1. Drinking too many calories.  Whether it be alcohol, soda, fruit juice, calorie-loaded coffee drinks and supposedly healthy smoothies from Jamba Juice, and the like, who’s primary ingredient is sugary frozen yogurt, it’s easy to consume 500 + calories per day of nutrition devoid liquids. That’s a third of many people’s daily calories!
2. Cereal and instant oatmeal for breakfast. Yes, it may be a quick and easy breakfast but many cereals hide huge amounts of sugar and provide very little nutritional value. They are just empty starchy processed carbohydrate calories, as the vitamins listed on the box are merely sprayed on prior to sealing the package at the plant. Sadly, the lab-produced nutrients are less easily absorbed and utilized than naturally occurring nutrients contained in fresh veggies, fruit and proteins. To make oatmeal (or rice) instant, a manufacturer removes the oat’s outer shell or “bran,” which sadly contained the only nutrition in the grain.
3. Pre-packaged meals and frozen foods.  Yes, many may be low in calories and quick, but the preservation process robs food of vital nutrients. Plus, your digestive system ain’t impressed by the sodium, preservatives and bi-products added to ensure freshness for…seriously? This is gonna be on the shelves til 2013?! Lastly, Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice and other quick “healthy” meals keep calories and fat low with extremely small portions of fat-burning protein amidst seas of pasta and rice, as more processed elements fare best through the freezing & microwaving process.
4. Dried fruit: Fruit is not always good for you. Dried fruit often contains preservatives and extra sugar adding needless calories. More dried fruit is being made without sugar and additives but we still end up eating a volume of dried fruit more similar to the size of a satisfying piece of fresh fruit, which makes it easy to consume several hundred sugar calories in a few handfuls! Even if you do pick a sugar free dried fruit and consume only the serving size, say a small ¼ cup of raisins for 130 calories, you alternatively could have had 60 grapes or about 2 cups of fresh fruit!
5. Too few calories. Clients with a little or a lot to lose limit often come to us with the “less is more” theory. They think the less they eat the more they’ll lose quickly, thus try limiting themselves to fewer than 1000 calories per day. While they experience quite drastic weight loss initially, they predictably plateau and usually gain weight back. Why? Extreme calorie restriction over a week or more trips the survival mode switch. Your primitive body equates low cals with an oncoming famine. In effort to conserve energy, it drastically decreases metabolism. Returning to a more typical adult caloric level of even 2000 calories a day inevitably results in weight gain.

The good news, these mistakes are all avoidable! Knowledge is power, right?

We found more mishaps to avoid from Men’s Health Eat This Not That. Read on!

7 Habits That Make You Fat
7 Habits of Highly Obese People

Next 2-3 weeks, or as pain persists:

1.   To permit cardio fitness maintenance, trade the aggravating running and bouncing exercises for cardio on the bike, elliptical, hiking, rowing machine or take it to the pool for swimming or pool running.

2.   To reduce inflammation, apply ice (or bag of frozen blueberries) and elevate for 20 minutes before and especially after workouts.

3.   Take anti-inflammatory, such as ibuprofen (Advil/Motrin); naproxen (Aleve/Naprosyn) as directed on bottle. I ‘d go with Aleve. It lasts 12 hours so you only need to remember to take it twice / day.

4.   You can wrap or tape the shin for support, but it’s time consuming, frequently slips off when with perspiration and we Green people feel bad about not being able to recycle all that tape!

Nevertheless, here’s a video demonstrating effective taping. VIDEO: How to Tape Shin Splints 

Instead, Byron and I recommend a Vulkan Shin Support for flexible support during training.

5.   Try these stretches twice a day.

• Calf stretches – Stand on the bottom step facing stairs. Hold banister. With right toe at edge of step, lower heel past step to stretch right calf. Hold for 30 seconds. Get soleus – keeping heel down and slowly bend right knee until stretch moves to your lower calf. Hold 30 seconds. Repeat with left foot.
• Ankle stretches – hands balance against wall, point right toe down, press forward releasing tension in ankle. Turn toes left, press and hold. Turn toes right, press and hold. Repeat all 3 stretches on left ankle.
• Lying Shin Stretch – Lie on one side. Grasp top forefoot behind. Pull forefoot to lower back. Hold stretch for 20 seconds. Repeat with opposite foot.

