RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

What are your daily priorities? The FIVE things in this picture should be top of the list if you want to live a longer, happier, vibrant, vital, thriving, healthier life. No exceptions. Make them a priority & start to to transform your life. *Exercise should be five times a week not three. Just 30 intense minutes a day, if you want to see healthy, quick results. 

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

One leading cause of body fat gain is all the excess sugar we consume. One easy way to slow down sugar from turning into body fat is FIBER. Start looking at the nutrition facts, and make sure what you're consuming has a decent amount (8g+) of dietary fiber, because fiber slows down sugar digestion & absorption. 

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

Do you want to start 2014 unhappy with how you look & feel? Then make a change RIGHT NOW in NOvember. Say NO to all of your unhealthy eating & drinking habits that aren't truly making you happy long-term. Say NO to skipping 30mins a day of fun, intense, challenging exercise that'll help your clothes fit better, make you healthier, and give you more self esteem. Say NO to all unhealthy habits that don't make you THRIVE on every level (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually). 

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

Have a bad weekend of eating junk & drinking? DON'T let that turn THIS week into a down week! If you do, it'll turn into a bad habit, and then a cycle of bad decisions followed by negative feelings.  Every moment is another chance to turn things around. Know that the battle to be healthy, is more psychological than physical. So pick yourself up RIGHT NOW! Have healthy snacks every three hours for the rest of the day, drink 120oz before 8PM, and take the stairs & walk as much as possible the rest of the day. 

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

Go check the label of the toothpaste you use. Does it have the ingredient Sodium Lauryl Sulfate? That's the same chemical used in car washes, floor cleaners, and engine degreasers, and you're putting it into your mouth daily. Try JĀSON's brand toothpaste that's SLS-free (http://www.jason-personalcare.com/body-loving-products/oral) and cleans your mouth just as well as the brand you're using now. You can find it at Whole Foods, or cheaper at Trader Joe's & www.iherb.com. 

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

If you're doing your absolute best to exercise & eat healthy daily, be proud of yourself; because there are countless people who are doing nothing to be healthier & around longer for their loved ones. Celebrate your decision & commitment to changing your life for the better. Body fat % loss is essential to maximum health, but don't get obsessed with weigh-ins/the scale. Take into account too if your vitals (BP, blood sugars, cholesterol, etc.,) are getting better, your clothes are fitting better, you're getting stronger, your stamina is improving, etc., as measures of success. Dedication, discipline, and patience are the keys to seeing results with exercise & nutrition. Remember, you didn't get out-of-shape overnight, and you won't get in-shape either. 

Spaghetti & meatballs RIO Fitness Chicago style coming right up! Just like Mamma used to make, except everything here is organic, hormone-free, antibiotic-free. From the 99% lean ground turkey meatballs & seasoning, to the vodka sauce, to the whole grain wheat spaghetti, this is our healthier, organic version of an Italian classic! Mangiamo! Who's hungry? 

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

It's not about HAVING time to exercise or eating healthy, it's about MAKING time. We all make time for what we think is important to us. So what's important to YOU? Making time for Facebook, watching TV, eating junk, playing Candy Crush, etc.? Or you & your loved ones living a healthier, more vibrant, thriving lifestyle where you're more active TOGETHER, and coming up with healthier, fun recipes & cooking them TOGETHER? There's 1,440 minutes in a day, what are you doing with yours?

 

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

Do you do cardio on machines (treadmill, elliptical, stairclimber, etc.) a lot? Do you rely on the calorie counter to measure your progress? Did you know it's inaccurate? Accurate calorie count is taken by age, gender, and body fat %. Most machines you just enter age & weight. Men burn more calories than women, and the machine has no idea if you're either. The machine is calculating heart rate & calorie count by a predetermined math equation set in the machine (based off weight & age) & by how fast it's going. Also, these machines need to be recalibrated often to ensure accuracy, but most gyms never do that. To get an accurate reading of both heart rate & calorie count so you can start tracking REAL progress, invest in a heart rate monitor. They can range from $20-$200. You can find them inexpensive at Walmart. The brand we trust, we recommend & we use is Polar (www.PolarUSA.com). 

Chicken alla Parmigiana RIO Fitness Chicago style about to go in at 400*F for 26mins! EVERYTHING organic, hormone-free, antibiotic-free from the chicken to the tomato sauce to the seasoning (black pepper, garlic & onion powder) to the Parmigiano Reggiano. Just like your Mamma use to make except this is super healthy! Who's hungry? 

