As a fairly new parents, we learn something every day … here are 7 “lessons” we learned this week that can apply to everyone.

1. While finding your own shadow IS really interesting (and super cute to see) for an 8 month old. She quickly realized you can’t touch it, hit it, or really ever catch it… the moral of the story? Don’t try to chase it – look towards what you want to achieve, but don’t look back.

2. Millet, while a very healthy whole grain, is kind of bland tasting. I’ve only ever known it for my pet parakeet when I was little. But now I got to try some because we introduced it to Bailee. I had never tasted it … Bailee was not a fan. Although it's kind of bland, I'd try it again whole — Johnette ground it up and then cooked it. The moral of that story — try new foods, expand your horizons, and learn what else is out there.

3. Get enough sleep – while Bailee takes 3 naps during the day and that might be a bit much, a little “cat nap” for a boost in energy during the day (or at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night) is a great idea. Just look how happy Bailee is immediately when she woke up from her nap today! Imagine your boost in productivity if you rested for a bit versus having your minding wander because of fatigue and/or boredom.

4. Each meal should be full of colors – Bailee’s current favorite is “mommy mashed” organic sweet potatoes (orange), peas (green), and apple (white) all mixed. More colors than most people eat every day!

5. Single leg training is tough – most of the times Bailee falls down when she’s holding on to something with 1 hand, reaching down, and balancing on one foot – as adults, we don’t do much single leg (or upper body) training either. Add it in to your routine since most of us have imbalances.

6. Move as much as you can – sure, Bailee is 8 months old, but when you put her in one place, she crawls across the room as fast as she can. But then one day we grow up and sit most of the 24 hours in a day. Move more. Every single day.

7. Finishing a meal with something sweet a great idea – but like many European countries (and Bailee) that something sweet should be fruit. Ella prefers mashed bananas. As grown ups, I suggest whole fruit (unless you actually want to mash it).

Dr. Unger's office in conveniently located at 14726 Ramona Ave, Suite 110 in Chino.

His office number is 909-590-8409

Thank you!!

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]]> http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/2010/03/08/chino-hills-personal-trainer-interviews-dr-unger-part-1/feed/ http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/2010/03/02/6-week-body-transformation-contestant-february/ http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/2010/03/02/6-week-body-transformation-contestant-february/#comments Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:38:10 +0000 Dr. Saman http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/?p=7875

After pictures coming 6wks later!!

Gena

35yrs ~219.6lbs ~42.3%bf

Before & After

Robin

27yrs ~197lbs~ 36.9%bf

Before & After(coming 6wks later!!)

Dionne

42yrs ~217.8lbs~ 47.2%bf

Before & After(coming 6wks later!!)

Carol

55yrs ~184.8lbs~ 44.5%bf

Before & After(coming 6wks later!!)

Janet

26yrs ~153.4lbs ~33.7% bf

Before & After(coming 6wks later!!)

Marcella

54yrs ~205lbs~ 44.8%bf

Before & After(coming 6wks later!!)

Delia

24yrs ~133.6lbs ~26.5%

Before & After(coming 6wks later!!)

Maren

40yrs ~146.4lbs ~24.2%bf

Before & After(coming 6wks later!!)

Usha

~222.8lbs ~45.1%bf

Before & After(coming 6wks later!!)

Ami

37yrs ~152lbs ~30.5%bf

Before & After(coming 6wks later!!)

Robert

44yrs ~322lbs ~36%bf

Before & After(coming 6wks later!!)

Ana

38yrs ~139.4lbs~ 36.3%bf

Before & After(coming 6wks later!!)

Mark

43yrs~236.4lbs~32.2%bf

Before & After(coming 6wks later!!)

Jesse

42yrs~202.6lbs~24.5%bf

Before & After(coming 6wks later!!)

Gabriela

34 yrs~135.8lbs~34.4%bf

Before & After(coming 6wks later!!)

Don

48yrs~225.8lbs~25.6%bf

Before & After(coming 6wks later!!)

James

34yrs~343.4lbs~37.2%bf

Before & After(coming 6wks later!!)

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Check out Diamond Bar Personal Trainers!!

]]> http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/2010/03/02/6-week-body-transformation-contestant-february/feed/ http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/2010/03/01/ontario-personal-training-interviews-rosylnn/ http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/2010/03/01/ontario-personal-training-interviews-rosylnn/#comments Tue, 02 Mar 2010 03:05:35 +0000 Dr. Saman http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/?p=7724

