Tox-Sick: From Toxic to Not Sick
by Suzanne Summers
Publisher: Harmony
Pub. Date: April 14, 2015
ISBN: 978-0385347723
Pages: 384
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

While many people know Suzanne Summers as Chrissy Snow from the 70s' television series Three's Company and as Carol Foster-Lambert from the 90s' television series Step-by-Step, a few might not be aware that she is also a bestselling author of many nonfiction books. Her newest novel Tox-Sick: From Toxic to Not Sick just hit bookstores last month and has been featured on many programs, including The O'Reilly Factor.

Sadly, many people don't pay attention to what ingredients that are in the food that they digest as this can be a big factor to many healthy problems, such as allergies, sinuses, weight gain, headaches, depression, fatigue, heartburn, etc.. Most of the aliments are caused by the harmful toxins that we put into our bodies.

Suzanne Summers interviews six doctors (Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez, Dr. Sherry Rogers, Dr. Richie Shoemaker, Dr. Walter Crinnion, Dr. Stephen Sinatra and Dr. Garry Gordon), asking them all tough questions of why we're all having health issues and how we can prevent them.

When I started 2015, my main priority was to get into shape, but I've had several setbacks, include a few muscle strains and a few colds. Now, there isn't much I can do from preventing myself from catching the cold or flu, but I can help get rid or even prevent muscle strains without having to go to an expensive chiropractor or a massage therapist.


Earlier this month, I was sent the Styles II Fitness Massage Body Stick Roller to try out. The roller is basically an 18 inch metal bar with seven white rollers and black rubber handles on each end.

The roller is an effective therapy tool for muscle strains, pains and trigger points. It helps break down soft tissue, increases blood flow and increases circulation.

Strong Is The New Skinny
by Jennifer Cohen & Stacey Colino
Publisher: Harmony Books
Pub. Date: September 16, 2014
ISBN: 978-0804140515
Pages: 240
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Wow! I can hardly believe that it is already April 1st today! I guess time flew by while I've been busy with life. I recall receiving the book Strong Is The New Skinny by Jennifer Cohen & Stacey Colino back in December, but it got shoved aside and I'm just now writing the review for it.

Yes, I'm well aware that there are a slew of fitness books on the market that all claim to help you lose weight. I tend to avoid these types of books, but since I'm in a fitness kick this year, I decided to give this book a try.

While this books is intended for woman, there is plenty of great fitness information and exercises that men (like me) can also benefit from. There is a great diet plan that focuses on the best food that will give you the correct amount of nutrients and protein. The book features over 100-pages of exercise routines with pictures and descriptions, which mixes in light-weight lifting, aerobics, yoga and Pilates.

If you're a regular follower on my blog, then you know I've been trying to lose weight this year, which hasn't been easy thing for me as I have strained my lower-back and my knees. Plus, I had to slow down from exercising for last month because I had a nasty cold/flu virus.

After making a full recovery from my ailments, I decided to jump back into exercising. For the past two weeks, I have been trying out the new workout program called Air Bar Exercises (ABX), which created by Erin Buchanan. The program requires a 40" dowel rod, which can be purchased at almost any hardware store.

ABX was created for both men and women at any fitness level. The program focus on core strengthening, a healthy postural alignment, muscular endurance, flexibility and cardiovascular training. The DVD runs for about 60 minutes, but you can get a great workout by doing only 30 minutes. The creator Erin Buchanan challenges everyone to do the workout for at least 30 minutes for 30 days.

I haven't used a jump rope since my early elementary days, but I wasn't very good at it as I had two left feet. Despite the fact that I still have two left feet, I thought I would still try out the Ultra-speed Cable Jump Rope from Naturalico.

Jumping rope is a great cardio exercise that can workout your entire body (arms, core, legs). It can also increase your muscle strength and correct your balance.

This jump rope is a lot different than the ones I remember from my childhood. While the handles are still made out of plastic, the rope is made out of wire. It is an adjustable rope, so you'll need a pair of wire cutters to cut the wire the correct length based on your height. I'm 5'9" so I had to cut the wire quite a bit to get the correct length for my size.

With the start of a new year, I'm sure many of you have started a new workout routine in the attempt to try and drop those extra holiday pounds. While losing weight is easy for people, others have a difficult time dropping one single pound.

For the past few weeks, I have been trying out the workout program called Jumpstart 180! The  program was created by Dr. Siobhan France, a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Wellness coach, who wrote "How To Live A Life Of Fitness: The Ultimate Start-Up guide For Older Adults." The program is designed as a low impact workout system for men and woman age 50 and up.

Now you might be wondering why a 33-year-old would be wanting to test out a workout program that is aimed for a much older person. Well, for starters I have a problem with my right knee, so any insane high impact workouts that involving a lot of jumping is out of the question for me. Plus, I was looking for a workout to help jump start me into a daily exercise routine for 2015.

