Tips for Goal Setting

The next time you set a goal for yourself, make sure it's a SMART goal. A SMART goal is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-based. And remember to set short AND long term goals for yourself!

Check out http://personaldevelopment.suite101.com/article.cfm/smart_goal_setting for more information.

Is Wii As Good as the Real Thing?

A study at the University of Wisconsin (La Crosse) found playing Wii sports is better than sitting around. However, participating in the actual sport will burn more calories and provide better strength and cardiovascular benefits.

The 6 Healthiest Cuts of Meat

Here are 6 lean cuts of meat with under 170 calories (most with only 3-5g of fat) for a 3 ounce serving:

1. Pork tenderloin (120 cal, 3g fat, 22g protein)



2. Skinless chicken breast (128 cal, 3g fat, 25g protein)
   
   
3. Eye round beef (143 cal, 4g fat, 25g protein)



4. Boneless pork chop (147 cal, 5g fat, 23g protein)



5. Top round beef (158 cal, 5g fat, 27g protein)



6. Chicken thigh (166 cal, 8g fat, 21g protein)

How to Find Valid Health Info on the Web

Look for a primary source of info (ex. published resource paper). Google Scholar is better than Google (from Google, click 'more' and choose Scholar). PubMed is your best bet: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed. Also check out government sources (CDC, FDA, NIH).

How Much Should I Eat?

Check out http://www.mypyramid.gov/ and click on the MyPyramid Plan to find out exactly how many calories you should be eating each day and where they should come from. If you are trying to lose weight, look at a slightly lower (200-400 calories) eating plan.

Milk for Recovery?

A study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that milk "is more effective than water or a popular sports drink at replacing the sodium, potassium & vital salts lost through sweat." Milk left athletes hydrated for 4 hours. Other drinks lasted only 1 hour.

What Does a Serving Size Look Like?

With mega-size portions, it's hard to decipher what a real portion size is. You can use the visual references below to find a portion size.

• 1 serving of a grain product looks like:
  1 cup of cereal = size of your fist
  1 pancake = size of a CD
  1/2 cup cooked rice, pasta, or potato = half of a baseball
  1 slice of bread = a cassette tape (if you can remember back that far!)
  1 piece of cornbread = bar of soap



• 1 serving of fruits and vegetables looks like:
  1 cup of salad = baseball
  1 baked potato = size of your fist
  1 medium size fruit = baseball
  1/2 cup fresh fruit = 1/2 baseball
  1/4 cup of raisins = large egg



• 1 serving of dairy and cheese products look like:
  1.5 oz. cheese = 4 stacked dice or 2 cheese 'singles' slices
  1/2 cup ice cream = 1/2 baseball



• 1 serving of meat and beans looks like:
  3 oz. meat = deck of cards
  3 oz. fish or deli meat = checkbook
  2 Tbsp. peanut butter = ping pong ball



• 1 serving of fats look like:
  1 tsp. butter/margarine = 1 dice

Reference: http://www.apexfitness.com/