he has a MUST READ manual for all of his clients and customers.

And what’s really cool is that he told me I could offer it to you for free.

So here I am.

You're gonna like it because he kinda outlines in detail everything you need to do to burn fat.

umm. yeah. it's super-detailed.

Ever wondered how many calories you burn per day?

- it's in there

Ever wondered if the exercises in your program are effective?

- there

How about cardio. Doing enough? Doing too much...

This awesome report is whittled into 15 hard-hitting-cut-through-the-crap pages

It's a quick read... so you'll really like that.


But what you'll love is it's an action plan.


Just follow the steps, and you'll burn fat.


It's Pretty Nuts. It's Pretty Simple.

And it's FREE.


Just click the link below:

"Truth About Burning Fat"

Top 10 Last Minute Holiday Fitness Gifts For 2008

Don’t know what to give friends and family for the holidays? How about giving them the gift of fitness to help give them some motivation to get back in shape for the new year (since you know that’s always one of everyone’s resolution). You could even use some of these fitness gift ideas to make your own holiday wish list this year. Here are my top 10 fitness gifts for this year:

1.) A Foam Roller

If you’re like most people, you spend a lot your day sitting down at a desk, which can cause muscle imbalances and flexibility issues. You probably don’t have a lot of time to get your daily workout in, let alone a good stretching session.

Well that’s where a foam roller comes in. It’s a phenomenal corrective self-massage tool that will dramatically bolster injury prevention and improve performance. It’s ideal to use for at least five minutes post-workout to promote healing of the small micro-tears in your muscles that result from high-intensity training to jumpstart the recovery process. Plus, a foam roller both kneads out and lengthens your muscle and connective tissues thus alleviating, if not eliminating, nagging aches and pains in your back, knees, hips, shoulders, and elbows.

If you’re going to get a foam roller, get a good one. The cheaper options tend to wear down into a limp noodle for larger individuals after a couple of months. I get all of my foam rollers from Perform Better. My brand of choice is The EVA Foam Roller (about $20), I have used it every day for the last several years and I swear by it! You can get it here .

2.) Resistance Bands

Resistance bands are by far the most simple, convenient, and affordable equipment option in the fitness industry. They supply total portability for killer workouts that can be done anywhere. If you are a busy professional who does a lot of traveling, bands are the perfect lightweight training tool to take your workouts with you on the road as they can fit in the smallest of bags without a problem. If you are a busy Mom looking to workout in the comfort of your own home, bands can make this happen too. Bands provide the perfect compliment to your body weight circuit training workouts for added variety, allow for multiple levels of resistance with practically zero transition and set-up time, are easy on the joints, and are fun to use!

In my years as a personal trainer, I have had the pleasure of meeting the world’s premier resistance band training expert, Dave Schmitz. This guy creates the most innovative fat loss workouts with bands that you’ll ever see. He has his own line of resistance bands that are virtually indestructible and I use them year round to get great workouts in at home or on the road. I also use Dave's bands for all my fitness boot camps. To get the best bands in the business check here.

3.) Gourmet Nutrition Cook Book

Do you think that healthy eating can be bland and boring at times? Well that will all change if you get the Gourmet Nutrition Cook Book. This book features over 100 recipes including breakfasts, meat, poultry, seafood, side dishes, salads, soups, shakes and smoothies, and even dressings and condiments. It also covers topics such as meal planning, preparation tips, and cooking in bulk to make healthy cooking easy. You can get the book here.

4.) A Gift Card to a Sporting Goods Store For Fitness Equipment and Apparel

You can’t beat a sporting goods store like Dick’s Sporting Goods to get the best fitness equipment and apparel on the market today. I always recommend going with a gift card here because everybody has their own preferences, particularly when it comes to clothing sizes and styles.

5.) A Gift Card to Whole Foods, Trader Joes, or Other Premium Grocery Stores

Rather then waste money on an overpriced restaurant, why not give a week’s worth of groceries to a 100% organic grocer like Whole Foods to a friend or loved one. After all, everybody’s got to eat, but how many of us actually eat the right stuff to support our fitness goals?

