Tips on Running Obstacle Courses

An obstacle course offers you an interesting change of pace for your exercise regimen. Due to the different obstacles remember that stretching is even more paramount than ever.

A great way to get a better time is to think one obstacle ahead. While you are in one obstacle concentrate on the next; not only will your reflexes be keyed for the obstacle when it happens, it helps to keep you sharp.

It helps to break obstacles down to endurance, speed, or precision, and concentrate on that aspect. You'll find that helps the other two.

If you can, try out the course ahead of time at a slow pace. This way you have a better idea of what hidden obstacles exist and possibly find some hidden strategies.

Make sure that the course is well-marked. Nothing worse than getting lost on a course.

Tips on Snacks for Diabetics

Even diabetics get hungry between meals. You should have some sort of snack food available so you can snack on it; good use of snacks can actually prevent spikes.

If you are on a closed-carbohydrate diet (where you are limited to 60-80 grams of carbs per meal), you can game your diet a little. In other words, you can eat the minimum amount of carbs and use those for snacks. As such, try to limit your snacks to 20 grams of carbs and you should be fine.

Avoid bars of any type (protein, fitness, energy, fruit, etc.). They may use fruits and sugar alcohols as sweeteners, but they act act on your body as if they had 150% the carbs. This means that a bar with 20 grams of carbs is going to act as 30 grams.

Gluten-free snacks will be your best friends. They have fewer carbs than other snacks and thus are better for you; they will fill you faster with less chance of a spike. This does not apply to apply to bars for some reason.

Fruit and cheese may be great snacks for most, but you need to keep careful check on how much of them you eat. Half-portions may be the way to go.

Have Fun in the Kitchen!

If you are serious about learning to cook you need to occasionally put away he books and just have fun. If it sounds silly, so be it: The best way to learn is to just do it. Cooking should be as much art as it is science, and you need some time to practice the art if you are going to get any good at it. You need to have some fun and see what you can do, and if you make some mistakes while doing it, so be it. Learn to cherish these times rather than dread them.

You want to play with how different foods play off one another, and you need to have some fun doing it. Pizzas are perfect for this; you can combine just about everything on a pizza and it works. Take some meats, add in some vegetables, and cover with cheese, and you're off. If you really want to get daring, mess around with some fruits: Granny Smith apples add some tartness while dates make it sweeter. If this sounds like it won't work, consider that the tartness of those green Granny Smith apples works well with smoked ham, and that dates do well with more gamy meats such as lamb or venison.

Baked foods are even better to play with, and I don't mean pastries. A well-greased pan allows you to cook just about anything, as does an aluminum sheet or parchment paper. You can then experiment with vegetables and meats to your heart's content. You would be surprised how may vegetables work well as the center of a meal, such as eggplant, squash, or even mushrooms. Consider how much fun you can have with something as simple as shepherd pie: Combine some meat with some vegetables and cover the whole mess with potatoes and grated cheese. Ground beef is the default, but imagine sausage instead, or pulled pork, or even a mix of tofu and mushrooms instead. Instead of just corn, work with mixed vegetables, Normandy blends, or even a stir fry mix. Have some  fun with it, and see what you can come up with.

The bottom line is that you need to have some fun in the kitchen at some point, and that your friends should have at least one day a week that they can dread. There are going to be some things you want to try, and you need to make sure that you try them. You can't always follow recipes as written, and that can actually be detrimental to your development as a chef: You need to develop your own tastes and style, and you can't do that if you are limited to just the recipes you read or see on television. Experiment and see what you can come up with, and have some fun. You may be surprised at what you learn when you just play around with things....

Tips on Avoiding Hidden Sugars

Diabetics are screwed in a weird way when it comes to losing weight: Some of the best ingredients that help dieters lose weight suck for diabetes. As usual, tracking what you eat is paramount and watch out for ingredients that may hide sugar.

Molasses is an obvious example. It adds flavor and sweetness to baked goods, bit also makes them sweet. Keep that in mind when you looking at how much to add to recipes.

Sugar substitutes may sound ideal, but they bring along their own health risks. Keep in mind that some may give you a spike as they mimic sugar a little too closely so that your body reacts the same as if you had eaten sugar.

If you need to use peanut butter in a recipe, try to use organic peanut butter. Regular peanut butter includes sweeteners, both to make it sweeter as well as smoother. However, this makes it a double danger, as both nuts and sugar can create spikes. Organic peanut butter lacks those additional ingredients, making it harder to deal with it but nonetheless healthier.

Avoid candied fruit chunks. It should go without saying, but too many cooks somehow assume that fruit is effectively sugarless, and may even cancel out other sugars. Avoid using if possible, or limit its use as much as possible. Fresh fruit will always be a better substitution. 

Ways to Keep Seafood from Going Bad

With all of the health benefits that come with seafood, it would be a shame to waste it There are a lot of great vitamins in seafood as well as omega-3s. However, seafood is probably one of the scariest things for beginning cooks to deal with. Not only does it have some of the strongest tastes of any of the foods you will deal with, but it can go bad really quick. Given that it's one of the most expensive items you will purchase for cooking as well, that can make it one of the riskiest items you will cook with. There are a number of ways to help you protect that investment.

[For our purposes here, "seafood" includes any food that comes from a water source, be it freshwater or seawater. This includes, but is not limited to any crustacean such as lobster, shrimp, or crayfish, any fish, any shellfish, and any other aquatic animal you would prepare for a meal. While it could be called "lakefood" or "riverfood", that just just doesn't sound right.]

The big thing is to use it when you purchase it. Seafood tends to go bad quickly, and so it shouldn't be in your kitchen any longer than absolutely necessary. This means that it should be used either that day or the next in order to ensure that it doesn't spoil. This also means that you need to have a specific plan in mind when you purchase it, and that you should only buy what you need. Even if you buy it frozen, you should be using it relatively quickly in order to make the best use of it.

If it is in the kitchen longer than a day or two, you need to do something with it. A chowder is the obvious best choice, but if you can do anything else with it do so. This may be the best time to have over a group of friends in order to deal with the left-overs. There are some other great ways to deal with a lot of food, such as lobster rolls or crabcakes, but you want to avoid freezing it if at all possible as frozen seafood tends to lose a lot of the flavor quickly. It helps to have alternate plans if something happens so that your plans go through, but as long as you cook it soon after bringing it home you should be fine.

Even a bag of frozen tilapia fillets can run about $10-$12, making it more expensive than even a bag of chicken breasts, and usually giving you fewer meals. This means that you need to take care of that food, and that the best way to do that is to cook it as soon as possible. Just make sure that you have for its immediate use and you should be fine; this is one time when you need to limit the improv and have a plan in place when you even think about buying. Do that, and you won't need to throw away some great food for which you just spent a pretty penny, and that would be a true shame. 

Tips on Baking Recipes on Social Media

Being a diabetic means keeping an eye on what you are cooking. Pay special attention to the ingredients you use in order to avoid too much sugar creeping in. That goes double when the recipe says "no sugar". One recipe for "sugar free" cookies involved applesauce, chocolate chips, and molasses; "no sugar added" maybe, but plenty of sugar anyway.

Some recipes use applesauce as a sweetener. Use sparingly as fruit hides a lot of sugar.

Cookies with nuts aren't just bad for those with allergies. Keep in mind that they convert to sugar just as well as fruit does, and that warning goes double for peanut butter cookies.

Icing should always be avoided when possible. That includes cream cheese frosting just as much as it does sugar-based frostings, as cheese can create its own sugar spikes.

Even the most sugar-free baked goods are still made of flour, regardless of the kind of flour used. This can means you still need to limit the number of cookies you eat.

Tips on Running Etiquette

[Taken from the Road Runners Club of America site (http://www.rrca.org/education-advocacy/etiquette-for-runners/)]
Keep in mind that you should keep in mind runner's etiquette when you run. For example, keep to the right of the path or sidewalk, and pass on the left, just a car in the street.

If you are going to pass someone, especially a walker, let them know before you do so. A simple "on your left" will do.

Avoid being a road hog: Never run two abreast on a trail or sidewalk. [Because I'm a nice guy: If you want to keep a conversation with someone keep in mind that a cel phone with a Bluetooth headset can be used as a walkie-talkie, and without having to hit a button constantly.]

Road signs should be adhered to, even if they might break up your rhythm. They are there for everyone's safety, and keep in mind that drivers need may ignore them, so it may not be a good idea to ignore them.

Respect property of others. Do not relieve yourself in the bushes of someone's property no matter how tempted you may be to do so. 

Tips on Basic Running Safety

Running can be great exercise, but sometimes the runner's actions may make like harder for those around them. If possible run on a track or an area you know well, and try to complete your run so that you have full lighting.

If there are sidewalks, make sure that you use them. Using the street may sound like a great way to avoid the hassle of pedestrians, but it's a great way to get run over.

If sidewalks aren't available, run against the flow of traffic. This makes you visible and allows you to watch the traffic easier.

If you are running at night, never wear dark clothes and always wear something reflective. Running like a ninja make be better security, but security isn't the issue while you're running; safety is. If a car can't see you it will likely run you over.

If you are turning around make sure you stop and look over your shoulder before you turn around. It ensures that you won't be surprised by a car, if nothing else. 

Tips on Breakfast and Snacks in the Woods

Breakfast in the woods can be a little difficult, especially if there are some dietary restrictions to work with. Obviously you may want to consider packing food in, but breakfast is probably going to be the hardest meal to deal with.

It needs to be noted that lunch and dinner are actually simple as they should be free of most allergens, such as nuts and glutens. Dinner should favor beans and potatoes, which eliminates that problem, and lunches can go with tamales, which use a corn flour. These meals are also free of extraneous sugars, which combined with the amount of exercise should make them good for diabetics.

Snacks are an issue that needs to be dealt with. Allergies make it difficult to eat trail mix due to its dependence on nuts and candy. A good gluten-free allergy-free snack must be brought along, with a preference for something with a high carb value. Keep in mind that it also needs to be highly portable, either in its own bag or in sandwich bags.

