1.) Seasons 52 –Every item on the menu is less than 475 calories and the food is fantastic.  I don’t know how they make the food so good but it is superb and extremely healthy to eat.

2.) Avanti Café – exceptional organic menu with lots of variety and a great atmosphere.  They have a great Arugula & Spinach Pesto Pizza that is one of my favorite dishes.

3.) Native Foods Café – If you are a vegetarian or vegan, this is a great place for you! They have a great menu filled with healthy, flavorful food along with exceptional service.  Try the Chicken Run Ranch Burger – really tasty and very healthy!

4.) Chixy Natural – This is a quiet little place that would be hard to find unless you were a Costa Mesa local.  But the food is excellent.  I stumbled on this place when I was running errands one day and decided to go in there for lunch – I had the best chicken sandwich I have ever had and the way they prepared it was very healthy.  I now have another place to go to for lunch in Costa Mesa and would recommend it to anyone looking for a healthy but tasty menu.

5.) Flame Broiler – This has become a daily habit for me.  The menu is just grilled chicken or beef with brown or white rice and steamed vegetables.  You can’t get any healthier than that and I have lunch there about 3 times a week, knowing that I am not expanding my waistline, despite the fact that the food is so good.

My all-time favorite trail to hike, is Crown of the Sea trail to big and little Coronal, Crystal Cove in Corona del Mar.  There is no better view of the ocean than from here and the huge cliffs right off the beach give you an amazing bird’s eye view of the beaches and all its wildlife.  The tide pools are among my favorite – trekking out on to the rocks to check out all the  crabs and other little critters that live in the cracks of the rocks.  I grew up in Laguna Beach (specifically Victoria Beach) where my parents still live and I have always loved the sea.  I will never leave and plan on spending the rest of my life right here in the beach cities of Orange County.

My second favorite place to hike is the West Bluff Trail at the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve.  This area is teeming with wildlife – home to over 200 species of birds not to mention an absolutely gorgeous view of the bay.  The trails are easy to follow and they even have guided tours once a month.  The best part of this trail is the Interpretive Center on the northwest side of Upper Newport Bay.  There is an education center for visitors where you can learn all about the California wetlands and all the species of wildlife in the bay.

I could spend all day on here talking about all the other amazing trails there are but instead I will leave it up to you. Get out there and explore some of what Orange County hiking has to offer. If you have a good recommendation for a trail in Orange County, please post a comment below and tell us about it! I’d love to hear about some of your experiences and some of your favorite trails!

Cheers!

-Jack

1. Bluewater Grill – Located right on the water off of  Lido Park Drive, Bluewater Grill gives you that one of a kind feel. It has the best Ahi Tuna I have ever had, and I’ve had m fair share of Ahi!  The Atmosphere is exceptional with a tasteful décor, right on the harbor.  It’s not a big place, so it’s a great place to take a date for a quiet dinner for two.
2. The Cannery – Some of the best oysters and muscles in all of Orange County.  This is a rustic environment, that always has lots of energy there with a great crowd.  This is a great place to go on a Friday night for drinks and hanging out with friends or a date. Their Balboa Sundae is to die for! =)
3. Tommy Bahamas Restaurant – This place has a huge menu with lots of different fish to choose from as well as many other dishes besides seafood.  The restaurant is quite large and has a great bar area for meeting friends and having a drink.  I highly recommend the sea bass, It’s excellent here.
4. Rusty Pelican – Located right in Mariner Mile. The Rusty Pelican is a great place to go for a casual dinner. The fish is delicious and they have a great selection. The fish is always fresh and the service is spectacular.
5. Chart House – Located right next door to the Rusty Pelican, The Chart House Chain knows good seafood! They have the best seafood chowder and halibut in town.  The service is great and it is reasonably priced.  This is a great place to go for a good seafood dinner any day of the week.

There are several ways to measure body fat.  The most popular method is still using pinch calipers, where you measure the thickness of the skin (and fat underneath the skin) in certain areas of your body, such as the arms, love handles and thighs.  The most accurate way of measuring body fat is to use a dunk tank, where your body fat can be measured by your level of buoyancy in the water.  But with today’s technology, it is easier to simply use an inexpensive body fat measuring tool that is held in the hands while it measures the electrical conductivity in your body.  This method is not nearly as accurate but it is a convenient way of getting an approximation of your body fat percentage.

1.) Reduce red meat consumption

2.) Cut back on foods high in fat, such as whole milk, cheese, ice cream, butter, lard, most meats, creams and palm kernel or coconut oil.

3.) Limit food high in cholesterol.  This is mostly meats.  Now this does not mean that you need to become a vegetarian, but eat meats in moderation.  Remember that foods high in cholesterol are not the leading cause for high blood cholesterol.  Rather it’s foods that are high in Trans fats and saturated fats that are the main problem.  The best way to avoid these types of food is to check your food labels when shopping.

4.) The most effective types of food for lowering cholesterol are foods high in soluble fiber: oats, oatmeal, barley, beans, peas, strawberries, apples, rice, bran and citrus fruits.  Nuts such as almonds and walnuts are also an excellent source of cholesterol-reducing fiber.  But make sure you limit your intake of nuts to about a handful because they have a lot of calories.

5.) Plant sterols and stanols can also potentially reduce blood cholesterol.  Plant sterols and stanols can be found most grains, vegetables, beans, nuts and fruits. Food manufactures also often add sterols and stanols to their foods, such as cereals, orange juice and margarines.

Remember that eating a healthy cholesterol-reducing diet can go a long way in keeping your body running smoothly, sometimes that is not enough.  Genetics also play a big role in determining your blood cholesterol and you may need to see your doctor and be prescribed medications to keep it under control.

1.) Cold Water – Splashing cold water on your face is an excellent way to wake you up and get alert.  You can do this every 10 minutes if you need to and it will also give you a break from whatever you are doing, such as studying or working.

2.) Exercise – just doing one set of 50 Jumping Jacks right there in your room or office will do wonders in waking you up.  It will get your blood going, loosen up your joints and you will actually break a bit of a sweat.

3.) Music – putting on some of your favorite music, particularly music that is upbeat and happy will definitely help keep you awake and your mind off the fact that you are tired.

4.) Turn up the A/C – being in a colder environment causes the body to speed up the metabolism in an effort to keep the body warm.  This in turn will help keep you awake and alert.

5.) Chew gum – this sounds a bit ridiculous, but the act of chewing something will actually help in keeping you awake.  You can’t chew gum while you are asleep.

6.) Take short walks outside – this is effective even if it’s just for 5 minutes.  It not only gets your body moving and awake, but it takes you away from whatever you are doing, such as working or studying, to give you a mental break.

7.) Eat low-carb healthy snacks – again, eating and chewing will help you stay awake and if you eat foods that are low in carbohydrates, such as beef jerky or vegetables, you won’t run the risk of getting a sugar crash and finding it harder to stay awake.

8.) Watch something funny on TV or play a video game – this seems obvious but keeping the mind engaged with something is very effective in helping to stay awake.  Again, if you are trying to use Television to stay awake, chose something funny – no dramas or documentaries.

9.) Get proper sleep – catch a nap whenever you can and do your best to get a good night sleep as often as possible.  This will help your body stay alert when you need it the most.

1. Take some time off from running and switch to low-impact exercise for a few days, such as cycling or swimming.
2. Take anti-inflammatory medication such as Ibuprofen
3. Rub your shins with ice for 10 minutes after running to reduce swelling and inflammation
4. Make sure your shoes have substantial tread left on the soles – usually should be replaced after 300 to 400 miles.
5. Make sure you are wearing the right type of shoe – Neutral, Stability or Motion Control.
6. Stick to softer surfaces when running, such as dirt trails or asphalt rather than concrete.
7. Strengthen your shins by having your feet on the ground and flexing your shins by raising the front of your feet up while keeping the heels on the ground.  Do this until you feel the burn in your shins, and do this on a daily basis until your shins get stronger.
8. Do calf raises on the stairs by having the balls of your feet on the edge of the stairs and raising your heels up and down until you feel the burn in your calves.  Although you will primarily feel it in your calves, you are also working the shins.

By taking action with some of the tips above, you will help alleviate shin pain when running.

For More Health, Fitness, and Nutrition Tips Follow me on Twitter @JackKenefick and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OrangeCountyPersonalTrainer.

Resistance training is very important for keeping muscle tone, which in turn helps to keep the metabolism high.  But when it comes to burning off fat, low-intensity cardio is king!  I recommend doing about 45 minutes of cardio exercise (treadmill, bike, Stairmaster, elliptical machine) at least 3 times a week for optimal fat burning.  And going back to diet, another good habit is to limit or cut out all starchy carbohydrates after 3:00pm.  This includes bread, pasta, legumes (beans, peas, etc.) and rice.  After 3:00pm, I recommend sticking to healthy sources of protein, along with green, leafy carbs such as broccoli, spinach, asparagus and salads.  These will keep your body from being overloaded with too much starch and being forced to store that excess starch as fat.  So do your cardio every week, spread your food out over 5 small meals a day and limit your starchy carbs after 3:00pm.

1.      Vegetable Chips – they may be made from vegetables, but most of them are still loaded with fat and salt.  It is better to stick to the original form and much on healthy, whole, natural veggies and using a low calorie dip to make it more enjoyable.

2.      Applesauce – most apple sauces you find in the stores are loaded with sugar and can spike your insulin levels, causing much of those calories to be stored as fat.  Stick to the real thing and eat raw apples or sliced apples with a little bit of peanut butter.

3.      Granola cereal – this is usually very high in dense carbohydrates with a lot of starch and fat.  Granola is so dense in carbs that it is very easy to overload on calories and gain weight when you think you are being healthy and making wise choices.  I would stick to shredded wheat, yogurt, whole-grain toast with peanut butter, eggs, no sweetened oatmeal and fruit for breakfast instead.

4.      Turkey Hotdogs – typically these are deceivingly high in fat – often times more so than regular hotdogs.  And many of these are loaded with nitrates and sodium for flavoring and preservatives.  Better to stick to lean ground beef or turkey burgers or chicken breast, marinated with your favorite marinade.

5.      Wrap sandwiches – typically people think they are making a wise choice when ordering a wrap sandwich because the bread is so much thinner than a regular sandwich.  However, many wraps are very high in fat and most of them are big enough for two people, so the portions are way too large.  If you are set on ordering a wrap sandwich, the best thing to do is to eat half and then put the rest away.  This will be difficult in the beginning, but you need to give your brain about 20 minutes to register that you have eaten and the hunger will subside.  And then you eat the second half about two hours later.