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Chino Hills Personal Training

~~~~Energy Drinks~~~~

Since the 1990s, energy drinks have gone from being the latest craze and fad to a permanent fixture in our culture.

Given the various seemingly exotic ingredients, here's a general introduction to the various energy drink dangers and advantages.

I won't go into great biological detail since you could probably write a book about the energy drink craze.

Instead I'll provide you with some information that should let you be a more informed consumer when it comes to energy drinks.

What are Energy Drinks ?

An energy drink is a beverage that contains some form of legal stimulant and/or vitamins which are meant to give consumers a short term boost in energy.

The "Magical" Ingredients

In general, these drinks have one thing in common:

They all contain a lot of sugar and/or caffeine.

These could be considered the "active ingredients."

So before you go bragging about how powerful a certain drink was and how its natural ingredients helped you wake up in the morning or dance all night, consider that you probably got more of a sugar rush than anything else.

Energy Drinks & Marketing

The "thing" about energy drinks is that they are marketed as being all-natural energy boosters loaded with exotic ingredients that popular culture believes to be healthy.

Energy drinks are generally marketed towards younger crowds, especially those who go to raves.

People are buying energy drinks in record numbers, even at an incredible $2-3 for a can smaller than an average soft drink can.

Just FYI, the energy drink industry is worth over a billion dollars in sales annually.

Note that Red Bull energy drink leads the way.

While Red Bull may have lame TV commercials, energy drinks tend to have cool logo colors and fonts, modern can or bottle shapes, and a "high energy" feel surrounding them.

It's a marketing company's dream come true!

Dangers of Energy Drinks: Side Effects & Long-term Effects

I'm just scratching the surface with what I have written here so let me give you some food for thought.

When you are considering consuming energy drinks:

• Make a mental note that while the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is allowing companies to sell and market their energy drink products, there is still very little research that has been done on them.

I suspect the FDA allows them to be added simply because they do not pose any immediate danger to energy drink consumers.

• The long-term effects of energy drink ingredients, if any, are still not known meaning that drinking a lot of these drinks on a consistent basis may or may not harm you in ways that have yet to be researched.

• Energy drink labels are frequently misleading or at least they are so ambiguous that when you buy them you simply believe what you want to believe.

Remember that in most cases, the claims being made have not been proven.

• It remains unknown as to whether any medical conditions and related prescription medication will interact with energy drinks.

If you try an energy drink and react poorly to it, consult a physician.

Body Chemistry

Energy drinks all try to stimulate something in your body that leads to your awakening and feeling as though you have more energy.

One big mistake that most people make is that energy drinks will have the same effect on them, regardless of the choice of drink, and ignoring an individual's unique body chemical make-up.

Think about it this way:

We know that alcohol has a unique effect on everyone who consumes it (some people get drunk faster, have different allergic reactions to alcohol, etc), so there is no reason to believe that these drinks will have a different result among various consumers.

Sugar

Many raves don't sell alcohol but in fact focus on water and energy drink sales.

While gaining energy from sugar in and of itself is not such a bad thing, be warned that drinking lots of sugar can make you feel full.

Carbonation, which can come from soft drinks as well, also makes you feel full.

Ravers who become ill frequently keep dancing or remain active, and fail to re-hydrate as they should, in part because they think they're full.

What ends up happening is that their body shuts down due to the lack of fluids, and they collapse.

Are Energy Drinks Addictive?

oops did I leave this out from my energy drinks anonymous meeting!  LOL

Since consumption of energy drinks is so prevalent among youth and frequently associated with raves and the nightclub scene, many wonder about their addictive properties.

In fact, the only truly addictive part of energy drink ingredients appears to be caffeine.

So if you drink enough cans, you may become addicted to caffeine and ultimately suffer from the effects of the addiction.

Energy Drinks, Alcohol & Death

Bars around the world mix vodka with energy drinks, especially Red Bull.

This is mixing a depressant (alcohol) with a stimulant (the energy drink).

This can have an effect on your heart and claims have been made that this combination has lead to death.

As such, some countries in Europe have banned Red Bull and other energy drinks.

Creatine

SoBe is a popular drink.

It contains creatine in such minute amounts that it probably doesn't have any effect.

Same with Ginko.

Taurine

The peculiar thing about taurine is that nobody really knows what it does!

There is apparently no evidence that it has any major influence but it is possible that it does indeed have some effect on the body which leads to the feeling of having more energy.

Taurine & Caffeine are Key

One must also account for the mixed effects of the different energy drink ingredients.

Consider that drinking different types of alcohol during a night of partying can leave you with an awful hangover.

(Of course, you could try the anti-hangover pill).

In an energy drink such as Guru for example, it is possible that the taurine enhances the effects of caffeine, giving you a slightly larger boost than if you had drank only one of the ingredients.

This is just a theory however since it has yet to be scientifically tested.

Vitamins

Some energy drinks offer a variety of vitamins.

It's important to note that your body will take what it needs and pee off the extra vitamins.

So this isn't a major health booster.

Popular Terms

The most popular energy drinks include Red Bull, Monster, XS (get it - excess), Boost, Crunk, Rockstar, Crunk Juice, Full Throttle, Spark, Amp , Rush, SoBe, Pimp Juice, Shark, Piranha, Red Line, Bookoo, Socko, Fuze, Hype, Guru, and Atomic X.

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Upland Personal Training

What Are the Required Skills of a Nutritionist?

by   Amanda Clary

Nutritionists provide valuable services for groups of people and
individuals who need to meet their nutritional goals. As a nutritionist,
you can also work in large health care facilities like hospitals and
nursing homes. You an also find jobs as a nutritionist in schools and
other institutions that need effective nutritional management.

The Needed Skills of a Professional Nutritionist

1. Deep Knowledge of Nutritional Science

First, a nutritionist should have a deeper grasp of nutrition science. So
it is generally expected of you to have exceptional knowledge on human
physiology and its relationship to nutrition. Having basic knowledge on
pharmacology, public health, and epidemiology is also ideal.

In order to get a grasp on these subjects, most state authorities will
require you to finish 4-year undergraduate studies on dietetics and
nutrition. In areas where there are strict standards for nutritionists,
you need to take special trainings and certifications in order to practice
your profession.

2. Exemplary Interpersonal Skills

To become a successful nutritionist, you need to have superior
interpersonal relationship skills. People skills are important so you can
effectively communicate with your clients to convince them to follow your
programs. You have to understand that the food habits of people are very
difficult to change.

If you want them to improve their health, you need to have superior
convincing power and sensitivity to change their food habits.
Nutritionists without exemplary people skills will experience difficulties
in implementing their nutrition and food programs.

3. Excellent Problem Solving Capabilities

Lastly, a nutritionist should have excellent problem solving skills. You
have to understand that the health problems of people are mainly caused by
improper nutrition. However, different people have different nutritional
needs.

So you need to solve their problems and guide them towards the right
nutritional direction. Before you can provide good solid advice on
people, it is necessary to know their problems first and find the right
nutritional solutions that will help them to become healthier.

As a nutritionist, your clients have big expectations from you. You need
to understand their nutritional problems and find the right solutions for
them. You must also convince them to follow your recommended nutritional
and dietary programs.

If you possess the right skills of a nutritionist, then you can ensure
that your practice will flourish. You will be able to help numerous
clients and institutions and you can become a trusted professional in the
field of nutrition science.

About the Author

Amanda Clary writes a non commercial blog focused on her experience on
helping her family and friends to eat healthy. She is a "Nutritionist for
Hobby" and writes on the  www.nutritioncertification.net
blog to help people learn how to get
certified and learn all the aspects related to this job (Skills,
requisites, everyday problems, upgrading, etc…).

