The hamburger is a very popular component of the American diet.  However, as many people know, a greasy, fatty, beef burger is not the smartest nutritional choice.  Thankfully, there is a healthier alternative.  Turkey burgers, which are made with ground turkey meat, offer an almost identical juicy taste with less fat and excellent nutritional value.

As with beef burgers, nutrition in a turkey burger depends upon how the patty was prepared.  When made from scratch with ground meat, it is best to begin with lean, white meat, turkey.  This type of meat does not include skin, which can be quite fatty.  Choosing any ground turkey can leave you with a burger that is just as unhealthy, if not worse, than a beef patty.  In fact, some turkey burgers can have more than 15 grams of fat in an average, 100g, patty.

The average, healthy turkey burger has less than 200 calories in it.  It contains 3 grams or less of saturated fat, and depending on the seasonings added, can have less than 100mg of sodium.  Turkey burgers are loaded with protein and have little or no carbohydrates.  In fact, an average burger can have some 20 plus grams of protein.

One downside of the turkey burger is its lack of significant vitamins and minerals.  However, an average patty does have roughly 10% of a person’s recommended daily iron intake.  Turkey burgers are also a great source of some lesser known nutrients that are common in turkey meat.  One of these is selenium.  Selenium protects the thyroid and is essential for proper metabolism.  Selenium is also associated with decreased cancer risk and improve immune function.  In a single turkey burger, roughly half of a person’s daily selenium needs can be met.

Turkey is also a good source of B vitamins, essential to proper nutrition.  The top two B vitamins found in turkey burgers are niacin and vitamin B6.  Both of these are important for energy production as they help convert fats, proteins, and carbohydrates into fuel for the body.  Additionally, niacin can help regulate blood sugar, which means more stable moods and a steadier metabolic rate.  One turkey burger provides roughly a quarter of a person’s daily needs for both these B vitamins. Finally, turkey burgers are high in tryptophan.  Tryptophan is an amino acid that is essential to humans.  It is known for its sedative properties and can help relax a person and induce better sleep.

Hello Robert, I have to tell you that I loved Chalean Extreme. It is the first rotation that I have done complete ever. I usually get burned out or don’t feel like I’m getting results but something about Chalean Extreme made me keep going, I actually couldn’t wait to get up and exercise and I exercise at 4am. I watched my diet real close so I lost weight and I know I lost inches but I don’t measure I just go by my clothes. Now I’m doing light weight and aerobics to change things up and see what happens. I’m adding in kettle bells and Jillian Michaels and the circuit one of Chalean Extreme. I’m sure I’ll go back to Chalean Extreme again, but I hope she will come out with something as good as CE. Thanks for writing and let me know as soon as something new comes up. I have P90X but I loaned it to my sister, she likes it and said I couldn’t have it back, we’ll see about that.  -Brenda

---

Brenda,

I’m glad you decided to contact me regarding your results from Chalean Extreme. I agree that the program is designed in a way that keeps you interested and challenged throughout the 90 days. At the back of the fitness guide, there is also a “Lean for Life” rotation to continue your training if you have not yet seen that. And also, don’t forget about the Chalean Extreme Deluxe DVD. 3 more workouts that you do not get with the base Chalean Kit. Get Lean Intervals, Fat Burn Challenge and an extra ab routine. The two cardios are challenging to say the least! Please stay in touch, and thanks again for the review.

---

If you would like to submit your Chalean Extreme Review, with or without photos, please feel free to email them to me at robert@extremely-fit.com.

I have to admit, I like these things….most especially the iced coffee they sell at McDonald’s. I like it with the sugar-free vanilla. I love fruit juices, especially orange, but I steer clear because there is too much sugar. My kids drink fruit juice, but I usually do half and half with water. Anyway, I ran across this article by Steve Edwards over at BeachBody, and considering how much of this stuff is out there, it’s good to know what you’re getting into.

