It is a common myth that eating animal fats will make you fat and cause heart disease. It’s simply not true and it isn’t that simple to explain the causes behind diseases like atherosclerosis. Your body needs cholesterol to survive and be healthy. The cholesterol we eat has little to do with the cholesterol we measure [...]
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RSS feed for this sectionWhere Is Your Redline?
Are you familiar with the concept of the “redline“? It refers to the maximum engine speed, usually measured by the RPM (revolutions per minute), at which an engine can be operated without causing damage. Human beings have that redline too, but it varies from individual to individual, and it has a lot to do with [...]
Maybe Salt Isn’t So Bad After All?
Even since I switched to an unprocessed foodstyle (about 2 years ago), I have become more and more excited about cooking. I can’t stand bland food, so I use herbs and spices like crazy! There is nothing wrong with using spices to prepare your food! Not sure why people believe that eating healthy sometimes means [...]
Pumpkin Oatless “Oatmeal” Recipe
A tribute to our Fall weather (finally), I made pumpkin oatmeal this morning. The “oatless” variety. Here is the recipe. Makes enough for 2. Ingredients: 1/2 cup chopped pecans 3 TB ground flaxseed (adds some texture too) 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/2 can pure organic pumpkin 4 whole eggs 1 cup coconut [...]
Weight-loss Drug Qsymia vs. Exercise
The FDA approval of a weight-loss drug called “Qsymia” generated a bit of buzz today. So, I felt the need to create a quick table highlighting the benefits and potential side effects of this new drug vs. good ol’ exercise. Yes, I know it is a little tongue-in-cheek. But, I am so very tired of people waiting and hoping for some miracle drug that will enable them to lose weight without all of that pesky exercising or eating healthy. Is it true that some people may not be able to exercise enough to control their weight? Yes, that is true for some people. But, let’s be honest here. Do you truly think that only people with the most extreme cases of obesity and special circumstances will be asking for this drug? The pharmaceutical company wouldn’t make its multimillion dollar profit if that was the case.
Your Choice: One Fast Food Meal or a Full Day of Meals, Snacks, and Treats?
For fun and science, I tracked my daily intake yesterday for my entire day of meals, snacks, and treats. I was quite surprised at the total calories and discovered that I really should be taking in about 1000 more calories. I already feel like I’m eating a ton of food every day. I eat steak, chicken breasts, lots of veggies, some fruit, snacks, and even have a small treat every night.
I now know that a single large-sized meal at McDonald’s is pretty close to my daily intake. So, I created this chart just to visualize the crazy comparison.
The Benefits of Green Exercise
I first wrote about Green Exercise in post on trail running last year. It is “physical activity in the presence of nature.” There was some interesting research published that even just 5 minutes of green exercise decreases the risk of mental illness and improves the sense of well-being. While all types of natural environments produced advantages, including green urban environments (e.g., a city park), researchers noted that those that contained water resulted in greater benefits.
Getting fit isn’t rocket science. But it isn’t “easy” either.
I was reading a good post today that inspired me to say a few words on the subject of fitness and weight loss. I am continually amazed at all of the misconceptions, misinformation, and old-fashioned BS advice that keeps floating around regarding how to lose weight, get fit, and be healthy. There is no magic pill or drink, there is no magical exercise, there is no way to lose weight and be fit while continuing to eat crappy food. Sorry, if you’ve been told that and you believe it, you’ve been lied to (again) and you’re fooling yourself.
On the flip side, if you are already eating healthy, but you refuse to get serious about exercise, you won’t really be fit and healthy either. You may look “skinny”, but you won’t be strong or healthy. And I promise you that your body will eventually pay the price.
Like I said, it isn’t rocket science. If you sat down and had a really deep session of thinking about how our bodies work, why they work the way they do, and were completely honest with yourself; you would come to the same conclusion. To be an optimal physical organism (i.e., fit and healthy), you have to fuel your body with the real food it was built to run on and you need to use that body the way it was meant to be used.
I sometimes use the sports car analogy. If you take the most amazing sports car and put crappy fuel in it, it will run poorly and eventually break down. If you put great fuel in the sports car but you leave it parked in the garage and never drive it, it will eventually break down as well.
Practical Paleo & Primal – How to Sustainably Eat Better to Look & Feel Better
If you follow my blog, you know that I competed in a Paleo Challenge back in January 2011 with the rest of my CrossFit box. I was pretty darn strict with myself: No sugars of any sort (even honey), no grains at all, and no dairy products of any sort. I was very happy with the results. I lost body fat, gained muscle, have more energy, enjoy clear skin, have no more stomach troubles, and just generally feel great when I eat Paleo. It is pretty amazing. My body definitely became leaner and my muscle definition increased considerably. I even got my six pack back! And my strength kept up pretty well, so I continued to see gains in my weightlifting and improvements in my CrossFit WODs. But, the biggest benefit is how I feel. I always knew that I had issues with dairy and had reduced it considerably in my diet. But now I know that I also have issues with wheat. When I finished the challenge, I had some celebration meals that weekend that included grains and dairy. Ouch. I felt lousy for 2-3 days after that. So, I’m staying Paleo and for the best reason of all: I simply feel great when I eat Paleo and avoid grains, dairy, and sugars. It’s pretty easy to avoid those foods now and I don’t feel like I’m denying myself anything. Because it doesn’t matter how good something tastes, if you feel lousy afterwards.
Are You a Parent or Do You Plan to Be?
Have you ever struggled with your weight, health, or fitness at any point in your life? If you are a parent (or plan to be one) or a teacher or anyone who has a chance to positively influence a child’s life, what are you doing right now to put them on a lifelong path of [...]