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]]> http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/2010/02/26/what-are-the-required-skills-of-a-nutritionist/feed/ http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/2010/02/24/rancho-cucamonga-personal-trainer-interviews-alycia/ http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/2010/02/24/rancho-cucamonga-personal-trainer-interviews-alycia/#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:36:12 +0000 Dr. Saman http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/?p=7727

This is an interview with my awesome client Alycia. Her son Isiah is absolutely ADORABLE.

Dr. Saman Bakhtiar is a Rancho Cucamonga personal trainer.

Check out any local gym and you'll see inexperienced members training their abs with endless sets of situps and crunches, right?

While the abs are predominantly made of Type 1 (endurance) muscle fibers and respond to slightly higher repetition ranges,your abs are made up of muscle just like any other part of your body.

Therefore the best abs exercises to get that "cut" look are those that are resistance-based and treat them like any other muscle.

But there's a special little trick you must know in order to maximize your abs training on your way to having a stacked 6-pack.

In fact, ignoring this principle, could force you to develop "lopsided" abs that are so common among beginner bodybuilders.

Let me share this secret with you now…

The main abdominal muscle you want to be working when training your abs is your "rectus abdominis", that sheet of rippled muscle that goes from your rib cage all the way down the front of your body to your pelvis.

What's unique about this abdominal muscle group is that the upper abs can work separately from the lower abs (to some extent)…

…BUT when you work your lower abs exercises, your upper abs are ALWAYS working as well.

This is why most people (including myself from yearsof focusing on upper abs) had overdeveloped upper abs but underdeveloped lower abs.

Here's how to correct this…

Make sure you train your LOWER ABS first in your abs workout (ALWAYS!) which brings both upper and lower abs into the workload!

If you don't work your lower abs first, you exhaust your upper abs too soon and when you DO target your lower abs, your upper abs will fatigue too fast and you'll end up with under-targeted lower abs.

So the best exercises for lower abs are:

* Incline Leg Raises

* Incline Knee Ups

* Hanging Leg Raise

• Flat Bench Leg Raises

And then follow up with the best upper abs exercises:

* Crunches

* Weighted Crunches

* Situps

* Hanging Knee Raises

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Foods That Turn to Fat

click-here-to-download-this-report-foods-that-turn-to-fat

Part one of this special report listed the twelve foods that "burn fat." This second installment in the series will teach you which foods "turn to fat." One of the best ways to learn what you should eat is to learn what you shouldn't eat. Then, by a process of elimination, you'll be much more likely to eat the foods that will give you the best results.

In this report, you'll discover that the foods that "turn to fat" all tend to have certain things in common:

X High total calories

X High calorie density per unit of volume X High total fat

X High in unhealthy saturated and trans fats X High in refined sugar.

X Low In nutritional value (low nutrient density) X Flavor enhancers, fillers and other chemicals X Artificial colors and flavors

X High sodium

It only gets worse. Many of these fat and sugar filled "junk foods" have negative nutritional value. They subtract from the good you're doing when you pick the right foods. For example, anything high in white sugar is going to leach minerals from your body. None of the foods on this list should ever be eaten as a part of your regular daily diet. It's wise to allow yourself one or two cheat meals per week, but save the "junk foods" on this list for the very occasional cheat day. If and when you do eat them, make sure you continue to obey the law of calorie balance (too much of anything gets stored as fat and small amounts of bad foods usually won't get stored as fat)

1. Ice Cream

I'm sure a lot of people will be mad at me when they see their beloved ice cream as number one on the hit list of the foods that turn to fat, but here goes: Ice cream is Bad news with a capital B! Ice cream is loaded with fat, sugar and way more calories than you need; an evil fat-storing triad. Not to mention, the artificial colors, artificial flavors, preservatives, emusifiers and stabilizers.

Now let's talk about the fat. One cup (that's a pretty small serving you know), contains approximately 350 calories and 20 grams of fat - mostly saturated. And that's just regular premium vanilla ice cream. A cup of Haagen Dasz Belgian Chocolate has 660 calories and 36 grams of fat. But that's nuthin I Ben & Jerrys has them all beat! A cup of wavy gravy ice cream has 660 calories and …. Gulp …. 48 grams of fat - 20 of them saturated!

There are so many delicious alternatives to ice cream like fruit sorbet or even sugar free, low fat frozen yogurt, it boggles the mind that more fitness conscious people don't make the switch. Are you a Ben & Jerry's freak? Skip the wavy gravy or chunky monkey and have the Cherry Garcia Yogurt instead (if you must) … it's only 340 calories and six grams of fat. Healthy Choice makes a Low fat chocolate mint chip ice cream with only 200 calories per cup and just four grams of fat. Best of all, Kemp's makes a sugar free non fat frozen yogurt that contains only 240 calories and zero grams of fat. It's made with skim milk and is sugar free.

You can have your ice cream and eat it too, you just have to watch your portion sizes, read labels, choose your brand carefully, and go with a reduced fat or even a fat free version. Usually I hear, "but it just doesn't taste the same." Maybe true, but if regular ice cream is a regular item in your weekly or daily menu, you can rest assured that a lot of those calories will be turning to fat.

2. Fried Foods

All fried foods are really BAD NEWS! (with all capitals!) Fried foods are harmful in more ways than one. First of all, they are high in calories and mostly fat. Take a McDonald's super size fries, for example. Polish off the whole batch and you've got yourself 610 calories and 29 grams of fat, 10 of them saturated. Large Burger King hash browns - 390 calories and 25 grams of fat, 15 of them saturated. KFC fried chicken breast (extra tasty crispy) - one serving alone sets you back 470 calories and 25 grams of fat.

Second, the type of fat is highly saturated and/or trans fat. Frying destroys essential fatty acids (EFA's) by twisting their molecules from the cis-configuration in which they're normally found to the unnatural trans shape. To make matters worse, shortening and margarines have replaced the lard that was traditionally used for frying. These contain large amounts of chemically altered trans fatty acids to begin with, so you get a double whammy of artery clogging, health destroying "funny fats."

According to Udo Erasmus, the world's foremost expert on fats, there is no such thing as safe frying. "Safe frying is a contradiction in terms," says Erasmus. "When foods turn brown, they have been burned. The nutrients in burned material have been destroyed. Proteins turn into carcinogenic acrolein. Starches and sugars are browned through molecular destruction. Fats and oils are turned to smoke by destruction of fatty acids and glycerol."

Folks, stay the heck away from anything fried! (By the way, did you know that "saute" is the French word for "fry?")

3. Donuts & Pastries

Like ice cream, doughnuts are one of the all time no-no's when body fat reduction and good health are your goals. Doughnuts contain that king of fat storing combinations: refined sugar and saturated fats.

A small plain or powdered donut contains about 170 calories and 10 grams of fat (by the way, that's over 50% fat by calories). Your larger donuts contain anywhere from 200 to 420 calories and up to 22 grams of fat - much of It saturated.

The flour in donuts, of course is white flour - stripped of any nutritional value with no trace of the original whole grain left intact. And heaps and heaps of sugar are added on top to add insult to injury.

Donuts also contain chemical agents designed to keep them soft, mono and diglycerides, propylene and glycol mono and diesters, coloring agents including FD & C yellow, number 5 and preservatives such as BHT and BHA.

If you want a chemical cocktail loaded with fat, sugar and calories, donuts fit the bill nicely. By the way, did you know they deep-fry those things? And one more thing; did you know a Cinnabon has 670 calories and 34 grams of fat? Stay away from Cinnabons, pastries, eclairs and anything else in the "donut family."

4. White Sugar, Candy. Chocolate & Sweets

One of the biggest misconceptions in weight loss is that carbohydrates make you fat. This is an incorrect statement. A correct statement would be; refined carbohydrates make you fat… and that means white sugar, candy and sweets. Of course, calories are the bottom line … it's not necessarily sugar that makes you fat, it's too many calories that make you fat. But guess what? Refined carbs are incredibly calorie dense, making it extremely easy for you to eat too many calories.

Even if you could "get away with" eating sugar because your calories were below maintenance, you wouldn't want to. You see, sugar is "empty calories." No vitamins, no minerals, no fiber, no nothing … just calories.

Refined sugars wreak havoc with your blood sugar levels and they increase insulin levels, which can also increase fat storage and prevent stored fat from being released.

