Be careful what you drink, it may have more calories than you think!
by Work It Trainer, Shane Whitehead

If you are trying to lose weight and are looking for an easy way to cut excess calories you may want to look at what you are drinking. Most people tend to forget or just don’t realize how calories are in some common beverages we drink every day that can add up. Here are a few you may consume regularly.

20oz fruit smoothie = 350-600 calories
20oz soda = about 250 calories
12oz apple juice = 200 calories
12oz orange juice = 180 calories
16oz iced tea (sugar sweetened) = 140 calories

To put this in perspective, one pound of body fat is equal to 3,500 calories. That means to lose one pound you need to burn 3,500 more calories than you consume. So if you drink a 20oz regular soda daily and replace that with water, you would lose a half pound every week. It doesn’t seem like much but it requires almost no effort and to burn that one soda off you would have to run 2 miles!

Now if you thinking “well, I only drink diet soda” you may want to check out a study from the University of Texas Health Science Center. They found that diet soda, although containing few or zero calories, has been linked to weight gain. People drinking diet soda showed an increased risk of obesity compared to those drinking regular sodas. They suggest that artificial sweeteners give you that sweet taste but don’t supply the sugar, leaving your body craving sweets and potentially getting them from another source. Also diet soda contains phosphoric acid which can cause bones to weaken potentially leading to osteoporosis.

No, don’t replace diet soda with regular soda! Instead replace it with water. It’s cheaper, better for you and you don’t have to run 2 miles to burn it off! If you don’t like plain water try to add a little fresh fruit juice to it, but don’t opt for an additive that has sugar or artificial sweetener. A squeeze or lemon, lime or orange should give your plain water a little zing.

Thank you to everyone who showed for the Second Annual Work It Urban Scavenger Hunt! Hunters searched through downtown Austin for about two hours completing tasks, answering questions and gathering items.

Congratulations to Robert Bentley and Paul Arellanes for finishing this year’s Hunt first!

We have been asked a lot about clothing and other product options to build Work It spirit and community. We are finally live with a site to shop for Work It apparel and other items with either the Work It Training logo or our new Warriors logo. Please visit the site and let us know what you think.

Are you looking for something different that isn’t offered yet? Let us know!

www.workittraining.com/shop

What: An Urban Scavenger Hunt. You will be answering questions and completing tasks with a buddy (two people per team) in downtown Austin.

When: Saturday, April 24 at 8:45am. Please plan to arrive a little early to prepare, the Hunt will start at 9am sharp.

Where: Meeting at the Mopac Pedestrian Bridge south of the river. There is a large parking lot just off of Stratford Drive under Mopac. (See attached map)

Other: Please bring water and your Work It backpack if you have one. You don’t want a lot of extra things to carry. There will be a fitness-related prize for the first team to return to the Meet Point with all their tasks completed.

Rules: At least one team member must be a current or past Work It client. You will not be allowed to use your phone (or other electronic device) to help you but please bring at least one per team in case of an emergency. You are also not allowed to ask people for help or answers. All tasks must be completed on foot (i.e. no taxis, pedicabs, bikes, segways, etc.). You must also stay with your buddy during the Hunt, no splitting up teams.

RSVP: Please reply by Wednesday, April 21 if you can make it and if you have a buddy. If you do not have a buddy I can pair you up before the Hunt.

If you need directions to the Meet Point or have questions please ask me.

Thank you and I am really looking forward to this!

WORK IT!!!

Work It is excited to welcome Shane Whitehead to the team! Shane is originally from Pennsylvania and moved to Austin in early 2010. Shane graduated with a degree in Kinesiology from James Madison University where he worked as an intern with athletes in the sports and conditioning program. Shane was also named Sports and Conditioning Intern of the Year last year at James Madison University. Shane is excited to bring his advanced knowledge and experience in training athletes to his career life.

Shane is currently available to train in the evenings, weekends and leads the afternoon downtown Work It Warrior camp.

