FREE Kettlebell Workshop

November 14th, 2008

If you’re serious about your sport or want your young athlete to receive the ideal physical preparation for their needs, Hanley Strength Sports Training is the THE place for sport-specific training in Central Jersey..

             

When: Sunday, November 23rd, 10am-2pm

Where: The Training Studio

Phone: 732-970-6262

Email: info@thetrainingstudionj.com

Today’s Squats

October 27th, 2008

Mara Runs Half Marathon with HANLEY STRENGTH!!!

October 22nd, 2008

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So my sister Mara finished her first half marathon this past Sunday and it went awesome for her.  Mara completed her run in 2:15 which was 15 minutes better than her projected time.  The race was held in Seaside Heights, NJ and the wind was brutal for the runners.  I am so proud of her.  Whatever Mara puts her mind to  she does it with 110%.   We caught her at the finish of the race and the wind was tough just to stand on the boardwalk.  Anyway she did AWESOME and Juliet and I are so proud and happy for her.

When Mara crossed the finish line she had the whole family there to embrace her and congratulate her.  She was spent,  her legs started to cramp up on her so I took her in the arcade and stretched her out real good.  Jules went and got her some gatorade to replenish the minerals & electrolytes in her.  What she told was very heartfelt and gave me the juice that I need to continue to do what I do for a living.  Mare told us “Not only did Hanley Strength give me the confidence and inspiration that I needed to finish the race, the training that I received provided me with the endurance and strength to accomplish my goal.”

Just wanted to give a CONGRATS to my sister .  We are so proud of her and wish her continued success in her races to come.

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Check out Hanley Strength Online Training HERE

DeFrancos Combine Prep E-Book

October 15th, 2008

It is no wonder that Joe DeFranco is one of the most in demand strength coaches in the world.  He has built his reputation simply by producing amazing results with his athletes.  I have had the opportunity to review his latest manual and it is one of his best products out there.  I have all of Joe’s DVD’s & manuals and they all have a TREMENDOUS amount of valuable information.  The Combine Prep E-Book is another awesome tool in my toolbox.  It goes into the meat & potatoes of how to prepare athletes right from the start.  There is no fluff,  just straight training which produces REAL RESULTS.  The 12 week template Joe gives in this manual is invaluable to any strength coaches library.  Although it is directed torward the football player looking to improve his combine results,  this manual and template can be used and integrated into almost any other athlete’s training program to produce POWERFUL RESULTS for any sport out there.

If you are a coach, parent , trainer, or athlete, I highly suggest you order DeFrancos Combine Prep as soon as possible.  It will help you achieve your results on the field that much faster.  It is made for true champions!

Recap of Defranco’s Strongman Contest

July 29th, 2008

5th Annual DeFranco’s Strongman Contest!

DeFranco's Strongman Contest

Carolina Panthers guard, Mack Bernadeau, was a man on a mission!

To be completely honest, I was a little nervous about this year’s strongman contest. After all, how the hell were we supposed to top last year’s event?! Last year’s contest boasted 100+ spectators from over a dozen states and three different countries! Let’s not forget that there was a friggin’ movie being filmed about our gym as well! To top it off, the high school division ended in a tie and we had one of the most exciting finishes of any competition I’ve ever witnessed!

A classic moment in DeFranco’s Training history
A classic moment in DeFranco’s Training history

But then the phone call came…
A couple weeks ago, I received a phone call from a representative from the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. To make a long story short, the representative asked me if we would be interested in making this year’s contest a charity event for pediatric cancer. When I asked the representative how she found out about our annual contest, she told me she read about it on my website and she was very impressed – yet shocked – at our international following. She asked me if we really train athletes from all over the world. She also wanted to know if I would be able to write about the event – and the charity – on my website so we can reach out to more people than just the athletes, parents and coaches that would be attending the event. At that very moment, every single second I’ve spent working on this damn website and building my audience became VERY worth it! I was so proud and excited to tell her that I would love to write about the event; and I thought it would be a great way to “spread the word” about this incredible charity to a huge audience. When I told her that my website has been averaging over 3.2 million hits per month, she was ecstatic! Words can’t describe how grateful – and humbled – I was with her phone call and her enthusiasm. When I was a kid – if you would have told me that my obsession with physical strength would one day be used to help such a special cause – I would have thought you were crazy!

It was 10 years ago this summer that I first started having my athletes push my truck, lift sandbags, flip tractor tires and carry around heavy gas tanks and rocks! We did this in vacant parking lots when no one was around and no one was watching. Now - 10 years later – millions of people are able to watch our athletes train in this manner (via this website) and our efforts are being used to help find a cure for pediatric cancer. I’m actually getting a little choked up writing about this; it’s a very special feeling when you can do something you love; and help others in the process.

St. Jude's Children's Hospital

I wanted to mention St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital before I got into the highlights of the day because I wanted everyone to remember that this year’s contest wasn’t just about who was the strongest; it was about something MUCH more important. For all the athletes that competed in our contest and are reading this right now – whether you took 1st place or last place – don’t forget how lucky you are just to have been able to compete in such an event.

Thanks to all the athletes, parents, coaches and friends who attended the event. Your generosity and donations were greatly appreciated!

July 19th, 2008…

11:00 A.M. – The thermometer already reads 93-degrees…and it’s humid, very humid. Since I first started having “formal” competitions five years ago, it has always been brutally hot on competition day. This definitely adds to the drama and intensity of the competition!

11:20 A.M. - The competitors start arriving at our facility. The first crop of athletes to arrive are from Zach Even-Esh’s Team Underground. These kids come to play…the second they got out of their cars; the intensity level at the gym went up 100%.

Zach’s kids are always intense
Zach’s kids are always intense, focused and strong; that’s why we love having them come and compete!

HIGH NOON – The gym is PACKED…all the athletes have arrived and everyone is ready to go. The feeling in the gym reminded of the feeling in the locker room minutes before kickoff of a big game. I used to live for that feeling and I miss it more than words can describe.

The intensity, anxiety, adrenaline

The intensity, anxiety, adrenaline, etc…there’s nothing in the world like the feeling you get before a big game or competition. The gym had THAT feeling…it was cool as hell. Let’s just say that I had goose bumps and I wasn’t even competing!

12:05 P.M. – We call all the competitors outside for the rules briefing and a quick warm-up. As I look around, I realize that – once again – we have assembled a badass group of athletes to compete in this contest!

Jacksonville Jaguars fullback, Anthony Cotrone
Jacksonville Jaguars
fullback, Anthony Cotrone

From high school freshman to professional athletes; from the USA to Denmark; from the NHL to the NFL; athletes from all sports and walks of life came to try and take home the most coveted “gym trophy” an athlete can own – the ‘DeFranco’s Strongest Man Trophy’!

David Plum
Once again our contest was an “International Event” with the presence of David Plum. David traveled all the way from Denmark to train with us this summer!

Pat Cole
15-year-old Pat Cole was the youngest competitor in a field of giants! This kid will definitely make some noise in the high school division in the years to come!

As if the title of “DeFranco’s Strongest Man” isn’t enough, the actual “trophy” had athletes foaming at the mouth this year! Every year, we try to “out-do” ourselves from the previous year; the problem was that we didn’t think we could possibly do any better than last year’s sculpted Sampson Trophy! After all, how can we come up with something more appropriate than Samson holding a lion’s head for our strongman winner? We needed to come up with something that oozes strength, masculinity, power, etc.

And then it happened…
On a random Friday afternoon, our very own Jeff Carr, came up with the ultimate trophy for the ultimate Strongman Contest.

What the hell is he thinkin’?
What the hell is he thinkin’?

I don’t know if it’s because he’s from Idaho and he grew up hunting and gathering his food, or just because he’s a sick bastard, but this is what he thought would be fitting for our winners…

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sword2

How’s a 51-inch sword that mounts on a custom, engraved wooden skull sound? Pretty appropriate for the toughest, strongest athletes in the country, huh?! Well that’s what we decided our winners would be taking home! This “trophy” definitely made a major statement and it definitely got all the athletes fired up!

CONTEST EVENTS

600+ pound tire flip
Darin Wood
Hawthorne High School’s Darin Wood

Last year we switched from a 500lb. tire to a 600lb. tire. Although we are using the same tire this year, I added a “plus” next to the 600 because the tire definitely got heavier! You see, we left our tire outside all year and it got rained on, snowed on, etc. The moisture definitely absorbed into the tire and made it heavier. Although our athletes struggled with it in the beginning of the summer, it turned out to be a positive thing in the end because it made everyone stronger!
Anyway, high school athletes flipped the tire 3X as fast as possible. College & Pro athletes were required to flip the tire 5X.

50-Yard Farmers Walk

 

50-Yard Farmers Walk

Garrett Burgess, Wesley College

Athletes were required to walk 25 yards, turn around a cone, and walk 25 yards back to the starting line. High school athletes carried 172 lbs. in each hand. College & Pro athletes carried 202 lbs. in each hand!

Log Clean & Press

 

Log Clean & Press

Ramapo College’s Tom Kraus

Athletes were required to “clean” the log up to their chest and then press it overhead with their arms fully locked out. There was a 30-second time limit to get in as many reps as possible. High school athletes used a 102 lb. log. College & Pro Athletes used a 132 lb. log.

Backward/Forward Sled Drag (60 yards)

 

Backward/Forward Sled Drag (60 yards)

St. Louis Rams tailback, Lance Ball

Athletes were required to drag a heavy sled backwards for 30 yards and then immediately turn around and drag the sled forward to the start line.

River Dell High School’s Vinny Baranello
River Dell High School’s Vinny Baranello

High school athletes performed the sled drag with seven 45lb. plates on the sled. College & Pro athletes performed the sled drag with eight 45lb. plates.

High School Division notes:

With the 1st and 2nd place finishers from last year’s contest moving on to the College Division, the high school division was wide open!! There were some BIG BOYS in this division that could have hung with most college athletes! Here were the Top 3 finishers…

High School Division Results

3rd Place
Frank Spinelli, Monsignor Farrell HS
Frank Spinelli, Monsignor Farrell HS Staten Island, NY

Frank entered our contest representing Hanley Strength in Morganville, NJ…and represent well he did! This kid was built like a PIT BULL! In fact, when he first arrived at my facility and introduced himself to me, I think he broke my hand during our handshake! At a solid 6’ tall and 300 pounds, Frank would have won most other contests. Frank did have the best Farmer’s Walk of the entire high school division (18.56 seconds).

Congrats on a very solid performance, Frank! We look forward to seeing your progress next year!

2nd Place

 

Matt Lohrey, Dunellen HS (NJ)

Matt Lohrey, Dunellen HS (NJ)

When Matt first started training with us this summer, he was known as the “kid who needed a haircut from the town none of us ever heard of”! He quickly put Dunellen on the map and we now tell him he can wear his hair however the hell he wants! Matt’s work ethic and dedication are apparent…he travels over an hour each way to our facility and he has transformed in one short summer! Matt had the fastest sled drag time of the entire high school division (23.81 seconds) and he will be the #1 Ranked High School Athlete in next years competition! Keep an eye out for this kid!

1st Place

Doug Beyer
Doug Beyer
Avon Old Farms School, CT

The very first day that Big Doug Beyer walked into our facility (last summer), he had some BIG shoes to fill! You see, Doug attends Deon Anderson’s alma mater, Avon Old Farms School in Connecticut.

Tough act to follow…
Tough act to follow…

To say that Doug has transformed over the past year would be a major understatement! This kid drives over an hour (from Chappaqua, NY) five times a week to train with us – his consistency and hard work has paid huge dividends!
Doug has transformed from a big and somewhat “awkward kid” into a 6’05” 283-pound “athlete” who is much stronger and much more athletic than he looks! The fact that he dominated such a talented high school division should tell you something about this kid’s ability…and he’s still growing and becoming accustomed to his new-found size and strength! He has also developed a “mean streak” that was unleashed during the strongman contest! Doug flipped the 600+ pound tire 3 times in 11 seconds, performed 17 reps with the log press, completed the farmer’s walk in 19.19 seconds and finished the sled drag in 25.75 seconds!

Doug Beyer

Congrats Doug! We are expecting BIG THINGS from you in the future!

College Division notes:

The College Division was STACKED with young talent! In fact, our Top 3 finishers this year were all college FRESHMAN! Rivalries have already started to form and it looks like we are going to be witnessing some classic battles for years to come!

Unfortunately, last year’s Runner-up in the College Division, Luis Altamiranda, was unable to compete due to a death in the family.

The ‘Asshole’ was also sidelined due to baseball obligations
The ‘Asshole’ was also sidelined due to baseball obligations

This summer’s freak, Donnie Brown, was also unable to compete because he had football testing at school.

We look forward to having all these guys back next year!

With the above being said, I have to admit, I don’t think it would have mattered who showed up on Saturday…there was one guy who was on a mission, and he wasn’t being beat…by ANYONE!

Read on for the results…

College Division Results

3rd Place

Adam Triglia, University of Pennsylvania
Adam Triglia, University of Pennsylvania

Last years high school winner, Adam Triglia, cracked the Top 3 in this years College Division with another impressive performance! Although Adam’s day didn’t end with a 1st Place finish this year, he has established himself as a serious threat in the College Division for the next two years to come!

2nd Place

Ravi Pradhanang, William & Mary College
Ravi Pradhanang, William & Mary College

Ravi joined our program this summer and he has been an incredible addition to our team! This kid is an absolute animal! He is every coach’s dream - a true “Silent Assassin”! He’s always early for his appointments, he does exactly what we tell him to do, and he doesn’t say a word!

Ravi had the fastest Sled Drag time of the entire competition – he went 30 yards down & back with eight 45-pound plates in 18.50 seconds! Remember this kid’s name…you will be hearing a lot about him both on the field, and in the weight room!

1st Place

Brian “Curls” Pascal
Brian “Curls” Pascal
Johns Hopkins University

“Curls” became a household name at our gym last year when he gave Adam Triglia the fight of his life in the High School Division! Although Adam won that fight with his epic prowler push in “overtime”, we all knew Curls would be back. What we didn’t know was that Curls would return as a friggin’ Superhero! This year, Curls showed up without his famous ‘curls’; instead, he was sporting a fresh mohawk, a cut-off “Underground Strength Coach” t-shirt, and an attitude…an attitude that said, “I aint taking 2nd place this year; I’m here to win!” And win he did…

This kid put on one of the most impressive displays of strength, power and conditioning that I’ve ever seen! He took 1st place in three of the four events and 2nd place in one event. His most impressive feat of the day was when he flipped the 600+ pound tire, five times in 13.9 seconds! That is unreal!

Congratulations Curls

Congratulations Curls…you earned that sword! I don’t think there was a college athlete on the planet that could have out-performed you last Saturday! See ya next year for ROUND 3!!

Pro/Open Division notes:

This marked the first year that we added a “Pro/Open” Division to our contest. Although we always have pro football players training with us in July and we incorporate strongman exercises into their programs, I never asked them to compete in my contest. This year was different…THEY asked me if they could compete! They wanted to compete – and I allowed them to compete – for two reasons; first of all, all my pro football guys have been performing these exercises for the past four weeks. Flipping the tire, dragging the sled, pressing the log and performing farmers walks were “common” exercises for them…and they all became really good at these exercises. Also, once they heard that the event was for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital , they wanted to do it even more. I think that speaks volumes about these athletes!

So the “Pro/Open Division” consisted of the pro athletes that were in town training with us, as well as college graduates that are still training with us. The front-runner to win this division was undoubtedly EJ Barthel. EJ absolutely dominated the College Division last year and he was back to defend his title this year!

The Champ is HERE…

The Champ is here!

Pro/Open Division Results

3rd Place

Dan Davis, defensive end
Dan Davis
defensive end Indianapolis Colts

Dan joined our program in January to prepare for UConn’s Pro Day. Going into his senior year at UConn, Dan was named to the Outland Trophy Watch List, given to the nation’s top interior lineman. Unfortunately, Dan suffered a knee injury his senior year at UConn; but, after training with us for 3 months, Dan’s knee got back to 100% and he had a great Pro Day. After his impressive Pro Day performance, Dan signed with the Colts. Judging by his Top 3 finish last Saturday, Dan is ready for training camp!

2nd Place

EJ Barthel
EJ Barthel

After dominating our Strongman Competition last year, EJ Barthel showed up very confident…maybe too confident? He did have every right to be confident; after all, last year’s victory earned him all the spoils of a true champion – A huge banner with his picture hangs high in our gym for all to see; his victory also earned him a major “role” in the upcoming documentary, “STRONG”. This “movie” role earned him some perks — he has made guest appearances at nightclubs at the Jersey shore, he has been hired as a “celebrity judge” at bikini contests, etc. But - although EJ has had to juggle a lot of extracurricular activities - he still manages to get to the gym every day and he is still one of the biggest freaks we have! So, even though EJ may have had some “distractions” this summer, his performance last Saturday was still freaky! But, there was one man standing in his shadows who was just a little freakier…

1st Place

Mackenzy Bernadeau, offensive guard
Mackenzy Bernadeau, offensive guard Carolina Panthers

*The above photo shows Mack completing the 50-yard Farmer’s Walk in 19.31 seconds! (Not bad for a 318-pound guy with an extra 202lbs. in each hand!)

“Big Mack” is probably our best story of the year. Mack was the first athlete to enter our NFL Combine/Pro Day Preparation Program this year. He “limped” into our gym in December like a man on a mission. He knew the “odds were against him” and he would have to work his ass off to make it to the next level. Not only did Mack play at small, Division II Bentley College; he missed the last 4 games of his senior year with a torn meniscus. Because of this, Mack did not receive an NFL Combine invite. After working his ass off, Mack got his knee better than before his tear and he had NFL scouts and coaches in awe at his Pro Day! After his incredible Pro Day performance, the Carolina Panthers drafted Mack in the 7th Round!

Focused and confident…
Focused and confident…

Mack came back to train with us three weeks ago to get in peak physical condition for training camp. At close to 320 lbs., Mack is one of the most well-conditioned, athletic “big men” I’ve ever coached; he’s also strong as hell!

After witnessing that truck pull two weeks ago, we all realized that Mack had a legitimate shot of taking the Strongman Title away from EJ!

DeFranco’s Strongest Man

After putting together a near perfect performance, Mack edged out EJ by 2 points and became this year’s ‘DeFranco’s Strongest Man’!

Congratulations Mack
Congratulations Mack…Best of luck at training camp!

GREAT Day for a GREAT cause!
GREAT Day for a GREAT cause!

-Joe D.

Ropes Gone Wild: Our New Conditioning Toy

June 20th, 2008

We have a new piece of equipment at our facility that has been a lot of fun to use. It is Ropes Gone Wild and it is a tremendous conditioning tool. What the body must do create a wave with the ropes and keep that wave constant which is based on the idea of undulation. The Ropes come in different size lengths as well as different size thickness. Check out the video below to get an idea of how it works. You can purchase the ropes at Ropes Gone Wild.

They are very easy to learn, not too complicated yet provide great cardiovascular training in a fun and user friendly way. It is also a great tool for improving your grip strength. We have been using the ropes with everyone from our fighters to our seniors.

Today’s Serving Size

June 16th, 2008

As we were stuck in the Minnesota airport last sunday night for a few hours we decided to roam around, grab some food and keep ourselves occupied. We came across this wonderfully delicious store and decided to check it out. The store was called The Chocolate Factory and it was AMAZING! It had everything you could possibly imagine to dive into a sugar coma while waiting for your next flight out. So as I looked around I decided to indulge. I came across what looked like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup on the juice. This thing was massive! I started to think about how our nutritional values have really gotten way out of hand and this was just another example of that.

Now if you look at the size of what was called The Peanut Butter Bucket, and compare it to our beloved Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup you would be amazed. So what I decided to do to give our readers an example of how serving sizes play an integral role on your nutritional goals is to compare the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup to Newly Improved Juiced Out Peanut Butter BUCKET.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup

1 Cup (26 g) - 1 oz

Total Calories - 130 cal

Total Fat - 7.5 g

Total Carbohydrate - 15 g

Sugar - 13 x 3.2 = 41.6g

Protein 3 g

photo_060808_002.jpgPeanut Butter Bucket

The Peanut Butter Bucket

1 Cup(85g) - 3.2 oz

Total Calories - 130 x 3.2 = 416cal

Total Fat - 7.5 x 3.2 = 24 g

Total Carbohydrate - 15 x 3.2 = 48g

Fiber - 1 x 3.2 = 3.2g

Sugar - 13 x 3.2 = 41.6g

Protein - 3 x 3.2 = 9g

This Bucket as they call it is 3 x the amount of a regular cup and is a pure sugar bomb if you ask me. If you take a look at the bucket in the palm of the hand it is basically the same serving size as a piece of chicken or fish for some people trying to lose body fat. So the next time you are wondering why the hell you are not dropping any body fat, take a look at what you have been eating in the last few weeks. Is it a palm size serving of lean protein or is it a palm size serving of sugar?

RKC Weekend

June 11th, 2008

This weekend Jules and I went out to Minnesota to help out Pavel and the Dragon Door Team with their kettlebell certification. We were assistant instructors and it was a super fun weekend. I will say that the travels were atrocious but once we got their we had a blast. It was really cool watching the new instructors learning how to use the bells but what was even more fun was watching them finish the Grad workout:) We meet a ton of great people and look forward to going back to help out. The RKC is a first class operation and anyone looking to learn some serious kettlebell info go check it out.

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SSA Imperium Meet Results

June 1st, 2008

I competed in the SSA Imperium Meet up in Tribes Hill, NY this past weekend. The hosts Sandi & Zane run a really nice event. It was a smooth day and plenty of time to warm up before lifting. This was my first powerlifting meet using equipment. What I mean by equipment for those that are unfamiliar to the sport of powerlifting is that I used a squat and deadlift suit as well as a bench shirt. The suits and shirts allow a lifter to lift more weight however the lift becomes a much more technical event. You cannot use pure brawn to heave the weight up because doing so will cause one to lose balance, control and the groove of the movement.

I competed in the 181 weight class weighing in at 180 on friday evening. I felt really good going into the meet despite not hitting the numbers I had anticipated on hitting. So here is the summary of how the day went for me:

SQUAT - 1st Attempt : 495-Good, 2nd Attempt : 525-Miss, 3rd Attempt :525-Miss

mvi_0067_0001.jpg

I felt good on the first attempt however I had been noticing that my suit was not fitting as tightly as it had when I first bought it. It wasn’t giving me that pop out of the bottom of the lift. My second and third attempts were no good and basically I got crushed. I went down under control, had a bit of a pop out of the hole and then ran out of gas. Bottom line to my squat is I need to get stronger in my hips and plan on doing some lower box squats, sumo deadlifts from a deficit as well as some pull throughs and good mornings in the sumo stance.

BENCH PRESS - 1st Attempt : 330-Good, 2nd Attempt : 360-Miss, 3rd Attempt : 360-Good

I wore a Inzer Rage X and like the shirt very much so. My second attempt felt surprisingly heavy at the transition of the shirt to triceps and so my butt came up as well as the bar sunk a bit. I was really shocked at how heavy it felt since I had been working really hard on my lockout work and brought my numbers up with lockouts strength. Thirsd attempt we made a bit of an adjustment to the shirt and I made the lift which still wasn’t pretty. Need to bring up my lockout strength as well as work in the shirt to get use to the transitioning phase of the lift.

DEADLIFT - 1st Attempt : 495-Good, 2nd Attempt : 530-Good, 3rd Attempt : 545-Good

This is by far my best lift out of the three and it is probably my favorite. I felt really good on all three lifts however like my squat suit, my suit felt a bit stretched out since I had pulled 560 a month earlier. Either way I was really happy to end the day on a good note making all three of my deadlift attempts. I will continue to work at it and will probably do more training with bands on the jumpstretch platform.

mvi_0075_0001.jpg

I have some work to do however I always learn something from my meets about my character, my physical strengths and weaknesses and I meet a ton of really nice people who love to lift heavy stuff. I love the sport and will continue to challenge myself in the sport of powerlifiting. A special thanks goes out to Brian Bott and the Eastside Barbell Club for all their help and support. Below is the video from the meet. Enjoy!



10 SECRETS TO SMART SHOPPING

May 5th, 2008

1. Do not shop on an empty stomach. If you take a trip the grocery store when you are hungry, you tend to buy items on impulse and are less likely to stick to your shopping list. The layout of the grocery store aisles is designed for impulse buying. Ever notice all the candy at the check out stand? It is easier to avoid these temptation stations when you are not hungry.

2. Head straight for the fruit & vegetable aisle. Fresh fruits and vegetables are essential to a healthy diet. These are the things that should fill up your cart and have lots around when you are cooking or reaching for a snack on the go. tomatoes

3. Learn how to read the labels. “Sugar-free” on the label refers to sucrose (table sugar). Other sugars to look out for are glucose, dextrose, fructose, maltose, lactose, com syrup solids, corn sweeteners and hydrolyzed cornstarch. Honey and fruit juice concentrates are also sugar. Also look for other ingredi­ents such as salt and fats - ingredients listed first are present in the largest amount. Some items have a nutrition information panel that lists the amount of calories, protein, carbohydrate and fat per serving. This helps you compare the nutrients between two similar products, for example, the fat content. Certain food items list fiber, sodium, sugar and other nutrient content, as well.

4. Choose lower fat meat and poultry … and consider fish for dinner too. Avoid meats that have a thick layer of fat on the outer edge or in between the muscle (known as marbling). If a layer of fat is present, remove as much as possible before cooking. Duck has more fat than chicken, so have it less often. Fish is low in fat and some contain Omega-3 fatty acids that offer benefits for a healthy heart.

5. Think about some alternatives to meat such as tofu, lentils, nuts and beans. Use these in place of meat a couple of times per week or add them to your meat dishes so that you use less meat.

6. “Reduced fat” doesn’t mean fat free. Many products have less fat than the original product but may still contain more fat than you want. Read the label and check grams of fat per serving.

7. When buying fruit juice, look for 100% unsweetened juice. Fruit drinks, herbal teas and other flavored drinks contain a lot of sugar and little nutrients. 100% juices are best value for your money in terms of nutrient content.

8. If you are buying tuna, be sure that it is packed in water. Avoid the fish canned in oil. The added fat contributes extra calories that you do not need. Look for tuna that is packaged in foil pouches instead of tin cans. (Suggestion: Try the Star Kist Albacore Tuna packed in water in a tear open pouch. It’s easy to open, no can opener needed and you avoid the aluminum can.)

9. Avoid food items in a box. It’s always best to buy fresh food instead of making meals out of a box. Generally, there are many hidden preservatives, sugar and calories in premixed meals.

10. Try something new. Buy a new kind of food every week as they add variety to your diet and provide you with different nutrients.

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