An online consulting client of mine sent me a link to a recent article in the NY Times. It was on one of my “favorite” topics, The Biggest Loser. Now I know that a lot of people like this show, they find it inspirational. I get that. I wrote an entire blog about that.
Unfortunately I think this show promotes unhealthy and unrealistic habits along with dangerous training. Apparently the contestants agree. According to the article the winner of season one, Ryan Benson, who lost 122lbs on the show, did so in part by fasting and dehydrating himself to the point where he was urinating blood. That is near renal failure/death. That is not what I call healthy weight loss. What I don’t like about the show is that is does not reward learning lifestyle changes that lead to long-term weight loss and maintenance of a healthy weight, it promotes maximal weight loss at all costs.
I have always been slightly surprised that more people do not get injured on the show, but we are starting to see it more and more. Last season there was a hip injury and an injury during a very ill-fated marathon. This season alone there have already been two contestants sent to the hospital, one by air lift due to serious heat-stroke.
Here is one of my favorite quotes of the article, discussing the health implications associated with such severe caloric restriction, six hours per day training and the rapid weight loss they lead too:
“I’m waiting for the first person to have a heart attack,” said Dr. Charles Burant, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Health System director of the Michigan Metabolomics and Obesity Center.
“I have had some patients who want to do the same thing, and I counsel them against it,” Dr. Burant said. “I think the show is so exploitative. They are taking poor people who have severe weight problems whose real focus is trying to win the quarter-million dollars.”
I agree completely with that quote. I think these people are just being exploited and their health and actual results are a distant second to ratings. Now I love the fact that this show inspires people to exercise and eat better, I love it. What I don’t love are the methods it promotes and the expectations it creates for people to have for their own results, which can’t be replicated in the real world. If you want to read more great points about this topic, the great strength coach Robert Dos Remedios wrote an excellent blog perfectly encapsulating my thoughts right here.
I have nothing against people trying to get in shape, and I understand they want the results to come quickly and efficiently, but there are healthier alternatives to starvation and all day training. An effective protocol I have used in the past was the Warp Speed Fat Lossprogram, where I lost about 12lbs in one month. Recently a new and improved Warp Speed Fat Losswas launched, which you can check out here.
Recently a nutrition client showed me a really cool website they came across. It is called elementbars.com. At elementbars.com you are able to create your own customized protein bar, built to your specifications from some some very high quality and sometimes organic ingredients. Not only can you build your own bar, it also shows the macronutrient breakdown of your bars. That is probably the coolest feature of the site. There are 5 categories to choose from – Core, Fruit, Nuts, Sweets and Boosts and with each element you add or change, the change in macronutrient profile is immediately reflected. It is awesome.
My mom said I use the word awesome too much in my blog
I checked it out last night and built my own bar with these ingredients:
Core – I chose the chewy core made of almond butter, oats and flax – seemed like a solid choice
Fruit - I chose blueberries, which have been lightly sweetened with apple juice
Nuts – I added more flaxseeds for fiber, omega-3′s and cancer-fighting lignans
Sweetener – I chose pumpkin spice, for awesome flavor and health profile, but also to keep cals and sugar down
Boosts – I chose whey protein for a protein and glutathione boost
The BSP Bars came out to:
Not too shabby if you ask me. Granted this is not something I would consume everyday, but if you get caught in a pinch or you are on the road a lot and need a quick convenient snack option, you could do a lot worse. The great thing about it is most protein bars contain tons of crap: tons of artificial sweeteners, hydrogenated oils, sugar alcohols, etc. These are chock full of high quality stuff, granted there may be a little brown rice syrup in the core, but all in all this is made from real food, would probably taste pretty good and could hold you over for a couple of hours until you can get some solid food in you.
The only downside to these bars is they are not cheap. At $36 for 12, they are not for the faint of heart, but they are freshly made out of high quality ingredients. While I can’t attest to the taste personally since I haven’t actually tried them, it certainly seems like you can make a winning combination. Enjoy!
So a couple of weeks ago I posted a smoothie that I proclaimed to be the World’s Greatest Smoothie. Obviously that was a little bit of hyperbole, but it is a truly delicious, healthy and convenient smoothie.
This week I am posting another absolutely amazing smoothie certain to satisfy any chocoholic’s desire. While I love vanilla protein powder as I find it much more versatile for smoothies and such, some people just have a love affair with chocolate that can not be satisfied with mere vanilla (like my mom and my wife for example).
In honor of that, here is what I concocted. Not only is it approved by me (I like almost everything I make, so I am a little biased) but it was given a sign of approval by my more discerning wife. It is pretty much the greatest flavor combination possible, like liquid Reese’s. So without further ado:
Chocolate Peanut Butter & Banana
~6oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or hemp for those allergic to nuts)
1 banana
1 scoop chocolate whey protein
1 tbsp milled flax
1 tbsp 100% cacao dark chocolate nibs
1 tbsp natural peanut butter (or almond butter)
ice cubes if desired
I am actually drinking this as I type this blog, using it as my pre-training smoothie and it really fits the bill. Again, just like the previous smoothie it isn’t designed to maximize calorie intake and pack on as much mass as possible, but if you are looking for a delicious, healthy and calorically reasonable smoothie, I would highly recommend it.
I also want to make note that Precision Nutrition is running an awesome sale on their comprehensive nutrition system, Precision Nutrition 3. It includes an all-access membership to their private Member Zone, plus a 1-year subscription to their Results Tracker program, along with free shipping, for only $99. If you are interested check it out HERE.
Well my wife and I are back home in Maine with our families and are getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner. I just wanted to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and one of the few days you get to break all of the rules, so enjoy it!
Recently at CP Tony has been eating sweet potato almost every day. He mixes it with some ginger and a ton of veggies and chicken and it looks and smells awesome (except for that one time when he put in a ton of ginger and you could smell it from 10 feet away). As embarrassing as it is to say, I don’t think I had ever eaten a sweet potato in my life (not counting sweet potato fries)!
Sweet potatoes are an incredibly healthy food. Oddly enough they aren’t actually related to the regular potato at all. They are high in fiber, vitamin A, potassium and a little calcium to boot.They get their orange color from being high in beta-carotene, and they also contain loads of other phytochemicals like quercetin, chlorogenic acid and cryptoxanthin. So not only are they delicious, they pack a nutritional wallop!
One of best things about sweet potatoes is that you get to flavor them up with some other incredibly healthy foods. With a traditional potato people slap on butter, salt, and maybe some bacon bits and tons of cheese. Certainly not the world’s healthiest topping combo.
A sweet potato on the other hand can be dressed up very nicely without adding many additional calories. My wife and I on Saturday added a little pastured butter, a good amount of cinnamon and a touch of ginger, and it was to die for.
The pastured butter contains good amounts of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, and K (especially K2-MK4, which is very important for proper bone health) as well as some cancer fighting conjugated linolenic acid and heart-healthy omega-3’s. Yes the butter also contains some saturated fat, but so what, it is not the enemy it is made out to be. One third of butter fat is monounsaturated, and pastured butter also contains lauric acid, an anti-microbial saturated fatty acid.
Cinnamon also has tons of health benefits that I blogged about it in more detail here. Finally, ginger. Ginger is well known to soothe an upset stomach, nausea and vomiting due to its gingerol content. Some studies in Denmark have shown that 75% of pregnant women who used ginger experienced relief from morning sickness without side effects. Ginger also has anti-inflammatory properties and may help with arthritis. It also may: inhibit the growth of colorectal cancer cells, lower total cholesterol, inhibit LDL oxidation (oxidized LDL is an independent marker for heart disease), and slow the development of atherosclerosis. This is some serious stuff.
So after a nice little training session on Saturday Anna and I had a delicious dinner of wild salmon, sweet potato and sautéed broccoli. It was absolutely fantastic.
This week I was able to catch up on a few blogs and articles and I came across some really top-notch stuff. I pretty much just love to read, whether it be about assessments, carb cycling, fat loss or dental health, if it is related to health I want to know about it. I know you guys are always looking for more good info, so here is my recent reading list. Enjoy.
1. All About Gluten – by Ryan Andrews from Precision Nutrition. Ryan is a really smart dude and his articles are always top-notch. Besides I am not a huge fan of wheat, I just think we eat too much of it, and Ryan lays down the law as to why gluten can be problematic. Whether you have celiac’s disease or not, do yourself a favor and find out what issues are associated with gluten sensitivity as you might be surprised what it is linked to.
1A. The At-Home Test For Gluten Sensitivity – by Bryan Walsh from Precision Nutrition. This ties in really well with the above article by Ryan. Bryan goes into even more detail about all the health implications if you are intolerant to gluten, its actually really scary stuff. Fortunately he also provides a few methods for at-home testing to check yourself. Knowledge truly is power.