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

LADIES, look at this picture. It explains itself. There ARE natural alternatives to every beauty & hygiene product, and they work just as well as the disease causing chemical filled ones you're using now. You can find them at Whole Foods, or more reasonably priced at Trader Joe's & www.iherb.com. 

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

The best defense against cancer is to stop doing things that increase growth & spread of the cancer cells that are already in body. Here's TEN things YOU & your loved ones are doing right now & need to stop that are increasing your/their chances of getting cancer:

1) Stop eating & drinking from plastic containers. Especially don't eat & drink from plastic containers that have been frozen or warmed up. Plastics leach chemicals into the food/drink that mimic estrogen which increases cancer cell growth/spread. Choose glass. 

2) Avoid/limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol lowers testosterone in the body, which then increases estrogen in the body. 

3) Avoid foods that contain GMOs, pesticides, herbicides, preservatives, nitrates (most powerful cancer causing preservative known), artificial flavors/colors, etc. All of these chemicals much like plastics cause everything from cancer to birth defects to learning disabilities. Eat ORGANIC. 

4) Avoid completely foods & drinks with artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners are what the cancer cells already in the body love to feed off of to grow & spread. 

5) Limit excess sun/tanning bed exposure. Choose a high SPF natural sunscreen that is free of titanium dioxide which is a known carcinogen. 

6) Stop smoking. 

7) Avoid dairy products that have the rBST/rBGH hormone which is linked to causing breast, colon, and prostrate cancer. 

8) Start using more natural beauty & hygiene products that don't contain the chemicals in the ones you're using now that cause everything from cancer to birth defects to reproductive issues to allergies. 

9) Use a natural deodorant (Mix 1/4 Cup Organic Arrowroot starch, 4Tb Organic Coconut Oil, 1/4 Cup Organic Baking Soda). The aluminum in the deodorant you're using is linked to causing breast cancer. 

10) Start exercising daily because body movement moves lymph fluid around, and this is an important function of your immune system that fights cancerous cells.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Look at this picture. Another example to show there's chemicals in what we're eating & drinking if we're not eating ORGANIC. 180 days later & it still looks fresh?! That's unnatural, that's a problem. These chemicals are why our nation's obesity, birth defects, learning disability, allergy, reproductive issues, mental illness, cancer, etc., rates have more than quadrupled since the 1960s. Protect yourself & your loved ones, demand organic, shop organic, eat organic, live organic. It's not that expensive as Big Agriculture companies want you to think. Go to Trader Joe's, their prices are reasonable & comparable to any other grocery chain.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

Look at this picture. When Maickel Melamed was born he was given a week to live, and for the last 38yrs he's lived with muscular dystrophy. Earlier this month, 17hrs after it started, he finished the 2013 Chicago Marathon at 1am Monday morning. There's NO excuse to not accomplish your goals in life. There's no excuse not to eat healthy & exercise daily. People busier than you, people more disadvantaged than like Melamed are making the effort to lead a healthier, thriving life, so why aren't you? It's not about having the time, it's about MAKING the time, MAKING the effort. 

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local/chicago_news&id=9286065

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

Do YOU use beauty & hygiene products like makeup, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, soap, lotions, perfume, etc.? Look at this picture, then go check the labels of all your products for the 12 cancer, birth defects, learning disability, infertility, allergy, reproductive issue causing chemicals shown. It only takes 26sec for these chemicals to absorbed into the body once applied. There are so many natural products that work just as well if not better as the ones you're using right now. You can find them at www.iherb.com, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's, among other places.

 

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Have a lot to drink this weekend? Look at this picture. Here's FIVE things that are happening internally when we drink too much alcohol, and SIX natural remedies for when you do (exclude the remedies "hair of the dog" & sports drinks because they're loaded with artificial sweeteners, sugar, sodium, and artificial flavors that all cause long term health problems). 

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

If we don't exercise regularly & eat healthy daily, when we hit 25yrs old we lose 1/2 a pound of lean muscle tissue every year. Lean muscle tissue is what helps us burn more cal all day long, thus preventing body fat gain, so losing it is bad. At 30yrs old our metabolism (how fast we burn cal) slows down. At 40yrs old, we start to lose bone density (bones becoming like glass & making us more susceptible to injury). Moral of the story, start exercising & eating healthy ASAP so you counter the natural aging process. It's never too early or too late to start! 