It only gets worse. Nancy Appleton, author of "Lick the sugar habit," has compiled a list of over 100 reasons that sugar is disastrous to your health and fitness endeavors. Here's a shortened version:

1) Refined sugar can be a contributing factor to gaining body fat

2) Refined sugar can increase the bad LDL cholesterol

3) Refined sugar can decrease the good LDL cholesterol

4) Refined sugar can increase triglycerides

5) Refined sugar can suppress your immune system

6) Refined sugar can deplete your body of important minerals

7) Refined sugar can contribute to the development of numerous types of

cancer

Refined sugar can cause hypoglycemia

9) Refined sugar can decrease growth hormone

10) Refined sugar can contribute to diabetes

11) Refined sugar can cause food allergies 12)Refined sugar can increase serum insulin

If you made only one change to your nutritional habits today … that is, to reduce your sugar intake … the difference in your health, energy levels and body composition would absolutely blow your mind. Get the sugar out'

5. Soda

It was 1767 when British Scientist Joseph Priestly discovered how to carbonate water. Quite simply, pressurized carbon dioxide gas is pumped through the liquid and that's what creates the bubbly fizz so many people have come to love.

Since then, soft drinks have become a multi-billion dollar industry all around the world. In fact, Coca Cola is one of the most valuable and recognized brands in the world. According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, the total consumption of carbonated beverages in 2001 was 10.3 billion cases. The average person consumes … get a load of this … 55.7 gallons of the fizzy stuff every year. But what's good for the cola companies definitely isn't good for what ails you.

Soft drinks are mostly water, but the amount of sucrose and high fructose corn syrup used to sweeten regular soda is more than enough to do its share of damage.

We've already talked about the ills of sugar, but liquid sugar is even more insidious when it comes to throwing a wrench in your fat burning machinery. Several studies have shown that when you consume liquid calories, you tend not to compensate by cutting back on the food you eat. The result is that you drink excess calories in addition to all the food you normally eat.

Liquid calories of all types are best avoided on fat burning diets.

6. Fruit "drinks" & Other Sugar Sweetened Beverages

Ditto (same as for soda) … don't drink your calories, especially if they're full of sugar!

And don't be fooled by the labels that say, "Contains real fruit juice." Do your homework and read the ingredients list.

If you see sugar, sucrose, corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup on the label, STAY AWAY'

7. Bacon &  Sausage

Bacon has almost become a standard feature in the typical American breakfast. Too bad' The Center for Science in the Public Interest says that Bacon and Sausage are one of the worst foods you could possibly eat. One strip of regular pork bacon has 130 calories and 13 grams of fat, five of them saturated. By the way, that's 93% fat by calories - Yikes!

Even if you choose turkey bacon, or a reduced fat bacon, you'd better check the label carefully. "Reduced fat" doesn't mean much. If the fat is reduced from 90% fat to 70% fat or even 50% fat, that's not much improvement.

Suppose you find a really, honestly lean bacon or bacon substitute. Still not a good choice. Why? Because it's a processed food. The same warning that goes for processed fats and processed carbohydrates go for processed meats. You're not eating pure, real pork my friend! You're eating a "meat product" that contains some pork in a mix of fillers, sodium, sugar and nitrites that are used to cure the meats. Stay away from all fatty meats and all processed meats and stick with lean proteins like chicken breast, turkey, fish and egg whites. Your body will thank you.

8. White bread

The average American eats 54 pounds of bread each year. Most people think bread is fattening. This is largely due to the popularity of low carb diets. The problem is they're eating the wrong kind of bread. White bread is treated in the body the same way as white sugar. White bread is a refined carbohydrate with no nutritional value. Whole grain breads (100% wheat, rye, etc) are another story.

Some breads are made from 100% whole grains with all the vitamins, minerals and fiber left intact. Other breads are all or mostly refined white flour. These breads have been stripped of most of their nutrients. The milling and grinding of the whole grain reduces the particle size while increasing the calorie density and turns the whole grain (a complex carb) into a simple carb that's no better than pure sugar.

When proponents of low carb programs "flame" dieters for eating "too many carbohydrates," what they often fail to mention is that the problem is not carbohydrates per se; the problem is refined carbohydrates. What most people miss is the fact that refined carbohydrates include not only white sugar and its derivatives (like corn syrup), but also white flour as well.

That's riqhtl This means that anything and everything made from white or enriched flour is a food that will more readily turn to tat: That includes, cereals, pretzels, bagels, breads, pitas, crackers and anything else made from white flour. If you're not sure whether a food is whole grain or not, simply read the ingredients list on the label. If the food is whole grain, then the first ingredient will say something like "100% whole wheat."

If you want to burn fat, give up the white flour completely and go with the grain whole grain that is.

9. Potato Chips, Nachos, & Corn Chips

In Robert Kennedy's book "Rock Hard, Supernutrition for bodybuilders," he wrote, "far too high sodium content makes potato chips almost lethal, especially if you are predisposed to high biood pressure. One popular brand contains 680 milligrams of salt, compared to the 4 miiligrams of sodium one finds in an average baked potato."

Sodium's not the only thing chips have against them. Let's see … we've got lots of calories, tons of fat, flavor additives and the refined oils that are used to fry/cook these buggers. The potato chip is not even ciose to the nutritional value of the raw potato, sodium and fat notwithstanding. The nutritional value that was in the raw potato has literally been "fried right out." What's left is mostly calories from fat from the refined oil used in the cooking process.

Oh, by the way, Nachos and Dorito-type chips are on the out list too (sorry).

These days you can find fat free potato chips at a health food store, which are definitely an improvement, but keep one thing in mind: packaged and man made foods are NEVER as good as foods eaten the way they're found in nature. Pretzels are better because you're losing the fat, but since they're made from white flour, pretzeis are NOT as big of an improvement over potato chips as many people think they are.

10. Hot Dogs &  Fast Food Burgers

Hamburgers and hot dogs are as American as Chevrolet, baseball and apple pie. Unfortunately, America's love for fast food has turned it into one of the most obese and unhealthy countries in the world.

Out of the two, hamburgers are the lesser of the evils (but they're still pretty evil). Hot dogs are not pure meat - they are a "meat product" consisting of some meat, mashed up with fillers, stabilizers, sodium, preservatives, artificial coiors and artificial flavors. They're a veritable mish-mash of chemicals and additives … a "fake food" so to speak. A three-ounce regular hot dog has 16 grams of fat - seven of them saturated.

If you simply must have a hot dog, these days, you can find low fat hot dogs or turkey dogs by companies such as Healthy Choice. However, keep in mind that ail hot dogs - low fat or not - are processed meats. The same rule that appiies to carbohydrates applies to proteins as well; that is: Natural foods are aiways better than refined foods. Stick with natural iean proteins like chicken breast and egg whites and avoid the refined and processed meats as much as possible.

Hamburgers, while they may be made from real meat, are made from some of the fattiest meat available. There's no such thing as "lean ground beef." Even the leanest beef is still relatively high in fat. Read the labels and do the math for yourself.

Oh, one last thlng .. .The nitrites used to cure the hot dogs have been linked to cancer.

11. Cookies, Cakes &  Pies

Cookies, cakes and pies fall into the same categories as donuts - fat and sugar joined at the hip (and they'll end up on your hips too, if you're not careful!) Just because they're baked and not fried doesn't mean they're any better.

Fat and sugar is the worst of all food combinations and they're both found in abundance in cookies, cakes and pies. They also harbor untold amounts of dangerous trans fatty acids.

Save the cake for once a year on your birthday (okay, maybe a slice of pumpkin pie for thanksgiVing). The rest of the year, avoid these like the plague.

12. Sugary Breakfast Cereals

According to the book "Cerealizing America," by Scott Bruce and Bill Crawford, The cereal Industry uses 816 million pounds of sugar per year. Americans buy 2.7 billion packages of breakfast cereal each year. If laid end to end, the empty cereal boxes from one year's consumption would stretch to the moon and back. 1.3 million advertisements for cereal aired on American television every year, or more than twenty-five hours of cereal advertising per day, at a cost of $762 million for air time. Only automobile manufacturers spend more money on television advertising than the makers of breakfast cereal.