2. Ever Wonder What New Food I’ve Been Eating…- by Tony Gentilcore. The actual title is much longer, maybe the longest blog title ever, but the article is fantastic. Tony and I talk about food and nutrition at work a lot. We are always looking for new ideas, things to change, and basically just finding ways to be healthier. In his uniquely entertaining way Tony covers some really good ground and mentions a few foods that I think I will start adding to my daily intake.
3. Malocclusion: Disease of Civilization, Part VI – by Stephan Guyenet. Stephan’s site (wholehealthsource.blogspot.com) is a fantastic resource and one of my favorite blogs. Since my wife is going to be a dentist soon, I find his series on malocclusion’s even more fascinating. The data linking them to vitamin A, vitamin D, and vitamin K2 consumption as well as length of breast feeding and more is incredible. Stephan is one smart dude and someone who always provides the highest quality info.
4. Well there isn’t a four, but I just want EC to know that he is about to get demolished in fantasy football this week. I am riding a 5 game winning streak (should be 6, I got screwed by ESPN not letting me log in, but I digress) and am now the highest scoring team in the league. The defending champ is back baby!
One of the most commonly asked questions from clients is for sources of delicious, healthy and yet convenient recipes. This seems to be the hardest thing for people to figure out, and really it is just a matter of knowing where to look. Below are some resources that have helped me greatly along the way. These cookbooks are BSP approved not only for their delicious recipes, but also because they provide plenty of nutrition education along the way. Not a mere collection of recipes, but books full of tips, guidelines, little pearls of wisdom to help transform your eating habits and vastly improve your health and physique. So without further ado, here are my top five favorite cookbooks.
1. Gourmet Nutrition 2.0 by Dr. John Berardi. This is my top-of-the-line go to resource for high quality and amazing tasting recipes. This beautifully photographed cookbook provides nutritional information for every recipe, for large and a small serving sizes. This alone puts this book high atop my list. Knowing what you are taking in really goes a long way to help you meet your goals. Sometimes people are surprised by the calories of a meal, so seeing them on paper really is highly beneficial. This book also provides estimated preparation and cooking times, whether a meal is considered an anytime meal (i.e. lower carb) or a post workout meal (i.e. higher carb), which is how I like the set things up with most people as well. I use more recipes from this cookbook than any other.
2.The Healthiest Meals on Earth by Dr. Jonny Bowden. This incredible cookbook is based on the concept of the poly meal. The poly meal includes high quality protein and healthy fat source (usually salmon), fruits and vegetables, red wine, and dark chocolate, which if consumed on a regular basis will greatly reduce risk of many many health conditions, especially heart disease. In his book Dr. Bowden has created some amazing amazing, gourmet five course meals that follow these guidelines. They are amazing. It also provides many smaller and much more convenient recipes that are still incredibly healthy. Unfortunately this book does not contain the nutrition info break down. That is the only flaw of this incredible and amazingly healthy cookbook, which is offset by the fact that it does provide the most unique recipes of them all.
3. Body By Eats by Leigh Peele. This book is probably the least cookbook like of them all. Leigh provides tons of great nutrition content, dispelling myths and generally just supplying people with the information they need to reach their goals. Along with all of this great info are some absolutely awesome recipes designed with your goals in mind. Fat loss recipes, muscle building recipes, vegetarian recipes, you name, Leigh put it in there. This cookbook is full of awesome stuff that is sure to help anyone reach their goals.
4.Gourmet Nutrition the original by Dr. John Berardi. This is the original cookbook by Dr. John Berard, providing tons of great recipes that are highly nutritious, highly convenient, tasty and also provide nutrition information for every recipe for large and small serving sizes. This cookbook is in black-and-white, but it is still of very high quality and is highly recommended. Dr. Berardi might modify a few recipes today with what he knows now, but the overwhelming majority of them still stand beautifully on their own. I still refer to it quite often, and it was the first nutrition cookbook I ever owned.
5. BSP recipes! No list of mine would be complete without me referencing a few of my favorite recipes. Here are some links to some of the favorite recipes I’ve posted on this site.
While this may not be a comprehensive list, owing a few or all of these books will provide you with hundreds or recipes that can help you reach your physique, performance, and health goals. Enjoy.
Ok, so the title might be a little bit of hyperbole/subject to personal opinion, but this past week I came up with this delicious new smoothie that I have been having before I train. As you guys probably know, I am making a conscious effort to eat less dairy, with my only source being a 16oz Greek yogurt per day.
