RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Do you like juicing, cleansing, detoxing with fruits/veggies? Do you know about GMO, "Dirty Dozen," and "Clean 15" fruits/veggies?" If you don't know about them, and you're not buying organic, you're "detoxing/cleansing" with POISON.

Chemically engineered GMO fruits/veggies are why people are getting diseases like cancer at younger ages, why people are having more reproductive issues/birth defects, and why people have digestive system issues, increased food allergies, etc.

"Dirty Dozen" or "Clean 15" terms refer to the levels of insecticides & pesticides in them. The "Dirty Dozen" are: apples, celery, sweet bell peppers, peaches, strawberries, imported nectarines, grapes, spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, domestic blueberries, potatoes, green beans, kale, collards, and leafy greens.

The "Clean 15" are: onions, sweet corn, pineapples, avocado, cabbage, sweet peas, asparagus, mangoes, eggplant, kiwi, domestic cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, grapefruit, watermelon, and mushrooms.

BUY ORGANIC! Better to spend a little more on organic meats, fruits, and veggies NOW, than later on prescription meds, doctor visit co-pays, hospital bills, insurance premiums.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Look at this pic. Are you one of the millions who bought & are currently eating Girl Scout Cookies? Do you also wash them down with cow or soy milk? Both of those milks & all Girl Scout cookies are made with GMO ingredients (Genetically Modified Organisms).

GMO's are why we see increased cases of diseases like cancer especially in young people. GMO's are responsible for the increase in reproductive problems & birth defects. GMO's also cause the increase food allergies, digestive system problems, body toxicity, and so on & so on. Until the Girl Scouts start offering non-GMO treats, STOP BUYING THEIR COOKIES. STOP eating them & feeding them to your family/children/friends. Instead support the Girl Scouts by buying/renewing magazine subscriptions through them or just by making a donation. Get informed, research GMO's, they are the slow death of our nation.

Avoid cow's milk because as the picture shows it's loaded with antibiotics & hormones.

Avoid everything soy because it raises estrogen levels in the body which increases chances of getting cancer at an earlier age. See this Huff Post article on all of the negative health effects of soy: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/dr-mercola/soy-health_b_1822466.html

As a healthier substitute for cow's & soy milk, drink organic & unsweetened almond milk. You can find them at most grocery stores, but definitely at Trader Joe's & Whole Foods. Great taste, and just as much vitamins, minerals, and calcium as cow's milk.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Eating healthy is an EVERY day lifestyle, not something we do just for 4-12wks (aka a "diet") and stop. If you want to see long-lasting results in a healthy way, follow our Ten RIO Fitness Chicago® Nutrition Commandments with 100% dedication & discipline:

1) You have to burn more cal than you're consuming. Ask a health & fitness professional to calculate your daily calorie limit and start staying within it. Nobody should ever eat under 1200cal/day, because that lowers metabolism which means holding onto and storing more body fat.

2) Eat every 2.5-3hrs = 4-6 SMALL meals/snacks per day to keep your metabolism (rate at which you burn cal) fast. Eating 1-2/day slows your metabolism = body fat gain.

3) Avoid bad trans/saturated fat foods, because they lead to artery clogging, cellulite, and keeping your body fat cells full. Eat healthy unsaturated fat foods (ex: fish/nuts/flax) that help to burn body fat.

4) Eat high glycemic carbs (ex: bread/pasta/rice/oat) ONLY after you exercise, because they digest quickly. Eating them all day long = body fat gain because they're not burned quick enough. Eat low glycemic carbs (ex: fruits/veggies) the rest of the day because they digest slowly.

5) Eat lean protein foods (ex: chicken/turkey/fish/nuts) that are not high in saturated fat. Consume a whey isolate protein (ex: ISOPURE) that is low cal/carbs after every time you exercise (weights & cardio). This will build lean muscle which help you burn more cal all day long.

6) Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol increases levels of body fat production hormone cortisol and lowers body fat burning hormone testosterone.

7) Limit sodium intake to no more than 1200mg/day. Sodium carries water which will make you look & feel bloated, and can lead to high blood pressure. Eat high potassium foods to lower sodium levels.

8) Drink 80-120oz of water everyday. Prevents overeating, reduces soreness after exercise, and keeps your skin looking healthy.

9) Limit sugar consumption because excess sugar is turned into body fat. Avoid "sugar free" foods/drinks because artificial sweeteners are not properly metabolized by the body and are turned into body fat.

10) Get rest every night! Lack of sleep increases levels of body fat production hormones and decreases growth hormones that help us recover from day/exercise.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Want to have nice abs for Summer 2013? Follow our RIO Fitness "AB COMMANDMENTS" to help get you there:

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.

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.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Not getting enough sleep each night not only leaves you exhausted the next day, but is a factor in preventing you from losing body fat and seeing any results. When we don't get at least the recommended eight hours a night, the body raises the levels of the body fat producing hormone cortisol, it does not send out growth hormones that help us recover from our day/exercise, increases the cravings/appetite hormone ghrelin, and decreases levels of leptin which suppresses appetite.

