Tired of Bad Nutrition Advice

I just read this nutrition advice clip in my email box about whether organic foods are good or bad... (comments follow)

Research has yet to prove an adverse health effect from consuming the low levels of pesticides commonly found in U.S. food. But for the most vulnerable groups -- children and pregnant women -- going organic whenever possible for fruits and vegetables that carry the heaviest pesticide load makes sense. For organic meat, poultry, eggs, and milk, the direct health benefit is less clear.

Pesticide contaminants pose the biggest risk to children and fetuses. Pesticides have been shown to cross the placenta during pregnancy, and a study by scientists at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health in New York found a link between pesticide use in New York apartments and impaired fetal growth.

Why do we have to wait for until nutrition research proves that there are any adverse health effects for adults or not?

This seems slightly absurd.

I'm tired of the media waiting for nutrition research. If we wait for another 20 year comprehensive study to be completed, we're going to die in the process. We have to start taking nutrition advice from our own common sense.

Research was inconclusive about cigarettes and asbestos once upon a time also.

Pesticides kill bugs. They kill living matter. They kill your cells.

If I had an organic apple and sprayed Raid all over it, would you eat it?

No.

If I then took the apple--sprayed with Raid--and washed it under the sink right in front of you... then handed it to you to eat.

Would you still eat it?

I hope not.

We are slaves to this nutrition advice... we hang on every word of it.

Stop today.

Do you really think that something that might be bad for babies could possibly be good for us?

Please remove your head from the dirt and start living fantastically.

Eat organic. Smile. You'll be OK!

Be sure to get your copy of the "Busy Person's Fitness Solution" in 2007. It might be the most valuable purchase you'll ever make. Click here for a special deal!

Live Awesome!
Kevin

Creating a Home Gym - Home Workout Tips

Here are a few home workout tips on creating a home gym...

Working out at home really has nothing to do with what equipment you have, it has to do with your drive and motivation to stick with a plan.

The first piece of "equipment" I generally recommend is a goal setting program to help a client reach a level of accountability. Otherwise, they'll never see the results that they're looking for.

In the home, it's easy for many people to go astray. Interruptions, deliveries, phones, anything other than the exercise at hand can be a distraction. Over time, these things can become debilitating to a home exercise program.

I've seen hundreds of pieces of great equipment turn in to dusty shelves for old clothing and high school yearbooks! There is always great intentions, but without proper direction, there's not much hope someone will stick to a program.

In terms of other equipment, I recommend different items based on a person's likes, dislikes and usable space.

Exercise balls and bands don't take up a ton of space and are very cheap. Some of the Bowflex models are just as space efficient, but are thousands of dollars more. If you want to talk more about these, I'll gladly expand and give you more items we use.

For more home workout tips and a free report on how to get the weight loss motivation you've always dreamed of having visit LiveAwesome.com!

Self Motivation - Juggling Work, Family and Fitness

To find self motivation, I always tell the people I work with to accept the fact that without their health they will not be able to enjoy the things they really care about in the future or even now. Including their work, family and everything else material.

To help you recognize that you do in fact need to be fit and healthy in order to balance your lives, here are some things you can do to find that self motivation.

1. You need to realize that you have a challenge at hand and need to face it.

You cannot change any behavior without recognizing it.

2. You need to sit down and actually spend time thinking about what your real priorities are.

Many times the reason people are so mixed up is because they don't know what to focus on in the first place. The self motivation comes when you've figured out what you want to do.

3. You need to make a habit of visualization of your goals and priorities.

If you cannot connect to the visual picture of what you want--e.g. spending more time with the family or getting in better shape or having more energy--then you most likely will not get what you want.

4. You need to take action.

One of the main reasons most people don't have the time to do things with family and for themselves is because they spend too much time over thinking what they're going to do and not enough time actually doing something.

Your self motivation will soar if you just do these 4 simple things!

Click here for more great information on self motivation and a free report on how to get laser-like focus to achieve the body you've always wanted!

Energy Drinks - Good, Bad, Ugly?

Energy drinks are concocted, chemical garbage.

