Kitchen Raid Makeover Reveals Voorhees Personal Trainer

Your kitchen will make or break your weight loss results.

A kitchen stocked with the makings for healthy meals and snacks will keep you on track, even when late-night cravings strike. On the flip side, a kitchen filled with unhealthy munchies will derail your weight loss efforts every single time.

So what should your cupboards hold and what should be off limits? I’ve designed this self-guided kitchen raid to help you sort out the good from the bad.

Go ahead, grab a garbage bag, print out the list below, and then head to the kitchen.

The Refrigerator
Let’s start with the fridge, the heart of your kitchen. If you find something in your fridge that is on the “Dump this” list, then you know what you have to do. Get that garbage bag ready.

Dump this: Beverages with high fructose corn syrup or sugar. Drinking calories is one of the quickest ways to gain weight, so quickly rid your fridge of any beverage that lists HFCS or sugar on the ingredient list.

•Replace with: Water. It is a well known fact that most people are partially dehydrated, a condition that is harmful to your health and wreaks havoc on your weight loss efforts. Keep plenty of cold water on hand for proper hydration.
Dump this: Rich dairy products. I know that cream cheese tastes amazing, but fat-filled dairy products are extremely high in calories and should not reside in your fridge. Eliminate high-fat cheese, milk and yogurt from your kitchen.

•Replace with: Fresh Vegetables. The produce drawer in your fridge should be overflowing with colorful nutrient-rich veggies. In fact, your fridge should hold more veggies than the drawer can hold. Veggies are filled with fiber, vitamins and nutrients and are a vital part of a healthy well-rounded diet.
Dump this: Fatty meats. It is important that you be selective about the meats that you eat. I may tell you that chicken is a great source of protein, but if you take that as a license to eat fried chicken everyday then the benefit of the protein will be lost in all the extra fat calories.

•Replace with: Lean meats. Skinless chicken breast, lean ground turkey, white fish – there are numerous choices when it comes to lean meats.
Dump this: Fruit-flavored yogurt. I hate to break this to you, but that cute individually packaged yogurt is going to do more harm to your waistline than you think. More than 50% of the calories in fruit-flavored yogurt come from sugar. Check out the ingredient list and you likely find both high fructose corn syrup AND sugar.

•Replace with: Plain low-fat yogurt, Greek yogurt, or low-fat cottage cheese. If you love yogurt, then get the low-fat plain version. You can even chop up some fresh fruit and stir it in. Another option is to have a scoop of low-fat cottage cheese with chopped fruit on top.
The Freezer
Next let’s take a look into your freezer. Anyone who has walked the freezer aisles at the store knows how plentiful frozen temptations are. How does your freezer measure up?

Dump this: Ice cream. We may as well get this one over with. Hiding a gallon or two (or even a pint) of your favorite ice cream “for a rainy day” is NOT a good idea. Save yourself from that temptation and don’t buy ice cream.

•Replace with: Frozen fruit. When your sweet tooth starts acting up, throw an assortment of frozen fruit into the blender and whip up a healthy fiber-filled smoothie.
Dump this: Frozen Pizza. This is another one of those items that is just too tempting to keep around. Why would you bother to make a healthy dinner when a frozen pizza is calling your name? Ban frozen pizza from your home and watch as your waist starts to shrink.

•Replace with: Turkey or Veggie Patties. For quick dinners keep your freezer filled with lean turkey patties and veggie patties. Serve on a bed of brown rice or on a whole grain bun.
Dump this: TV Dinners. I doubt that you need me to go into too much detail on this one. The next time that you are tempted to buy a pre-packaged frozen meal, please turn the package over and read the nutritional facts. You will be shocked by the staggering number of calories and less-than-healthy ingredients.

•Replace with: Home-made Portioned Meals. Spend some time on the weekends to cook up healthy meals, and then freeze them in portioned containers. Then throughout the week you simply need to reheat and enjoy.
Dump this: Frozen Breakfast Food. French toast, waffles and pancakes are popular items in the freezer aisle. Don’t fall for the pretty photos and tasty-sounding names. These items are highly processed and contain loads of unnecessary sugar.

