Not all Peanut Butter is created equal!

Olympic diver Greg Louganis termed peanut butter "the breakfast of champions". Yet, despite peanut butters many benefits, depending on what brand you buy, how it's manufactured, packaged, and processed, you MAY not be getting the best of the best when it comes to peanut butter.

If you wander into the peanut butter isle you'll be bombarded with different types of peanut butter- the All American staple, Jif, it's competitors Skippy and Peter Pan, organic peanut butters, Smucker's peanut butter and jelly, natural peanut butter, crunchy peanut butter, no stir peanut butter, and the latest- peanut butters claiming to be "All Natural". Whatever that means.

I should start by saying under no circumstances should you leave your grocery store with Jif, Skippy, or Peter Pan in your cart. Period. For starters look at the list of ingredients in a standard jar of Jif:

• Roasted peanuts and sugar (yes that's right, those are the FIRST TWO ingredients. Not just peanuts, but peanuts and SUGAR.... you already shot the nutritional benefits of peanut butter to hell- but read on!)
• Molasses (more sugar)
• Fully hydrogenated vegetable oils (not as dangerous as partially hydrogenated oils which are loaded with trans fats, but it's still an addition of excess oils and fats to the peanut butter)
• Mono and diglycerides (hmmm sound yummy? Exactly. No thanks. Basically they're fats which are added to a product as a preservative. They stabilize food and give it consistency. In the case of peanut butter, they keep Jif looking like jif and not the peanut butter with separation you also see on the shelf. Basically it increases the saturated fat content, and it's an additive- an un-necessary one at that)
• Salt

So pass on Jif. Now onto my next point- what to do about these brands of peanut butter that are marketed as "natural"? What is the difference between "natural" and "organic?" Well first off, organic is not "organic" unless it is USDA certified so always look for that seal. Organic foods are foods that are processed, manufactured, and handled by means defined by the USDA per its Organic Food Products Act. Organic foods are granted and monitored by the government and are guaranteed to be free of chemical pesticides, fertilizers, and preservatives. Natural foods on the other hand have NO governing board of certification and essentially are defined as being "foods derived from plants and animals." Hmmm. Pretty broad if you ask me. In most cases "natural" means foods that are "minimally synthesized", but still synthesized nonetheless. Let's take a look at Jif's "Natural brand of Peanut Butter":

• Roasted Peanuts (perk here, peanuts as the FIRST ingredient)
• Sugar (and here we are again. Sugar is not included WITH the first ingredient, but it comes in a close second)
• Palm Oil (an excess additive again)
• Molasses (more sugar)
• Salt

Small differences, but not BIG differences or GOOD differences. So no Jif, no Skippy, no Peter Pan and no brands marketed as "natural". What does that leave us with?

You're going to look for the following;

1. USDA seal meaning the peanut butter is certifiable ORGANIC- free of not only additives and un-necessary sugars and fats, but pesticide free as well.
2. Peanut butter that has separation, which typically demonstrates that is ACTUALLY natural, free from additives meant to stabilize (hold the oil) together.
3. Sodium Free
4. Sugar Free
5. Look for the following ingredients: ORGANIC PEANUTS. Period. That's it. Ground nuts is all you need!

Typically I recommend finding a place that allows you to grind your OWN peanut butter, right there in the store. Typically this doesn't result in seperation (since it's freshly ground and not stored) which many people love. I know Whole Foods Markets have this.

If you don't have that option though, be on the look out for peanut butter that complies with the tips I listed above. For example I found this brand at the nearest Giant: Nature's Promise Organic Sodium Free Natural Peanut Butter:

Notice how it has the USDA seal on the front, is sodium free (unsalted) and has ONE ingredient. ONE. That's all you need in peanut butter.

Now I know the stirring aspect of natural peanut butter can be frazzling for most, but if you stir it all up initially and set it in the refrigerator it will help to naturally stabilize it a bit more. Natural peanut butter is filling and satisfying, high in fiber, healthy fats, and protein, and helps lower bad "ldl" cholesterol. It's also rich in micronutrients, which synthesized peanut butters are not, including reserveratrol, which is a natural antimicrobial agent produced by the peanut plant to ward off potential pathogens (bacteria, virii, and fungi). Another fun peanut butter perk? It contains the substance p-coumaric acid, a polyphenol that helps combat oxidative stress (a syndrome which can lead to cardiovascular disease)!

