Entries Tagged 'General Health' ↓

“More is better,” says America. In fact, with weight training, it’s the exact opposite- more can be worse.

Johnny Boy is a hard gainer. He’s was making great progress in the gym the past few months since he started working out, but now his progress has come to a screeching halt. Out of confusion and desperation, Johhny decides he will ramp up the time he spends in the gym and the number of days a week that he coasts the gym floor. Week by week, he grows smaller (yes, he grows smaller!) and finds himself in a world of hurt.

As if his newly shrunken muscles weren’t enough, Johnny begins to feel overly fatigued and very lethargic. He experiences delayed soreness- it’s not that immediate soreness he is used to feeling. He begins to lose motivation. Johnny feels so irritable. He begins losing sleep. A look in the mirror shows he’s developing a spare tire around the waist- he’s getting fatter. Frightened at the lack of progress, he hits it harder in the weight room. Come Monday, while on the bench press, his ego takes over and he slaps on more weight than he can handle. On the way down, *snap*! He’s just torn his right pectoral muscle! He’s now a victim of injury.

Now, while the story above is entirely fictional, it entails the process of overtraining. But what causes overtraining?

• Lack of sufficient rest and recovery
• Malnutrition
• Workouts with too great a volume (too many sets)
• Workouts with too great an intensity for too long in duration.

The best thing to do is avoid overtraining altogether. Here’s how it’s done:

• Make sure you give the body part worked 48-72 hours of rest.
• After 6-8 weeks of training, take a week off from the weights.
• Sleep for 8-9 hours every night or get in at least a few “power-naps” to recoup lost sleep.
• Eat at or above maintenance if your workouts are demanding.
• If you intend on training with a higher volume, keep the intensity low.
• If you intend on training with higher intensity, keep the volume low.

1. Motivation. With an expert in your grille, you’re guaranteed to hop off your butt and hit the weights.
2. Consistency. A good trainer will hold you accountable and keep you regular.
3. Individualization. Having a personalized program based upon your goals is a sure-fire way to success.
4. Time Management. You’ll get everything going in less time with more results than you would on your own.
5. Accessible Knowledgebase. Hey, you’ve got a anatomical dictionary, a corrective, strength, and cardiovascular exercise database, and a nutrition plan, all in the form of a living, breathing human being.
6. A Great Jumpstart. For a novice to the fitness world, it’s a great way to ensure you get off the blocks as quickly as possible.
7. Safety. With a good trainer, you won’t be deep squatting atop a stability ball, all while balanced on one foot.
8. Plateau Buster. Advanced trainees that hit the wall full speed will benefit with a second opinion and a different point of view.
9. Privacy. The best personal trainers don’t work in a gym- they have their own facilities. Many trainers will actually come out to your house too.
10. A Wise Investment. Think about it. If you could add ten extra years of life to spend with family, friends, and things you enjoy doing, wouldn’t you invest a small fee? Life is priceless!

There’s too many diets. Way too many.

Take a look for yourself:

1. 100-Mile Diet control
2. Abs Diet
3. Alkaline diet
4. Atkins diet
5. Best Bet Diet
6. Blood Type diet
7. Body for Life
8. Breatharian diet
9. Buddhist diet
10. Cabbage soup diet
11. The Cambridge Diet
12. Candida control diet
13. Cretan diet
14. CRON-diet
15. Detox diet
16. Diabetic diet
17. Diet for a New America by John Robbins
18. The Diet Smart Plan
19. Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension or the DASH Diet
20. Dr. Hay diet
21. The Fat Resistance Diet
22. Feingold diet
23. Fit for Life diet
24. Flexitarian diet
25. Food combining diet
26. Fruitarian diet
27. Gerson diet
28. Gluten-free, casein-free diet
29. Glycemic Index diet
30. The Graham Diet
31. Grapefruit diet
32. Hacker’s diet
33. Halal diet
34. Hallelujah diet
35. High protein diet
36. Jenny Craig
37. Joel Fuhrman diet
38. Junk food diet
39. Kosher diet
40. KimKins Diet
41. Lacto vegetarianism
42. Living foods diet
43. Low-carbohydrate diet
44. Low-protein diet
45. Macrobiotic diet
46. Master Cleanse
47. Mediterranean diet
48. Montignac diet
49. Natural Foods Diet
50. Negative calorie diet
51. No-Grain Diet
52. Okinawa diet
53. The Optimal Diet
54. Organic food diet
55. Ornish Diet
56. Ovo-lacto vegetarian diet
57. Paleolithic diet
58. Perricone diet
59. Pescetarian diet
60. Plant-based diet
61. Pollotarian diet
62. Prison loaf
63. Pritikin diet
64. Rastafarian diet
65. Raw foodism
66. Rice Diet
67. Scarsdale Diet
68. Sex Diet
69. Shangri-La Diet
70. Slimming World diet
71. Sonoma diet
72. South Beach diet
73. Stillman diet
74. Subway diet
75. Vegan diet
76. Vegetarian diet
77. Very low calorie diet
78. Weigh Down diet
79. Weight Watchers
80. Western pattern diet
81. Zone Diet

That’s 81 different diets. And that’s just skimming the surface.

So the question is, how in the world could one possibly decide which diet is the best to follow? How could there be such great variances when it comes to nutrition? It’s simple. There’s a lot of quackery and “get-rich-quickers” out there. Each author, or should I say “dietary expert,” claims why their’s is superior to the next. Who to believe?

To give you an idea on just how easy it is for anyone to create a diet, here’s a little story. You may have heard about it on the news a while back.

Enter the Kimkins Diet:

This diet was created by a woman who went by the name of Kimmer. In essence, the diet she “created” is very low in calories, fat, carbs and fiber. Basically, it’s just a fork off of the earliest version of the Atkin’s Diet, so it makes me wonder how she didn’t get busted for copyright infringement anyway.

What’s funny is when this lady was summoned to be interviewed by the media, she refused. When nutritional experts and scientists examined the diet, they were startled. What they found was that the diet extremely hazardous for the health. Calling it the Starvation Diet or the Anorexia Diet seems much more fitting. To make matters worse, she had no credentials either- she was neither a nutritionist nor a healthcare professional. Experts continued to ask where her claims were coming from, but she would not speak up. I believe they even quizzed her on her understanding of basic nutrition, which she was lacking.

It wasn’t uncommon for the followers of her diet to experience extreme constipation, hair loss, chronic eating disorders, metabolic disorders, and more unsightly problems.

And to think she was charging $80 to folks that were completely oblivious of what they were getting in to!

Listen, there’s a whole host of diets out there just like this with absolutely no scientific basis. This is why I, along with many nutritional experts, personal trainers, and doctors, recommend that you drop the diet mentality altogether. These diets may bring good results at first, but in the long-run, you’ll end up worse off than before. The best way to solve the question of what’s best is to refute all but proven methods. Even our government has made this readily available. There’s a wealth of general nutrition tips and information out there that hold much truth, and more importantly, safety and effectiveness. It just takes a little research!

It’s amazing how despite the sheer bulk of extensive research and information we have available today on health, many still remain grossly obese and inactive. One would think that America would be at the peak of good health; truth is, it’s dead opposite. America is larger and lazier than ever.

The obesity rates are climbing and it doesn’t look like they will be dropping any time soon. In fact, obesity is now the second leading cause of preventable death ¹, following close behind tobacco usage. What’s worse, approximately 62 percent of females and 67 percent of males are obese ². That’s approaching three quarters of America! Absolutely pathetic.

So what exactly is causing this epidemic? Poor dietary habits and physical inactivity. Weight problems are hardly attributed to genetics, and even in the unlikely case that genetics is to blame, the advances today allow for much control over these inherited genetic problems. America is also known for its’ quick-fix mentality, another huge contributor to our staggering numbers. Take a drive down any American town or city and you’ll see what I mean- a fast food restaurant or ice cream shop on every street corner.

