5 Morning Stretches to Start Your Day Right

Feel energized in the morning before you even brew that pot of coffee - these morning stretches help relieve tension and wake up your body in just five minutes.

Reclining Twist


You can do this spine-massaging stretch before you even get out of bed!

• Lie flat on your back. Draw both knees in toward your chest, and give them a squeeze.
• Release your legs, extend them straight up in the air as much as possible, and breathe in deep. You can also keep them bent close to your torso if this is easier.
• On the exhale, open your left arm, gaze to the left side, and drop your legs toward the right. Reach for your thigh, ankle, or foot, and look toward your open left hand.
• Hold for 30 seconds before coming back to center and then dropping your legs toward the left while gazing to your right. Hold for another 30 seconds, then come back to center and release back to lying position. 

Behind-the-Back Stretch

Open up your chest and release neck tension with this simple stretch.

• Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and arms by your sides.
• Reach both hands behind your bum, and hold onto your left wrist with your right hand. Use your right hand to gently straighten your left arm and pull it away from you slightly.
• To increase the stretch in your neck, slowly lower your right ear toward your shoulder.
• Stay here for 30 seconds, and then switch sides.
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Tipover Tuck

After your behind-the-back stretch, keep hands clasped behind your back and do the tipover tuck, which helps alleviate lower back pain, open your shoulders, and stretch your arms and hamstrings.

• Stand with your feet hips-width-distance apart. Interlace your hands behind your back. Keeping your legs straight, bend at the hips, tucking your chin and bringing your hands over your head.
• Relax the back of your neck, and if the stretch is too intense, then release your hands, placing them on the backs of your thighs, and soften your knees. Hold for 30 seconds, and slowly roll up to standing, then repeat.

Cat and Cow Pose


Moving between Cat and Cow poses helps warm up your entire body while giving your back a nice stretch.

• Begin with your hands and knees on the floor. Make sure your knees are under your hips and your wrists are under your shoulders. Begin in a neutral spine position, with your back flat and your abs engaged. Take a big, deep inhale. 
• On the exhale, round your spine up toward the ceiling, and imagine you're pulling your belly button up toward your spine, keeping your abs engaged. Tuck your chin toward your chest, and let your neck release. This is your cat-like shape.
• On your inhale, arch your back, let your belly relax, and go loose. Lift your head and tailbone up toward the sky - without putting any unnecessary pressure on your neck. This is the Cow portion of the pose.
• Continue flowing back and forth from Cat Pose to Cow Pose, and connect your breath to each movement - inhale for Cow Pose and exhale on Cat Pose.
• Repeat for 30 seconds, rest or move into Child's Pose, and repeat again.

Butterfly

If you spend your days sitting at a desk, then take some time to open up your hip flexors with Butterfly.

• Sit on the ground, bending both knees and bringing your feet together.
• Using your hands, open your feet up like a book. Use your muscles to press your knees down toward the floor. This will help to open your hips even more.
• Lengthen your spine, drawing your belly button toward your spine. Relax your shoulders and gaze either in front of you or toward your feet.
• Stay here for about 30 seconds, and then slowly begin to fold forward, drawing your torso toward your legs. Remember to try to keep your spine straight.
• You can keep your hands on your feet, pressing your knees down with your arms. If you want more of a stretch, then extend your arms out in front of you instead. Stay here for 30 seconds or as long as you want.

Advantages & Disadvantages of the Food Delivery System

Food delivery systems come in one of two ways. The first way is with a meal-plan system that sends prepared, possibly frozen, meals to a home every week. The second kind of food delivery service is more ingredient oriented. Individuals can order select ingredients just like they would at the grocery store. The items are then sent to the house. There are distinct advantages and disadvantages to food delivery systems.

Price

• One of the largest disadvantages to food delivery systems is the price. When the food is ordered for more than one person, the expense is typically equal to eating out at a nice restaurant every night. Many food delivery systems cost upwards of $20 per day per person. Some systems cost even more. For individuals who have a limited food budget, food delivery systems are often too expensive to make their benefits worth the cost.

