What are some "must haves" in a home gym?

Start with a suitable place to do your exercise.  Room to move, good air circulation (you're going to sweat!) and a comfortable atmosphere (it really isn't fun to go work-out in a dark and dingy basement).

Variety of exercises to choose from.  Variety is the spice of life.  Exercise DVDs  are a GREAT component of a home gym because they are relatively inexpensive so you can rotate through different workouts.  Choose a variety of cardio and strength training options.  Not only does it help beat boredom, but your body NEEDS to change otherwise it gets stagnant and you won't be making fitness progress.

A pair of good supportive shoes!

The best home gym will be one that you actually USE!  And use for exercise – not for hanging clothes on!   I had an awesome Cardio Glide machine many years ago – it was great!  It held about 22 shirts on hangers for me!  Not my best home gym investment.  Think about activities you like to do at home, or "equipment" you can fit into your life and space, and you will be more likely to incorporate it into your daily routine.  Please don't buy into a lot of the fitness gimmicks out there too.  Remember the ab roller thing?  A little creativity and you could create the same thing with a good rolling pin, or a bicycle tire for a mere fraction of the cost!

All in one weight machines or some free weights?

While many of the all in one machines are pretty cool, and they do give you a little bit of everything in one unit, they do have some big drawbacks.  First of all is price.  You're looking at a rather substantial monetary investment.  Second is space.  They aren't something you can easily move or put away.  Most are designed to be freestanding all of the time.  If you have a separate room or basement you could set it up in great, otherwise it may take up some valuable living space.  Also, machines are pretty self limited.  You only get a set amount of resistance with them and once you reach that point there's no way to increase resistance.

You may want to consider a weight bench with some free weights.  Start small and as you get stronger increase the weights on your dumbbells.  Free weights are a great way to work the upper and lower body.  These can be incorporated with strength training DVDs as well.  Not only will this be less expensive, but it takes up less room, and as you get stronger you can easily add heavier dumbbells to your gym.  Plus, using dumbbells (free weights) really gives you a better workout because it also works on what is called proprioception, and they are also better for working through your own personal range of motion.

Share more fitness tips at the Kimkins Work Out Zone!

It seems low calorie diet foods might fool taste buds, but not the brain according to a study at Duke University Medical Center. Ivan de Araujo lead a team that designed an experiment to prove the point:

Mice without taste receptors were offered either plain water or sugar water. Surprisingly, the mice preferred the sugar water even though they couldn't taste the difference.

But when the sugar water was switched to artificially sweetened water, the mice didn't prefer it to plain water.

It seems the pleasure processing part of the brain responds to calories regardless of taste.

If you have a chance to check out the latest issue of Whole Living magazine (a Martha Stewart publication), be sure to read Katie Arnold's piece, "Where Does Our Food Come From?" 

Here are a few facts she provided about US markets:

• Tomatoes:  39% comes from Canada and Mexico
• Peppers:  20% comes from Mexico
• Garlic:  73% of fresh garlic comes from China
• Shrimp:  88% comes from Asian and Latin American shrimp farms, not the ocean
• Beef:  2,500,000 head of cattle are imported and Canada provides 56% of that
• Cantaloupe:  Almost 100% comes from Mexico, Central America, etc. during December-April

She added a fascinating sidebar blurb about how orange juice gets from the tree to the table.  It's not what you think!  Who knew?  You'll never look at OJ the same way again.

Missing crunchy crackers on low carb diets like Kimkins? Whip up a batch of parmesan crisps! Couldn't be easier and they're sure to get attention piled high in a pretty basket on the table. 

Try floating one on top of steamy hot soup this winter.  It will melt into the soup adding a rich cheese flavor.

Ingredients (makes 16)

• 8 oz shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray or use Silpat liners to prevent sticking. Pile 1/2 oz stacks of cheese on baking sheet allowing room for spreading. Sprinkle with black pepper. You will need to make 2 batches.

Bake for 3-4 minutes until cheese flattens and forms lace pattern. Watch carefully!  Remove from oven and let cool briefly. Remove to serving tray and enjoy!

Nutritional Info (per crisp)
Calories:  56
Carbs:  .5 grams
Protein:  11 grams
Fat: 6 grams