How to Calculate Your Daily Calorie Needs

There are many complicated calculations available that can be used to estimate one’s daily caloric needs.  The question is:  How reliable are these formulas?  Regardless of the source, or how valid the formula seems to be on paper, all calorie calculations are simply estimates-best guesses if you will.  They can give you a general idea but there are simply too many variables involved to come up with a hard and fast formula for calculating daily caloric intake that can be applied to a majority of people without taking into consideration age, gender, height, amount of lean body mass, hydration, frame size, individual goals and more.  

Some formulas are better than others, naturally, but keep in mind that even the most seemingly scientific formula should serve mainly as a baseline or a starting point from which you can gauge whether your body is really changing and what should be adjusted in your program in order for more fat loss to occur and/or more muscle to be gained.

A Sweet and Healthy Fat you HAVE to Try

Product  highlight

MCT Colada from Designs For Health

Not too long ago, my Designs for Health sales rep sent out an email asking if anyone wanted to purchase a few discounted bottles of MCT Colada available through an overstock.  I bought all that she had. This is one of my favorite products and I was thrilled to be able to buy it in bulk at a discount because this is a product I use a lot of-almost every day.  It tastes just like  pineapple-coconut syrup.  I put it on my chicken to give it a delicious tropical flavor, I add it to my shake at lunch and I'd pour it over my waffles at breakfast (if I had them...but I don't.)  Next thing I know, my friend Mikell is featuring it as the product-of-the-month on her website.  That sealed the deal.  If Mikell was featuring it, I knew I was about to benefit by reading a great review of this product by a true expert and that I would probably learn something new in the process. Well, I was right...

For those of you who want to exercise to help burn fat, MCT Colada needs to be a part of your workout program. What makes this product so special? 

Can Coffee Prevent Cancer?

Today's post was too good to pass up.  Or rather, not to pass-along.  It comes from my friend and holistic nutritionist, Karen Roth, MS, NC who does a feature on her website (and in mailings to her "community") every Thursday called Food for Thought Thursday in which she examines a food, nutrient, practice or other topic of interest to the holistic health community in a brief and always informative post-like the one below.  Karen maintains a clinical practice in the Los Angeles area with offices in both Santa Clarita and Encino, CA.  

Karen and I see eye-to-eye on many issues in the world of health, wellness and alternative medicine but this one is near and dear to my heart so I wanted to share it with you.  Although I am not one of those people who turns into a zombie if they don't have their morning coffee, I really do enjoy it.  If it seems as though research has coffee falling in and out of favor every month, here's your chance to catch up on the latest....

I admit it, I like coffee. But in recent years I have cut back and almost totally eliminated it from my daily routine. But I recently read an article by Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen about the benefits of coffee that made me want to dig deeper into the research and make sure this was not just a sound bite. According to the article:

"In the war against cancer, caffeine may turn out to be one of the most beneficial, surprising weapons you never suspected. But with at least one type of cancer, even decaf coffee may be just as powerful as the caffeinated stuff."  Woo Hoo!

The article (Good News for Starbucks Lovers: Coffee May Prevent Cancer) stated that "coffee has been linked to lower rates of four kinds of cancer." Let's take a look.

Water: It's Not Boring

I graduated from high school in 19XX.  The actual year isn’t important (I keep telling myself.)  That year, our yearbook was titled “It’s the Water.”  I remember thinking to myself at the time, “what water?”  Our school wasn’t located near a beach, lake, river or other waterway so why was water so important that it had to be our yearbook’s theme?  I never found out why it was chosen for The Quixotion that year.  It might have just been a random title for the Agoura High School yearbook but I actually wondered about that for years.

Time went on and I couldn’t read anything health related, any fitness book, magazine, or news story without hearing about the importance of water. Most articles touched on keys points such as how important staying hydrated is to your health, or the 

The Truth About Buying Organic Produce

Two guest posts back to back.  Is Jini getting lazy?  Never.  When I see something I'd like to share with my readers that falls under the "I couldn't have said it better myself" category, I have to reprint it.

This post was taken from nutrition and fitness coach Joel Marion’s blog.  He explains what can be defined  as "organic" food (produce in this case), perfectly to my liking and has some great information about why buying organic is worth the extra money…..

.....As I write this newsletter, I'm doing a little late night snacking on a batch of organic cucumbers (marinated in vinegar, yummmmm) from my local CSA.

Now, you've probably heard that there are benefits to eating organic, but if you're like most people, you may still be a tad confused about the whole "organic" thing (as is proved by all the organic-related emails that regularly come through my inbox).

What Really Matters

By now, over 25% of people have already ditched their New Year's resolutions and it's only been twenty-one days! Horrible! 

This week, I thought I'd continue with the New Year's theme because new beginnings are an effective way of staying motivated and I want to help you all keep that ball rolling.  New Year's is traditionally a time when we look at things in terms of what we'd like to lose; the extra 10 pounds we put on over the holidays, the bad habit or bad attitude we've been trying to get rid of, and other things...

I prefer to concentrate on what I can add to my life that will make it better.  I look at New Year's in terms of what I want to gain or add; more lean muscle, a bigger bank account, a closer relationship with people I care about.  Another example is nutritionists who, tend to add (more clean, lean protein, water, vegetables), before they take away (junk food, sugar, gluten products.)  Adding to your life is what this guest post is all about...

Alexander Green is an investor who has enjoyed considerable financial success.  After attaining what he'd always thought was most important in life, he turned his attention toward the type of wealth he realized was much more important.  I enjoy reading Alex's newsletter and found this issue to be particularly powerful.  It's a very inspiring way to set the tone for the new year....

What Really Matters-By Alexander Green

Why do some folks look back on their lives and say they wouldn't change much? Or anything?

Is there a formula? Some mix of love, work, habits, or attitudes that offers the best chance of a well-lived life?

Researchers at Harvard have been examining this question for 72 years by following 268 men who entered college in the late 1930s.

Their discoveries might surprise you.

Just listen to Dr. George Vaillant. Since 1967, the Harvard Medical School professor has dedicated his career to the "Grant Study." (It was named after its patron, the department-store magnate W.T. Grant.)

Vaillant's specialty is the comprehensive study of a small number of people over a long period of time.

6 Cool Tools To Make a Big Difference in Your Training Program

The items listed below are all things I have personally used for some time-and with great success.  If you’re looking to spice up a stale workout, these “toys” will keep you challenged for a long time.  Whether you’d like to get a fresh perspective on your nutritional habits, or just send a Sandbell flying across the room, you’ll be happy you took a minute to check out these interesting and effective “cool tools.”  You can buy most of these items directly from the Resources page of my website...