America's Best & Worst "Health" Drinks

Whoever invented bottled water was a genius. Think about it: They took a widely available and nearly free commodity, packaged it nice and pretty, and sold it for hundreds of times more than what the public version costs. And how did they do it? Savvy marketing. Water bottle labels evoke images of freshness and purity that you just don’t get from a running tap. Don’t be fooled, though. About a quarter of bottled water actually comes from municipal sources.

When it comes to your health, bottled water is a fine choice. Water that meets minimum safety standards is good for you, regardless of the source. But the rest of the beverages in the supermarket that boast equally idyllic sounding health benefits might not be. Over the past three years, the Eat This, Not That! book series has exposed hundreds of food frauds. And now, our latest book, Drink This, Not That!, does the same for beverages.
What I learned, above all: What we drink is making us fat. We're consuming at least a quarter of our daily calories in liquid form--more than 450 calories a day--and that's a major factor in our nation’s obesity epidemic. Watching what you drink is just as important, if not more so, than watching what you eat, especially if you're trying to shed belly fat. The trick, as always, is to distinguish between healthful drinks, and healthful sounding drinks. Here, I’ve listed the 6 worst “health” drinks in America. Steer clear of these bloating beverages and drink their healthiest alternatives instead. You can lose up to two pounds a week!
Worst Water
Snapple Agave Melon Antioxidant Water (1 bottle, 20 fl oz)
150 calories
0 g fat
33 g sugars (8 teaspoons of the stuff!)
Sugar Equivalent: 2 Good Humor Chocolate Éclair Bars

While “Worst Water” may sound like an oxymoron, the devious minds in the bottled beverage industry have even found a way to besmirch the sterling reputation of the world’s most essential compound. Sure, you may get a few extra vitamins, but ultimately, you’re paying a premium price for gussied-up sugar water. Next time you buy a bottle of water, check the recipe: You want two parts hydrogen, one part oxygen, and very little else.

Drink This Instead!Smartwater
0 calories
0 g sugars

Food manufacturers are masters in the art of effortless weight gain. (Which is why my mission with Eat This, Not That! is to make effortless weight LOSS a reality for you!)  Click here to discover the 30 “Healthy” Foods that Aren’t. You'll be shocked by the pounds of fat you may unwittingly gain while thinking that you're eating healthy.


Worst Bottled Tea
SoBe Green Tea (1 bottle, 20 fl oz)
240 calories
0 g fat
61 g sugars (15 teaspoons of the stuff!)

Sugar Equivalent: 4 slices Sara Lee Cherry Pie

Leave it to SoBe to take an otherwise healthy bottle of tea and inject it with enough sugar to turn it into dessert. The Pepsi-owned company’s flagship line, composed of 11 flavors with names like “Nirvana” and “Cranberry Grapefruit Elixir” is marketed to give consumers the impression that it can cleanse the body, mind, and spirit. Don’t be fooled. Just like this bottle of green tea, all of these beverages are made with two primary ingredients: water and sugar.

Drink This Instead!Honest Tea Green Dragon Tea (1 bottle, 16 fl oz)
60 calories
0 g fat
16 g sugars

(Everything you need to know about cereal is right here: America's Best and Worst Cereals. Keep the sugar down and the fiber up for a perfect start to your day.)


Worst Meal Replacement Drink
Right Size Skini Vanilli (14 fl oz bottle)
263 calories
5.5 g fat (2.5 g saturated)
30 g sugars

The Skinni sell is hard to swallow when it comes with as much sugar as two scoops of Breyers vanilla ice cream. Whether it’s weight loss, appetite control, or muscle growth you seek, look for shakes high in protein and fiber and low in sugar, like the Slim-Fast! French Vanilla. The classic weight-loss shake curbs hunger with a respectable 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.

Drink This Instead!Slim-Fast! French Vanilla (11 fl oz can)
180 calories
6 g fat (1.5 g saturated)
18 g sugars

Discover more loveable liquids by browsing through our Best Beers and Best Coffee Drinks slideshows. It'll help you start--and end--your days in perfect shape.