Organic Grocery Stores like Whole Foods are healthiest option, particularly when buying produce to avoid foods that are typically loaded with hormones and pesticides at other regular run of the mill grocery stores. Also, since they don’t carry the normal crap food found in other grocery stores, there will be less temptation, thus making it easier to stick to your healthy plan. The key is to go in with a budget in mind (e.g. spend $50 bucks on protein, $20 on fruits and veggies, and $10 on miscellaneous items) only buying what you need.

6.) A Gift Card to a Massage Therapist

Most of us are crazy busy and super stressed out during the holiday season and nothing eases the tension like a good massage. This is about as can’t miss of a gift as it gets, unless you know someone who doesn’t like to be touched. It’s nice to be pampered on occasion, and though the foam roller I mentioned above can do wonders for the majority of your body, nothing can alleviate tension in your upper back, neck, and head like a good massage therapist!

7.) Supplements that Work: Protein Powders, Fish Oil, Multi-Vitamin

Most supplements on the market today are waste of your time and money. In my journey, I have found only three supplements to be a mandatory part of the optimal fat loss program: protein powders, fish oil, and multi-vitamin supplements.

Protein powders provide great liquid workout nutrition and a convenient meat alternative for on-the-go snacking. For a protein powder, look for a brand low in sugar and carbohydrates and with a mix of both whey and casein (fast and slow absorbing proteins).

For post-workout, you want something with a little more carbs to help drive the protein in the muscle cells. Prograde Workout is my personal favorite.

For a good on-the-go breakfast or as a meal replacement shake I like Prograde Lean.

Fish oil, or more appropriately entitled an essential fatty acid (EFA) supplement, is critical to providing key omega 3’s to maximize overall health, performance, and body composition. Studies show that krill oil provides the most effective dosing of EFA’s and has over 300 times the amount of antioxidants.

A multi-vitamin provides keys vitamins and minerals that are tough to obtain unless your diet is near picture perfect. I don’t know about you, but I like to cover my bases when it comes to my health. Be sure to choose a multi-vitamin supplement that is made from whole foods rather than synthetic materials, in addition to being made specifically for your gender.

For myself and my clients, I only recommend VGF+25 and EFA Icon, both included in Prograde’s Health+ Package available here.

8.) Sport-Specific Gift

This one’s pretty basic: if you want to give a great gift to an athlete then get them something unique that compliments their sport, whether it be fitness equipment, apparel, or both.

9.) Fitness Book or Subscription to Fitness Magazine

Everybody need bedtime or bathroom reading baby! If you have just read a good fitness book that you know a friend or family member would benefit from, hook them up with their own copy. Better yet, people love magazine subscriptions. Personally, I am a big fan of Men’s Health and Women’s Health. These magazines are filled with tons of workout, nutrition, and lifestyle tips catered to each sex and I never miss an issue. I know it sounds funny that I read Women’s Health being a dude, but I work with a lot of women so I need to keep up with the lingo like skinny jeans and muffin-tops, ha ha!

10.) A Gift Card to a Fitness Boot Camp

Boot camps provide a fun and exciting team environment that guarantee better results than one-on-one personal training for only a third of the cost… it’s a total no-brainer.

Look for a local fitness boot camp with tons of social proof (client testimonials, especially in the form of pictures and video) to make sure they have a solid reputation and a bunch of raving fans of people just like you. Plus, any good boot camp worth its weight offers free trials and money-back guarantees to all newcomers because they are so confident their program works that you’ll more than likely continue after a test-drive, This way there is typically no risk on your part… besides getting you butt kicked, in a good way ;)

So join a fitness boot camp with at least one other friend or family member or buy a boot camp gift card to give to your loved ones. As a boot camp instructor myself, I know firsthand that clients always get better results when they embark on a fitness journey with others.

And if you live in the local Cleveland area, come work with us for the best personal training Cleveland by visiting http://www.ClevelandFitnessBootCamp.com . We’ll change your life and have you looking better naked this New Year, guaranteed!

Stay healthy and fit for the holidays and have a very safe and happy New Year!

Top 13 Nutrition Tips To Prevent You From Getting A Belly Like Santa Claus This Holiday Season

Just because it’s the holiday season doesn’t mean that you have to abandon any form of sensible eating. Use these 13 killer diet tips to best prevent that dreaded holiday weight gain.