Limited Menu

• Another disadvantage to food delivery systems is the menu choices. Most food delivery services have a limited number of meals that they offer for consumption. Every few weeks or months the menu will change, but if you stick to the system for more than a few months the menu items will become repetitive. You also must eat the meals delivered for that week. If you do not feel like eating that particular meal, then you will either have to order a different meal from somewhere else or go ahead and eat the meal that you dislike.
  
  

  Preparation

  • The preparation factor can also be a disadvantage to food delivery systems. Most food delivery systems deliver frozen meals. The food still has to be prepared before it can be consumed. Preparation is usually simple, but since the meals are frozen they usually have to cook for over an hour. To avoid the long cook times, it is possible to remove the food from the freezer the day before. However, you have to remember to remove the food to cut down on cook time.

  Health Benefits

  • One of the biggest advantages of food delivery systems is their health benefits. Since the meals are preplanned, it is easy to determine the exact number of calories consumed at each meal. Many food delivery systems tailor their menus for health benefits and weight loss, which can be extremely helpful for individuals trying to lose weight and start a healthy diet.

  Simplicity

  • Food delivery systems are very convenient. The food is ordered, delivered and consumed. There is no struggling to remember ingredients in the house or trying to pore over recipes and make grocery lists. Food delivery systems are perfect for busy individuals who do not have time to shop every week. Food delivery systems are also beneficial to those who cannot get out of the house to shop, such as the disabled or elderly.
    
    
    
    

9 Fast, Healthy Breakfast Ideas

By Maureen Callahan

Nutritious morning meals you can eat while driving, walking, or sprinting out the door.

Fruit and Cheese

A balanced, easy-to-assemble make-ahead morning meal: Grab an apple, wrap 1 to 2 ounces of Cheddar in plastic, and toss ¼ cup of fiber- and protein-rich walnuts into a resealable plastic bag.

Peanut Butter Waffle

Instead of dousing a whole-grain or bran toaster waffle in syrup, cut the sugar and boost the protein and fiber by spreading it with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. You can also sprinkle on 1 tablespoon of raisins, sesame seeds, or extra peanuts for even more fiber, which helps deliver the meal's nutrients slowly and steadily.

Plain Doughnut With Chocolate Milk

A plain cake-style doughnut is usually a better choice than a bakery muffin. At Dunkin' Donuts, for instance, an old-fashioned doughnut has 280 calories, while a corn muffin has 510 calories. Add fiber by eating ¼ cup of almonds or dried fruit. Instead of coffee, try 8 ounces of low-fat chocolate milk.

 Strawberry Shake

In a cocktail shaker, combine a packet of vanilla or strawberry instant-breakfast powder (look for the no-sugar-added kind, such as Carnation) and 1 cup of low-fat strawberry cow's milk or soy milk. (You can also mix this the night before.) If you have time, use a blender to add strawberries or a frozen banana, for extra fiber, and a scoop of protein powder, such as GeniSoy Natural.

Morning Pizza

You could have a slice of last night's pizza (it's preferable to filling up on sugar or skipping breakfast). Or you could try a more sophisticated spin: Take a slice of crusty bread, spread it with 3 tablespoons of low-fat ricotta, and add tomatoes. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil (about 1 teaspoon) and a little salt and pepper. Broiling is optional.

Energy Bars

To substitute for a meal, an energy bar should have at least 3 to 5 grams of fiber and 10 grams of protein. Odwalla, Kashi GoLean, and TruSoy are all good options. Because cereal bars rarely have more than 2 grams of protein, kids might be better off adding a stick of Go-Gurt! and a sleeve of peanuts.
  
Egg McMuffin

Yes, you read that right. If you must eat fast food in the morning, get an Egg McMuffin at McDonald's. At 300 calories, it's not an outrageous meal. Plus it has a good amount of lean protein from the egg and the Canadian bacon. To trim empty calories, remove the top half of the muffin. For additional fiber, add a fresh orange.

