Sugar was always meant to be a treat, a reward. “The last time I checked, birthday cake was for birthdays, and birthdays come once a year. But added sugar is infiltrating the food supply, and we’re not just talking soda or diet soda here. Food manufacturers pump excess sugar into an array of foods—even “health foods” YES health food. This article will you to identify where this type of sneaky sugar hides and their surprising side effects.

You’re overdosing on it.

The Facts: According to the American Heart Association, women should max out at the equivalent of 6 teaspoons of added sugars daily; men should stop at 9. Americans swallow a whopping 13 percent of their daily calories from added sugars. That adds up to about 130 pounds per year. Break that down to the daily level, and we’re way over the limit, downing the equivalent of 22 teaspoons of added sugars a day.

The food industry is not completely to blame. A recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey report found the majority of added sugar about 67% of added sugar intake is found in the home.

Where Sugar Lurks: Have you ever noticed that if something is fat free there is usually more sugar added. Or if something is sugar free there is usually fatter. Salad dressings may not taste sweet, but the food industry often adds sugar to low-fat versions to make them more palatable. While shopping in Wegmans recently I found brands like Organicville that are made with no added sugars.

It tricks your brain.

The Facts: Eating too much added sugar allows the fructose found in sugar and high-fructose corn syrup to send your hunger hormones into a tailspin. The hormonal messages that tell your brain you’re full (leptin) aren’t properly triggered, tricking your system into thinking you haven’t eaten

Where Sugar Lurks: Surprisingly, in bread—and not just white bread, either. Multigrain and whole wheat generally contain about 2 grams of added sugar per slice. Look on food products and search for the word SUCROLOSE. This artifical sweetener is 3,000 times sweeter then table sugar and too shuts off the hormone leptin in your brain to signal that you are full. It causes you to mindlessly over eat.

“That gives the food industry license to put any amount into any food they want. With no Daily Recommended Intake, you can’t know if you’re over the top.”

It “browns” your tissues.

The Facts: In a way, we “rust” as we age. Oxidative stress turns our tissues “brown;” this is known as the Maillard reaction. Chronically overindulging in excess added sugar will speed up this browning process.

Where Sugar Lurks: It’s in most processed foods. Sodas, fruit juices, and desserts account for only about half of those, so cooking from scratch can help you get a grip on your sugar intake.

It makes your liver fat.

The Facts: When you overdose the mitochondria in your liver with sugar, the organ has no choice but to take the excess and turn it into liver fat. Some of this fat never makes it out of the liver, leading to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. This forces the pancreas to make extra insulin so the damaged liver can do its job.

The organ fat buildup isn’t necessarily obvious on the outside, either. A 2012 study in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition found people who ate 1,000 extra calories of sugary foods saw just a 2 percent increase in body weight, but a 27 percent increase in liver fat.

Where Sugar Lurks: Be sure to check sugar content in yogurt—some are loaded with sugar, with amounts comparable to a candy bar! Look for yogurt with sugar levels well under 10 grams per serving, such as Stonyfield’s Greek.

It makes you an addict!!

The Facts: Dopamine is one your body’s feel-good neurotransmitters. But eating too much fructose shuts down healthy signaling in the body, meaning it takes more and more sugar to fire off signals that bring pleasure.

Where Sugar Lurks: Beware packaged smoothies—some tout higher sugar levels than an ice cream sundae! To take control, make your own homemade smoothies.
It annihilates your arteries.

The Facts: Over time, that bad habit of eating too much added sugar will start seriously irritating your endothelium, the sheath of special cells coating the inside of your blood vessels. Glucose glops up on the fingerlike feelers of the cells, making them less sensitive, which could impact oxygen sent to your organs.

Where Sugar Lurks: Even meat products in the frozen food aisle could harbor hidden sugars. Leave the TV dinners at the store. Take the time to cook a large batch of whole foods over the weekend and enjoy them all week to help you evade unwanted sugars.
 

Flourless Protein Brownies
This guilt-free treat is grain-free and portable. These brownies are not low carb, but the sweetener is low glycemic index agave. To make this recipe, you’ll need:

• 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
• 1 c. salted butter
• 2 c. black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tbsp. vanilla
• 2 scoops chocolate whey protein powder
• 1 c. chopped nuts
• 1/4 c. instant coffee grounds
• 4 eggs
• 1 c. agave syrup

Directions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a baking pan with nonstick spray.
• Heat butter and unsweetened chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat.
• Stir until mixed. Mix the beans, 1 scoop whey powder, vanilla extract, and half of the chocolate mixture in a food processor and blend until smooth.
• In a large bowl, mix nuts and the rest of the whey powder. Add the remaining melted chocolate mixture and coffee grounds.
• Mix well. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, then add the agave syrup and blend again. Add all mixture together in a large bowl and blend well.
• Pour into your prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes.

