The Road to Ultra

Running from Death

2008-08-20T06:25:00.001-04:00

So last week I actually caught a bug. I'm fairly certain it happened while I spent a day at an amusement park with my daughter. I listen to my body and it was screaming, "No more 5am sprints" so while I tracked good nutrition all week long, I didn't exercise.

Jumping back into it proved a little more difficult than I imagined. I was going to start this weekend ... but then, wasn't it better just to have a nice swim at the pool? Then Monday morning came ... and wouldn't just a little more sleep be nice?

So last night I made The Decision. I was actually laying in bed, watching T.V., when I thought, "Do I REALLY want to be in bed, watching T.V.?" NO! I wanted to be focused on falling asleep, gettling plenty of rest, and waking up early to start my routine again.

The remote went "click." The box turned off. The room grew dark and quiet. Then, I simply visualized my next morning: having a nice, full night of sleep then waking up promptly to go down and get fit.

It worked! I'm up this morning, having my pre-workout cup of coffee and ready to jump back into my routine of exercising. Sometimes it's only as tough as we make it: it's HARD to get back in the routine if we make that choice, but with the right decision, we can choose to make it easy, which is just what I did!

Better Fat and Fit than Skinny and Unfit

I've covered this before: that it is actually better to be overweight and in shape (i.e. consuming proper nutrition and exercising on a regular basis) than to be thin and unfit (eating bad foods and/or not exercising). It's one of the reasons I don't lose sleep over not maintaining low body fat year round: once the novelty of looking good on the beach wears off, the bottom line is that I still maintain a healthy lifestyle and reap the many benefits. The New York Times just published a great article that can be summed up with this sentence: "Despite concerns about an obesity epidemic, there is growing evidence that our obsession about weight as a primary measure of health may be misguided."

You're a Peach ... No, A Pear

Then ABC News followed up with this little gem that points out while the scale may not be as large a factor as we thought, our body shape IS important to consider, especially the waist-to-hip ratio.

Nutrition? Exercise? How About ... Both!

Another research study confirmed what we've been saying for years now. You can't JUST DIET ... first, diets always fail because you always end up OFF of the diet, right? And second, most people who only diet tend to lose muscle along with fat. But exercising alone isn't necessarily best, either, especially when it's tough to get into a regular routine or when you're starting out and are not sure what to do. According to this article about losing weight, diet and exercise together prove the best combination. The study found people who only diet DO lose muscle mass ... while ones who only go to the gym have a high drop out rate and don't stick with the plan. While studies like this are interesting, I think they miss a main, fundamental point ... regardless of nutrition or exercise or even BOTH, nothing will work until you've made the right choice and committed yourself to transforming your lifestyle.

Gastrict Bypass Surgery: 40% failure rate?

Eileen Wells was excited ... at 38, she was about to get "a new lease on life." She was 290 pounds, and about to have weight loss surgery. The surgery worked: she lost weight. She went down to 130 pounds. How did she feel? Besides the agonizing ulcer that required a second surgery, an intestinal hernia, and a fourth procedure to easy the pain of abdominal scarring, just fine. Some studies suggest 4 out of 10 people who undergo weight loss surgery have complications. You can read the rest here. My question is: is 290 pounds really heavy enough to justify surgery? We've heard success stories from people who have LOST 300 pounds without surgery. One thing that concerns me is people tend to focus on the fact that the risk of surgery is higher, and forget something more important: the benefits of NON-surgical weight loss are so much higher. That's right, I'm not focused here on how risky the surgery is, but on how doing what it takes to lose it naturally is so much MORE beneficial due to the positive habits and and positive impact on health it creates.

Eggs Over Bagels

I knew I was on to something. No, I mean eggs "win" over bagels, not SERVED over bagels! If you've followed my program for any length of time, you know I eat a lot of eggs. Now I just found out that overweight people who ate two eggs for breakfast lose more weight (and had more energy) than those who ate the same calories but had a bagel instead. Oh, and still worried about cholesterol? The 152 obese people in this study didn't see any change in their cholesterol levels despite the daily dose of eggs.

Running from Death

Looking for the fountain of youth? Researchers say to find it, you gotta keep running. After tracking more than 500 runners for 20 years, Standford University found elderly runners have fewer disabilities and are half as likely as agining non-runners to die early death. If that's not motivation to lace up your shoes, I'm not sure what is!

More Fatal Side Effects

The drug may help with diabetes, but the side effect is pancreatis and possible death. The $200 a month drug manufactured that mimics lizard saliva is being monitored by Australian health authorities.

Until next time,

To the Wire, To the Limit

2008-08-05T06:57:00.000-04:00

This morning, I woke up at 4am to perform a major software upgrade for the wireless software company that I am a partner in. Fueled by nothing more than a few cups of coffee and water, I finished the upgrade at 5:30am and then stuck around for awhile to ensure nothing was amiss.

After that, I tied on my shoes and descended into the basement.

The workout is simple, based on the Body-for-LIFE principles of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Instead of the 20 minutes, however, I extend by 4 minutes early in the week, then another 4 minutes later in the week, so the main workout is 24 and 28 minutes respectively. I then increase 0.1 mph the next week and repeat (on the weekend I do a long run in the neighborhood for a third cardio session). I also put the treadmill at a 3.0 incline, although that is more to save it from the friction of my 200-pound plus foot falls than to add any extra challenge.

I was coming into minute 20. I had covered 2.25 miles and was running at 6.6 mph. It was time to increase the clip to 7.6. I was feeling tired (after all, I had been up two hours with no food prior) and little excuses started popping up in my mind. "Take it easy," and "You didn't get a full night's rest last night," and "You're starving, so just wind it down now."

Those are the little dream-killers that keep us from achieving greatness. I believe our measure is in part how well we listen to, or laugh at, those little voices that want to keep us mediocre.

I reflected upon WHY I was doing the workouts the way I had them scheduled. It is simple: in September 2006, I set a mission to run an ultramarathon, a race of 50 miles or more. It seemed impossible, which is why it was the perfect goal, because it is the Big Hairy Goals that test our limits and teach us who we really are. I started with a local 5K to benefit a girl suffering from a rare disease. I ran it in 28 minutes flat. In September 2007, I ran the race again and finished in 26:10. This year, I have a goal to run it better than 24 minutes and continue shaving time.

There is a local man in the neighborhood that I don't know personally, but who runs a lot and won the race last year. I like to think of him as my "competitor" because I know if I keep up with him, I'll be well on my way to my record as he is quite fast.

So, at 20 minutes, I shifted to 7.6 mph and imagined the last leg of the race. I'm running around the loop, and slowly gaining on him. This is how I push hard and reach my goal.

The image is strong and as 21 minutes approach, he notices me and picks up his pace. So I kick up to 8.6 miles per hour. Now we're running neck to neck, and pushing forward but conserving that last little bit we know we need to break out for the finish line.

Before I know it, the end is in sight. At 22 minutes, I kick into 9.6 miles per hour and go all out. We are pushing to the finish line and finally all of my energy is directed to just moving my body, breathing, and staying upright on the treadmill.

I hit my goal.

I modify the cool down a bit: Body-for-LIFE suggests going to a minute at a "level 5" but I kick it down to a level 6 and jog a bit to cool down. I find this is easier on my body and helps me increase my fitness level faster as well. My rule is simple: drop 1 mph every minute while you are still jogging. Once you are walking, drop 1 mph ever 30 seconds. When you hit 2.0 mph, walk another 30 seconds and you're done. For me, that meant 5.6, then 4.6, then 3.6, then 2.6, then 2.0.

Isn't it amazing how visualization can help us achieve our goals? Remember the future and wait for it to come.

An Issue More Pressing than Terrorism

2008-07-30T08:07:00.001-04:00

An Issue More Pressing than Terrorism

Former Surgeon General Richard Carmona said, "Obesity is a terror within. It's destroying our society from within and unless we do something about it, the magnitude of the dilemma will dwarf 9/11 or any other terrorist event you can point out ..." This is part of the synopsis of a new film in the works called Killer at Large.

The Power of Healing

Can miracles be found under the microscope? One research student has published papers in two scientific journals that claim just that ... evidence of "energy healing." One dish of cells was treated by a trained healer. A second set of cells was treated by untrained students who were instructed to hold their hands over a petri dish for 10 minutes twice a week. A third dish of cells stood ignored in its metal stand.

After the treatment, the dishes were returned to an incubator. Scientists who later examined the cells under the microscope didn't know which group each dish had been in.

To the researcher's astonishment, the cells treated by trained Therapeutic Touch practitioners grew faster and stronger than those that received the sham treatment, or none at all. Read the rest.

Low Fat is Old Fad

Low fat diets, while an old fad, are still quite popular despite an overwhelming amount of evidence that they just flat out don't work and can in fact be more harmful than helpful. Yet another study demonstrated that risk of diabets has more to do with calories than fat. I believe if we take most assumptions made about cholesterol, saturated fats, and other macronutrients, we'll find the story is completely different when examining individuals who are gaining weight compared to individuals who are maintaining or losing weight.

12 Reasons to Fire Your Trainer

Yes, advice to nix the competition from a coach himself ... seriously, I thought this was a great blog entry about knowing when your relationship with a personal trainer isn't working out. Remember, just like anyone else, there are good trainers and there are bad trainers. Click here to figure out the bad apples.

172 Pounds Couldn't Hold Him Back

Yes, you read it correctly. He was on 11 medications and could barely walk 150 feet at a time. From a starting weight of 360 pounds, and WITHOUT surgery, Joel Marsh shed 172 pounds of fat. Let's put that in perspective. 172 pounds is 602,000 calories. It's enough energy to brew 1,679 pots of coffee. It would light a 60-watt light bulb for 1 1/3 years. It's the same thing as skipping 1,864 Snickers Bars. Here's the real deal: to burn enough calories to shed 172 pounds of fat, you would need to walk the length of England 11 1/2 times nonstop. So, how about a WAY TO GO for Joel!

Weight Loss Surgery of a Different Kind

This woman lost 140 pounds from surgery. However, they weren't trimming fat. While she was told for years that she had to lose weight, it turns out she was carrying a 140 pound tumor. Another great example of traditional medicine: she had to pick a different doctor before someone thought to check for the stomach cancer that had been growing for several decades.

Pain Killers, People Killers

More research continues to surface regarding the dangers of falling prey to the pharmaceutical marketing engine. A recent analysis of 50 million death certificates showed that 224,000 — a quarter million — died from medication errors. More disturbing is that medical mistakes at home, such as the one that supposedly caused the death of Heath Ledger, have increased 700 percent over the past 20 years. As the report suggests, living healthy is a far safer choice than living unhealthy and trying to correct it through medication.

Exercise More to Keep it Off

A recent study suggests there are multiple benefits to exercising more than the suggested 30 minutes daily. The study, which followed two groups who both restricted calories but one group exercised more, found that those who exercised longer kept the weight off longer as well, and were more likely to stick to their healthy eating plans. Perhaps they felt they "earned" the right to eat healthy through all of that treadmill work?

Slow or Grow

2008-07-27T09:36:00.002-04:00

Each day we are faced with choices. How we make those choices not only determines the outcome of the day, but plants seeds that may not grow to fruition for many years to come.

I think back, for example, at my own career. Just one example is how I left my first software company on good terms, and almost ten years later was contacted by the founder of that company to help launch a new business. 10 years is a long time, but the seeds that were planted grew to help shape our lives in the present.

I was out for a jog today. I do three cardio sessions every week. Two of those are on the treadmill. Succeeding there is fairly "cut and dry" because it simply involves upping the speed or the incline and is a very measurable progression.

My weekend jogs are purposefully not so detailed. I have a great GPS watch that measures distance and pace, but I don't wear it. My jogs are to connect with myself, a spiritual journey that I can take the time to reflect, meditate, pray and really plan the week to come.

There is a loop I take that is fairly hilly. I have two options, one is an out-and-back that may be anywhere from 4 to 5 miles, and the other is a full loop that is around 4 1/2 miles with some great hills. I'd been doing the loop for awhile, so when I started my run, I decided I would shoot for the out-and-back.

As I approached "the point of no return" (or rather, the turnaround point) I decided that I didn't want to just retrace my steps and come back, so I opted to make a turn and pursue the loop.

Going that direction leaves me with a rather extreme hill near the end. It was a hot day and I haven't been running in the heat, and I was still sore from some intense training routines, so after 4 miles, coming to the hill I was feeling spent. I had already determined that I would beat that hill, so as I approached, I slowed my pace, took a few drinks from my water bottle, then braced myself for the ascent.

I pushed hard and after what seemed like forever, I made it to the top. If I had any more energy I would have jumped up and down and cheered because it is a tough hill to tackle ... I haven't always made it to the top and sometimes it is a very slow pace, but this time I really nailed it.

After the hill, it was a nice downhill jog for a bit, then a bit of uphill.

My jogs finish on a downhill towards our house, so to make them interesting, I purposefully add a little side trip up a side road that adds a steep hill at the very end (this one is much shorter). It only adds about three blocks to the run but for me, the psychology of having that last little challenge makes the run more interesting.

I was just coming out of the downhill portion and beginning the approach to my neighborhood when I realized that I was aching all over. I was happy about the victory on the hill, but the heat was getting to me, my water bottle was empty, and it felt like every muscle in my body was sore.

It was tempting to just "throw in the towel" and I could have easily justified it by saying, "Hey, I had a great run on that hill .. that's good enough." So my mind explored the thought of walking a short distance, skipping that last little spur, and just finishing there.

That's when I realized it was an opportunity: slow or grow.

I could go it slow. It could finish with a whimper, not a bang. Heck, that last little bit probably won't amount to many extra calories or change how fast I run my next race. But is there something more to it?

Last year I attempted my first marathon. It was an inaugural marathon and everything went wrong. Being a slower runner, I was in the wave of joggers who found that the race wasn't prepared for the unseasonal heat (it was 86 degrees in March) and had actually run out of water and Power Ade. I ran the first 10 miles with no fluids and was feeling it. By the time I did get fluids I had confused my schedule ... any one who runs distances knows that fluid intake can be an art in itself ... too much and you end up bloated and cramping, too little spells danger. I was confused and tried to drink what I could but hit a turn around mile 20 and just felt like I was going to have heat stroke.

You can read about my humbling experience here:

Inaugural ING Marathon Race Report

In hindsight, I think I made the right choice ... many people had to be taken away by ambulance for the exact reason I decided to cut it short.

So today, I reflected upon that challenge and how painful that last leg of the marathon was.

And then it clicked.

I was in pain at the end of this run, but this was a perfect opportunity to push myself out of my comfort zone. Even just those last four blocks represented not the physical difference of taking my body to a new level, but the mental difference of having what it takes to see something through to the end.

This was JUST the opportunity to take something challenging and work through it. So what if I was sore, tired, hot, and aching? I knew in my heart I had what it took to finish the loop as planned, so why was I trying to make excuses in my mind? It wasn't about cardiovascular fitness anymore, it was about heart and spirit.

If I stopped there, what about my next race? What about my next marathon attempt? Why wouldn't I just say, "Hey, I've made it 21 miles, that's 1 mile more than the last attempt, so why keep going?"

Not me. I've said it before, I'll say it again: life is like going up the down escalator. If you stand still, you fall behind.

So I decided then and there that I would be a winner, that I would exercise not just my speed, or endurance, or strength, I would exercise my will and my tolerance for pain and begin training for those tough last few miles before the finish line. I know from my prior training what that feels like, and that even though my goal is many months away, the soil is rich and ready and THIS is the time to plant seeds. Right now.

