10 Ways to Break Bad Health Habits

By Amy Ludwig

Choosing a healthy lifestyle is not, unfortunately, one of those "set it and forget it" decisions. Don't we all wish it were? Instead, it's a result of many smaller choices we make every day—with every meal. Every snack. And every workout.

You always start the day with the best intentions. You eat a thoughtful breakfast. You pack a sensible lunch, and even remember to bring it with you to work. But then comes mid-afternoon, a dip in energy, and lowered self-control. If you're already in that weakened state and you hear that there are cupcakes in the office for someone's birthday, well, in the words of Donnie Brasco, "Fuhgeddaboudit."

Healthy habits only become habits when you do them more than once.

Instead of setting yourself up to fail, you can set yourself up to make good choices by planning ahead. That will give you a fighting chance to succeed. So where do you begin?

Identifying your weaknesses is the first step. Figure out where you're likely to slip up, and you can take action to prevent it. Here are 10 common problems that derail many of us, and suggestions for how to fight back.

1. Avoid eating late at night. Your metabolism slows down when you sleep, so late-night calories are harder to burn off.

   Fight back: Eat small meals or snacks every 2 to 3 hours throughout the day. Time your meals so that you stop 2 to 3 hours before you go to bed.

2. Don't grab fast food on impulse. You're already on your way to avoiding this one if you're eating regular small meals and snacks. You'll keep your brain fed, so it doesn't shut down.

   Fight back: Pack healthy snacks and bring them with you. These can be simple—a small handful of raw almonds is a better choice than a greasy burger.

3. If you shouldn't eat it, don't put it in your shopping cart. Seriously. If you put it in your shopping cart, it comes home with you. And you know it's there.

   Fight back: It's much harder to eat junk food in a moment of stress or weakness if it's not in your house.

4. If you're tempted by junk food, look in the mirror. Think it through—those calories will go somewhere. And probably somewhere you've spent hours in the gym trying to slim and shape. So a bad choice now will just mean more effort later.

   Fight back: Reach for a piece of fruit instead.

5. Don't eat for comfort. If something gets you stressed or upset, take a breath, not a bite. Knowing that you're taking good care of yourself, even when you're down, will help you to feel better more quickly.

   Fight back: Try calling a friend, taking a 10-minute walk around the block, or playing with your pet. Or working out.

6. Find healthy versions of your favorite guilty pleasures. Stock your kitchen with those instead.

   Fight back: Craving ice cream? A creamy low-fat yogurt could hit the spot. Want the crunch of chips? Try snacking on fresh red peppers, sliced jicama, or baked kale chips (they're easy to make, and astonishingly tasty).

7. Pay attention to portion size. You don't need to eat heaping helpings.

   Fight back: If you absolutely must have ice cream, grab a teacup instead of a bowl. You'll get the taste you crave, but in a much smaller serving.

8. Make exercise a priority. It's easy to let it feel optional and get lost in the shuffle.

   Fight back: Plan your workout schedule for the week and stick to it. If that feels too daunting, start by committing to 1 day. Then try planning for 2 days, and build from there. When you start seeing results, you won't want to stop.

9. Just work out—don't ask yourself if you want to. Most people (myself included) would answer "No."

   Fight back: Just commit, get in your workout clothes, and Push Play. You'll be sweating, happy, and proud of yourself before you know it.

10. Must have chocolate? Reach for chocolate Shakeology^®. It's made with real cocoa, so it hits that chocolate nerve—as well as providing essential vitamins and minerals to nourish your body, and cleansing prebiotics to gently eliminate built-up toxins from eating processed foods.

Gluten: What, Why, and How?

By Omar Shamout

If you didn't know any better, you might be forgiven for thinking a "gluten" was the muscle you flex while doing squats and lunges in the gym. In fact, gluten is a grain protein found in wheat, rye, oats, and barley that acts as a sort of glue holding the flour together, and providing structure. Sounds like a good thing, yet a quick visit to the diet book section of Amazon.com reveals so many "gluten-free" guides that you'd think it was as evil as trans fat or MSG. So what's the big deal over such a tiny little protein that performs such a noble function? Let's break down the substance into an easily digestible diet of what, why, and how.

What's the problem with gluten?

Unfortunately, about 1 percent of the world's population (roughly 1 out of every 133 people) suffers from a genetic gluten intolerance known as celiac disease, making it the world's most prevalent autoimmune disorder. Those affected with the condition suffer severe abdominal pain and discomfort when tiny, nutrient-absorbing projectiles in the small intestine known as villi come into contact with gluten, leaving them damaged and unable to function properly. Often, this intolerance leads to prolonged vomiting and diarrhea. Yikes! However, many carriers show no symptoms of the disease at all, and the only way to be diagnosed properly is through blood tests and an intestinal biopsy. Celiac disease should not be confused with a wheat allergy, where symptoms such as hives and itchiness recede once the allergen leaves the system.¹

How do I cure celiac disease?