Their ingredients are a laundry list of sugar and fake sugars, petroleum based artificial colors, synthetic vitamins and added minerals.

I don't ever recommend them to my clients and audiences because they're a chopshop type of fuel that taken on a basic level can do much more harm than good.

A more effective energy drink is one that I've concocted based on my own nutritional research and years of running. It is completely natural, won't give you the stomach ache some drinks do and works better for replenishing than all the other energy drinks out there.

Here's the recipe:

12-16 Oz. Filtered Coconut Water
1-2 Tablespoons RAW Honey
3-4 Slices of Lemon or 2 oz Lemon Juice (Fresh)
3-4 Pinches of Celtic Sea Salt

Mix it up and drink throughout your workout, marathon, triathlon, or whatever else you're training for.

In this homemade, super energy drink, the cococut water hydrates and is a perfect natural electrolyte solution. The sea salt provides minerals that are needed for muscle firing. The lemon brings taste and acid to the mix which helps with hydration. The raw honey supplies sugars to replenish glucose stores as well as amino acids--it also does not create acidity in the body like processed sugar does. This is good because processed sugar and exercise create excessive acid.

It's not for diabetics, but I don't think any energy drink is!

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To find out where to get some of these ingredients and more on save and chemical ways to reach optimal fitness and health, visit LiveAwesome.com

Overcoming Diet Plateaus

Hey Kevin! How do I get through a plateau? I've been stuck at 230 for about 3 months now?

Diet plateaus are disheartening at times and one of the best ways to get through them is to smile, lighten up and know that you're going to lose the weight. Your body makes constant adjustments, particularly while you are dieting, and if you are sticking to your plan the plateau will eventually pass.

When I deal with my clients, I always recommend that they don’t focus on the number at all and focus on how they are feeling and how their clothes are fitting. When it becomes a numbers game, frustration ensues and then no one is happy with the results, even if they feel better, look better and have seen other benefits.

Those that focus on the number usually haven't put the real reason they are losing the weight into perspective. It's easier to stick through the hard times knowing that you are losing the weight to be a great mother, a great career woman, or accomplish more with increased energy, than to merely focus on losing 10 pounds.

Live Awesome!
Kevin

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Kevin Gianni is founder of LiveAwesome.com, the awesome-est, no-BS resource for optimal health, weight loss tips and motivation. Visit LiveAwesome.com today for a free subscription to the revolutionary "50-Second Fitness Quick Fix" Video-zine and get health and fitness tips delivered--by video--to your inbox!

Kevin is also the co-author of "The Busy Person's Fitness Solution."

Click here for In-home Connecticut personal training

The Single, Most Important Thing You Can Add to Your Diet for Optimal Health

I've heard different advice as what is the best thing to do right now to change your diet. Eat less carbs, eat less fat, eat less...

This is all great advice, but there is one single piece of advice that transcends all of these tips--and that is to have one fresh vegetable juice a day.

There is no better way to get whole nutrients, get more energy and feel fantastic than to drink at least one vegetable juice a day.

Good news for the busy person, is that you will find juicers at most local health food stores, so you'll never have to clean the machine and prepare them yourself!

When you juice a vegetable you separate the enzymes, vitamins and minerals from the fiber. This gives you a concentrated mix that will put you bounds ahead in your health and fitness.

Juicing can be better than other types of supplementation because the nutrients are still fresh and none of them are damaged because of heat, cold, exposure or any other factor that can deplete their potency.

The effects of adding fresh fruit and vegetable juices to your diet can be seen in days. Many people I have worked with tell me their skin and blemishes clear up, scratches and injuries heal faster and overall energy levels rise dramatically.

If you’ve never had a fresh vegetable juice—and I don’t mean any of the juices that you see in the grocery stores in the bottles—I want you to go to the local health store and see if they make them. Most of them do have juicers on the premises. Ask for something simple and try it. You’ll be amazed at how good it tastes!