Most of the boxed cereals found in supermarkets contain large amounts of sugar and some contain more than 50% sugar (sugar smacks have 53% sugar). Cereal manufacturers are very clever in their marketing, making many cereals appear much more healthy than they appear by "fortifying" them with vitamins and minerals. Oh, lovely - you now have vitamin-fortified suqar!

Before you eat any cereal, read the ingredients list and see how high sugar appears on the ingredient list. Then check the "Nutrition facts" panel.

There are actually only a small handful of national commercially branded cereals that are made from whole grains and are sugar free. Shredded Wheat is one. If you shop at a health food store instead of in your local supermarket, you are much more likely to find a healthy, whole grain, sugar free (or very low sugar) cereal. But watch out some of the health food store boxed cereals are sweetened with fruit juice or fructose. Although this may be an improvement over refined white sugar, this can really skyrocket the calories.

Although there are some good boxed cereals available, you may find it interesting that bodybuilders and fitness models - among the leanest athletes in the world almost never eat boxed cereal - even the better brands. Instead, they opt for unsweetened old fashioned oatmeal (not the flavored, sweetened packets). This might surprise you, but most commercial breakfasts cereals, with their hidden sugars and clever marketing, are foods that turn to fat. Leave em on the shelf!

By Author:

Tom Venuto

click-here-to-download-this-report-foods-that-turn-to-fat

Dr. Saman Bakhtiar is a Riverside Personal Trainer and Boot Camp Instructor.

If you know anyone looking for personal training in the Inland Empire, send them to Fitness Concepts.

We will take good care of them.

Here at our amazing Health Club we are the gym of all gyms….click here to check out our gym.

We offer Boot Camps, Fitness Training, Nutritional Consultations and a friendly awesome staff ready to take on all weight loss and fat loss challenges.

]]> http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/2010/02/22/foods-that-turn-to-fat/feed/ http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/2010/02/17/foods-that-burn-fat/ http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/2010/02/17/foods-that-burn-fat/#comments Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:21:37 +0000 Dr. Saman http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/?p=7479

Foods That Burn Fat

click-here-to-download-this-report-foods-that-burn-fat

This recommended list of "fat-burning foods," also known in the Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle (BFFM) program as "the terrific twelve," might be the most valuable resource you've ever laid your hands on. Although the possible variety is your food choices is nearly infinite, these twelve are the staple foods that should make up the foundation of your program. Variety is important, but these are the foods you can't go wrong with and the ones you'll keep coming back to time after time.

1. Oatmeal

If I could only choose one source of complex, starchy carbohydrates for a fat loss program, this would be it! Oatmeal is the one carbohydrate food that virtually 100% of all bodybuilders and fitness models eat on a daily basis. What makes it so great? Well, although it's a starchy carbohydrate, oatmeal has a nice balance between carbs, protein and good fat. A half a cup contains 3 grams of fat, 27 grams of carbs and 5 grams of protein. The low glycemic index, combined with the presence of protein and fat makes oatmeal a very slowly released carb - exactly what you're looking for when you want to get lean.

Make sure you choose the all-natural oats; either old-fashioned oats (such as Quaker) or the quick oats. Stay away from the sweetened and or flavored oatmeal packets. Oatmeal is delicious with natural (sugar free) applesauce and cinnamon. Or, try some crushed walnuts or flaxseeds in your morning oats, which will give your "porridge" a nice crunchy texture while adding those desirable "good fats" we all need. For a complete meal, try a couple scoops of Vanilla Praline flavored protein powder in your oatmeal. If you get tired of oatmeal, there are plenty of other cooked whole grain cereals in the "oatmeal family." Look In your local health food store (or a gourmet supermarket) for barley, wheat, titricale, rye, oat bran and flax cereals (or a multi grain combination of the above).

2. Yams & Sweet Potatoes

Right behind oatmeal, yams (and sweet potatoes) are probably my second favorite starchy carbohydrate. Flavorful, all-natural, low in calories, and packed with nutrients and antioxidants like beta-carotene, it's no wonder yams are a favorite

carbohydrate among bodybuilders, fitness competitors and health-seekers alike. According to Brian Rowley, science editor for FLEX magazine, "Bodybuilders use yams when cutting bodyfat because they are [ow on the glycemic index. Waxy white potatoes (boilers) are high on the glycemic index, so they make an excellent postworkout meal, but nothing compares with a yam the rest of the time."

Although the glycemic index is a secondary factor when making carb choices on the BFFM program, if you're carb sensitive or if you're on a very strict diet (like a contest diet), then the glycemic index should be given more weight in your choices. Yams are one of the best. Sweet potatoes are not exactly the same thing as yams (they're slightly higher on the glycemic index). but they're otherwise similar, which also makes them good choices for fat burning diets. You can identify a yam by its darker orange color, pointier ends and unusual sizes/shapes. Combine a yam with a green veggie, a chicken breast, lean red meat or fish, and you've got yourself a perfect fatburning, muscle buildinq, metabolism boosting meal.

3. Potatoes    (White or Red)

Potatoes have earned an undeserved reputation as a food to avoid on a fat loss program. But think about it; Potatoes meet every criteria of a great carbohydrate: potatoes are a complex carbo They are all-natural. They contain fiber, vitamins and minerals. They are filling. They are low in calories. So why do people avoid them? One reason is because they confuse a dry potato with a loaded potato. Smother a potato with butter, sour cream and bacon bits and then you've got yourself a fattening, calorie-dense ensemble. Eat it dry or top it with Butter sprinkles, salsa or your favorite low fat, low calorie topping and you can't go wrong.

Another reason people might avoid the potato is because they are using the glycemic index as their primary gauge for choosing carbohydrates. Potatoes are high on the glycemic index, which means they are absorbed as blood sugar very rapidly. What most people don't realize however, is that when you eat your potato as a whole meal with your favorite lean protein, the glycemic index of the entire meal is much lower. Most people also don't realize that some white potatoes are higher in the GI than others. Baking potatoes are higher in amylose, a slow releasing starch, so the glycemic index is lower. Russet potatoes are also moderate on the GI. Waxy potatoes or boilers are high GI foods. If you're extremely carb sensitive or hypoglycemic, then you might want to eat more yams than white potatoes, but generally speaking, white potatoes make a superb addition to almost any fat burning diet. I personally eat white potatoes right up until the day of a bodybuilding contest and I have no difficulty reaching 3-4% body fat.

4. Brown Rice

Brown rice is another staple food of bodybuilders and you often see the "muscled ones" chowing down piatefuls of rice, both in season and out of season (in smaller quantities during the "cutting-up" season). Prior to contests, bodybuilders sometimes reduce the amount of rice (starchy carbs) and add in more green veggies (fibrous carbs), but rice is a solid year round staple, as long as you keep your calories in check. Obviously, this means avoiding fried rice or other rice dishes that have added fat and calories. Steamed or boiled rice is the way to go.

Of the many types of rice, slow-cooked brown rice or basmati rice are your number one choices. Instant (pre-cooked) rice is fine when you're in a crunch for time, but the instant rice burns much more quickly and is processed in the body more like a simple carbohydrate. The same goes for white rice, especially the sweet variety that's usually served in Chinese and Asian restaurants (including sushi rolls). White rice is the processed version of brown rice. Although it's still technically a starchy complex carbohydrate, the white rice burns faster and has been stripped of much of its nutritional value. When you're on a very strict fat loss diet, stick with the slow cooking brown rice for best results.

5. 100% Whole Wheat & Whole Grain Products

The "baseline diet" can and should contain a wide variety of bread products with one condition: They must be made from 100% whole grains (and the label must say, "100% whole wheat" or "100% whole grain" as the first ingredient). White bread and anything made out of white flour is not allowed in any quantity on this program (except the occasional planned "cheat meal"). If you're particularly carb-sensitive, then bread - even the whole wheat variety - is one of the first things to go.