I pulled into the Kroger’s Grocery Store parking lot yesterday and along the way, this car pulls into a handicap spot going ninety to nothing. Out comes this rather large woman; she rolls out of her car and waddles up to the store entrance. I walked by the front of the car and sure enough, she had a handicap parking permit. It’s sort of a habit of mine- anytime I see a car pull into one of those spots, I want to know if the person is really physically capable. Anyway, she had one hanging from her mirror. What I want to know is, by what criteria was she qualified as a handicap? When has obesity ever been defined as a disability? To my knowledge, never! She had no wheelchair or walker and no problem walking to the front. She walked in just fine. She was clearly not a handicap, and let me just say this, obesity IS NOT a handicap. Paralysis, immobility, the lack of limbs- these are handicaps. Do you think diet and exercise will fix them? Nope. But will diet and exercise fix obesity? You bet. If anything, the lady should have parked further away to offset her lack of exercise and burn some calories before she buys more Oreos and Whole Milk in the grocery store. What if she had taken the last handicap spot and some poor old crippled guy had to roll his wheelchair half a football field’s distance to reach the store? That’s my point.

What can be done about this? Here’s some tips I’d give to the overweight American with “little time” or a lack of motivation for exercise and clean eating:

1. Go into your kitchen. What you have in your pantry will define your health. If you have cookies, doughnuts, and other assorted trash foods, dump ‘em. They are useless for your health, they do not satiate your hunger, and they waste your money. If your great-grandma hasn’t heard of it, don’t eat or buy it!
2. Make time for exercise. You’re telling me you don’t have thirty minutes out of your day where you can squeeze in some exercise? Total bull! You need to do some serious restructuring of your time. Go to Zen Habits and learn how to “Get Things Done” and be more productive.
3. If you plan on “marathoning” your favorite TV shows, at least move around every once in a while. If you are a 24/7 blogger, become a 23.5/7 blogger (that other half hour for exercise, obviously) and you’ll not only look better, but you’ll think better and write better. Israel at Fat Man Unleashed has the perfect solution for bloggers. Hell, if you have to, hop on the floor and do some push-ups or crunches. Do some barrel rolls on your couch. Do something.
4. Befriend someone with a flawless physique and great habits. Hang around with them for a little while and I guarantee you will pick up some of their better habits. Make them a gym partner and have them push you. Maybe you’ll eventually do the same for another.
5. Hire a personal trainer. A good one. Not one of those that has the gut-hanging-over-the-belt-buckle syndrome, but someone that looks good. After all, why would you hire a fat trainer? The best ones practice what they preach and look it.
6. Take a look around. Do you want to be like everyone else? Do you want to be a follower? Or would you rather take control, become a leader, and possess a figure that places you in the top percentile of Americans? The choice is yours.

Evidently, America’s attitude is unwavering. It does not matter how many times dietitians, nutritionists, personal trainers, and doctors tell you. The only way you (and many others) can change the ugly, fat statistic is to make the decision to lose it (fat), take action upon it, and help others do the same by sharing your successes. Start a weight loss blog and publish your daily milestones. Tell your neighbor about your new progress. Show yourself that you have control, because only you can shape your reality.

References:

1. Ali H. Mokdad, et. al, “Actual Causes of Death in the United States, 2000,” JAMA. 2004;291:1238-1245
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: National Center for Health Statistics. “National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.” 2002. (Table 70).

What is Fish Oil? Sounds [insert derogatory comment here].

Fish oil is, well, oil from a fish. It’s extracted and processed from the fatty acids of a cold-water fish (think tuna, salmon, albacore, and every other fat brother and sister fish). This oil provides omega-3 fatty acids, a rich source of fat which has innumerable health benefits.

What’s in it for me?