Tips to get better sleep:

1) Exercise daily. Even just 30mins/day.

2) No caffeine after 700pm.

3) Avoid using the computer/watching TV directly before bed. This will keep your brain stimulated and not allow your body to drift off.

4) Take a shower just before bed. This will raise your internal core temperature, so that as you lay there your body will naturally bring it down; thus allowing you to relax and fall asleep.

5) Keep your bedroom dark. Even the tiny light from a digital alarm clock can disrupt a sleep cycle.

Speaking of sleep cycles, we need to get proper REM cycles of sleep. REM cycles, are the 90min cycles that make us feel refreshed & energized to start our day. Depending on when you need to get up determines when you should go to bed to make sure you enter into that 90min REM cycle. To calculate when you should go to bed, visit: http://sleepyti.me/

Avoid these foods in the evening:

1) AGED CHEESE. Parmesan, Romano, Asiago, and other hard cheeses have high levels of the amino acid tyramine which is known to keep you up.

2) SPICY FOODS. Hot wings may taste good during the football game, but they aren't going to feel so great come bedtime; especially if you're prone to heartburn, since lying down only amps up its side.

3) PROCESSED/SMOKED MEATS. Processed meats contain high levels of tyramine and makes the brain release a chemical that makes us feel alert.

4) ALCOHOL. Many people use alcohol to help them relax, but it actually prevents your body from entering the deep stages of sleep.

5) MILK CHOCOLATE. The average milk chocolate bar contains tyrosine, which is converted into dopamine, a stimulant. This causes alertness and restlessness, which can keep you up at night.

6) TOMATO SAUCES. Tomato-based foods have a tendency to cause acid reflux and heartburn, which will prevent you from having a good night's sleep.

7) GINSENG TEA. Herbal teas are great for sleeping, but steer clear of ginseng. It acts as a stimulant, and some may experience insomnia and hypertension.

8) SOY. Fermented soy products have some of the highest amount of tyramine. Meaning soy sauce, tofu, miso, and even teriyaki sauce should be avoided hours before snoozing.

Consume these foods to get better sleep:

1) Unsalted/raw ALMONDS reduce muscle/nerve function while steadying your heart rhythm.

2) HONEY has glucose which tells your brain to shut off the chemical that triggers alertness.

3) CHERRIES increase melatonin which regulates the sleep cycle.

4) BANANAS have magnesium & potassium which are muscle/nerve relaxants.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

St. Valentine's Day can be a very emotional day. When you feel emotional NEVER turn to food, alcohol, or worse, drugs. Doing so, raises levels of the hormone dopamine in the brain causing a euphoria effect. Every time you do it, you create more & more dopamine receptors, which means every time you'll need more & more amounts of food, alcohol, drugs, etc, to get that same "feeling high" effect. Not to mention, all that food & alcohol = body fat gain = more negative thoughts & feelings about yourself. It's a vicious cycle you don't want to be in. Instead turn to positive outlets for your emotions such as: exercise (especially yoga & martial arts), getting a massage, going for a long walk, volunteering to help someone else less fortunate, and writing in a journal.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Look at this pic of the label of a Nutrigrain bar. How many sources of sugar can you find in the ingredients? If the answer is three, you're incorrect. Besides the three listed as "sugar," there are SEVEN artificial sweeteners & binders (dextrose, fructose, cellulose, glycerin, guar gum, diglycerides, and methylcellulose). Anything artificial we consume does NOT get properly metabolized by the body = the body turns it into body fat. Not only do these artificial sugars help us gain fat, but the cancer cells that are already in our body L O V E sugar because it helps them grow bigger, stronger, and spread. (See this Yahoo article for more: http://health.yahoo.net/experts/menshealth/12-scariest-things-your-food)

There are also TWO sources of SOY. AVOID EVERYTHING that has SOY in it! Soy increases estrogen levels in the body, which helps grow & spread cancer cells throughout the body. (To read more about all the other dangers of soy read this Huff Post article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/dr-mercola/soy-health_b_1822466.html)

Almost every ingredient in Nutrigrain bars are artificial & processed (except the cinnamon), so avoid every product like it if you want to be healthy & in-shape. *Remember, if the ingredients on the label of something shows that you'll need a chemistry degree to know what they are, DON'T BUY IT!*

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

There are 10,080mins in a week. There's NO EXCUSE not to use just 210 (30mins of exercise/day) of those minutes a week to be healthier & stronger. "But I'm busy!" There are people who run companies, people with disabilities, married people with children who get in their exercise EVERY day! Wake up earlier to do it before work/school, do 10mins in the morning/10mins at lunch/10mins before bed, do your exercise with your spouse/kids/family/friends, so many different solutions so there are NO EXCUSES! Remember, we make time for what's important to us. So what's important to you? Your health? Being around for your family? Helping to get your family/friends healthy?

