Summertime & cold drinks are synonymous for most people. If you're looking to stay in-shape though, alcohol is the triple whammy of gaining body fat because alcohol 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 the RIO Fitness Chicago® guide to drinking this Summer that'll help you not pack on the pounds:

•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: 

Did you hit the alcohol & salty/sugary foods hard celebrating this Memorial 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:

Happy Memorial Day! Here's how to enjoy yourself without derailing your healthy eating goals: At BBQs, if you have to try everything, try it in SMALL portions by using small plates. When drinking, have alcohol on the rocks to avoid unnecessary cal from soda/juice, choose clear alcohol over dark to avoid toxins (less hangover), and space out drinks with water so you're not consuming too many cal at once. Have a fun & safe Memorial Day! Thank you to all who have served to give us the freedoms we enjoy daily! 

Here's another RIO Fitness Chicago® healthy post-exercise or lunch/dinner option. Everything is organic, high in lean protein & fiber, and full of low glycemic carbs (sugars that digest slowly which prevent fat gain): kale, one sweet potato, cherry tomatoes, one yellow onion, one head of garlic, chick peas, kidney beans, white beans, lentils, onion & garlic powder, black pepper, EVOO, and white quinoa. *Soak the chick peas & beans for 24hrs before cooking. Max cook time: 60-90mins. 

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Want to have nicer abs for Summer 2014? Follow our RIO Fitness Chicago "TEN 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.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

If you ate poorly for breakfast/lunch today, don't let the day end poorly too! Make a healthy meal tonight & get some extra activity in before or after dinner like a long walk. And don't let it turn into an entire week of unhealthy eating either! Every new day, is a day to start over & get back on track!

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

Two choices in life: exercise intensely for just 30mins a day, or have an early death & be dead 24hrs a day. The body is working against us with each passing day. At 25, we start to lose 1/2lb of lean muscle tissue every year. At 30, our metabolism starts to slow down. At 40, we start to lose bone density = our bones becoming like glass & more susceptible to injury. Fight the aging process with DAILY exercise & healthy eating! Live more vibrantly!

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

Once a week you should have an animal protein free day to destress your body. Here's FIVE amazing protein sources you can have that day:

1) QUINOA. Highest protein grain, that's also full of fiber, iron, magnesium, & manganese. 

2) CHIA. Number one plant source of healthy Omega-3 fatty acid. They contain more fiber than seeds/nuts & are loaded with iron, calcium, zinc, and antioxidants. 

3) BUCKWHEAT. Not actually wheat at all, it's a relative of rhubarb that helps improve circulation, lower cholesterol, & control blood glucose levels.

4) SPIRULINA. This member of the algae family when combined with nuts or seeds becomes a complete protein. 

5) UNSALTED/RAW NUTS & SEEDS. Loaded with protein, healthy unsaturated fat, and fiber. 

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

There are countless brands of artificial stimulant "fat burners." Here's why those products don't work & what you should take instead: 

There's a layer of barrier tissue that layers on top of your fat tissue called adipose that blocks anything artificial. Plus, these products trick you into thinking something is happening, because they're loaded with caffeine with gets your heart rate up & niacin which is a chemical that makes you feel warm inside. The best supplement you can take to "burn fat" is actually healthy fat (poly & mono unsaturated, Omega 3-6-9 Essential Fatty Acids, etc). Since it is fat itself, it gets passed that barrier tissue & begins working on the fat cells to release their contents into your blood to be consumed by your muscle tissue. Udo's Oil is an amazing, completely organic healthy fat supplement that is truly effective in aiding in fat loss WITH daily exercise & healthy eating. Take one tablespoon after each meal.

http://m.iherb.com/Flora-Organic-Udo-s-Choice-Udo-s-Oil-3-6-9-Blend-8-5-fl-oz-250-ml/37024

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

It's only FOUR weeks until the unofficial start to Summer 2014, Memorial Day Weekend! Want to have nicer abs for Summer 2014? Follow our RIO Fitness Chicago "TEN 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.

