Answer Fitness®: Practical Fitness Advice for Everyone

The Seven Healthy Habits of Highly Fit People

Adopt these seven, simple habits of really fit people and realize the benefits of a healthier body. 

Ever wonder how people who always seem to be in great physical shape got that way? More importantly how do they stay healthy, fit and in-shape?

Here are the seven healthy habits that almost all fit people seem to have in common:

Healthy Habit #1: They Eat

No one ever dieted their way to long term fitness and health. Despite the disturbing trend toward fad diets like Master Cleanse (which involve extreme calorie restriction or striking entire food groups from a person’s diet,)  well-conditioned, in-shape people eat.  And they actually eat a lot.

The difference between fit eaters and fat eaters, is that highly fit people eat differently — they tend to eat more whole, unprocessed foods; have higher lean protein intake; consume the bulk of their carbohydrates in the form of complex carbs like whole grains, vegetables and whole fruit; and avoid the “fat free food” trap.  They also tend to eat more frequently (as many as six to seven meals a day), but make those meals smaller. 

The result is that they have more stable blood sugar, more consistent energy levels, and are less prone to gaining body fat because they rarely eat more calories in any given meal than their body can utilize.

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Low Fat Ranch Dip | Healthy Recipes and Snacks

Try this low-fat, high-protein ranch dip recipe to help you get your daily vegetables

Eating your five servings of vegetables each day is easier when you have a great, low-fat dip recipe. This recipe is even better because it contains only two ingredients and can be prepared in less than 2 minutes start-to-finish.  The best part, however, is the taste.

Low Fat Ranch Dip 

Ingredients
1 16 oz container of Quark (or substitute low-fat Greek Yogurt or a similar strained yogurt product)
1 packet Hidden Valley® Ranch Dip Mix (or Fiesta Ranch Dip Mix)

Directions
1.  Mix the Hidden Valley® Ranch Dip Mix and quark or greek yogurt in a medium sized bowl. For best results, let chill for 1 hour prior to serving.  Serves eight.  Serving size is 1/4 cup of dip. Use as a dip for broccoli, carrots, celery sticks, and cauliflower.

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Quark, The Perfect Sour Cream Substitute | Healthy Food of the Day

Quark cheese is a healthy substitute for sour cream that’s low in fat, high in protein and tastes great! 

Love sour cream heaped on baked potatoes, nachos or even in your favorite veggie dip but hate the high fat and high calories?

It’s time for you to discover the wonders of Quark, a thick yogurt-type cheese. Quark is a great, healthy substitute for sour cream in terms of both flavor and consistency, and blows it out of the water on the nutritional front. 

Okay, so it has a funny name. But once you get past that, Quark deserves a spot in the refrigerator of anyone who is interested in healthy eating.

So what is Quark and why should I make it a regular part of my daily diet?

Traditional Quark is a fresh cheese from Central Europe.  It can be solid (but soft), or thick and creamy (like sour cream.) Historically, it’s been made with whole milk, which of course means it has full-fat as well. However, a number of companies have recently introduced Quark made from low-fat or fat-free milk, which makes it a very healthy alternative to things like sour cream and even cream cheese.  It’s similar to yogurt cheese or Greek strained yogurt, but a bit thicker and richer in taste. This makes it perfect as a sour cream substitute.

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Keep Those Swimmers Happy: Folate May Help Encourage Healthy Male Sperm

Maybe Popeye only had half of the picture.

New research from the University of California - Berkeley, indicates that eating folate-rich foods, like spinach and other dark, leafy vegetables, might decrease the risk of birth defects not just in women, but in men as well.

“Recent studies have suggested that paternal diet affects sperm count and motility, which is important for conception, but this new study takes it further to say that male diet may be important for healthy offspring as well,” said study coordinator Suzanne Young, a researcher at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health. “Our study is the first to look at the effects of diet on chromosomal abnormalities in sperm. These abnormalities would cause either miscarriages or children with genetic syndromes if the sperm fertilized an egg.” 

The researchers are careful to point out that there is only a link between increased folate consumption among males and decreased birth defects in their female partners, not a causal relationship. 

What’s the difference?

Links only demonstrate that something about the research subjects’ diet (which in this case contained higher folate levels) had an impact on decreased birth defects. More controlled studies are necessary to isolate whether folate, or other factors, may have contributed to the improvements in sperm health. Furthermore, to determine with certainty whether folate operates in a similar way in the broader population, researchers are recommending that the study be conducted with a larger group.  

That said, ongoing research suggests that a diverse diet, which includes a wide-range of vegetables (including spinach) has positive health benefits. Good sources of folate include spinach, leafy vegetables, asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, kidney beans, and orange juice.

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How to Choose A Gym That’s Right For You

Ask yourself these nine questions to make sure you’re choosing the perfect gym … before you sign the contract.

Whether you are looking to get in-shape and choosing a gym or fitness club for the first time or have a current gym membership and are looking to make a change, finding the right place to work out can be a confusing and intimidating process, especially for beginners.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. 

The International Health Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) estimates that in 2006 there were 29,000 commercial fitness centers in America. If you live in a major metropolitan area, you can expect to find between 10-25 fitness centers competing for your membership. In smaller towns, your choices may be more limited, but between local rec centers, nearby colleges, the YMCA and commercial gyms, it’s easier than ever to have access to a gym, regardless of your location.

So with so many options, how do can you be sure you’re making the right choice?

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Mexican Food Fillings That Won’t Expand Your Waistline | Healthy Food of The Day

Making a healthy, low-fat, high-protein Mexican meal isn’t too difficult, provided you have the right ingredients.

For the wrapper or shell, consider the La Tortilla Factory Low-Carb Tortillas, or another brand of healthy tortillas or wraps. 

But what about the filling?

Generally, you’ll want to fill your taco or burrito with a low-fat protein source. Whether you are vegetarian, vegan or an omnivore, there are a number of healthy, great-tasting choices when it comes to fillings:

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La Tortilla Factory Low Carb Tortillas | Healthy Food of the Day

Think tortillas can’t be healthy? Think again. Check out these high-fiber, low-fat, and low-carb tortillas from La Tortilla Factory and let the wrapping start. 

Mexican food doesn’t have a great reputation as a “health food.” Mounds of cheese, heaps of sour cream, and deep fried tortillas may taste great, but aside from “cheat days,” they are usually off-limits to people who are trying to stay fit.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Believe it or not, it is possible to have your Mexican food and eat it too — provided you know how to make some smart substitutions for some of the more fat or calorie-laden ingredients that make up your traditional Mexican fare.  Over the next couple of Fitness Food posts, we’ll take a look at some ingredients you can use to create guilt-free Mexican meals that taste fantastic. Since the specific products may not always be available at your local grocery, I’ll try to provide some commonly-available subsitutions whenever possible.

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