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Look at this picture. This is what we eat every time we eat fast-food. Every "hot dog," every "burger," every "chicken nugget/sandwich," every "fish fillet," is NOT real meat or fish. It's this chemically enhanced, processed pink slime shaped to look like meat/fish patties. Think about that next time you're tempted to go into that drive thru. Instead, go to the store and buy REAL food! Buy organic, non-gmo, antibiotic-free, hormone-free meats, fruits and veggies! This pink ooze we consume is the reason for people getting diseases like cancer at younger & younger ages, it's the reason for the increase in mental illness, it's the reason for shorter life spans.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

If you eat at Subway, Jimmy John's, Quiznos, any other sandwich shop or store that offers processed meats, you're feeding the cancer cells that are already in your body to help make them grow and spread throughout your body.

1) All of these processed meats have SODIUM NITRATE in them. It's in all packaged meat products including hot dogs, pepperoni, ham, lunchmeat, bacon, sausages and most breakfast meats. Sodium Nitrate is one of the most powerful cancer causing artificial food ingredients known to man.

2) Other ingredients that cause cancer are hydrogenated oils, aspartame, saccharin, artificial colors, and refined carbohydrates. Another word for carb is sugar. Refined carbs/sugars include chowing down on white bread, sweetened breakfast cereals, white fluffy pancakes, candy bars, granola bars, cookies, crackers and sweets of all kinds. Sugar is a cancer cell feeder, and all of the breads at the restaurants are refined carbs/sugars. Even if they look like wheat bread, most likely they're just dyed to look that way, and are still white bread.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Life's about choices. Are you still choosing to drink pop, juice, energy and sports drinks daily? If you have just three of those drinks a day you're consuming over 16,000 tablespoons of sugar a year! All that excess sugar = body fat gain. Start drinking WATER! The average person needs 80oz/day to stay properly hydrated. If you exercise regularly, you need 120oz/day. Not only does water have zero cal/fat/sugar/sodium, but it also cleanses your bodily organs, and will leave your skin looking healthy and beautiful. Not to mention, once you cut out those sugary drinks, you're cutting out the addictive chemicals in them (artificial sweeteners), so you won't crave all that sugar any more.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

With these below freezing temps we're having in Chicago do NOT leave anything plastic (bottles, food containers, etc.) you plan on eating/drinking from in your car. When we freeze or heat up plastic (microwave, dishwasher, etc.) the chemicals in the plastic containers and other dishware leach into our foods/drinks. This can disrupt hormone/reproductive system function and prevent body fat loss because these chemicals mimic estrogen.

Five simple steps to avoid eating/drinking PLASTIC unintentionally:

1) KNOW THE CODE. Look on the bottom of your plastic to find the recycling symbol (a number between 1 and 7 enclosed in a triangle of arrows). 1, 2, 4 and 5 are considered to be the safest. 3, 6, and 7 leach chemicals that may be harmful.

2) DO NOT HEAT PLASTIC IN THE MICROWAVE. Heat can increase the rate at which chemicals like BPA leach from plastic. Containers labeled "microwave safe" have been tested by the U.S. FDA and found to leach extremely small amounts.

3) IF IT SAY ONCE USE, USE IT ONCE. Plastic breaks down over time and some aren't designed to withstand heating and cooling.

4) WASH BY HAND. Only put plastics into the dishwasher if they have a dishwasher safe label. If you want to be extra-cautious, wash all plastics by hand. In the dishwasher, plastics are exposed to detergents and heat, which may accelerate the leaching of BPA from food containers.

5) DO NOT FREEZE PLASTIC. Only put plastics in the freezer if they have a freezer-safe label. Freezer temperatures can cause plastics to deteriorate, which increases the leaching of chemicals into the food.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

EVERY woman who is lean & tone strength trains. Ask any woman who does Crossfit, lifting weights does NOT make a woman bulky. Even if they're heavy weights. What makes a woman look bulky is when she:

•Consumes 1000s of calories daily or consumes under 1200cal/day consistently.

•Consumes 100s of grams of protein/day consistently.

•Artificially raises her levels of testosterone with anabolic steroids.

•Does zero to little cardio on a daily basis or improperly does it.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Here's FIVE great ways to enjoy the Super Bowl party this Sunday without that guilty feeling & extra body fat Monday morning.

•Use a SMALL plate. Less space on the plate = smaller portions = less calories, fat, sugar, sodium, etc., = clothes being less tight next week.

•Space out your alcoholic drinks with a water in between each one. That way you're not consuming too many calories at once, and so you're not "that guy/gal" who gets "waste-y pants" at the party.

•Do NOT starve yourself before the game because you plan on "saving those calories" for the party. Starving yourself at any time makes your body hold onto your body fat, stores everything you finally do consume as body fat (future energy), and begins to consume (catabolize) your muscle tissue for fuel.

•If you do pig out, make sure to eat something SMALL every three hours after to keep your metabolism fast. Worse thing to do when you have a huge meal is to then stop eating the rest of the day. Same reason as the starving yourself above.

•If you're hosting the party, stop by Trader Joe's or Whole Foods and grab some healthier alternatives to traditional party food like Trader Joe's potato chips, Applegate Farms lunch meat, etc. For example, Trader Joe's brand potato chips only have potatoes, sea salt, and safflower oil in them, that's it.