We all know that during the holiday season it’s hard to ignore all the festive, calorie laden desserts and fun, seasonal beverages. Use the tips below to allow yourself to stay social and to be able to indulge in moderation and still be able to fit into your pants before the New Year:

1.) Perform High-Intensity Activity Before and/or After a Big Meal or Holiday Feast

I know, I know. I promised nutrition strategies, but I simply cannot go without recommending some activity. Your body is most receptive to higher calorie and/or carbohydrate meals within 30 minutes before and within three hours following high-intensity activity. Ideally you would want to workout out before AND after a big meal, but if you can only do one, that will suffice. It is less important when you do it and more important that you do it. Performing just 20 minutes of a high intensity interval training activity like circuit resistance training or cardio interval training, will give you great workout without having to spend an hour in the gym. Even a 20-30 plus minute walk a few hours afterwards can serve as a bit of damage control.

2.) Do NOT Fast in Preparation for a Big Meal or Holiday Feast

 Fasting in preparation for a free meal will not only lead to overeating, but worse: overeating foods that are extremely high in sugar, fat, or both! Your body is a survival mechanism. After 3-4 hours of not eating, your body switches into fat storing mode, and will actually begin to burn off its own muscle for energy. This means that the next time that you eat your body will use as much of the incoming food as possible to store as body fat (survival energy) in anticipation that it won’t see food again for another long period of time. Do yourself and your body a favor by eating every two to four hours as you normally should to prevent yourself from becoming a ravenous, fat-storing beast this holiday season!

 3.) Do NOT Gorge Yourself

 Eat until the point of satisfaction, not discomfort. Remember this: binge eating is not the habit of lean individuals. Just because it’s a holiday meal it doesn’t give you the right to eat as much as you can in as little time as possible. However, listen to your body and make sure to enjoy the foods you are craving in moderation and only eat when you are hungry. A good way to prevent over-eating is to eat a smaller portion and then wait 20 minutes before you reach for seconds. It takes a while for your digestive system to send the signal to your brain telling it that you are full. By doing this, you should find that you really don’t need that second pile of mashed potatoes.

4.) Eat a High-Fiber, Protein-Rich Meal An Hour Before a Holiday Event

 A meal high in fiber and protein before a big holiday meal will help prevent overeating by making you feel more full which in turn means less calories consumed during the ensuing feast. My favorite strategy is to drink a protein shake with a added fiber and healthy fats (e.g. 2-4 Tbsp. flax meal) and 16 oz. of water before such a meal to help keep me nice and full upon arrival. This way you won’t lose any friends by eating their entire dinner platter and you’ll save your midsection from a fluffier existence!

5.) Eat Lean Proteins and Fruits and Vegetables FIRST

Just because it’s a holiday meal doesn’t mean you can’t eat any nutritious food. Make sure to load up on healthier food choices first and try to eat as much lean meat, fish, and fruits and veggies as possible at the start of each holiday event. Try to eat a small side salad before you dive into the main course. This will leave less room for the unhealthier, higher calorie treats. At least this way you know your body is getting in some good nutrition and you are not putting yourself at excessive risk for sickness and/or other health concerns.

6.) Drink, Drink, Drink Water!

Water competes for space in your stomach and truly helps decrease appetite. For every plate you eat, try to drink at least 1-2 glasses of water. After that second plate, when you have 1 full liter of water in your stomach, I bet you might just throw in the towel!

7.) Do NOT Eat Again Until Hungry Following a Large Meal

Now I know I already told you to eat every 2-4 hours, but there is one exception to this. If you eat a huge meal, it is important not to eat again until you are hungry and/or no longer full. If your body is not used to eating such a big meal, then it will take a much longer time to digest all that food and the worst thing you can do is put more food into an already full stomach, unless you goal is to do the stop, drop, and roll drill. Only when you are hungry again should you resume your normal eating plan following a big holiday meal.

