New Page Added: Giveaways (FREE STUFF)

As some of you might have noticed we have been working to update the website as often as possible. We are trying to expand what we do and can offer. Fit and I constantly donate items to the Salvation Army and other non-profit organizations. We are firm believers in recycling, up-cycling and being generous. While we might not be wealthy individuals in terms of what is in our bank accounts, we have more than enough and are very happy. That is why we have created a new page on the site that can be found under the tab “Giveaways.” Every month, we plan on giving away one or so items. There will never be any monetary requirement. Anyone with access to the internet and this website is eligible to try to win.

Some months we might just have you leave a comment on the Giveaways page to be eligible in the drawing and some times we might require you to compete for the prize by sending in a story or video. Again, these are completely free and all we will require is your mailing address so we can send it to you! These are going to be internationally available so all of our viewers that live thousands of miles away can enter as well. The shipping and handling is on us!

For our first giveaway, we are going with something simple but very important during these Summer months in the Northern Hemisphere where we are. This month we will be giving away three pairs of Moosejaw Sunglasses with heavy UV protection. They are unisex, red and light-weight glasses. All you have to do is enter a comment at the bottom of the giveaways page in between today and the last day of June to be eligible. We will throw everyone’s names into a hat and randomly pick three. We’ll contact you, you’ll send us your address and you’ll have a brand new pair of awesome sunglasses. Remember to protect your skin, eyes, and even lips from harmful UV rays. Proper protection is all a part of staying hungry and fit!

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Jun052013

Nerds Unite and Stay in Shape!

Fit and I are considered “interesting” individuals because we are a mix of very physically active and extremely nerdy. Somehow, we find a way to balance everything and although we aren’t quite as fit and don’t have as much time to play video games as we want, we still get the best of both worlds. Sometimes it is difficult to balance busy lives, and sometimes there isn’t motivation to do something that you don’t want to do but we are always stressing to individuals to stay healthy and active.

You don’t need to be a professional athlete, bodybuilder, or martial artist to be healthy and active. You need to maintain a healthy ratio of lean muscle mass and body fat, eat nutritional and wholesome foods, stay hydrated and well-rested, maintain proper hygiene and be able to control your own body. Absolute strength is your total power output, but relative strength is your strength to weight ratio and your ability to handle your body. I am proposing that everyone, even those nerdy people that love to sit down for hours and play MMORPGs (we would love to do this when we have time), try to achieve what I consider a healthy and active lifestyle and here’s a few steps of how we can do that.

1. Eat healthier! I know that Red Bulls, Mega Monsters, and Mountain Dew are great ways to keep you awake through your dungeon raids but they are nutritional black holes! Consider other electrolyte heavy drinks such as Gatorade, Powerade, Smart Water, Vitamin Water, or even some supplements to keep your energy levels more naturally high. I logged 72 straight hours of Final Fantasy XII the night that it was released and I didn’t have one energy drink or sip of soda the whole time. My good health helped me stay energized and if you can increase your endurance and conditioning it could help with long nights of playing.

Captain American: Master Chef

2. Exercise! Working out helps us increase muscle mass, decrease body fat, create definition in our muscles, increase our metabolism and more. You don’t need to buy expensive clothes, equipment or memberships to work out. If you’re reading hundreds of issues of manga or comics at a time like I do, try to set goals. Every week when my new manga are released I blaze through them in minutes. After waiting a week and sometimes more! Make the volume last a little longer by doing 10 pushups and 20 crunches after every few pages. Set goals for yourself. Try to do body weight exercises such as pushups, variations of pushups, crunches, abdominal and core exercises, planks and more every few pages. If you’re playing a video game, set requirements for every time you level your character up or beat a major boss. These little things can make a big difference.

Planking–keep it tight!

3. Sleep enough! I am not asking you to sleep 10 hours a night. Try to get at least 6 hours of sleep or quality rest every 24 hours. Really try to get 7 hours and push yourself to get 8 on the weekends if you can. Your body needs to rest and recover to continue operating at a functional level. If I tried playing a hard platform sequence in Ninja Gaiden while I was exhausted, then I would have no hope. If I’m playing Settlers of Catan and can’t think straight because my brain is trying to sleep, I won’t be able to compete against my opponents if they’re well-rested.

Zzz

I am speaking out of experience and trying to help my fellow nerds. And please do not take offense to the term nerd. You could be a console gamer, PC gamer, manga fan, anime fan, comic book fan, RPG fan or any other person who enjoys these types of fun activities. We enjoy all of them and are proud of it. So if any of this relates to you, if you think that you could better your diet, exercise, and sleep then please consider some of our suggestions. If you are really interested in turning your life around contact us for our help because that is what we love to do. We want everyone to stay nerdy while being hungry and fit!