Worst Functional Beverage
Arizona Rx Energy (1 can, 23 fl oz)
345 calories
0 g fat
83 g sugars (21 teaspoons of the stuff!)

Sugar Equivalent: 6 Cinnamon Roll Pop-Tarts

Obviously Arizona took great pains in making sure this can came out looking like something you’d find in a pharmacy. But if your pharmacist ever tries to sell you this much sugar, he should have his license revoked. And if it’s energy you’re after, this isn’t your best vehicle. Caffeine is the only compound in the bottle that’s been proven to provide energy, and the amount found within is about what you'd get from a weak cup of coffee.

Drink This Instead!
Glaceau Vitamin Water 10 Revitalize Green Tea (1 bottle, 20 fl oz)
25 calories
0 g fat
8 g sugars


Worst Frozen Fruit Drink
Krispy Kreme Lemon Sherbet Chiller (20 fl oz)
980 calories
40 g fat (36 g saturated)
115 g sugars (29 teaspoons of the stuff!)
Sugar Equivalent: 16 medium-size chocolate eclairs

Imagine taking a regular can of soda, pouring in 18 extra teaspoons of sugar, and then swirling in half a cup of heavy cream. Nutritionally speaking, that’s exactly what this is, which is how it manages to marry nearly two days’ worth of saturated fat with enough sugar to leave you with a serious sucrose hangover. Do your heart a favor and avoid any of Krispy Kreme’s “Kremey” beverages. The basic Chillers aren’t the safest of sippables either, but they’ll save you up to 880 calories.

Drink This Instead!
Very Berry Chiller (20 fl oz)
290 calories
0 g fat
71 g sugars


Worst “Health” Drink in America
Smoothie King Peanut Power Plus Grape (large, 40 fl oz)
1,498 calories
44 g fat (8 g saturated)
214 g sugars (a mind-blowing 54 teaspoons' worth!)
Sugar Equivalent: 20 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

If Smoothie King wants someone to blame for landing this high on our worst beverages roundup (and truth be told, its entire menu is riddled with contenders), the chain should point the smoothie straw at whichever executive came up with the cup-sizing structure. Sending someone out the door with a 40-ounce cup? Who really needs a third of a gallon of sweetened peanut butter blended with grape juice, milk, and bananas? Sugar-and-fat-loaded smoothies like this should be served from 12-ounce cups, not mini kegs.

Drink This Instead!High Protein Banana (small, 20 fl oz)
322 calories
9 g fat (1 g saturated)
23 g sugars

And don’t forget, you can still melt those 18 pounds of belly fat--or giving up your favorite foods. You just need to make smart substitutions wherever you are. For starters, avoid everything on this list: The 20 Worst Restaurant Foods in America. You'll lose weight faster than ever—again, without ever dieting again. That's the Eat This, Not That! mission.

Like this story or have another nutrition secret? Please share it with others.
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Real Push-ups

Peanut Butter Banana Bulking Protein Shake

A good protein shake for bulking. Ingredients include your favorite protein powder, banana and peanut butter.

What You Need

8 oz skim milk

1 banana

1 tbsp peanut butter

2 scoops of whey protein powder

Cooking Instructions

Place ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. You can also use whole milk and additional peanut butter, and turn this protein shake into a higher calorie weight gainer. Nutritional information for this reciped based on 2 scoops of whey protein blend and a medium banana. By using whole milk instead of skim milk, and by adding an additional tbsp of penut butter, this shake would provide over 600 calories. Recipe provided by Jmango.

Serving Suggestions

Makes one protein drink.

Nutritional Info

498 calories

58 grams of protein

44.3 grams of carbs

11.2 grams of fat

Genetics

Genetics is a popular scapegoat for lazy people. It is very convenient, and there's no one around to prove that this is the sole purpose of fitness limitations for some people! Learn more here...

