Types of Fat..............

Let's take a closer look at the different types of fats:

Monounsaturated: These "good" fats are found mainly in plant sources, like nuts, avocados and olive, peanut and canola oils. They are liquid at room temperature.

Polyunsaturated: These fats, which include the healthy omega-3 fatty acids, are also found in plant oils such as safflower, sunflower, corn, flaxseed and canola oils, as well as in seafood.

Polyunsaturated fats are either liquid or soft at room temperature. Essential fatty acids — alpha-linolenic and linoleic acid — are also in the polyunsaturated group. These fats, which we need to get from the foods we eat, are necessary for the creation of cell walls and hormones in the body.

Saturated: These fats are found mostly in animal products. Red meat, poultry, cheese, butter and other dairy products are the main sources. Some plant products like palm, coconut and palm kernel oil are also saturated. These fats are solid at room temperature.

Trans-: This type of fat is formed when unsaturated vegetable oils are hydrogenated (or partially hydrogenated) to form solid, more stable fats. Hydrogen atoms are actually added to the oils. Trans-fats include margarine and shortening and are found in everything from crackers, cookies, doughnuts, frozen pie crusts, deep-fried foods, and foods with chocolate coatings.

Health Tip: Butter vs. Margarine

This debate has raged on for years. If you're looking for a healthy morning spread, avoid stick margarine.

Choose a light, soft margarine or butter substitute that says "trans-fat free" on the package.

Butter lovers should use it sparingly to cut down on saturated fat.

Tip of the Day

You don't need to have a sugar-free diet, but reducing the amount of sugar you consume is a wise decision. Look for the following items on the ingredients label — they're all forms of sugar:

Corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup
Molasses
Honey
Fruit juice concentrate or fructose
Sugar — white, brown, raw or cane

Question of the Day:It is possible to attain fat loss on a healthy diet with zero exercise?

While it is not possible to lose weight by eating an unhealthy diet even with all the exercise in the world, it is possible to lose weight without exercise.

However, fat reduction of the "love handles" can be attained at the fastest rate possible by following a low-fat diet and even faster when combined with certain types of cardiovascular exercises.

Why waste time and effort with products that will not help you to tone your abdomen when a combination of exercise and low-fat diet is your best bet or a combination of exercise and low-fat diet will yield the best results.

Cutting down on sugar:

Avoid heavily sweetened breakfast cereals. Go for ones that have 10 grams of sugar or less per serving.

Energy bars and drinks are a common source of hidden sugar. Look for ones that have less than 12-15 grams of sugar per serving.

Watch out for reduced fat and fat-free products. Sugars are often added to mask the loss of flavor when fat is removed. You may be cutting out fat, but not necessarily calories.

Limit sweetened beverages like milkshakes and coffee drinks, which are deceptively full of sugar and calories.
Buy juices that are 100 percent fruit juice. Be careful about products that say "100 percent natural." That doesn't mean they're not loaded with added sugars.

Avoid products that call themselves "juice cocktails" and "juice beverages."

Mix fresh or dried fruit into plain yogurt. Many fruity yogurts are loaded with added sugar.
Learn to appreciate the natural tartness of fruits like grapefruit, strawberries and other berries.

Choose fruit when it's in season and it shouldn't need any added sweetness.

Exercise Essentials

ACE recently asked 36,000 ACE-certified Fitness Professionals to name their single most important exercise items.

Some answers were obvious (my body), while others were more abstract (daily goals, plenty of space).

Here are their top 12 exercise essentials:
Good shoes
Fun or appropriate music
Free weights
A positive attitude
Comfortable clothing
Lots of water
A supportive sports bra
Safe, well-made equipment (e.g., cardio machines, heart-rate monitors
Weight-training gloves
Enough time
A workout partner
Fresh, clean air and/or sunshine

SALMON WRAPS

Simply wrap and go. Here’s an easy, high-protein snack that you can whip up in seconds, without turning on a stove or even a microwave.

INGREDIENTS
• 1 can salmon – It packs 34 grams of omega-rich protein.• 4 handfuls of spinach – Hey, it worked for Popeye!• 12 almonds (crushed) – A powerful antioxidant, almonds help deactivate dangerous free radicals that are created during exercise.• 1 small tomato (chopped) – It contains lycopene, which can reduce your risk of prostate cancer. • 2 large fat-free whole-wheat tortillas – This complex carb will keep you energized throughout the day.

INSTRUCTIONS
Combine the first four ingredients, wrap and go.

NUTRITION INFORMATION
SERVING SIZE: 2

CALORIES PER SERVING: 303

PROTEIN: 74.4 grams

CARBS: 36.7 grams

FAT: 8.7 grams

SAT FAT: 1.3 grams

Daily Inspiration

"Think little goals and expect little achievements. Think Big goals and win big success."

~David Joseph Schwartz

Gold's Gym fitness experts Terra Yeske and Robert Reames debunk some common myths about diet, exercise and fitness.

Myth #1: 1,000 crunches a day will guarantee you a six-pack.

Personal Training and Obesity expert Robert Reames, of the Gold's Gym Fitness Institute, confirms that there is no such thing as "spot reduction," but there is such a thing as spot conditioning. You can condition muscles by training and focusing on them, but without burning the fat covering your abdomen, you'll never get that washboard stomach.In fact: Burning belly fat with cardio workouts and smart eating is the only way to start seeing definition.

Myth #2: It's only a good workout if you're sore the next day.

So you got a little aggressive doing chest presses yesterday and now your pecs are killing you. Think you got a jump-start on your muscle growth? Not so fast. "Soreness is related to a number of factors, none of which directly correlate to muscle growth," says Terra Yeske, Gold's Gym Manager of Personal Training Development.In fact: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) occurs when nerve endings get inflamed after micro trauma to your muscle tissue. In short, don't overdo it.

Myth #3: Women get "bulky" or "masculine" if they lift weights.

Ladies, rest assured: You simply don't have enough testosterone to attain the appearance of a male body builder.In fact: "The muscle you are able to build lifting weights will only improve your appearance and femininity by providing a toned appearance," Yeske says.

Myth #4: Exercising long and slow burns more fat.

Your body uses fat for energy while exercising at a lower intensity, but training at a high intensity will burn more calories after you've stopped working out.In fact: "The faster you move, the higher your post-exercise metabolism becomes," Yeske says. "You'll burn more calories throughout the day than if you had moved at a slower pace."

Myth #5: If you beef up on protein, you'll gain muscle.

Everybody needs protein to rebuild and repair muscles, but overloading on protein will get you nowhere. There's only a certain amount of nutrients your body can handle before it just turns to waste — or, as Reames warns, "You'll just end up peeing nitrogen."In fact: According to the American Dietetic Association, six to seven daily ounces of lean meat provides enough protein for most athletes.

Myth #6: Running on a treadmill is better for your joints than pavement.

Joint pain surfaces anytime your body is pounding on a surface it isn't used to. Reames recommends a mix of treadmill and pavement running to avoid jolting your neurological system. "Some people have joints that can handle anything," Reames says. "Others are more susceptible to the impact."In fact: Vary your workouts or switch to an elliptical or bike if you're in pain. Your joints are safe as long as you ease your way into running outside and mix up your pavement and treadmill time.

Myth #7: Muscle turns to fat if you stop lifting weights.

Muscle cannot physically turn into fat. But, Yeske says, if you stop lifting weights, your muscles will atrophy (reduce in size) and you'll experience a decrease in metabolism. "A decrease in metabolism will hinder your ability to burn as many calories, thus resulting in an increase in body fat."In fact: Your muscles won't "turn into" fat, but a decrease in metabolism will increase overall body fat.