Basically I decided to do a random thoughts day since I didn’t have anything in particular to write a good sized blog post about. So here goes.
1. Eat for your goals. I see too many people who want to lose weight and train their asses off, yet they pound food and are just spinning their wheels. The same thing happens in the opposite direction. I remember so many guys in college, and I see quite a few high school athletes everyday who train their asses off to gain size but are so afraid to lose their 6 packs that they don’t eat enough to reach their goals.
Eating for Goals
2. Buy a Theracane. This thing is awesome. Tony brought one into the facility, and I bought one for my fiance and I love it. I have some upper back and neck issues that give me some neck pain and almost constant discomfort. The Theracane, while not having cured it, greatly diminishes my neck pain and removes some trigger points. Try it, you won’t regret it.
3. Watch Lost. It is pretty much the greatest show in the history of television. I also just realized that Matthew Fox was in Party of Five, making him even more awesome.
4. Since 4 is my favorite number, I will leave you all with a spectacular recipe that is similar to some others I have put on here, but is probably my single greatest achievement.
1 cup Friendship Digestive Health cottage cheese
1/2 scoop Vanilla Metabolic Drive
~1/4 cup fresh raspberries (heaping)
~1/4 cup fresh blueberries (heaping)
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
Mash the raspberries when you stir, spreading their beautiful red color throughout the mixture. The combination of blueberries and raspberries is unbelievable and you may never want to eat anything else. You have been warned.
Apologies for the late blog everbody, back at it here with a good one. Today I wanted to discuss a fruit that is absolutely delicious, most people love, is available in any super market and is surprising healthy. Today I want to talk about Kiwi. Well technically Kiwifruit, but everyone just calls it Kiwi.
Why are Kiwi’s so incredible you ask? Loads of disease-fighting antioxidants and phytonutrients, along with plenty of vitamins and minerals. There was a study performed at Rutgers University to compare the nutritional value of 27 different fruits to see which provided the most nutrition per ounce. Amazingly, Kiwi was shown to be the most nutrient dense of all fruits tested. Gram for gram, Kiwi had twice the vitamin C of an orange, more fiber than apples, and more potassium than a banana. That right there is reason enough!
Kiwi has also shown a significant ability to reduce oxidative stress. Not only does Kiwi help prevent the damage to DNA, but it has also been shown to help repair damage that already occurred. Some of you may be skeptical and think you would need an exorbitant amount of Kiwi to do this, but the effects were seen when Kiwi was added to the diet in a normal amount, across a wide array of volunteers and in a very rapid fashion. Impressive. Most impressive.
Kiwi, the natural aspirin? Many people take a baby aspirin every day to help thin their blood and prevent heart attacks. Amazingly, Kiwi has also been shown to thin the blood without any of aspirin’s nasty side effects, including stomach pain, excessive bruising or bleeding, small breaks in the intestinal walls, and possible disruption of other medications. Kiwi has none of that.
In conclusion, eat some damn Kiwi. It is awesome for you, tastes phenomenal, and goes great with tons of other fruit. As a final touch, if you are willing to try it, the skins of Kiwi contain lots of beneficial enzymes, just make sure to clean it well. Enjoy!
I know, I know, in some circles this is heresy, but it’s just how it is. There are certainly many foods where organic is clearly a better, healthier choice. There are other foods where there is absolutely no evidence that organic is better, and in some cases it may* even be worse. There unfortunately just isn’t a lot of solid research in the area. What little research there is has been inconclusive. It certainly seems like vitamin C content is higher in organically grown, other than that…who knows.
Eating more fruits and vegetables improves health, regardless of whether they are organically or conventionally grown. Obviously organic produce has lower pesticide residue and nitrates, but even conventionally grown produce is usually found to be well below acceptable limits. *There are also some other interesting, but not well studied (again), points to consider with organically grown produce. The lack of pesticides may cause potential increases in biological pesticides, endogenous toxin production, and potentially infectious microorganisms. This is not health-friendly stuff!