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By: Matt Danielsson

Genetics is a popular scapegoat for lazy people. It is very convenient, and there's no one around to prove that it is, in fact, bull. It's all individually based, so when the guy who spends 2 minutes at the end of his workout every other week doing some light calf-raises, claims he has bad genetics, we can't be sure.
Perhaps he WAS born with 50% less muscle fibers in his calves than the rest of us. The most likely scenario is that he hasn't learned the basics of prioritizing, but since there's a 0.001% chance that he's right, he's pouncing on it rather than face the probable truth.

Don't Throw In The Towel

Even if it would actually be true that he pulled a loser when the calf-genetics were handed out, it is not - I repeat, NOT - an excuse to throw in the towel! By training smart, we can overcome most obstacles. That is not the same as fixing the problem at the root, which we can't, but to cleverly conceal the shortcomings.
The most classic example is the guy with narrow shoulders. There isn't a bodybuilding magazine that hasn't covered this at least 10 times, so I'll keep it short:
By trimming down your waist and beefing up your deltoids, you'll create the illusion of having broad shoulders. Look at small guys like Flex Wheeler and Shawn Ray.
They're way smaller than Nasser El Sonbaty, Marcus Ruhl, and the other giants, but they still snatch the top slots!
Once again, it's all about illusions. The bottom line is that the cosmetic aspect of bodybuilding is not as dependent on genetics as many would like to think. Granted, you may have an uphill battle in some areas, but as a general rule, you can succeed.

Click Image To Enlarge.
Lee Priest - 215 lbs. (left), Jay Cutler - 295 lbs. (right).
70 Pound Difference!

Maintaining Balance

If you have skinny calves, forearms, or whatever, the number one priority should always be to hit that particular bodypart. Surprisingly, experience shows that many people does just the opposite. Keep in mind that bodybuilding - and all kind of weight training - is about maintaining balance.

RELATED ARTICLE

Symmetry! Developing a symmetrical physique entails focusing on all muscle groups equally through the employment of a variety of exercises. In bodybuilding, the emphasis should be placed on developing a balanced physique. [ Click here to learn more. ]

A guy with a huge upper body and spider-like legs not only looks ridiculous, he has also developed an unevenness in his body that'll set him back in other areas in life (think about it - with 30 pounds more of muscle on his upper body, but with the same legs, what happens to endurance in other sports? It's like running with a 30 pound backpack!).
In this case, you would not only allow your body to get unbalanced, but also allow an already weak part of you get even weaker (as compared to the rest of you, that are hopefully gaining in strength and size). This can all be summarized in two words: Prioritized Training.

RELATED POLL

Do You Prioritize Training Your Lagging Body Parts First? Yes. No. I Will Now!

Sounds familiar? Of course - it's the same old principle as when you've let your enthusiasm for bicep-curls take precedence over tricep-training for too long. Simply put - hit your weak muscles first, and hit them hard. Then do maintenance training for the already developed muscles until your weaker muscles have caught up. Then train all muscles equally hard to make sure that you stay on the right track.

You Are The Problem, Not Genetics

If you are truly genetically "cursed", you will ALWAYS have to put in a little more effort in keeping those up to par, but frankly speaking, odds are that you will surprise yourself. More often than not, it turns out that the muscle is really Ok - it just needed your full and undivided attention.
So much for the cosmetic part of genetics. We can do a lot to tweak things our way, and even though you might never become a Mr. Olympia contestant, there's always room for improvement. In almost every case, you can improve what nature threw at you by smart, prioritized training.
This doesn't really change the basic facts - that your lats suck, that your biceps don't have that awesome peak, or that your shoulders are narrow - but you can always create an illusion of looking better than you actually do. However, there is one point where there's not that much you do and that is where your muscles attach to your bones.
You can do a lot to improve your strength - let there be no mistake about this - deadlifts, squats, and heavy bench presses are excellent ways to boost your overall core strength. However, strange as it might sound to you, a truly crucial factor is where the muscle attaches to the bones.
Think about the upper arm-bone. The pec attaches perhaps 1.5 inches away from the base of the bone, near the shoulder-joint. When you're pressing weights, you have biomechanics working against you (it's like holding a short bar with one hand at the very end!
Light as the bar might be, the mechanics makes it hard).
If you were to move your hands a couple of inches in, the bar is easier to hold. On the same coin, the longer arms you have, the heavier holding the bar will feel. Say What?
Having longer arms also means that the weight will be traveling a longer distance from top to bottom position, as opposed to someone with shorter arms. And what has to pull the extra load? The pecs. There are two factors at play: The length of your arm AND where the muscle attaches to the bone.
Assuming that the muscle is exactly as large and strong as, say on your twin, you'd still be considerably weaker if that muscle was attached only ¼ of an inch closer to shoulder joint.
Follow the logic: The muscles are equally sized and of equal strength. The muscles are working equally hard when hoisting the weight for X amount of reps. However, the small difference of where the muscle attaches, allows one of you to use 30 lbs more. Likewise, a guy with the exact same size and strength, and the exact same placement of the pec muscle attachment, will differ in strength if one of them has 20% longer arms.
Remember the bar? The guy with longer arms are holding a longer bar, making the mechanics work against him. And - not only that - the weight has to travel further than with the other guy.
This is why you rarely see any 6'8" basketball player-kind of guys in the Olympics hoisting the big weights around. Heck, some of the top guys are borderline to midgets!

