Body Fat analysis

Body Composition Analysis determines the amount of “fat free mass” or “lean mass” (everything except fat) in the body, versus the body’s fat mass. The most accurate way is through Hydrostatic Weighing and it is the standard for body composition analysis. You basically climb into a tub of water, exhale all the water out of your lungs as you lower down to the bottom of the tub. The calculation is based on the amount of water your body displaces.

Out of sheer curiosity, I decided to have my body fat measured. I was in the healthy range, so I was happy about that. Body fat % is pretty interesting to me. You can be “overweight” but still fall within the healthy range (remember that muscle weighs more than fat). You can also be at a healthy weight, but have a high body fat %. Have you ever heard the term “skinny fat.” I’m not a big fan of that term, but what it means is that someone can be seemingly “skinny” but if they’ve never worked out, it’s possible that their body fat % is higher than someone who’s “bigger” that works out a lot. Crazy, right?

So what’s the healthy range for your age? Here’s general guide:

Age (20-29):  women 19%, men 11.8%
Age (30-39):  women 20%, men 15.9%
Age (40-49):  women 23.5%, men 18.1%
Age (50-59):  women 26.6%, 19.8%
Age (65+):  women 27.5%, men 20.3%

Want to get your body composition analysis? Well my friend Linda has a mobile hydrostatic body fat testing clinic and she’s going to be in Culver City on Wednesday September 15th outside the Herbalife Building from 2 – 8 pm. You can call 949-283-3655 to make an appointment.  Wear a bathing suit and remember to bring a towel with you!

You can also click here for some of the other locations.

For more information you can visit www.bodyfattest.com

Sources:  www.bodyfattest.com

Low fat + low calorie = tasty? Yes way!

I recently discovered the best yogurt on the planet at Ralph’s Grocery Store:  Fage Yogurt.  And while this may (or may not) be the newest product on the market…it may be the best kept secret!  If you’re like me (and have a major sweet tooth) then you probably crave something sweet every so often.  So here’s the secret to satisfying that craving:

You can get it at Trader Joe’s, Ralphs, Von’s, Albertsons, Pavillions and Target.

This stuff is all natural; ust raw milk, raw cream and live active cultures. It’s got that thick creamy texture without the added fat and calories.  I love mixing in fresh fruit to sweeten it up.  However, I also always keep a bag of frozen mixed berries in my freezer (the kind without syrup.  just fruit!).  This way, I can still sweeten it up when I don’t have fresh fruit in the house.  And if I have neither, I’ll take a small scoop of raspberry preserves and mix it in.

This is a really good snack because it tastes great and it’s filling!

The 6 oz container (larger than other brands) of the 0% Fage Yogurt is only 90 calories, Zero fat, and 15 grams of protein.  That’s pretty amazing!   So try it out and let us know how you liked it!

Never miss another workout

Having trouble sticking to your workouts?  Here’s the secret to staying on track:

Nutritional Inflation

You may not know that USDA research figures show a decline in nutrient content of 43 types of crops they have been tracking since 1950. And today, the nutrient content of these crops has declined significantly. Basically you’d have to eat 3 apples today to get the same amount of iron as you would have gotten from 1 apple in 1940. This is Nutritional Inflation; we have to eat more to get the same amount of nutrients that we did decades ago.

Reasons for this? We’ve changed the way we grow foods and we’ve changed the kinds of food being grown.

Some of these changes involve the use of chemicals and pesticides.

So what’s the answer?

Eat local & organic whenever possible. Get to the farmers market to eat healthy and support those that are among the few still providing us with REAL food.