Here is a new story from http://www.ktar.com :

Bad economy equals bad eating habits, bad health

June 26th, 2008 @ 9:23am
by Hanna Scott/KTAR

The economic downturn can be bad for your health in a lot of ways and it could affect your waistline.

Eating healthy is getting expensive, with the costs of fruits, vegetables and a lot of other food items rising. Some people are looking to fast food as a cheaper alternative.

"There's no question about it, starchy foods are cheaper," says Dr. Sam Benjamin, host of a Saturday health show on News/Talk 92-3 KTAR. ``And when you buy them, in fast food stores for example -- because they use large amounts of product being transported from state to state -- the cost is either more stable or increases slower. The result is that it's more attractive financially. From a health point of view, it's a disaster."

Benjamin sees some serious consequences for people who opt for cheaper diets.
``Some people are going to get fat, we're going to see more diabetes, we're going to see more heart disease, we're going to see more hypertension, we're going to see more kidney disease, and we're going to see more ocular, or eye, disease."

Not only eating habits, but exercising habits, change when the economy slows, Benjamin said.
``When we see more economic downturns, we tend to spend more money going to movie theaters, watching television, drinking beer and having a bag of potato chips."

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It's Curtis again...this is scary. Obesity, heart disease, overweight children...they are all ALREADY at incredibly high levels in the United States.

Make no mistake about it: this IS reversible, this IS manageable, this IS within our control.

Choose your regular food intake wisely and have a wonderful week!

To your continued health,

Curtis Hoekstra, Certified Fitness Instructor

Phone: (623) 486-6622

Web: http://www.ArizonaFitnessBootCamp.com

Email: Curtis@ArizonaFitnessBootCamp.com

Blog: http://arizonafitnessbootcampblog.blogspot.com

Nutrition: https://curtis.getprograde.com

Just thought I would remind everyone of a healthy (even sexy) snack, something I found in the book "Eat This, Not That".

Ants on a Log (celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins)

It might be kids foods, but it has some very grown-up implications.

Here's why: Celery Every stalk of the stuff is packed with androstenone and androstenol, two pheromones that can help men attract women the way Tom Brady attracts tacklers (or ways to cheat, however you view the subject LOL)

Celery:

Every time you chew on a stalk of celery, you release these odor molecules, which helps boost your arousal, turning you on and causing your body to send off scents and signals that make you more desirable to women.

Peanut Butter (NOT Jiffy/Skippy/etc...the good kind without HYDROGENATED oils):

Research shows that men with diets high in monounsaturated fat—the kind found in nuts—have higher testosterone levels than those who don't eat enough of the healthy fat. Plus, nuts are also the best food source of arginine, an amino acid that improves bloodflow throughout your body—including below the belt.

Raisins:

Raisins are loaded with lignans, phytoestrogens that play an important role in balancing hormones for women. They’re also a potent source of antioxidants, which help encourage bloodflow to the nether regions.

Hello everyone,

How would you like to be stronger than you ever imagined?

Not "strong", like big, bulky "Incredible Hulk" muscle strong...but strong, lean and fit muscles.

The kind of "strong" that means you can carry your luggage,

pick up a big bag of groceries, accend a huge flight of stairs,

or chase your kids around and pick them up high into the air...

all without feeling-like-you're-going-to-pass-out-sort-of "strong".

Real strength. Real world use. Real people like you and me.

Getting stronger and healthier everyday.

That's part of what we accomplish with our fitness boot camp training.

That's exactly what one of our campers, Kim Popkey accomplished this morning.

3 weeks ago (Thursday June 5, 2008) I tested her ability to do pushups.

She could do 12 "traditional" position pushups. That's pretty good.

3 weeks later, today (June 26, 2008) I re-tested her pushup ability.

In just a few short weeks of our fitness camp training, she improved to a total of

30 PUSHUPS.

That's not a typo.

She did 15 "traditional" pushups (increase of 3), followed immediately by 15 "knee" pushups.

Impressive, to say the very least!

The rest of the campers will re-test next week.

I am so proud of this whole group of dedicated individuals.

Way to go, Kim!

Now, don't start with the "oh, I could never do that...I'm not that strong...that's too hard"

stuff...believe me, if you want to do improve your strength / improve your endurance and

create more muscle tone and definitiion...I will help you do it. Guaranteed.

See you all soon!

Your Fitness Coach,

Curtis Hoekstra, Certified Fitness Instructor and Proud Daddy

623-486-6622

Web: http://www.arizonafitnessbootcamp.com/

Email: Curtis@ArizonaFitnessBootCamp.com

PS: Ready for a healthy snack? Try these 100% Organic Dark Chocolate "Cravers".

A colleague of mine, Mike Geary, sent me this...I have experienced it first hand many times, but I figured I'd let you see it for yourself.