The only known cure for celiac disease is a 100 percent gluten-free diet. Naturally, this means getting rid of many of our favorite starchy foods. To lessen the blow, celiac sufferers are entitled to a tax deduction on the extra cost incurred when buying gluten-free foods. In this economy, that could really come in handy!²

What are the other medical benefits of a gluten-free diet?

In recent years, people without an intolerance have begun to take up a gluten-free lifestyle in an effort to lose weight. Others have put their faith in what is currently anecdotal evidence claiming that the omission of gluten improves conditions including but not limited to joint pain, osteoporosis, diabetes types 1 and 2, and neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Down's syndrome, and autism. However, these cases are awaiting detailed medical studies, so until those take place, there is no conclusive evidence to support the gluten connection to these illnesses.³

Why are people without diagnosed medical problems going gluten free?

A large number of people have chosen to go gluten free without a medical reason, and swear by the benefits they experience on a daily basis, including increased energy and brain function, and fewer aches and pains. Whatever your motivation, it is crucial to maintain a balanced and well-rounded diet to avoid eliminating essential vitamins from your nutritional intake. For instance, it may be tempting to stop eating bread altogether, but starch-rich foods contain vital nutrients like B vitamins and fiber,⁴ which prevent the onset of other health problems such as anemia, nerve damage,⁵ high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and irritable bowels.

How do I go about it?

Dieting should never be done on a whim, because you could be doing yourself more harm than good without even knowing it. If you want to substitute rice, corn, or potato-based products in favor of wheat and oats, just be sure to compensate your vitamin intake in other ways, such as supplements. For those serious about making the commitment to this lifestyle change, a comprehensive list of safe, questionable, and forbidden foods can be found in the book Gluten-Free for a Healthy Life by noted celiac dietician Kimberly A. Tessmer, RD, LD.

Why now?

Making the switch to gluten-free is easier than ever to do. Supply seems to have caught up with the increased public demand for gluten-free, well, everything. Food and beverage companies are now producing a wide array of sans-gluten products, including pizza, ice cream, and yes, even beer!

What's the bottom line?

While the jury may still be out on the long-term effects of a gluten-free diet for non-celiacs, it is quite possible to live and thrive without gluten as long as you consult a doctor or dietician first and plan out a well-balanced diet that doesn't ignore any of the essential food groups, including carbohydrates. If you think you might have celiac disease, do not self-diagnose, because your symptoms might be the result of a different illness altogether. As with anything in life, don't start because it's trendy, but rather because you've tried it out safely, and are satisfied with the results.

1. Sources:
2. ¹ Susic, Ivana. "Gluten Free a Necessity, not Diet Choice." The Columbia Chronicle. March 2010.
3. ² Adams, Scott. "Tax Deduction for Gluten-Free Foods as a Medical Expense for Diagnosed Celiacs Only." www.celiac.com. July 1996.
4. ³ Newell, Elena. "Health Benefits of Gluten Free Diets." Associated Content. December 2008.
5. ⁴ Mirn, Rachel. "Living the 'Gluten Free Diet.'" Associated Content. March 2007.
6. ⁵ Johnson, Larry E., MD, PhD. "Vitamin B-12." Merck Manual. August 2007.

Top 10 Reasons to Give Up Soda

By Steve Edwards

If you're looking for a scapegoat in the obesity epidemic, look no further than soda. It's the single greatest caloric source in the world, accounting for somewhere between 11 and 19 percent of all the calories consumed worldwide. It's cheap, addictive, and readily available, which generally means that it will take some willpower to avoid. But don't despair, as we at Beachbody^® are here to help. We present: our top 10 reasons to give up soda. Drumroll please . . .

10. Soda may cause cancer. According to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, consuming two or more soft drinks per week increased the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by nearly twofold compared to individuals who did not consume soft drinks. As reported, the study "followed 60,524 men and women in the Singapore Chinese Health Study for 14 years. During that time, there were 140 pancreatic cancer cases. Those who consumed two or more soft drinks per week (averaging five per week) had an 87 percent increased risk compared with individuals who did not."