Fit and Nerdy

Hungry and Fit! Our pose

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Jun012013

Enter into Beast Mode: Spartacus Workout

Some of you may have heard of this, some of you may have not. But if you do this right, it is an amazing, kick-butt workout. We do it with each other sometimes and sometimes I will put my unfortunate clients through it. Chris knew about this before Men’s Health even did. He’s been doing it forever. Depending on how many rounds you do, this workout takes no longer than 30 minutes. It is a fat-burning, muscle-burning, lean-making workout. Don’t miss out on this one! You can find its original site here.

There are 10 stations. 1 minute per station. 15s rest for transition. 2 minute break at the end of each circuit. 2-3 circuits. One minute may not sound like a lengthy bit of time, but once you’re in the circuit, pushing yourself through the muscle-ripping exercises, it seems more like an hour. Let’s get started. Grab dumbbells that are manageable for 15-20 reps. Don’t go too heavy or you’ll die.

1. Goblet squat. Grab a dumbbell and hold it like a goblet and then do proper squats.

2. Mountain climbers. Get in a tripod position on your hands and toes and bring each foot for ward towards your head and then back, and rotate.

3. Single-arm dumbbell swing. Grab a dumbbell and get into a crouched position but keep the shoulders back and look forward. With one arm, swing the dumbbell above your head, straightening your body as you do so. Bring it back down and switch arms.

4. T-pushup. This one is almost always a killer. Get into a pushup position with your arms straight, using the dumbbells as pushup grips. Do a pushup and then turn your body sideways and lift the dumbbell up as if you’re doing as side plank. Then do the other side.

5. Lunge jumps. Just what it sounds like. Hold a dumbbell and jump between lunges.

6. Dumbbell row. Bent slightly forward with both dumbbells in hand and row towards yourself.

7. Dumbbell side lunge and touch. Lunge to the side with your dumbbells and touch the floor with them.

8. Pushup-position row. Get into a pushup position using the dumbbells as grips again. This time, don’t do a pushup. Instead, row with each dumbbell towards yourself.

9. Dumbbell lunge and rotation. Lunge forward with a dumbbell and twist to the left. Lunge with the other leg, twist to the right. Repeat.

10. Squat press. Perform a squat with two dumbbells in hands and at the top of your squat, do a shoulder press.

All images from Menshealth.com

And that’s ten. Remember, 1 minute each with only 15s rest for transition. Try for 2-3 circuits. Remember to take 2 minute rest in between, so that your muscles can perform adequately the next round. This is a BEASTLY workout, and all you need are dumbbells. This can be done anywhere! No excuses! The perfect workout to stay hungry and fit!

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BONUS KITTY PIC

Up close and personal with Nymeria

May212013

Back to the Basics: How to Cook an Artichoke

Ridiculously simple post? Yes, but I find it necessary. The first time I approached an artichoke, I had no idea how to do it! It’s an intimidating vegetable with thorns to boot! So if you know how to cook an artichoke, pass this one over. You can go read about how to cook kale instead. Artichokes bring back good memories for me: sitting with my before-birth friend and her family eating a cooked artichoke with garlic butter. Memories like that always make the food taste better.

My cooking method for artichokes is to boil them. It’s actually easy peasy, so let’s start. I’m not going to even put an ingredients list because all you need is…ARTICHOKE.

Directions

1. Wash the artichoke by pouring water over it

2. Cut the stem off, leaving 1 inch there.

3. Cut off an inch of the tip of the artichoke

Isn’t it purdy?

4. Pull off the leaves at the bottom, the very rough ones that you wouldn’t want to eat.

5. Take some scissors (or if you want to make your life awful, you can use a knife, yikes) and cut off the little thorns on the tips of the artichoke “leaves”

6. Bring a pot of water to a boil and dunk that bad boy in there. Leave it in there for 25-30 minutes. You could always put salt on it here or even drop a clove of garlic in the water while it boils

7. Carefully take out the artichoke and let it cool so you can eat it!

8. While it’s cooling, why not make some melted garlic butter to dip it in? Just put a bit of butter in a bowl with some garlic and heat over stove or microwave. Or you could use hummus, salsa, any kind of dip you enjoy.