It's a brand new year, which means there is plenty of time to try new things including taking a self-defense course. Of course not everyone has time to take a weekly self-defense class. Luckily, for those who have a busy schedule, we can now learn to defend ourselves at home with the Krav Maga In No Time: The Best Home Study Self Defense Course!

The course is created by Guy Dar, the Israeli Krav Maga master! He is also the founder of the full contact Krav Maga, which is used by the CIA, FBI and the Israeli army as it gives you the ability to end a fight in seconds.

The Krav Maga In No Time course is available to purchase on DVD or you can watch it online. The course also comes with the eBooks "Keeping Watch: Strategies for Non Violence Self-Defense" and "Self-Defense for Women: Threats and Strategies."

The defense included in the course are:

Part 1: Basic Stand plus Using Hand Strikes to Defend and Attack

• Basic Stand & Making a Fist - (4 mins 43 secs)
• Palm Strike - (2 mins 30 secs)
• Straight Punch - (3 mins 38 secs)
• Hook Punch - (1 min 21 secs)
• Upper Cut - (1 min 26 secs)
• Hammer Punch - (2 mins 13 secs)
• Horizontal Elbow - (1 min 17 secs)
• Elbow and Forearm - (1 min 14 secs)
• Rear Short Elbow - (1 min 24 secs)
• Rear Spinning Elbow - (2 mins 5 secs)

Pilates for Dancers
Studio: SalsaCrazy.com
Release Date: March 31, 2006
Retail: $29.95
ASIN: B000ELJ3JE
Running Time: 104 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Let's just say that I have never been coordinated enough to  attempt to dance in public. I know that I'm not alone in this as many people out there can't dance. I have always heard that a key to any dancer is a strong core and one way to a strong core is through pilates.

Pilates was started by German-born Joseph Pilates during the early 20th Century. There are now millions of people, including dancers, who practice pilates, which involves muscle control, breathing and concentration.

Pilates for Dancers was released by SalsaCrazy.com and was created for anyone, dancer or non-dancer, to learn the basics of pilates. You'll learn 24 step-by-step exercises that will help you lose weight, strengthen your core and get into shape.

The 24 exercises are:

Arriving on DVD this week from ACORN MEDIA is Shiva Rea Meditations, featuring over 100 minutes of medications to mix & match with Shiva Rea's Matrix. These practices are a great way to rejuvenate the mind and body.

Shiva Rea is considered "one of the world's greatest yoga masters" according to Vanity Fair. Her newest DVD release, Shiva Rea: Meditations, is a collection of meditations from several of her award-winning DVDs. From the Greek Island to the New Mexico's White Sands National Park, Shiva instructs you on how to have a calm oasis, where you can leave all the stress and worries in your life behind, so your body can restore itself.

The practices on the DVD can be viewed separately or you can select as many of the practices as you want, creating your own Matrix. You can also choose the pre-set practices.

The practices on this single disc are:

No, I didn't forget about my second installment of the RumbleRoller post/review. My time has been limited today, so I'm just now getting around to writing this. Hop on over here, to read yesterday's review.

RumbleRoller has some exciting new products from their Beastie Series. What is exactly is a Beastie? Well, the Beastie Series is an expansion of the RumbleRoller, but only more intense, versatile, portable and affordable.

The products sent to me for this review are the Beastie Original (clear) and X-Firm (green) massage balls plus bases, the Beastie Hook and the Beastie Bar + Stand!


Yes, there are other massage balls on the market, but they are either too big, too small, too hard, too soft, too absorbent, too shallow, too crowded or too sparse. The Beastie ball is meant to solve all those problems by providing the correct bump spacing and flexion. Plus, it won't absorb sweat and it won't ever change its shape. It is latex-free and phthalate-free. There are two sizes available - Original and X-Firm. The ball comes with a detachable base, which can be screwed on a wall or attached to the Beastie Wall System (No, I didn't get to review that item).

At first glance the Beastie Hook looks like a back scratchier, but it is much more than that, as it is meant to help you reach those hard to reach spots, like your back, shoulders and neck. All you have to do is snap in a Beastie Ball into the Beastie Hook's end loop. The multiple bumps on the Beastie can give you the perfect back massage.

It seems everyone is on the go these days with school, work and everyday things, including exercising, and the worst thing that can happen to you is some sort of injury. For instance, every time I get in a good workout routine, I either pull a muscle in my lower back, shoulder or knee, which it isn't a good thing.

Yes, I could go to a chiropractors, but they cost money and it's not guarantee that the injury will not reoccur in the near future. Luckily, there are products you can use at home to help with simple muscular pain.

Gold's Gym Foam Roller VS RumbleRoller

I reached out to the RumbleRoller company about reviewing their RumbleRoller foam roller. You might have heard of this foam roller before as it is used in Beachbody's P90X2 workout program. I recall seeing the foam roller in one of the P90X2 infomercials a few years ago and I went out and bought a cheap version at my local Walmart, which you can see by the comparison photo, the one I bought is a bit bulky and a little short. Yes, it did help my back, but it is awkward to use. Plus, it is easily damaged.

I was sent the Full-Size Original RumbleRoller (blue), which features firm (but flexible) bumps on the roller's surface. The roller is simple to use, as all you have to do is position your back, arms or legs over the roller and as you roller over it, the bumps knead your body and stretches the muscles. It is almost like having your own personal massage therapist, except you don't have to make an appointment.

There are many different exercises you can use with the RumbleRoller. There are a few free exercises at http://www.rumbleroller.com/foam-roller-exercises.html, or you can purchase Jeff Alexander's SMR Tips RumbleRoller & RR BeastieBlu-ray DVD, which I was sent a free copy with my RumbleRoller and Beastie products (look for my Beastie review tomorrow). Jeff Alexander gives ten to fifteen minute tips on ten different areas of the body, such as the quads, hamstrings and gluts.

Hopefully, everybody who had weight loss or getting into shape as their New Year's Resolution hasn't given up yet and is still working out several times a week, if not daily like I am. Actually, I'm ready to start Block 3 of P90X3 tomorrow. No matter what exercising routine (walking, jogging, etc.) or workout program you are currently doing, you need to make sure you get the proper nutrients, as your muscles are going be sore after any type of workout.

Protein is important for yours muscles to recover after an exercise. It is a scientific fact that muscle burns fat. So the faster your muscles recovers, the faster it can burn fat. Of course this doesn't occur over the night, but with a great workout routine and a healthy diet, protein and other supplements can help in achieving faster results.

There are many different brands of protein powders on the market, but I heard good things about BSN products, so I contacted the company and they nicely sent me a few complementary samples to review. The samples sent to me are: Syntha-6 - an ultra premium muscle protein powder (2.91 lb), N.O.-Xplode - advanced strength (2.48 lb), Amino-X - endurance & recovery agent (15.3oz) and a shaker.

Hello! I hope everyone is having a Happy Christmas. I noticed in a few department store ads that they're already having a sale on fitness equipment and fitness DVDs, though they don't normally do this until around the first of year to tie into the New Year's Resolution theme, but I guess they wanted  to start earlier this year. I thought I would tie into the whole fitness theme by posting this article written by a fellow writer. 


Sometimes a diet program just isn't right for you and you can't go forward one more day. When this happens to you and you're on the Nutrisystem plan, there are some definite steps you should take to cancel your automatic shipments, return old food, and get some money back. Below will be a few simple steps that will get you started. Thank goodness Nutrisystem does make it easy to cancel Auto-Delivery at any time, but please make sure you hold onto your confirmation number just in case there is a glitch and your cancellation does not go through.

With the Auto-Delivery plan your credit card is charged once a month for 4-weeks of food. Many people prefer Auto-Delivery because it comes with a great discount. For example, currently, this plan saves you 20% (about $82). In addition, other discount offers that Nutrisystem gives occasionally, like the “save 40% Plus 1 Week of Food Free” (or others—see weightlostriumph.com) apply only if you choose Auto-Delivery. However, keep in mind, if you cancel your Auto Delivery plan before the second consecutive payment, then you will be charged the amount of these discounts.

First things first, you cannot cancel the program online. You have to call in to talk to a customer care specialist. This is not as convenient as just pressing a button online, but at least you can talk to a person and ask them any questions about your cancellation. The toll-free number is 877-338-8446.


Some information that they'll ask of you over the phone is your name, and most importantly your membership number which should be clearly marked on your billing material. If you do not have this number it's going to take much more time to have the operator help you, so make sure you find this number before making the call. You then simply tell the operator that you wish to cancel your membership and stop the recurring shipment of food.

Dance Fit Extreme
4 DVD Fat-Blasting Workout Collection
Studio: Mill Creek Entertainment
Release Date: September 10, 2013
Retail: $14.99
ASIN: B00E96AYUM
Running Time: 2hrs 1min
Rating: Not Rated

Review:

Many people will want to work off those unwanted holiday pounds in January and there is no better time than now to get ready for it. Mill Creek Entertainment recently released 4 fast-blasting workouts titled Dance Fit Extreme featuring Fit Dance Jam, Hip-Hop Unleashed, Let's Salsa Dance Workout and Tease Workout.

I wouldn't ever consider Fit Dance Jam as actually dancing as for me it is more of a light Tae Bo workout. It's mostly a kickboxing workout with bad camera angles, running at 29 minutes. It’s not the best workout in the world, but I would recommend it for beginners.

Let's Salsa Dance Workout is a 38 minute of twisting your hips and abs and contains very little dancing. The dance instructor doesn't exactly instruct anything. You won't learn how to dance, but you can work up a sweat. Plus, your abs will be sore the next morning.

Hip-Hop Unleashed is a poor version Shawn T's Hip Hop Abs. The dance instructor tries her best, but the other participants don't know how to follow direction. It's the best workout, but it can be fun.

YOGA for Strength & Energy 
Studio: Acorn Media
Release Date: November 20, 2012
ASIN: B005GYXO76
Run Time: 57 minutes
Rating: Not Rated

Review:

Memorial Day officially kicks off the start of summer (though the actual first day of summer is June 21). For those of us who still haven't worked off those unwanted winter pounds, this means we'll have to try to work off those extra pounds with gardening, mowing the yard, going on hikes, etc. Last year, I started a high intensity workout program, which resulted in some knee pains and a strained back. Therefore, I have been looking into workouts that will help me fix those troubled areas.

Recently, I had a chance to review the Yoga for Strength & Energy from Acorn Media, who sent me a free copy in exchange for my honest review. The yoga workout is instructed by a Canyon Ranch instructor consisting of two full workouts, a cool down, and a bonus stretch workout, which are intended to increase your strength; help you stretch, tone and sculpt your body, all while you burn calories and build muscles.

The workouts on this DVD are:

After having a few back strains from doing high intensity exercises, I started looking into alternative workouts, such as yoga. I've never been the biggest the fan of yoga, mostly because I'm inflexible, but I did a few downward dog routines and it helped my back.

For the past month, I have been trying out the new workout program called DDP Yoga, which I received free of charge in exchange for my honest thoughts. I received the workout kit fairly quickly by USPS, which contained four DVDs in two cardboard sleeves, a reference wall chart featuring all the basic moves, and a fitness guide book.

DDP Yoga was created by the former WCW and WWF wrestler Diamond Dallas Page, famous for his finishing Diamond Cutter move. He suffered from many wrestling injures, which would normally result in a wrestler retiring, but instead he tried doing yoga and got back into fighting shape. Now, he has created a 13-week program to help others get into shape.

The workouts included in this program are:

Exhale: Core Fusion Barre Basics for Beginners
Instructors: Elisabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito
Studio: Acorn Media
ASIN: B00BEZECEA
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Run Time 70 minutes, plus turtorials
Rating: Not Rated

Review:

My New Year's Resolution is to have a new me by the end of the year, which involves exercising. I'm not the most flexible person thanks to my lower back and knee problems, which has led me to try out new workouts. Most recently I've been trying out the Exhale: Core Fusion Barre Basics for Beginners, which I received an advanced complementary copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was already aware of other Barre workout programs that are targeted for ballets and dancers, which I'm neither as I'm unbalanced, but the "for beginners" in the workout title caught my attention and I thought I would give it a try.

Core Fusion was created by the husband and wife team of Fred DeVito and Elizabeth Halfpapp and they also own the Exhale mind body spas. Don't let the word Barre fool you as this DVD is aimed for anyone, even the non-athletics like me.

Kenya Moore: Booty Boot Camp
Studio: Acorn Media (Acacia)
Release Date: March 5, 2013
ASIN: B00BEZEFM4
Running Time: Approx. 90 min.
Rating: Not Rated

Review:

You may wonder why a man would be reviewing a workout intended for women. Well, I have lower-back problems, so I thought I would try out a workout that targets the gluteus maximus muscle. There aren't a whole lot of workout DVDs aimed for men, unless you count the high intensity ones, which aren't good for my back. Acacia nicely sent me a free copy of Kenya Moore" Booty Boot Camp in exchange for my honest review. Kenya Moore is a former Miss USA and is currently on the reality program The Real Housewives of Atlanta, which I have never watched before. Actually, I've never heard of Kenya before this workout DVD.

The workout DVD consist of a warm-up, a level 1 workout, a level 2 workout, a level 3 workout, a short cool-down, and a cool-down with additional ab-flattening workout. You don't have to play all the workouts straight through, as you can easily use the menu to pick out which ones you want to try out for the day. No weights are needed, but you do need to use a rug or yoga mat for the floor work.

Despite what the title suggests Kenya isn’t the instructor here, though she does take over for a few routines. The real instructor is Nikki Veal who teaches simple moves that are suppose to shrink your waist, define your abs and give you a butt lift.

Kenya Moore's, from Bravo’s hit show The Real Housewives of Atlanta and former Miss USA, workout DVD "Booty Boot Camp was released on DVD from Acacia on March 5, 2013 to online stories. It will be released to retail stores in May. The DVD has three 20-minutes workouts. There is also a bonus ab-flattening workout.

Check out the DVD trailer below: