Friday, October 27, 2006

Recipe of the day.... French Toast (Low Fat)

Im going to give this a try with brown bread....

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups soy milk
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp sweetener
1 tsp cinnamon
8 bread slices
fruit (garnish)


Method
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, flour, yeast, sweetener, and cinnamon vigorously. Soak 1 slice of bread in batter until bread is gooey. Fry in a non-stick pan or a lightly oiled frying pan on medium heat until golden. Flip and fry other side. Repeat until batter is gone.
2. Garnish with fruit and maple syrup.

Makes 8 servings (1 slice of bread each.)

Thursday, October 26, 2006

More Car Quotes

My personal favourite....Autocar on the mighty Evo VI GSR

"The figures speak for themselves: 0-60mph in 4.4sec, 0-100mph in 11.2sec, 150mph flat-out and, perhaps the most accurate marker of eye-watering overtaking ability, 30-70mph in 4.1sec. In bald terms you need nothing less than a Ferrari 550 Maranello to go faster. If the roads are even remotely wet, however, you can forget the contest altogether – the Mitsubishi would leave the Ferrari for dead."

Car Quotes

Some interesting quotes on some all time greats.
Autocar Magazine on the race between the F1 and the Veyron
"Out of nowhere the McLaren’s rear tyres suddenly light up and, after an eruption of V12 engine wail and wheelspin, it is gone, accelerating towards the far horizon. After 3.2sec it hits 60mph, after 6.3sec it reaches 100mph and after 10sec it passes 135mph. At which point the Bugatti sets off.
There is virtually no wheelspin whatsoever: the Veyron is four-wheel drive. What there is is noise – a peculiar kind of signature that sounds a bit like two TVR Griffiths on full reheat plus an industrial-strength air hose, all at once. And to accompany this cacophony there is mind-bending, heart-stopping acceleration the like of which has never been felt before in a road car.
After just 2.46sec the Veyron reaches 60mph, and barely a couple of seconds after that it bursts into three figures. But the thing you’ll really struggle to get your head round, the statistic you’ll be boring your mates with for some years to come, is this; despite setting off 10 seconds after the McLaren – when the F1 is already travelling at 130mph – the Bugatti reaches 200mph at exactly the same time as the F1. Think about that. I have. And I still can’t quite fathom how rapid the Veyron must be to pull it off."

Monday, October 23, 2006

Strength Training Cheats -4

THE BICEPS CURL
The typical cheat: Leaning back to curl a heavy weight. Why it's dumb: It transfers the load unevenly from the front of your body to the back, and that can damage the muscles, ligaments, and joints of your back. How to perfect your form: Stand against a wall when you curl, or hold a Swiss ball against the wall with your back, says Cosgrove. To practice even stricter form, keep your elbows in contact with the wall or ball for the entire lift.
How to cheat smart: Try this version of the "cheat curl." Hold a pair of heavy dumbbells at arm's length at your sides, palms facing each other. Keeping your back naturally arched, lean forward at your hips and bend your legs until the dumbbells are next to your knees. Curl the dumbbells, push your hips forward, and straighten your legs all at the same time, until you're standing upright and the dumbbells are almost resting on your shoulders. The benefit: You'll curl heavy weights without hurting your back. For an even greater muscle-building effect, lower the dumbbells as slowly as you can.

Strength Training Cheats -3

THE SQUAT
The typical cheat: Doing the "lazy man's squat." That is, reversing the movement before your thighs are parallel to the floor. Why it's dumb: It increases your risk of knee injury. University of Auburn researchers found that the most unstable knee angle is 90 degrees--when your upper thighs are about 2 inches above parallel to the floor. How to perfect your form: Lower yourself until the backs of your thighs touch your calves, says Alwyn Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., owner of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, California.
How to cheat smart: Use the "quarter squat" to supersize lagging quadriceps. Choose a weight that's about 20 percent more than you'd normally use for a full squat, and lower your body about 6 inches--until your knees are bent 60 degrees--pause, then return to the starting position. The benefit: The quarter squat allows you to use heavier weights on your quadriceps while limiting the involvement of your hamstrings and calves. And it's safe because you reverse the movement well before your knees reach the 90-degree point.

Strength Training Cheats -2

THE BENCH PRESS
The typical cheat: Bouncing a heavy barbell off your chest to help lift it back to the starting position. Why it's dumb: It could kill you. "This may be the riskiest thing men do in the gym," says Craig Ballantyne, C.S.C.S., owner of Workout manuals.com. Bouncing the bar can lead to a loss of control, putting you at risk of a crushed neck and asphyxiation.
How to perfect your form: Before you bench, put a rolled-up towel down the middle of your upper body so that one end is at the center of your chest. Aim for the end of the towel on each repetition. Concentrating on accuracy ensures that you'll have control of the weight, says Ballantyne.
How to cheat smart: Try this touch-and-go "towel press." Use 50 percent of the weight that you usually use for six to eight repetitions. Do eight sets of three repetitions with 30 seconds' rest after each set. Place the towel on your chest and lower the bar as quickly as you can; as soon as the bar touches the towel, push it up as fast as possible. Imagine that if the bar touches the towel for too long, it'll burn your chest. The benefit: You'll learn to lift fast under control, which will translate into greater strength when you do a normal bench-press workout, Ballantyne says.

Strength Training Cheats

Got to try this sometime....

THE HANGING KNEE RAISE
The typical cheat: Raising your knees to your chest without curling your torso, which is the key to working your abdominal muscles, says John Williams, C.S.C.S., co-owner of Spectrum Conditioning in Port Washington, New York.
Why it's dumb: It makes the focus of the exercise your hip flexors, not your abs.
How to perfect your form: Grab a pullup bar with a shoulder-width, overhand grip and hang from the bar with your knees slightly bent and feet together. Imagine that you have no legs and tilt your pelvis as high as you can, by pulling your hips up and in. Aim for your knees to touch your shoulders.
How to cheat smart: Perform an "incline reverse crunch." Click on Incline Reverse Crunch in related media to see a video demo. Lie on a slant board with your hips lower than your head, knees slightly bent. Grab the board's handles and pull your hips upward and inward, keeping your knees at the same angle throughout the move. Once you can do three sets of 15 repetitions while holding a 10-pound dumbbell between your feet, go back to the hanging version. The benefit: For those who aren't strong enough to do the hanging knee raise with perfect form, the slant-board variation is the best way to cheat without cheating your abs.