New Trend: Texting While Running

American racers are sissies, in Europe they are way less lax on enforcement. "Oh hai! I will teach you to look where you are running - buttock, say hello to my two pointy friends!"

"Don't forget to follow my race tweets!!" my friend* texted me on the eve of her big race. The Twin Cities Marathon was yesterday - huge props to all my peeps who ran it! (Way to go, Tracey - her first one!! And Bill, Shannon and Meghan!) - but I figured she was kidding. Who tweets while running a marathon? Remembering the last time I ran farther than 20 miles (um, over two years ago, sigh), I was a) too exhausted to form a coherent post and b) so sweaty that had I even had my phone on me I would have fumbled it through my slippery hands and drop-kicked it over the finish line.

So imagine my surprise when my phone chimed with an announcement from her at the start line. Well, I figured, she's not running yet. But then mile marker two brought a hot foot alert. The aid stations were serving Powerade in red cups, just in case you are curious. Possible blister at mile 14. Definite blister at 16. Cramp at 17. Ominously (or mercifully?) that was the last text I got from her. While the blow-by-blow was very entertaining for me, as it went on I began to worry about her safety on the race course. Twin Cities is pretty strict - they won't even let you use your iPod on the course out of concern for the safety of all the runners - so I can only imagine what they'd do if they caught you texting. In other races, I've heard many a runner complain about getting veered into by electronically distracted racers. Of course the complainant is generally sporting white earbuds but that's another issue I suppose.

Just walking while texting is risky - you may remember the 15-year-old girl who walked into an open manhole in Long Island whilst texting. Plenty of us have walked into walls, fallen off curbs, and apologized to a mannequin after bumping into it in the mall, thanks to walking and texting. (Yeah, that last one was me. It was super embarrassing.) So if walking and thumb-typing is that tricky, it's a miracle more runners haven't been injured fussing with their gadgetry.

And it's not just phones that are the issue. I once tripped over a tree root and did one of those face-plant prat falls in the dirt thanks to messing with the readout on my heart rate monitor. (It said I was flat-lining! Clearly an emergency!) Thanks to iPods, GPS systems, heart rate monitors and, yes, phones, runners have a million reasons to take their attention off the road. But is it worth it?

For myself, running without music is pure agony. I better either have a friend loaded with juicy gossip or an mp3 player loaded with a heart-pounding playlist to get me through my long runs. (Side note: I can walk for hours listening to podcasts but I can't run to them. Also, I can't stand books on tape. The people read.... so.... slow.... that I just want to grab them by the lips and scream, "Talk like a normal human, not a robot!") I also generally wear my heart rate monitor. And if I were rich enough to have a Garmin I'd darn sure be wearing that bad boy too. But all of those are, in theory anyhow, "set it and forget it" (I'm the Ron Popeil of fitness!) gadgets. Properly set up you shouldn't have to mess with those for the duration of your run. Texting on your phone, however, is a different story.

What's your opinion on texting while running? Have you ever fallen in a manhole cover? Anyone else totally unable to run without music? 'Fess up: How much of a techno-geek are you on your runs? (Anyone else think people on books-on-CD read too slowly??)

*Details have been changed to protect the, er, innocent.

Wan't legs like this? Here's what you need to know.

*Guest Model* Hamburg, Germany's Latina Wanda


Lucky for women, they are stronger in the legs than in any other body part. In fact, woman are actually stronger in the legs than men are, in relation to the rest of their bodies. So women have no excuse for lagging legs! Compound movements are great because they work all three of the leg groups (quads, hamstrings, glutes). By flexing the hips and extending the knees in one movement, you're able to lift a lot more weight and you also save yourself time in the gym. Multi-joint exercises also burn more calories, require more intensity, and are much more effective than isolation movements. Make compound movements the staple of your leg workouts, and supplement them with isolation movements to help shape the muscles.

Choose 2-3 compound movements and 2 isolation movements - one each for hamstrings and quadriceps - to ensure you are targeting all the muscles of the legs with enough resistance and intensity to stimulate new growth in size and strength.


Sets & Repetitions

The muscles of the legs respond better to a slightly higher rep scheme. I recommend training your hardest sets in the 8-12 range and performing 3-4 working sets on top of 2-3 warm-up sets. Start with a 20-25 rep range and pyramid up in weights as you lower the number of reps per set.