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Take a look at this picture & at the ingredients of everything you eat & drink. Nearly everything we eat & drink (even gum) have artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose & saccharin thanks to Monsanto who created them. Artificial sweeteners are what cancer cells already in the body love to feed off of to grow bigger, stronger, and spread. They are also known neurotoxins which cause insomnia, migraines, anxiety, vision loss, muscle spasms, and even death. Not to mention, since they are artificial, the body cannot properly metabolize them = gaining body fat.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

Look at this picture. Doesn't get any clearer than this that if we're not eating ORGANIC meat, fish, eggs, dairy, fruits, veggies, grains, etc., we're consuming chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, preservatives, etc., that cause everything from cancer to mental illness to allergies to digestive issues to learning disabilities. Protect yourself & loved ones, eat ORGANIC. It's NOT as expensive to do so as you think. Stores like Trader Joe's are reasonably priced. Regardless, how much is your health or the health of your loved ones worth to save a few bucks each week? If you or they get sick you'll pay the difference in copays, hospitalization bills, and prescription meds anyway. 

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

Are YOU scale obsessed (weighing yourself every day/multiple times a week)? If yes, STOP! If you're trying to get in-shape you should weigh once every two weeks, maximum once a week. First of all, the scale is NOT the measure of REAL progress, losing BODY FAT % is, because you CAN lose on the scale but not body fat % = you lost muscle/water weight. Other than body fat %, REAL signs of progress are also the things in the picture. More signs of REAL progress are your clothes fitting better, your blood pressure/blood sugar levels/pulse/other vitals improving, etc. Don't get discouraged if the scale isn't moving as fast as you want, REMEMBER, you didn't get out-of-shape overnight, so you won't get in-shape overnight either. Being healthy & fit takes PATIENCE, DEDICATION, and DETERMINATION.

 

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Do you ever see people, especially women, posting on Facebook: "just did abs, butt, legs, or arm day?" 

Isolating muscle groups like that is NOT the quickest way to be lean & toned, which is what most women want. That is a body building schedule. And unless you want to look like Schwarzenegger, don't exercise like that. Also, **there is no such thing as exercising to be lean & tone one specific area, outside of having liposuction.** 

To be lean & tone quickly your weekly exercise schedule should look like this:  

Day 1: Lower body (quads/glutes/hamstrings/calves) & Upper Body (shoulders/triceps/chest/biceps/back).

Day 2: 30mins core (side/lower/upper abdominals & lower back) then 25mins of 60sec high/low intensity interval cardio.

Day 3: 25mins of 60sec high/low intensity interval cardio as soon you wake up & again in the afternoon/early evening. 

Day 4: Lower body (quads/glutes/hamstrings/calves) & Upper Body (shoulders/triceps/chest/biceps/back).

Day 5: 30mins core (side/lower/upper abdominals & lower back) then 25mins of 60sec high/low intensity interval cardio.

Day 6: 25mins of 60sec high/low intensity interval cardio as soon you wake up & again in the afternoon/early evening.

Day 7: Rest

There should be 48hrs rest in between each muscle group. 

Also, in case you're not doing it already, weight training for lean & toned is not doing one set then resting. For your goal, you need to weight training using High Intensity Interval Training. HIIT means doing one set of an exercise then following it up with a completely different exercise no rest in between, then resting 30-60sec and repeating for 3sets. For example, doing one set of 15 lunges, followed by pushups for 30sec no rest in between, then resting 30-60sec and repeating for 3sets. Or one set of 15 bicep curls followed by 30sec of jumping jacks no rest in between, then resting 30-60sec and repeating for 3sets. YouTube/Google HIIT to see more.

Before you go out this weekend to unwind from the week, just know that alcohol can seriously derail your getting in-shape goals because it has calories, it lowers testosterone which is the hormone that helps us burn fat faster, and it raises the body fat production hormone cortisol. 

Here's some RIO Fitness Chicago Tipsy Tips to minimize the damage: 

• Drink a glass of water between drinks.
• Wine varies in calorie level depending on the sweetness-the sweeter the wine the more calories. Wine Spritzer (half soda water and half wine) is a low-calorie way to enjoy the taste, get half the calories, and twice the volume.
• Mixers can also vary in calories so shoot for low calorie options such soda water, or have that drink on the rocks.
• Distilled liquor (rum, vodka, gin etc) calories are dependent on the proof of the alcohol-the higher the proof, the more calories. (Proof is twice the percentage of alcohol). For example, 100-proof vodka would contain 50% alcohol. To break it down, 1 1/2 ounces of liquor equals 100 calories for 80 proof while 100 proof equals 125 calories.

