http://blogs.fitconnect.com FitConnect.com -- It's OK To Brag! Copyright 2007-2008 FitConnect LLC jillybean on 5/19/2008 (2 comments)

Okay so sitting at work for ten hours is enough to make anyone tired but it seems when I come back from lunch with a cup of coffee I tend to yawn even more than usual.  So, I looked into it to see if it was in my mind or there was some truth to caffeine actually having a reverse effect on people.  I found that caffeine is a vasoconstictor (it shrinks your blood vessels).  Meaning, it increases your heart rate and blood pressure.  (This is why caffeine is so effective for...]]> Mon, 19 May 2008 20:19:24 GMT jillybean on 5/19/2008 (7 comments)

Some fitness experts will tell you there are distinct "upper and lower" abdominals, which need to be exercised differently.  Others say that rectus abdominis (the six-pack look is the result of bands of connective tissue that "cut" into rectus abdominis) is just one muscle, and doing separate exercises for the upper and lower abs is a waste of time.

So.... who is right!?

Some studies do appear to show that certain exercises are more effective for the lower abs than...]]> Mon, 19 May 2008 19:54:38 GMT jillybean on 5/15/2008 (12 comments)

Okay, so we already know that Krispy Kreme isn't a health-food product, but even eaten as a treat they're a bit extreme.

The Krispy Kreme company ships cartons of doughnuts, doughnut holes, and honey buns to supermarkets each day. Inside is a collection of sugar-coated white flour that has been fried in vegetable shortening made with partially hydrogenated oil. What does some of the damage amount to?

The Original Glazed Doughnut has 3 grams of saturated fat plus 3-1/2...]]> Thu, 15 May 2008 13:55:13 GMT jillybean on 5/15/2008 (8 comments)

On the market are two new green tea drinks: Celsius and Enviga. Both claim to help you burn calories. The manufacturer of Celsius says 12 ounces can burn up to 75 calories in four hours. Enviga, made by Coca-Cola and Nestle, claims three cans per day will burn 60 to 100 extra calories.

The claim is based on the caffeine content and ECGC, a highly active antioxidant in green tea that are supposed to work together to boost metabolism. Celsius also adds ginger and other ingredients cl...]]> Thu, 15 May 2008 13:51:56 GMT