If you’ve already juiced before either wipe the dust of your old machine or go out and buy a new one. A juicer can run anywhere from $80.00-$4000.00, but to start don’t spend a bunch of money. A centrifugal juicer is fine to start. This type of juicer will juice any hard vegetable and some leafy vegetables. There are other types—press, screw and wheatgrass—but this is the best way to start. Click here for juicer reviews.

Start with pleasant tasting vegetables and fruits. Carrots, beets, apples, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes and grapes are the best to start. Mix them together or just have them alone. Once you start to enjoy fresh juice then you can explore other combinations and vegetables. If you’re anything like me, you probably experiment a bit with different flavors and ingredients not knowing what to expect!

If you are struggling to find different ingredients… beets, kale, spinach or cabbage are just a few to try in your next mixture.

Try putting garlic in your juice to boost your immune system, ginger to aid in digestion or cilantro to give it an added fresh flavor for the summer!

Be sure to buy produce that is organically grown. These fruits and vegetables are loaded with more nutrients and have none of the pesticides you’ll find in non-organic foods.

Also be sure to clean your juicer after each use to avoid any mold growth that will compromise all the wonderful benefits of fresh juices.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kevin Gianni is the author of "The Busy Person's Fitness Solution." He is on a personal mission to de-mystify health and fitness and demonstrate how easy it is for busy people to be in great shape.

He conducts seminars, writes articles, has been quoted in the national press and is the creator of the revolutionary "50-Second Fitness Quick Fix Video-zine"--the only video fitness newsletter that gives you the skinny on everything health and fitness related in quick, easy to digest bites.

Visit The 50 Second Quick Fix to see it for yourself for free!

Stop Bargain Hunting at the Supermarket... Your Health Is on the Line

You’ve done it before. You’ve cut coupons. You’ve looked in the flyers. You’ve told the cashier that you have a Stop and Shop card when you don’t.

As Americans, we just don’t want to pay a lot for our food and as a trainer and coach, I speak to a lot of people who bargain shop for the most important product they could possibly buy—their food—and they’re paying the price with their health.

Organic, natural foods, fresh fish and meats are more expensive, but there’s a reason.

You have to spend money on food and you have to spend a lot. Why? Because you need to fuel your body with good, nutritious and healthy foods. You need to realize that just because there is food on the shelf doesn’t mean that it’s good for you. Food companies are selling to you. They will do whatever it takes—pesticides, waxes, chemical fertilizers, genetic engineering—to make that food look good and stay on the shelf longer.

You need to get over your resistance to spending money on food.

I just picked some fresh vegetables from a friend’s garden yesterday. The leaves are already starting to wilt. What does that tell you about your super-tough, non-organic shiny supermarket produce? It tells you that it’s been tampered with.

When I hear “organic and healthy foods are too expensive” excuse I cringe. You have to reassess your priorities. Would you buy a TV at the dollar store? Would you buy a used car at the scrap yard?

No!

You wouldn’t because you wouldn’t trust that it was worth anything. Same deal with your food. The cheap food has little nutrient value. Sure it might give you energy but you get what you pay for! It’s just like buying a sleek looking TV with no parts inside.

I spend a large amount of money on food every month. Why? We know it puts me at the top of my game. It gives me fantastic energy and infectious energy. Want to feel that way? Spend more on food!

If you still truly believe it’s not in your budget… I still think you’re being silly.

Do you buy a coffee at Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks in the morning? Do you eat out once a week? Do you use premium gas when you really could use regular? Do you buy lotto tickets? Cigarettes? Alcohol?

If you do anyone or all of these things, I know you can afford the $20-25 more a week to spend on your health.

You only have one chance here on earth as far as I know, so spend it wisely!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kevin Gianni is the author of "The Busy Person's Fitness Solution." He is on a personal mission to de-mystify health and fitness and demonstrate how easy it is for busy people to be in great shape.

He conducts seminars, writes articles, has been quoted in the national press and is the creator of the revolutionary "50-Second Fitness Quick Fix Video-zine"--the only video fitness newsletter that gives you the skinny on everything health and fitness related in quick, easy to digest bites.

Visit The 50 Second Quick Fix to see it for yourself for free!