100-Calorie Drinks

• 12-ounces of light beer
• 4-ounce Bloody Mary
• 4-ounces of champagne
• 4-ounces of red or white wine
• 1-ounce of rum, vodka, gin, whiskey, or tequila with diet soda

150-Calorie Drink

• 12-ounces of regular beer

200-Calorie Drinks

• 12-ounce wine cooler
• 5-ounce Whiskey Sour
• 3-ounce cognac
• 3-ounce brandy
• 2 1/2-ounce martini
• 4-ounce Screwdriver
• 4-ounce rum and regular Coke

300-Calorie Drink

• 5-ounce Pina Colada
• 6-ounce Daiquiri
• 6-ounce frozen Margarita

500-Calorie Drink

• 8-ounces of eggnog

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

If you are pregnant, and want to lose the "baby weight" quickly after & stay as healthy as possible while pregnant, the best way to do that is to eat healthy & stay active DURING the pregnancy. 

Exercising while pregnant IS okay to do until the third trimester. A few precautions need to be taken though: 1) Wear a heart rate monitor while you do, because your heart rate should not exceed 140 for a long period of time to minimalize your body's internal core temperature. 2) No exercises that involve any laying flat on the back and no prolonged standing ones. Both pool blood around the fetus which is dangerous. 3) No jumping/bouncing exercises. 4) No using unstable equipment like stability balls/BOSUs/etc unless under the direct supervision of a certified fitness instructor.

Eating healthy is essential to your baby's future physical & mental health, and keeping you healthy during pregnancy. 

•Avoid Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs). Not only will GMOs make you obese, but they are the reason why people are getting diseases like cancer more & more and at younger ages. GMOs are also why people are having reproductive issues/birth defects, digestive system issues, body toxicity issues, more food allergies, etc. 

•Avoid rBST dairy (recombinant bovine somatotropin, aka rBGH, aka BGH, recombinant bovine growth hormone). rBST is a chemical hormone given by farmers to make dairy cows more productive. rBGH also makes these cows more sickly, causing mastitis (inflammation of the udders, often caused by infection). And it's not just cows that are getting sick; rBGH has also been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer in humans. For it to be organic milk it must have that "USDA Organic" label. If a milk doesn't have that label, that milk comes from cows given the rBGH or rBST synthetic hormones.

•Avoid refined sugars (soda, desserts, white breads, candy, etc.) & artificial sweeteners because they are what cancer cells already in the body love to feed off of to grow bigger, stronger, and spread. Avoid especially artificial sweeteners (example: aspartame, saccharin, sucralose) which are known neurotoxins that cause insomnia, migraines, anxiety, vision loss, muscle spasms, and even death. Not to mention, since they are artificial, the body cannot properly metabolize them = gaining body fat. 

•Avoid artificial food coloring (Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6, etc.) which are found in 90% of the food & other products we use. Artificial dyes have been linked to causing behavioral problems in children such as hyperactivity, attention disorders, and ADHD. 

•Avoid non-organic fruits & veggies that are loaded with pesticides and other chemicals that cause birth defects, and other diseases. 

•Avoid non-organic, hormone-filled, antibiotic-filled meats & fish. All of those hormones & medicines cause birth defects, and other diseases. 

Bottom line: eat ORGANIC fruits, veggies, meats, fish, and dairy! What you consume during pregnancy transmits to your child and shapes them physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

Here's EIGHT easy things you can start doing TODAY, RIGHT NOW, to be healthier & look/feel your best.: 

1) Have a HUGE glass of water (16oz) always before you eat. 

2) Do NOT drink your calories; do cut out all the pop, juice, sports drinks, etc.

3) Eat a LEAN protein (white meat, fish, eggs, unsalted/raw nuts & seeds, organic plain Greek yogurt, quinoa, etc) at each meal so you stay fuller longer. 

4) Cut out you intake of refined sugars, flours, and grains.

5) Eat over 40g of fiber a day. 

6) Eat fruits & veggies EVERY SINGLE DAY. 

7) No high glycemic carbs (breads, pastas, rice, oats, grains) after 12 noon.

8) Start reading labels so you know what you're putting in your body. Read both nutrition facts AND ingredients. 

When you go clothes shopping do you ever feel like the picture? If yes, RIGHT NOW, TODAY do something about it! Click the two links below to exactly how you need to eat & exercise to be your healthiest & look/feel your best ever! Also, from now on when you clothes shop, NEVER buy a bigger size. ALWAYS buy a size or two smaller, rip off the tags, throw away the receipt, and hang up the clothes in the room(s) you spend the most time in at home so they're constant source of motivation. 

