[originally posted in PersonalDevelopmentMaster]

Computers and other gadgets have become pivotal in the lives of most people under 50. Technology is infused into the everyday lives of your children in ways most of us never imagined. Whatever happened to playing outside?

Most technology involves a lot of sitting still, which doesn’t use our children’s natural abundance of energy. However, if you’ve ever tried to get your kids to unplug from these devices, you know what a chore that can be!

You’ve most likely set limits on how long your kids can fiddle with their gadgets. However, they’ll probably need help finding things to do when they’re not allowed to plug in. Why not play outside as a family?

Take advantage of these benefits of old-fashioned fun outdoors

1. Demonstrate the importance of outdoor activities. If your kids see you take the time to stop what you’re doing inside and go outside to do something completely different, they’ll assume it must be the thing to do. Play outdoors consistently with them from an early age, and they’ll adopt your active lifestyle.

2. Offer quality time. Spending time outside with your kids provides wonderful opportunities to see what they like to do. You can also offer them activities from your own life. Teach them how to play freeze tag and all those other “old-fashioned” games you used to play outdoors.

3. Get physical. When outside, most people are moving around physically. Riding bikes, going for a jog, walking, throwing around the football, or playing kick ball are healthy outdoor activities. You’ll get a good workout and so will your kids.

4. Develop your children’s coordination. Whether you’re tossing a ball, walking around the block, or riding bikes, your child’s dexterity and coordination will grow when you regularly play outdoors together.

5. Grow their passions. Being consistently active outdoors with your kids introduces them to various activities. They just may find some that bring joy and fascination to their lives.

* There’s no reason this has to mean sports or competitive games if your kids aren’t into those. You may have a budding naturopath on your hands, or a marine biologist. But if you didn’t go outside together as a family, you’d never know, and neither would they

6. Unwind. There’s no better way to teach your children how to discharge stress than to go outside and connect with nature every day. You’ll feel better, calmer and more relaxed, and so will your kids.

7. Make memories and traditions. Being outside together is a family activity you can practice all your lives. Whether your kids are 5, 15 or 25 years old, if they grew up playing outdoors with you, you’ve got an easy family tradition you can do anywhere.

Although letting your kids play endlessly with their computers or video games may seem easier than a battle of the wills, physical activity is still crucial, especially for growing bodies. Make an effort to squeeze outdoor time into the schedule, even for 30 minutes a day. You’ll feel better, connect more, and discover all kinds of wonderful things about yourselves and each other!

For more information regarding getting your kids excited, The healthy eating for kids website has tons of fun recipes that will turn mealtime into funtime!

1. Tomatoes – This plump red FRUIT provides a powerful punch for men especially. Yes, it is a fruit, not a vegetable. If it has seeds, its considered a fruit. You might of heard of the powerful nutrient in tomatoes called lycopene. Lycopene has been show to be beneficial in preventing prostate cancer in men. To absorb this wonderful nutrient the tomatoes need to be broken down such as tomato sauce and tomato juice.

2. Oysters – Don’t pass on these slimy sea mollusks just yet. Oysters are a high quality protein source which is great for building lean muscle. They also provide heart healthy omega 3′s as well as another prized nutrient that every man should have in their diet. Oysters have been known for centuries as a libido enhancer. This is mainly from the high concentration of Zinc. Most men today are shown to be deficient in this vital nutrient. It aids in testosterone production which gives us men strength and energy in the gym as well as in the bedroom.

3. Brazil Nuts – Nuts are a great nutrient dense snack full of fiber, healthy fats and even protein. Brazil nuts especially are high in selenium. Brazil nuts may contain as much as 544 micrograms of selenium per ounce. Just one Brazil nut will give you your recommended daily allowance of the selenium. This mineral is crucial in antioxidant production in your body to fight off disease.

4. Broccoli – We all hear how good this green cruciferous vegetables is for us. But most men don’t really know how beneficial broccoli really is for our health and longevity. More and more evidence is mounting showing the anti-cancer benefits in this super food. Look at broccoli as “nature’s brooms” as they are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that clean your arteries and keep your cells strong and healthy throughout your body.

5. Flaxseed – This little seed is loaded with nutrients. A lot of people know flaxseeds are a good source of healthy fats and fiber. But the mistake they make is eating the seeds whole. For your body to absorb the fats, flaxseeds need to be ground before they are eaten. A coffee grinder is great for this or you can buy organic milled flaxseed. Ground flaxseed is great to add to cereal, oatmeal, burgers, meatballs, shakes and stews. Store ground flaxseeds in the fridge to prevent oxidation of the healthy fats. With all the talk on plastics in our environment and the phytoestrogens they mimic, lignans in flaxseeds help the body get rid of these toxic compounds.

There you have it, The Top 5 Foods For Men that you may not be eating but should…

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2.  Once you arrive and sit down at your table, skip the bread and alcohol.  There is a reason they serve you this before your meal.  It’s because it has been proven in studies bread and alcohol stimulate your appetite.  If you really want a drink, stick to one glass of wine or one light beer without the bread.

3.  When looking at the menu, remember that you don’t have to order something exactly as its shown on the menu.  You are paying for the food, so don’t be afraid to ask for certain dishes with or without certain ingredients.

4.  You don’t have to be a nutritionist  to know you should stay away from the obvious food choices that are breaded, battered or deep fried. Also be wary of anything smothered in sauces. Remember to ask how the dish is prepared.

5.  Go for any lean protein source such as beef, chicken, pork or fish.  Pair it with any side dish like a green salad or fresh grilled veggies.  Think protein and fats for your meal and avoid the processed carbs.

Take the time to relax and eat slow, have some good conversation with others and learn to enjoy the whole dining out experience instead of just focusing on the food.

Learn the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly” in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

All they are doing is putting their body in unnatural position, which limits overload and increases chances of injury. The bench press is a perfect example. You see people with their feet in the air, using a thumb less grip etc. All of this makes you handle less weight because you cannot generate maximum power due to your body’s position.

When you execute the bench press you should maintain 4 contact points: feet on the ground, butt and upper back on the bench, and hands on the bar. Keep these points set while maintaining a natural arch in your lower back. This will put you into a strong and sturdy position, allowing you to achieve maximum power and overload. Think of your body as a coiled spring when bench pressing and explode using the position of your entire body at the bottom of each rep.

Remember, the more power you can generate, the more weight you can lift. The more weight you can lift, the more overload you create. The more overload you create, the more muscle you put on! Try these tips the next time you bench. I guarantee that you will bench more weight the very first day…

Learn the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly” in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

In terms of diet, most people are aware of what is good to eat and what foods are detrimental to their health. But, how come the majority of society is still consuming tons of artery clogging fast foods? Mainly, because of convenience. With todays fast pace lifestyle most people find it difficult to prepare the healthy meals they know they should be, and if you’re an athlete trying to put on muscle and increase performance proper nutrition is even more important. You want to try and have the foundation of your diet based around highly nutritious whole foods. But with the advancements in sports nutrition science, your next meal is only a few seconds a way.

The market is now overflowing with companies that provide protein shakes, weight loss products and meal-replacement powders that have the proper ratio of protein, carbs, and fats, plus all your required vitamins and minerals. These all allow you to build lean muscle while reducing body fat. But with all the marketing claims out there just make sure to ignore the hype and follow the science.

I think a good place to start to make sure you are feeding your body right is to make sure you get in 3 solid food meals a day. Then add in 2-3 snacks in between meals or use protein or meal-replacements powders between meals and you have your bases covered. So it’s not whether you should eat only food or supplements. It’s combining a healthy diet with proper supplementation in order to keep you strong and healthy in the years to come…

Learn the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly” in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

The first thing to do is to have one meal each of the three days, that’s consists of freshly broiled salmon, a nice green salad with olive oil and lemon juice for dressing, and for dessert, cantaloupe and fresh berries. These foods are important because, first of all the salmon. Salmon is a wonderful food, it is high in very absorbable protein, it also has essential fatty acids, remember there are good fats and bad fats, these are the good fats, the omega 3 oils are very rich, they decrease risk of cardiovascular disease and cut inflammation. When you cut inflammation you will see your skin glow and you will have increased radiance.

In addition to protein and EFA’s, salmon contains DMAE; DMAE is known chemically as dimethyl-amino-ethanol. It is a substance in fish and is why your grandmother used to call it “brain food”. Well, she was right, DMAE increases cognitive ability, it improves your memory and your problem solving ability, which we could all use. It works by making nerves more efficient and acts as a membrane stabilizer, so it has some antioxidant capabilities. It also affects our muscles, muscle get toned because of nerves innervating them, DMAE will help in increasing muscle tone.

Now for the other two meals. For breakfast you should have an egg white omelet because the eggs whites are high in protein. The yolks are excluded because they do contain some saturated fats, but I am no fanatical about that. So I suggest 1 yolk for every 4 whites in your omelet. So remember that’s your first finger, the protein. You can also increase the egg whites or add in some smoked salmon to up the protein content depending on your body’s demands. Next, would be some fresh melon. Fresh melon is your low glycemic carbohydrate. It is high in vitamin A, and it also contains a lot of water. This water will also help hydrate your skin and make you look better. I also recommend some fresh berries. Remember, they have many benefits and taste great as well.

For your third meal of the day I would recommend some white meat chicken and large salad. You want to have a lot of salad with olive oil and lemon juice. The olive oil is not only a good fat but it also contains antioxidants, especially extra virgin olive oil, it’s called hydroxytyrosol. You have to remember that diet directly affects your health. If we look at the Mediterranean people, we see that that they have lower incidence of heart disease than North America. They have a tremendous amount of olive oil in their diet and fish. These healthy fats decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attack.

Now that’s your three meals. But you also want to have two snacks as well. As with your meals, the three-finger check still applies, protein, low-glycemic carbohydrate, and essential fats. A good example of a snack would be some fresh white turkey from the deli, an apple, and some nuts to get your good fats. Again don’t forget water. I know you probably want to but water is so important to make you feel better and look better. So remember 8-10 glass throughout the day.

A question that usually arise when people see this meal plan is “What if it doesn’t work?”. If this doesn’t work, you were cheating, because this always works, these laws always apply. Because when you cut inflammation in your heart and in your brain, your skin will show you by looking better. Your skin is nothing more than a monitor or barometer of what’s going on inside of you. When you look in the mirror after these three days you will say to yourself that you always want to look this way and feel this way.

This will then take you to the next level where you will eat this way on a regular basis but with greater variety. Following these food choices will go a long way to help you get fit and lose weight.

Learn the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly” in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

Hey, squatting is hard. Especially starting off they are challenging to learn and awkward. Then when you get up to 300, 400 lbs plus on the bar they are quite intimidating. Again, they are hard work. But this is why they are the most effective exercise for your entire body that you will ever do.

So learn to do them correctly, learn to go heavy and learn to go deep. This question had many debates of how low should you go? I believe the most effective depth for complete muscular overload and control when squatting is to go down until your quads just go below parallel. Once you master the physical aspect of this exercise, then all is left is to overcome that fear of the intense effort that is required.

Never sacrifice form and depth for a heavier weight especially with this exercise. The nature of this movement can allow some impressive poundage’s and can increase chance of injury if your form is not correct. Gradually try to add a couple pounds to the bar each week and before you know it you’ll be on your way to achieving the awesome leg development you’re after.

Learn the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly” in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com