From teaching us how to drop a dress size in a month to informing us about the dangers of not getting enough sleep, Fitness Couture’s Anthony Heredia has been the voice of health and fitness for almost a year. I’ve heeded his advice many times and have seen for myself just how valid and necessary his contributions are.

There are over 34 vitamins and minerals your body needs in various amounts to function optimally. We have heard, “Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day,” but is this truly enough? In fact, it is not. Studies have shown that in order to receive adequate amounts of every vitamin and mineral, we would need to take in over 3000 calories worth of very specific fruits and vegetables. The idea of multivitamin is to supplement and not replace (it is not called a replacement) all the healthy foods you should be enjoying on a regular basis. Your body cannot create most vitamins and minerals required or at least in adequate amounts for optimal daily performance, so your body relies on you to help it out.

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(Article by fitness trainer/nutritionist Anthony Heredia)

What Is Protein, and What’s in It for Me?

This issue we are taking Agenda readers on a revealing tour of protein as we delve into what protein is, why you need it, the buzz behind protein diets, and how they really work.

The Hollywood Hills have gone pink and they have never looked better. Men, beware. This month we take you into the hot and trendy new female-dedicated gym, Pink Iron. I invited ISSA certified trainer Angelis Casteran to come along this round for a fresh female fitness perspective on what is a girls only club, no boys allowed (except male fitness writers, of course). Upon entering, you are greeted with an energetic smile and wag of Barbell’s tiny tail, Pink Iron’s little white Maltese mascot. The fresh colors, trendy spa feel, energized staff and intimate personality of it all culminates in a smile on your face and an extra spring in your step just by walking in.

The American Cancer Society’s most recent estimates for breast cancer in the United States for 2009 tell us that 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 40,170 deaths from breast cancer occur each year. In this issue we focus on breast cancer awareness in our attempt to keep you healthy and living a long, wonderfully productive and fulfilling life.

Happy holidays, Agenda readers! We made it through Thanksgiving, but we’re not out of the seasonal woods yet. The holidays typically take a toll on our health and waistlines due to our busy nature this time of year. Fitness seems to take a back seat these days.

It’s that time again, the yearly Thanksgiving battle avoiding that pesky uninvited guest known as weight gain. We love Thanksgiving events and treats, yet hate the Thanksgiving aftermath; so what are we to do? The average individual adds 1-3 pounds (3500-9500 calories) of fat calories to his/her body every Thanksgiving season. Worse yet is the fact that for most it becomes a permanent addition, a 1-3-pound Thanksgiving battle scar that you are not exactly thankful for.