A small handful of people - usually one in 200, depending on what source you listen to - have sensitivity to the gluten In the wheat. Gluten is a protein found in wheat products and, much like lactose intolerance from dairy products, gluten intolerance can cause digestive difficulties and bloating in certain individuals. Most competitive bodybuilders drop out all the pasta and bread products for the 12-16 week dieting period before a contest, then usually put them back in for off season maintenance. On very strict fat loss diets, wheat and bread products are usually eliminated completely. Generally speaking, however, 100% whole wheat and other whole grains are perfectly acceptable additions to a healthy diet for long term body composition control, it just depends on how "strict" you want or need to be with your nutrition.

6. Green Fibrous Vegetables (Broccoli, Green Beans, Asparagus, Lettuce, etc)

Fibrous carbs are your number one choice for fat burning carbohydrates. Green vegetables, also known as fibrous carbs, hardly contain any calories (they have a low calorie density). It's virtually impossible to overeat green vegetables. Eat them liberally and eat more of them late in the day. A diet of green vegetables combined with lean proteins is one of the best methods of getting lean as quickly as possible.

7. Fresh Fruit

Whole fruits are a fantastic, healthy food suitable for nearly any fat loss program. Although there are some "guru's" in the bodybuilding industry who claim, "fruit is fattening," this statement is somewhat misleading. It's true that a diet of mostly complex carbohydrate will give you better results than a diet of mostly simple carbohydrates, but that's not the same thing as saying "fruit is fattening." Although fruits are simple carbohydrates, they are natural simple carbohydrates. Most fruits are low in calories, low in carbohydrate grams (compared to starches) and high in fiber.

Some fruits such as raisins are extremely calorie dense and best avoided when you're on a strict fat loss program and your calorie ailotment is small. Fruits like apples, peaches, grapefruits, and oranges, at only 60-80 calories apiece (or less), are a great addition to almost any nutritional plan. Just make sure the majority of your carbohydrates are of the complex type. An all-fruit or mostly fruit diet won't be as effective for fat loss as one that is mostly green fibrous carbohydrates with lean protein.

8. Skim Milk & Nonfat Dairy Products

"Dairy products" cover an entire category of foods including milk, cheese, yogurt, sugar free frozen yogurt, and cottage cheese. To make it on the BFFM "approved" list, a dairy product must be labeled "fat-free," "skim," or 1 % lowfat. Whole milk dairy products are not allowed, as they are high in fat. Even 2% low fat milk is still 37.5% fat by calories.

Dairy products are a "combination food" - they contain carbohydrates and proteins. Because the protein found in dairy products is high quality, complete protein, a high protein dairy product can count as an exchange for a protein food. For example, you could have non-fat cottage cheese as a protein instead of a serving of lean meat. Non-fat cheese can also boost the protein content of a meal. Yogurt tends to have

less protein than cottage cheese, so a single container of yogurt wouldn't count as a full protein serving. In fact, yogurt would count more as a simple carbohydrate exchange than a protein (although, you could mix in a scoop of protein powder into your yogurt to make it "high-protein yogurt).

9. Chicken Breast & Turkey Breast

Chicken and turkey are probably the number one most popular protein sources among bodybuilders and fat loss seekers. Remove the skin and get the light meat found in the breasts. The thighs are higher in fat and calories. Naturally, your poultry should be broiled, grilled, or roasted and not fried.

Also, we're talking about the real bird here, not the sliced lunch meat you find at deli's or pre-packed in supermarkets. Lunch meats are processed proteins. Some nutritionists call them "fabricated foods" because they are made from a mix and poured into a mold before being cooked and wrapped. While these are acceptable occasionally, don't make them a staple in your regular daily diet. Lunch meats are loaded with sodium, preservatives, binders, fillers and other nasty chemicals that you don't want floating around in your body'

10. Egg Whites

The name of the game in fat-burning, muscle-building nutrition is to eat a lean protein with every meal. With zero fat, egg whites are as lean as lean proteins get. Egg whites are right up there with chicken breasts as one of the top three lean proteins of choice for losing fat and gaining muscle. Eggs are a super-high quality protein. The problem with whole eggs is the high fat and calorie content. Fortunately, 100% of the fat is in the yolk, while the protein is split evenly between the yolk and the white. This doesn't mean you have to throw out all your yolks, but it does mean you should limit your yolks. I'd recommend one yolk for every six whites you eat. Just crack them open, and separate the yolk from the white using the edge of the shell. Or, even easier, simply use "Egg Beaters" or another packaged egg white product. There must be hundreds of ways to make eggs, so use your imagination:

Omelets, frittatas, scrambled, fried (in nonstick spray), over easy, sunnyside up, hard-boiled or any other way you like them, use egg whites liberally!

11. Fish & Shellfish

Many people complain about the lack of variety in a bodybuilding-style fat-burning diet, which typically has you eating egg whites, tuna and chicken day in, day out.

What most people don't eat enough of is fish and seafood. By using different types of fish and shellfish as protein sources, you can add an incredible amount of variety a well as getting those valuable good fats. Here is just a partial list of fish to consider: salmon, tuna, haddock, flounder, mackerel, trout, snapper, sea bass, swordfish,

mahi mahi, perch, orange roughy, marlin, sole, Halibut, herring cod and catfish.

As with other meats, eat your fish baked, grilled or broiled and avoid fatty, high calorie sauces and butter. Most fish are very low in fat and high in protein. Some fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring and trout, are high in fat. However, because fish Is so high in Omega 3 fatty acids, these fish can and should be used liberally. Shellfish have many of the benefits that fish have and it can add some variety to your diet if you're getting bored of egg whites and chicken. This category includes shrimp, crab, lobster, mussels, etc. By the way, when you're eating in restaurants, fish is a great choice, as long as you make sure there are no hidden bad fats or extra calories.

12. Lean Red Meat

BodyBuilders are quite famous for loving their red meat. Many bodybuilders believe that red meat helps muscle growth, and there may be much truth in that statement. Red meat is high in protein, B-12, iron and creatine. The problem with most cuts of red meat is the high fat content. However, not all cuts of red meat are the same. It's a mistake to label the entire red meat category as a no-no because of high fat content. If you carefully choose the leanest cuts possible and keep your portion sizes small, red meat can be a great addition to a fat burning program. For example, a 6 oz serving of lean, trimmed top round steak has only 9 grams of fat, while a 6 oz of untrimmed porterhouse has 37 grams of fat (and the 18 oz porterhouse you're often served in a steak house has over 100 grams of Iat! )

By the Author:

Tom Venuto

click-here-to-download-this-report-foods-that-burn-fat

Dr. Saman Bakhtiar is a Riverside Personal Trainer and Boot Camp Instructor.

If you know anyone looking for personal training in the Inland Empire, send them to Fitness Concepts.

We will take good care of them.

Here at our amazing Health Club we are the gym of all gyms….click here to check out our gym.

We offer Boot Camps, Fitness Training, Nutritional Consultations and a friendly awesome staff ready to take on all weight loss and fat loss challenges.

Dr. Saman Bakhtiar a Chino Hills personal trainer interviews his awesome client John B. John talks about why he started an exercise program and his results thus far.

Special Olympics Polar Plunge

Hello there one of my most special clients and his dad recently wrote me a letter that I would like to share with you.

I have added links and photos to his letter with his permission,  but that is about it.

Check it out and support our community…………as it encompasses so many variety of people with various intellectual challenges.

Sam,

I am Area Director of Pomona Valley Special Olympics which covers the cities of Diamond Bar, San Dimas, Walnut, Pomona, Claremont, Glendora and La Verne.
We provide free year round sports activities for our athletes with intellectual disabilities.

Michael is a Pomona Valley athlete and has been training at Fitness Concepts since your first 6 week class in November last year.

The transformation is incredible.

He has gone from 187 to 158 lbs and we thank you, Randy and all those trainers and clients who have been very supportive of Michael for this great improvement.

Special Olympics is holding a Polar Plunge at Bonelli Regional Park on February 27th to raise funds for our 2010 program.

Funds can be raised in several ways.
Donate direct to a plunger already registered. (Michael Evans)
Register as a plunger and collect donations
General donation
Form a team and collect donations from team supporters and friends.

This is a fun event.   Check it out!

There you can see photos from past "Plunges" and information about the event and Donate section on the left hand side.

Connect to "support a plunger" and type Michael Evans in the box.

Michael has received good support to date.

To see the improvements in athletes when they are coached, given positive support and encouragement is very rewarding
To see their faces when they compete and place is very rewarding to me and my coaches.
