AFPA Health and Fitness Blog

Brazilian born Bernardo LaPallo lives in Mesa, Arizona and some people are calling him a Supercentenarian after celebrating his 113th birthday. When someone reaches this remarkable  milestone, one might think to ask him, to what do you credit your longevity?

According to Mr. LaPallo, he lives by one simple rule, “You are what you eat,” and in a video where Bernardo is a mere 110-years-old, he recounts that he eats healthy, consuming mostly organically grown fruits and vegetables. He also recommends cutting down on red meat and avoiding things like hot dogs and French Fries.

We all have different priorities in the summertime. For some it's staying healthy, hydrated and active. For others it's lounging on the beach, planning barbecues with friends and engaging in hot-weather activities—jet-skiing, anyone? Regardless of the way you or your clients enjoy spending the summer months, there's one thing that's for certain, summer is a busy time for everyone. When loading up on activities is on everyone's to-do lists, it's easy to lose sight of the importance of maintaining a healthy diet.

It's officially summer, which means barbecue season is in full-swing. If you or your clients are looking for new ways to enjoy your favorite, summer-inspired dishes without the bulk, we have you covered with some of our favorite alternatives that you can enjoy all summer long.

What's your favorite way to spend Saturday and Sunday morning? If you're anything like us, you love getting in a little extra sleep after a long week, followed by a trip to the local farmers market. There's something so special about spending the morning supporting local communities, stocking up on healthy groceries and learning about local vendors that inspire us to make it part of our weekend routine. If you're just as eager to take a trip to your farmers' market, we have exactly what you need to get the most out of your next trip!

Are you often the first to arrive in your office and the last to leave? Do you devalue personal priorities, work through lunch hour and check your email around the clock? If this rings a bell, you may be a workaholic—and it could be taking a serious toll on your health.

The truth is, however, you should never fall victim to prioritizing work over your personal health. Your physical and mental well-being can be a deciding factor to whether or not you're able to work in the first place, so it should never be placed on the back-burner. And if you think you're far too busy to place health on the top of your priority list, chances are your body needs a well-balanced diet and physical routine now more than ever.

Want to know the secret to healthy, glowing skin? Here's a little hint: It's not from your monthly facial. It's in your diet. (Sorry, we just couldn't keep that secret to ourselves.) There's a bonus too, superfoods not only contribute to flawless skin, they also benefit your overall health. As if you really needed another reason to freshen up your diet with the advent of the summer season—now you have two.

Superfoods seem to be all the rage these days, and rightfully so, as they serve as a nutritional powerhouse to our everyday diet. "[Superfoods] can also be a source of antioxidants, substances that shield our bodies from cell damage and help prevent disease," writes Shirley Fan of Real Simple.

While it's pretty well-established that we put a huge emphasis on the direct correlation between what we put on our plates and how we feel inside and out, let's explore our top superfoods for weight loss. Oh and did we mention that they taste good and pair easily with a variety of your favorite dishes? Seriously, what's not to love?

As you may already know, a well-balanced diet is instrumental for achieving short- and long-term health and fitness goals. But when it comes to shifting your diet and lifestyle, which one is right for you? When we consider adjusting our lifestyles, whether this involves buying local or going vegan, the move is ultimately initiated in order to make a positive change, right? The bottom line is, however, you need a lifestyle that is going to give you the fuel you need around the clock. Much of the attention we see today is on the consumption of eating more raw fruits and vegetables, aka the raw food diet. The question is: Is this lifestyle as healthy as experts claim?

When it comes to eating healthy and finding the motivation to hit the gym, nothing is more motivating than a visual. And fortunately, in today's age of technology, taking the initiative to squeeze in a workout or whip up a healthy dish is coming much more naturally—especially now that Instagram is making headlines for driving healthy habits. And beyond social-networking accounts, there's blogging. Some of the household names, such as Deliciously Ella and Minimalist Baker are so ubiquitous that they're frequently mentioned in national publications and seem to be popping up everywhere on our social-media accounts. 

For decades, calorie counting has been more than a trend. In fact, it has now become a lifestyle for those hoping to drop a few sizes. Is calorie counting, however, one of the worst strategies for losing weight? That's what Jonathan Bailor, author of The Calorie Myth, is saying, and he has more than 1,200 scientific studies to back him up. Whether you believe calorie counting is effective or not, I'm sure we can agree on one thing: counting calories takes the joy out of eating. So how can we get that feeling back?