Everyone has seen the infomercials for all of Tony Horton’s great workout programs, but can you really get results from the 10 Minute Trainer? A 10 minute workout doesn’t seem like it would be enough. Right?  Even for your most basic workout routine, aren’t you supposed to do at least 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week to see any results? All of Tony’s other programs are 30 minutes or more per day.  How can 10 minutes of working out do anything?

The answer is Super Stacking. Tony Horton created this method, and it uses cardio and weight training simultaneously. These 10 minute workouts are a combination of heart pumping movements in unison with strength building moves. This method gives you a full body, super condensed workout in 10 minutes. You can also “stack” your workouts by doing up to 3 – 10 minute workouts per day. This will give you even greater results. Who doesn’t have 10 minutes here and there to fit in some exercise?

Another key to this 10 minute workout is the nutrition. Tony Horton is big on eating clean and not filling up on foods that may appear to be healthy, but end up making us gain weight. You will see the same philosophy in all of his program’s food guides. Lean proteins, complex carbs, low fat dairy, whole foods and fresh produce are the main ingredients to a successful diet.

Look up some reviews on the 10 Minute Trainer and I guarantee you there will be lots of success stories. It’s so easy to make a 10 minute workout a part of your daily life. Why not start now?

You may think that all sushi is healthy, but some types of rolls can contain a huge amount of calories per portion. Fish is great for us and we should keep it in our diet, but you have to be careful when choosing your favorites at your local sushi bar. It’s the other ingredients and the way the sushi is prepared that can put a damper on our diets. Here are some tips on how to separate the healthy sushi from its high calorie counterparts.

For one, any thing fried aka tempura, will have higher calories for obvious reasons.  Some tempura rolls can get up to 530 calories! That’s about the same as a big mac!  What ever your method of dieting is, counting calories or carbs, these rolls pack in a lot of both. Dumplings and spider rolls tend to be higher in calories as well. Instead, choose a healthy sushi option that isn’t fried.  There are also some rolls very high in fat that are made with duck or eel that you should probably stay away from if you are on a diet.

Sushi condiments can bring down the nutritional value of your favorite choices as well.  Soy sauce and Miso both contain a large amount of sodium.  Sometimes mayonnaise, cream cheese and creamy dressing can be a topping of choice for some sushi and Japanese salads, but these things can add significant calories to your meal.  There are plenty of healthy sushi options that we can foul up with the condiments we add to them.

Go ahead and keep healthy sushi a part of your diet.  It can be a fun and delicious way to spice up your menu!

A simple way to approach weight loss is with the “calories in-calories out” method. It is true that if you reduce the calories you eat and increase the calories burned with exercise, you will lose weight. Seems pretty basic right? Although there is truth to this, are all calories created equal?  You would think so but you really need to be mindful of where these calories are coming from.  Can you still lose weight if you eat anything you want as long as you stay within your calorie limit?

If you consume a healthy, well-balanced meal void of saturated fats that is around or even over 600 calories, is this equal to eating a Big Mac (563 calories) and a few fries?  While it is true that a calorie is just a calorie no matter where it comes from, different foods will have different effects on your body. So are all calories created equal? You will get more nutrients beneficial to your health with the balanced meal than the Big Mac and fries. Also, nutrients from different sources are metabolized in different ways and can take more calories to process than others.

For example, your body burns more calories to burn protein and it takes longer to digest so you feel full longer. Protein also increases muscle mass, which helps burn more calories. A triple benefit!  But the point here is that if you eat a 2-3 oz chicken breast that is roughly 150 calories, you are much better off with the chicken than drinking a can of Pepsi, which is also 150 calories. Are all calories created equal? Not by a mile in this case!

You can lose weight by eating fewer calories and burning more, but if you aren’t careful where those calories are coming from, you could run into deficiency problems if you aren’t getting the right nutrients and end up being unhealthy. The question “are all calories created equal” can certainly be debated. In my opinion, scientifically, yes they are. Nutritionally no, they are absolutely not.