Just like watching the progress with the clients in your exercise programs as they achieve their goals.

It too must be very rewarding to you and your staff.

So any support you, your trainers and clients can provide to the Polar Plunge will enable us to continue our program and provide physical activities and programs for those athletes with intellectual and physical disabilities.

Thank you very much for your guidance and support of Michael in his exercise program.

We are very proud of what he has achieved.

Thank you
Russell Evans

Russell Evans

Area Director

Pomona Valley Special Olympics

909 319 7693

revans@sosc.org
Join us Saturday, February 27, 2010 at Bonelli Park for our annual Polar Plunge.
For more information, visit www.sosc.org
http://www.sosc.org/beafan

http://shoptohelp.sosc.org/shop

http://www.sosc.org/bowlforthegold

http://pierdelsol.org/

http://www.sosc.org/CBS.KCAL.2009.htm

http://www.sosc.org/Polar_Plunge_Main.htm

http://www.sosc.org/SummerGames_2009.htm

How to fix your flat A**

As you and I know we have all been blessed with different body types.

Some may think of their derriére as a blessing, while others would rather say their rear is a curse!

I say, let's work with what you have and turn your butt into your sexiest and most loved body part!

I have outlined for you some of the most affective proven butt building exercises.

Each day that it's time to train your lovely lower body, choose three exercises from the list below.

Consistency is absolutely key in seeing, and feeling results.
The Resistance Exercises
Squats:

Squats are an excellent and proven way of training your gluteus maximus (butt).

You can add resistance by performing them while holding dumbbells in your hands or with a bar across your shoulders.

If you opt for the bar (advanced), make sure you have a spotter unless the resistance is very light.

Varying the width of your feet will change the emphasis of the exercise.

The closer together your feet are, the more your quads (front of the thighs) will work.

As you move your feet further apart, you'll feel the exercise more in your hips and butt.

You should always have someone check your form to be sure you're doing squats properly.

If you go to a gym, the leg press machine may be easier to use than doing squats with a bar, and it attacks the same region.

Lunges:

Lunges are another exercise that works your glutes.

Singer Jessica Simpson was noted to have fallen in love with lunges as she sculpted her body to fit her daisy duke shorts in The Dukes of Hazzard.

Here are several different types of lunges:

o Stationary lunges
o Walking lunges
o Alternating lunges
o Side lunges

As a refresher on how to do a lunge, let's review the stationary lunge with dumbbells.

Hold two dumbbells to the side of your body.

Bring one leg forward and stand so that you have good balance.

Bend both legs and allow the dumbbells to bring your body down towards the ground, making sure your front knee does not go past your toes.

At this time the other knee will almost touch the floor; then come back up.

Do all of the reps with one leg forward and then continue with the second leg.
Hip Extension:

Hip extension is a movement that I will always include in my pre-contest training or when I want my butt to look its best.

This exercise, which I have learned as "Flutter Kicks" will surely make your hamstrings and glutes burn with delight.

OK, maybe this doesn't sound like fun to you, but if you simply give me a chance here, you may start enjoying it as much as I do.

On a step or platform, (or on your bed if you train at home) lie facedown with hips on the edge of the step, legs straight with toes resting lightly on the floor.

(If you are using a bed, your legs will be off the edge and your feet high off the floor.)

Squeeze your glutes and hamstrings and straighten the legs until they are level with the hips.

Flutter Kicks

Lift one leg higher then the other and alternate.

Move each leg as though you are doing a flutter kick in water.

Try doing 3 sets of 20 repetitions on each leg.

Do you want more?

Once you have done your 3 sets of Flutter Kicks, in the same position, contract your glutes and hamstrings so that your legs are parallel with the floor and move your legs open, then close.

When you close them, have one leg cross over the other.

Alternate each rep, which leg is crossing over.

Try doing 2-3 sets of 20 repetitions on each leg.

Deadlifts:

Deadlifts are excellent for your hamstrings, butt and lower back, but form is critical!

Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart, and your weights in front of thighs (bar or dumbbells).

Keeping back flat and abs in, bend forward from the hips and lower your torso until your weights reach your shins.

This is where it's time to SQUEEZE your butt to raise back up.

Remember to keep your weights (bar) close to your legs throughout the entire range of motion, with just the slightest bend in the knees.

Make sure that you don't hyper extend your knees. Do 3 sets of 8-12 reps.
Stepping Your Way To Tight Buns

Stairmasters & Climbers:

These machines when used at a slower frequency with honest, normal steps will recruit your butt muscles into action.

Do you ever see people at the gym leaning on the machine with their arms and staying on their tiptoes?

You have either seen them, or are one of them.

Spending 30 minutes on the climber, cheating your way through each step will not bring you results.

Feel your body weight as you step down through your heel of each foot.

The benefit of completing full steps rather than short mini steps is that your legs and glutes will be enjoying a better workout, as will your heart.

Yes this way may be more challenging but it's the challenge that will raise your cheeks and heart rate = burned calories = fat loss.

If you think that steppers will make your butt bigger, you may be eating more then you think.

Steppers and a treadmill (on a high incline for walking) have been the foundation for keeping my butt firm, and round.

Start at 20 minutes 3 days / week.

If you want to make noticeable changes, step your way up to 30 - 45 min sessions, 5 - 6 days a week.

Final Points

Before I let you hit the gym, there are a few points that are important to know.

You can't choose where you gain weight.

If you start eating more and lifting weights, there is no guarantee that your butt will be the area reaping the benefits.

The shape of your butt is primarily based on genetics.

Looking at your parents or other relatives you will probably notice that you have inherited some of their genes.

Doing lower body exercises (along with upper body training and cardio) and eating more calories than you burn can help you build muscle but your genetics will decide how much your butt can really change.

There isn't one magic exercise that will make your butt change.

Consistency in the gym paired with a nutrient packed eating plan with adequate amounts of protein will be your keys to bringing out the best your glorious glutes have to offer!

Thank you for reading our blog.  We hope this information was valuable.

Dr. Saman Bakhtiar is a Riverside Personal Trainer and Boot Camp Instructor.

If you know anyone looking for personal training in the Inland Empire, send them to Fitness Concepts.

We will take good care of them.

Here at our amazing Health Club we are the gym of all gyms….click here to check out our gym.

We offer Boot Camps, Fitness Training, Nutritional Consultations and a friendly awesome staff ready to take on all weight loss and fat loss challenges.

Here is a little technique that I use to clear my mind and set goals. Enjoy!!!

I would also love to learn more about how you motivate yourself and set goals. Please leave me a comment as I would love to learn from you as well.

Vitamin D - Sunshine Vitamin is Hot-Hot -Hot (part 1)

I have studied the importance of Vitamins and Minerals for years but I never knew how important vitamin D had become.

After recently getting a physical and blood work my very good Doctor and friend Dr. Unger. told me that I was chronically low in vitamin D.

I couldn't believe it!!! I thought that I was in perfect condition.

Well, I was wrong so I decided to do some research about Vitamin D.

It doesn't matter if it's a 15 year old young athlete trying to put on some muscle, a working mom who is trying to shed those last 10 lbs, or a 60 year old grandpa who is looking to improve his health …

And my answer is always the same - let's first look at your diet before assessing if you should be taking a supplement(s).

Most are overrated, but there are some that have merit for sure.

And one vitamin that continues to dominate the science and media is vitamin D -the "Sunshine Vitamin."

Not long ago it was thought of as more of a "helper" nutrient - helping the body better utilize its calcium for strong bones.

But the game has changed.

GRAB HOLD THE POWER OF THE SUN!!

Experts now realize that vitamin D has a positive effect on many different functions in the body:

• muscle strength
• bone health
• potentially reducing the risk of type 1 and 2 diabetes
• obesity
• cancer prevention
• Alzheimer's
• arthritis
• decreasing falls with elderly
• other inflammatory issues

And more and more research is showing that a good majority of the population is deficient - here are just some prevalence numbers from several studies:

* 74% of premenopausal women
* 60% of elderly
* 50% of pregnant women
* 42% of children are deficient!

The first step is to get your levels tested - ask for your doctor to test 25-hydroxyvitamin D .

The blood values should be between 50-80 ng/mL (or 125-200 nM/L) year-round.

So if it's so important, where do we get it?