So I looked up and realized how far I still had to go, and it overwhelmed me. Not good enough. Not the right way to finish. Nope, instead, I would break this down into pieces. So I picked something closer ... that street crossing just ahead. No problem, I'll just make it there and then we'll worry about the rest.

So I pushed forward. Every step felt like I was wading through molasses ... my whole body felt heavy and sore and like each footstep was jolting me, but I did it ... I kept pushing. I made it to the intersection.

Sometimes I think it helps to have cues to reward ourselves for those small goals. This may sound silly, but I decided I would break down that last part of a mile into little chunks, and every time I succeeded, I would shift my water bottle. That's it, something simple, but a sign to myself I'm progressing ... one goal met, so I shifted the bottle from my right hand to the left.

Now I picked the edge of the guardrail. Again, one step at a time. Not worried about everything else - the distance, the heat, only can I make it to the guardrail? YES ... so I got there, now I shifted the water bottle from my left hand back to my right.

Now it was the next intersection. Yes! I had the energy, even up the hill. I made it. Great, turn and head to the next corner. There. Now some down hill, and then that spur I mentioned. I was doing it! I hit the spur, looked at the uphill, and focused on the summit. It was a much smaller hill than the one before, but I was determined not to break my pace and keep pushing. I made it. One last shift of the water bottle, then the downhill. Then the finish line.

And here's something special that happened ... instead of falling into my comfort zone and taking it slow, I decided to grow. And I could walk home knowing I had given it my all. I can relax and feel GREAT this evening because I accomplished something and earned the right to relax.

You see, if I had given up, walked it in, skipped the spur, I would have said, "I did great on that hill" but then that would be it. No victory, no growth, just a mediocre run no different than the other runs. But I don't want any mediocre workouts. I want every one to be the best one. So I would have just settled down, satisfied that I actually trained, but not feeling this elation that comes from not just training my body, but training my mind and will to prove we truly can test and push limits and achieve more than we initially intended.

So I came home a victor, and I knew something even more profound and important: I just planted a little seed for success, because the next time I am on a long run and face a tough challenge, I'll have that experience to draw upon. I can take the energy from that victory and use it as inspiration to overcome the next barrier. I will remember this victory, and the other victories to come, when I need them most at my next marathon attempt ... when it's those last few miles and I have to draw on spirit and place myself in God's care and ask Him, "Thy will be done" there will be that memory that His gift of free will helped me overcome before and will empower me to overcome then.

How exciting! Do you realize you can make every workout, and turn it not into something you DO, or just calories burned, but a truly life transforming experience? The power is within us all.

50 Tips to Help Overweight Children Stay Healthy

2008-07-26T14:22:00.001-04:00

It's been a great week.

I began integrating CrossFit training into my workout schedule and it is leaving me barely able to walk after some workouts! Lots of variety, little equipment needed, and the workout is right there to pick from every day.

My wife has been busy attending local councils from various organizations devoted to raising awareness about healthy living. One meeting involved a specific program that is looking for new teachers for their six-week course that teaches entire families about steps they can take to live healthier. The other meeting was about a grant for the state to create a program that targets low income families. Not only will the program involve education about eating healthy and exercising, it also includes financial advice about how to budget for healthy foods and meals. All exciting projects to consider!

50 Tips to Help Overweight Children stay Healthy

I was emailed this article and immediately enjoyed the title. It wasn't "how to make your child skinny" or "here is out toolkit to combat the obesity epidemic" but focuses on healthy habits including tips like "let your child know you love them at any weight." Now that's important! Lots of great links to other content as well. Read the entire article: 50 Tips for Helping Your Overweight Child Stay Healthy.

Skinniest Places Also Best Places to Live?

CNN recently released its list of places to live where people have the lowest average body mass index (BMI). What is interesting is that many of the cities that made the list, also consistently have made lists for "best places to live" based on a variety of factors.

So what is it that makes "nice" cities to live in, also cities that appear to help people stay lean and healthy?

Something to discuss in our forums perhaps.

Don't Forget to Eat Your Veggies, Or You May Forget a Lot More...

A recent talk in Virginia focused on ways of avoiding dementia. While many people know Alzheimer's is a risk for seniors, there are many other forms of mental impairment that can manifest as well. However, the goods news, according to the article, is that people who eat four servings of fresh vegetables a day slow mental decline by 38%. That's very significant! They also found a 66% lower incidence of Alzheimer's from people who took daily folic acid and vitamin B6 supplements, such as what you would find in a quality multivitamin. In fact, the advice was that "even people who eat a balanced diet should take a multivitamin," something I've been saying for a decade now.

Weight Loss Surgery Kills

Another sad story about a father who risked weight loss surgery and died weeks later. How long would he have had without the surgery? We don't know ... but this is more reason why I believe people should always focus on the natural means to lose. While I know some people feel it is the only option, people have successfully dropped from as heavy as 700 pounds to a healthy weight without invasive surgery.

Weight Loss to avoid Prison Time?

One inmate found that losing weight could help them avoid prison time. That's because they dropped enough weight to escape through the air conditioner vent. Unfortunately, he was later caught performing aquatic exercises in a hotel swimming pool and is now back behind bars (presumably with a smaller air conditioning vent).

Coffee Key to Recovery

As a fan of coffee myself, I was excited to read that it may help us recover after exercise. Maybe I should start adding sugar as well?

Until next time,

The Truth about Low Carb and Illegal Happy Meals

2008-07-22T05:29:00.003-04:00

More Death by Medication News

You might have heard that there are issues with counterfeit pharmaceuticals. I covered one story that showed how tens of thousands of Africans were impacted by poor quality drugs. Unfortunately, this issue doesn't just hit "far from home." In fact, "Between November and February, 95 Americans died after experiencing an allergic reaction to heparin, the FDA has reported. The blood-thinning medication contained an active pharmaceutical ingredient from China that the FDA suggests was likely to have been 'intentionally contaminated.'" Read more about stopping killer counterfeits.

Brittle Bones No More

We've been brainwashed into thinking that our bones are doomed to become brittle and breakable. The only solution is to drink lots of dairy and take special pharmaceutical drugs, right? Christine Northrop blows the lid off osteoperosis drugs and shares a better, more natural way to keep strong, healthy bones.

Don't Work Yourself to Death (Literally)

It turns out that exhaustion can be fatal ... and may cause you to become obese. At least that's what research conducted with 14,000 men and women found. Read more about the study that links exhaustion to obesity and heart attacks.

The Truth about the new "Low Carb" Study

The media has been going crazy with news of a recent study that was published. It compared several diets over a two year period and measured how well people lost weight and stuck with the program. Most of the headlines have been claiming that the results indicate "low carb is the way to go." Headlines like "study tips the scale in Atkins' favor" and "low carb beats low fat" were all over the place. It all sounds good until you dig beneath the surface and see what REALLY happened. I was waiting to prepare a piece on this, but my good friend and fat loss coach himself, Tom Venuto, author of Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle beat me to the punch. In fact, he said it better than any other place I've seen cover this, so I'm just going to share Tom Venuto on what the new "Low Carb" study REALLY says.

Ban the Hand that Feeds Us

There is no doubt that many people are overweight. The latest CDC report indicated that as many as 1 in 4 adults may be obese and at increased risk from diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and more. In an effort to combat this, many local and state governments are taking action. Are they going too far? The Wall Street Journal published an article, Exiling the Happy Meal that covers an attempt by the City of Los Angeles to ban new fast food restaurants in an attempt to curb obesity.

"Normal Weight" Obesity?

2008-07-15T21:26:00.002-04:00

Bigger Bodies = Bigger Deception

It seems as we get bigger, our exaggerations are growing as well. A recent study in Britain found that while the number of overall overweight people increased the past decade, the number who think they are overweight actually went down.