Nutrition 911, Part XII: Jumbo Juices and Crappuccinos
Steve Edwards

Today, our oh-so-basic nutrition class hits the mall, or at least the strip mall, for a look at popular beverage chains. These range from places we know may not be healthy, like coffeehouses, to juice bars that market themselves as the pinnacle of nutrition. Certainly, beverages named after a cornucopia of healthy fruits must be good for you, right? Let’s take a deeper look at that Mangorangoberry Pizzazz you were considering for lunch today.

Most of the drinks we’re discussing fall under the smoothie category. We’ve been conditioned to consider this word synonymous with healthy, but many of these drinks are quite the opposite. Smoothie’s not a word you need to strike from your vocabulary, but like most things you put into your body, you should pay attention to the ingredients. Some of these beverages are great, while others are little more than ice cream in a cup. Here’s a quick rundown on the types of smoothies you’re likely to encounter and when, or if, you should drink them.

Bottled “smoothies”
A smoothie used to be a blend of various whole fruits with, perhaps, a bit of protein powder and/or other ingredients that were healthy, didn’t taste great, and were best hidden in a mixture of yummy fruit. Nowadays, it can be almost anything. In stores, however, most of ‘em still follow that traditional blend. They also have the nutrition information listed on the side, so it’s easy to see what you’re drinking. I guess this is why you’ll almost never see a Peanut Butter Blast™ at your local market, but you’ll often see spirulina.

Analysis: Most of these drinks are pretty darn healthy, and it’s obvious when they’re not. Just make sure to read the nutrition information on the label.

Jamba Juice®, et al.
I’m using the Jamba Juice model because it’s the biggest smoothie chain, but there are plenty of others. Most follow a similar format of offering varying drink options. Coffeehouses get in on this too, which we’ll get to later. Jamba Juice touts its usage of real fruit and fruit juices to make its beverages sound healthy. When analyzing the final product, we see an abundance of sugar and not much fiber, meaning that fruit juice is being used, which is completely different nutritionally than using whole fruit.

Traditional smoothies. Jamba Juice calls these “classics,” because it’s all that was offered before consumers caught on to the hype and demanded healthier options. These are mainly made of fruit, with some amount of dairy dessert like sherbet added for a smooth texture. At an average of around 500 calories (for an “original” size, or a medium) and 100 grams of sugar, this is not exactly the “light lunch” many people thought they were getting.

Analysis: The only time this would be an appropriate snack (or meal, really) is if you were doing an excessive amount of exercise. Adding protein powder as an option helps balance it a little bit, but basically there’s no way around the fact that this is a high-sugar meal, which is only okay if you happen to be burning a lot of blood sugar.

Functional smoothies. These use industry buzzwords in drinks like Açai Supercharger™, Matcha Green Tea Mist™, Protein Berry Pizzazz™, Coldbuster®!, and a host of other ultra-healthy-sounding items. Some of them have a slightly higher amount of protein, but checking the bottom line, an “original” also has around 500 calories, 400 or so of which come from sugar.

Analysis: Shakespeare once asked, “What’s in a name?” Maybe he was referring to a business he knew would pop up in a few centuries. Don’t believe this marketing hype; the only purpose of these beverages would be to fuel you after a long bout of very intense exercise.

Enlightened smoothies. How did they do it? They look the same. They’re the same size. Yet these average around 300 calories, about 250 of which are sugar. To reduce the calorie count, these beverages are made with nonfat milk, whey protein, and Splenda®. This does boost their protein content a bit, an improvement over the classics, but you have to deal with Splenda.

Analysis: Do two pluses offset a minus? You get fewer calories and more protein, but what’s with the Splenda? This somewhat disgusting artificial sweetener (basically chlorinated sugar, as we discussed in “Nutrition 911, Part VI: Sweeteners”; refer to the Related Articles section below) has a lot of negative press surrounding it. It’s probably fine in small doses, but it raises this question: why? Surely there are healthier options. If Jamba Juice is so into health trends like açai and maca, couldn’t they have sweetened these “enlightened” smoothies with yacon?

