The many Health Benefits of Salmon

Nutrition and Health Benefits

The American Heart Association recommends at least 2 servings of fish per week. Now, I know why… This fish is packed with a lot of healthy and beneficial nutrients! Salmon is not only low in calories, but it is also a great source of  important and healthy Omega-3 fatty acids (helps with the immune system,circulatory systems, and helps prevent unwanted inflammation) , B6,  B12, Niacin (processes fats in the body and lowers cholesterol), tryptophan (an amino acid which helps reduce headaches and even help stop cravings for unecessary amounts of carbohydrates and sweets),  Selenium, High in Vitamin D (an entire day’s worth!), Magnesium, and of course…protein!

Wild or Farmed Salmon?

Many don’t even bother to ask this question or understand the difference between the two, so I have to bring this up! Defintely go for the Wild Salmon. Farmed Salmon has been tested with much higher (up to 10 times the amount compared to Wild Salmon) amounts of toxins, including dioxin, toxaphen, dieldrin, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s). These toxins are found to increase the risk of all cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and can even surpress your immune system – just to name a few things. To keep it short and simple; you don’t want these toxins in your body, and if it is Farmed Salmon, the dangers outweigh the benefits and it is best to avoid them.

Food Preparation

You can buy Salmon in many different ways; fresh, frozen, canned, and raw (sushi). This is great because that means there are many ways to prepare this wonderful and healthy fish without ever getting bored!

Fresh Salmon is great as long as you are planning on preparing your meal same day, or at least in the next short while (usually there will be a “best before” date on the package). Frozen Salmon is convenient if you want to buy Salmon in bulk, without having to deal with your fish going bad. Both Fresh and Frozen salmon can be baked, steamed, and the Fresh can also be grilled.  Canned is not necessarily my first choice, but if you want it, I personally recommend choosing the canned Salmon with the bones and skin included, which gives you a higher amount of Calcium in it- perfect for Salmon sandwiches which can replace your Tuna sandwiches. Salmon Sushi rolls is another great way to enjoy Salmon! When I first tried raw Salmon, I was nervous that it might taste “fishy”, but if you go to a reputable Sushi Restraunt, it shouldn’t taste “fishy” at all, and you will enjoy it if you already enjoy sushi.

Serving: 4 oz

Calories: 261 (plain, nothing added)

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Crunches…not for everyone?

Do crunches really make you have a flat stomach? Well, it depends.

Let’s be Honest…

If you have a lot of excess fat in your stomach area, I would say no, and I don’t recommend doing crunches- at least not just yet. What happens when you do crunches is that your stomach muscles get bigger. Think back to those guys at the gym who do weight training. Are they getting bigger or smaller in the area that they are working out and lifting muscles for? Same works with your stomach, so with those stomach muscles getting bigger, your stomach tends to stick out more.

The good news is…

So how do you get the excess fat away so you can see your sexy abs that you know are there somewhere? Cardiovascular exercise. Do cardio on a regular basis, such as running, swimming, elliptical, stairs, yoga, kick boxing, dancing, etc. Cardio is going to burn calories, get your heart pumping, and your body sweating. Even if you aren’t feeling the burn in your abs, that doesn’t mean that you won’t be losing fat around your middle. And no, this won’t happen overnight. It is something you will need to do on a regular basis, not just a one time thing.

Fat covers your muscle’s definition, so without the excess fat, muscle definition will come easier. For those who already don’t have a lot of fat in the middle area, crunches might just be a good thing for you to see some more definition and muscle tone in that area.

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Tags: abs, bigger muscles, crunches, fat, Fitness, flat stomach, Healthy, muscle definition, muscles, regular basis, tones, Weight Loss, weight training

Review: The Biggest Loser Season 8 Week 9

My only comments for Week 9 are reserved for what happened at the very end of the episode. When Daniel was sent home, he visits his old friend David from The Biggest Loser Season 6

Here is the conversation (not quite word for word, but pretty close) that Daniel has between his now much heavier friend David from Season 6:

Daniel “So what’s going on with you, where’s your head at like weight loss wise?”

David: “I have other things going on that are more important to me right now.  i’m overweight, yeah, i’m a big guy”

Daniel: Not a priority?

David: Not right now. I don’t feel the unhealthy. Ya know, I don’t feel it. You know, when it does, when that changes, then I’ll start losing it”

(Daniel’s Comments for a little bit, then David Continues…)

David: I know I can do it, I just gotta make that decision to do it.

Daniel: What do you think keeps you from making it now?

David: I’m just taking some time to relax and working every day. You know, I’ll lose it eventually.

Is it possible to actually be so extremely lazy/tired/unintelligent that you would rather choose to die rather than live?

That’s exactly what Season 6 contestant David is doing. How is his own life not a priority to him right now? Is eating healthy and working out so terrible that you would rather just deny your current situation and decide you would rather be 6 feet under rather than walking among the living? Really? Your job isn’t more important, and the fact that he says he doesn’t “feel the unhealthy” is an absolute lie. Every day he looks in the mirror is a reminder of how he is killing himself with choices he made – with each meal and with each day that goes by that he doesn’t chose to exercise.

He said it  himself, folks. “I just gotta make that decision”. Yes, he is making the CHOICE to be the way he is.  Sad, but we all have a Choice of whether or not we are going to be healthy or not.

You can tell David tried to lose weight on the Biggest Loser Season 6 because he is “supposed to” or because “I’m fat” or perhaps because of the prize. He needs to realize that he needs to lose weight because he NEEDS to if he wants to live. Again, it’s a Choice. Nobody is force feeding him or chaining him down so he can’t find a gym.

I choose to live. You?

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Tags: Choice, Daniel, David, eat healthy, exercise, fat, Fitness, important, Life, Live, Obese, review, Season 8, The Biggest Loser, Twinkie, Week 9, Weight Loss