Is overweight becoming the new "average weight"? Only time will tell.

The study also confirmed what self-help gurus have been claiming for years: that your circle of friends has a huge impact on your success. People with more overweight friends and family tend to be more overweight, even when other factors such as diet and genetics are factored into the equation. The take home? Find friends who care about their health and are willing to support, rather than sabotage, your success.

NPC USA Bodybuilding and Figure Championships

For those who aren't familiar with the organization, the NPC is the National Physique Committee. The show is coming up July 25th and 26th and there is full coverage over at Bodybuilding.com.

Lose Weight With Yogurt?

Another study that on the surface seems to support the dairy industry has surfaced. It turns out that people who included yogurt with their diet lose more weight, more body fat and specifically more belly fat than others who ate similar calories but didn't include yogurt. Sounds like a reason to go out and grab some right away, right? Sounds great, but if you read between the lines, you'll find the key wasn't the yogurt. It was the calcium. The yogurt-eating group got twice as much calcium as the other group. I can buy calcium for fat loss ... and I can buy it in places other than dairy. Did you know that leafy green vegetables and nuts contain huge amounts of calcium? They just don't have a multimillion dollar advertising campaign ("Got Lettuce?")

100 Pound Weight Loss Journey

I can claim 100 pounds lost ... if I include my wife's weight (you can see her before/after in the testimonials section of the Lose Fat, Not Faith Transformation Guide. Jenn, however, did it all on her own! Read her inspiring story and how she did it (Congratulations, Jenn!).

Normal Weight Obesity?

It sounds like a contradiction, but it's true. Just as those of us who have hefted quite a few weights in our day might be declared "obese" by body mass scales when in fact we are fit and trim, the reverse is also true. A growing number of people might look fine on the scale, but they are what we would call "skinny fat" or lacking muscles and still holding a higher percentage of weight from fat. Antonio De Lorenzo coined a more politically correct term when he called this condition "normal-weight obesity." Learn more about the sneaky fat attack.

Blame it on the Rain

We blame everything for obesity: the fast food restaurants, larger portion sizes, and increased viewing of television (heaven forbid any of us fesses up, takes responsibility, and says, "I am why I am overweight, and I am the one who has to do something about it" ... oh, wait, that IS what those who DO something about it tend to say) ... anyway, here's the latest: the Scots can blame it on the rain.

Cure Your Headache and then Kill Yourself

I know it sounds harsh, but that's just what is happening. A slew of drugs designed to treat migraine headaches, biopolar disorder and even epilepsy have been shown to double the risk of suicide but our friends at the FDA don't think this warrants a major "black box" warning (after all, letting people know they will be twice as likely to have suicidal thoughts might lower sales, and we can't have that, can we?)

Crossfit Olympics

Check out these fit individuals banging it out at the 2008 Crossfit tournament. I have been researching this style of training for some time now, and have some good friends in the area who have started a gym. It is an interesting concept that a lot of people are following ... but very intense!

Your House is on Fire and You're Still Smoking in Bed

The Wall Street Journal said it best in their health blog update.

Some highlights: "Our members were advertising life-saving medicines like it's Pepsi, and that hurt us." and ... A hearing in the House in May on DTC advertising was so painful for companies (and observers) that a few weeks later, Pfizer, Merck, Schering-Plough and Johnson & Johnson, all suddenly announced a six-month moratorium on ads for new drugs, and volunteered to limit how they would use doctors in their ads.

Warmly,

Double Your Weight Loss, Save Plants and Trees

2008-07-08T10:15:00.003-04:00

Go Green and Save Plants by Losing Weight

Seriously, hadn't really thought of it this way, but did you know your fat loss efforts actually release carbon dioxide and help out the plants and trees around you? Great reason to get fit and go green at the same time!

Big Pharma Wants YOUR Choices

Here is another great example of Big Pharma trying to take over. Apparently, it's not good enough that there is a huge market for weight loss supplements out there, so certain companies are pressing the FDA for tighter regulations. It sounds good on the surface and I'll be the first to admit most weight loss products are bunk, but do I really want the pharmaceutical industry stepping in? I don't think so ... I like the choice we have and the ability to educate ourselves. More control from Big Pharma just seems like a faster road to prescription drugs instead of educating people about the lifestyle choices they can make instead. Read about the rest of it by clicking here.

The Ultimate Pain Killer: Death?

I'm often asked why I refuse to take pain-relief medication when I have headaches or aches and pains from training, etc. My reply is that I believe in general pain is a natural response by the body and suppressing that signal isn't going to do any good for helping me heal myself. Now I do understand some people have conditions that may require the use of this medication, but for the most part people are over-medicated and overdosing on pain medication. Just read this disturbing article that covers the death toll which is on the rise from people taking prescription pain-killer (the emphasis being on "killer") medications.

Diary Doubles Weight Loss

Lots of buzz out there about keeping diaries, and how they can double your weight loss. All the more reason to get on our forums and start writing down your success!

Back Pain Round Table

What are the specific treatments that cover various types of back pain? Listen to a free audio that covers a panel discussion with some of the best in the business when it comes to your back. Click here to listen to Back Pain Treatments Reviewed.

Weight Loss Surgery for Teens? What Were They Thinking?

According to Dr. Thomas Inge, "I think the average person who is hearing about weight loss surgery for teenagers, and thinks, 'Oh my gosh, what are (they) thinking?' are not able to put themselves in the shoes of the people we are seeing."

Oh, wait, isn't that what I just said?

Seriously, though, this is one we have to think long and hard about, because they are seeing children who weigh 400 pounds. It's one of those calls that is, "Despite the risk, can this save a life?" Read the rest here.

Cinnamon to the Rescue

I've always been a fan of cinnamon. It tastes great, adds almost no calories, and has numerous health benefits. In fact, it may be the perfect spice for those looking to lose fat, as it has properties to help stave off insulin resistance.

How Low Can You Go?

It's not enough that millions of Americans have been duped into taking cholesterol-lowering medication by the cholesterol scare (more on that at Truth About Cholesterol). Now we're targetting children as well — read how cholesterol drugs recommended for some 8-year olds.

Are Vitamins Killing Us?

This topic seems to keep coming up, which is why I have a permanent article at my website. Now there is a great post about this online that has some interesting statistics. The media keeps covering how dangerous these are, yet "According to statistics compiled annually by the American Association of Poison Control Centers, multivitamins kill no one. On the other hand, in 2003, there were 59 deaths from aspirin alone." Hmmm ... we don't seem to keep hearing about the horrors of aspirin, do we?

Less Calories Means More Years

I'm always given a hard time for my lower calorie nutrition plans. The fact is, I hardly ever trim down unless I'm at less than 2,000 calories. It seems every trainer wants to advertise how cool it is to lose fat while eating large amounts of food. I'm not sure if that's to appeal to the psychology of bigger portion sizes and irrational fear of starvation, but evidence time and time again poitns to the fact that fewer calories means longer lives. I think one problem is people think of 1800 calorie diets and look at protein bars and shakes and say, "That's not much." When you eat 1800 calories with nothing but raw fruits and vegetables and lean proteins, it's a different story entirely.

That's it for now ...

Obesity on the Map

2008-07-04T08:52:00.001-04:00

Obesity on the Map

And I mean literally. I found this little gem today: a map of the United States showing the distribution of obesity by state. The clear winner who could stand to be the "biggest loser" is Mississippi. The winner? Colorado. The catch? Obesity maps are based on Body Mass Index (BMI), which doesn't take into account how muscular you are. I wonder how California would place if they charted it based on body fat and lean mass instead? Click here to view the map.