We can make vitamin D from sunlight. But most "shun the sun" - by either rarely venturing outdoors, or slathering themselves with 4000 SPF suntan lotion so it's like a suit of armor.
I blame my wife for being low on Vitamin D since she never let's me out in the sun without putting 4000 SPF sunblock on me.

(She is an esthetician so she is always worried about skin and sun damage)
I know she really has my best interest at heart.

And some other foods provide D too, but it's difficult to get through foods - milk is fortified, canned and wild salmon are good options, sardines, anchovies, egg yolks, liver, and only a few other foods provide decent quantities Vitamin D. Unfortunately most don't eat or drink many of those options above.

So what should we do?

1. Go to the doctor and have your levels tested.

(If you live in the area I recommend Dr. Unger)

14726 Ramona Ave.Suite 110 Chino, CA 91710 (909)590-8409

He truly is one of the best out there.

2. Include some of those foods above for quality sources of D, along with other nutrients.

The Body Itself Makes Vitamin D When Exposed to the Sun

3. Get out in the sun a bit - just 10 minutes each day seems to be sufficient.

4. Add a quality vitamin D supplement - experts seem to agree that 1000 IU's of Vitamin D3 each day is a good start.

Of course talk to your health care provider and follow their specific recommendations.

Heck, even Bailee takes 400 IU's every single day … and she's just 7 months old!

So to answer the "what supplement should I take" question - this is one supplement that I feel should be on everyone's shelf.

For more information on this subject I recommend talking to

Dr. Unger.

14726 Ramona Avenue

Suite 110

Chino, CA 91710

(909)590-8409

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Chino Personal Training

Here is one of my favorite quotes:

"Never tell a young person that something cannot be done.

God may have been waiting for centuries for someone ignorant enough of the impossible to do that thing."

You got to check this video out. Both my wife and I couldn't believe what our 4 month old baby girl was able to do.

WARNING !!!  Never attempt this at home with your child.

Loren is a liscensed physical therapist and works with national gymnastic champions.

From the young age of 4 yrs. old,  Loren's daughter Holly, has been able to hold a handstand.

What amazing things can happen with positive reinforcement.

Today Holly has accomplished the National Champion status in Acrobatic Gymnastics and is currently working with Cirque du soleil.

You see as children we don't have fears and we are only limited by our imagination.

But something happens to us as we grow up and we start doubting ourselves.

Could it be the constant "you can't do this",  "you are not good at that",

" You will never become that.", from the adults?

As a first time father I would love your opinion on this subject.

Please leave me a comment.

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If there is a subject you are curious about let us know!

We are having a Blast doing these Blogs for you!!

Corona Personal Training

]]> http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/2010/02/01/bailees-balancing-act/feed/ http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/2010/01/26/what-you-cheatah-woods-have-in-common/ http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/2010/01/26/what-you-cheatah-woods-have-in-common/#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:34:39 +0000 Dr. Saman http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/?p=6756

Cheating is nothing more than going against what you have promised.

If you promised yourself and others that you will follow a nutrition program and you cheat
and don't follow it then that means you broke that promise right?

Same thing as when you got married or dating someone exclusively and decided to cheat
on him/her.

Guess what you did?

Yes you guessed it, you broke your promise.

Now I completely agree that they are of total different magnitude.

But are they?

You see they are way different at the conscious level.

I mean cheating on your spouse and having some Doritos while you are dieting is definitely not the same.

But at the subconscious level (which is the most important) all you have done is broke a promise
and didn't do what you said you were going to do.

Remember your subconscious is where your body stores all your programming.

And believe me you don't ever want to install a program that says:

"It's OK not to follow through"

or

"It's OK to break your promise"

The problem with cheating or breaking your promise is that once you do it and cross that line
it becomes easier and easier to do it again.

I hate to say it once I heard about Tiger Woods having an affair I knew that it wasn't going
to be only one.

(Although around women I always stick up for him and say he is innocent) wink wink to protect the mankind lol

The same thing applies to someone once they cheat on their diet.

Once they start and cross that line then it's a lot easier to cheat again and again.

Have you ever seen anyone just have on chip, or just one piece of candy.

The point that I am trying to get across is that try your best not to break any promises that you have made to yourself and others.
You see every time that you break a promise it sends a message to your subconscious mind that it's OK not to follow through with
your word.

There are consequences to face on either side……………..of the fence…..

Consequences of Cheating…….

ON your SPOUSE

ON your DIET

On your Spouse

On your Diet

On your Spouse

ON your Diet

ON your Spouse

On Your Diet

On your Spouse

ON your Diet

ON your Spouse

ON your Diet

Again I really believe that the magnitude of the two are few and far between but each can have a great impact on your life.

I just like to get you thinking!!

My apologies if I have offended some of you or possibly hit a sore spot!!

But hey……..

I GOT YA THINKING

didn't I!!  huh??

My best goes out to all of you so please at any degree or magnitude

STOP  CHEATING  IT  IS  BAD  ALL  AROUND!!!!

AND IF YOU DID CHEAT, OWN IT & FIX THE PROBLEM.

DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE TWICE!!

And in my opinion your word is all you got in this world.

If your word doesn't mean anything then what is that saying about you?

Press Release from Tiger Woods

December 2. 2009

Woods released a statement on his website today, apologizing for his transgressions in the aforementioned matters. I hope Woods' family will be able to work things out, with he and his wife remaining married, taking care of their children. Do not let this scandal get the best of you.

Tiger comments on current events

By Tiger Woods 12/02/2009 - I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone.

Although I am a well-known person and have made my career as a professional athlete, I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means. For the last week, my family and I have been hounded to expose intimate details of our personal lives. The stories in particular that physical violence played any role in the car accident were utterly false and malicious. Elin has always done more to support our family and shown more grace than anyone could possibly expect.

But no matter how intense curiosity about public figures can be, there is an important and deep principle at stake which is the right to some simple, human measure of privacy. I realize there are some who don't share my view on that. But for me, the virtue of privacy is one that must be protected in matters that are intimate and within one's own family. Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn't have to mean public confessions.

Whatever regrets I have about letting my family down have been shared with and felt by us alone. I have given this a lot of reflection and thought and I believe that there is a point at which I must stick to that principle even though it's difficult.

I will strive to be a better person and the husband and father that my family deserves. For all of those who have supported me over the years, I offer my profound apology.

http://web.tigerwoods.com

Thank you and if you enjoyed this Blog please click the facebook icon below.

If you haven't visited our website and would like to….click here.

Looking forward to bringing you more interesting info soon!

If there is a subject you are curious about let us know!

We are having a Blast doing these Blogs for you!!

Corona Personal Training

]]> http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/2010/01/26/what-you-cheatah-woods-have-in-common/feed/ http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/2010/01/25/inspirational-speech-from-al-pacino/ http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/2010/01/25/inspirational-speech-from-al-pacino/#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2010 04:12:54 +0000 Dr. Saman http://www.fitnessgurusam.com/?p=6966

Al Pacino is truly one of my favorite actors of all time. I am not a big movie buff but I love watching inspirational movies. There is a few movie clips that I watch Every now and then when I need a little dose of motivation. Here is one of them. Enjoy!!

Please leave me a comment about your favorite movie or clip that has inspired you.

Next week I will share with you another awesome clip that has really had an impact in my life.

I also just finished putting the final touches on my very controversial blog post titled "Tiger Woods and Cheating". I will release this controversial blog on Thursday 1/28/2010.

WARNING PLEASE DO NOT READ THE BLOG "YOU AND TIGER WOODS ARE CHEATERS"  ON THURSDAY  IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED.