A healthier hot dog?

With lots of hot dogs out there, it should be easy to choose a relatively healthy one, right?

Not necessarily. Even "healthier" hot dogs may not be better for you, says Carolyn Brown, a registered dietitian and nutritionist at Foodtrainers, in New York City. "It comes down to the quality of the meat, the processing, and the other added ingredients."

Brown recommends hot dogs with less than 150 calories and fewer than 14 grams of fat (with no more than 6 grams saturated). Sodium should not exceed 450 milligrams. Here's our list of the best-and worst-hot dogs.

By Anne Harding

How to choose effective workout machines to tone yourself?

You enter a gym and see rows of cardiovascular equipments - treadmills, stair steppers, elliptical machines, rowing machines, cross chain trainers and many more. Almost immediately you assume these are all lean machines your body needs. But, how far do you think your assumption is right?

When you are out to choose a machine to get in shape, there are three things you need to consider:

• a machine that will get you fit,
• that will help you burn most calories
• And a device designed to do so without impacting your joints.

Although these are the key concerns, the fact is the most effective workout machines are the ones you choose weighing just one question -which is the machine that I would really want to workout on?

Not all of us hunting for a workout machine get inspired by the one our neighbour got hooked on to, and hence, it is the worst thing to do if we pick workout machines on mere peer pressure / recommendations. Just like your clothes, and the food we eat, workout machines need a personal choice much over what others vouch for. However, here's a quick glance into all the background information needed before you pick what suits you best:

Treadmill
The reason why you find this machine almost in every gym is because of its effectivity and comfort. It burns most calories than any other cardiovascular machines. It is the best pick if you are someone who takes up brisk walking, you can expect burning about 100 calories per mile.

Also, treadmill is a very adaptable workout machine which can help you from walking to running straight or on the incline.

However, if the machine doesn't feel right for you, it could be for the possible chances to burn out your knee joints. And if you are new on the exercising block, it can possibly throw you off balance. But treadmills are the mainstay for fitness and weight loss.

Ellipticals and Stair steppers
These are known as less risk alternatives to the treadmill as they are kinder on the joints. And, the rigorous use of muscle mass helps to burn high amount of calories.

Look for variations like ellipticals with arm components that can push you to burn more calories.

Stationary Bikes
These are the best pair of wheels you can get to burn all you excess fat. These work on problem areas like the hips and thighs. Contrary to the popular sentiment that these bikes affect the knee joints, this workout machine can have the least impact on joints if the bike is adjusted according to your body. Once, the seat height matches your body, this machine though a less intense calorie-burner can burn up to 100 calories if you pedal four miles.

Flex Belts and Trx training
Flex belts are gaining popularity due to its ease of operation. All you need to do is wear the belt around your waist and go about doing your work. It automatically burns calories and helps in weight loss. Flex belt is an ab toner and when you wear it you'll feel a sense of rhythmic vibration that will make your muscles contract and relax helping you in burning calories.

Trx training is very popular in military training to keep people fit. Nowadays there are several fitness centres that have adopted this technique for weight loss.

Trap Table
Used in traditional Pilates, the stretches at trap table can tone your body by burning around 100 calories in 30 minutes. This is a simple machine to get more than just cardiovascular workout. It is a multitasking workout machine that helps to reach difficult areas like abs, inner thighs and rear.

Author Bio - As a health and fitness writer, Latasri is passionate about fitness and weight loss. Besides she also writes about candida symptoms and threelac review for yeast infection cure.

Can You Be Fit and Fat?

YES: In fact, it's a worthy goal.
Steven Blair, PED, professor of exercise science, epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of South Carolina

It's better than being thin and unfit.
Overweight people who exercise just 150 minutes a week have half the risk of mortality of normal-weight people who don't exercise at all, according to research I conducted. That's not true once you move from overweight (meaning a body mass index, or BMI, of 25 to 29.9) to obese (a BMI of 30 or more). But being fit and a little fat seems to be fine.

Weight alone doesn't raise disease risk-lack of fitness does.
In one study, half of overweight adults and one-third of obese people who were active had normal blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar, putting them at normal risk for heart disease and diabetes, which are both supposedly caused by weight.

Getting fit is more realistic than getting slim.
For most people, diets don't work in the long term. We ought to be thinking about different strategies. It's far easier for a fat person to get fit than thin.

You can't be obese and fit.
Unless you're in that tiny fraction of the population-like pro athletes or the very muscular-whose muscle mass explains their high BMI. For most people with a BMI of 30 or more, their fitness is reduced by their weight, and their risk of conditions like diabetes and heart disease goes up.

Exercise doesn't erase all the risks of being heavy.
Yes, physical activity is important, but so is watching what you eat. Most studies show that both diet and exercise are important for diabetes prevention, for instance. And a study in the journal Obesity suggests that people with the highest BMIs have unhealthy eating habits.

Playing down the problem of excess weight is dangerous.
If you're heavy, you can cut your mortality risk by eating well and exercising-but research suggests that even active obese people are at 91% greater risk of dying than active people of normal weight.