Food Gets Fatter

While the debate rages for how and why we have an "obesity epidemic" one thing most people agree on is that portion sizes have steadily climbed the past few decades. Take a look at this food photo gallery and see how things like the bagel and cheeseburger have grown in size. The bagel is 210 calories heavier, which means if you have one of these every day for breakfast you are consuming enough calories to put on an extra pound of fat every other week.

Free Calorie Tracking Done Right

There are two issues I've always had with online nutrition tracking programs: the first is that you seem to either get "here is your meal plan generated for you" or "here is where you track your meals" as opposed to "this is a recommendation, but tell us what you really ate." The second is that it's tough to enter foods, and when I do take the time to enter all that information from my nutrition facts label, it would be nice if other people using the system could benefit as well.

The other stay I found a page that does all of this — and the best part? It does it for free. So check out The Daily Plate for a solution that I think is done right. You can enter your own foods, people can rate and vote on them, you can receive a suggested calorie recommendation, key in your exercises, and network with others. I keep talking about building my own software but if I keep finding gems like this one I might never have to ... it's a great site and while I'm not tracking calories in my current program, I keyed in a few days to see how it worked and the user interface is fantastic.

Good job, "Daily Plate!"

Muscle Mags May Backfire

I recently read that a study says muscle magazines may backfire. They mentioned giving false hope. Women reading magazines while training apparently become more depressed and anxious. The key takeaway is that many of the pictures are either not real or may have involved the use of illegal substances. While I'm a fan of photos for inspiration (you can see my inspirational pictures on the wall behind me in many of my gallery pictures, I do agree that most muscle magazines are not the way to build a better physique. I will give you two reasons:

1. If it were true that their "latest breakthrough program can put 2 inches on your arms in just two weeks!" then it would only take me a year to have biceps bigger around than my thighs. Sorry, it's not going to happen. Many are completely clueness when it comes to how much muscle you can TRULY gain (it's not much ... moreso when you start training, but natural bodybuilders who have been training for decades are excited to put on ONE POUND of lean mass in an ENTIRE YEAR).

2. You only have to thumb through a few advertisements to see who is funding the magazine. Here's a hint: the cover price and subscription fees have nothing to do with it. If there are dozens of ads for protein powder, guess what? You're likely to find articles that say the only way to gain mass is to eat a lot of protein. Lots of fat burner advertisements? You'll probably see a review of the "latest fat burning supplements that work" and surprisingly, several in the top ten may "coincidentally" have ads in the same magazine. Buyer beware!

Have a pleasant and safe 4th of July!

Moms' Obesity Harming Babies

2008-07-01T05:54:00.001-04:00

Moms' Obesity Harming Babies

Life expectancy among some American women has fallen in 1,000 counties. More disturbing is the news that poor health habits are hurting babies. The infant mortality rate is rising because "fetuses growing in grossly overweight mothers are often undernourished."

Safety Concerns but Money Trumps

The FDA is actually focusing on safety and slowing the process to approve new drugs. Of course, this isn't good news for the companies that are "saving lives" because it slows the new medicine pipeline. This lowers the odds that a drug will make it to the market "without a lot of extra time and money." And of course that extra time spent caring for our lives by determining possible side effects, well, just cuts into the profits, don't you know?

Researchers Find Source of Metabolic Syndrome

Researchers have found a single molecule that may be linked to hypertension, insulin resistance, and immune supression. They believe it may be the missing link to understanding obesity. While it's exciting to hear what they've discovered from rats, I wouldn't get too excited. So far I know of three discoveries that were supposed to "unravel the obesity myth" but thus far they haven't been able to boil it down to a single hormone, gene, or enzyme. Maybe this won't fit in a neat little box?

Pharmaceutical Companies Conspire with Mosquitos, Possibly Kill Thousands

Many overseas pharmaceutical companies lack the regulations necessary to ensure quality. The result? Almost 48% of the drugs manufactured in Africa failed quality tests while masquerading as the real thing. Researchers couldn't determine what was real, what was not, or even what was expired. They also fear "the sale of these inappropriate or ineffective drugs is virtually guaranteed to increase the prevalence of drug-resistant malaria."

Fat Can Still Mean Healthy

A recent study found that despite regular exercise, several hundred children in the United Kingdom were still overweight. While the exercise did not have an impact on their waist circumference or skin-fold thickness, "children who did more physical activity were healthier when they measured the fat levels in their blood and blood pressure."

This is just more evidence why exercise is so important even if you are struggling with shedding the extra pounds. It's about more than just appearance, but truly does impact overall health. The fat is going to require more focus on nutrition and not just exercise to get rid of.

People Die From Weight Loss Surgery

That is one title I stumbled upon as I was browsing blogs related to weight loss. Why not stop by and offer some encouragement to a woman who is "fighting back." Her journey will give you incredible insights into how hard it can be certain people and what drives the decision to do something that can seem very risky and dangerous.

That's it for today,

Mayo Clinic Says "Hold the Mayo"

2008-06-29T07:59:00.003-04:00

Today I've got news about a "weight loss resolution,", why our children need help, the Mayo Clinic's "hold the mayo" campaign, how to be an organic insider, and more on the cholesterol scam.

I'm actually getting ready to pour myself a cup of coffee before I head out for a morning run. It's a beautiful day here and I can sneak out before it gets too hot. It's been a phenomenal week. With my focused nutrition and training, I've shed 12 pounds the past 4 weeks and lost over an inch from my waist. My running has been improving steadily so I look forward to getting back into some races and targeting another marathon.

What's new?

Weight Loss Resolution for the Conference of Mayors?

WHEREAS, there's a lot of overweight people out there, WHEREAS, bicycling is a physical activity that may help promote fat loss, BE IT RESOLVED, that there is an interesting resolution you can read right here.

Our Children Need Help

A Happy Meal isn't so friendly anymore ... did you know that because of poor diet and lack of exercise, "diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in children and adolescents; about 151,000 people below the age of 20 years have diabetes." That's disturbing because for the most part some smart decisions can create this from happening. This is a summary of the report from the CDC.

Mayo Clinic Says Hold the Mayo

One of the world's most respected health organizations now has their own diet: The Mayo Clinic Diet. This might sound familiar if you've read Lose Fat, Not Faith: "Mayo Clinic's approach to weight loss is not a diet. It's a lifestyle that can help you maintain a healthy weight for a lifetime." (I wonder why they call it a diet and then tell us it's not a diet?). Their pyramid is one of the best I've seen (notice that there are fruits and vegetables at the base, then it goes up from there). I'm excited to see others not only simplifying the message and focusing on healthy, natural balance, but also integrating concepts such as goals and mindset.

Be an Organic Insider

Organic can be confusing, especially when it comes to "organic" vs. "cage-free" vs. "free range." Use this article to help decipher what those labels really mean.

The Cholesterol Scare: Millions of Victims Strong

This weekend we had a terrific class at the local recreational center. I gave some nutrition advice and my wife and daughter taught how to make healthy meals in 10 minutes or less. We had "tunalini" which is tuna mixed with canneloni (a type of bean) and some olive oil and red wine vinegar, we marinated berries in balsamic vinegar, and made some high protein, high fiber pasta with vegetables. As part of my talk, I discussed cholesterol and what a deceptive scam it truly is. When a student asked about more details, I asked a simple question: "When you were put on your cholesterol-lowering medication, how much time did your doctor spend discussing the lifestyle changes you could make in order to have a natural, positive impact on your condition?" Of course the answer was that there was no real discussion — only when the patient indicated they were opposed to the medication and wanted to know if they could get off it, the reply was "most people don't make the choices they need to and therefore must stay on it." But what's amazing is that those choices were never discussed!

I've written about this before but wanted to share this article that goes into more detail about the $6 billion dollar cholesterol scam.

Children of the High Fructose Corn

2008-06-26T05:39:00.002-04:00

Children of the High Fructose Corn

High Fructose Corn Syrup has been getting a bad rap. Many people have blamed it on the current issue with obesity. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal described how the corn industry is launching a 30 million dollar campaign to help address the "many untruths" related to the sweetener.

