If you’re stuck in a runt and need inspiration and motivation to work out look at the pictures below for encouragement. With a proper diet, dedication, and a lot of hard work you can also be a success story. The real question is do you have the self motivation to do it?

Products that Promise But Don’t Deliver

Hair in a can, the Flowbee and ExtenZe.  How do they all fit together?  I’ll save you a bit of head scratching:  They’re products that offer incredible results, but generally fall flat on their faces in the delivery department… not that I’ve ever tried any of them.  Ever.  Ahem, moving right along.

As men with disposable income, we’re subjected to a near constant barrage of crap that will do anything from grow muscles, grow a “muscle” or cure us of some menial chore that only seems to be difficult for actors on infomercials.  Generally, it’s pretty easy to weed out the chaff and move on with our day.  However, what happens when you come across something that is cause for a bit more attention?  Something like one of the candies from a company called Snap Infusion?

The Anti-Hangover Candy

Let’s say you were out one night until an irresponsible hour (I know, such a thing would never happen), and let’s say that during your nocturnal sojourn you imbibed more than your fair share of scotch.  The following morning when you wake up to go help rebuild the orphanage and rescue kittens from trees you may be suffering from a hangover.  Standard cure?  Pop two aspirin, pound back some coffee, take a shower and get yourself some bacon and eggs.  Maybe a hash-brown if you’re feeling frisky.  Some prefer a certain sport beverage hocked by their athletic idols, but really… you’re a grown man of refined taste, surely you can do better.  Which is when you reach for the jelly beans you keep on the nightstand.

How True is Snap Infusion’s True Calling?

Snap Infusion is selling itself as a bit of a candy-miracle-cure-all.  Here are a few quotes from the product’s website, and no, I’m not making these up:

“You could climb an entire mountain while chewing our Gum and have enough energy left to blow a celebratory bubble at the summit.”

“…its true calling is to help you run, jump, play, shoot and shred with an advanced degree of awesome.”

Personally, I’ve only got a B.A. in Awesome and could use the more advanced degree.  Are these the words of a modern day snake-oil saleman?  Each of Snap Infusion’s candies use “super science to squeeze massive flavor into a small space”.  I have no idea what that means.  That said, here’s some of what they boast:  all-natural ingredients, no HFCS, B-vitamins, electrolytes and antioxidants.  I dig it and maybe this isn’t just a passing fad.  Instead of popping an actual handful of jelly beans or gnawing our way through some caramel we can have a “candy” that gives a little back.

I don’t think that chewing on a piece of gum is going to cure a hangover, but neither will the shower, the bacon and eggs (regardless of quantity) or massive cup of coffee.  Time cures hangover.  What Snap Infusion is offering is a little bit of a boost to help you along the way.  Certainly something to consider before your next night out.

Image by Cornell University Library via Flickr

Right about now you are probably doing everything you can to get out of the gym and into the outdoors but you don’t want to completely give up your workouts. So, here are a few summer fitness tips that will take you outside for some enjoyable and healthy activities.

Most experts agree that a well rounded fitness and/or diet program begins with breakfast every morning. There is the excuse in winter that you are just too warm and comfortable in your bed to get up and make breakfast; however, during the summer there is no reason not to get up and make a nutritious breakfast.

Along those same lines with summer comes an endless supply of many different types of vegetables and fruits and you should try to include a minimum of five servings a day. Be sure to try different things so that you can get the benefit of many nutrients.

Why not try learning a new water sport or reviving an old one? Head out to a local lake or river and test your canoeing or kayaking skills. This will provide a great core and upper body workout while keeping you cool.

If you are looking to develop more power then you may want to check out plyometrics; it is a great way boost power and muscle mass and can be done outside. A fast workout would include jump squats, clap pushups, burpees and jump lunges; all designed to burn fat.

Another quick way to get in shape and add muscle definition to the upper body is to rock climb. Invest in some lessons first and then head out to a real mountain to tryout your new skills.

If you are a parent then summer is the perfect time for spending quality time with your child. Plan a camping or fishing trip or just go for a long hike; great as a way to get some exercise while teaching them about the great outdoors.

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Trying to improve your eating habits does not mean that you will need to start some kind of draconian deprivations and start to scrutinize what you eat, looking for everything over the calorie limit. If you make a few simple adjustments to your eating habits you will see the results within a few weeks. And, by following these tips you will not have to let your friends know that you are trying to watch what you eat nor will your next date think you are a pickier eater than she is for asking for anything low calorie.