So I have this steaming vegetable, how do I eat it? Great question, imaginary friend. Once it’s cool enough to handle, simply pull the leaves off the body and drag your bottom teeth down it to get the “meat” off it. But don’t forget to dip it in your dip first! It can also be enjoyed just by itself. Once you get the meat off the leaf, put the discard (the hard part of the leaf) into another bowl (for garbage). Feel free to eat the artichoke heart at the end in the middle! Sounds like a sacrifice ritual–and those always turn out well! Eating artichokes is a great way to stay hungry and fit! Cheers!

The remnants of my artichoke feast

May202013

5 Ways to Firm Up Your Glutes

No matter what gender we are, we all want to have nice glutes. And besides aesthetics, the stronger our glutes are, the more powerful we are. Think of when you feel your glutes: walking up the stairs, the beginning part of sprinting, and standing up from kneeling or squatting. Improve your gluteal muscles and you will get up the stairs faster, be able to run and sprint faster, and spring up from the ground like a ten-year old. These are 5 simple exercises that can be performed anywhere!

1. Doggies. You’ve heard me talk about these before, and I will again because it’s such a great exercise for the glutes! And the more you do without stopping, the better workout it is for those muscles. Go on your hands and knees, kick your leg back and then rotate it around to starting position, keeping the leg in line with your hips. Keep going until you can’t and then go right away to the other side.

2. Hip bridges. This can be done with or without a stability ball. Lie on your back with your feet on the floor, knees bent. Now, lift up, bringing your hips and glutes up. If you want a deeper exercise, you can go up on your toes to get higher. Come down, but don’t touch the floor. Continue up and down, squeezing the glutes at the top until failure. If you want to use a stability ball, simply put your calves on top of it and do the same motion.

3. Box jumps. For this, you can use an athletic box, stepper, a chair, a couch–anything that is raised and stable. Focusing on using your glutes, spring up with both feet and jump onto the top of the box. Try to synchronize so both feet hit at the same time. This is also a cardio workout if you do it repeatedly. Slightly squat down so you can get power, and jump up!

4. Step ups with leg extension. This is different from regular step-ups. Have something similar to what you had for box jumps–a box, a stepper, a chair, a couch, whatever you can find. Now step up with one leg, and extend the other as high as you can behind you which clenches the glutes. Now do the same on the other side. Do this until your glutes and hips cramp up so you can’t do another (aka until failure!).

5. Bobbing squat. You will really feel the burn with this one. Get into a squatting position and hold. Now bob your hips and glutes up and down in little motions. Go for as long as you can until the burn is just too much. Don’t forget to time yourself and try to beat your own record!

So if you’re looking to have buns of steel for the summer time, or better, for your lifetime, make these few exercises a part of your routine. They’re easy to remember and simple to do (though they burn if you do it right!), giving you no excuses not to have the glutes of your dreams! Click here if you’re looking for an over-all non-machine leg workout! Use these exercises to stay…hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Nymeria found a nice little spot

May172013

5 Foods You Shouldn’t Go Without this Summer

We all have our staples in our fridge, pantry, or freezer. But do they change each season? We’ve compiled a short list for you of foods you shouldn’t go without this summer. Foods that will keep you lean and mean until the first leaf of autumn falls. These foods are perfect for staying hungry and fit!

1. Greek yogurt. If you get the right kind (see: 0% plain Chobani or Fage), Greek yogurt is one of the healthiest foods you can eat! It is packed with protein, helping you repair your tired muscles and also keeps you full for longer. With protein up to 25g, Greek yogurt may provide more than a piece of chicken would! And (if you get the 0% plain–avoid the sugary fruity kinds) it has zero fat , leaving you even more guilt-free. It’s light and refreshing to eat–just what we want on a hot summer day. Don’t forget other benefits like tons of calcium (your bones will thank you!) and live and active cultures that serve as probiotics to keep that tummy healthy! As you can see, I can go on about greek yogurt all day, but I won’t (you’re welcome). You can have this plain, with fruit, honey, atop waffles or pancakes, or even add it to a Mediterranean meal!

An evening snack of Greek yogurt and Bonne Mamam preserves

2. Avocados. I know some people don’t like avocados, and I just don’t understand where they’re coming from. I’m sorry. It’s just so good. Besides it tasting amazing and being a great snack or addition to a meal, avocados provide your body with a ton of benefits. Avocados have the healthy fat that you want, that your body needs. Even though avocados are technically a fruit (weird, huh?) they carry about a gram of sugar. That’s not very much! What another reason to eat some guacamole! In addition to the awesome healthy fats in this green beauty that help absorb vitamins and minerals, avocados carry lots of fiber–10 grams to be exact! Avocados are perfect for almost every meal (though I must admit I haven’t tried it in my cereal yet)–indulge and enjoy!

