Product Reviews

As many of you probably know, Apple released the highly anticipated iPhone 3G on July 11th. Being a gadget fanatic myself, I was one of those excited customers dying to get my hands on one. Though I wait for my new 3G to come in, I still get to enjoy all the wonderful perks that came with the new iPhone 2.0 software update released upon the 3G’s arrival. With this update came many new features and applications.

The new iPhone software not only offers better email management, maps and customization, the new applications are taking the whole mobile phone experience to an entirely new level.

You see, iPhone offers a new “applications section” where you can pick and choose easy to use programs. From the long list of “apps”, as they call it, you can choose from a large variety of programs that help you get the latest sports scores, find the nearest gas station, or even calculate a tip when dining out.

By: Rick Schaff

-- an excerpt from my book, MISLED

www.HEALTHandINSPIRATION.com

Health and fitness magazines and radio and television commercial producers often find themselves in precarious situations due to the nature of how they generate revenues; most of their profits are produced by selling advertising space. Unfortunately, that means that they often have little choice but to work with companies that distort the truth. Simply put, even publications and programs that have stated goals to provide beneficial information on health and fitness to their audiences are often forced to sell ad space or time to disingenuous companies to stay in business. In many cases, the articles and programming must frequently support the “fabulous results” their clients’ products claim to provide. My magazine DIVAS was in print for two years; this provided me with firsthand experience about the compromising decisions every magazine owner and/or publisher must face. Jeff Everson, former editor for Muscle & Fitness Magazine and current publisher of Planet Muscle Magazine stated the following about this situation:

“One of the biggest problems that magazines endure is their dependence on supplement ads to pay their bills. If you just tried to publish a magazine about real training, you would never make it. While one naturally tries to improve the industry, it would be suicide to bite the hands that feed you.

Have you heard of The Bar Method? It’s the slight movement workout that will leave your entire body hurtin’, but wanting more. More intense than Pilates or Yoga, the Bar Method is a routine that’s designed to work every muscle group in your body – and celebrities like Kelly Ripa and Drew Barrymore swear by it. Ripa even had news hunk Anderson Cooper sweating on the studio floor in an on-air workout.

Have you ever wondered what Sumo wrestlers eat to look the way they do? Recently, out of curiosity, I decided to do my own research and I was shocked at my findings. The Sumo diet looked a little too familiar.

First, Sumo wrestlers typically eat only two times a day, skipping breakfast to keep their metabolism low. This is also a common practice in America. Whether it’s a lack of time or appetite, many people skip breakfast. I don’t know about you, but the next time I’m tempted to skip breakfast I’ll picture myself as a Sumo wrestler.

The next rule for the overweight athlete is to nap after eating. Their secret to gaining weight is to sleep for at least 4 hours after each meal. Although most American’s don’t take 4-hour naps, we typically return to our office chair with little activity.

Obi Obadike, Francisca Dennis, Inside Fitness, and Paul Dillett of the WBFF have made history by helping to produce the first Black male and female fitness model couple on the cover of a Canadian Fitness Magazine. Obi and Francisca were featured on the Winter issue of Inside Fitness, which is the #1 fitness magazine in Canada.

Obi Obadike, as you may know, is a major contributor over at our sister site, ClarkBartram.com. His quick rise in the fitness modeling has caused him to receive a lot of attention and we’re sure to see more of him in the future.

Do you yoga? If you do, are you using a yoga block or other prop that facilitates your moves? Yoga blocks are small exercise aids made of cork or foam. They help make yoga practitioners more comfortable while also improving one’s alignment. Blocks are inexpensive and can really make a difference in your workout, especially for certain positions.

We’ve discussed the benefits of raw food before, but I’d like to devote a little more time to the raw food movement. The push to eat all-natural, unprocessed, organic foods has taken hold of many dejected dieters. Unlike other fad diets, in which the weight piles back on the second you stop dieting, the raw food diet is a movement and a lifestyle change.

An avid lover of the grace, strength and beauty of martial arts, dance and gymnastics I have always wanted to go to a Cirque Du Soleil show. This weekend I finally made the decision to do it. The show I opted to see was KA, the story of young twins separated only to find their way back together in a quest that involved extravagant fighting scenes, spectacular stage effects, and two love stories so warm they made my heart smile.

