By Team Best Life – TheBestLife.com

It may seem counterintuitive to take in calories before you head to the gym to burn them off, but eating a healthy bite beforehand can help you make the most of your workout. No matter what kind of activity you’re planning, you can use these tips to fuel up for fitness:

Eat when it feels best. Eating one hour before your workout is a good general rule, but everyone’s body is different. For instance, some people may feel uncomfortable or bloated trying to exercise after a snack or meal while others may be distracted by a rumbling tummy. Only you know exactly how much you can comfortably eat and how soon before your workout.

Keep track of carbs. Because glucose—a carbohydrate—is your muscles’ preferred source of fuel, you need to go into a workout with enough stored glucose (aka glycogen). If you eat a balanced diet, you should be all set. But if you’re hitting the gym hours after your last meal or snack, you might need a little carb boost; 15 grams should do the trick.
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By Team Best Life – TheBestLife.com

Isn’t it nice to know that the healthiest choices in the supermarket often happen to be the greenest, too? You can reduce your ecological impact and the impact on your waistline at the same time by adopting a few eco-friendly shopping tips.

For instance, opting for locally grown, seasonal foods is a good way to protect the environment. These foods don’t have to be shipped long distances, so you eliminate some of that fossil fuel use. Another option: Go organic. Organic foods don’t use as many harmful chemicals in their production—the fewer pesticides and antibiotics used, the less impact those foods have on the planet. If eating exclusively organic is too expensive, consider buying only those fruits and vegetables that offer the biggest pesticide savings (click here for the list).

Mother Earth isn’t the only one benefiting from these savvy shopping strategies. These foods usually taste better and are better for you than processed or otherwise environmentally damaging foods. Here are a few more easy shopping tips to keep your body and the earth healthy.
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By Janis Jibrin, M.S., R.D., lead nutritionist for TheBestLife.com

We all know that we should be trying to reach our daily vegetable goal (that’s at least three servings). But it’s not just the quantity that’s important—the types of vegetables you pile on your plate can make a big difference to your health. Your goal: Eat at least one vegetable from each of the following three groups daily. Do so and you’ll reap some serious health and nutrition benefits.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Examples: Arugula, bok choy, broccoli, broccoli sprouts, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, radishes, rutabaga, turnips, turnip greens, and watercress.
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We are hours away from the weekend! This means it is time for your dose of healthy news. DIR’s headliners for this week include a new obesity prediction calculator, the diet gimmicks Dr. Oz tried selling this year, and how much Sensa’s paying for false advertising. In addition to our headliners we have health news from Forbes, CNN Health, and Best Life Diet. Plus, exciting new chicken dinner recipes with one from Pinch of Yum.

Obesity Prediction Calculator Reinforces Parents’ Role in Child’s Weight

Are you scared your child might fall into the statistics of the obesity epidemic? Instead of waiting for time to answer that question you could simply use the Obesity Prediction Calculator, developed by researchers at Imperial College London and it can accurately predict childhood obesity up to 85% of the time. Parents should use the results from the Obesity Prediction Calculator to make it their responsibility to ensure that their child will learn to lead a healthful, balanced life.

The 6 Miracle Diets Dr. Oz Tried to Sell Us in 2012

We are almost a month away from the New Year. This means “weight loss” season will be in full effect. And, if you watch Dr. Oz, you know he will be advocating a new miracle weight loss program or diet soon after the ball drops. DIR has highlighted six weight-loss diets Dr.Oz has tried selling to the masses in 2012, deeming each as a miracle cure.

Sensa’s False Advertising Costs Them $800,000

Another diet company has to pay for their false advertising claims. Sensa, also as known as “the sprinkle diet,” has to pay $800,000 in penalties for their false weight loss claims. Sensa seemed too good to be true – sprinkle little crystals on your food and that will guarantee weight loss -because it was. We’re not buying it and neither are consumers in California.
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By Team Best Life – TheBestLife.com

Avocados take the starring role in many healthy recipes for a reason—they contain vitamins E and K, folate and fiber. Not to mention, they’re delicious! Don’t be scared off by all the fat; avocados are high in monounsaturated fat, the variety that can help lower cholesterol, especially LDL or “bad” cholesterol, which contributes to heart disease and other health problems. Still, to keep calories in check, you have to limit your intake of all fats, even the healthy kinds, so try using about a quarter of an avocado (about 60 calories of creamy deliciousness) in your favorite recipes.

How to Buy an Avocado

Avocados start green and turn black as they ripen. In the store, you should gently squeeze and examine avocados to find the right one for your needs: If you don’t plan on using it until later in the week, choose one that is green and firm. If you want to eat the avocado immediately, pick one that is dark in color and just slightly soft when you squeeze it.

How to Use an Avocado

To ripen a hard avocado, place it in a brown bag with a banana and it should be ripe in two days or so. If your avocado is ripe but you aren’t ready to use it, stick it in the refrigerator. You can also save parts of an avocado for later—just leave the pit in before wrapping it to help maintain freshness.

Avocado is delicious plain, and also works well in tons of recipes, including salads, wraps, sandwiches and spreads. Or, try one of these tasty Best Life recipes.
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