Wednesday, November 19, 2008

The Working Lunch Through Live, One-of-a-Kind, Online Experience

More and more office workers are trapped at their desks during the lunch hour. In fact, according to a recent Omnibus survey, 60 percent of office workers in the United States said they eat lunch at their desks at least once or twice a week.(i)





To accommodate this growing trend and bring humor into the work day, Healthy Choice has joined forces with MSN to introduce the "The Working Lunch" a unique Web site featuring a live, four-hour show consisting of improvised sketch-theme comedy segments, directed by visitors.

Through streaming video technology, this unpredictable, live program is brought to life in the new "prime time" of today's time-crunched office workers. From Nov. 12 through Nov. 25, for 10 consecutive business days, between the hours of 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. EST, Web site visitors to www.workinglunch.msn.com can participate in the digital experience by voting on sketch themes and directing the improvisational comedy group, which includes Second City alumni and actors from the new Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers television commercials.

The live improvised performances will take the form of an actual office meeting, and the ensemble cast will integrate Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers meals, new complete, freshly prepared and healthful lunch options that can be stored in a desk or a pantry, into each sketch. Once produced, the day's shows will be archived on the site. Condensed sketches are embeddable, making them easy to share with friends across the Internet.

According to Nielsen in 2008, people between the ages of 25 and 54 consume 90 percent of their total Internet usage time during working lunch hours, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.(ii)

"'The Working Lunch,' just like Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers, is designed to give busy office workers a lunch hour they can look forward to," said Michael Locascio, vice president of marketing at ConAgra Foods. "This interactive experience provides the online entertainment and humor that deskbound and time-strapped office workers are seeking, while underscoring the convenience, great taste and nutritional value of Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers."

"Our Branded Entertainment and Experiences Team is thrilled to be partnering with Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers to provide our audience with exactly what they need, a break from the work day," said Michael Sigenthaler, director, MSN Branded Entertainment and Experiences. "'The Working Lunch,' is a fast, humorous and entertaining snack that allows our customers to control what they will see next."

"The Working Lunch" is the next step in the overall Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers launch and the growing movement to enhance the way people eat lunch during the work day. This virtual experience will continue with a fresh series of live, online meeting sketches in January 2009.

Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers meals are priced at $3.49 each and can be found in the pasta or prepared-foods aisle.

They are available in six fresh-tasting varieties, including Sweet & Sour Chicken, Sesame Teriyaki Chicken, Ziti & Meat Sauce, Rotini & Zesty Marinara Sauce, Southwestern Style Chicken and Szechwan Beef with Asian Style Noodles.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

The Brazilian Acai Absorbs Much Better Than Any Other Fruit

Since being touted as a metabolism booster, weight reducer and athletic enhancer, sales of acai products have dramatically increased in the U.S. These berries are considered exotic- being harvested in the Brazilian rainforest from acai palms that may reach heights in excess of 60 feet - one of the same palms used to harvest edible hearts of palm.





Though very little research has been done on the Amazonian wonder berry, its benefits are widely raved about from personalities to medical experts. The first of its research conducted by the Texas AgriLife Research scientists have found out that the acai (ah-sigh-EE) berry has the ability to be absorbed in the human body when consumed both as juice and pulp. This finding was recently published in an issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

The research states that the Brazilian acai berry absorbed much better than any other fruit or food because of its high content of antioxidants. Because of this one super benefit, the berry is heavily marketed in the U.S. as a health food and has even entered the Dr. Perricone's list of super foods. The research conducted involved 12 healthy volunteers who consumed a single serving of acai juice or pulp.

Principal investigator Dr. Susanne Talcott said "Acai is naturally low in sugar, and the flavor is described as a mixture of red wine and chocolate, so what more would you want from a fruit?" Talcott, who also is assistant professor with the Texas A&M University's nutrition and food science department, said that previous studies have shown the ability of the human body to absorb target antioxidants (from other produce), but "no one had really tested to see if acai antioxidants are absorbed in humans."

Since being touted as a metabolism booster, weight reducer and athletic enhancer, sales of acai products have dramatically increased in the U.S. These berries are considered exotic- being harvested in the Brazilian rainforest from acai palms that may reach heights in excess of 60 feet - one of the same palms used to harvest edible hearts of palm. Talcott noted that the size of the fruit is similar to a large blueberry with only the outermost layers of the fruit and the pulp surrounding the seed are edible.

For More Information Please Visit www.acaiberryhealthfoods.com


A New Year Diet Special!