•Replace with: Sprouted Whole Grain Bread and Muffins. It is just as easy to throw a slice of sprouted, whole grain bread into the toaster as it is a frozen waffle. Spread it with some natural peanut butter and pair it with a piece of fruit. Now that’s a much healthier breakfast.
The Pantry
Last, but not least, we come to your pantry. This may be the most painful part of your kitchen raid, since most junk food ends up here. So take a moment to give yourself a pep talk before grabbing that garbage bag and opening your pantry.

Dump this: Sugar-filled cereal. If sugar or high fructose corn syrup are listed as ingredients on your cereal box, it’s got to go. Sugar-filled cereal is basically another form of junk food, and will only add inches to your waist.

•Replace with: Whole Grain Oatmeal. There is a huge difference between instant, sugar-filled oatmeal and whole grain oatmeal.
Dump this: Refined/White Bread/Rice/Pasta. These highly processed products promote weight gain and a plethora of other health problems. Do not buy “white” bread, rice or pasta – especially if you want to lose weight.

•Replace with: Whole Grain Bread/Rice/Pasta. Whole grain is the best choice you can make. It is filled with healthy fiber, and is less likely to contain harmful, waist-expanding ingredients.
Dump this: Chips/Crackers. While refined chips and crackers are fun to munch on, the extra calories will quickly add up. Do yourself a favor by not allowing these into your pantry.

•Replace with: Almonds. The key to making this snack a winner is to practice portion control. Place a handful of almonds into individual bags for pre-portioned snacks.
Dump this: Packaged Sweets. I don’t really have to explain this one, do I? Cookies and cakes and candies shouldn’t be a regular part of your diet, so keep them out of your house. It’s one thing to enjoy a dessert once in a while, it is quite another to routinely eat processed sweets at home.

•Replace with: Dried Fruit. When you want to munch on something sweet, turn to a bag of dried fruit. Make sure that you purchase dried fruit that does not contained added sugars.
That completes your self-guided kitchen raid. I encourage you to raid your kitchen every couple of months as a way of keeping yourself on track. Talk with your family members about the healthy changes that you’re making, and try to get everyone’s support.

You know that weight loss comes as a result of healthy eating and consistent, challenging workouts. Call or email today to get started on a fitness program that will get you on the fast-track to your best body ever.

Top 5 Ways We Overeat Revealed by Voorhees Personal Trainer

• Use the Half-Plate Rule: fill half of your plate with vegetables and the other half with protein and starch.
• Use smaller plates and wait 20 minutes before deciding if you want seconds.
• Eat slower so your appetite can catch up with what you’ve already eaten.
• Don’t place serving dishes on the table. Pre-plate your food and then put the rest out of reach.

• Chew gum throughout your day to avoid mindless munching.
• Keep tempting snack foods out of sight and out of mind.
• Never eat directly from a package. Portion out your snack into a dish.
• Don’t purchase tempting snack foods for future snacking. Keep a wide variety of fruits and vegetables on hand instead.

• Stay more than an arm’s length away from the buffet or snack bowls.
• Put only two food items on your plate during each trip to the table.
• Make yourself feel full by eating the big healthy stuff first, like broccoli and carrots.
• Remind yourself why you are at the party: first to socialize or to conduct business and secondarily to eat.

• Ask your waiter to remove the bread basket from the table.
• Before you eat, ask your waiter to box half of your entrée to take home.
• Decide to either share an appetizer or a dessert, never have both.
• Skip the appetizer menu and instead start your meal with a side salad.

• Pack a healthy lunch and bring it with you.
• Stock your work area with healthy protein-filled snacks.
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day.
• Turn off the computer or pull your car over while you eat.

Sweet And Tangy Salmon Voorhees Personal Trainer Reveals

It’s barbeque season, and what better to throw on the grill than a tender fillet of salmon? Salmon is full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins. In addition to the health benefits, this salmon recipe packs a sweet and tangy flavor that is sure to please.
Servings: 2

Here’s what you need:

• 1 fillet of fresh Salmon
• 1 cup Lite Soy Sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh minced Ginger
• 1/2 cup Agave Nectar (or Honey)

1. Combine the Soy Sauce, Ginger and Agave nectar. Place the Salmon in a pan and cover with the Soy marinade for 1 hour in the fridge.
2. Prepare your grill. If desired, soak a cedar plank to barbecue the Salmon on.
3. Grill over medium heat until cooked through and flaky.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 300 calories, 12g fat, 8g carbohydrate, .5g fiber, and 40g protein.