Of course, everyone knows that change is good, so there's nothing wrong with throwing in some crazy high sets in the 50 rep range! More power to ya if that's your thing! In the same sense, it's not bad to go down to a low of 2-4 reps on your heaviest sets of squats. Nothing builds strength and power better than this!

****Compound Movements*****

Squat
Variation: Smith Machine, Unilateral
Foot Stance: Close, Normal, Wide
Foot Placement: Forward, Toes Out

Machine Hack Squat
Variation: Olympic Bar, Smith Machine, Unilateral
Foot Stance: Close, Normal, Wide
Foot Placement: Forward, Toes Out

Leg Press
Variation: Horizontal, Vertical, 45 Degrees, Unilateral
Foot Stance: Close, Normal, Wide
Foot Placement: Forward, Toes Out

Lunges
Equipment: Dumbbell, Smith Machine, Barbell
Variation: Reverse, Walking, Side, 45 Degree

Front Squat
Variation: Smith Machine


****Isolation Movements****

Quadriceps

Leg Extension

Sissy Squat
Variation: Weighted

Hamstrings

Stiff Legged Dead Lift
Variation: Romanian
Grip Placement: Pronated, Neutral

Leg Curl
Variation: Lying (Prone), Seated, Standing
Equipment: Cables, Free Motion

Hip Abduction
Variation: Standing, Seated
Equipment: Cable, Free Motion, Machine

Hip Adduction
Variation: Standing, Seated
Equipment: Cable, Free Motion, Machine

Good Morning

Glutes

Kneeling Hip Extension

Reverse Hyper Extension

Standing Hip Extension


Synergistic Movements

By incorporating these exercises into your other workouts, you can get additional stimulation from the muscles of the legs.

Traditional Deadlifts (Back)
Clean and Press (Shoulders)

You can also work your legs in most cardiovascular activities. Some of the best include sprinting, bleacher/stair running, and cycling.

True Lemon Contest Winners

I'm so embarrassed. I COMPLETELY forgot I had done this contest. Until this morning as I sprinkled some True Lime in my herbal tea. Oops! So, now that it's been two weeks, I've gone to the random number generator and picked the 3 winners:

Comment 52: Meg W who wrote "I would love to win this and try it. I don't usually drink anything when doing cardio. But during weights and right after cardio I drink water. I sometimes put a Lipton's Cold Brew tea bag in for some caffeine. Thanks!"

Comment 48: Jeni who wrote "That picture is righteously hilarious. I've never tried True products before. I'm intrigued. I am a fan of the Crystal Light Fitness drink. Although, I typically do not like really sweet drinks (I drink iced tea plain, baby!) so I add way more water than the package indicates. I'm up for a new powdered hydrator. I drink ALOT of water while workingout. I'm with gym Buddy Allison. "

Comment 25: T from TBD who wrote "i live in the wonderful dryness of colorado and i'm pretty convinced i'm half plant ... so i hydrate. a TON. i feel so much better when i'm well-hydrated. i don't even half to have a lemon or lime wedge in my water anymore; just ice. as for hydrating when working out ... i'm bad on that. i'm bad at taking in water (and, for that matter, calories) when i'm on my bike and dread the day when i'm going to have to start carrying a fuel belt on longer runs. "

For those of you who didn't win, you can still head over to their site, fill out their form and get coupons and free samples!

Send me an e-mail to chariander AT gmail.com (replace "at" with @) and I'll hook you up with your gift packs!

Cooking Spray- REALLY???

I must confess that I used cooking spray for all of my cooking until I read about it in one of my nutrition books! I thought I was getting zero calories. WRONG. I thought it was better for me than straight olive oil.

This is a GREAT form of trickery. We are all aware that we have to be extra careful to look at “Serving Sizes”when we pick out foods and read food labels. It’s all good to look at a protein bar and see it has 150 calories and then eat the whole thing and realize that the whole bar was 2.5 servings??!! What??!!

Did you know that companies can lower the portion size to be small enough that one serving can show a trace amount of something (trans fats, for example) and show up as 0g on the label. My point? 0g does not always ACTUALLY mean 0g!