Traditionally men haven't bothered with their weight as much as women. But in today's health conscious society men are being encouraged to keep their weight down to avoid heart disease and other weight-related illnesses. More to the point, women just don't find beer bellies attractive.




The trouble is men are notoriously bad at going on diets and sticking to them. They far prefer a quick burst of frenetic activity at the gym followed by a pint or two with their mates than a longer term more structured calorie-counting regime.

However help is at hand for men who want to get their weight under control without too much bother. Kerry Kayes, former body builder and founder of CNP Professional has developed Pro-MR a protein shake meal replacement that helps cuts calories and kicks fat burning into action while also keeping the body fit and healthy.

Kerry is an expert when it comes to helping men get their weight down. In the past he's helped boxer Ricky Hatton shed bucket loads of weight before fights, and this year champion darts player Phil 'The Power' Taylor has lost over four stone after advice from Kerry about using CNP protein shakes and protein bars.

"These products are not only for sportsmen however," says Kerry Kayes. "Any man wanting to lose weight effectively but with the minimum of fuss should try a decent protein-based meal replacement shake – it's an option that really works. You want one that tastes good of course or else you'll just give up. At CNP we spend a lot of time getting the taste just right as well using the best raw material proteins."

Pro-MR is a high protein, low fat meal replacement shake that is ideal at lunchtimes instead of grabbing a high fat, high calorie fast food 'fix'. Taken alongside a sensible breakfast and evening meal, Pro-MR can shift a significant amount of weight. It is filling and helps to the curb food cravings that people usually get when trying to stick to diets. What's more if you also throw in a bit of decent exercise every day, then the weight loss can be even greater.

While a Pro-MR shake contains only 270 calories it provides over half of a man’s typical daily protein requirement. This high protein content helps with fat-burning and the proteins themselves are specially formulated to be easy to digest, filling and satisfying. Probiotic organisms have been included to help maintain and promote a healthier digestive system, and complex carbohydrates and a balanced vitamin and mineral profile ensure a healthy and effective approach to dietary adjustment.

The shakes are easy to mix up – no culinary expertise is needed. Simply tear open the sachet, pour into a shaker with water, then shake and drink. They are convenient for men who are on the move as they are easy to carry around and fill a mid-day gap much better than a pub sandwich and a beer – and much cheaper at about £1.70* per sachet.

There are three delicious flavours of Pro-MR – Wild Strawberry, Chocolate Malt and Vanilla


Sunday, November 16, 2008

Personal Trainer Launches Aim to be Fit Women's Boot Camps

Mark Haner, a local fat loss expert and personal trainer based out of Lynnwood, WA, has recently launched Aim to be Fit Women's Boot Camps, a fitness boot camp designed for busy women. The boot camp program promises better results in half the time for a fraction of the cost of other personal training services.

Mark Haner believes he has the weight loss solution that women in North King and South Snohomish Counties are looking for at only a small fraction of the cost of typical personal training rates. "Personal training services are simply too expensive for most people and don't the results to match their price. My integrated rapid fat loss training and nutrition system is designed specifically to help women burn fat and lose weight fast. My clients typically lose anywhere from one to three pounds of fat per week in the program."

Aim to be Fit Women's Boot Camps accomplish this with their revolutionary fitness model that teaches large groups how to exercise and eat to meet their fitness goals. "My boot camps consist of 30-minute workouts for busy women based on a unique interval training system that burns far more fat than traditional forms of exercise like aerobics. Furthermore, I specifically design the workouts to address any fitness level and find the appropriate exercise progressions and regressions so that everybody can train at their current fitness level within the same workout."

Aim to be Fit Women's Boot Camps are based on the belief that most people are truly motivated to workout because they desire to look better. This is accomplished by losing unwanted body fat and gaining lean muscle mass, which in turn dramatically improves one's health and overall performance. "Very few people wake up early in the morning to prevent heart disease or diabetes, but a lot of them will do it to fit into a bikini or to get into a new pair of pants and that's fine. Some people feel guilty about wanting to look good, but realizing what motivates us is the first step to getting out the door and starting a health and fitness transformation. It's becoming common knowledge that obesity is the main cause of many of the health issues plaguing our society today. By taking care of your physique you will dramatically improve your health," says Haner.