    Then why, you're probably asking yourself, is this number ten on our list and why is soda even still on the shelf? Not that I'd challenge the ability of such large corporate power to hide such a thing but, in this case, the study slit its own throat. As one of the researchers noted, "soft drink consumption in Singapore was associated with several other adverse health behaviors such as smoking and red meat intake, which we can't accurately control for," meaning that we have no way of knowing, for sure, if soda was the culprit. Still, it doesn't hurt to know that when you drink soda it lumps you into a fairly unhealthy user group.¹

9. It's not just about calories. Calories grab headlines, but recent science is showing that diet soda users are still in the crosshairs. A 2005 study by the University of Texas Health Science Center showed that there's a 41 percent increased risk of being obese—and a 65 percent increased risk of becoming overweight during the next 7 or 8 years—for every can of diet soda a person consumes in a day. Admittedly, this one should be higher on the list, but I wanted to make sure the article-skimming crowd knew the score up front: that diet sodas are very much a part of the problem.

8. It's the water . . . and a lot more. Okay, so that was a beer slogan, but soda is also made up mainly of water, and when you're slinging as much of it as they are, and you need to sling it cheap, sometimes you can't help but run into problems with your supply chain. In India, Coca-Cola^® has found itself in hot water, and not the kind they thought they were purchasing rights to. Two of their factories have been closed, but one continues to run amok. According to a report in The Ecologist, "They accuse the company of over-extracting groundwater, lowering the water tables and leaving farmers and the local community unable to dig deep enough to get to vital water supplies."

   "Since the bottling plant was opened in 2000, water levels in the area have dropped six metres, and when a severe drought hit the region earlier this year the crops failed and livelihoods were destroyed."²

7. BPA: not just for water bottles anymore. Nalgene^® and other water bottle companies took the heat when the dangers of bisphenol A (BPA) were made public a couple years back. While these companies went to great lengths to save their businesses, the soda companies somehow flew under the radar and continue to use it in their products. A recent Canadian study has found that BPA exists "in the vast majority" of the soft drinks tested. Most of these were under the national limits set for toxicity, but some were not. And remember how much soda the average person consumes, meaning odds are most soda consumers are at some risk.

   "Out of 72 drinks tested, 69 were found to contain BPA at levels below what Health Canada says is the safe upper limit. However, studies in peer-reviewed science journals have indicated that even at very low doses, BPA can increase breast and ovarian cancer cell growth and the growth of some prostate cancer cells in animals."³

6. Can convenience. As in the 1950s colloquial: can it. Speaking of the 1950s, those were the happy days when most of our soda was consumed at soda fountains, obesity was a term hardly anyone had heard of, and the most feared epidemic was one of atomically mutated insects taking over the world. Now instead of hoofing it down to the corner confectionery for one soda, we fill out trucks with pallets of shrink-wrapped cans or bottles and quaff the stuff by the six-pack. Not to mention how out of balance this ensures our diets will become, it wreaks havoc on the world around us. The bottled-water industry (which is mostly owned by the soda industry) famously uses 17 million barrels of oil a year, and the aluminum industry uses as much electricity as the entire continent of Africa. Not only that, aluminum mining accounts for a ton of toxic chemicals that is left behind for every ton of the metal produced.⁴

5. The Frankenfood factor. Whether you consume diet or regular soda, you're getting all of the genetically modified food you need and more, via high fructose corn syrup or aspartame. Both of these are under plenty of scientific as well as anecdotal scrutiny. Findings aren't pretty but, so far, this multibillion-dollar industry has kept these sweeteners on the shelves while alternative sweeteners meeting cost requirements are explored. Since it's almost impossible to read health headlines without finding one of these ingredients in some type of controversy, I'll just use one example:

   "The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition and food safety advocacy group, called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to review the claims, which stem from research conducted by the European Ramazzini Foundation in Italy.

   The foundation reported that rats who consumed aspartame in exceedingly large quantities were more likely to develop cancer. CSPI executive director Michael Jacobson considers this an important finding that should not be overlooked." ⁵

   I know, there I go again with the cancer. But some people need to be shocked in order to take action. For me, seeing the Diet Coke^® and Mentos^® experiment was all I needed to swear off the stuff.

4. Foreign news cares how much soda we sell in our schools. How bad is your country's problem when the whole world is watching its daily actions? "Nearly one in three children and teenagers in the U.S. are overweight or obese and health experts say sugary drinks are part of the problem." Yep, bad. The world is well aware of the problems soda is causing and is looking to us to lead. And we certainly are trying. Are you with the program?

   "Under the voluntary guidelines, in place since 2006, full-calorie soft drinks were removed from school canteens and vending machines. Lighter drinks, including low-fat milk, diet sodas, juices, flavoured waters and teas, were promoted in their place."⁶

   And, while great and all, it appears that no one got the memo about diet sodas.