If you have ever grabbed a protein bar hoping for a quick, healthy snack...you gotta see this:

There are so many types of "health bars" on the market today, how do you know if you're actually buying something healthy or junk food in disguise?

Again, just as I've talked about grocery store food choices, you really need to know how to read labels if you're going to stand a chance at finding a truly healthy food bar. To be quite honest, most of the bars out there are pure junk... candy bars disguised through labeling as a health food bar.

Just recently, I was going on a mountain bike ride and needed a quick bar to make sure I had enough energy for the ride.

Well, I didn't have any bars on me, so my friend gave me an extra Slimfast bar he had. Keep in mind that this Slimfast bar is marketed as a "health food", that is supposedly appropriate for someone trying to lose wt.

What a freakin joke these bars are!

In my opinion, these Slimfast bars are WORSE for you than a candy bar! The 1st ingredient in these bars is corn syrup!

Then the 2nd ingredient is sugar (yay more sugar!), followed by hydrogenated oils (trans fats), and then the list went on with nothing but junk such as artificial flavors, colors, more hydrogenated oils, nasty artificial sweeteners, and rounded out with some highly processed soy protein isolate just to give your body some more junk.

Back to these "worse for you than candy bars" Slimfast bars... not only are they a disaster nutritionally, but the bar tasted horrible... it tasted like chemicals and was way too overly sweet (not a surprise with all of the corn syrup, sugar, sugar alcohols, AND artificial sweeteners).

This is a prime example of "over-engineering" of food. So how do you determine a healthy bar?

I look for simplicity in a good bar.

Many of the healthiest and tastiest bars I've found have only a couple basic ingredients such as nuts, seeds, and fruit. I also look for organic ingredients and raw ingredients if possible. A couple of my favorite truly healthy bars:

1. Organic Food Bars - This is actually the brand name. Depending on which flavor, these are usually a base of organic almond butter (or cashew butter) with a certain type of fruit, organic seeds, organic biosprouts (quinoa, etc), and some organic rice protein. Some flavors include an organic dark chocolate as well. They also have a line of bars that use exclusively raw ingredients.

Not only are these bars extremely nutritious, but I think they are delicious as well and have a lot of flavors to choose from such as blueberry, cranberry, chocolate chip, high protein, and more. You won't find these bars at your local grocery store, but I have found them at Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and several health food markets.

2. Larabars - These are even simpler in ingredients than organic food bars. Usually larabars are just 2 or 3 ingredients, and mostly raw... a blend of crushed nuts along with a type of fruit is the usual combination, but they have a lot of different flavors so it can vary. These are also delicious and you will NEVER see a list of chemicals a mile long in their ingredient list...usually just nuts and fruit, and that's it!

Simple IS better.

I don't know who this Lara is, but she made a great product. Again, I've found these at various health food markets.

3. Prograde Cravers - These are made by Prograde Nutrition. I know the founders of this company personally, so I have a high level of trust in their products. These are definitely some of the tastiest bars I've ever had (especially the peanut butter flavor!)... and they are also made with all organic ingredients using nut butters, rice protein, organic dark chocolate, etc.

You actually can't get these in any stores, but you can get these online at the following site: https://curtis.getprograde.com

When you actually find truly healthy bars like these examples above, they make great quick snacks while you're traveling or while you're at work. I carry some on me almost at all times, just to make sure I have healthy options to eat whenever I need a snack, so that I'm not tempted by fast food joints or junk food vending machines.

That's it for today. Please fwd this email on to your friends, family, and coworkers if you think it would help them make healthier choices.

My life changed forever on July 31, 2006.

That's the day Steele William was born and I became a father for the first time.

Life took another wonderful turn on November 30, 2007.

That's the day Lincoln Stone was born and I became a father for the second time.

Since then, I see everything in a different light.

Especially my health. Back in the day, it used to be about just trying

to get into great shape to LOOK good.

Now, it's way beyond that. Now it's all about LONGEVITY.

I want to be around for a long time to see my 2 boys grow up.

I want to coach their teams. Show them how to be healthy and strong.

I want to read them more bedtime stories. I want to be there to watch as

they dance with their mother on their wedding day.

Fitness sometimes gets a bad rap. It's usually marketed as something superficial

(you know, the six pack abs, flat tummy, etc.).

The industry is filled with gimmicks and infomercials with absolute junk.

But fitness is MORE than that. It's about preventing illness. Preventing disease.

Having more energy. Living a longer life. Feeling good.

Unfortunately, PREVENTION doesn't sell nearly as well as weight loss.

But here's the good news...YOU have control over what exercise you do, what food

you put into your body.

I don't care if Circle K has their gigantic 300 oz jug of soda on sale, you can say NO.

Don't even get me started on McDonald's. Skip it.

