Working out at … Kohl’s?

Fitness, ,

Kohl’s has taken on something to try to attract more customers. They have recently partnered with Planet Fitness. They are shrinking of their stores and experimentally leasing space to Planet Fitness. Previously, some of Kohl’s stores were partnered with supermarket chain Aldi as well.

The downside would be smaller inventory and fewer workers. In an effort to compete with Amazon, they are expanding their sights. They also partnered with WW (formerly Weight Watchers) to open a studio for diet coaching and workshops.

As brick and mortar stores are closing across the country, Kohl’s is trying to expand and future-proof their stores. So maybe as you work out and lose the weight, you’ll be shopping for new clothes!

Source
CNN
Planet Fitness

Renaissance Periodization (RP)

Fitness, Healthy Eating, , ,

RP is a program that integrates diet with training. They sell products like “training templates” and “diet templates”. These templates allow you see your personalized program. They ask for your weight within the pound and gender and then you can purchase them for about $109.

They have a fair number of RP Diet Templates such as the original one, a simplified one, even a vegan one. They have books as well. The costliest program is a 3-month Partner Program Diet Plan which runs $1,050.00 for you and a friend or partner that includes one-on-one coaching. The training templates are Excel Spread Sheets for you to fill in. They are customized to your goals and program.

The simplified program has more flexibility with meal times and less measuring. It is more styled toward weight loss while the original program is geared toward athletic performance. The Original program will tell you what to eat and give specific times to eat.

Want To Spice Up Your Fitness Routine?

Fitness, ,

Recently it has been determined that Lightsaber Dueling has been accepted by the French fencing body as a competitive sport. For all those Star Wars couch potatoes, here is a way to get fit and enjoy your passion!

There are many leagues all over the world competing in lightsaber. There are different styles and forms depending on what you want. In any case it looks like a good aerobic full body workout.

There are many places to learn and join in. Here are some sites you can check out.
The Saber Authority – located in Singapore
Saberation – offers different forms for Sport, Fitness, or Entertainment
Total Saber Fit – for rapid fat loss and muscle toning
Meetup – find a lightsaber group near you
Saber Legion – a world-wide saber club

Buckwheat

Healthy Eating, , , ,

So what is buckwheat? We’ve all heard of buckwheat pancakes and buckwheat noodles, also called soba, but where does it come from, and what else can be made from it?

Buckwheat is actually related to rhubarb and sorrel. It got its name because of the triangular shape of the seeds, or groats, that resemble the beech nut and because it is used like wheat is used.

Buckwheat is gluten-free which makes it good for those who cannot tolerate gluten. You can cook the whole groats eat them like cereal. Since they are used like wheat, you will find them in products like cookies, cakes, crackers, and breads.

Toasted buckwheat is used to make kasha. This would be different from the raw buckwheat groats. They are good source of fiber and have a low glycemic index.

Source

Gluten-Free Products

Health Issues, Healthy Eating, , , ,

We’ve talked about gluten before. More and more gluten-free products seem to be appearing on the grocery shelves.

We’ve seen pasta made from quinoa, rice, potato, brown rice, corn and rice, red lentils, buckwheat, sweet potato, chick peas, pumpkin, green peas, black beans, mixtures that include some of the above along with amaranth and corn flours. Soba noodles are gluten-free as they are made from buckwheat – a seed not a grain.

We’ve added red lentil penne to hearty bean soups for a nice changeup. You don’t want to overcook gluten-free pastas as they will be limp and may lose their flavor. Follow cooking directions on the packaging for the best. Gluten-free pasta has come a long way from the first attempts.

You can also find a lot of gluten-free breads on the market as well. Looking at various types they use rice flour, tapioca flour, sorghum flour, potato starch as part of the ingredients.