3. Diet? Um, that's just like your opinion, man. When it comes to soda, treat the word "diet" as a slogan. A study at Boston University's School of Medicine linked diet soda with increased risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. To be more specific, the study "found adults who drink one or more sodas a day had about a 50 percent higher risk of metabolic syndrome," which is a cluster of risk factors such as excessive fat around the waist, low levels of "good" cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other symptoms that lead to heart disease and/or diabetes. And, for those of you only concerned about how you look in the mirror, "Those who drank one or more soft drinks a day had a 31 percent greater risk of becoming obese."

2. Soda outkills terrorists. A study out of the University of California, San Francisco, shows that soda has killed at least 6,000 Americans in the last decade.

   From ABC News: "The new analysis, presented Friday at the American Heart Association's 50th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, offers a picture of just how horrifying the damage done by excess consumption of sugary drinks can be.

   Using a computer model and data from the Framingham Heart Study, the Nurses Health Study and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers estimated that the escalating consumption between 1990 and 2000 of soda and sugar-sweetened beverages, which they abbreviated as 'SSBs,' led to 75,000 new cases of diabetes and 14,000 new cases of coronary heart disease.

   What's more, the burden of the diseases translated into a $300 million to $550 million increase in health care costs between 2000 and 2010."⁷

1. It's the "real thing" . . . not exactly. Should having the number one caloric source in the world come from something that's entirely manmade be a metaphor for a dying world? It doesn't have to be this way. After all, there's nothing in soda that we need. In fact, there's nothing in soda that even comes from the earth except caffeine, and that's optional. It's a mixture of altered water (injected with carbon dioxide gas), artificial flavors (yes, "natural flavor" is artificial), artificial color, and phosphoric acid, along with its sole caloric source that is a by-product of genetically modified corn production and offers virtually no nutritional value. It's about as real as The Thing.

1. Sources:
2. ¹ http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-02/aafc-sdc020310.php
3. ² http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/373906/cocacola_just_part_of_indias_water_freeforall.html
4. ³ http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/03/05/popcans.html
5. ⁴ http://www.pacinst.org/topics/water_and_sustainability/bottled_water/bottled_water_and_energy.html, http://www.earth-policy.org/index.php?/books/eco/eech6_ss3
6. ⁵ http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Diet/story?id=3317079&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
7. ⁶ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8557195.stm
8. ⁷ http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/study-sugary-drinks-lead-early-grave/story?id=10019518

Test Your Cold-Weather Health IQ

By D. V. Donatelli

An ax-head chomps into your front door, is pulled out, and crunches again into the same spot, splintering the wood, sending a strip of the door clattering to the floor. A crazy old man puts his face into the gash, looks into the eyes of your terrified family, and announces, "HEEEEEEEERE'S WINTER!" Indeed, winter is here—the freezing cold, the leafless trees, the shoveling. With the holiday season past us, and with 3 months of miserable cold to come, we think this is pretty much the perfect time to see what you know about staying healthy in cold weather.

True or False?

1. False: Wearing sunscreen is not important in the winter. While we're not getting the more-direct rays of the summer, sun rays in the winter can be just as damaging to the health of your skin, because they easily bounce off all the ubiquitous snow, doubling your exposure to their harmful effects. By this point, it should be widely known that it's always important to wear sunscreen if we're going outdoors, no matter what time of year it is, because the sun is a pernicious, insidious monster.
2. False: When exercising outdoors in the cold, it is best to wear cotton. You would think that cotton, a natural textile, would be helpful in dealing with the harsh cold of winter, but because it so easily soaks up sweat, it is the last thing you want to be wearing—at least right next to your skin—if you're going to exercise outside. Experts suggest starting with a garment made of polypropylene, which pulls sweat away from the skin (our own Steve Edwards suggests Merino wool, which wicks perspiration even more effectively); followed by a fleece, for insulation; followed by a waterproof layer that is also breathable, to get the ideal mix of winter-exercise clothing. Also, shoes and socks are really helpful.
3. True: In cold weather, eating lightly before going out is better than eating heavily. Digesting a big meal requires a lot of blood to be routed to your digestive system, pulling it away from the extremities, which are the first to feel the effects of cold weather, meaning you will get colder quicker if you go out into the cold after eating heavily. Instead, try a light snack, which should serve to drive up your body heat without diverting warm blood from the extremities. However, to quote the late great Frank Zappa, "Don't you eat that yellow snow."
4. True: A person burns more than 400 calories per hour when shoveling snow. Anyone who's had to shovel a driveway is probably wondering how that number could be so low. Shoveling snow, in my opinion, is more difficult than childbirth. I don't have any facts or figures to back that up, but at least a woman giving birth is getting something out of it (a baby), and, after all, how many old men have you heard of dying of a heart attack during childbirth? I rest my case. Shoveling snow reminds me of the toils of Sisyphus, except after several trips up and down the hill, Sisyphus didn't have to then scrape a layer of ice off his car and drive to work. Lucky jerk.

