Are sitting or standing exercises better for me?

We Canadians only stand for a few hours a day on the average.  Think about it — most of us sit at work, sit at home and sleep horizontal (although I did find myself hanging from the ceiling one morning…) With that said, we need to get upright when we are exercising as this is our natural form and will yield the best results with strengthening, improving posture and burning calories.  Case and point, we need to get off our butts!

Inspire to Aspire,

Kristopher Simpson

www.bodiesbydesign.ca

How much muscle can you gain in 1 year?

The average muscle gain for a man is 10-12 pounds per year, while the average for women is 4-6 pounds. Women don’t have the same muscle gaining potential men do because of hormones and other genetic factors.  If you’re gaining more than these amounts per year, you can almost guarantee it’s fat weight and not muscle! Cut back on the calories!

Inspire to Aspire

Kristopher Simpson

www.bodiesbydesign.ca

What burns more calories: high- or low-intensity cardio?

If you’re performing high-intensity cardio you’re burning mainly carbohydrates and not a carb/fat fuel mix like you would be during low intensity cardio.  But wait… if you’re burning carbs you’re still creating a carb/calorie deficit that will signal your body to switch and burn the carb/fat fuel mix after the workout and throughout the day.  Case and point, if you want to burn fat, create a carb/calorie deficit. The fastest way (maybe not the easiest though!) is with high-intensity cardio. 

Inspire to Aspire,

Kristopher Simpson

www.bodiesbydesign.ca

Do Vitamin B12 shots work for weight loss?

Unless you suffer from a vitamin B12 deficiency, there’s no reason you should receive the shots. The truth is that it’s rare to suffer from such a deficiency because the human body stores several years’ worth of vitamin B12. So where does the confusion come from? Simply, patients that received vitamin B12 shots for chronic fatigue reported another amazing effect of the shots … they lost weight! The word spread and as so often happens with weight loss fads, vitamin B12 was tagged “the next weight loss cure.” While many doctors prescribe it for weight loss, perhaps it’s the pseudo effect – if they tell you it’s going to help you lose weight, chances are you’ll believe them. But the truth is your weight loss is a result of the diet you’re following.

Inspire to Aspire

Kristopher Simpson

Which vegetable absorbs oil like a sponge when it’s fried?

Frying can add fat to otherwise healthy foods such as vegetables. One vegetable in particular absorbs oil like a sponge. Which of the following is it?

a) potatoes

b) eggplant

c) zucchini

d) bell pepper

You might be surprised by the answer!

And the answer is: Eggplant!

Eggplant absorbs more fat than any other vegetable. Researchers found that a serving of eggplant absorbed 83 grams of fat in 70 seconds. This was four times the amount of fat absorbed by an equal serving of potatoes. The eggplant soaked up 700 extra calories! Try steaming or baking eggplant instead of frying.


Inspire to Aspire

Kristopher Simpson

www.bodiesbydesign.ca