This has made my choice of smoothies more limited as I no longer personally use cottage cheese as my base. I do want to say that I don’t think some cottage cheese consumption here and there is a problem, it is just something I am trying, at least for a while.
This is a pre-training smoothie, consumed about 1.5 hours before I train, so it isn’t too large either. Without further ado:
Apple Cinnamon with a Hint of Vanilla
1 gala apple, cored and sliced
~6oz unsweetened vanilla or original almond (or hemp) milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp milled flax seed
2 tbsp almonds and pecans
cinnamon to taste
Blend it all together and enjoy!
Like I said, I use it pre-training, but it is an any-time snack. If you a guy looking to pack on some serious size, this probably isn’t the smoothie for you, I have tons of other recipes for that situation. If you are someone looking to get or stay lean, or eating to optimize your health, this is a perfect and delicious option.
Missing the forest for the trees might be a sentence that I use the most with clients. Here is one simple fact that if you can truly come to accept will make a bigger impact on your goals, whatever they may be, than just about anything else. Ready?
You are not as advanced as you think you are.
That is it. You don’t need to be doing a specialized hybrid Russian periodization program with some added dynamic effort work and 3x per week sprint sessions. Trust me. The same goes for nutrition. The last thing you need to worry about is what kind of salsa you are using, I assure you if you haven’t reached your physique goals that your salsa choice has little to do with it. It might be the fact that you slug down 60 grams of unnecessary sugar after you train, or that you eat Special K for breakfast. It is not the salsa, I promise.
Master the basics. If you can do that, and I mean truly do that, you will have the physique and health status to prove it. Eat real food. Eat more protein. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Eat more healthy fat. Eat less refined carbs. If you can do that CONSISTENTLY, then maybe, just maybe you can start to think about carb timing, macronutrient ratios, carb cycling, cyclical ketogenic, or whatever else it is you just read about on some website. You might find that after mastering the basics, you don’t have to.
Training is the same way. It takes years, and I really do mean years, to truly master the basic movements to the point where you need to worry about anything else. You probably don’t need to be doing max singles, or the innie-outie machine. If you can master the squat, deadlift, pullups, pressing, pulling and lunging you will be far better off than the guy doing 1-leg squats with his eyes closed while standing on an Airex pad, or the woman reading a magazine while doing 100 reps on the adductor/abductor machine. (sorry for the stereotypes, but I did once work in a commercial gym, just making a point)
Don't be this guy
When it comes to training though, there is a catch. Most people move horribly and do not even know it. Your posture dictates how well you can do most exercises, so if it sucks, so will your technique. If you can’t even get to neutral spine, if you have locked up hips and upper back mobility, or you lack ankle mobility all of those things could hugely, and negatively, affect your ability to train properly, train hard and train long-term because you will likely get hurt.
Foam rolling and a dynamic mobility warmup go a long way to help improve posture, mobility and flexibility. We employ both with all of our clients before they even begin to train. After the evaluation it is the first thing our clients learn about at CP. It is that important. However it can not possibly cover every person’s unique postural and mobility deficits.
Fortunately for you Eric Cressey, Mike Robertson, and Bill Hartman have joined forces and created a new DVD (and manual) to help you identify and fix your postural, mobility, and flexibility issues. Assess & Correct is one of the best products that I have come across in the fitness industry. It was created by three of the smartest guys in the field at assessment and corrective exercise. It is chock full of user-friendly and top-notch info and strategies that we utilize at CP and Bill and Mike use at IFAST to efficiently and effectively get clients healthier and more fit. With video demonstrations and written descriptions of every exercise it doesn’t leave you guessing on proper technique and execution. The most amazing part of Assess & Correct is that once you complete the assessment portion it helps direct you to the exercises you will personally need to do to fix your problems, it is not a one-size-fits-all approach. So if you are interested in getting better posture and staying health, check it out HERE.
In conclusion, realize that mastering the basics is the name of the game, and you are never too advanced to pull back and work on the fundamentals: Make better food choices, master the basic lifts, eat more fruits and vegetables, fix your posture, and do not worry about what salsa you are eating as I promise it is not making a significant impact on your goals.
Here is a neat video I came across the other day. It shows how making simply making exercise exciting and interesting makes people so much more likely to do it. You can see more videos like this at thefuntheory.com.
Posted on December 4th, 2009 by Brian St. Pierre
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