Killing the Time Excuse Voorhees Personal Trainer Tells All

The number one reason why people don’t exercise is that they don’t have time states Voorhees Personal Trainer Kevin Hensel

At least that’s what they tell themselves .

I know we are all busy. Between getting to and from work, balancing responsibilities and having time for yourself, there’s little left over for workouts.

With the holiday season fast approaching your busy schedule is sure to get even busier. There will be parties, shopping, decorating, cooking and family gatherings. It’s no wonder that exercise quickly takes a backseat to holiday activities.

You don’t have to succumb to weight gain this holiday season. Escape the time crunch excuse in three easy steps:

Step One: Schedule Your Workouts: You’ve heard this before, and it makes so much sense. If you treat your exercise time with the importance of a work meeting then you’d never skip a workout and you’d be in amazing shape.

While the scheduling concept is brilliant in its simplicity, you have to put it into practice to reap the benefits. Pull out your calendar and a pen. Don’t laugh, I’m serious! Just do it. If you want to get into shape it starts with committing to a revised
schedule with a set exercise time.

Identify three 40-minute time slots and mark them on your calendar. That is when you’ll exercise.

Remember this: if the thought that you should exercise this week is floating around in your head, but you haven’t anchored it down to a specific time and date, then it will quickly disappear.

Step Two: Get the Most from Each Minute: The days of endless, mind numbing cardio are over. A great workout can take place in under an hour, when done correctly. The idea is to burn more calories each minute. This is done through short, intense bursts of exercise.

Use the following three tips to bring your routine up to the next level:

1. Be Unstable: Use your entire body, and target your core, by performing exercises that engage stabilizing muscles. To do this use an exercise ball, a balance board, a balance disk, or you could simply stand on one leg.
2. Add Resistance: The more resistance that you incorporate with your routine translates into higher intensity and more calories burned. Some ideas for adding resistance include: carrying dumbbells while doing lunges, wearing a weighted vest while walking or jogging, or putting a weight between your feet while doing leg raises.
3. Use Intervals: Interval training is an amazing tool for creating short yet effective workouts. Don’t worry, it’s not complicated. Interval training is simply alternating between different short bursts of activity.

   Here’s an example: Let’s say you want to focus on your legs and abs and to also get an effective cardiovascular workout. This would be a great interval routine for your goals:

• Lunge while curling dumbbells, 15-20 repetitions
• 30 seconds of intense cardio: sprint, jump rope, or jumping jacks
• Squat while pressing dumbbells overhead, 15-20 repetitions
• 30 seconds of intense cardio: sprint, jump rope, or jumping jacks
• Crunches on an exercise ball, 15-20 repetitions
• 30 seconds of intense cardio: sprint, jump rope, or jumping jacks
• Leg raises off the end of an exercise bench, 15-20 repetitions

Step Three: Twice the Results in Half the Time: What if I told you that I have a proven way to deliver twice the fitness results in half the time? It’s simple really…

When you attempt to lose weight or meet a fitness goal on your own, the odds are stacked against you. Sure, you could do it over time – but it’s a long and lonely road. A road lined with detours that threaten to undermine your progress.

When you start a program with me, you suddenly have the upper hand on weight loss. You have me in your corner, coaching you each step of the way, keeping you accountable to workouts and giving you that dose of encouragement went the going gets tough.

And I’ll be the one congratulating you when your goal is met.

Call or email today to get started on a fitness program that will put exercise firmly on your calendar, and results squarely in your future.

Kevin Hensel, Owner Fit-4-Life, Inc.