Protein Truffles

Regular chocolate truffles are definitely not part of a healthy diet that our dietician Christine puts together. However, try making a healthy version of chocolate truffles that are ok to snack on.

• In a medium bowl, combine 3/4 c. almond butter, 1/4 c. honey, 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder, and 1/2 cup chopped almonds.
• Roll into small balls and store in the refrigerator before eating.

Protein Latte

With the weather getting warmer it will be soon be time to cool off your hot coffees for some cool lattes. These however, can cause havoc to our waste lines with the amount of sugar in them. Check out the tasty alternative to get energized in the morning and add protein to your morning iced latte.

To make, mix freshly brewed French vanilla iced coffee, 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder, 1/2 cup of milk, and ice.
Blend all ingredients in a tumbler and shake until blended. Depending on the protein content of your supplement, you can pack as much as 45 grams of protein into your morning while satisfying your coffee habit.
Tips: Flavored coffee and flavored protein powder help enhance the taste of this protein latte.

With some New Year resolution is in full swing I decided to not let one of the biggest parties of the year knock you off track!! With the help of some research and Christine Schultz, Strive Fitness’s personal Registered Dietician we decided to help you out with some healthy, yet tastier alternatives.

Any dips you want to make like artichoke or spinach dips try using plain fat free Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise or sour cream Christine suggests. I also love making a salsa with black beans, corn, tomatoes, red onion and cilantro. There is nothing like a fresh guacamole dip with fresh sliced vegetables, she said. You should try some turkey or veggie burgers on 100 Calorie Thins with goat cheese and balsamic vinegar and roasted red pepper slices.

You can make broil or grill skinless wings or chicken legs tossed lightly in hot wing sauce or bbq sauce. My favorite is a chopped chicken salad dip made with finely chopped cooked chicken breast, carrots and Tzatziki yogurt! Fill this in Boston Lettuce Leaves. Yum! Enjoy! I’m a huge fan of popcorn and peanut butter. So when I came across this I knew what I was going to share and have tomorrow night!! See Below for Tom’s new favorite Healthy Party Snacks:
 
 

Tom’s Healthy Party Snacks

Just In Time For Super Bowl
 
 

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Popcorn

Makes 6 servings (1 cup each)
Ingredients:

• 6 cups air-popped popcorn
• 4 Tablespoons dark chocolate chips, melted
• 2 Tablespoons natural peanut butter, warmed

Instructions:
Place popcorn on baking sheet. Drizzle with chocolate and peanut butter. Let set in fridge for 10 minutes. Enjoy.
Nutrition Info (1 cup):
100 calories, 5g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 20mg sodium, 12g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 4g sugar, 2g protein, vitamin A 0%, vitamin C 0%, calcium 0%, iron 2%
 
We don’t want you to be knocked over by a huge SACK by alcohol so we came up with some other healthy alternatives based on the location (New Orleans) and the two teams in the super bowl this year. The Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco Forty-Niners
 

NEW ORLEANS HURRICANE COCKTAIL

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup 100% pineapple juice
• 1 peeled orange
• 6 frozen unsweetened cherries

Instructions:
Blend ingredients until smooth. Add ice for a thicker consistency.
Nutrition Info (1 cup):
120 calories, 0g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 25g sugar, 2g protein, vitamin A 6%, vitamin C 130%, calcium 6%, iron 2%
 

Blackbird Brew

Or we could call it the Ray Ray! Light and citrusy, perfect for cheering on Baltimore’s’ best! Make a big batch to ensure no pass interference for some of our members out their lol

(Serves 10) Ingredients:

• 2 cups Lemon flavored Vodka
• 1 cup Limoncello
• 3 cups Blood Orange juice
• 3 cups Pink grapefruit juice
• 4-5 dashes Orange bitters
• 1 cup lemon seltzer
• Pink grapefruit slices for garnish

Bay Bomber

(Serves 10) Ingredients:

Instructions:
Mix all ingredients in a drinks dispenser or pitcher filled half way with crushed ice ice. Garnish with lime wedges and serve.
 