Cereal "Sundae"

A bowl of fiber-rich bran flakes (about 1½ cups) with 8 ounces of low-fat milk is nearly the perfect breakfast. Make it portable by replacing the milk with lemon or vanilla yogurt and mixing it in a to-go container. Increase the fiber and vitamins by adding ¼ cup of nuts or fresh or dried fruit, such as chopped pecans or blueberries.
  
Huevos Rancheros

One of the most portable proteins is a hard-cooked egg, but it has no fiber or carbohydrates. So slice it, then roll it in an 8-inch whole-wheat tortilla with a piece of Canadian bacon or lean ham and, if you like, a ½-ounce slice of cheese. Add a tablespoon of salsa for a shot of flavor and a smidgen of vitamin C.

Saturday Morning Workout Special

Saturday August 31st if you are game....Workout at Gallaudet University on the track at 7am. Once you get through the gate. Stay on your right hand side and the field will be on your right. Sprints and other exercises in between. Bring Towel and Water. Charging a weekend special of $5 so dont miss out

Gallaudet University is located at: 800 Florida Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002

Rating the Energy Drinks

Energy. Everyone wants more of it. And it's as easy to get as heading down to the corner store...All we need to do is slam down a Red Bull. Or a Gatorade. Or a coffee. Or so the ads say.

But which of these is really the best energy drink? The answer, of course, is below...

Now when people talk about energy drinks, they are often simply referring to products that contain caffeine. After all, when someone is describing their energy levels, they are really talking about their level of mental alertness. So we'll limit our discussion today to that: what drink gives you the best and longest-lasting energy levels.

#5 - At the bottom of our list are those sugar and caffeine "energy drinks" such as Red Bull (and even cola).
The problem with many energy drinks is that they contain too much sugar and/or too much caffeine. So while the short-term effects are huge increases in energy (i.e. feeling wired or even jittery - even to the point of nausea), after an hour or two you'll crash and burn, and more than likely be ready for a nap - or as those marketing machines prefer, another "energy drink".

#4 - Sports Drinks: Give these guys credit, they've convinced the world that we need to refuel with what's essentially uncarbonated soda pop. Now unless you're performing an exercise of more than an hour, you don't need this liquid sugar.

#3 - Coffee: Having never had a coffee in my life, I'm not sure it's fair of me to pass judgement on this beverage. But I'll say this...a cup of coffee each day is not going to kill you.

But if you depend on the caffeine to give you your morning get-up-and-go, maybe you should do a little lifestyle review. Perhaps there are some things you can change to give yourself more energy without relying on a caffeine fix? And you're probably getting a lot more caffeine than you bargain for if you get your coffee from the well-known coffee shops.

#2 - Green Tea: True, this beverage does contain caffeine, but it does so in relatively smaller amounts than coffee.

In addition, you should be able to find naturally decaffeinated Green Teas (avoid Green Tea that has been decaffeinated via an "acetylation" process - this might also remove the healthy phytochemicals in the tea). And of course, go organic if you can.

NOTE: All teas are healthy. Green Tea may or may not be healthier than traditional teas.
Green Tea is a super close second place to our winner...and research suggests that several cups of the tea are necessary each day to receive the full health benefits.

#1 - Filtered Water: There's no way that water is going to lead to an energy crash. And it's important part of your nutrition plan. While I admit, it will never compare to a caffeine-based beverage for giving you that mental wake-up, in the big picture, water is the go-to drink.
Unfortunately, despite all the messages about H2O, I know a lot of the Turbulence Training  clients still do not drink enough water.

I'm a big proponent of 12 glasses per day - I drink more than that and immediately notice sluggishness when I am unable to do so. I encourage you to monitor your water intake and determine your optimal level for alertness.

Use the Turbulence Training Lifestyle to increase your energy.

P.S. There are other ways to increase your energy... 

Beverages aren't the only way to boost your energy and improve your health.
The right workouts will boost your brain power...and your metabolism.
Exercise shouldn't dominate your life...instead, it should support your lifestyle. So let me show you how to spend less time in the gym while still having an increased energy level for your endless projects at work and at home...

Superfood Broccoli to Keep You Forever Young

Apparently, a new type of broccoli helps up your metabolism and fight aging.

Regular old broccoli just isn’t good enough anymore. The AAP reports that there’s a new type of broccoli in town, this one with more than two times the amount of anti-aging compound glucoraphanin. Sorry, boring broccoli.

Word is that Beneforté broccoli, which was developed through cross-pollination and selection to combine commercial broccoli with wild broccoli, has an increased ability to produce more phytonutrients like glucoraphanin, nutrients which often help improve the performance of mitochondria cells.

“Tiny energy generators in cells called mitochondria, which become less efficient with age, were given a new lease of life and had their performance improved,” AAP reports.

Researchers tested the effects of Beneforté, recruiting 48 volunteers to have them eat either Beneforté, regular broccoli, or peas for three months. The resulting blood tests found that the Beneforté group had improved metabolism, and less inflammation in their blood.

Other “cruciferous” vegetables with glucoraphanin include kale, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower, but Beneforté even out-crucifers those. According to the website, Beneforté has 270 percent of the glucaoraphanin found in regular broccoli; kale only has 1 percent of what regular broccoli has. We guess the kid-friendly classic wins this round.

How do I repair my BROKEN metabolism?

If you’ve never heard of G-flux, here’s a simple formula for increasing it:  Eat more; exercise more.  Sounds pretty simple, but let’s take a deeper look.

Exercise increases metabolism.  Eating increases metabolism.  The trick is learning to balance the two so that you still create a negative calorie balance.

Allow me to explain.

Sedentary people (folks who just sit around and don’t exercise) have painfully slow metabolisms.  This is due to many hormonal factors resulting from a lack of exercise along with the fact that these individuals never really “teach” their body to burn additional calories.

Likewise, chronic dieters share the same plight.  When you chronically under-eat, metabolism shuts down as a starvation protection mechanism and the oh-so-slow metabolism blues start a-playin’.

On the contrary, exercise and eating are metabolism boosters.  That being said, it’s not very likely that eating more by itself will ever do wonders for your fat loss goals.

But when you combine eating more with a high caloric burn via exercise you get the best of both worlds.

For example, let’s say your basal metabolic rate allows you to burn 2000 calories a day.  Knowing this, you go on a diet and begin eating 1500 calories a day, putting you 500 calories in the hole.  Now, on the surface a 500 calorie deficit would appear to be a good thing, but unfortunately you’ve done your metabolism NO favors here.  In fact, under-eating only decreases metabolism with each passing day as you've experienced.

So, “dieting” as we know it is not the method of choice for creating a calorie deficit, especially when trying to repair your metabolism.

Now let’s take a similar scenario.  You burn 2000 calories a day, but instead of “dieting” you start eating 300 calories MORE each day and you also burn 800 extra calories through exercise.  The result?  The SAME 500 calorie deficit (2800 calories burned, 2300 calories consumed) but you do so while increasing your metabolism through eating and exercising more.

That’s the power of G-flux.  Apply the concept and watch your metabolism skyrocket.

Want to know how to increase your metabolism even further with FOOD?  Check out this link Biotrust made for you:

==> Exactly what to eat for rapid fatloss (meal by meal)

Thursday August 1st Workout

Logging In Today

Warm-Up:
Hip Swings Forward
Hip Swings Side to Side
External Rotations

Cardio:
10 100 Meter Sprints

Workout:
100 Burpee with Push-Ups
100 Clap Push-Ups
100 Single Leg Deadlifts
100 V-Ups
100 Box Jumps
100 Body Weight Rows
=600 Repetitions

Cool Down:
Stretching
Foam Roll