As a personal trainer and former fitness competitor that has dabbled in martial arts, dance, and gymnastics I truly appreciated the skill and dedication of these performers. The acrobatics precisely timed to music, the rhythmic gymnastics, and the pure endurance required to manipulate a stage that was rotated from flat to perpendicular (and all of the angles in between). The stunts must have required a tremendous amount of cardiovascular endurance, body control, and strength. Although most of the performers were only slightly taller than me (I’m only about 5’ 2”) they were small packages of tremendous power and sculpted physiques were rampant, I was truly in awe.

When I think of aerobics classes I can’t help but think of Jazzercise, leotards, and leg warmers. Thank goodness aerobics classes have evolved over the years into so much more than just floor aerobics and bad styles.

Today, health clubs offer a large spectrum of group exercise like Spinning, Kickboxing, Pilates, Step, Zumba, and even seated exercise classes for seniors.

So, why is group exercise growing by leaps and bounds? First and foremost, group exercise offers affordable professional guidance. Since many people can’t afford one-on-one training, group classes are a great alternative. Whether it’s learning proper form or just being motivated, group classes offer the direction, education, and encouragement so many people need.

We’ve talked on MyFitTribe before about how salads purchased in restaurants or at the drive-through are rarely what they appear to be, but I was shocked when I saw the cold, hard numbers. In the latest Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine review of fast-food and sandwich chain salads, only TWO out of 34 sampled salads checked out and received full marks on a five-star nutritional scale for fiber content and low saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and calorie levels.

When it comes to cooking, sometimes we don’t think outside the box – the recipe box that is. It’s so easy to be a creature of habit and miss out on the opportunity to try healthy alternatives.

For instance, eggs are one of the most common ingredients used in many recipes. Meatloafs, casseroles, pancakes, pies, batters, baked goods, and sauces often call for eggs as a key ingredient. Eggs are also one of the easiest foods to substitute thanks to Egg Beaters. However, many people still have never even tried them.

Let’s look at the facts: two scrambled eggs can range from 150 to 180 calories depending on the cook’s choice of milk, butter, or oil. Although an average omelet only uses three eggs, once you add all the extra goodies, you can easily rack up 500 to 900 calories in no time – and that’s without all the popular breakfast side dishes.

If I asked you what your favourite supplement was besides Whey Protein, what would you say it was? I think I’d probably hear something along the lines of Nitric Oxide type products or Creatine delivery systems. Granted, this new wave of supplements are fantastic and definitely have a place within any serious minded athlete’s repertoire.

But did you know that there is one supplement that has of late been placed on the back burner to make way for these other supplements I’ve just touched on? This supplement has been clinically shown to be incredibly effective and, in comparison to a lot of the supplements on the market, is much more cost effective?

That supplement is Desiccated Liver.

Consumer Reports just published its findings on 27 breakfast cereals and the results were startling. They found some cereals with the nutritional content equivalent to a donut. Here is a breakdown of the cereals they evaluated from worst to best.

Okay. So let’s start with the worst offenders:

1. Golden Crisps (Kellogg’s): Each serving contains more sugar than a Dunkin’ Donuts glazed doughnut. 15 grams of sugar to be exact.

2. Honey Smacks (Kellogg’s): This one was no better. It had 14 grams of sugar per ¾ cup serving.

3. Apple Jacks (Kellogg’s) had 12 grams of sugar, < 1 gram of fiber, and 135mg of sodium per 1 cup serving.

4. Froot Loops (Kellogg’s) had 12 grams of sugar, < 1 gram of fiber, and 135mg of sodium per 1 cup serving.

Noticing more pink than usual? That’s because October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. In addition to self-checks and regular physician visits, you can do your part to help the cause by patronizing some of your favorite fitness companies. Here’s a list of some corporations partnering with non-profits in the race for the cure:

1. New Balance will donate $1 million from its new “Lace Up For the Cure” line, which consists of 24 footwear, clothing, and accessory items. Fifteen percent of pink top sales and bra sales will be donated as well.

In a new study out of the Harvard School of Public Health, researchers have found a link between soy consumption and sperm concentration. Although soy-based products such as tofu and energy drinks have become increasingly popular in recent years, there has not been a great deal of research on soy’s impact on the body. Preliminary research with women indicates there may be a link between soy and breast cancer in certain populations, so soy is not recommended as a staple of any diet.