Let me preface by saying two things ... first, it is processed foods in general, including foods with other sugars, that I believe is the culprit, and more guilty than the manufacturers is the people who choose to invest in and consume these junk foods. Second, am I the only one who finds it disturbing that there are 30 million dollars laying around to try to convince overweight and obese Americans that it's OK to consume foods laden with this processed sugar (many of our children who are given "fruit juice" by well-meaning parents are really drinking fruit-flavored High Fructose Corn Syrup concoctions, for example)? Where is the 30 million dollar "eat broccoli because it's incredibly healthy" campaign?

The Center for Science in the Public Interest wants the Corn Refiner's Association (CRA) to come clean. The CRA claims in their campaign that HFCS has "the same natural sweeteners as table sugar." As you may have read in my article, The Sugar Coated Truth, sucrose is a sugar that occurs naturally in nature. HFCS does not occur anywhere in nature. The deceptive labeling that the FDA allows makes it possible to call something "natural" as long as it derives from natural ingredients. What is the "natural" process to obtain HFCS? First, you must have an association like the CRA in order to refine it. Then, that association which has 30 million to spare on campaigns convincing you that their product is perfectly normal and healthy must take corn starch, use chemicals and/or enzymes to break the corn starch down into other molecules, then add another enzyme to further convert portions into fructose.

While the article above states that "the harmfulness of HFCS is an urban myth" some urban mythologists have conducted studies that suggest otherwise ... consider this: "The 2002 UCD study reported on animal testing that showed how fructose consumption contributed to insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and elevated triglyceride levels - three of the core symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Other metabolic syndrome symptoms include excessive abdominal fat, high C-reactive protein level, and low HDL cholesterol. Three or more of these symptoms put a patient at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease." Forget the animals ... In Can Fruit Make You Fat? found that overweight people "given large doses of fructose were more likely to put on weight around the stomach than those given glucose." While its not clear from the summaries, it appears the subjects were given pure fructose as opposed to whole fruit. While fruit is high in fructose, I suspect it is also packaged with other nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that change its overall impact as compared to the highly refined, processed sugars found in foods.

Again, not to say that HFCS by itself is "evil" ... it's refined sugars and processed carbohydrates that are sinister, and HFCS just happens to contribute to a large extent. If you'd like to read a well-rounded article with some good facts about why we should be very guarded about the multimillion dollar "highly refined and processed corn starch added to all of your food is good thing" campaign, read this article about fructose dangers.

(By the way ... to put this in perspective, the multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical industry "only" spent $168 million lobbying in 2007 ... that's only about 5 times what the corn refiners are investing to push their own special product down our throats).

Don't be a Poser

As many know, I do a bit of running and will be doing a bit more as I work up to my first ultramarathon (a race longer than the traditional marathon distance of 26.2 miles). A friend of mine pointed me to PoseTech website as a source of information. This is a very interesting running technique that attempts to focus not on the right running shoe, nutrition, or training regimen, but proper running form. An interesting concept and read ... I may look into integrating some of those concepts into my own training.

Don't McDiet

Recently someone received a lot of press for going on a diet and losing a lot of weight eating only at the restaurant with the golden arches. The American Institute for Cancer Reasearch cashed a reality check by stating the diet was a crash-and-burn program that couldn't be maintained in the long term. You can probably lose weight on the "insert your food here" diet (imagine, just one bowl of ice cream per day) ... the question is, are you shooting for a lovely corpse, or should overall health factor into what you eat as well?

Grandma's Cigarettes

Here's an interesting blog post about the old argument, "But grandma used to eat lard and smoke a pack of cigarettes a day" used to say we're OK eating junk from a can or box and lifting the remote instead of weights.

Ditch the Shakes for a Cranberry Smile

The New York Times ran an interesting article called Real Thought for Food for Long Workouts. It essentially asked whether we really need all of our bars, shakes, and gels to workout for long periods of time. A few doctors who know what they're talking about (they don't just research muscle physiology and kinesiology in the lab, but actually participate and for example won the Ontario trail running series three years in a row) claim that nothing but water and natural, whole foods is all that is needed.

No matter how much we try to engineer, nature just seems to have figured it out already!

Chiropractic: Safe Sex More Dangerous than Neck Cracking?

2008-06-21T17:14:00.002-04:00

Support Our Efforts on HowCast.com

HowCast.com is a great site like YouTube that focuses specifically on "how to" videos. Obviously, this is a great venue for Lose Fat, Not Faith and Lizzie Marie Cuisine to reach out to consumers. Will you help support us by viewing these videos, rating them, and sharing them with others? I'll continue to post more ...

How the Fish Saves Fat Loss

It looks like science is finding a way to back up the claims that as we lose weight, it becomes more difficult for us to continue losing weight and ultimately keep it off. Leptin is a hormone that regulates energy intake and expenditure and has a tremendous impact on metabolism. In a recent study it was found that low leptin levels undermine weight loss — the levels fall as you drop weight and therefore your metabolism slows and it becomes more difficult to maintain the rate of weight loss. Not to worry however ... something I've recommended for years, fish oil supplements, have been shown to help elevate leptin levels.

Safe Sex More Dangerous than Cracking Necks?

The news in Canada is a major lawsuit against chiropractors there. A woman received a neck manipulation (a similar one to what I receive three times a week) that allegedly ruptured an artery, led to multiple strokes, and left her paralyzed. The headlines have been proclaiming that cracking necks destroys lives. Another website describes how neck manipulation is Chiropractic's Dirty Secret. This one estimates that there are 147 strokes caused by this manipulation every year.

Am I going to tell my chirpractor to stop manipulating my neck? NO!

Why not? Because there are more factors and variables than meets the eye. You see, I've received numerous personal benefits from my chiropractic manipulations. Despite the fact that the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine is being added to the highly reputable PubMed repository of online journals, some people claim that their studies are "biased" because they're done by chiropractors. Hmmm ... the odd thing here is that no one seemed to complain when the dairy industry conducted their own studies touting the weight loss benefits of dairy, or the fact that most research we receive on pharmaceuticals are funded by ... gasp ... the pharmaceutical industry.

The Centers for Disease Control released their report on causes of death in 2005. That year, an estimated 2,653 died from complications due to medical and/or surgical care ... that's nearly 1 in 100,000 who didn't just suffer, but actually died due to medicine going wrong. Compare that to 147 incidents of suspected stroke ...

The General Osteopathic Council of Britain addresses the issue of upper neck manipulation. The begin by saying if a person is not qualified, DON'T DO IT. They continue by stating that "Neck manipulations, whether osteopathic or chiropractic, are exceptionally safe when done by trained and experienced professionals. For example, a woman in the UK has more chance of dropping dead from using the contraceptive pill than suffering a stroke (or worse) from a neck manipulation."

A stroke is damage to the brain due to the interruption of the blood supply either by a small clot or a narrowed/overstretched blood vessel. The causes of stroke are highly unpredictable and often occur through sudden extreme "end of range" positions. Chiropractic aside, these include:

Tilting your head back to have your hair washed at a salon
Coughing
Sneezing
Turning your head to look out of the rear window of your vehicle
And so on...

So it's not tough for me to decide that I will continue to receive the benefits from visiting my chiropractor despite the continued attempts of traditional (read: American Medical Association, a for-profit organization, sanctioned) medicine to claim it's quackery. After all, the odds of a British woman dying from oral contraceptive are 1 in 1,000,000 ... my odds of suffering a stroke from a neck manipulation are 1 in 1.46 million. It looks like safe sex is more dangerous than cracking your neck.

Weight Loss Surgery Reduces Cancer Risk?

