One more reason to quit soda

Research from a British university suggests a common preservative found in drinks such as Fanta and Pepsi Max has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA. The problem – more usually associated with ageing and alcohol abuse – can eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s.

Sodium benzoate, the preservative in question, isn’t only found in the soft drinks above. It’s also found in Sprite, Dr. Pepper, and Coke as well as in pickles and sauces. An added bonus — when Vitamin C is also in the drink (as many brands proudly declare), the combination produces benzene. Not exactly the kind of fuel your body needs.

Thin AND fat?

Normal-weight persons who are sedentary and unfit are at much higher risk for mortality than obese persons who are active and fit.

That’s right. Just because you’re thin doesn’t mean you’re healthy. In fact, a large percentage of men and women with normal body mass indices were found to have dangerously high levels of internal fat.

Schedule change

6:30pm TOTAL BODY
7:15pm STEP (1 hour)

That’s right, one hour for step!

What meals should look like

It’s one thing to know how many calories you should be eating in one day. Understanding how much food those calories correspond to is a bit more difficult. In order to get an idea of what a 300-400 calorie meal looks like, check out these pictures. The good news is that you can probably afford to have meals a bit larger than these. The bad news is that the average American eats meals much larger than these.