Here's my point- take a look at the label for your cooking spray. The first ingredient is probably Canola Oil. We know that Canola Oil has more than 0g of calories and fat. In fact, it’s pretty high in fat and calories, because, well…it’s a fat! (It’s a good fat, but it’s still a fat and thus high in calories and …fat!) So, how can the first ingredient be canola oil and the calories and fat be 0g?

Check out the amount of servings per container! 1812!!! If I used only one serving every morning for breakfast, this can would last me approximately 4.96 YEARS! Let’s say I used it for 3 meals a day at only one serving size…then, the can would last me 1.65 YEARS! Seriously?! How long does a can of non-stick spray last in your kitchen? Years? I think not.

Check out a serving size…1/4 second spray. Is it even humanly possible to hold down the sprayer for only a quarter of a second??!! Fun experiment, but no thanks. How do you cover an entire skillet, baking dish or cookie sheet with 1/4 second spray?! I personally timed myself this morning, (using the container I'm pulling this info from) measuring in whole seconds of course (I mean, really!) and was at least at 3 seconds for my pan....

Next point, take a look at some other ingredients in your spray…. (again I'm using mine as an example....)

• Capric/Caprylic Triglycerides
• Phosphated Mono & Diglycerides
• Calcium Stearate
• Silicon Dioxide
• Propellant

YUMMY!!! Can I have some……calcium stearate with a side of propellant, please? EW. Food additives = bad. I mean do you HONESTLY even know what all that stuff is? I sure as hell DO NOT.

What do we do then? Are we destined to have our food stick to our pans?

I use these Kitchen Spritzers from Pampered Chef. I have two. One for olive oil and water mixture. I dilute my olive oil with water. You just give it a quick shake and spray it on the pan! Vwalah! No food additives. No sticky food. No false sense of 0 calories or buying foods that are tricking you! (I hate that….must be a pride or principal thing.)And to boot you get a LOWER calorie serving of a fat you KNOW is natural and HEALTHY and digestible by your body...

Scary huh? Trust me, the more you know about what goes into your food the more scared you'll be- I'm beginning to think the age old saying "ignorance is bliss" MAY have truth to it!

Avoiding Cravings...

We all get cravings. Myself included. How can we not? We're human after all. And I promise you, despite how we eat and how we look, ask any figure or fitness athlete what they'd rather be eating and you'll get a myriad of responses from pasta to pizza to cake to french fries- definitely NOT fish and veggies!

However most cravings are in your head. It's based in the concept of deprivation, which can be applied to any area of your life- that we want what we "can't" have. Your body does not "NEED" a Reese's to perform adequately in the gym, or to fuel itself or to run through all it's human processes. But randomly you may get cravings for something that is nowhere near the constraints of your diet. This is completely normal, because you've taken Reese's out of the equation, now all of a sudden they mean that much more to you.

Many times also, cravings are based in physiology. Your body could be telling you the following;

1) CARB CRAVINGS: If you're dieting like a madwoman and doing more cardio then usual, and seeminly, out of nowhere you begin dreaming about bowls of pasta and endless plates of pizza, perhaps you're dieting a smidge too hard. Your body is saying, "More carbs" in the only way it can- via a craving. This does not mean you should hop off the diet wagon and make a beeline to nearest endless pasta buffet, you may WANT to, but all your body needs are organic whole rolled oats, healthy grains like brown rice and quinoa, and fibrous green veggies like broccoli, asparagus, kale, and bok choy.

2)GOTTA GRAB MEAT: On a macronutrient level, if you're craving meats it could be a potential iron deficiency. I advise checking this out with a doctor before doing anything. Then head to your supermarket of choice and look to add healthy red meats into your diet. Look for organic, grqass fed, with no hormones or additives. Also look for a "low fat marbling" eye of round, a sirloin, or a filet.

3) FUN FAT: Many new clean eaters neglect good fats, operating under the assumption that fat makes you...FAT. Avoiding fats will end up giving you dreams similar to the carb pasta dreams, except yours will involve jars of peanut butter or cartons of ice cream. Incorporating some healthy fats into your diet like raw unsalted almonds, avocado, flax seeds, and olive oil can help calm those cravings AND (here's a bonus) keep you satiated and less snack happy!