3. Mangoes. Another fruit I don’t understand why everyone doesn’t rave over. So positively refreshing with amazing flavor to sink into. Fresh mango is the ultimate snack, you can chomp on it like an apple or slice it up and share with a friend–the perfect summer snack, easy to pack and bring along with you. And I’ve been picking them up $1 a pop! Mangoes are rich with antioxidants that help fight against a wide array of different cancers. These delicious fruits also pack a punch of fiber and vitamin C which help fight against that bad cholesterol none of us want to keep in the body. Another trick of the mango is why it is such a good summer fruit. Mangoes contain certain enzymes that improves digestion so you’re not sitting alone on the beach with a full belly while your friends enjoy the water. Eat alone, in Greek yogurt, or get crazy and have a mango-avocado grilled cheese on wheat bread!

4. Fish. Now I hated fish when I was little. But I don’t feel like that anymore, now I look forward to nights eating salmon, cod, and tuna. And who doesn’t like sushi! Fish is a great way to get protein without all the cholesterol and bad fats you get from traditional meat. It’s a perfect way to stay lean on those beach days and summer nights. It’s a very high-quality protein, rather than that bacon you were going to eat this morning. It’s stacked with omega-3 fatty acids that our body needs to maintain our heart and our bodies cannot produce them by itself. So fry up a fish this summer and enjoy all those benefits.

5. Cranberry juice. And no, I’m not talking about that awful juice cocktail stuff. I’m talking about the real deal, straight from that little berry, no sugar added. There’s nothing like a fresh glass of cranberry juice after a long hot day to refresh you. Besides it’s #1 use of preventing UTIs, this delicious tart juice also prevents dental plaque. In addition, it is a wonderful antioxidant fighting away pesky things like cancer and immune system disorder. So along with your fish, put a cranberry juice in the freezer and enjoy a nice slushy after your day at the beach.

Enjoy these wonderful foods all summer long and reap the benefits! And as always…stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC

May162013

20 Minute Core Blast

If you’re interested in shredding your abs and developing a strong core, this non-stop core ripper workout is the one for you. This requires no equipment (except a stopwatch or phone), all you need is a ground of some kind. It can really be done anywhere. This is to be done with no rest in between. That means it’s going to be really tough. If you need to break in betweeen, you can. 20 minutes is a long time to do things non-stop. That’s what’s so great about circuit-style: burn fat and calories while building your physique. Every exercise is to be performed for 30 seconds, unless otherwise noted. Let’s do it, here’s the list (with some amateur pictures, too):

Plank – 1 min

Planking–keep it tight!

Crunches

Mid-crunch

Toe touches

Reach!

Mid-bicycle, keep it slow and extend

Rows

Mid-row, push legs out and in

Just hold it!

Pikes

Hips up and down

Plank – 1 min
Side planks – 1 min
Rotating plank

Turn in and then extend arm straight up

Side touches

It’s a long list. And amateur pictures with a messy apartment in the background (oops). Repeat as many times as it takes to get to 20 minutes (if you have the time). Do your best, try with no rest in between. Remember, each exercise is to be performed for 30 seconds unless otherwise noted. This is a great way to get that six-pack ready for summer! Use this quick workout to stay hungry and fit!

May102013

Fat-Roasting, Glute-Burning Leg Circuit

After a 2 mile run around McIntosh Lake (see the run here), I decided to get my leg workout in the fast, no-break circuit kind of way. For this, it’s best to find yourself in a park, a beach, a backyard–somewhere with some space. But of course, if you’re locked in an apartment in an Alaskan winter, you can always modify it for small space too. This is a great workout for those who have little time and want high intensity. Let’s do it!

Lock n Load Legs Circuit

1. Lunge 20 feet (or for 20 seconds). You’re going to lunge yourself to your first “station” in this circuit.

2. Scorpions until failure. These work the hamstrings. Go on all fours, lifting one bent knee up and down behind you. Do it until you can’t do another rep. Switch to other leg.

3. Lunge 20 more feet to the next station (or 20 seconds). Think about a triangle as a formation that we’re doing (the stations set up in that way).

4. Plie squat until failure. The link has the best full description. Start in horse stance, squat down, then lunge left and then right! These are killer on the glutes and quads. Do them until you drop.

5. Lunge 20 more feet to next station (or 20 seconds stationary). ‘Nuff said.

6. Step ups until failure. For this, I had a little grassy incline that I used. If you’re at home, you can use a chair, a couch, or a coffee table (just don’t tell your partner!). Or at the beach, build up a little sand incline. You get the idea. Step up and drive the knee up every time. Until you can’t step up another time!