Most people do not enjoy having to drink water all day; there is no flavor or perhaps it just doesn’t quench your thirst like a soda or juice would. If you happen to be big on drinking juice then find one that has lots of pulp; this is because the pulp will help to fill you up quicker meaning you will drink less and reduce your calorie intake.

Your next tip is to use whole wheat bread, bagels and crackers; just stay away from white bread. The additional fiber found in whole wheat helps to kill the appetite much quicker so rather than eating another portion of white bread products you will likely eat less which again reduces your calorie intake. An added bonus is that items that contain whole wheat help keep your blood sugar level more stable over a much longer amount of time.

If you are one of those that brings your lunch to work and you include a sandwich in that lunch that means that you are eating at least 5 sandwiches during the week so you will need to cut down on the fat and calorie content that is in the sandwich while still maintaining some kind of flavor. The first thing to do is to not include cheese or at least cut down on the amount of cheese that you use; instead of using sliced cheese try using shaved or shredded cheese, it covers the same amount of area but you will use less.

While it is a fact that most often it just is not a sandwich without mayonnaise, however men have a tendency to use a lot of it. The next time you make a sandwich pay attention to the amount of mayo that you use, that is a lot of calories; by simply cutting it down some you will lower your calorie intake and before you know it you may even me switching to a light mayonnaise. You can see that these simple tips are not going to completely complicate your eating habits they will only help you to shed a few of those unwanted pounds.

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If you are doing quite a bit of exercising or training for sports then you obviously will use more energy every day that you would if you did little to none; if you do not want to lose any body fat you will need to consume more food on a daily basis and in order to maintain good health your diet needs to be well balanced. This means that you need to consume more of the foods that are rich in carbohydrates such as rice, breakfast cereal, sweet potatoes and wholegrain pasta.

There has been a question about whether people that play sports or are in training should have a diet that is higher in protein or the higher starch carbohydrates. While carbohydrates act as fuel for the body you also need a moderate amount of protein in your body to maintain your health by helping with growing and repairing your muscles. Food that is high in carbohydrates is also good because carbs actually fuel your muscles and are and energy source for your central nervous system and brain. This is needed is sports where you use dexterity, coordination and rely on fast decision making.

Most experts agree that after you have eaten you should let anywhere from one to four hours to elapse before exercising or playing sports depending upon the amount of food that you have consumed. If it was an average size meal then waiting two hours before exercising or playing should be an adequate amount of time. If it was a larger portion then you will want to wait longer in order not to jeopardize your health.

It is also important to remember to keep yourself hydrated during sports; allowing your water content to fall below the normal level can have a detrimental effect on your health. It is always a good idea to make sure that your body is well hydrated before starting any type of exercise session which you can do by drinking juice or water prior to exercise and several times throughout the day. A good rule of thumb is that for every thirty minutes of activity you should take in some fluid; obviously the more that the body sweats due to the exercise then the more you will need to increase your fluid intake.

Is Beer Healthy?

Good news for all of you beer drinkers – it has been proven that beer can give you the same benefits, health wise, that wine does. Yep, no matter which ale you prefer studies have shown that in moderation (up to 2 a day) will reduce your chances of heart disease and strokes.

Originally considered the French Paradox, the correlation between the French’s low heart disease rate and the daily intake of red wine, it has now been shown to also exist in beer. Beer is made from water, yeast and grains (wheat and barley) which have a variety of vitamins that actually survive through the filtering and fermentation processes. The value of the vitamins contained in the yeast stays in all of the unfiltered beers, both in bottles and on tap, that are available today.

Actually back in 1999 The New England Journal of Medicine did claim that moderate amounts of beer would decrease the chance of having a stroke by about 20%. But they also said that it produces no significant different whether you drink one beer a week or one a day, so you can’t use that excuse to have a few every day.

Not that you need any, but if a few other reasons to drink beer include the fact that it has been shown that in moderation it may lower your chance of coronary heart problems by as much as 40% when compared to someone who does not drink it at all; something to do with the great antioxidants found in it. Also, alcohol has been found to increase the good cholesterol amounts in the bloodstream which decreases blood clots.

It also contains good ole vitamin B6 which helps to prevent the build up of an amino acid called homocysteine which has been linked with heart disease. Those with higher levels of this amino acid are much more likely to develop early onset of vascular and heart disease. The amount of vitamin B6 in the blood plasma is increased by as much as 30% when you consume beer, something that liquor and wine can’t do.

And one last reason, if one is needed, to drink beer is that it is both cholesterol and fat free.