Follow our RIO Fitness Chicago® 10 Nutrition Commandments 100% strict and you will see healthy, long-lasting results guaranteed: http://riofitnesschicago.blogspot.com/2013/02/eating-healthy-is-every-day-lifestyle.html?m=1

Then you need to exercise with HIIT training to see fast lean & tone results: http://riofitnesschicago.blogspot.com/2010/04/rio-fitness-chicago-tip-do-you-want-to.html?m=1 

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

Do you chew gum/mints? If so, look at the ingredients on the label & you'll see artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin. These artificial sweetners are just two of the many artificial ingredients in gum/mints that cause everything from cancer to birth defects to ADD/ADHD. Artificial sweeteners are especially what the cancer cells already in the body love to feed off of to grow & spread. If you need gum/mints go to Trader Joe's or Whole Foods and buy organic ones like YumEarth brand (http://yummyearth.com/ingredients.html).

There are people every single day doing what it takes to be healthy as possible & look/feel their best ever. Why aren't YOU? No matter how far out-of-shape you've become you CAN do it! The REAL measure of progress is BODY FAT % LOSS, not the scale, because you can lose on the scale (muscle/water) but not lose BF %. If you want to lose body fat, if you want to be healthier, if you want to look & feel your best click the two RIO Fitness Chicago Tips below. 

Instead of doing diets or these fake supplements, follow our RIO Fitness Chicago® 10 Nutrition Commandments 100% strict and you will see healthy, long-lasting results guaranteed: http://riofitnesschicago.blogspot.com/2013/02/eating-healthy-is-every-day-lifestyle.html?m=1

Then you need to exercise with HIIT training to see fast results: http://riofitnesschicago.blogspot.com/2010/04/rio-fitness-chicago-tip-do-you-want-to.html?m=1 

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

Did you hit the alcohol & salty/sugary foods hard celebrating this Labor Day Weekend? Here's FOUR simple ways to get your nutrition back on track: 

1) Start eating something SMALL every 3hrs. This will speed up your metabolism = burning cal faster. 

2) To best detox from the booze is to keep drinking water. Since our body is 75% water, and our brain is 90% water, this will help prevent dehydration which amplifies the hangover feeling. 

3) To slow down the digestion of all the sugar, start consuming high FIBER foods. 

4) All that salty foods = looking/feeling bloated, because sodium carries excess water. To lower the sodium levels in the body, consume high POTASSIUM foods (spinach, beans, bananas, kiwi).

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Want to have nice abs for Summer 2014? Follow our RIO Fitness "AB COMMANDMENTS" to help get you there in a healthy, long-lasting way:

1) Strength train your ENTIRE midsection (obliques, lower & upper abdominals), finishing with a lower back exercise to fully complete your core.

2) Do NOT work your abs every day. They're a muscle like any other so they need time to recover & regenerate. Give 48hrs in between, so if you did them on a Wed, next time would be Sat.

3) Do cardio properly so you're burning calories from fat & not energy (glycogen). This means no more than 30mins, and the cardio must be done in intervals (Ex: 60sec run then 60sec walk for 25mins).

4) Track how many calories you consume daily. Consuming more calories than you burn daily will increase body fat production.

5) Limit HIGH GLYCEMIC CARBS (breads/pasta/rice/oats) to ONLY after exercise. These are carbs which digest quickly, so if they are consumed throughout the day and not burned they'll be turned into body fat. LOW GLYCEMIC CARBS (fruits/veggies) are the carbs to be eaten the rest of the day.

6) Limit your sodium intake to no more than 1200mg/day. Sodium increases water levels in the body, making you look & feel bloated. Consume foods high in potassium (i.e. bananas/spinach/apricots/beans) daily to lower sodium levels in the body naturally.

7) Limit/avoid alcohol consumption. Alcohol triggers the body fat production hormone cortisol to begin production. Plus alcohol has calories, then when you mix it with calories & sugar filled soda & juice, it's a recipe for body fat gain. 

8) Limit your stress. Increased stress levels also increases levels of cortisol.

9) Get your rest. Lack of adequate rest each night increases levels of cortisol.

10) Remember, just focusing on your abs won't give you a nice midsection, you need to strength train from head to toe. Especially do not neglect large muscle groups (back/lower body), because developing those will help you burn more cal/day & increase testosterone production which is the hormone that helps us burn body fat quickly.