Prioritize. Take control of your fitness and you can take control of your life.

And to all my fellow dads - happy Father's Day. May you celebrate many, many more...

Here's to keeping up with your kids,

Curtis

PS: If you haven't checked out our new high quality nutrition supplements and
100% organic dark chocolate snacks...take a look here.

Here's another little nutritional tidbit I learned...

It has to do with portion size.

And if you eat out at restaurants, there's a great chance

your portion is about double what you should be eating.

It's virtually impossible to "measure" food when you are eating out,

so here's a handy guide to help you visualize portion size.

-1 oz. meat: size of a matchbox

-3 oz. meat: size of a deck of cards
(btw, this is the recommended portion for a meal)

-8 oz. meat: size of a thin paperback book

-3 oz. fish: size of a checkbook

-1 oz. cheese: size of 4 dice

-Medium potato: size of a computer mouse

-2 Tbs. peanut butter: size of a ping pong ball

-1/2 cup pasta: size of a tennis ball

-Average bagel: size of a hockey puck

And here's my BIG tip of the day for you, my fellow boot camper...

When eating at a resturant, I try and order a kids-size meal.

I've found a kids meal is about the right size for an adult.

It's sad but true. This is why we have an obesity epidemic

among our youth. If you order a kids meal, just make sure to skip the mac 'n cheese.

Here's to a healthy meal,

Curtis Hoekstra
(623) 486-6622
Curtis@ArizonaFitnessBootCamp.com
www.ArizonaFitnessBootCamp.com

In case you missed it on KTAR, I have it for you right here.

“Fat fees may be the next add-on for airlines”
June 6th, 2008 @ 8:34amby Lisa Wilcox/KTAR

Airline fares are expected to go nowhere but up as the price of fuel continues to rise, and, now there's word of a possible charge that's sure to make people angry -- charging by the pound.
The airlines have been guessing passengers' weights for years because of the physics of flying.

It's called the passenger weight standard and, with most airlines in dire financial straits, they may start using the weight standard to set new fees. That means it will get personal.

``They're going to get down to specific passengers, probably. Something like, if you're more than the standard weight, then they may charge you an extra surcharge," says Louie Theile of ``The Travel Show" on News/Talk 92-3 KTAR.

The current weight standard is 175 pounds, male or female.

Thiele says if the thought of a scale at the ticket counter doesn't appeal to you, you're not alone.
``I'm sure that the marketing executives are all saying, `Oh, God, I hope we don't go there.'"

Would they?

Thiele says, "When they go to things that are affected by the individual passenger , weight is one of the last things there is and they're getting down to that list."

He says the airlines "are at the lowest point in their customer satisfaction and acceptance. So anything they do like this, they're going to have to work very, very hard on making it fair."
If you're on the slim side, will you get a discount?

No, says Thiele.

"Airlines don't give anybody a discount these days, hardly at all. That comes down to the standardized fare issue. They will do add-ons to it, but they're not going to give very many discounts off it."

The standarized weight issue allows airlines to keep their base fares cheap, getting more bookings online. Then they can add on fees at the airport.

"What they do with you after you get to the airport - 'If you want to check baggage, we're going to charge you. If you want to have a meal, we're going to charge you.' That way, they can make it specifically your problem. So if you show up and you weigh 300 pounds, that's your problem and it doesn't affect the fare for everybody else."

Despite the bad press that airlines' might draw, as long as they keep advertised fares law, they will be able to sell tickets, Thiele says.

I'm not kidding.

Today is National Donut Day here in America.

Does anybody wonder why 60% of this country is overweight or obese?

In the art of full disclosure, the day did start out with good intentions. It was for fundraising during World War 1, but if memory serves that war ended a couple years ago. Plus, I'm not even sure folks were aware of deadly trans-fatty acids back then.

Now I have a sweet tooth as much as the next person, but donuts are quite possibly one of the worst foods on the planet. You take overly processed grain (white flour), deep fat fry it and then cover it in lots and lots and lots of sugary coatings and maybe even add a few sprinkles for good measure.

Yummy...yes, I know.

Then there are the other kinds of donuts that get stuffed full of sugary jelly or fatty creams. I could go on and on describing all the different kinds of donuts, but it would just make me hungry.

Alas, you should never eat donuts.

They will do nothing but make you fat.

In fact I'm going to go out on a limb and tell you that you will gain 5 pounds for every donut you eat.

I know, I know...that's not entirely true, but I want that to be stuck in your head the next time you decide to head over to the donut shop.

The tough thing is that a lot of businesses will put boxes of donuts in their breakrooms for their employees to snack on.

Are you serious?

And we wonder why our health insurance rates are sky high. Okay, okay...that's it for my soap box preaching today.

Have an amazing weekend and please, let's just skip National Donut Day.

Here's to your health,

Curtis