Welcome to the team!

Email info@workittraining.com to train with Shane.

I was in the Domain today and saw that a new place, OrangeCup, opened. OrangeCup is an all natural frozen yogurt shop that is new to Austin, the first Austin location being in the Domain. I was expecting the typical frozen yogurt shop but the yogurt actually tasted like yogurt instead of soft serve ice cream. I was surprised at how good the yogurts tasted and then at the nutrition. It was like healthy ice cream.

They have three flavors in general: natural, zum and acaiberry. I had the acaiberry (natural yogurt blended with acai, blackberries and pomegranate) with fresh blueberries as my topping. It had 180 calories for the “light” size bowl with 11% of my daily protein, no fat, and tons of vitamin C and Omega 6 and 9 fatty acids. The yogurts still have their live cultures and are naturally sweet, no high fructose corn syrup. They also pride themselves on being a more green company by recycling, reusing, conserving energy, reducing packaging and being environmentally friendly during building construction.

I was pleasantly surprised by this sweet, healthy find and hope to go back when I have the ice cream craving again. Try it the next time you are at the Domain.

Let me know what you think!

www.myorangecup.com

Have you heard of the ANDI Index or the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index? It is a scale or index which rates foods based on an evaluation of their micronutrients including vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidant capacity. The scale ranges from 1 to 1000, 1000 being the highest score possible.

The ANDI Index was created by medical doctor and author Joel Fuhrman, M.D. after his extensive experience and research in helping people lose and maintain their weight. His book “Eat Right America” includes tips on how to lose weight by eating foods that are better for you. Whole Foods Market recently adopted his index to categorize their food offerings. Here are some of the food ratings.

Vegetables:
(1000) Mustard, Collard and Turnip Greens
(1000) Kale
(824) Bok Choy
(739) Spinach
(715) Broccoli Rabe
(672) Brussels Sprouts
(670) Swiss Chard
(444) Bean Sprouts
(337) Turnip
(295) Cauliflower

Fruits:
(212) Strawberries
(178) Blackberries
(130) Blueberries
(109) Orange
(97) Kiwi
(91) Watermelon
(72) Apple
(64) Pineapple
(60) Apricot

Interested in doing a little more for the environment? I was roaming through Dick’s Sporting Goods yesterday and ran across Under Armour’s new line of recycled athletic wear. How do they do it? They take plastic bottles, wash them, shred them, melt them and then make tiny cubes. They then heat the tiny cubes to a point where the cubes can be stretched into long threads. The threads then get woven into fabric. And voila, you have a recycled fabric. I am sure there are some steps they don’t tell us that keeps the product and process proprietary.

I have not tried the product out yet so I can’t comment on how it wears and works, but they claim it wears and wicks like their other lines. I am looking forward to trying this new green line out.

Visit the Under Armour website for more.

New research shows that many “healthy” frozen meals marketed to help you count your calories may not be as helpful as you think. Frozen meals tested in a recent study revealed that they actually have about 8% more calories, on average, than they claim on packaging. In addition, many restaurants who list their calories actually have about 18% more calories in their servings than advertised.

What should you do? Try making your own food whenever possible! If you eat out a lot try choosing meals with the fewest ingredients and with ingredients that you know are healthy.

Read more on Google News here.

2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 lb lean ground turkey
2 tbsp chopped garlic
½ medium onion, diced
1 c red wine
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 ½ tsp dried oregano
3 tsp mild chili powder
2 tsp paprika
1 large zucchini, diced
1 medium jalapeno pepper, diced
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
1 15 oz. can of kidney beans, drained
1 10 or 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes with liquid

In a large pot or dutch oven heat oil over medium heat. Brown the ground turkey with the oil for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, onion, spices and wine and cook for 3 minutes. Add all other ingredients, stir well, cover and cook on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve over brown rice with a sprinkle of grated cheddar cheese. Serves 4-6.