As always take a “sick’ day on me if needed. Enjoy the game.
Thomas Babyak Owner Strive Fitness
Christine Schultz Registered Dietician

 
 
 

A gym teacher in the Perth Amboy school district for the past nine years, Babyak, 33, started as a trainer three years before that as a way to pay for his exercise science degree from Kean University in Union.

Several of Babyak’s clients have been with him as long as five years, migrating from one or both of his previous big-box gym gigs to Strive. They include Lynn Conrad, 55, of Manalapan, who has lost and kept off 30 pounds under his tutelage.

“I believe I’ve transformed my body and not just with gym equipment,” Conrad said. “Tom is always so creative, so it’s never boring. And he knows everybody’s limitations.”

For each exercise, Babyak offers at least three options to match clients’ fitness levels.

Exercises usually are presented in intervals, such as four different exercises each done for 30 seconds with 20 seconds rest for four circuits, totaling about 15 minutes. After two minutes rest, campers start again with another four circuits of four different exercises.

“The reason why most people who join gyms during the January rush drop out by March is because they didn’t reach that moment for themselves where they were doing the right programming and were not motivated enough to see the results that they wanted,” Bayak said. “That’s why small group exercise works. We aim to create an experience with like-minded people. If you surround yourself with like-minded people, you’re going to succeed faster.”

Babyak works with Ellie Schulmann, 50, of the Lincroft section of Middletown on a medicine ball slam.
Ellie Schulmann, 50, of Lincroft agreed.

“I love it because it’s small and we’re getting good instruction,” said Schulmann, who joined Strive in August. “I’m more toned and definitely stronger. I feel better. I’m 50, but I feel like I’m 25. It’s a good class. Tom pushes you hard.”

Trainer Tom Babyak, owner of Strive Fitness Boot Camp in Old Bridge, and registered dietitian Christine Schultz, owner of My Body in Hazlet, work together to help “campers” best achieve fitness results.
After Babyak consults with each camper on their goals, issues and limitations, he offers a free consultation with registered dietitian Christine Schultz, who can continually customize a meal plan to meet the needs of their transformed bodies.

The Berkeley Heights-raised Schultz, owner of Hazlet-based My Body, lives up to her motto “nutrition made simple,” Babyak said, by giving campers a clear understanding of how good and bad nutrition affects their bodies.

“If they buy the customized meal plans, they get unlimited visits with the dietitian. They get paid back because as their body changes, they have to change their calories,” said Babyak, who also provides a consultation with a chiropractor.

Babyak said that prices at Strive are based on commitment levels: The longer the agreement, the more valuable the package, some of which cost only $15 per session. That is only a fraction of what most personal trainers charge, said Babyak, who also trains campers and scholastic athletes privately and semi-privately.

Frustrated with the big-box gyms’ emphasis on sales rather than results, Babyak said he “took the leap” with his own business not only to help and grow his client base but also to better provide for his family. A father of 21-month-old twin daughters, Babyak said he appreciates the support Jenny, his wife of four years, gives him and his business.

“Balancing family can be tough,” he said. “My wife understands the passion for what I do. I feel like next to my family, my business is my greatest sense of appreciation and satisfaction. When people come back and say thank you, that’s a great sense of satisfaction.”

To give back to the community, Babyak often holds free Saturday sessions, to which campers are required to bring canned goods that are donated to local food banks.

The next camp will start Monday, Jan. 3. Each lasts four weeks, followed by one week off.

For more about Strive Fitness Boot Camp, including workout videos, visit “Fighting for Life” at http://blogs.mycentraljersey.com/fightingforlife.

Bob Makin: 732-565-7319; bmakin@MyCentralJersey.com; www.Twitter.com/MyCJBiz; www.Twitter.com/Fite4Life

AT A GLANCE
STRIVE FITNESS BOOT CAMP
Address of business: 22D Old Matawan Road, Old Bridge
Type of business: Tom Babyak
Principal: Small-group training gym, plus athletic conditioning
How long in business: Six months
Telephone number: 908-670-7688
Web site: www.strivefitnessbootcamp.com

Read The “Perth Amboy gym teacher opens Strive Fitness Boot Camp in Old Bridge” Article Here

OLD BRIDGE — Thomas Babyak, physical education teacher and owner and head fitness coach of Strive Fitness, 22D Old Matawan Road, Old Bridge, recently celebrated the expansion of his facility.

After working in gyms for 13 years, Babyak opened Strive Fitness in 2010 with his stated goal of focusing on quality training.

“Our philosophy is to deliver a quality, intense training experience modified to all ability levels with the added bonus of having our members receive individual attention in a group training environment,” Babyak said.