The Secret Powers of Amaranth

By Denis Faye

What makes a grain successful? There are scores of edible, delicious, healthy grains out there, yet we seem to have settled for wheat and rice. Take amaranth. It's nutritionally rich and it grows in the harshest conditions. Yet you've probably never even heard of it, and it's incredibly difficult to track down.

The reason we don't eat our veggie burgers on amaranth buns is that when the conquistadores showed up in the New World, they banned its cultivation because the Aztecs used it in their religious ceremonies. From that point until its rediscovery in the 1970s, it existed mostly in North America as a weed. Nothing like a little cultural genocide to ruin a perfectly good crop.

The nutrition facts

A quarter cup of raw amaranth is 180 calories, 30 from fat. It has 3 g of fat, 31 g of carbs and 7 g of protein. Fiber? Yes, indeed! 7 regularity-inducing grams! From a mineral perspective, iron is the big draw, with 20 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA)*. Magnesium is 30 percent, phosphorus is 27 percent, manganese is 80 percent, copper and selenium are 13 percent. You'll also get a little calcium, potassium, and zinc.

For vitamins, you'll find 14 percent of the RDA for Vitamin B6 and 10 pecent for folate, as well as vitamin C, vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid.

How do you eat this stuff?

As healthy as it is, amaranth is surprisingly fun to eat. No wonder the Aztecs dug it. You can use it like any other grain for breads and stews, but if you want to party, you can pop it like popcorn. Put a tiny bit of cooking oil in a saucepan. When it's hot, drop in the amaranth and cover. Shake the pot continually over the heat to keep the grains from burning until the popping slows down. Transfer the tiny, nutty-flavored, popped grains to a bowl and enjoy as you would popcorn.

Another cooking method is to add one part amaranth to three parts cold water. Bring it to a boil, then let it simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. You'll end up with a thick porridge similar to Cream of Wheat, only unprocessed and actually good for you.

1 cup of uncooked amaranth (193 g)
Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fiber	Fat
716	26.2 g	127 g	12.9 g	13.5 g

Source: www.nutritiondata.com

The Force Is with You

By Dallas Carter

I believe the wise words of Yoda correctly sum up what Beachbody® has taught me over the last few years about health, fitness, and finance: "Do, or do not. There is no 'try.'" The wisdom of this 900-year-old Jedi master speaks to the heart of the Beachbody motto: Decide. Commit. Succeed.® It is with this mindset that I began my health journey more than three years ago, and it is with the same attitude that I approach coaching.

It's still surreal when I think of that night in March when I took home the Million Dollar Body Game® Grand Prize. It was a moment that transformed my direction in life. Not only had I been given the blessing of my health, but I also committed, at that moment, to helping others achieve their health goals! Being a Beachbody Coach has provided me with the honor of being able to doing that.

Together with a fellow Beachbody Coach, I began a weekly workout group, which we lovingly call the "Insane Asylum," to help people in the local community make a commitment to seizing control of their health and getting fit. Over the last several months, our group as grown substantially, and with the help of my upline, the local media, and the local Beachbody community, I have been able to expand my coaching business by hosting fitness challenges and fit clubs throughout the island. With the establishment of these fit clubs, I have been able to achieve Diamond ranking, and our Hawaiian Beachbody community continues to grow exponentially!

The members of our community continually challenge one another to achieve new goals—whether it's a challenge to see who can do more push-ups or a Coach race to see who can reach the next rank advancement! The accountability, support, and fellowship that these challenge groups and fit clubs provide allow for strong growth both in health and in our individual businesses. And the best part is most of those who join us to grab control of their health naturally start to want to help others do the same. Beachbody has allowed us to create an environment where personal health and financial rewards go hand in hand!

I will be forever grateful to Beachbody, not only for my health and the MDB Game™ Grand Prize, but for the opportunity to make the Beachbody lifestyle something I can live and share with others! I will continue to strive for the next summit and to help others reach theirs. Now I'm off to the "Insane Asylum," to work out with my fit club and to watch the newest members strive to be the next MDB Game Grand Prize winners!