Breakfast is a problem because meat is a great source of protein considering its compact form and ease of prep; given the amount of exercise during a camping trip that makes it a great source of much-needed protein. Wheat-based flours are also good due to their high carb value. This means that a non-wheat flour must be used for pancakes and biscuits (which will always be ideal breakfast items while camping), and that a high-protein food needs to be used.

Drinks are also going to be an important solution to the problem. This is one time you want to have energy drinks on hand. Make sure that they have carbs and you should do well. Sweetened tea is also a great substitute; regular sugar is important here because of the calories intrinsic to the sugar. A sugar substitute is not useful as the carbs in regular sugar are important for the energy they supply, and sugar-free drinks lack that feature. Just something to consider when you are packing to go camping...

Keeping Your Kitchen Clean

When you're cooking, keep in mind that you need to follow some basic cleaning regimen. One of the reasons most people cook is for better health; what you cook is not going to keep you healthy if how you cook is unhealthy. If you want to stay healthy, you need to keep in mind that a clean kitchen is just as important, if not more so, than healthy foods. After all, if you're kitchen is unhealthy then anything you cook in it is also going to be unhealthy. As such, you need to make sure that you keep your kitchen clean.

The walls and ceiling should be clean. If you have a big mess, make sure that you clean them. Stains are fine; especially if you have kids, any kitchen should wear show use with pride. However, food sticking to the walls is not; it's just not a good thing. If possible, once or twice a year you should do a thorough cleaning of the kitchen to make sure that there are n o surprises. If you see mold start to develop, you need to take care of it as quickly as possible in order to make sure that the kitchen will not make others sick.

Sweeping and mopping the floor should be done at least once a week. A lot of food and other stuff will likely be brushed onto it during wiping, and that can accumulate over time. If too much accumulates it can create a breeding ground for germs and worse, and that can spread to the food. It doesn't need to be an industrial strength cleaner, but do avoid dishwashing liquid; the liquid will make the floor slippery and therefore dangerous over time. Something like Pine-Sol is perfect; not only does it do a great job of cleaning, but it also has a smell that makes sure you know things are clean. Pay special attention to spaces where the garbage cans stand, the area around the oven (cooking as well as well microwave), and food prep areas.

The counters will always be a sore point. Keep in mind that you need to move cannisters around to clean them, and that you should dust things before you wipe the area down. When you wipe things down, at least use hot, soapy water; if you can, use a cleaner that has some sort of antiseptic or germ-killing property. You shouldn't need a grease-cutter; if you do, you need to start being a little cleaner when you are cooking or prepping food (you may need to dial back the temperature you cook with if you do a lot of frying, which will cut down o the splatter). While you are wiping the counter down, make sure that you are cleaning your machines down as well, especially your microwave oven; you would be surprised how messy one of those can get.

You should also do a quick inspection of the shelves and refrigerator to make sure that your food hasn't started turning ugly on you. The biggest problem you will have is usually bread and fruit on the shelves, vegetables and cooked foods in the refrigerator. Make sure that you throw away anything that has started to rot and wash the storage units thoroughly. You want to keep a eye out during the week for bad product, but having a day when you really look for rotten food makes sure you get rid of it.

A clean kitchen not only makes prepwork easier, but also ensures that the food you prepare is safe to eat as well. Your biggest worry should not be whether or not the food is safe to eat, but what it tastes like; a few minutes after each meal and a good half-hour once a week will make sure that you aren't poisoning anyone, at least not in a way from which they won't quickly recover.

Tips on Camping for Vegetarians

Camping can be difficult for vegetarians: Meat provides a great source of protein, and is relatively compressed. Also, it can be gathered at the location if needed. As such, keep in mind that you need to port in a lot of your protein.

An easy temptation is to harvest acorns and mushrooms for protein; after all, the Native Americans used acorns and mushrooms are good, right?). However, mushrooms are something to be avoided as they may be poisonous and/or contain hallucinogens, and only a local is likely to know which species are safe. Also, acorns require specific preparation in order to eliminate the high levels of tannin to be safe. As such, you may want to avoid them.

However, mushrooms make an ideal source of protein: They are usually compact enough to make it work, and can be used in a variety of different recipes. Portabello mushrooms in particular are a good option. Whole mushrooms should be brought as well.

Tofu may be problematical due to its consistency and how it's cooked. Debate bringing it along.

Suffice to say that most of your protein will come from snacks and sandwiches. Peanut butter can't be beat due to its concentrated energy. Nuts are also an ideal source as well for the same reasons. 

Don't Fear The Spice Rack

When you are learning to cook, you need to remember to play with spices and seasonings. It can be hard to remember to do so, especially when you are trying to remember how to do something you know you should know how but are having problems remembering how to do it, but it is soething that you need to remember to do. A beginning cook should be doing whatever he can to expand his awareness of cooking, and there is little more fun than messing around with spices.

If you made the mistake of grabbing one of those huge things of miscellaneous spices and seasonings, it's easy to feel intimadated: You have this collection of a dozen or more different options and you have no clue how to use them. Even more intimdating is that you know you should be memorizing each and every one of them because that's what a real chef does, right? Well, no.

If a chef memorized each and every possible seasoning, even the few dozen that come on those season contraptions, he wouldn't need to taste everything he cooks. The reality is that even the great chefs are constantly tasting everything that they prepare. The obvious excuse is that they want to make sure that the ingredients are behaving the way they should, are fresh, and have not expired; while that is true, they are also reminding themselves how their spices taste and continuing to explore how other seasonings taste. At the very least he puts the spice in a family of some sort in order to try it later; you never know when you want to try something different, and having an idea of how something tastes is better than no idea at all. But even the great chefs do not memorize each and every spice that they encounter, and that's the lesson you need to take away from this.

As someone who is just trying to get better at what he does, and make something that is a little bit better than he used to cook, it can only pay to at least go through and taste as many different spices and seasonings you can. Don't bother memorizing each and every one of them; just remember the ones you like and you feel are useful for what you normally cook. Have fun with spices, sure. but don't go overboard; try as many spices as you want, and don't feel obligated to try them all. The key here is that you should always have fun experimenting, and not feel obligated to do so. After all, you should be master of your kitchen, not some silly spice rack. Know it, love it, but don't fear it. 

Tips on Cooking Food for Tabletop Gamers

When gamers get together they are looking for simple snacks that will last the entire four hours or so that they are together. The good news is that everything that applies to people getting together for a football game applies as here as well.

Gamers are more interested in the game and not so much the food. This means that you can have a little more fun and keep it simple. However, keep it healthy as well; they may be expecting just chips and dip, but celery and carrots should make an appearance as well.

However, if you happen to have access to some old recipes now is the time to bring them out, and by old I mean going back to the Middle Ages. Look up some good mutton recipes to begin with and have some fun with them.

Of course, you can also go the other direction as well. Sushi can work rather well for gamers, as well as ramen as long as you have some fun with it. Keep in mind that Japanese snacks and Chinese take-out seem to be favorites among gamers.

Keep in mind that a good game lasts about four hours, which means that it's a good idea to plan for a meal. A good strategy is to plan a wide variety of appetizers and let them disappear. At the same time, make sure that there is a meal planned at some point, preferably at the beginning of the gaming session but no later than halfway through the game. This should make your place the go-to site for gaming. 

Tips on Preparing for 5K and 10K Marathons

Preparing for a marathon can actually be fun. For our purposes, a good 5k or 10K run is sufficient; if you want one of the longer ones you are going to need to look into getting an actual coach. Make sure that you go in with some support and you should do well.

Don't make the mistake of thinking you need to do the whole thing at once. For most people get used to running a mile and then increase your weekly run by a mile until you have the right distance.

Otherwise, you'll want to vary runs between two and three miles a day. It may sound long, but you are looking at about twenty to forty minutes of non-stop running each day. It's not as bad as it sounds and you may learn to enjoy the chance for a little meditation each day.

Keep in mind that you are looking at more of a jog than a sprint. Although you may sprint at various parts of the run, overall it should be a jog. Suffice the last quarter-mile will be slower in order to act as a cool-down period. 

Tips on Surviving Victory Parties

One of the problems with being on a team is the celebration meals. As in all things, moderation is an important tool for those hoping to lose weight and keep it gone.

Most of the foods are good in that they replace nutrients that you lost, but don't go crazy. Pizza should be debated, especially as it not only fills a psychological need, but it also goes straight to your waist. Limit the carbs as much as possible.

Find a place that offers salad and a television you can comandeer; anything after that is just icing. Of course, make sure that the salad is more than just lettuce, cheese, and a salad dressing so that everyone likes it.

Alcohol needs to be limited. There will be the temptation to over-drink, especially on win nights. Not only do you keep in mind that people will most likely be driving home, but some of them carry their own calories. As long as there is a two or three drink maximum, you should be okay.

Seriously think through the food you are going to have when everyone gets together after the game. Keep it healthy, but don't go crazy; now is not the time to spring tofu and bean sprouts on a crowd looking for burgers. Basically, have some fun with the food, but don't go crazy. 

Tips on Drinks You Need to Serve For Winter Parties

This is the time of year when you want to want to learn at some different kinds of drink recipes. Mocha and hot chocolate are two recipes that are going to work really well.

It's going to pay to have some whiskey in the house. It seems to be a good winter alcohol, and works best in coffee or other warm beverages as well as on its own.

You're going to want to learn some good basic mixed drinks. If you can, pick one or two that have some dramatic flair to them and master them. It's actually pretty good for your reputation as well as fun.

If you do any brewing of your own, winter is perfect for spiced beers and mead. While mead can get expensive (just look at honey prices sometime!), spiced beers are not only cheaper but also work well warm.

You may also want to look into mulled wines as well. They give all of the usual benefits of wine (duh!) and work well warmed. They also make the area smell great as well. 

Organic Produce, Randomness, and Being A Better Cook

Organic produce is one of the major fads right now, and it's not a bad one. This means that the food is healthy, has no or are virtually no pesticides used in its creation, and less fuel was used to get it to you. In other words, it's great for you and it's great for the environment. There are even those groups that will deliver the food to your residence or to a drop off point. This makes it a great deal for a beginning cook, as it gives him access to some great food. There are some issues that need to be allowed for, however.

The first is that you need to carefully inspect the food you receive. This means that you not only need to confirm that you have received the right order, but you also need to make sure that the food is in acceptable condition. If you find dirt or some insects in the food, that's fine; just take it as proof that the food is fresh and wash it. You do need to keep an eye out for rot or other serious problems, such as huge chunks out of vegetables or too many small vegetables. The insect problem can be a big one, especially there are fruit flies; while some insects and/or worms are fine, too many can be a serious issue. report the problem as quickly as possible and make sure you get refunded for any damaged food.

You should also expect some fruits or vegetables you haven't seen before. You should take this as a learnng experience and have some fun with it. Figure out what you have and find some recipes that require the item in question. You get to figure out how to prep it, cook it, and possibly even eat it. This can be a great way to learn how new ingredients work and to possibly make new friends with a new ingredient. Remember to check food allergies first, especially if you have some intense ones; those allergies can carry over to other foods. Nonetheless, allergies should not be a reason for picky eating.

Which sort of brings to me to the last point. Most organic food deliverers provide you a way to modify the list to allow for allergies. However, you should allow for some randomness, and even encourage it. Only by dealing with the inexpected can you learn to be a better cook; if you only ever face the challenges that you set you will find that you will not be as good a cook as you can be. So if you are serious about learning to cook take advantage of the situation and embrace the randomness. Working with organic food can not only allow you to work with some great food, but to become a better one as well. 

Tips on How to Survive A Road Trip

If you are driving for any length of time it can only help to have food in the car. Figure you need one meal and 1/2 snacks for every 150 miles you need to drive during the day, and one snack for the same during the night. You also need eight ounce ounces (or .25 l) of fluid for every hour of driving.

There's a reason gas stations sell a lot of candy jerky, nuts, and chips: These make ideal road snacks.

Unless you have a cooler, bring what you need to make sandwiches rather than prepared sandwiches. Dried meats, such as sausages are great, as well as hard cheeses. Buns are better than sliced bread. Condiments should be debated; although most can survive heat okay, others such as mayonnaise may not fare as well. Don't forget a knife with a wide surface and a sharp blade.

Fried meats also work, as does pizza. In general, anything that has been cooked should do okay unless you are in a hot area. If so, limit it to fried foods. If it's a bit chill, you can get away with just about anything.

Raw vegetables and fruits should be debated. Fruits with a peel or thick skin should be okay. If you bring vegetables, limit them to what you need for sandwiches. 

The Importance of Setting Goals When You Cook

Planning should always be your by-word. Even the most improvisational chef never chops one ingredient or touches a single pan without knowing what he wants to do. You need to figure out what you are trying to do before you go for it. As such, there are some simple ways to accomplish that.

1) Set a goal. It can be as simple as figuring out if you can pull off a certain recipe or trying to recapture a particular taste. You'll find that a goal focuses you, and allows you to cut out all other distractions. You can change goals midstream; although that could be a mistake, it is nonetheless an option when things have gone disastrously or you find you have no idea what you are doing. Just set a goal so that you can get started.

2) Determine what it takes to complete that goal. This means figuring out what you need is important, and then how you need to deal with those ingredients. Sometimes it may be difficult because you may need to mix in ingredients that you are unfamiliar with, or you may need to mix a wide variety of ingredients in very specific amounts. You may even need to figure out a new technique in order to deal with the situation. Nonetheless, you need to make sure that you have all of the right ingredients at hand and that you have some sort of game plan before you start actually doing anything.

3) Charge in.

You're going to find that if you go into something with a modicum of planning then cooking will be a lot easier. Although there may be some additional flourishes you throw in as you go, or you get inspired and decide to act on that inspiration, it helps to go in it with some idea of what you are planning. It gives you a starting point, and that starting point allows you to really go for it. With that starting point you actually have somewhere to go from, and that acts as your first step, allowing you to have some serious fun. So when you decide to get going, just make sure you have an idea of where you going if you want to actually get there. 

Tips on Better Omelettes

There are a lot of great ways to prepare eggs. An omelette is a great option, especially if you are looking for something quick to prepare that you can have some fun with. Keep in mind that a little extra milk and water will make them not only fluffier but also help them go further.

Teflon pans really come into their own with omelettes, as it in helps to make them perfect and ensures a good flip.

The best way to a good flip is to make sure that you don't put too much water or milk in the eggs and to make sure that the eggs have been cooked well enough (or the eggs will not be solid enough) and to insert the spatula just over the halfway mark under the eggs. Combined with a quick flip and the eggs will usually look like it should.

Another great technique is to fry whatever you want inside the omelette in the same pan as the one you will use for the omelette itself. This ensures that the pan has been properly oiled and gives the eggs extra flavor. Just remember to make sure that the pan is smooth and that you don't burn anything.

An omelette is a great item to act as a food dump. Almost anything works in an omelette, although you want to debate pasta and soft vegetables. Throw a little cheese on it, possibly some sour cream, and you have a great little breakfast from almost anything. 

Tips on Joining A Local Sports Team

One of the best exercise-related reasons for joining a team is the practice rather than the game itself. It may be a weird perspective, but you tend to do more exercise getting ready for a game than at the game itself.

In order to build muscle memory, you have to do a particular move over and over. This means that you are also building the muscles up as well.

You also need to do a lot of running in order to build up your endurance. Obviously that is going to build up your endurance for other things as well.

Of course, you are also doing a lot of cardio and basic resistance exercises to get better for the game as well. Got to love that increased metabolism!

Of course, there is also that you are motivated to diet to maximize your gains. It's hard to eat bad foods when eating them can make you lose, which is the last thing you want to do. 

Tips on Dance as Exercise

Dance is a great way to work off some calories. This is a great reason to enroll in a class, especially at a gym.

If you do take a class, bring along the usual drink and wear comfortable clothes. Don't forget to stretch before dancing.

Decide on your comfort zone. This is definitely one of the times it's perfectly okay to join a single-sex class if you don't feel comfortable dancing in front of the other sex.

Keep in mind that this is a great reason to grab your kid's console and learn how to play a dancing game. Some even track the estimated calories burned per song.

If you are more interested in the social aspects of dancing, keep in mind that bars also offer dance classes, usually for the most current dances.

Tips on Cooking Eggs

The humble egg is the basis of so many recipes because of its high nutritional value. While it is high in cholosterol, it's also high in protein and other nutrients. It can also enhance other recipes, acting as a binder and a fluffing agent. Thus, as long as you don't enjoy it more than two a day or so, depending on diet, eggs make for a great meal.

Salsa is a great way to add some serious flavor to scrambled eggs, especially as the eggs seem to magnify almost any taste of added ingredients. This makes those flavors really pop.

Mix in some diced vegetables, such as green onions and peppers, for some additional nutrients and taste.

Some chopped meat or crunched bacon adds more protein. This is a great way to use sliced meats and luncheon meat.

Even a little salt and pepper will go a long way to adding some flavor to scrambled eggs. Pepper is advised on cold days to help warm you up a little. 

Bad Shows For Bachelor Cooking

You know, if we looked at the best shows for bachelor cooking, we may as well look at the worst shows. While they are great shows, these are shows that look at the higher end of cooking; while they may be great shows for inspiration, they may actually demoralize a beginning cook. As such, watch these shows to see what people can do, but don't watch them to learn how to cook; if these help you learn how to cook you are well beyond mere bachelor level.

Iron Chef (Cooking Network): Two chefs must manage a team of sous-chefs to cook a full three-course meal featuring a specific ingredient. If you want to see what a chef is capable of doing, this is an incredible show: You have top-name chefs kicking butt against other top-name chefs and showing off what they can do. But...that makes this show well above your skill level, and may demoralize you even as you wish you had their skills.

Midnight Feast (FYI): Three chefs have two rounds (appetizer+cocktail and main course), with one chef being eliminated after the first round, to create the best food they can while under a time limit. The twist is that they must offer up to $500 of their own money to shop through a first-class grocery, and the winner gains ten times whatever he spent. It's a great show for those who want to see what a great chef is capable of, but a lot of what they do is simply beyond what a beginning chef can do, and beyond what most want to do.

Knife Fight (Esquire): Two cooks compete in a working kitchen using special ingredients for bragging rights. Although a lot of he techniques are simple and the recipes are easy enough, the ingredients used push this show beyond what most beginning cooks will ever see. This is a fun show, but only for those really into cooking.

The Feed (FYI): Three hosts compete in a number of different areas, having fun with cooking. The problem is that a lot of the recipes used are for experts, and well beyond beginning cooks. They require a certain knowledge of how things go together, and how to combine certain ingredients to create certain effects. This is a great show for those who are into food and want to see some people engage in some semi-serious conversations about how to create some great dishes, but beginning cooks may just be overwhelmed.

On the Menu (TBS): Two cook compete to have their item placed on the menu of a major restaurant chain. There are two rounds, but only the second, where the two items are given to regular people who vote on it, really counts. Although this is a great for intermediate chefs and those who are curious about how to create menu items, advanced cooks are likely to be bored quickly and beginning cooks may not be impressed by the food. It's an interesting show, but your mileage really varies.

These are some great cooking shows, and show what cooks can do. However, because they involve advanced techniques, access to funds and ingredients most people don't have access to, and involve discussions well beyond just basic cooking, they may not be the best shows for beginning cooks. Watch them to get inspired, but don't let them intimidate you, and realize that everyone had to start somewhere: No one was born with an encyclopedic knowledge of cooking, and that's something that you need to remember. 

Tips on Winning Eating Contests

There is always the possibility you may find yourself in an eating contest, such as eating a 72-ounce steak with the possibility of it being free if you eat it all. Although the obvious hint is to starve yourself first, there are some other ways to help you survive the contest.

Go to the bathroom before you start eating. It frees up valuable room inside your digestive tract, as well as making you feel a lot emptier, and that feeling makes you feel hungrier, which of works in your favor.

Drink lots of liquid during the contest. Water is best; somehow it compacts the food making it fit better and allowing you to eat more. Obviously gravy will help as well. Avoid contests where you cannot drink as they are rarely won.

If there is are any carbs (such as bread or French fries) ignore them or eat them last. You want to avoid filling up, and those tend to fill you up the fastest.

Do as much of your eating as quickly as possible. The human body is geared towards meals of twenty minutes; after that people tend to want to sleep rather than eat. Regardless of how long you have, keep that limit in mind as it is rather firm.

Great Shows For Bachelor Cooking

There are a number of shows that any bachelor cook should be tracking down. These shows offer an interesting glimpse in how to solve some interesting problems that can make life difficult for any bachelor, and how to overcome them. Although they feature some problems that you are unlikely to ever see in your lifetime, those solutions can be generalized to other problems. These five shows make for some interesting watching, especially for those bored with shows where the biggest problem is some surprise ingredient or a time limit.

Cutthroat Kitchen (Food Network): The concept is simple: In three rounds, the four cooks have to create a simple recipe in the time given, and one person is eliminated each round. Oh, and they have $25,000 to bid on sabotages that can really spoil another cook's day, such as having to make a prep table out of butcher block paper, wear gloves, or use decidedly non-standard equipment to cook with. Some are even forced to cook in La-Z-boy chairs or use tiki torches as a heat source. An excellent show for those who think that they have too many problems in order to do any effective cooking.

Snack Off (MTV): Although the show may have been cancelled, the idea is a winner: Three cooks have to use whatever is in the fridge to create a meal (although there are two rounds, the second allows full access to a pantry even as a particular snack has to be used and is thus not as educational as the first). Although there is a theme to the ingredients, they are essentially random and thus make it a little more realistic, including the horrible cooking skills of the contestants. If you think that there is nothing in your kitchen to cook with, this is the show for you.

Late Night Chef Fight (FYI): Three rounds, two cooks, one tacky trophy, and nothing but bragging rights: Two cooks compete over three rounds (warm-up, appetizer, main course) with the winner of the first two rounds gaining an advantage. The two cooks are given access to two working food trucks (the trucks actually see use during the day), even through it is before they have been re-stocked. This means that the cook must quickly figure out what is going on in his truck, and then use it to cook with. This means that the cook is limited to whatever cuisine the food truck specializes in, as well as whatever instruments are working. Again, this is a great show for anyone looking to see what you can do with limited resources, and how you can have fun with what you have.

Guy's Grocery Games (Food Network): Four cooks compete over different rounds in different games for the chance to win up to $20,000. The games should actually be familiar to most bachelor chefs: Limitations on accessible ingredients, must pick items with a particular theme, or the budget is smaller than expected. In that regard, this is a great instruction show for bachelors, especially as they can relate far too easily with the limitations that the customers must suffer through while creating some really great yet basic food.

Worst Cooks of America (Food Network): Two cooks take two teams of the worst cooks that they can find and try to teach them everything that they can. It's basically a Survivor-style cooking show where the worst cook from each team is eliminated each week until the last two chefs engage in a final cook off. For those that are looking for a great show to teach them basic techniques and that you aren't completely worthless as a cook, this is an incredible show and I recommend that high schoolers be forced to watch this show, preferably while in a kitchen. Yeah, it's that great!

While other shows are great at highlighting cooks at their best, these shows look at cooks at their worst. That is what makes them so great for beginning cooks: You see the limitations they have to deal with and can sympathize with them. As such, they make some great shows to watch for beginning chefs, and are worth tracking down.

Tips on Grilling Different Hamburgers

Hamburgers are the American classic. Served with pickles, lettuce, and tomato on a toasted bun, there are a number of variants worth considering. Just make sure that the meat is well-cooked for whatever temperature you to avoid food poisoning.

There are a number of fun variants. Most of those involve changing the condiment. The most popular are barbecue and buffalo sauce, but you can use just about anything. Try a hamburger with peanut butter at least once in your lifetime.

You can also grill the hamburger in a number of different ways as well. Frying it in soy or hoisin sauce makes for some great flavor, although steak or worcestershire sauce can be used as well.

Making a stuffed burger can be a lot easier than it seems. Fry off whatever you want to put into the burger, and then cover the center of the burger with just a couple of tablespoons of material. Take another patty and cover it, and then squeeze together the edges of the burgers. Then grill it off. Diced mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes, and green onions all work, especially if you melt a little cheese into the mix as well.

Vegetarians should try a portabello mushroom cap or a garden burger. Anything you can do to a burger patty you can do with those two, although putting it on a bun may be a bit too many carbs in one sandwich.

Interestingly, just putting any of these on a wheat bun makes it great for those on a diet. 

Tips on Hiking

Hiking is an excellent form of exercise. Just remember to stretch before engaging in order to avoid the simpler injuries.

Make sure you carry enough equipment in a backpack or messenger bag to handle most emergencies. This should include at least a first aid kit, a map and compass, and some sort of signaling device. Other equipment depends on the area and situation. You should also include some water and something to snack on.

Because of ticks and other small parasites, at least long pants should be worn.

For a little added fun, there are some subscription boxes geared for hikers. It's always fun to receive mail, and it gives you an excuse to try out some new things out in the field.

Look into geo-caching. It's like an Easter Egg hunt, and it can be fun to find something out in the woods Just remember to carry something with you that you can trade out. 

Tips on Office Exercises

A chin-up bar is simple to install and gives you a chance to exercise any chance you want to.

If you spend a lot of time in a particular location, keep a yoga mat there so you can exercise any time you want.

A dummy or punching bag can also be an excellent form of exercise, as well as stress relief.

A jump rope is also great for some great on-the-spot exercise., and can easily fit inside an office drawer.

Keep in mind that if you use your office for exercise, you may want to have some sort of working air freshener in the area in order to avoid that locker room smell. 

Tips on Hot Sandwiches

Of course, guys being guys there had to be hot sandwiches. Toasted sourdough is probably one of the best breads, as it tastes great and can hold a lot without breaking, but everyone has their own preference.

Split some sausages and grill. When they have been properly cooked, throw them on the bread, cover with some cheese or sauerkraut, and you should in for a good eat. You can substitute hot dogs for a cheap version.

The basic grilled cheese is a schoolboy favorite. Make a cheese sandwich without condiments.  Butter the top slice of bread and put the sandwich upside-down in a heated pan. When it is golden brown, butter the new top slice, and flip it over until it's golden brown. Just watch the edges carefully. Add a cup of tomato soup for a meal.

There are three basic variants on it. You can throw pretty much any sliced meat between the cheese slices, such as ham or bologna, but it's advised that you only use one slice. There is also the patty melt; grill off a hamburger patty and caramelize some onions. Put the onions on the burger, and then make a grilled cheese sandwich out of it, preferably with Swiss cheese. Lastly, you can mix some tuna fish and mayonnaise together, with a preference for chunky rather than smooth, and put it between the cheese for a tuna melt. Cut into halves and serve with a salad for a decent meal.

Another good option is the Philly cheeseteak. Toast a sourdough roll. While you do that, cut a cube steak into strips as well as a green pepper and an onion. Grill them off together with some mozzarella cheese, with seasoning extra. When it's all properly caramelized, throw on the roll and serve. 

Making Sure Your Guests Survive Your Party Trays

For most bachelors, this is the season when you are likely to eat more raw foods than at any other time in the year. Between dips, vegetables, and even sushi, you are more likely to eat something healthy and raw at this time of year, usually as part of a party tray. While a lot of them are professionally created, there are also a lot of them that are made at home. Before you make your own trays of food, you may want to keep in mind all of the possible issues with putting out a tray.

First off, realize that this is not to warn you off of party trays in general. Most trays are perfectly fine, and the food on them can stay out unattended for a lot longer than the prescribed time. This especially applies to trays kept in cold houses, or in otherwise cold areas. Other kinds of trays, such as cookies and vegetables, do well no matter where they are placed. All told, most trays do well, but it helps to know the limits when you yourself are putting out the food.

You need to be very careful when you put out eggs, meat, and cheese. Eggs are very good at picking up germs, even cooked. Deviled eggs should be kept refrigerated until served, and should be among the first appetizers used, and should not be kept out for more than two hours. If you want cheese slices, use thin slices of hard cheese; processed cheese slices have the shortest shelf life on a platter, and the separation of oil gives them an unattractive greasy appearance that keeps people from eating them very quickly. Hard cheeses will dry out if kept out too long, making them leathery and essentially inedible if kept out too long. Cheeses should be kept refrigerated until served, and only put out for two hours, but absolutely no longer than three.

Meats are a weird one. Dried meats have been cured, allowing them to stand longer, usually for a number of hours, but some, like salami and pepperoni, can sweat oil; those meats should be avoided or used quickly. Wetter meats, such as pastrami, corned beef, and roast beef, should be the first put out and usually have a shelf life of under two hours. Barbecued, grilled, and roasted meats can last for a long time, especially under a heat lamp, but need to be watched; they can dry out and may need to be replaced if they get too dry (they can also be re-sauced and basted as needed, but avoid doing too many times). Fried foods can usually stand the test of time, but may be get too greasy after a few hours.

Vegetables are the staple of party trays, but can wilt over even a few hours if not kept in ice or otherwise kept wet. Dips are going to be your problem child: Odds are good that if someone does suffer food poisoning, it was because of the dip. Keep the warm dips really warm, at 140 degrees or hotter if possible, and replace as needed. A common problem with warm dips is the potential for drying out or forming a crust; keep them stirred up and moist at all times. For cold dips, use pasteurized cream cheese and sour cream and they should be able to last the entire party.

Even breads and pastries can be a problem if you let them dry out. A humidifier on the lowest setting in the area should help, but keep in mind that it's a plus/minus: It may keep the bread soft, but it can also encourage bacteria growth, especially if the area has any warmth. As such, if you do use a humidifier the bread has an effective life of the bread should be no more than two hours to keep it safe.

All of this may seem like it add a little work to the party, and it does. However, it not only makes your party trays look better longer, but it also keeps your guests safe from food poisoning. All of this makes you look great as a host, and gives you that slight reputation bonus. If you want a reputation as the best host, these details are worth keeping track of. This makes your parties the best to go to, and that can give a great reputation among your friends, making your place the place to be during holidays.