6.   Be sure your running shoes were made for you! Go to a shoe store that actually trains their staff to put people in the correct running shoe based upon foot type (flexible pronator vs. rigid supinator, etc). Remember to bring a pair of running socks and orthotics if you have them. Trying on shoes without them is completely unrealistic. Here’s one in Brentwood:

FrontRunners Footwear 11620 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049
(310) 207-0216

7.   See a podiatrist for custom shoe orthotics (shoe inserts) made specifically for sports. I’ll vouch for orthotics healing track-induced shin splints in middle school, as well 2010’s plantar fasciitis – My fault – waited too long to replace the second pair. Since hindered contact with the ground affects everything north of the foot, orthotics can minimize an assortment of knee, hip, low back issues too. Call local podiatrists’ and find one who takes your insurance as they ain’t cheap. My insurance pays minimally on (what it considers) non-essentials – don’t get me started – so I unfortunately had to pay the full $500 (visit and custom orthotic formation) out of pocket. However, amortizing that over an approximate five-year life span, and considering the painful alternative, the orthotics are still a bargain. Per chance you’re in LA, or my hometown Roanoke, VA, here’s the two podiatrists to whom I’m mighty gracious.

Liddy Podiatry  8797 Beverly Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90048
(310) 652-1163

Dr. Donald Stefl 2705 Brambleton Avenue SW, Roanoke, VA 24015
540-774-5585

8.   If your insurance won’t cover a podiatric visit and orthotics, try Dr. Scholl’s Custom Fit Orthotics. They make about 20 different orthotics available at drug stores. Find a Dr. Scholl’s foot mapping machine in a store nearby to determine the best corrective shoe insert for your foot. There’s one in CVS at La Cienega / Santa Monica, 3/4 mile from our gym or use this locator link:

Dr. Scholl’s Custom Orthotics Foot Mapping Machine Locator

INGREDIENTS
1 Package gluten free quinoa farfalle pasta – try Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta3 Roma tomatoes
1 Green pepper
1 Red pepper
1 Yellow pepper
20 Kalamata olives
2 oz Sheep’s milk feta cheese
1 Package of fresh oregano
3 Tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar
2 Table spoons of olive oil
1 Egg yolk
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of fresh ground black pepper
2 Large Chicken breasts

DIRECTIONS
Cook pasta per package instructions and set aside to cool. Dice peppers into ¼ inch dice and place into a large bowl. Dice tomatoes and add to the bowl along with finely diced chili pepper (seeds removed). Remove the pits from the olives and dice the feta into ¼ inch cubes. To make the dressing place the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, salt pepper and egg yolk into a mixing bowl. Use a hand held stick blender to amalgamate the dressing. Grill the chicken breast and cut them into bite size chunks. Add chicken to other ingredients. Dress the salad and allow to sit for about 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to fully develop.

VEGETARIAN / VEGAN OPTION: Vegetarians/Vegans can replace chicken with garbanzo beans. Vegans can remove the sheep milk feta entirely.

I love Pistachio ice cream. Unfortunately, my stomach doesn’t. If you’re lactose intolerant, I urge you to try this smoothie! You can make it as thick as soft serve ice cream by adding additional ice cubes. Not only does it taste like dessert, but it’s actually a healthy meal replacement or snack. The protein from powder and the pistachios as well as electrolytes from coconut water make it a great post-workout recovery option.

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup unsalted shelled pistachios
2/3 cup coconut water
1 scoop Met Rx Vanilla protein powder (or another creamy whey protein)
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup ice cubes

DIRECTIONS
Place pistachios in microwavable bowl. Cover with water and nuke for 60-90 seconds. This will not only soften nuts for blending but also bring out their rich flavor. Carefully drain water from bowl and toss nuts in blender. Add coconut water, protein powder, almond extract and a few ice cubes. Blend until smooth. Gradually add ice cubes until smoothie reaches desired thickness. Enjoy!

More on the Health Benefits of Kale.

Kale is a dense and somewhat bitter green, so newbies will likely find it more palatable finely shredded in salads, sautéed or blended into smoothies like The Grinch.

Use our Pistachio Pesto to cut ½ the calories, as well as 60% of fat, 75% of carbs and 90% of sodium in traditionally prepared pesto! Below is one of the simplest recipes I’ve ever posted. If you can nuke a Lean Cuisine, even you “non-cookers” are qualified to handle this one.

INGREDIENTS
10 oz bag of raw kale
1/3 cup prepared Pistachio Pesto (Click for recipe)
olive oil spray
3/4 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined

DIRECTIONS
Heat prepared pesto in large saucepan over medium heat. Add ½ cup water and kale. Toss to combine. Cover and cook for 3 minutes, or until water is thoroughly absorbed.

Meanwhile, spray second saucepan with olive oil spray and warm over medium heat. Toss in shrimp and cook about 60-90 seconds per side and shrimp turns pink. Immediately transfer shrimp to kale and toss together to thoroughly distribute pesto. Enjoy!

CHEAT TIME and nuke the kale in its bag! Poke a hole in the bag with a fork for ventilation and microwave on high for 90 seconds or until wilted. Transfer kale from bag to pan with cooked shrimp. Add pesto to pan. Toss and serve.

Summer is approaching. It’s time to get out the swimming trunks and head to the beach/pool. Unfortunately, a winter sitting on the couch watching football, drinking beer and eating comfort food has taken a toll on your waistline. The washboard is gone and has been replaced by a marshmallow. Time to target the flab and the muscles with this killer abdominal and anaerobic cardio circuit. Getting six pack abs takes more than just countless crunches. Firstly, the abdominals are comprised of several muscle groups: transverse abdominus (deep core stabilizers), rectus abdominus, internal and external obliques. All of these separate muscles must be targeted to fully develop a flat and toned midsection. Secondly, no matter how toned the muscles of the stomach are, six pack abs will not be viewable unless body fat is reduced. This needs to be done by combining correct dieting with a fat busting anaerobic cardio workout. When combined, these three elements will result in the washboard abs that will be the envy of everyone this summer.

Abdominal Routine
Repeat 3 times
Circuit 1 & 3: Do Exercise A, Circuit 2: Do Exercise B

1A)  Plank on elbows to press up position – 30 seconds & Side plank – 15 seconds per side
1B)  BOSU plank with knee to elbow crunch – 10 reps per side
2)    Hanging leg raises – 15 reps
3A) Cross crunch on BOSU – 15 reps per side
3B) Crunch on SB – 20 reps
4)   Full sit up – 15 reps
5A) Russian twists – 30 reps
5B) Oblique crunches on SB – 15 reps per side

Anaerobic Cardio Routine
Interval training for 30 minutes, plus 5 minute warm-up and cool-down. Pick stairs, treadmill, bike or elliptical.

Stairs – run 1 flight walk one flight
Treadmill – run at max speed for 30 seconds rest 30 seconds
Bike – medium resistance medium cadence for 30 sec medium resistance maximum cadence 30 sec or medium cadence alternating resistance
Elliptical – 30 sec 80-90rpm 30 sec 130-140rpm on medium resistance

INGREDIENTS
4 (6oz) Salmon fillets or 1 ½ pounds flank steak, trimmed
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tbsp black pepper
½ tbsp ground cumin
½ tsp mustard

Chimichurri Sauce:
1 garlic clove
1 ½ cups fresh parsley
1 cup fresh cilantro
¼ cup green onion, diced
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS
Combine olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin and mustard in a small bowl, mix well. Rub salmon or steak with this marinade and place in a large bag. Seal and refrigerate for a least 2hours.

Place chimichurri ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth.

Remove meat from marinade and place on grill (fish skin side up). Pour as much marinade on meat as will stay on it versus running straight off and throw away the remainder along with the bag. Cook salmon 2 minutes, flip, and cook for another 5-8 minutes. Steak needs about 5 minutes on each side for medium. Adjust time do reach your desired degree, such as medium rare or medium well. Remove from grill allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes. Slice steak against the grain but leave salmon fillets whole. Top with chimichurri sauce.

INGREDIENTS
Latin-Asian Salsa Verde
1 package Trader Joe’s Kogi marinated short ribs
2 large turkey breasts
Shredded cabbage, spinach, kale or other fresh greens
Optional small taco size tortillas – gluten free corn or brown rice
Guacamole or sliced avocado. Try Trader Joe’s #1 Guacamole!

DIRECTIONS
Pound out the turkey breast between sheets of cling wrap in order to tenderize them. Place turkey breasts in large bowl with short ribs and allow them to marinade to 30 minutes prior to cooking. Cook the meat in a large skillet on a medium heat. Allow to rest for 5 minutes after cooking, then dice into small pieces for the tacos.

Assemble tacos or salad with meat, salsa verde and guacamole either in a gluten free brown rice or corn tortilla or save the calories entirely: simply top a bowl of shredded greens with your meat, salsa and guac.

Tangy spicy salsa verde is delicious on tacos, quesadillas, salads…ok, everything! Here’s our low sodium revamp on the green salsa we love from the Kogi BBQ food truck.

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch of scallions
½ package of shredded cabbage
1 bunch of cilantro
1 tsp fish sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp of lime juice
½ tsp honey
½ tsp sriracha sauce
1 tsp sesame oil

DIRECTIONS
Finely dice scallions, cabbage and cilantro. Place greens into large bowl. Combine liquid ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to amalgamate together into a dressing. Pour dressing over greens and marinade for 30 minutes prior to serving.