Here's another example of why it's so confusing to live healthy, because the marketing messages keep getting confused as health alerts. Recently, the media has gone crazy over the fact that weight loss surgery has been shown to reduce cancer risk. Sounds like a great reason to look into it, right? The first, and obvious, thing to note is that rate loss surgery still has a rather large mortality (death) rate associated with it, and weight loss even WITHOUT surgery can also lower risk from certain diseases. But the more interesting part was mentioned in this Wall Street Journal blog post that asked, Does Weight Loss Surgery Lower Cancer Risk?. The answer was that ... well, most patients are SCREENED for cancer risk and not operated on if they are at risk. Hmmm ... it's sort of like my local pool admitting only people with dark tans and low risk of skin cancer, then claiming that sunshine exposure isn't bad for the skin after all.

America No Longer Most Obese

Americans no longer have to bear the burden of being the most overweight and obese nation on the planet. Apparently, the honor has been passed over to Australia, with over 9 million overweight and obese individuals. This comes on the heels of previous cries that obesity figures had been exaggerated.

More Breakfast, Less Weight?

We've often heard that breakfast is the most imporant meal of the day. I've always advised clients to take breakfast seriously, because it literally is the first opportunity to "break the fast" of the previous night's rest. I've seen this many times: low-carb dieters get excited at losing a ton of weight "out the gate" but they can rarely sustain it. A recent study found that when someone follows a quality, balanced program — and focuses on breakfast — they lose more weight (specifically from fat) in the long run. Read more on why breakfast may be the key to weight loss.

Stop Blaming Genes for Shrinking Jeans

Look, I've been saying this over and over. The "I'm genetically programmed to be fat" excuse just doesn't hold water. I don't care if it makes it harder for you than that annoying freak of nature who does nothing but eat fast food and ice cream, never exercises, and still walks around shirtless with a six-pack showing. We'll check in on his health a few decades later because second to smoking, poor diet and lack of exercise will claim hundreds of thousands of lives regardless of whether they have washboard abs. Moreso than simply genetics, lifestyle can lead to insulin resistance. I'm guessing the converse is true as well ...

The Bribes Doctors Take

Wouldn't it be nice if we actually knew what Doctors were being paid for pushing drugs down our throats? Fortunately, many physicians ARE concerned first and foremost with our health and wellbeing, and may actually consider the healthy, drug free approach before jumping to the conclusion that you must be medicated. For others, however, those steak dinners may make prescriptions a little more irrestiable ... Majority of Americans Support Legislative Action to Disclose Pharmaceutical Company Gifts to Physicians. (Like the case CNN.com reported about a physician being paid between $1,500 to $2,500 per patient placed into a special trial ... interesting, I wonder how much they offered to compensate the patients?)

Enjoying my Healthy Lifestyle

Wow, this isn't REALLY a headline but I thought I'd throw in that I'm having a blast. I'm on my second week of a challenge and have stuck to my guns. I've had NO processed carbs AT ALL except for my allotted "splurge meals" (two per week). That means anything carbohydrate for me is fruit, vegetable, or whole carbohydrates like corn, barley, oats, etc. I'm not even eating whole grain bread. The result? Down over 10 pounds and several points body fat, most of the fat is leaving while the lean mass stays. I'm doing three resistance training sessions and three cardio sessions per week.

If you receive my weekly newsletter, can you take a moment to respond to a special poll? If not, won't you sign up?

That was a lot of updates for today ... so until next time,

Weight Loss Surgery Not a Magic Bullet

2008-06-18T05:50:00.002-04:00

First, I have to say this week has been going great. I had a phenomenal set of workouts so far ... I track my daily training in my online training journal for anyone to follow. I found that my struggle in the past was waking up early to train. My mentality was "Oh, I have to get up" and then there's always the flood of excuses (too tired, too weak, etc). This time I changed my strategy and instead of going straight to training, I go downstairs, settle in with a cup of coffee, and wake up first. So far it's worked ... no matter how beat down, sore, or tired I feel, it's not tough to get up just for a cup of coffee, and by the time I'm done, I'm awake and ready to train.

More on Obesity: Epidemic or Not?

There is an interesting twist to the entire obesity argument in this blog entry (click here to read) — in a nutshell, the author agrees that more people ARE getting obese, but the question is this: if you are overweight, but eat well and train consistently, are you truly at risk for health issues? I tend to agree, that there is a vast difference between being sedentary and eating poorly vs. being overweight. In the former, you might not even BE overweight, and can still have your health at risk, while in the latter, some research suggests an overweight person who exercises is still 2 1/2 times less likely to suffer a heart attack than a person of "ideal" weight who doesn't lift a finger. Interesting.

Alternative Medicine and Crohn's Disease

Finally! There is now a study being conducted to examine alternative treatments for Crohn's disease. The article reports that almost half of people suffering try "natural" or alternative remedies, but cites that there are not many studies to support whether or not these treatments are effective.

Tasty Food Helps us Lose Weight?

There is an interesting article that foods altered by adding artificial flavors called "tastants" may help overweight people shed extra weight. Dr. Alan Hirsch says, "This approach uses natural physiology to help people lose weight." Supposedly the people with the additives felt full faster and lost 30 pounds over a trial period as opposed to 2 pounds from a control group. The study is intriguing but why do we keep insisting on altering our foods? Let's make this artificial, add this chemical, create this pill ... all for a good cause, right? How about just eating wholesome, healthy, natural foods? It's interesting that people will acquire a taste for coffee, beer, and wine, but when it comes to healthy foods, instead of trying to acquire a taste, we'd rather strive to have it added from a test tube. I've got a more novel idea: why not take the bland foods typically associated with weight loss, and instead spice them up naturally with recipes like the ones my daughter teaches at LizzieMarieCuisine.com?

Weight Loss Surgery Not a Magic Bullet

I have known a few people who have tackled weight loss surgery. Unfortunately, that's all they tackled. They refused to really transform their eating habits or exercise, and so they end up slowly gaining the weight back ... and what's worse, eating a half cookie instead of a whole one because your stomach is smaller doesn't help improve overall health one whit. Doctors at Duke University Medical Center now caution that weight loss surgery not a magic bullet for diabetics. So much for the angle of hype that the rapidly growing weight loss surgery industry tried to heap on us ... the worse underhanded advertising in my opinion is the ones that play on health fears — for example the dairy industry convincing you that there product is the only way to prevent osteroperosis or helps you lose weight (consumers often think this is a health message from the government instead of a multimillion dollar advertising campaign from the dairy industry).

Here is the "money paragraph" from the above article:

"We're a culture of quick-fix people," he adds. "Everybody loves the idea that diabetes is gone the day after surgery. But we know that an important mechanism in place when the operation fails over the long term is poor behavior. High-fat junk food and sweets, grazing or constant eating between meals, lack of exercise, those are major contributors to failure, and failure causes recurrent diabetes. If it were purely a metabolic effect, one could argue that the metabolic effect should still be present."

I agree!

Fat Loss Myths

Here's a short, but sweet, article about workout myths.

Are Detox Diets Magic Cures?

As I wrote about in my own article about How to Juice Fast, I don't believe these are miracle cures and certainly shouldn't be used specifically for weight loss. However, these programs do have their place and it's great to see some more balanced articles about detox diets (click here).

Safe Exercise in the Heat

It's summer ... while we've had a reprieve here in Georgia (it's been nice, staying the 80s for the most part), it can be hot, hot, hot, and your exercise should incorporate this fact. Read about how to keep cool and stay fit. I also have an article about proper hydration on the site called The Long Haul.

That's it for now ... off to do my next cardio session!

Warmly,

Why your favorite wine is a plant-killer ...

2008-06-14T15:18:00.002-04:00

The highlight of my Father's Day weekend was learning that my daughter's application to the International Association of Culinary Professionals has been accepted. Way to go, Lizze Marie!