A hallmark of this boot camp is the trademarked nutrition system, Eternal Eating, which features quick-start guides and cookbooks customized for busy women. Haner states: "Nutrition is 80 to 90 percent of the battle when it comes to fat loss. I leave nothing to chance by giving my clients everything they need to get the most rapid and lasting weight loss around." Aim to be Fit Women's Boot Camps further separates itself from the competition by providing this sort of in-depth support during non-camp hours.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

How To Stay Fit & Healthy During Tough Economic Times

With the economy in shambles people like you are losing their jobs, health insurance and health club memberships. How do you stay fit in a tough economy without owning a treadmill or expensive health club membership?

Let’s be realistic, most people I know will chop their expenses to save money. That includes health club memberships and surely you won’t go into hock for a $3,000 piece of fitness equipment.

When economic times get tough, as they are today, you still have to take care of your health and your physical fitness. Let’s face it, you have to take care of your body! Your physical fitness is directly tied to many diseases such as obesity, diabetes, coronary heart disease, colon cancer and the list goes on.

When people like you and me are laid off from our jobs we get depressed. The health problems start to multiply because we don’t understand we need physical activity to help reduce the chances of becoming sick or developing some life threatening illness.

Now is the time to stay physically fit. Now is the time to get fit!

The CDC (Centers For Disease Control) recommends an equivalent mix of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity and weight training muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).


Over the next couple of months we will feature ways for you to stay fit or get fit and reduce your chances that you may develop some chronic illness. We are scouring the web for the best deals for you to stay fit in this tough economic disaster. Of course, we are only making recommendations, not advising you as your doctor. Ask your doctor before performing any exercises.








If you know of some great deals or other way to keep fit inexpensively please leave us a comment and we’ll go check it out.

Monday, November 10, 2008

What's Hot in Personal Training & Fitness Equipment

In fulfilling its mission to "Inspire the World to Fitness," IDEA Health & Fitness Association, the leading membership organization of health, wellness and fitness professionals worldwide with more than 23,000 members in over 80 countries, polls personal trainers around the world annually to identify the most popular fitness programs and equipment--as well as those poised for rapid growth in the future.

The results of the 2008 IDEA Personal Training Programs & Fitness Equipment Survey
offer numerous insights into personal training practices while also highlighting the fastest growing fitness programs and equipment in the personal training industry.

Free Shipping on The Perfect Pushup

News Facts:

* While one-on-one personal training is still the dominant training session format, being offered by 99 percent of the respondents, two clients sharing a personal training session also made a strong showing, with 84 percent of respondents offering this kind of service. In both cases, more than 50 percent of those surveyed felt these types of sessions will continue to grow.

* Outdoor personal training also continues to be on the rise with boot camp classes held outside capturing the No. 5 spot on the list of top 10 fitness programs predicted to grow the most.

* During typical personal training sessions, 54 percent of the time is spent on resistance training; 22 percent is spent on cardio respiratory exercise; and the remainder is split between flexibility and other training.

* Of the top 10 fitness programs positioned for rapid growth, balance training, functional resistance training, back pain prevention, senior-specific training and exercise for chronic medical conditions also made the list of top personal training programs offered currently.

* The frequency of mind-body fusion, sports clinics, social activity groups (e.g., walking or running clubs) and lifestyle coaching is likely to increase, according to the survey respondents.

* Personal Trainers continue to favor small, portable fitness equipment, which is reflected in the top 10 pieces of gear projected to grow most in usage, including balance items (e.g., BOSU® Balance Trainers, disks, wobble boards, balance boards), interactive computer training programs, foam rollers and small balls, computer workout tracking, medicine balls, Pilates equipment, nutrition analysis software, Gyrotonic® equipment, elliptical trainers and gravity trainers.


Supporting Resources:





* This year's survey data was gathered from 926 IDEA personal trainer members, who offer personal training in clients' homes and their own homes as well as at multipurpose health clubs and personal training gyms.

* The survey respondents served a predominantly female client base (72 percent), ranging in age between 35-44 years (22 percent), 45-54 years (28 percent) and 55-64 years (22 percent).

* The average cost of a professional personal training session is $58.

* Contact Tabitha Bailey for additional information and a multi-year trend comparison chart.

Supporting Quotes:

Kathie Davis, co-founder and executive director of IDEA Health & Fitness Association:

* "Group personal training sessions and functional resistance training are on the upswing as are fitness assessments and the continuing adoption of small, portable pieces of fitness equipment."

* "Personal trainers realize their clientele have a vast spectrum of requirements, and the survey results show trainers are doing all they can to meet these differing demands while inspiring their clients to make active, healthy lifestyle choices."