To achieve this, new members receive a group training orientation or an individual coaching session. The Functional Movement Screen helps new members by identifying their strengths, flexibility and ranges of motion, allowing coaches to come up with an individualized exercise plan. A one-on-one nutritional coaching session from registered dietician Christine Shulz is also in order for anyone who chooses to sign up.

Because his father succumbed to a heart attack about a month after Babyak graduated high school, fitness is very important to him, and from a more positive perspective, he said that his well-being promotes the well-being of his wife and two daughters.

Babyak wants the entire clientele at Strive Fitness — which started at eight patrons and is now up to 70 — to feel like family.

“We want to be like the old TV show ‘Cheers’ — there is home, work and then Strive Fitness. Our motto is ‘I train, I become, I Strive.’ Our clients eventually become like family. We get results and we have fun doing it,” Babyak said.

Read The Original “Strive Fitness owner puts emphasis on quality training” Article Here 

THE NO EXCUSE WORKOUTS!
By: Thomas Babyak, Owner Strive Fitness Bootcamp
November 2012

With Mother Nature not being very kind to us over the last 2 weeks it’s becoming easier and easier to find excuses not to get your workout in. Most people believe  you need a minimum of 30 to 45 min to get an effective workout in. If you have been told this and this person is your trainer then you need to fire them. Now! Most of our workouts at Strive Fitness Bootcamp are at the max 30 min in length. That is on the high end We believe that it is not the long steady cardio but the faster higher intensity that helps to get our clients the fastest results. This type of training helps to speed up your metabolism and burn extra calories hours after your done working out. What’s more, research shows that brief, intense bouts of exercise can improve your cardiovascular fitness as much as jogging can.

The workouts below can take you as long as 15 min. These types of workouts we call mini met. cons (mini metabolic conditioning)  The workouts below can be performed anywhere and can be as challenging as sprints. I challenge you to try these and you will never think of “running” when you hear the term “cardio” again.

THE NO EXCUSE WORKOUTS!

Perform any of these quickie cardio routines at the end of your typical weight session or as a short effective workout when you simply don’t have a lot of time. They’re called “finishers or mini met cons,” not just because doing them is a great way to finish off an exercise session, but also because they can help you finish off your fat.

 

The Leg Matrix

Do 1 set of each exercise without resting, and keep track of the time it takes you to complete the circuit. Rest for double that time, and then repeat the circuit. When you can finish the first circuit in 90 seconds, skip the rest period.

1. Body-Weight Squat: 36 reps

 

2. Body-Weight Alternating Lunge: 18 each leg

3. Body-Weight Split Jump: 18 each leg

 

 

 Body-Weight Jump Squat: 36 reps. (For instructions, see squat series below.)

 

 

Mini met. con  workout

Squat Series. Repeat the series twice without any rest, for a total of 3 rounds.

1. Body-Weight Jump Squat: Lower your body until your thighs parallel the floor. Then jump as high as you can. Repeat for 20 seconds.

 

2. Body-Weight Squat: Do as many reps as you can in 20 seconds.

 

3. Isometric Squat: Lower your body until your thighs parallel the floor, and pause. Hold the position 30 seconds

 

Countdown or ladders

(Choose Option 1 or 2)

Alternate between the two exercises without resting. For your first round, do 10 repetitions of each exercise. For your second round, do 9 reps. Then do 8 reps for your third round, and so on. Go as low as you can, or until you reach zero. Each week, raise your starting rep count by 1—so if you did reach zero, you’ll start with 11 repetitions for the second week. ADVANCED: Go down the ladder then go back up from 1 to 10

Option 1

1. Single-Arm Dumbbell Swing: 

Using an overhand grip, hold a dumbbell at arm’s length in front of your waist. Bend at your hips and knees and lower your torso until it’s at a 45-degree angle to the floor. Swing the dumbbell between your legs, and then thrust your hips forward and swing the dumbbell up to chest level as you stand. Reverse the move, and repeat.

2. Squat Thrust: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides. Push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body as deep as you can into a squat. Now kick your legs backward so that you’re in a push up position. Then quickly bring your legs back to a squat. Stand up quickly and repeat the entire move.

 

OPTION #2

1 Body-Weight Jump Squat

2. Explosive Push-Up: 

Assume a push up position, your hands slightly beyond shoulder width. Your body should form a straight line from your ankles to your head. Bend your elbows and lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor. Press yourself up with enough force that your hands leave the floor.

 
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