Have Exercise Videos Lost Their Way?

NO! I really have the impression that they are just starting. While the prices have come down, it can be hard to find them in some stores. I'm happy to see Wal-Mart and Zellers carrying quite a few, and even Blockbuster has some (although a little pricey). Order online at Amazon.ca or other movies sites as well as download them right to your computer.

Start your collection today with Yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates, Kickboxing, Dancing and the list goes on. In no time you will have a collection to cycle through to keep it interesting and exciting. Motivation is key and when you have so many to look forward to, it makes it that much easier.

Buy one today and pass on a boring one to a friend that has been collecting dust. Pay forward the fitness.

Looking For Protein Supplements That Taste Good.... FOR REAL?

Yes! There are actually protein supplements and meal replacement products that actually taste good. Not just... good.... but amazing. Let me help you find one that is right for you.

What is the protein supplement for?

Post-Workout: Whey protein isolate should be the only protein source in the product. It digests very quickly and gets to work right away.

1. Men: 40g following a workout to help increase your body's recovery ability. 60g simple carbs to stop muscle breakdown and restore blood sugar and muscle glycogen. An hour later, eat a good quality small meal.
2. Women: 20g following a workout, 40g simple carbs. Same reasons as above just in a smaller dose as typically women weigh less than men.

A good product to try is: Allmax Nutrition IsoFLEX (only whey protein isolate). Good flavour.

First Thing In The Morning: Find a product with whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate and mix with milk. This will slow the digestion slightly to allow for a longer release of amino acids into your body and still has the whey protein isolate to get to work after a long nights fasting. Two scoops for men, one scoop for women in milk or soy milk.

A good product to try is: Dymatize Elite Whey (isolate and concentrate). Great flavour.

Rest Of The Day And Night Snacking: You want a long releasing protein that takes time to digest to keep blood sugar stable and stop you from snacking and being hungry. Add some fibre to help fill you up more.

A fantastic product to try is: BSN Lean Dessert and BSN Syntha 6. Amazing flavour.

You really do get what you pay for, so don't be afraid to try the expensive brands over the cheap brands. There is a huge difference in taste, but find a flavour you like and stick with it. If it does not taste good, you won't use it for long!

Glutamine Improves Blood Sugar Control

American Journal Clinical Nutrition, 89: 106-113, 2009

Athletes have been supplementing with glutamine for a few years now and is becoming very popular. It is great for boosting the immune system and keeping that hard earned muscle where it is!

Lately it has been found to improve insulin and blood sugar regulation. This especially applied to the obese patients and those with type 2 diabetes. It was found that glutamine taken orally increased levels of insulin, GLP-1 and GIP (your gastrointestinal tract release these to stimulate the release of insulin to control blood sugar). Check with your doctor before trying this product so that they can keep track of your blood sugar levels.

Have Your Oatmeal And Drink It Too!

Optimum Nutrition has just brought a new product to market. Natural Oats & Whey, available in vanilla or chocolate. 24g of protein, 4g of fiber, 1.5g of fat, 23g of carbs and a whopping 26 servings per container. Ranging from $23.99 in the US to $39.99 at Canadian retailers (yes we pay a LOT more due to the government making them register them and so our distributors pay a lot more per unit, so dig deep nothing much we can do but complain!).

No artificial flavours, colors or sweeteners! WOW! So if you are eating clean and want another breakfast alternative, toss a scoop into water, milk, rice milk, almond milk or soy milk and away you go!

For Bodybuilding.coms review click here. No I do not make money by you clicking here!

Robert Kennedy : MUSCLEMAG - An Offer Of Pride

I have always read the muscle magazines on the newsstand. The one with the best cover got my money, and most often it was MUSCLEMAG or FLEX. With the recession being what it is, I was hoping to see prices come down on magazines as they are heavily subsidized by all the bull crap advertising for worthless supplements in them. However, upon reading the new issue of MUSCLEMAG (April 2009 edition) I have to say that Robert Kennedy will continue to get my money.

And I quote from page 30: "If you're out of work or otherwise suffering financially, you can send the current issue back to us after reading it and I will personally see that your money is returned in full plus $3.00 to cover your mailing costs."

Sure, it is good advertising, but at least he is offering. I hope all of the fitness magazines offer similar incentives. It is expensive to keep fit and it is nice to know we all have Robert Kennedy in our corner.

A.J. McAlendin

New Product Alert: Nutrabolics Fighter's Food

It's not everyday a truly innovative product hits the market with enough merit to be worth mentioning. Nutrabolics has always produced great products and this one takes the cake. Again, remember that I get NO COMMISSION recommending any products, I just pass the word.

http://www.sndcanada.com/nutrabolics_fighters_food_-_acai_berry,_2.38_lb.html

The link is above so you can check out this product.

Protein, carbs, little fat and lots of freeze dried exracts from berries and vegetables. A very complete product that will help anyone's progress. The better the product, the better the result. The price is not that bad, but it could be better. I still would like to see it at about $39.99 for a regular everyday price.