Well, for starters, by supplementing with fish oil, you can:

• Lower LDL (bad cholesterol).
• Increase HDL (good cholesterol).
• Reduce triglycerides in the bloodstream.
• Reduce blood pressure.
• Improve overall cardiovascular health and function.
• Prevent clot formation, thereby reducing risk of stroke or heart attack.
• Boost cognitive function, imemory capacity, and focus (brain power, baby!).
• Slap depression and anxiety in the face.
• Blunt breast, colon, prostate, and many other cancers.
• Relieve asthma symptoms.
• Reduce allergies.
• Prevent type-2 diabetes.
• Burn fat!
• Reduce inflammation in joints and muscles.
• Improve skin composition and tone.
• Ease Chron’s disease symptoms.
• Reduce or eliminate acne breakouts.
• Relieve PMS symptoms.
• Treat ADHD symptoms (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder).
• Reduce risk of contracting Alzheimer’s Disease.
• Maintain healthy hair.

What can’t fish oil do?

Unfortunately, supplementing fish oil won’t:

• Bring your dead grandma back to life.
• Make you rich (although you’ll be rich with good health!).
• Power your muscle car.
• Help you foresee the future.
• Grant you three wishes.

What’s the best fish oil product?

I’ve tried many different products and I’ve found that the best are available at health food stores like GNC and Vitamin Shoppe. I recommend a liquid version of fish oil because you get more omega-3’s per serving and its easier than swallowing handfuls of capsules every day.

MuscleBits recommends Health From The Sea Pure Fish Oil. This brand far exceeds any that I’ve seen or used and has a great price per serving. You get almost double the amount of omega 3’s per serving than you would with the generic, encapsulated forms of fish oil.

When most shed the sweaters for spring and summer, they reveal a smoothed-out physique as a result of winter hibernation. Then spring comes and folks begin their “diets” in pursuit of the prized beach bod, hoping they’ll turn a few heads when they hit the sand. Along comes a big problem: diet adherence. Many fall off and give up altogether for a multitude of reasons, whether it be lack of proper planning, unrealistic goals, insufficient time allotted, or what have you. Listed below are four ways you can ensure consistency and success:

1. Set obtainable goals. I’ve trained many that claimed that no matter what they tried, they were never able to lose enough weight. The first thing I asked them is what short and long-term goals they set, and how long they expected it would take. Not surprising to me, most expected drastic changes in little time. Strive for continuous weight loss at no more than one or two pounds a week. Set incremental goals and each time you reach that goal, set another. This will help you hold fast to your diet.
   
2. Stay organized and plan for success. Another commonality of my previous clients was the absence of planning. I cannot stress the importance of planning your approach and devising a system. The best tools for guaranteed success: food logs and exercise journals. Logging your daily food intake and activities will allow you to examine what’s contributing to or hindering your success. My favorite tool for logging: FitDay. FitDay is an online food journal that allows you to track food, exercises, weight, and goals you have set. It even has a public journal feature that allows you to share your successes with others and receive critique. Give it a try!
   
3. Remember your reward. If you really stop and think about it, you are working toward something that benefits you- you aren’t trying to torture yourself without reason. Whether it be added confidence, better health, or pure physical attraction, it’s ultimately a reward that you are trying to reach. If it helps, find a picture of the ideal physique and use it as motivation. Write down that you will reach the reward, no matter what it takes.
4. Regard your diet as a “lifestyle change.” Instead of setting up something that is temporary, make a change that impacts the present and the future. Throw out that fad diet and make lasting changes that will benefit your health in the long-run. Not only does this help you reach your goals, but it also gives you the ability to maintain them for years to come.

• Coffee is a great pick-me-up after some good sleep.
• Coffee boosts mental performance and dials you in to focus.
• Coffee may alleviate headaches.
• Coffee provides a wealth of antioxidants (and these guys help prevent damage from free-radicals).
• Coffee may ward-off the risk of cancer (by way of the antioxidants).
• Coffee could protect against cirrhosis of the liver.
• Coffee may reduce the risk of heart disease.
• Coffee could blunt gallstone formation (which leads to gallbladder infections)
• Coffee is a great preworkout performance booster.
• Coffee decreases insulin sensitivity, which may prevent type-2 diabetes.
• Coffee helps you manage jet lag.
• Coffee may decrease the possibility of developing Parkinson’s disease.
• Coffee is a great bridge for socializing!