Having said all that, I am certainly not anti-organic. I still feel safer consuming a lot of organic produce, I just don’t think that it is always necessary. Fortunately for us consumers, a non-profit research organization called the Environmental Working Group has studied the sitation. They found which produce was the most likely to be contaminated by pesticides, and therefore best eaten organicically grown, and which ones were the least likely to be contaminated, and therefore can safely be eaten conventionally grown. Without further ado, here is your list of the 12 most contaminated foods:
Peaches
Apples
Sweet Bell Peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Pears
Imported Grapes
Spinach
Lettuce
Potatoes
Scarily, almost 97% of peaches tested positive for pesticides, with almost 87% having two or more different pesticides found. Apples were at 92% and 72% respetively. I would highly recommend you consider purchasing produce on this list from organically grown choices, or at least wash them very well.
Here is the list of the 12 least contaminated foods, where I have absolutely (for now) no problem with you purchasing the conventionally grown version:
Onions
Avocados
Sweet Corn
Pineapples
Mango
Asparagus
Sweet Peas
Kiwi
Bananas
Cabbage
Broccoli
Papaya
The top three on this list had over 90% of their samples test negative for pesticides.There are other foods to consider besides produce, such as milk, butter, beef, poultry, coffee, etc. There is a lot to consider with those choices as well. I will leave that blog for another day.
In the end, if you choose to purchase organic all the time, that is totally up to you. If you have the means and desire, then have it. For those of us on a budget, trying to do the best we can, it’s at least good to know that there are some foods where the cheaper version is probably more than ok. The information is getting out there, the choice is yours.
Keeping with my new Monday tradition of discussing the awesomeness of a particular food, I took a suggestion from my Warp Speed partner Danny. Today we are talking about a hardly known but insanely healthy vegetable, called Kale.
Better than Spinach?
The USDA has a procedure to measure the antioxidant abilities of different fruits and vegetables. The procedure looks at the big picture of the fruit or veggie, and sees how all of its nutrients work synergistically to fight free radicals. Guess which veggie was number 1? You guessed it, Kale. (for you trivia buffs out there, Spinach was second). Beyond its obvious antioxidant abilities, kale contains phytochemicals like indoles, which have a protective effect against breast, cervical and colon cancer and may help lower unnecessary estrogen.
Kale, like other members of the brassica family (including cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower) also contains sulforaphane. When kale is chopped or chewed sulforaphane is formed, and it helps cause the liver to remove toxins and other DNA-damaging compounds, and it may even stop breast cancer proliferation.
It is also a great source of beta-carotene, the eye-friendly lutein and zeaxanthin, calcium, iron, and vitamins C and K. Since it is roughage, it also packs a good amount of fiber. Combine kale with spinach to form a great bed of greens for a spectacular salad. Throw in some grilled pastured chicken, pine nuts, cranberries and some extra virgin olive oil, and now we are talking.
Exactly what I am talking about
If you are looking for more great info like this, definitely check out one of my best sources: The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, by Dr. Jonny Bowden. Absolutely great stuff. You can find that and more on my finally updated Resources page, so check it out!
As some of you may or may not know I have recently moved down to the great state of Connecticut. I moved in with my fiance as we were really tired of the long distance relationship. That has been great, the commute to CP, not so much. Since I now have 1:25 of driving each way, I have plenty of time to listen to lots of educational material that I have always been meaning to get too.
The Original
With that drive I am able to catch up on a lot of the FitCast episodes that I missed. Always some interesting tidbits of info on there. Jonathan Fass and Leigh Peele especially always have a little something to add that I had never really thought of. I work with Tony Gentilcore everyday so I pretty much know his answers, not that they aren’t great Tony! As for Kevin, well…just kidding Kevin, we all know how great you are.
Excellent
Recently I have added the previously unlistened to Strength Coach Podcast to my repertoire. Needless to say, I have been amazed at the knowledge bombs dropped on every episode. The podcast features the likes of Mike Boyle and Gray Cook every episode, along with some great interviews of top strength coaches. I can always listen to Mike speak as he has a great way of looking at things from a very realistic perspective, and relaying that in a very easy-to-understand format. Gray Cook is nothing short of genius. Listening to him talk makes me feel like I have the training knowledge of a small child. His stuff is pure gold. Whenever you get a chance, or happen to have a long drive, download some episodes of each podcast. I assure you, you will not be disappointed, and you will definitely learn a thing or two. Have fun!
Alright, I am going to make this one easy today. For those of you who read Dr. Jonny Bowden’s blog, this will be familiar material, but I thought it was interesting enough to discuss here. In his latest blog, he talks about a study that starts to shed light on why many people feel hungry soon after high carb meals:
“Scientists at Monash University identified key appetite control cells in the human brain. These cells are attacked after eating, but the attack is bigger and stronger following a meal rich in sugar and carbohydrates.
“The more carbs and sugars you eat, the more your appetite-control cells are damaged”, said Zane Andrews, MD, the lead researcher on the study. The result? You eat more.”
Basically the idea is that carbs create the most damage of all to your appetite-control cells. The neurons that tell people not to overreat are being destroyed.
It seems to the researchers, Dr. Bowden, and me another good reason to limit refined carbs, sugars and even some “whole” grains. Keeping hunger in check will make life that much easier.
Alright, so I haven’t blogged in a while. My fiance was up for the weekend, and we got absolutely buried in snow. It literally did not stop from 1:45 on Friday until about 4 on Sunday.
So, with my excuses now out of the way, here we go. As many of you may know, especially if you read EC’s blog, we had our inaugural CP fantasy football season. Now unlike Eric I have not gloated about the greatness of my team for all to hear. Also unlike Eric, I did not lose in the first round of the playoffs. Boy this is fun. Nope, I am the CP Fantasy Football Champion. I absolutely destroyed Dan T in the finals 113-74. It wasn’t even a contest. I am preparing for the trophy presentation today, and I am already scouting to defend my championship.
Now on to more important matters. I often get questions about “greens” or superfood products. Which ones are the best, which ones suck, which ones actually taste good, etc. To me greens products can be a very helpful addition to one’s diet. Especially for those picky eaters who really just can’t stomach many veggies, or people who are on the go so much that they must rely on a lot of shakes, it is an easy way to increase their fruit and vegetable consumption. I just don’t like to see people replace fruits and veggies with these products. They are merely an addition to an already great diet.
Researched, but tastes like grass
There are many options to choose from, but which ones are actually beneficial? It is a tough question, if all the products actually contain everything they claim to contain, then they all should help. We all know that in the supplement industry there are some very sketchy companies. The most famous of these products is the original Greens+. This product started it all, has clinical research backing it, but unfortunately tastes like grass. It does come in some decent flavored versions, although all of the Greens+ products contains too many grasses for my tastes.
Greens+ Alternative
Trader Joes has created a Greens+ alternative. It has similar ingredients, tastes significantly better, and it is also significantly cheaper. This has gotten some good reviews from people whos opinions I trust, so if you are interested definitely check this one out.
My favorite Greens Product
Biotest Superfood is my favorite of all of these products. It contains only freeze-dried fruits and veggies. It does not have any weird ingredients or any grasses. It also tastes great and is an easy addition to shakes, cottage cheese, yogurt, oatmeal and much, much more. Saying all this, I still do not think it is a substitute for real fruits and veggies, merely a helpful addition. Unfortunately, this also happens to be a pretty expensive option. One way I like to cut down the cost is to only use 1/2 serving per day. I already consume a large amount of fruits and veggies, so do I really need both scoops?
In the end, find one that you like, take it at least 3-4 times per week however you desire. The most important thing is it having it be one that you can enjoy, or at least tolerate, while also fitting it into your budget. So have it, just make sure to eat plenty of real fruits and veggies.
As some of you may know, and some of you probably don’t, I played a ton of very competitive rugby in college. I was introduced to the sport after my hockey playing days were over and loved it immediately. It is a non-stop thrill ride of controlled aggression and actually a surprising amount of skill and strategy. At UMaine we were one of the few top DII teams that did not have a coach (though I believe they kinda have one now), so we weren’t real big on the skill and strategy part.
Rugby in a Horse Barn - Brilliant!
You may be wondering where I am going with this, but just bear with me a little while longer. We were a huge team and at 5’10″ 210 I was one of the smallest guys. Needless to say, we were known for our aggressive defense, and smashmouth offense. We were not known for impressive ball movement and fancy plays. We ran the ball right down your throat. Well, my former teammates and I are a little older now, and it seems that time, and lots of rugby, are catching up with some of them. I have at least three teammates from our glory years who have had or are having knee surgery directly related to their playing days. I am certainly not putting down this spectacular sport. It is awesome. I thankfully never suffered anything more serious than a broken nose or two myself (knock on wood). These were some of the unfortunate few.
My point of the story is that most if not all of their knee problems could have been prevented. Now some traumatic knee injuries will happen no matter how great your training and programming was and how fit you are, but the proper training can make a HUGE difference. Hands down the best resource on making and keeping your knees healthy is the Bulletproof Knees Manual by Mike Robertson. It contains tons of great info on the best ways to improve the health of your knees, and keep them that way. Check it out HERE.
I recently spoke about the ridiculous levels that prescription medications have reached, check it out HERE. But I wanted to touch on it again as Bill Maher makes some great points in the video below. I don’t agree with everything Bill Maher says, he is a little too left wing for me, but this is a great clip he has here about prescription medications, emerging new epidemics and how we are making ourselves sick.
Some of his other great points are how when the presidential race was being run, the candidates released their health care proposals. The words nutrition and exercise were used once, each, in Hilary’s plan, while the word drug was used 14 times. It is sad how Big Pharma is so influential in our health care policies. There is absolutely a time and a place for prescriptions drugs, but there are a lot of other healthier choices out there for a lot of ailments.
We are not a preventative medicine culture. We want to “cure” everything. Well why don’t we just do our best to prevent it from happening in the first place? It may not make some big industries as much money, but it will certainly save Americans a ton. Here are some fantastic tips for optimal health:
eat veggies and/or fruits with every meal
drink 5 cups of green/white/oolong/black tea every day
get at least 3 grams of EPA/DHA every day
drink a few glasses of red wine per week
only eat carbs not made from flour
The Good Stuff
If you are able to follow these guidelines on a consistent basis while eating a calorically smart diet, combined with regular exercise, you are well on your way to leading a long and healthy life.
I know I just blogged the other day about how bad the MSN Health & Fitness section is, but after reading this article on Eating to Beat Stress, I just had to put in my 2 cents. The article will take 5 minutes to read, tops, so definitely read it before going on. Seriously, read it. It’s like a kids book, mainly pictures.
A good snack? According to MSN it is.
OK, my reaction to this garbage. Everyone knows that stress is a killer. It causes a plethora of health problems, from the psychological to the physiological. Finding ways to minimize stress is of ultimate importance for a health conscious person. Using refined, nutritionally empty, blood sugar and insulin spiking carbs is NOT the answer. Sure getting in your “tryptophans” is all well and good, and the transient boost in serotonin might make you feel better temporarily, but it is certainly not teaching you habits to help prevent stress in the first place! It is also most certainly not teaching healthy eating habits that will keep your waistline down.
My favorite analogy for something like this comes from great strength coach Mike Boyle, and I am paraphrasing here, “This is solving symptoms, not the underlying problems. It’s like you have a hole in your roof, and water keeps getting in and stains your nice white ceilings. So you keep painting those stains over and over, making them temporarily nice and white again, only to have the stains return again and again. Why not instead just take the time to fix the damn roof!” If people would actually create healthy eating habits and make better food choices, this wouldn’t be much of an issue anyway. Why not just drink some damn green tea, it has theanine, a known calming agent, tons of health promoting antioxidants and is calorie free. Makes a little more sense to me anyway.
This may be some of the worst nutrition advice ever. Telling people to consume refined carbs, almost completely void of anything resembling nutrients is assinine. Not only are they advocating this, they are recommending you do it on an empty stomach, without protein or fat because they delay gastric emptying. Yes, definitely what we want is nothing to stop that blood sugar rush and subsequent insulin spike and crash. I’m surprised they didn’t recommend people just suck down a soda every time they feel stressed, maybe light up a cigarette too while they are at it. What a great long-term solution this is.
I think my favorite quote is this “Bad rap: Carbohydrates have gotten a bad rap thanks to the popularity of protein-heavy plans such as the Atkins diet. But eaten the right way—think jam on toast—they do provide an energy boost. For you dieters who are terrified of carbs, Wurtman points out that serotonin is actually an appetite suppressant.
Yeah, definitely the right carbs
I mean really? Jam on toast. I am not anti-carb, but this is ridiculous. I think we all know at this point that white toast with jam, on an empty stomach, without any healthy fat or protein is not on the roadmap to health and wellbeing. Shit like this pisses me off and just makes it harder and harder for uninformed people just looking for good info to actually know what the hell to do. To MSN – Stop Giving Shitty Information.
Posted on February 4th, 2009 by Brian St. Pierre
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