If they are selling it for $44.99 with a MSRP of $72.99, they have room to move on the price. Sell a great product at a great price and the volume will take care of the profit margin.

Check it out, try it and let me know how you liked it! I always forward comments to the manufacturers and distributors of the products.

A.J. McAlendin

Movie Review : WALL-E

Have you watched that cute little robot movie? Did you understand the behind the scenes look at the way society could shape up to be? I saw a few not so subtle, but, right in your face observations.

1) The self destruction of our world due to pollution and neglect. Have we gone too far? Can we save our planet? Only future generations will find out the answer to that one!

2) Robots controlling just about everything and making human jobs obsolete. This happens everyday in our factories around the world. In this movie, the robots even go against the humans and try to avoid giving humanity back it's freedom.

3) We are getting fat and lazy! And we like it! The movie shows that after 700 years of living on the oasis type spaceship, we are all fat, lazy and useless. We can barely walk or take care of ourselves. We have become reliant on the servant robots to keep us over fed and over weight.

However, like all good stories, it ends well. We get back to earth, start to rebuild, we start to eat better and grow our own food. We get our health back and work with the robots to make life better for everyone.

The sad part is, it's right on track. While the world is certainly better in some ways for all of the automation, we also have shot ourselves in the foot. The only saving grace is that we can change anything we want to as long as we have the people and desire to back it up.

I challenge every person out there who cares about their planet and their body to do a few things next year. Your NEW YEAR'S resolutions should include:

1) Plant a garden in the spring and grow some vegetables. Learn the difference in food that is grown without chemicals and pesticides. The difference is HUGE!! Carrots are easy to grow, so are potatoes and corn. Take whatever size chunk of land you can and start growing.

2) If you are not into growing your own veggies, start a garden with flowers and small shrubs. The air could use this little pollution fighters and you will beautify your yard.

3) Walk. Exercise need not be strenuous at all! Just get out and walk to the store instead of driving. Less pollution for the world and a little more exercise for you!

4) Change to CF style bulbs for all of the light fixtures in your home. Once a month, buy a pack for $15 and change what you can. Within a year the whole house will be converted and you will use less electricity and save money at the same time!

5) Get a home water filtration kit and get some aluminum water bottles. The water stays fresh and clean and you don't add more plastic to the landfill and recycling stations. You will also save money. If you go through a 24 pack of bottled water every week for $5, that is $260 a year on water. Get a tap filter and spend about $100 a year or one of the jugs in the fridge and spend about $75 a year.

6) Help others who need help! Try to do one nice thing for someone everyday and expect nothing in return. You will feel better and so will they!

Now, this is not devoted to health and fitness in its entirety, but you will see that all of the 6 things above will help you stay healthy in some way. Your kids will have a great role model and you will have great self esteem.

Also, buy the WALL-E movie and watch it! The hidden meanings are not really hidden, just in your face!!

A.J. McAlendin

www.labrada.com USE IT!

I have always been a fan of bodybuilding and one man sticks out miles ahead of the rest! Lee Labrada. After finishing a successful career in bodybuilding he started his own supplement company that has exploded into a world wide success!! Good for you Lee!

I e-mailed him years ago for free training information and have been a member on his web-site for many years. The best parts of his web-site is that he always has great free downloads! Amazing tools that do not cost anything.

His products are always top notch and you can't go wrong.

Give him a try!

Here is the link to his free downloads!

http://labrada.com/freedownload.shtml

A.J. McAlendin (Have a great day!)

How Is That Food Diary Coming Along

Food diary`s can help keep you on track, keep you motivated, let you know how much you really eat and keep you accountable to yourself.

I always have new clients begin this process by purchasing a hard cover notebook that can fit in the car or bag and you can bring it with you everywhere. Write down everything, drinks, snacks, junk, good stuff, whatever you put into your body. Then when it comes time to check with your coach or with your health care provider, you have it all there.

There are many articles that have been written on this and every professional in the industry recommends this practice. Give it a try for yourself and see if it works for you!

A.J. McAlendin

Drugs & Their Dangers, Interactions etc.

Do you want information on a particular drug that you are taking or are thinking of taking? Where do you go to find it? Try the great drug dictionary at USNEWS Healthline. It is a great tool to get the information you need.

http://usnews.healthline.com/directory/drugs

Bookmark it and use it!

A.J. McAlendin

EXCITING NEW PRODUCT : YOPRO

http://www.yoprotreats.com/index2.php

It is not everyday that a great product graces the grocery store shelves. However, this one really takes the cake errrrr, yogurt.

With up to 16g of protein in 1/2 cup of this frozen treat, there is hope for all of us! When you get in the mood for some high fat, high calorie ice cream. Drop down your $6 and pick up a tub of this instead. Better for you and you will feel like a million bucks because you are getting your frozen treat without the guilt.

