Almonds and Gamma Rays?

Filed under: General Health, Nutrition

This week’s food of choice is one that nearly everyone is familiar with and “knows” is good for them, but do they really know why? Lets find out.

Today we talk about Almonds. Almonds are fantastic little nuts that provide us with tons of nutrients that you can see just from reading the nutrition label. They are high in the heart healthy monounsaturated fat that has made the Mediterranean diet famous. They are also low in carbohydrates and sugar, high in fiber and a decent source of protein. These things are evident, but what else makes this little food so great?

Almonds are also known to be a great souce of vitamin E. Vitamin comes in a few forms, called tocopherols, the most commonly known being alpha tocopherol. Unfortunately most common does not mean most beneficial (though alpha is not bad, its has tons of benefits, it is just over prescribed). This is where almonds come in. The vitamin E contained in almonds is not just from alpha tocopherol, but from the little known gamma tocopherol. Gamma tocopherol has been shown to neutralize many dangerous free radicals that alpha tochopherol simply has no effect on. These specific free radicals are known to damage cellular membranes and oxidize LDL. It is also a COX inhibitor, which is what NSAIDS do, making it an even more powerful anti-inflammatory. There is also evidence showing an inverse relationship with blood levels of gamma tocopherol and cardiovascular disease and cancer risk, the more gamma you have the lower your risk. Too much alpha tocopherol will actually decrease the amount of gamma tocopherol in the blood and tissues, so maintaining a balance is incredibly important. This is some pretty powerful and interesting stuff.

Moving into a totally different direction, there is evidence to show that almonds can aid in weight loss. Replacing calories in the diet with an equal number of calories from almonds has been shown to help people lose weight. It is thought to be, and this is pretty solid, that it is because we do not actually absorb all of the calories from tree nuts like almonds, and even to a degree, though less, their butters. It is estimated that we only absorb about 80% of the calories listed for almonds and the like.Though this doesn’t mean you should eat extra!

To top it all off almonds are a decent source of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. They are also wonderful at controlling blood sugar. In the end, this is a great snack food that can easily be incorporated into everyone’s diet (unless you have a tree nut allergy, which sucks, sorry). Enjoy.

Random Wednesday Thoughts

Filed under: General Health, Nutrition, Training

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.

Secret Superfood

Filed under: General Health, Nutrition

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!

Question: Organic or Conventional?

Filed under: General Health, Nutrition

Fact: Bears beat Battlestar Galactica.

Fact: Organic is not always better.

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:

1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Pears
9. Imported Grapes
10. Spinach
11. Lettuce
12. 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:

1. Onions
2. Avocados
3. Sweet Corn
4. Pineapples
5. Mango
6. Asparagus
7. Sweet Peas
8. Kiwi
9. Bananas
10. Cabbage
11. Broccoli
12. 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.

This Week’s Superfood

Filed under: General Health, Nutrition

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!

Warp Speed – No Carbs?

Filed under: Nutrition, Weight Loss

While on Warp Speed Fat Loss, you have 2-3 “high” carb days which I outlined here, 3-4 “normal” carb days that I outlined here, and on Sunday you get a “no” carb day. Now this is an off-day from training, so it’s not so bad, but you only get 5 meals rather than 6. No peri-training nutrition here.

Mike wanted this day to be ultra-intense, not even veggies! His example days usually ran about 25 grams of carbs, with roughly 5 grams of fiber. These are residual carbs from peanut butter, protein powder, tiny amounts of cottage cheese or Greek yogurt. And the only reason I get this much is because of my size! For someone who is starting this program at 135, it is a whole different story. They are only getting roughly 12 grams of carbs!

Now I didn’t follow this plan to the T. Like I said in the beginning, it has been modified BSP style. I happen to be too big of a fan of veggies, and I am really starting to believe that eating a little more fruit than recommended, like my “high” carb day post-training carbs, has really helped keep the hunger at bay. Some of you may be skeptical, but there is plenty of evidence that keeping liver glycogen full, which fructose does, tells the body you are in a fed state. This not only helps keep away hunger, it helps to maintain lean mass. It’s a win-win. Tangent done. Anyway, so yeah, I added in a few things. Here is my BSP “no” carb day in all it’s glory:

