Flaxseed Granola Bars

I’m a big fan of flaxseeds, I sprinkle them over my yogurt and sometimes on my salad but I haven’t learned to use them in any other way until I found this recipe on the New York Times by Martha Rose Shulman for making delicious granola bars with flaxseeds and chocolate.
I tried it, made few slight changes from the original recipe and now I make my own granola bars: healthy and with a great taste. Give them a try!

Become A SuperHero: Chris Evans Captain America Workout and Diet

Among comic books adapted to movies there’s one, coming out this summer, that I really look forward to: “Captain America: The First Avenger”.
Captain America has always been one of my favorite Marvel superheroes, and you wanna know why? Because it has no superhuman powers. Although as a result of the Super-Soldier Serum and "Vita-Ray" treatment, he is transformed from a frail young man into a "perfect" specimen of human development and conditioning.
Captain America's strength, endurance, agility, speed, reflexes, durability, and healing are at the highest limits of natural human potential.
Yes, Captain America is the embodiment of TheIronYou, there’s no doubt about that. Plus, he has a bad ass nigh-indestructible disc-shaped shield made from an experimental alloy of steel and the fictional vibranium that protects him from bullets and other weapons.
His costume is also pretty rad even if it’s nothing to extreme.
The fact that Captain America isn’t immortal, can’t fly or can’t make enemies bursts into flames makes him more relatable to “us” (aka normal people).
Real science has not yet been able to create the Super-Soldier Serum (too bad, uh...) so the only way to become Captain America is to train and hit the gym hard.
Exactly like actor Chris Evans had to do in order to portray Steve Rogers (Captain America alter ego) in the upcoming summer blockbuster. Let’s discover more how did he “transformed” himself into the superhero.

Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Captain America workout

Through his movie career, Chris Evans has maintained a lean, defined look. He has done this despite a challenging work schedule and a limited focus on dieting.
Also Chris Evans is not new to the superhero: he played the Human Torch in the "Fantastic Four" series.
In an interview released back in 2006 he said that “the key is dedication” and even though he professed to be unscientific about exercise and dieting, he has been pushing iron with regularity since high school. He hates the treadmill and prefers instead playing  basketball, tennis, and even football whenever possible.
Even if he wasn’t following meticulously a working out plan, he has been doing cardio and weights almost everyday since he was a teenager. This is already enough to be in good shape!
Taking a look at his physical body, Chris Evans has always maintained a lean muscular look, one which he had to improve on for this film.

Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox

In order to become Captain America Chris Evans trained two hours a day for four months without days off: "It was brutal, really brutal" the actor confessed recently in an interview. "I usually like working out. Going in sucks, but walking out, you're like, 'I'm glad I did that!'" Evans told PopSugar. "This was different. I'd walk out and I'd be like, 'I need to vomit. I hate this trainer. I hate this movie. I want to go to sleep for a week.' It was just relentless."

In another interview he explained to Britain's Men's Health magazine "It was grueling, and I'd find any excuse possible not to go. But I had to do it. I wasn't trying to lose or tone - I was just looking to gain. The rule of thumb was: if you're not eating, go get something."

The routine

Chris Evans’ workout was mainly based on bodyweight exercises. This was because being always on the road bodyweight exercises were the only thing he could stay consistent with and claims that they helped him achieve the “Hollywood look“.
The bodyweight exercises allowed Chris to move quick and maintain his balance so that he doesn’t get hurt during the filming of the movie.
However, he did suffer for minor injuries "I don't think my body is supposed to be as big as it got for Captain America. There was a strain on some joints. After a month and a half of training I found my right shoulder would click and my left pec would hurt. There are certain things that hurt more than others. But that seems to be pretty universal. Every guy I know has some sort of freak injury in their body.”
The standard bodyweight exercise are so pull-ups, push-ups and sit-ups and those made up a majority of his workout.

Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures

But you cant’ become Captain America just with bodyweight exercises, and in fact Chris’ workout consisted also of plyometrics and also strength training.
Let’s also remember that Chris’ goal was to look as much as possible as Captain America, that is to say he was working the muscles that will actually show-up on camera.
Chris must have therefore done a lot of: deadlifts, bench presses, shoulders presses and squats. These movements build the most muscle but also increase your metabolism so you burn more fat.
Captain America in the comics had wide shoulders and muscular abs so Chris’ trainer also made him do compound exercises where the core is activated in any movement, helping therefore defining the abs.
“It was an ever-evolving workout, in which we always found ways to work around the parts of me that were sore” the American actor explained in an interview. 

Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Captain America Diet

Chris Evans diet for the movie was, according to him the hardest part: “The workout was one thing but the eating was the tuff part. You go to the gym and it’s exhausting but then you go home and I since I had to gain mass and I had to gain size, this is only gonna happen if you eat proteins. So it was just a matter of going home and just constantly eat those bland pieces of chicken”
Chris diet was probable based on the  so-called carb cycling, which is very popular among celebrity diets. An example of it goes as follows:
1. Protein and carbs up until workout for the day
2. Post-workout and until bed time, keep carbs low and focus on protein.
3. Off days should be kept quite balanced, possibly lower in carbohydrate, but not too strict
4. Binge once in a while, but don’t exaggerate and completely throw the diet out the window.
Protein shakes should have also made part of its eating regimen, this because of the limited amount of time given to him to bulk up, let’s say three (maybe four) months maximum. In such case you have to resort at least to whey and glutamine to achieve results!

Considerations

One of the most important things we can take from Chris Evans and his workout and diet and, in general to his approach to health is to be consistent and patient.
This is the point that I would like to emphasize as far as celebrity workout and diets are concerned.
Finally, just remember that actors/models weren’t given any more special talent than you or Super-Soldier Serum and "Vita-Ray" treatment when it comes to health.
If they achieve a body that you appreciate, it’s because they put in the hard work every day. If you have the same passion and want for the body you’re trying to achieve, you can have it.

Chia Seeds, The Aztec Superfood

I discovered Chia seeds through my friend Alex. He became a vegan almost two years ago, and since then he's always on the hunt for new foods that can help him maintain a balanced diet. He told me a lot about chia seeds (the so-called “Aztec superfood”) as being a good source of protein, fiber and an array of precious nutrients.
I got curious, went to Whole Foods, bought a pack, got back home and throw a handful in my green protein smoothie. And guess what: I loveeeed it. It thickens up nicely and adds a certain je ne sais quoi!
I wanted to know more about it, so I did my fair share of research and discovered the following...

Robbie Williams, Lady Gaga and Ashton Kutcher: Three Bikram Yoga Devotees!

What Robbie Williams, Lady Gaga and Ashton Kutcher have in common?
Ok, yes, they’re famous people, we know that, but they also share one passion: Bikram yoga!
I just picked three VIPs but there are a lot of other personalities that are devotees of this practice; for instance Carmen Electra, Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy are also raving about it.
But wait, the aim of this post is not to do name dropping. I mean, if I can convince you to give Bikram yoga a shot just by mentioning the like of Gaga I’m more than happy.
But actually what’s interesting is how practicing Bikram yoga has helped those three personalities in different ways.
Let’s explore a little bit more about it...

Is There Anything Like Too Much Green Tea?

I’m big time addicted to green tea. I drink at least two “Venti” green tea first thing with my breakfast; then one during the morning, one after lunch, another one at mid-afternoon and after dinner I usually have decaffeinated green tea.
"Pouring" all this green tea into my body (besides forcing me to make numerous stops at the restrooms during the day) got me thinking: “Is it possible that I'm abusing it?"

The Best Protein Brownies

When you train/workout a lot, in order to get the necessary daily protein intake we have sometimes to resort to protein bars. There’s nothing wrong with it. Your body needs readily available amino-acids and these snacks do the trick.
However, most of the protein bars you can buy at the health store contain a bunch of stuff with unpronounceable names. In addition, the taste is often off-putting (personally, I still have to find one that I really like).
The solution? Make your own, simple as that. Maybe even in the form of brownies.
What about that?
I tried several recipes over the last couple years and perfected this one, which is has become a staple of my diet.
These are truly amazing brownies, loaded with protein!

Is Whole Milk Really Fattening?

You’re at the supermarket about to grab the milk’s carton for the week or at Starbucks looking at the pitchers deciding what kind of milk to put in your coffee. What's going on in your mind? Probably this: should I choose the skim milk and keep the pounds off or go for the taste and have reduced-fat milk?
If you were to follow the USDA recommendations (and probably your trainer) you should go for skim. Actually the idea that skim is better has become so popular that in some coffee houses you can't even find reduced-fat milk not to mention whole.
But is it really true? Let’s dig into this question a little bit more.

The Goodness Of Cayenne Pepper

Writing this article is for me somehow challenging, at least as challenging as it has been to integrate cayenne pepper in my eating regimen.
Why? Because I’m not a big fan of hot/spicy food. I know, my taste buds have some limitations. I tried to overcome them but it proved to be a very difficult task.
Still, I now make use of cayenne pepper because its health benefits are almost unbelievable.
It can do almost everything from kill cancer cells in the prostate, lungs, and pancreas to immediately stop a heart attack within 30 seconds. Amazing right?
Cayenne’s reputation keeps growing among medical researchers as well as alternative health afficionados.
So let’s explore a little bit more what this is all about...

From Garum To Ketchup

I’m sure that you know what is ketchup, but probably you haven't got the slightest idea of what garum is.
However, garum and ketchup are two different sauces unite by a long history. But today, the latter is viewed as bland, commonplace and a culinary atrocity, while the former is considered an exciting, exotic, and mysterious condiment.
As a matter of fact they represent two different eras: garum represents a bygone one that many historians wish was a culinary reality, and chefs nostalgically try to recreate; while ketchup is the epitome of modern commercial days that many gourmet chefs wish was history and try to get rid from their menu.
But both sauces have something in common: they have been surrounded by wrong myths. Garum, for instance, was neither invented by Romans nor did it disappear when Rome fell; and ketchup was neither invented by Americans nor, was in the beginning sweet, thick or tomato based.

Agata Segafredo | From Party Girl To Half-Marathoner

World acclaimed fashion photographer and stylist Agata Segafredo, has spent most of her life travelling around the world. Being the daughter of an Argentinian mother and an Italian father, since she was a child she never stopped wandering between Europe and South America.
Then, as a grown up woman, she moved to New York to further her education and experience in the fashion industry.
Needless to say it, as almost everybody dealing in the fashion business, Agata has been very active on the social side. I mean, that’s big part of that industry: shows, shootings and - most of all - huge parties.
However, she comes from a family of very sporty people and, having that heritage in her DNA she just need it a little push and make something that, even to her, few months earlier seemed unachievable.
But, let’s start from the beginning...

All On Sweet Potato Diet

Since I’ve posted the article on sweet potatoes, many readers have been asking more information on Glee’s star Matthew Morrison sweet potato diet.

Let’s start by saying that there is no such thing as a sweet potato diet. What Matt Morrison did was to eat only sweet potatoes for three days before the photo shooting in order to get rid of all water weight, thus look super ripped in the pictures.
Let’s not hide it, this guy is not an health rookie.
He follows a rigorous working out routine (even when he’s busy filming all day on the set he still finds at least 30 minutes to exercise core and abs) and sticks to a very strict eating regimen. According to the interview published in Details magazine, he avoids carbs and sugars as much as possible, never eat fruits after dark and so on.
You might have figured it out by now that the sweet potato diet was, for Matt Morrison, just the icing on the cake - that is to say the last trick in order to look as good as possible.

Pre-Race Nutrition

You registered for the race few months ago and finally the “big” day is coming. Just 24 hours and you’ll finally cross the starting line and (hopefully) also the finish line.
Truth is, those final 24 hours before the big race are always filled with nervous anticipation, especially if it’s your first time. Over time, that feeling slowly diminishes, but unfortunately never goes completely away even after years of racing (I can tell you from my experience that it never does!).
All the ‘what ifs’ fill your head. What if I get cramps? What if I feel sick? What if I run out of energy? These things are all part of the excitement of choosing to participate in a sport event versus hiding under the covers on a Sunday morning.
With all these thoughts flooding your head, there’s another critical component to your final countdown to the gun – what do I eat? This is a very easy question to answer, but I won’t be able to give you the answer, actually: you’re the one who has the answer!
Not one menu is a perfect fit for all athletes; but there are some general rules that everyone can use as a guide during the final 24 hours leading into your race.

Book Review: The 4-Hour Body

This is the first time we are reviewing a book on The Iron You but I feel this one is really worth doing it.
Why? Because when my roomie Alex got it she red it in less than a week, and you could tell she was really loving it. Also, when I borrowed it from her I seriously couldn’t stop reading it...so what book are we talking about?
“The 4-Hour Body” by Timothy Ferriss

Pineapple: Nature's Most Powerful Anti-Inflammatory

Athletes have to deal with injures, unfortunately, quite often. The most common include hip bursitis, pulled hamstring, runner’s knee, shin splints,  ankle sprain, achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, arch pain, tennis elbow, wrist injuries, SLAP lesion just to name few.
As far as I’m concerned when I get injured my first reaction is anger followed by a feeling of depression, normally I start to wonder “Why this has to happen to me?”, “I’m always so careful...” and so on.
If the injury is not too severe, and doesn't necessitates the intervention of a doctor, I usually rest for a few days, and maybe pop-up some of the most common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as aspirin).
However, as I don't like taking medications, I tend to resort to the most potent anti-inflammatory that mother nature has given us: pineapple.
Let’s discover why pineapple can be considered the best anti-inflammatory medicament.

Big Breakfast, Small Breakfast or No Breakfast?

The role of breakfast energy in total daily energy intake is a matter of debate. I recently red in the January issue of the Nutritional Journal an article entitled “Impact of breakfast on daily energy intake - an analysis of absolute versus relative breakfast calories”.
According to such research if you’re trying to lose weight than the answer to the question “Do you need breakfast?” is maybe not.
In fact, the study concludes that “reduced breakfast energy intake is associated with lower total daily intake”. Thus, overweight people should consider reducing breakfast calories as a simple option to improve their daily energy balance.
But what about all those studies and researches conducted over the years that have established that breakfast is the only meal you’re not supposed to skip?
Several experiments in the past have demonstrated that an energy-rich breakfast does not induce subsequent under-eating to compensate for the extra calories consumed in comparison to a day that started with a breakfast containing 45% less energy. But, on the other hand, different researches have demonstrated that an increasing percentage of breakfast to overall energy intake is associated with lower daily energy intake.

The results of these studies are apparently contradictory. However, these studies have most of the times a substantially different methodological approach. Their analysis is based either on absolute breakfast calories in relation to total daily intake or on the percentage of breakfast to total calories in relation to total daily intake on people.
So, let’s see more in detail what this ultimate study is about...

Sam Johnson | A Model's Workout

Yesterday I met with my friend Sam Johnson at Equinox in the Meatpacking district for a workout session.
Sam is an actor, a poet but most of all a model for a highly regarded agency in NYC (and, of course, he’s also represented in London, Paris and Milan).
Needless to say it, he always needs to be in perfect shape for his job.
But Sam is a very healthy person and to him training and exercising just represent a way to keep a good balance in his life and, also, improve the quality of it both physically and mentally.
Truth to be told, Sam is an athlete and loves sports. He played (and still plays) basketball, football, golf, volleyball, baseball and hockey just to name a few. He also like winter sports like cross country ski, snowboarding, etc...
So it’s not only about the look, there’s much more to it actually!
There’s no doubt that Sam fits perfectly the profile of the IronYou and that is why I thought it was a good idea to share with you some of his training tips.

Sam in an editorial

Sweet Potato: Hollywood's Stars Favorite Food

Today I’m going to talk about one of my absolute favorite foods: sweet potatoes.
Sweet potatoes are not only delicious, they are one of the best foods on the planet. Lately they got a lot of coverage especially after a bunch of Hollywood stars have confessed to be heavy consumers of this food.
For instance Glee’s star Matthew Morrison claims, in England’s Mirror newspaper, that he accentuated his six-pack abs for a Details magazine photo shoot with a strange diet trick: for three days, he ate only sweet potatoes.  “I had to have a six-pack on the show,” he said. “The potato acts as a sponge and your body literally shrinks and gets ripped and tight.”
Also, singer Usher, confessed that in order to get a six pack, he will throw in his diet a limited amount of carbs only in the form of  sweet potatoes.
Are you curious now? Let’s dig a little bit more into sweet potato and discover what’s the magic about it!

You Can Binge On Dark Chocolate!

This is one of the best news in years, well, at least for me. Several studies published in prestigious scientific journals say that dark chocolate (and only dark chocolate, not white chocolate or milk chocolate) is good for you. Very good for you.
I know, you probably have already heard about this, but today we’re going to explain you exactly why dark chocolate makes it into the healthy food list.

Physique 57?

My friend - and international renowned model Kerstin M. - told me the other day, while we were having coffee at Starbucks, about this new workout routine called Physique 57®. Since she seemed really into it (and told me a lot of deal about it) I got curious, did some research and then decided to give it a try.

The Magic of Oatmeal

Today I want to give some room to my favorite cereal, one that makes all my mornings a little bit better: oatmeal!

I like to say that oatmeal is it’s a perfect 10. You can eat it at breakfast to propel you through sluggish mornings, a couple of hours before a workout to feel fully energized by the time you hit the weights, or at night to avoid a late-night binge.
Oatmeal can be far more than just your breakfast cereal, it can help you make it through your day no matter what you're up to.