4) STAYING ON TRACK: A lot of clean eaters tend to allow themselves a treat here and there so they never feel they are missing out (unless you're competing, of course, in which case strict is the name of the game). Working in cheat meals of no more then 400 calories can keep you sane and on track. Choose foods you don't typically indulge in, or eat up in calories. However, if you don't feel the need to cheat, don't. But studies have shown that "flexible" dieting, meaning dieting with occasional cheats makes for longer success then those who operate on a very strict basis.

5) THE POWER OF VISION: I tell my clients this all the time- VISUALIZE IT! I do this myself- I visualize myself being awarded my pro card on stage while I'm dragging my ass up the stepmill, or pounding away on the track. Envision what it will be like looking in the mirror and seeing the body of your dreams staring back at you. Imagine liking what you see to keep you motivated while the rest of the world is downing garbage. And think, "no thanks I'll pass, I'll take my skinny jeans over a plate of nachos ANY DAY!"

Attitude is EVERYTHING

Here's one thing you may be surprised to learn about me- I love to eat. Literally. L O V E to eat. Meaning I just "enjoy" the act of eating, of putting food into my mouth with no second thought. In fact about 2 years ago, during an offseason I hit an alltime high weight for me at a whooping 160 lbs (to put it in perspective for you, I compete at around 130). You can imagine how crappy I felt, and looked.

These days the story is entirely different, and it's not because I suddenly stopped loving to eat- it's simply because I put a lot of time and effort into my attitude about food in general. Attitude really is everything, and in order to change your body, you have to change the way you think about food, and the attitude you have about the gym.

Despite being a competitor, I'm not very different from many of you- I get cravings, I miss certain foods, I fight through hunger, I deal with social pressures to eat, and there are days where I don't feel like moving let alone going through two a days in a the gym. But that's where my ATTITUDE comes into play.

Change does not happen overnight, nor does it come easy. I can never say this enough. But consistency and a positive attitude will lead towards life changing habits, and nothing can outdo the power of the mind. It may take some repetition and practice, but when we can tap into the emotional aspect of a desired behavior it has more staying power- and most of us who want to overindulge, eat our faces off, or lay around the house can admit, it's emotional/mental.

It didn't take me long to discover that if I change my thought process, I could (almost) create a mantra for what I wanted to achieve. Instead of saying things like, "I really should go to the gym today," which makes it sound like a chore, you would say, "I WANT to work out today because it will relieve stress," or "I WANT to work out because I WANT to drop those last 3 lbs". All I did was change the vocabulary, yet it also altered my entire attitude! It will help put you in the right frame of mind to not only get in a solid workout, but hopefully get to the gym more frequently.

When pizza or peanut butter are calling me, instead of saying, "I SHOULD eat chicken and asparagus" I say, "I WANT to eat chicken and asparagus because that's the fuel my body needs," or "I WANT to eat chicken and asparagus because I WANT to present my best package on stage at Nationals in 2 weeks."

Next, pair this attitude adjustment with a visual. I personally have my own vision board full of motivating quotes and photos that keep my inspired. It hangs in my office and I update it, alter it, or add to it as often as I want to. The key is to look at it repeatedly. I write "PRO CARD" on post it's and place them at various spots in the house. ANYTHING to keep your focus is well worth the while.

Thirdly, surround yourself with like-minded people. I cannot emphasize this enough. Most of us are fine, on our own, yet when we surround ourselves with family or friends, or are places in a social setting, we fall headfirst off the wagon. My best advice is to surround yourself with people who are health conscious, like you, and will ENCOURAGE you to stay on track, not try to derail you. If you have to go to a party- my advice is to drink a 1 scoop protein shake with some unsweetened almond milk or nonfat greek yogurt beforehand to help fill you up. Carry snacks with you, like rice cakes, raw almonds, celery, baby carrots, etc so you have munchies of your own while you're there. Better yet- prepare a healthy dish to bring with you so you know for a fact at least one food option will not throw you off track with your diet.

Applying this principles, along with re-routing your mindset can not only maintain your focus, but help fuel and feed your determination as well. Through small, daily, consistent behavioral changes, what was once a simple desire will eventually become a deep seated passion. Trust me, I'm proof. I now gain no more then 5-10 lbs in an offseason, and I feel and look better, inside and out. And remember, when an urge or desire becomes that strong, you are virtually unstoppable. NOTHING derails the power of a focused mind. NOTHING!