Summer 2014 is less than FOUR weeks away! Are you lean & tone for those swimsuits, Summer dresses, shorts, tank tops, etc? If not, the easiest thing you can do is cardio, because all it takes to maximize body fat loss is 25mins of HIIT cardio. Try these three different RIO Fitness Chicago® intense HIIT Cardio Routines!:

•The two optimal times to do cardio are: as soon as you wake up before having any calories & after strength training.

•The even # mins (2, 4, 6, 8...) you go back to the warmup intensity.

BEGINNER

1) Warmup: 60sec @ 3.0 Treadmill Speed or 1.0 Elliptical Resistance Level. 

Min 1 - Speed 5.0/Level 5.0

Min 3 - Speed 5.0/Level 5.0

Min 5 - Speed 5.0/Level 5.0

Min 7 - Speed 5.0/Level 5.0

Min 9 - Speed 5.0/Level 5.0

Min 11 - Speed 6.0/Level 8.0

Min 13 - Speed 6.0/Level 8.0

Min 15 - Speed 6.0/Level 8.0

Min 17 - Speed 6.0/Level 8.0

Min 19 - Speed 6.0/Level 8.0

Min 21 - Speed 7.0/Level 12.0

Min 23 - Speed 7.0/Level 12.0

Cooldown: 60sec @ 3.0 Treadmill Speed or 1.0 Elliptical Resistance Level.

INTERMEDIATE

2) Warmup: 60sec @ 3.0 Treadmill Speed or 1.0 Elliptical Resistance Level. 

Min 1 - Speed 6.0/Level 5.0

Min 3 - Speed 7.0/Level 8.0

Min 5 - Speed 8.0/Level 12.0

Min 7 - Speed 8.0/Level 12.0

Min 9 - Speed 7.0/Level 8.0

Min 11 - Speed 6.0/Level 5.0

Min 13 - Speed 6.0/Level 5.0

Min 15 - Speed 7.0/Level 8.0

Min 17 - Speed 8.0/Level 8.0

Min 19 - Speed 8.0/Level 5.0

Min 21 - Speed 7.0/Level 12.0

Min 23 - Speed 6.0/Level 12.0

Cooldown: 60sec @ 3.0 Treadmill Speed or 1.0 Elliptical Resistance Level.

ADVANCED

3) Warmup: 60sec @ 3.0 Treadmill Speed or 1.0 Elliptical Resistance Level. 

Min 1 - Speed 4.0/Level 5.0

Min 3 - Speed 6.0/Level 8.0

Min 5 - Speed 8.0/Level 12.0

Min 7 - Speed 4.0/Level 5.0

Min 9 - Speed 6.0/Level 8.0

Min 11 - Speed 8.0/Level 12.0

Min 13 - Speed 4.0/Level 5.0

Min 15 - Speed 6.0/Level 8.0

Min 17 - Speed 8.0/Level 12.0

Min 19 - Speed 4.0/Level 8.0

Min 21 - Speed 10.0/Level 12.0

Min 23 - Speed 10.0/Level 12.0

Cooldown: 60sec @ 3.0 Treadmill Speed or 1.0 Elliptical Resistance Level.

•Cooldown with 10mins of total body static stretching. 

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

LADIES, PLEASE WATCH THIS SHORT VID. 90% of you exercise this way & it needs to stop; because it's bodybuilding = how a man exercises & the least effective way for you to see those lean & tone results that you all want. So please STOP exercising with this low intensity & start doing HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING for both your cardio & strength training if you want to be lean & tone in a healthy, quick way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b9nC6Ry-Kg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

What can perpetuate an unhealthy relationship with food/drink is if every activity you do with a significant other, family, friends, coworkers is centered on eating/drinking. Especially with new relationships, "love chub" is gained quickly because all you do is go out to eat/drink. Break the cycle! Start being more active with your loved ones. Exercise TOGETHER: take a Zumba class, go for a walk after a meal. Do more active activities: ballroom dance class, paintballing, play bocce ball at Pinstripes. If you're going to eat together, grocery shop for a healthy meal TOGETHER & then cook it TOGETHER. If you & your loved ones are both out-of-shape make getting healthy again something you do together.