Conclusion

For the sake of simplicity, I have focused mainly on simple chest presses here. But this applies to pretty much all kinds of exercises. Take squats as another example: The muscle attachments determine how "efficient" the muscles are, biomechanically, and the length of your limbs once again determine how much of a lever your own body is, and last but not least, how far you will have to lift the weight from bottom all the way up to the top.
So, to wrap it up - theres not much you can do about this. But at least you know WHY a smaller guy can lift twice as much as you in certain lifts!
Thanks,

Microwaved Foods

Dangerous Facts About Microwave Oven

Important. Take care of your health.   (Note - The following link is from Ms. Nenah Sylver and found it of such importance that we are posting it hoping that the author will contact us so we can give full attribution.   "Below is a science fair project that my granddaughter did for 2006. In it she took filtered water and divided it into two parts. The first part she heated to boiling in a pan on the stove, and the second part she heated to boiling in a microwave. Then after cooling she used the water to water two identical plants to see if there would be any difference in the growth between the normal boiled water and the water boiled in a microwave. She was thinking that the structure or energy of the water may be compromised by microwave. As it turned out, even she was amazed at the difference.")             I have known for years that the problem with micro waved anything is not the radiation people used to worry about, It's how it corrupts the DNA in the food so the body can not recognize it. So the body wraps it in fat cells to protect itself from the dead food or it eliminates it fast. Think of all the Mothers heating up milk in these "Safe" appliances. What about the nurse in Canada that warmed up blood for a transfusion patient and accidentally killed them when the blood went in dead. But the makers say it's safe. But proof is in the pictures of living plants dying.   FORENSIC RESEARCH DOCUMENT   Five Reasons to Throw out your Microwave Oven   From the conclusions of the Swiss, Russian and German scientific clinical studies, we can no longer ignore the microwave oven sitting in our kitchens. Based on this research, we will conclude this article with the following:     !). The human body cannot metabolize [break down] the unknown by-products created in micro waved food.   2). Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all micro waved food is reduced or altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.   3). The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals when cooked in microwave ovens.   4). Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths [tumors]. This may explain the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer in America.   5). Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability, and a decrease of intelligence.

How to stop cough in 5 minutes!!!

How to stop cough in 5 minutes!!!

This is a must try....

We have all been kept awake by our own or someone else's cough. Try this and pass it on. The tip and not the cough. ANYTHING is better than antibiotics. Even babies could benefit from this and the parents wouldn't worry about the safety of their child. And of course, it is harmless and free from any type of side-effects.

Treatment:
To stop night time coughing in a child (or an adult, as we found out personally), put Vicks Vapor Rub generously on the bottom of the feet at bedtime and then cover with socks.

Even persistent, heavy, deep coughing will stop in about five minutes and stay stopped for many, many hours of relief. This works 100 percent of the time, and is more effective in children than even very strong prescription cough medicines. In addition it is extremely soothing and comforting and they will sleep soundly…