 

8.) Immediately Resume Your Normal Eating Schedule at the Next Meal

One day of indulgence won’t kill your weight loss plan, as long as you quickly get back on track the next meal. Remember weekly caloric intake is far more important than daily caloric intake. For example, let’s say that you need 3,000 calories per day to maintain your current body weight. Well, all that you need to do is make sure the average daily caloric intake each week is 3,000 calories per day. This means that you can fluctuate your daily caloric intake and yield the same results as if you ate that same amount each day. So if you have one day of big eating where you eat 9,000 calories (just an example, not a recommendation), but you only eat 2,000 calories per day the rest of the week, you will still end up at the same caloric balance. Just make sure that you break your total calories into 5-6 smaller meals. Again, I am not recommending that you eat in such an extreme manner, rather I am suggesting that you do not have to obsess about being perfect. Enjoy some indulging in moderation at your various holiday festivities knowing that the week in review trumps a day in review, even when you are particularly naughty on any given day.

9.) Never Eat Junk Food for Breakfast or Before Bed

Start your morning on the right track. Eating a highly refined carbohydrate meal first thing in the morning will make your blood sugar levels go crazy for the rest of the day resulting in greater junk food cravings and uncontrollable hunger. On the other hand, eating a big meal before bed will result in a bunch of unused energy that will be stored as body fat and you very well may have trouble sleeping with all of that extra food volume in your stomach! I recommend a high protein, high fiber meal replacement shake such as Prograde Lean to all my clients.

10.) Control your Portions

 Try to eat only half of all the servings of unhealthy food that you choose. Half of the portions equal half the calories!

 11.) Avoid Empty Liquid Calories and Alcohol

One can easily consume over 1,000 calories per day from liquid calories alone. This means that in one week, you will gain 2 lbs of body fat from just fluids! Opt for regular solid food calories versus empty liquid calories (e.g. juices and soft drinks), for at least the food will fill you up and provide some nutrition where as liquid calories, particularly alcohol, have no such effect. Rather, sugary and/or alcoholic drinks tend to make you hungrier in general and often hungrier for junk food in particular. Furthermore, your body cannot burn fat until the alcohol is processed out of your body in addition to the fact that alcohol consumption actually lowers leptin levels thus defeating one of the main purposes of this flexible eating (decreased leptin levels increase hunger and decreases your body’s use of fat for fuel). Thus over-consumption of alcohol can prevent the fat burning process from resuming until several days later and/or even cause unwanted fat gain and thus set you back as little as a few days to as long as a full week!

12.) Use Lower Calorie/Carbohydrate Substitutes Whenever Possible

Instead of using sugar, opt for zero calorie alternatives like splenda or stevia. They can deliver a similar taste without all of the extra sugar and calories. Even try replacing yeast with protein powder when you bake. The extra protein and reduced carbohydrates will result in a slimmer you while still providing some great tasting treats! Your goal should be to find the minimal amount of calories that can provide the same great taste that makes the holiday treats enjoyable rather than simply overdoing it because you can!

13.) Avoid Eating Meals that are High in Both Fat and Carbohydrates

The absolute worst thing that you can do is to eat a meal that is high in both fat and carbs. The high amount of carbs will lead to a rapid increase in blood sugar levels and thus large increases in the potent fat-storing hormone Insulin. The high amount of fat will lead to a large increase in free fatty acids in your bloodstream. Since Insulin is already present in large amounts, in addition to there being a large amount of free fatty acids now available in your blood, the stage is set for all those free fatty acids to be gobbled up and stored by your fat cells. This is the equivalent of becoming the next Goodyear blimp, so it is imperative to use caution at your holiday meals when it comes to combining fat (particularly saturated and trans fats) and carbs (particularly starches and refined sugars). In general, it is best to choose one over the other. But since most people crave carbs at their free meals, it is essential to keep the fat low at this meal. Want pasta? Instead of alfredo sauce, opt for marinara sauce with whole grain pasta. Want pizza? Make your own pizza with whole grain crust and fat-free cheese. Want mashed potatoes? Well then be sure to skip the gravy and go easy on the butter. Always try to eat a carb or a fat with a source of protein, which will help slow the absorption of carbs and fat into the bloodstream. These small changes can literally save you hundreds, even thousands of calories, and more importantly will prevent your holiday feasts from creating the optimal fat-storing environment that will set you back from achieving your health and fitness goals.