ASPARAGUS

-Can be steamed, boiled, grilled, sauted, roasted, microwaved

-Thick spears are more tender than thin spears

-Cooks quickly (5-8 minutes)

Try asparagus these easy ways:

-Marinate asparagus for 30 minutes in Italian dressing or marinade of your choice. Then grill for 5 minutes on each side.

-Steam asparagus in a saucepan or steamer in a small amount of boiling water. Fresh asparagus will be crisp-tender in 5-8 minutes.

-Step up your stir fry by adding chopped asparagus to broccoli, rell bell peppers, and chicken or shrimp .

Nutritional Information for 100 grams of asparagus, cooked:
Calories: 20 (only 5 per spear!)
Protein: 2.2g
Fat: .2g
Total Carbs: 3.6g
Fiber: .7g
Calcium: 21mg
Iron .6mg
Sodium: 1mg
Potassium: 183mg
Vitamin A 900

Asparagus is a great low-sodium source of potassium, fiber, folate, thiamin, vitamin B6, and inulin.

Derek's Supersets for a Killer Full Body Workout:

Supersets are a great way to increase your cardiovascular activity on the gym floor. These exercises complement each other and will both build strength and burn fat.

Do the first exercise then the second with little or no rest in between. When complete, rest one to two minutes. Go again (the first exercise and then the second right away) and then rest again for two or three more sets.

Superset 1 (3-4 Sets):
1. Dumbbell Squat with Shoulder Press (10-12 reps)
2. Alternating Dumbbell Step-ups (10 reps on each leg)

Superset 2 (3-4 Sets):
1. Barbell Dead lift (8-10 reps)
2. Box/Bench Jumps (10 reps)

Superset 3 (3-4 Sets):
1. Hack Squat Machine (12-15 reps)
2. Plyometric Lunge (20 reps)

Finish with 15-25 minutes of cardio.

Superset 1: Dumbbell Squat with Shoulder Press
Pic 1: Starting Position
Pic 2: Down into Dumbbell Squat
Pic 3: Up into Shoulder Press

Getting the "Good Fats" Into Your Diet

Calories from dietary fat should be no more than 5% of your total caloric intake.

The easiest was to keep dietary fats to a minimum is to eliminate fatty foods from your diet.

However, your body still needs certain fats - called Essential Fatty Acids or "good fats"- which are found only in the foods you eat.

These good fats help your body absorb nutrients from foods and provide energy reserves, insulation and cushioning for your organs.

You can get these good fats into your diet by adding these foods which are high in EFA's:

-almost all vegetables, especially leafy green vegtables like spinach, kale and collards, and avocados.

-almost all fruits, nuts, grains and seeds especially sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and walnuts.

-fish & shellfish (want to eat more salmon? try the recipe below)

-cold-pressed unrefined canola, soy, corn, safflower, and sunflower oil, flaxseed and flaxseed oil

There are many daily supplements available - you can find gelcaps of omega-3 oil, fish oil, primrose oil and flaxseed oil.

Try increasing your good fats - you may notice softer skin and hair, happier mood and have a bit more energy!

Which is better for losing fat - cardio or weights?

Both cardiovascular (aerobic) training and weight training can be very effective at promoting fat loss.

Aerobic exercise burns fat during the session. The herder your aerobic workout, the more fat you will burn during your aerobic session.

Weight lifting, on the other hand, burns less fat during the workout, but your metabolism will stay elevated as your body recovers from an intense workout, which burns fat between workouts.

It is best to include both hard aerobics and intense weight training if your want to be both lean and muscular.

Check out the Exercise of the Month above for a great full-body weight room workout that also incorporates intense aerobic activity.

What are some cool places for outdoor exercise?

Florida Canyon Trails - Very close to North Park and connecting to Balboa Park, a convenient place to hike, run or mountain bike.

Fiesta Island - In Mission Bay Park, a flat 3-mile or 5-mile paved loop for biking, running or walking along the sandy beach - you'll see kite-surfers, jet-skiers, power boaters, sunbathers, and your dog can run leash-free!

Derek's Baked Salmon and Bruschetta

Ingredients
-Three medium Tomatoes
-Handful of fresh Basil leaves
-Two tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-Quarter Bulb of Garlic
-Sea Salt
-8 Oz Cut of Salmon with Skin

Salmon:
Preheat oven to 370. Bake Salmon skin side down on cookie sheet at 370 degrees for 20 minutes. Once the salmon is done remove from oven. Slide a spatula between skin and meat to remove from cookie sheet.

Bruschetta:
Wash tomatoes and basil. Cut tomatoes in medium cubes and rough chop basil; place in mixing bowl. Remove all outer casing from bulb of garlic. From there remove 3-4 cloves from bulb. Use a garlic crusher or fine chop garlic (use your own taste on how much garlic you like). Add to bowl with tomato and basil mix. Add Extra Virgin Olive Oil and lightly salt to taste. Mix well and enjoy Bruschetta on top of your baked Salmon.