Wake @ 8:00

Breakfast @ 8:30 – the usual, minus the apple

• 2 whole omega-3 eggs
• 1 cup egg whites
• 1.5 cups mixed veggies – broccoli, onions, orange and green peppers
• 1oz shredded reduced-fat mozzarella
• 1 tbsp salsa
• 24oz water
• 2 Stash Fusion Green/White Tea
• 1.2 grams EPA/DHA, 2,000 IU vitamin D, 1 multi

Snack @ 11:30

• 3 pieces reduced-fat string cheese
• 12 almonds
• 9 baby carrots
• 1 tbsp original hummus
• 1 Tazo Zen Green Tea

Greatest thing since sliced bread

Lunch @ 2:30

• 2/3 cup Friendship Digestive Health cottage cheese
• 1 scoop Vanilla Metabolic Drive
• 1/4 cup frozen raspberries
• 2 tbsp chopped walnuts
• 2 Raspberry Gardens Green Tea

Dinner @ 5:30 – Asian Turkey & Broccoli

• 8oz 97% lean ground turkey (or beef)
• 1 cup chopped broccoli
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
• 1.5 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• garlic powder to taste
• ginger powder to taste
• 2 Asian Plum White Tea
• 1.2 grams EPA/DHA

Cottage cheese's best friend

Pre-Bed Snack @ 9:00 – Pumpkin Pie Cottage Cheese

• 2/3 cup Friendship Digestive Health cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup Libby pumpkin
• 1 scoop Vanilla Metabolic Drive
• 1 tbsp milled flax
• 2 tbsp chopped walnuts
• cinnamon to taste
• nutmeg to taste
• 1 Red Tea
• 1.2 grams EPA/DHA

Total Carbs for the Day = ~72 grams

Total Fiber for the Day = ~31.5

“Net” Carbs = 40.5 grams

Now don’t get in a hissy about the “net” carbs. I still count the total carbs towards my calories for the day, since we do know that fiber has about 1.5-2 cals per gram. I err on the side of caution with that one. In terms of digestible carbs, 40.5 is the number. Not too far off from what Mike wrote, it is much more palatable, and I am down a little over 9lbs since I started, so I would say it is still working just fine.

Monday’s New Take

Filed under: Nutrition

So as of today I have decided to have a sort of Monday theme. I want to introduce a specific food or food group every Monday and basically explain why it is so awesome for you.

Not these food groups

Most people have a general idea of which foods and good for them and which foods are not, but they don’t always really know why. They may know it is high in protein and low in sugar for example, but they probably don’t know specific antioxidant compounds that food may contain, and exactly what they do. That’s where I come in. Now this obviously gives me a lot of options and foods to cover, so if there are specific requests, please shoot me an email or just make a comment on this blog and I will do my best to comply. Hope you enjoy.

Today we talk: Eggs

Eggs are one of my all time favorite foods, are often completely misunderstood, and have a special place in my heart. In their entirety (meaning the whole egg) they are one of nature’s most perfect foods.

They are one of the world’s greatest sources of highest quality protein. Eggs contain a boatload of vitamins, minerals and some very important antioxidants. They are also a great source of choline, which is sometimes lumped into the vitamin B-complex, though it’s not really a vitamin, either way it is an essential nutrient for cardiovascular and brain function. The interesting thing about choline is that it is an essential part of the phospholipid phosphatidylcholine. Without phosphatidylcholine fat and cholesterol accumulate in the liver. Hmmm. The ADA has always told us to avoid eggs because of the cholesterol content, yet eggs contain a compound that actually helps prevent the body from accumulating cholesterol. Interesting. Choline also helps to form betaine, which helps to lower the inflammatory homocysteine, a big risk factor for heart disease. More interesting. Choline is also need for a major neurotransmitter in the body, called acetylcholine, weird right. Acetylcholine is critical for memory and thought and may even be protective against some forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s.

The major antioxidants in eggs are lutein and zeaxanthin. These two antioxidants are known to be powerful protectors of the eyes, helping to filter harmful wavelengths. The amazing thing about lutein and zeaxanthin in eggs is that the bioavailability is significantly higher than from supplements.

As you can see so far, eggs are a nutritional powerhouse, but we aren’t done yet. Eggs are also a good source of riboflavin, vitamin B12 (for you vegetarians out there), and selenium among others.

One quick note about eggs is the oxidation of the cholesterol content. When a yolk is broken and the cholesterol is exposed to air it becomes oxidized, and oxidized cholesterol is a little worrisome. Now this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat scrambled eggs or an omelet, it is just something to keep in mind. Total time exposure is important, so maybe hold off on those buffet tables of eggs, but making some fresh scrambled eggs on your own won’t be a problem at all. Hope you enjoyed my little rant.

