tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11701017567067995812024-03-14T05:10:41.115-07:00Fitness without willpowerPJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03808971563496285335noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1170101756706799581.post-69575629288254516652009-03-29T21:21:00.000-07:002009-03-29T21:25:02.187-07:00New Blog Site!In order to keep things simple, I have secured the website www.pjfit.com for my main blogging site. Please check there for new blogs and updates from now on. I may update this one occasionally as well, but pjfit.com will be my most current site. <br /><br />You can also follow me on Twitter through "xgym" or "xgymbl". I will be Tweating often with tips and tricks for fast fitness and fat loss so check it out!PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03808971563496285335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1170101756706799581.post-13875421087844744572009-02-21T11:33:00.000-08:002009-02-21T12:59:19.150-08:00More Fascinating Research<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSu7pEkkQYyg_Uc9NGmJA0I06COtqNdcoC-HPJWQ4AxxcCzz8ieeqC77bB-gO6GfjesE8IzEvaUiNCPNk3ToZm4688B2pxVITb4qquZyD-KZVCu7PudmM8jvPW9HRXpJkm46JAZ77LapI/s1600-h/soda.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSu7pEkkQYyg_Uc9NGmJA0I06COtqNdcoC-HPJWQ4AxxcCzz8ieeqC77bB-gO6GfjesE8IzEvaUiNCPNk3ToZm4688B2pxVITb4qquZyD-KZVCu7PudmM8jvPW9HRXpJkm46JAZ77LapI/s320/soda.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305358093336229938" /></a><br />As you may already know, I spend at least 10 hours a week exploring the latest research in nutrition and fitness, and as a result, I stumble across many interesting studies. Here are some I found lately.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">DRINKING SODA MAY RESULT IN KIDNEY DAMAGE</span><br />Scientists suspect that the high fructose corn syrup found in soda may be the culprit in a recent study finding that women who consumed the most soda -- a marker for intake of high fructose corn syrup -- had an 86% increased risk of albuminuria, a sensitive marker for early kidney disease. [Shoham D, et al "Sugary soda consumption and albuminuria: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2004" PLoS ONE 2008; DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0003431.]<br /><br />New evidence has also exposed the fact that HFCS now contains high levels of mercury. Yet another reason to go organic! If this isn't bad enough, soda also has been scientifically linked to weight gain, liver damage, tooth decay, kidney stones, kidney disease, diabetes, heart burn, acid reflux, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, heart disease, and digestive issue to name just a few.<br /> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">YOU MAY BE EATING CLONED MEAT AND DON'T EVEN KNOW IT</span><br />Dr. Sears' recent newsletter pointed out that the FDA doesn't require labeling of cloned meat, and cloning is becoming more common every day! Cloned cows and other animals often die young, suffer birth defects, and commonly need antibiotics. <br /><br />The Center for Food Safety says that as many as 50% of cow clones have what’s called “Large Offspring Syndrome.” Symptoms include unusually high birth weight that endangers the mother, and a long list of organ and systemic abnormalities, including heart problems and immature lung development. <br /><br />What’s even more worrisome is that the nation’s major cattle cloning companies admit that they have already lost track of how many offspring of clones have entered the food supply! <br /><br />The whole idea of cloned meat is frightening if you ask me. That’s another reason why I choose grass-fed beef. It's healthy and nutritious with no hidden food safety issues. It’s also hormone-free, antibiotic-free, has no preservatives, and has a healthy ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats. I get mine from through www.spud.com. <br /><br />1. Wells DN. 2005. Animal cloning: problems and prospects. Rev Sci Tech 24: 251-264<br />2. Center for Food Safety. Not Ready For Prime Time – FDA’s Flawed Approach To Assessing The Safety of Food From Animal Clones, 3/07<br />3. Geir Tveit & Peter Sandøe, “The Science and Technology of Farm Animal Cloning: A review of the state of the art of the science, the technology, the problems and the possibilities.” Danish Centre for Bioethics and Risk Assessment, p. 24, 2005.<br />4. National Academy of Sciences. Safety of Genetically Engineered Foods: Approaches to Assessing Unintended Health Effects. p. 222-228, 2004<br />5. Walsh MK, Lucey JA, Govindasamy-Lucey S, Pace MM, and MD Bishop. 2003. Comparison of milk produced by cows cloned by nuclear transfer with milk from non-cloned cows. Cloning Stem Cells 5: 213-219<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">SPLENDA'S LITTLE YELLOW PACKET SHOULD CARRY A BIG RED WARNING LABEL</span><br />Many of you who know me have heard me talk about the evils of Splenda (Sucralose), but recent research has found that in addition to all the side effects I have previously discussed, Splenda also reduces the amount of good bacteria in the intestines by 50 percent, increases the pH level in the intestines, and contributes to increases in body weight. [Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A 2008;71(21):1415-29]<br /><br />Stick with Stevia for your sweetener needs! Truvia is another sweetener that came to the market recently and is also all-natural, so now you have two choices!