It has the Health Canada check mark and is made in a peanut free facility, so anyone can enjoy it even if you have nut allergies! Canadian made in Burlington, Ontario. If you do not carry it at your store, get it!

A.J. McAlendin

Sorry to burst your bubble Mr. Expert, but no routine is a bad routine....THEY ALL WORK!

A little rant. How many hundreds of products are out there claiming to be the best and most effective exercise machine? How many products claim to be the best pill available to change your life? How many have you bought? How many have worked? Do you look in the mirror and feel that you are the greek god they promised? Did you get the same results promised on the package? WHY NOT!?

Let's make it perfectly clear. ANY piece of machinery works. No machinery works. As long as you are watching your food intake and exercising regularly at a good pace, you will make results. You can lose the fat. You can gain the muscle. You can change your body, guaranteed! The problem is that life gets in the way. Stress is in all of our lives. We are all victims, but we need to change that. Change it today.

Give yourself 90 days. Ask questions, learn about your body, read, read, read. Separate fact from fiction. Look for scientific studies to back up label claims. Look for people who have become successful and surround yourself with them. Never stop learning, never stop eating right, and never stop exercising. In a world that is getting lazier and lazier, we can still turn the tide, turn off the TV, turn off the computer and get some exercise. When good health is becoming a minority we have a crisis on our hands.

So, just do something and you can achieve anything.

A.J. McAlendin

Different Juices To Try - High Antioxidant Levels

Mangosteen Juice (may reduce risk of heart disease)
Pomegranate Juice
Guava Juice (26% more lycopene than a tomato, 250% of your vitamin c for the day)
Passion Fruit Juice (more potassium than a banana, more cancer fighting polyphenols than grapefruit or mango!)
Acai Juice (4 x the antioxidants found in red grapes!)

Mother nature knows how to take care of us!!

A.J. McAlendin

Oils - Grapeseed

Grapeseed oil has some cholesterol lowering effects similar to olive oil. It has no flavor and is less expensive than most oils. You can use it in cooking, baking and salad dressings. It is also commonly used as a massage oil and will help moisturize your skin.

A.J. McAlendin

Oils - Canola

Canola is cheaper than olive oil. It is a light colored, light tasting oil and that allows it to be used for cooking or baking. Feel free to use it in marinating as well.

A.J. McAlendin

Oils - Walnut Oil

Has a great nutty flavor, but tends to have an aftertaste. So, try to use it as a dressing with greens that have a bitter flavor. Add some goat cheese and even roasted walnuts to the salad as well. You can also cut this oil down by mixing with other oil types.

A.J. McAlendin

Remember Lee Haney?

Hey, anyone remember Lee Haney? I had almost forgot about this 8-Time Mr.Olympia. I was checking out his web-site and really like the spin he has taken with his own line of products.

In particular, the Meal Support replacement shake he has with sweet potato, three types of protein and green tea also added. What a great idea! Try it and see for yourself.

http://www.leehaney.com/allproducts.htm

With over 20 years experience in fitness and nutrition you really can't go wrong.

A.J. McAlendin

Creatine Monohydrate

I keep getting asked how much is enough. From what I have researched, the magic number is different for most. However, saturation can occur at 10g at a time. So, try and experiment for yourself. 2-5g before and after training should do the trick, but stick with it for at least 3 months.

Most people give up after a few weeks and this is a huge error. It takes time for the body to respond, so give it the time it needs. Patience!

A.J.McAlendin

Pomegranate..... Good For, ummmmm everything?!

It is not often that a strange fruit offers so much in such a compact package, but the pomegranate seems to have stepped up to the plate and offered help in everything from periodontal disease, heart disease, fat loss, anti bacterial action and the list goes on.

From the 12-16 foot tree comes the small softball sized red fruit. When you eat it you get a dry feeling in your mouth, they are tart, but tasty. Now, you can find the juice in drinks all over the place!! This is for a good reason.

The article listed below is very lengthy, but I offer a challenge to you to read it, even if you do not get the scientific jargon listed in the article. Read it and you will begin to understand how little we know about the plants on this earth and how important they are to our survival. There are lessons to learn from them, but we have to know how to listen.




A.J. McAlendin

GABA - While we are on the supplement topic!

GABA is actually an amino acid that is classified as a neurotransmitter. It is the most abundant inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. It helps you relax and sleep and has a very weird, although safe and nothing to fear, side effect. If you take a dose and you feel your head, face and next tingling, then you get hot flashes and are sweaty, you will see what I mean. I get that feeling about 20 minutes after each and every dose.

GABA - gamma amino-butyric acid

It is also purported to stimulate the anterior pituitary leading to increases in secretion of human growth hormone. This could also be a benefit to people trying to lose fat as human growth hormone slims your body down, just ask Sylvester Stallone!! It is also reported to help increase lean muscle production in the body as well.

I'm taking 2g per day along with my 5-HTP and I will let you know how it is going! I may even try to take it in my pre-workout shake as well and see the reaction. I will keep you posted.

A.J. McAlendin