A Lazy Friday

Filed under: General Health, Nutrition

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.

Dropping some PN knowledge bombs!

Filed under: Nutrition

Today I am going to start off with a little story of how I came to be in this industry. Way back in college, I was a completely bored and indifferent engineering student. I started off as a computer engineer for a year and a half, then a mechanical engineer for a year and a half. I hated every minute of it. I skipped class, I played a ton of Madden and NHL ’03. No one could touch me on NHL, I was nasty. Regardless, I spent more time in my first three years of college reading about training and nutrition than I did actually doing engineering work (and it showed in my grades, yikes!).

One of my main sources of information back at that time were the bodybuilding.com forums, led by none other than the great Alan Aragon. I learned a boatload reading his posts/comments/monstrous debates. The other source was an absolute goldmine of information, my first influence in the field. I learned about Massive Eating, the 7 Habits and lots more. This website was none other than johnberardi.com. I was hooked. He was definitely the reason that I eventually decided to switch majors, again, into nutrition. I read everything he offered on his site, every single article, which led me to t-nation.com, to Eric Cressey, and now, my job. So, after regaling you with these fantastic anecdotes, here is the real reason I have brought this up today. John Berardi and his great Precision Nutrition team are releasing the newest and greatest Precision Nutrition system yet. Precision Nutrition V3!

This brand new system is a totally revamped version of the system that has helped over 40,000 people to transform their bodies through nutrition. V3 has been re-written, re-edited and re-designed from the ground up. Every section has been improved, and three new ones have been added, including:

• The Plant-Based Diet Guide, to address the needs of vegetarians,
• The Maintenance Guide, to help people sustain their results over the long haul by finding a new “normal” that they can be happy with, and
• The Support Guide, to help people with what we’ve learned is THE critical component of a successful nutrition plan: help!

Other changes include:

• Revisions to existing guides, in particular the Diet Guide, Individualization Guide and Measurement Guide to provide more step-by-step instructions suited to your level of expertise, from beginner to right to professional
• Expanded Online Library, with downloadable guides, nutrition plans, research articles and training programs covering every conceivable nutrition situation — and if we don’t already have what you’re looking for, we’ll create it — so that you can personalize the Precision Nutrition System for your particular needs
• Weekly “All About” Articles for members only, covering everything you need to know about specific topics (e.g., past articles include “All About Protein,” “All About Caffeine,” etc.)
• Extensive improvements to the Member Zone, our online support community, including a dedicated team of coaches and expert volunteers available around the clock to point you in the right direction

Basically, if you are in my position, this is some really exciting stuff. JB and his team create top knotch work that I can truly recommend without one ounce of regret. PN V2 was simply the more comprehensive and user friendly nutrition system on the planet, and V3 blows it out of the water!

So, if you want to learn how to change your body through nutrition, and keep it there forever, then look no further, this system is for you. If you are interested in becoming the best you can be, click HERE.

MY WSFL Training Log

Filed under: Nutrition, Training, Weight Loss

For those of you who have been following my Warp Speed Fat Loss adventure, I have been logging my training over at the the FitCast forums. The training has been SO much harder than the diet. These sessions are absolutely brutal. I think I understand now why CrossFit has such diehards. Not that I am doing CrossFit, but I think it is close enough where I can start to see how people get sucked into this style of training. I started this little shindig at a not-as-lean-as-I-used-to-be 212.2 lbs (which wasn’t too bad because I had hit 214 at one point). After one week I am currently down to about 207.5lbs. So, needless to say, it is working. Just want to get close to that 200 mark.

I am also not sure if many of you know this, but I did an interview for the FitCast a while back. It was Kevin’s first midweek show, so you can also check that out HERE.

Also as some of you may notice. I finally got my headshot up, though I don’t think that’s the one I am going to use. A big thank you to Kevin for getting that up for me though.

Finally I will leave you all with a little nugget. Vanilla Metabolic Drive is like candy. It makes everything taste better. My pumpkin pie cottage cheese recipe would not be possible without it. My new favorite snack with cottage cheese and frozen raspberries, is good, but Vanilla MD (and chopped walnuts) makes it unbelievable. So if you want an easy way to add high quality protein as well as a delicious flavor enhancer, I highly suggest it. You can try others, but I promise you will come crawling back.