All-fruit smoothies. These beverages don’t use dairy products and stick to fruit juice and fruit. But they’re sweetened fruit juice, so their 300 plus calories are nearly all sugar, with about a third as much fiber as a comparable amount of whole fruit.

Analysis: Another sugary sports drink. Sure, there are vitamins and antioxidants in this stuff—it’s made of fruit, after all. But you’re far better off with a piece or two, or three, of whole fruit, which is healthier, more filling, and doesn’t cause a sugar rush.

Good Moo’ds. These are the chocolate “anythings” that invariably show up on the menu. They’re advertised as being “made with nonfat milk,” or some other hollow promise. But a medium “Peanut Butter Moo’d” contains 21 grams of fat (or 190 calories of fat), 122 grams of sugar, 480 milligrams of sodium, and 840 calories.

Analysis: You might as well go for the ice cream. If that’s what you want, there’s not much trade-off here. These have no place in a healthy diet, except as some kind of reward. They are decadence, pure and simple.

Starbucks®, et al.
Coffee chains have gotten in on the game too. Sometimes called smoothies, coffeehouse options are also referred to by various other names. Coffee and tea don’t have any calories and give you a rush. But people seem to want their rush with other assorted items, like sugar and fat. So now when you order a black coffee at one of these places, you often get a strange look, or you’re asked, “Are you sure?” I guess that’s not what the cool kids are ordering. So let’s have a look, shall we? Because the kids won’t stay cool if they keep eating like this.

Frappuccinos. An average 24-ounce Starbucks Frappuccino® (the large or Venti® size) has around 700 calories, 25 grams of fat, 100 grams of sugar, 400 milligrams of sodium, and 70 milligrams of cholesterol. You can save a few hundred calories by ordering “light,” which substitutes artificial sweeteners for sugar.

Analysis: These are dessert items. There is no other way to categorize them.

Lattes ‘n’ such. These are slightly less caloric and vary quite a bit. A Grande Nonfat Cappuccino might only have 100 or so calories, but a Venti White Chocolate Mocha with whipped cream has over 600 calories.

Analysis: There’s a lot of variance here, and I believe most of you know the good from the bad. Here’s a quick rundown:

Coffee or tea: Zero calories; the best option is to drink them unsweetened and without milk or cream.

Milks and cream: Nonfat is best. Low fat is the second best option, and last is whole, which is highly caloric and loaded with fat. Half-and-half or cream is even worse. Soy milk is a good option for the lactose intolerant, but it has fat and calorie contents similar to regular milk. Most nondairy creamers are filled with sugar and hydrogenated junk. You’re better off with the real stuff.

Chocolate, caramel, vanilla, etc.: All of these flavorings are sugar—a lot of sugar.

Whipped cream: 100 percent fat and condensed sugar and almost zero nutritional value.

Chai and other holistic-sounding stuff: These follow the exact same pattern as the Frappuccinos. The only difference is that they use tea instead of coffee as their base. Often touted as “a taste of Asia,” or some such nonsense, these have long ago lost any trace of their “exotic spices” and are flavored by the same junk that’s in all the unhealthy stuff.

Today we learned that we may not need to steer clear of these establishments, but we definitely need to be careful about what we order. We touched on the “natural” fruit claim but could probably stand to go into the issue more thoroughly. So next time, let’s look at the difference between whole fruit and fruit juice.

Most people have heard the phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” However, few people know just how nutritionally valuable apples are. To understand the real importance of eating an apple, it is important to look at which nutritional components make up this popular fruit.

First of all, apples are great for hydration. They are made up of roughly 83% water. The average small apple has only 60 calories. However, larger fruits can have up to 100 calories per piece. An apple is also fat free and has no sodium. Apples have virtually no protein, but they do contain a lot of carbohydrates. In fact, roughly 15 percent of an apple consists of carbohydrates from sugar and fiber. An apple can have 13 to 15 grams of sugar, which may seem like a lot. However, it is important to remember that this is natural, unprocessed sugar that will not cause the same blood sugar spikes as refined white sugar can.

Fiber is perhaps the most important nutrient that apples provide. In a small apple alone, there are usually 3 to 5 grams of fiber. However, most of the fiber is located in the fruit’s skin. So, peeling an apple will remove most of this very important nutrient. Remember, fiber fills you up. This, plus an apple’s high water content makes it a filling snack and great for anyone on a diet. An apple’s skin also has plenty of quercetin. Quercetin is a type of antioxidant that has been shown to have brain boosting benefits by protecting cells from damage.

In addition to fiber, apples are loaded with antioxidants that are associated with lowering bad cholesterol levels. Apples also contain flavonoids and phytochemicals that can help protect organs like the lungs and colon. They are also a good source of boron, which is associated with improved bone density and a stronger heart. Apples also protect the heart by their high folic acid content.

While the saying goes that doctors prescribe apples for good health, dentists also promote eating apples as a method of preventing tooth decay. For one thing, apples have nutrients known as tannins that can protect against plaque and gum disease. Also, the act of eating a water-rich, solid fruit can help clean away bacteria from teeth. This is because chewing an apple helps stimulate the production of saliva. Saliva kills bacteria and helps prevent tooth decay.

Ultimately, apples are one of the best foods a person can eat. They are sweet, crunchy, delicious, and, of course, very healthy. Their nutrition facts are quite impressive, and apples should be a part of any healthy diet.

Heather contacted me yesterday with this P90X Review, and as always, what an INSPIRATION! P90X works! Heather is a 39 year old mother of 2. I can’t help but think of how many ladies are out there, looking for a program that would help them get their body back after having children. Well, here ya go! Thank you for sharing Heather, and thank you for leading the way in fitness to your friends and co workers. Keep up the great work!

From Heather: “I ordered P90X last February and just completed the program and I am THRILLED with the results and have started 3 other people at my office on the program. I have been exercising at what I thought was an advanced level for the past 15+ years. I started doing the Firm workouts in my early 20’s, the Cathe Fredrich workouts in my 30’s and now at 39 I have completed P90X and am in the best shape ever; and this is after having 2 children. I have always exercised because I enjoy the escape, and the effects on my body were icing on the cake. Now, I am truly amazed at how different my body is after P90X. This is the first time I have gotten my body back after having my last son 4 years ago. I always thought if I wasn’t doing Cardio and squats and lunges with a weighted barbell that I wasn’t getting a good workout. I was very hesitant when I saw the program and there was only one dedicated leg workout. HOWEVER, the other workouts were so well rounded that they did work the legs functionally and the upper body workouts gave my legs some much needed rest.

With the same time constraints as everyone else these days, I never thought I would be able to stick with a program. However, I began to get up at 4 a.m. to fit it in because I was so thrilled with the results that I was seeing.

I am 5’4’’ and weighed 124 pounds at the start of the program. This morning I weighed 117 pounds and am finally at my goal weight.

I ordered ChaLEAN Extreme this weekend and can not wait to start it!”

- Heather

Oranges are one of the world’s most popular citrus fruits. Originally from Southeast Asia, they are now grown in almost every area with an appropriate warm climate. While many people prefer to enjoy just the juice of this fruit, the whole orange possesses more impressive nutrition stats when consumed whole.

While oranges vary in size, it is possible to take some average nutritional values by looking at the content of 100 grams of the fruit. In this portion, there are roughly 50 calories and no fat at all. Additionally, some 87% of the orange is made up of water. This makes the orange a very diet-friendly fruit. Additionally, 100 grams of oranges are 12 percent carbohydrates, mostly from natural fruit sugars. However, some of these carbohydrates also come from fiber, and an average organe has 5 grams of this important nutrient. Since fiber is only found in the pulp, though, orange juice only has carbohydrates from sugar. Finally, oranges have more protein than some other fruits, with nearly 2 grams per orange.

Oranges are well known for being high in vitamin C. In fact, 100 grams of the fruit can provide more than 80 percent of the recommended daily value of this nutrient. Vitamin C is important for preventing cell damage and is particularly associated with a decreased risk of colon cancer. It can also diminish inflammation associated with arthritis, asthma, and other uncomfortable conditions. Oranges are also a great source of potassium, which is essential for muscle growth and health. A single organe has roughly 10% of a person’s daily potassium needs. Oranges also contain some vitamin A, calcium, and even a minimal amount of iron.

Oranges are especially powerful antioxidant foods because antioxidants gain a boost when they interact with vitamin C. Thus, oranges have been associated with preventing cancer and other dangerous diseases. They are loaded with bioflavanoids and carotenoids, which are known to protect the body from cancer, as well as phytochemicals that fight heart disease. Oranges are also high in herperindin, which is associated with lowering blood pressure and cholesterol.

Other nutrients found in oranges include folate, potassium, and even some calcium. Folate is a B vitamin that is especially important to pregnant women. Meanwhile, potassium aids in muscle performance and can also counteract excess sodium in one’s diet. Finally, calcium helps build strong bones and is essential for all people.

Ultimately, oranges are one of the world’s most common and healthiest fruits. In fact, a study done in Finland found that orange eaters halved their risk of heart disease. Meanwhile, other studies showed oranges, with their high fiber and water content, can suppress dieters’ appetites for up to four hours. These are just a few of the orange’s many benefits, and it should be included as part of a healthy diet.

To lead you in to the following article, I want to make a couple of things clear.  This is a “fad diet” and we here at Extremely-Fit do not endorse such things.  This is more of an educational, cautionary article to steer you in a  direction that we feel is better for your health and fitness needs.  Like always, you should consult a physician anytime that you wish to begin a new diet or exercise routine.

The American Heart Association 3 Day Diet is a cleansing program designed to remove toxins from the body.  At the same time, the diet purports to help participants lose up to ten pounds in just three days.  Despite its name, the American Heart Association has no direct affiliation with this diet plan, and it should be noted that the plan is not generally considered a healthy eating plan.

The so-called “3 Day Diet” has been around since 1985 and goes by several names.  However, lately it is the American Heart Association title that has garnered the most attention.  The American Heart Association 3 Day Diet has a rather rigid menu to follow.  The foods selected are meant to boost metabolism and burn fat quickly.  They are also reported to rid the body of toxins, build muscle, and provide dieters with increased energy.  Some of the top food choices included are rather surprising, though, and can be rather high in sodium, fat, and sugar.

The idea of the American heart Association 3 Day Diet is to follow strict meal plans based on the theory that certain foods, eaten in appropriate combinations, will jump start a person’s metabolic rate.  The total number of calories to be eaten each day totals only around 1,000 to 1,200, and only three meals are permitted.  There is no space in the diet for snacks, and the largest meal of the day seems to be dinner.   A sample menu might include crackers with cheese for breakfast, canned tuna on toast for lunch, and vanilla ice cream and cabbage for dinner.  It also incorporates tea and coffee for a caffeine jolt meant to boost a person’s metabolism.

Ultimately, the misleading American Heart Association 3 Day Diet is not actually good for a person’s heart or other body systems.  It is just one of many “crash diets” that aim to help people shed pounds fast.  Still, it is a safer option than weight loss drugs and other fad trends and the plan can be used by those who are desperate to shed a few pounds before a major event.  However, the actual weight lost will likely be from water and will be nowhere near the ten pound estimate given.   Additionally, after the 3 day diet is over, weight gain may result as normal eating habits resume.  The diet should not be continued for any longer than three days, though, due to health concerns.