Cherry Hill Personal Training Studio located just minutes from Voorhees, NJ

Easy Homemade Lentil Soup Voorhees Personal Trainer Recipe

Few things are as comforting, on a brisk autumn day, than a bowl of hot lentil soup. This recipe is surprisingly simple with 5 minutes of prep and a cook time of just 30 minutes. Serve for lunch or dinner with a piece of hearty whole grain bread and a salad.
Yield: 12 Servings

Here’s what you need…

• 7 cups water
• 2 1/2 cup dried red lentils
• 1 large onion, minced
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• Large pinch of cayenne pepper
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt and pepper

1. Combine water, lentils, onion, turmeric, and cayenne pepper in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer until lentils have disintegrated, about 30 minutes.
2. Stir in lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper to taste.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 148 calories, .8g fat, 25g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, and 11g protein.

Sweet Braised Figs, Voorhees Personal Trainers Reveals

This recipe is simple, healthy and delicious. Braised figs make a stunning display, and their delicate warm taste will not disappoint. Add braised figs to your oatmeal, on fat-free cottage cheese or even throw a few onto a salad. Not only are figs high in fiber, they are also loaded with potassium – a mineral important in controlling blood pressure.
Yield: 6 servings

Here’s what you need…

• Non-stick cooking spray
• 1 Tablespoon agave nectar
• 12 figs, sliced in half

1. Heat a large non-stick saute pan and spray with cooking spray. Add the agave nectar.
2. Place the figs, sliced side down in the pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes over medium heat. The figs will become slightly sticky and golden around the edges.
3. Remove from pan and place sliced side up on a plate. Drizzle with remaining juice from the pan.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 70 calories, .2g fat, 18g carbohydrate, 2.4g fiber, and .6g protein.

Kevin Hensel

Fit-4-Life, Inc just minutes from Voorhees, NJ

856-751-0033

Unleash The Power of Fiber, Voorhees Personal Trainer Tells All

Your Secret Weight Loss Weapon, The Food Journal Voorhees Personal Trainer Reveals

(Click here for blank  food journal entry food_journal1).

Studies show that a journal doesn’t just aid weight loss – it turbo-charges it. When researchers from Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research followed more than 2,000 dieters who were encouraged to record meals and snacks, they found that the single best predictor of whether a participant would drop weight was whether the person kept a food diary. It trumped exercise habits, age, and body mass index. The number of pounds people lost was directly related to the number of days they wrote in their log.  I have attached a blank food journal entry

How your food journal is an essential tool to achieving your fitness goals: 

1.  Awareness:  Instead of mindlessly consuming meals, your diet journal will help you become conscious of what you are eating, how much, and how often

2.  Reality: Once you realize where the majority of calories are coming from, you can make healthier, low calorie changes and eliminate excess foods with little nutritional value.

3.  Accountability: By writing down all of the foods you eat and calculating the daily calorie and nutritional value for all your meals, you are forced to consider how an extra serving of pasta or a dessert will factor into
your diet.

4.   Routine: When you start a diet journal, you establish a routine.  This routine helps you to maintain a stable, steady progression  towards your goals even if you have a bad day.

How to use your food journal:

Begin by writing down all of the foods and beverages you eat on a daily basis broken down in to Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, & Snacks.  It might be a little annoying as you measure out your food for the first few days, but make sure you are paying close attention to portion size (Click here to measure proper portions portion_distortion1 ). Record the time you eat each meal as well as all the items in your meal, including dressing, condiments, and beverages. 

Calculate your nutritional totals for calories, fat , carbohydrates, protein, and fiber (calories are the most important).  You can find the values for the most popular food items located online (www.calorieking.com), nutrition facts label on the container, or a calorie counting book.  To find out exactly how many calories you need to eat visit www.CherryHillBodyIQ.com to find out more info.    If weight loss is your primary goal, deduct 300-400 calories per day for 3-4 weeks.  Deduct another 300-400 calories the following month if further weight loss is desired.  Never go below 1200-1300 calories per day.

Be as accurate as possible and try not to miss a day for the first 3-4 weeks, but don’t beat yourself up over it if you forget a day or two.  The more accurate your food journal the better your results will be it’s that simple.   You need to see the good and the bad, everything in moderation.  You will not need to keep a food journal indefinitely , but it is an invaluable tool to reaching your initial goals.

Committed to your success,

Kevin Hensel

Cherry Hill Personal Training Trainer, Just Minutes from Voorhees, NJ