My Father's Day gift? A hike with my daughter up a local mountain ... we hiked about three miles together and I enjoyed a nice apple on the summit. It was a fun time and we're planning on cooling off in the pool later.

This is my seventh day eating squeaky clean ... five days of juice fast, followed by mostly raw foods. Today I had two whole eggs, two egg whites, and barley for breakfast, snacked on an egg and some raw nuts during the hike, then ate a lunch salad with hard-boiled eggs, chickpeas, spinach, sunflower seeds, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. It's a great zone to be in because even though I am allowing myself two "splurge" meals I haven't really WANTED to splurge! I have NO cravings for ice cream, chocolate, sugar, or any of that nonsense. And you know what? I don't feel like breaking that feeling by even having a small bit ... if I don't need it, and don't desire it, why force the issue? This is exactly what I prayed for before beginning the fast.

In other news ...

"High blood pressure. Soaring blood pressure. A fatty liver. Dangerously elevated insulin levels."

Thus begins the Time article titled, Overweight Children: Living Large that covers in detail the trend of obesity in the U.S. and the fact that it is now impacting more children than ever before (despite the news that the rate of increase is slowing, it still doesn't change the percentage of children who are obese and overweight).

I love the quality of Time's articles ... when you're done with that one, check out the one that epxlains why It's Not Just Genetics and then How America's Children Packed on the Pounds.

Pesticides in your wine?

It's disturbing news, especially for someone like me who loves a good red wine. Apparently, a recent study found that pretty much every bottle of European wine contains pesticides — some as many as ten different types.

Sleeping the Weight Off

Last week during my juice fast, I got plenty of sleep. I also lost plenty of weight. While that's obviously due to the restricted calories, the sleep didn't hurt. According to one study, sleep can aid weight loss. I'm not surprised, because stress seems to be a key factor in preventing weight loss and more sleep correlates to lower stress levels.

An Apple a Day Keeps Slow Metabolism at Bay

Recently it was discovered apple pectin may protect against metabolic syndrome, as well as positiviely impacting cholesterol and other health markers, too. But we've known an apple a day was important long before the scientists proved it, didn't we?

Sun Exposure Fights Cancer?

We've heard that too much sun can cause cancer, but short exposure of just 10 minutes a day may help prevent cancer by helping the body produce Vitamin D.

American's Live Longer ... Than Themselves?

The life expectancy in America is increasing ... recently it has risen to 78 years. That means we're getting better ourselves each year ... but when you compare America to other countries, we're still a dismal 31st place. It is interesting that with all of our "modern medicine" and "advanced healthcare" and of course Hollywood diets, we are still more obese and die sooner than those other countries that don't allow pharmaceutical companies to advertise on prime time TV (and how on earth DO they get away with drinking wine and eating cheese all the time?). Let's face it ... we're doing things wrong here, and Americans need to step it up. Look, your bones won't crack if stop drinking milk and it doesn't help you lose fat, those are just advertisements supported by the government not because they are concerned with your health, but because they need you to drink the subsidized dairy. Yes, you hear about these horrible food shortages and how prices of agriculture are supposedly increasing because corn is being used as an alternative fuel, but on the other hand they are still shoving it down your throat by throwing high fructose corn syrup in just about everything we eat.

Here's an interesting experiment to try ... why not go on a dairy and corn strike for 2 months? It may seem near impossible with the amount of whey and corn that is in every product these days, but if you are up for the challenge, cut dairy and corn out, spend 8 weeks, and report back. I won't be surprised if you find the solution to the obesity epidemic on your own without going on a low carb diet or training for a marathon.

So THAT's Why it Eden, Not Adam

A recent study analyzed the impact of fructose, the sugar specifically found in most fruit, on triglyceride levels in men and women. Men's triglyceride counts skyrocketed 71 percent, while women's only increased 16 percent. This doesn't mean you need to ditch your fruit, however. If you look closely, they weren't just fed fruit, the subjects in this study were "overloading on fructose" and I'm not sure what "overload" means, exactly ...

Expensive fuel helps curb obesity?

2008-06-11T07:32:00.005-04:00

This is the fourth day of my juice fast, and I'm feeling great. Last night, dinner was six carrots, three stalks of broccoli, one full beet green (root and leaves), and a jalapeño pepper (yes, I like some spice). This morning, breakfast was an apple, a pear, some strawberries, and several bunches of grapes.

I've had quite a few people inquire about what a juice fast is, why I would do it, what the benefits are, etc. So I will be writing an article hopefully in the next day or so to post and answer all of your questions! It is NOT the same as a "Master Cleanse" and I don't do it directly for weight loss ... stay tuned.

Since I was diagnosed with hypothyroid, I've been doing quite a bit of research. The problem is that diagnosis of this condition is difficult because not every agrees what the "proper" levels are. Some even believe lower levels like the ones I had are actually normal and part of the regular variance between individuals. Here is a great discussion with lots of information about hypothyroidism.

In an interesting twist, it looks like belly fat may impact your liver function, according to this article.

Are you tired of high fuel prices? According to this article from Australia, high fuel prices may help fight obesity. It's an interesting twist.

The other day, I reported a controversial study that claimed a decline in energy (exercise, etc) was not responsible for the obesity epidemic. I had a hard time swallowing it, and now I follow up with this analysis that says exercises DOES still combat obesity. Whew. Seems like the balance has been restored.

On my last note, "speaking of exercise," have you ever wondered how you can possibly burn those extra calories when you're stuck behind a desk or in a cubicle all day at the office? Your answer just might be here ... why not ask your boss to get you one of these?

Until next time,

The Start of the Juice Fast

2008-06-08T16:07:00.001-04:00

I began my 12-week intensive competition today. This is the day I started my juice fast. It's been an interesting day ... so far I've handled the fast well. It is amazing how the body tunes into the juice ... you can start to feel tired and even get a bit of a headache, mix up some juice, and within seconds of taking it in feel the energy just flow in and the pains subside. I will fast through the week, wean off on Friday, get some good variety of foods on Saturday, and then celebrate Father's Day with some protein at a Brazilian-style buffet on Sunday.

12 weeks seems to be a common timeframe for getting into a program and seeing recognizable results. I believe a large part is the cycle ... the first 4 weeks are really what it takes to form a habit but are too soon to see tangible results. The next 4 weeks prove you are committed and let you make the tweaks you need to keep seeing success, and the final 4 weeks are when you start to really notice dramatic changes.

Apparently the formula works ... for example, a recent study found that diabetics who followed a 12 week weight loss program kept most of it off the following year.

While I'm going to still perform some exercise during this period (mainly my Jangle routine, I have to wonder about a recent study that suggests we are no more sedentary now than years ago. The study says that despite our technologically advanced lifestyle, we still burn the same energy today on average as people did 20 or 30 years ago and even before the industrial age.

I for one have a hard time believing this ... and would love to hear your thoughts.

Well, it looks after so many years of the dominance of the American Medical Association (AMA) over who can practice medicine, one state is taking a stand. The AMA has been so successful with its sales and marketing that most people don't realize this corporation (yes - corporation, not government entity or non-profit organization, but a for-profit entity) has managed to sway and influence the legal system in the United States to the extent that most people believe its sanctioned doctors are the only ones qualified to practice health.

The truth of the matter is that many organizations existed in the mid-1800s with differing believes about the practice of medicine. The AMA managed to grow the most successfully and has imposed its views on us since. I believe chiropractic medicine is the first major non-AMA group of health practioners to successfully challenge the monopoly and demonstrate that there are other forms of care.

Now the state of Minnesota passed a law to give official recognition to the practice of naturopathic medicine and even allows these practioners to call themselves "doctors."

While it is a major step, it also has opened the floodgates to debate over who is qualified and even what "naturopathic" medicine really is or means.

At any rate, I'm back to my highly-controversial "juice fast" ... enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Warmly,