A super blurry older picture of me performing a step up

7. Doggies until failure. For this, you’re on your hands and knees again. Kick your leg back and then a full rotation around back to starting position. This targets your glutes. The more you do, the more those muscles will tighten up. Do them until failure and then right away on the other side.

And repeat as much as you have time for. Again, this can all be done stationary in one place. Just try to keep it non-stop. You can rest and have water in between the whole sets, but to get that burning, cardio effect, just keep going! Have fun and stay hungry and fit!

Apr302013

6 Exercises You Should Be Doing Over 60

And even if you’re not over 60–these exercises help everyone. I work a lot with the older population and it’s never too early to make sure you age gracefully. Even as we get older, more stiff, and less agile, it’s still–no, MORE–important to exercise and keep active. The more we move, the better we feel.

The body strongly dislikes being inactive and has a way of turning on the body. Whether that means weight gain, arthritis, stiffness, and/or loss of flexibility. Just to name a few. Another big loss as we get older is balance. Falls are one of the biggest problems for seniors, and it’s never too early to start practicing. Try at least 3 of these each day:

1. Calf raises. Stand up straight. If you’re unsure of your balance, make sure you stand near something to hold onto (a chair, wall, anything sturdy). Rise forward onto your toes, leaving your heels off the ground. Slowly come down. Do 12 repetitions for 3 sets.

2. Rotator cuff stretch. This one requires a resistance band or tube. As we get older, we notice our shoulders deteriorating faster and getting injuries easier. Use this exercise to make sure you don’t hurt your rotator cuff. Tie the resistance band around a pole or bed post. Stand a few feet away and grab the other end. Rotate your elbow like a door hinge towards you and slowly back out. Control is the key here. Nice and slow, really use those muscles. Switch on other side. 12 repetitions for 3 sets.

Image Source

3. Single-leg balance. It’s as simple as it sounds. Make sure you have something nearby to hold onto and lift up one leg, so that you’re standing just on one. Hold it for 20 seconds. Switch. Do 2 sets.

4. Laying twists. This is a great stretch for flexibility and stretching out your muscles–especially in your back. Start by laying down and spreading your arms into a T. Now drape your right leg over your left and look towards the right. You want to make sure your hips are twisting. If both shoulder blades are not on the ground, you’re moving your leg a little too far for your body. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat on other side. Do 2 sets.

5. Opposite lifts. This is a core-strengthener. Lay down flat on a mat, arms by your side. Lift up the right arm and left leg at the same time. Now, you only want to lift the leg about 6 inches maximum from the ground. This is the point where your tummy really has to work to keep it up. Contract your abdominals. Lower both extremities, and perform on the other side. 12 repetitions for 3 sets.

6. Cat/cow rotation. This is taken from yoga. Go onto all fours. When you inhale, lift your head up and invert your spine. When you exhale, move your head down and arch your back. Do about 10 rotations, 2 sets.

Again, these are good for ANYONE. But especially if you’re over 60, put this into your routine. Either when you get up in the morning, during a commercial on TV, or before bed–make time for it. After all, it is your health. If you’re having trouble coming up with a routine and sticking to it, a personal trainer will probably be able to help. And we can always answer questions here.

Cheers! And as always…stay hungry and fit!

Apr212013

Ridiculously Easy and Healthy Oat Chocolate Chip Raisin Drops

This one has no sugar or flour…OR EGGS. Wait, what? How is this possible? You got me, but it worked and here they are…delicious, warm, and gooey. I got it from this awesome blog, and added a little bit to it. I’m amazed at A) How healthy these are (just choc chips + raisins for sweetness), B) How easy it is (took me 5 minutes to assemble), and C) How good they are! You can play around with the recipe, add or subtract, have fun with it! And you don’t have to feel guilty eating them. A healthy, nutritious (delicious) snack awaiting your baking:

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Baking Time: 12-16 minutes

Ingredients

2 large bananas
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup oats
handful of raisins
small handful chocolate chips [optional]

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F
Mash up the bananas til they’re smooth and gooey

Mix bananas with oats in a medium-sized bowl
Pour in the cinnamon and then fold in raisins and chocolate chips

Place little rounds on a greased cookie sheet and place in oven for 12-16 minutes

Deeeeelicious!

And that’s it. What’s an easier baked good than that? PLUS with it being so healthy! I’m very happy I found this recipe and I have a feeling I will be frequenting it. Cheers! And stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC