This 14 year-old deadlifts more than you

Rachel McInnis is pretty serious about CrossFit. She's dedicated. She's strong. She's 14 years old.

Skinny Dip: Cantaloupe Chutney

Food for Thought: Serve this tasty chutney as a dip or as a topping for whole grains, steamed veggies, chicken, fish or tofu.

• 4 cups diced cantaloupe (about 1 melon)
• 1⁄3 cup golden raisins
• 1⁄3 cup minced red onion
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1⁄4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Place pan over medium-high heat and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25–30 minutes, until cantaloupe breaks down. Cool to room temperature, then drain (but reserve the liquid to use as a marinade for another dish). (Makes 10 servings).

Per serving: Each 1⁄4-cup serving contains: 62 calories; 0 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat; 16 g carbohydrates; < 1 g protein; 0 g dietary

Label Fables: Sneaky Nutritional Information Traps

Watch out: Deceptive packaging and creative serving sizes mean you're eating and drinking more than you realize! Now...a reality check.

Want some fiction to read at the beach this summer? Look no further than your cooler. With cans of iced tea that are meant to serve three people and "individual" snack packs that harbor extra servings, it's no wonder the FDA's latest Health and Diet Survey found that consumers are skeptical of food labels.

Fortunately, the FDA is taking steps to clear up some of the misleading information and pushing for clear, user-friendly front-of-package labeling. In the meantime, we're exposing some sneaky diet wreckers.

Arizona Green Tea with Ginseng and Honey
Serving size: 8 ounces
(approximately 3 servings per 23-ounce can)
Calories per serving: 70

Most of us overlook liquid calories entirely, so you may not notice that this can supposedly serves three. "When you buy any drink in a can, you assume it's a single serving," says Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D., author ofRead It Before You Eat It. And while antioxidant-rich green tea has a virtuous rep, this particular one packs almost 12 (12!) teaspoons of sugar per can.

Mental Health And Exercise

Mental Health And Exercise

Want to alleviate stress or cope with depression? Exercise may help. Increasingly, there is evidence from researchers that certain levels of physical activity can positively affect mental health. Len Kravitz, PhD, researcher and program coordinator of exercise science at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, takes a look at what research has discovered about the connection between exercise and mental health.

Stress

A growing body of research over the last 10 years shows that physical activity and exercise also improve psychological well-being (Dubbert 2002). Published data show that people with higher levels of fitness are capable of managing stress more effectively than those who are less fit (Hassmen, Koivula & Uutela 2000). It appears that cardiovascular exercise is the method that most benefits stress reduction. The research indicates that moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, performed three times a week (sessions lasting over 20 minutes) for up to 12 weeks, has the most influence on stress management.

Rest time for muscle growth

Two things are required for muscle growth: the first is optimal load during your training sessions and the second is quite long intervals between them because the process of muscle growth and recovery is taking place not during workouts but after them, during rest periods.  That’s why you ‘go on’ doing bodybuilding even when you are sleeping because your muscles continue to grow.

Use the TV for training

Use the TV for training - The TV can be a great tool for working out, but here's the catch; work out only during your favorite shows. Or, even better, record your favorite shows and exercise then (but don't fast forward through commercials, unless you have more than one hour of programming to watch). This tip can really help time to fly by faster during your workout, and you get the added bonus of spending less time with your butt on the couch.

Toning Overview

Everyone is looking for that elusive, magic weight-loss trick. The only "magic" weight-loss trick I know of is strength training - weight-bearing exercise designed to build and strengthen your muscles. That's what this section of my site is all about toning and firming those muscles!

Got a Favorite Snack that's a little odd?

Anyone else have some go-to snacks that seem to make those around you nervous? The more new health food novelties I experiment with (kale chips? Bright orange nutritional yeast sprinkled on everything?) the more I'm discovering a great side benefit: I can freely offer to share with those around me, and no one takes me up on it!

My new favorite, which I mentioned last time, is a seaweed snack that the sinister folks at Trader Joe's are seducing innocent snackers with.

I was cheerfully oblivious for many years, because I've never been a sushi fan and thought "seaweed? No way!"

And the first time I tried one of these seaweed snacks, I almost spit it out.  Eww!  It tastes fishy, what a vile and disagreeable thing for a cracker to do! Who would eat these on purpose? That's... hmm, hang on... because it seems there is this also a nice little oily salty crunchy action going on behind the fish taste.... Maybe not so gross? Perhaps one more... No, Eww there's the fish again! Aack! But wait... mmm, oil and salt, yumm!

By the end of the first pack, sadly, I was hooked.  Now, damn it, I am forced to visit Trader Joe's on an ever-escalating schedule. Because if I tried to buy a week, or god forbid, a month's, supply... I'd need a forklift and a dumptruck and it's hard to find parking for 'em in the crowded TJ's lot.

However, it could be worse: as it happens, there are lots of nifty seaweed health benefits, since sea vegetables have "anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anticoagulant, antithrombotic, and antiviral properties."

And despite the lovely oily/salty flavor, the nutritional info isn't too horrible at all:

Hate Me For Going On and On About Trader Joes 'Cause You Don't Have One?

Doesn't it suck that we can have a McDonald's on every freakin' corner throughout the world, and yet getting to your nearest Trader Joe's may require you to drive for 47 hours and cross through several large red states on your way?  Well, there are other brands of seaweed snacks at Asian grocery stores and health food places. And I'm too much of a novice to have investigated other sea vegetables, or even tried the bit sheets of nori that aren't conveniently marketed and displayed as snacks. But I suspect these may be options as well.

Anyone else know of any Scary Snacks, either that you or others around you fear? Or any thoughts on anything at all?

Build Muscle With Light Weights

Many fitness experts maintain that exercisers must work within the 8 to 12 repetition range to initiate muscle hypertrophy. However, recent studies suggests that low-load, high-volume strength training can also impact muscle growth.

Researchers from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, studied 15 men as they performed four sets of unilateral leg extensions at 90% 1-RM and 30% 1-RM. The subjects were instructed to work until failure. The study authors reported that at 90% 1-RM, subjects usually managed 5–10 repetitions before failure; at 30% 1-RM, failure set in at about 24 repetitions. 

The Vegetarian Athlete

As a vegetarian, do you wonder if you’re getting the nutrients you require for your fitness or sport activities?

This is still a common question: can vegetarians perform as well as their carnivorous counterparts in physical competition?

To meet your nutrient needs and improve athletic performance, use these suggestions:

Meeting Calorie Needs

To best meet energy demands, consume six to eight small meals daily. These feedings supply a steady energy source and are easier on the body’s digestive system than three large meals per day.