<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />EGGS OR GREEK YOGURT CAN WAKE YOU UP IN THE MORNING</span><br />Eggs and Greek yogurt both contain high amounts of Tyrosine which helps make the wake-up brain chemicals dopamine and norepinephrine. This can be your new breakfast of champions and may even help you quit coffee if you are trying. Because both of these foods are also killer fat burners, this breakfast will make you leaner too! <br /><br />Be sure to use organic eggs, and get your Greek yogurt from Trader Joe's - or another brand with a comparable macro nutrient ratio, because brands vary widely and it is important to get the kind that lists protein as the largest number on the nutrition facts.PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03808971563496285335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1170101756706799581.post-10911597951575019332009-02-18T08:12:00.000-08:002009-02-18T08:16:35.233-08:00MIRACLE SPICE?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcoM-nXsEqan83xh-_uudwPN4YjG2wwdY7t8OR3mU4qXcNu-_j-gCPwXMrEw5kOMUM1PjiOjBWFGwtcnq4ptPzV0Y4Reho8nAGwNnQUZIARBA0pBdLkt5MWPIc4_zSr5VsoqBqRGRIV0o/s1600-h/turmeric1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcoM-nXsEqan83xh-_uudwPN4YjG2wwdY7t8OR3mU4qXcNu-_j-gCPwXMrEw5kOMUM1PjiOjBWFGwtcnq4ptPzV0Y4Reho8nAGwNnQUZIARBA0pBdLkt5MWPIc4_zSr5VsoqBqRGRIV0o/s320/turmeric1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304171753720763618" /></a><br /><br />If I told you about a spice that could aid your digestion in a way that would help you burn more fat, would you start to incorporate it in your recipes? How about if I told you that it also does the following things:<br /><br /> * Reduces gas and bloating<br /> * Assists in the digestion of protein<br /> * Improves your body's ability to digest fats instead of store them<br /> * Promotes proper metabolism<br /> * Maintains and improves intestinal flora<br /> * Improves elimination of wastes and toxins<br /> * Rejuvenates your liver cells and recharges their capability to break down toxins<br /> * Helps to prevent alcohol and other toxins from being converted into compounds that may be harmful to your liver<br /> * Supports formation of healthy tissue<br /> * Stimulates formation of new blood tissue<br /> * Is a powerful anti-inflammatory<br /> * Contains powerful antioxidant properties<br /> * Counteracts the damaging effects of free radicals in your body<br /> * Relieves arthritis pain and stiffness<br /> * Is an anti-carcinogenic (anti-cancer) and can even inhibit tumor initiation, promotion, invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis.<br /> * Supports treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease<br /> * Inhibits the toxicity of cancer-causing chemicals in the environment<br /> * Inhibits radiation-induced chromosome damage<br /> * Prevents the formation of harmful heterocyclic amines and nitroso compounds, which may result in the body when eating certain processed foods, such as processed meat products<br /> * Irreversibly inhibits the multiplication of leukemia cells in a cell culture<br /> *<br /> * Is helpful in treating cystic fibrosis, type 2 diabetes, Crohn’s disease, psoriasis, cataracts, gallstones, and irritable bowel syndrome<br /><br />How about now? Would you eat it? I would, and in fact, I do include it in almost every recipe I cook. It's called turmeric, and is very easy to come by. Some don't like the taste however, and others get annoyed that it stains everything it comes in contact with, but these minor drawbacks can be circumvented by taking turmeric as a supplement. Find a good pure organic source at your supplement store and start today! It has all of the benefits without any side effects, so why not?<br /><br />Source:<br /><br />Mercola.com<br /><br /><br />Studies:<br /><br />The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Complementary/Integrative Medicine Education Resources, “Curcumin at M.D. Anderson” (accessed January 22, 2009)<br /><br />Biochemical Pharmacology, Volume 70, Issue 5, 1 September 2005, Pages 700-713PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03808971563496285335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1170101756706799581.post-90168718304496654432009-02-02T10:47:00.000-08:002009-02-02T11:17:08.610-08:005 Day Fat Furnace Menu<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVL9gA9shP-3WztznSwOlhWwftjbgbZxC3WlmDHAXm3vHkDNwSYZn2l-dp1A4OFrD6TOjgUmeIJTN8evOYmQ26iVPK7I8JAchq9hQimHDDEIjcQ-DE3W2yzuUUf6YgwYrMhyphenhyphen_oYbCuj-c/s1600-h/furnace.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVL9gA9shP-3WztznSwOlhWwftjbgbZxC3WlmDHAXm3vHkDNwSYZn2l-dp1A4OFrD6TOjgUmeIJTN8evOYmQ26iVPK7I8JAchq9hQimHDDEIjcQ-DE3W2yzuUUf6YgwYrMhyphenhyphen_oYbCuj-c/s320/furnace.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298280533023251122" /></a><br />So many people have asked me what to eat to flush fat fast, I decided to make it a blog post. I put together a sample 5 day menu below. Keep in mind that you must visit the X Gym recipe page for most of these recommendations at http://www.xgym.com/hardbodcafe.htm. <br /><br />The recipes (in quotes) on this page are quite miraculous because they are "negative fat recipes" meaning the more you eat, the more fat you burn off your body! <br /><br />Suggestions and notes: <br />1.)Meats should be organic, free range, grass fed, and/or wild whenever possible.<br />2.)Drink 3-4 quarts of water (and spread it evenly throughout the day). <br />3.)To reduce cooking requirements, you can repeat certain days or meals instead of something different every day as listed. Mixing and matching recipes with other days is OK too!<br />4.)These recommendations should of course be cleared with your doctor to insure there are no conflicts with allergies, medications, intolerances, health concerns specific to you, etc. <br /><br /><br />Monday<br /><br />Breakfast: "PJoe’s Special"<br />Morning Snack: Organic beef jerky (PCC)<br />Lunch: "Chuck’s Texas Meat Balls" with Yummy Tummy Ketchup<br />Afternoon Snack: 2 hard boiled eggs <br />Dinner: "Jenn Hendershott’s Turkey Meatloaf"<br />Evening Snack: "Cottage Dessert" <br /><br />Tuesday<br /> <br />Breakfast: "Fat Furnace Frittata"<br />Morning Snack: Pre-chopped veggies dipped in “Follow Your Heart” <br /> lowfat ranch dressing (PCC)<br />Lunch: "Harley’s Shredded Veggie Bonanza"<br />Afternoon Snack: Organic string cheese <br />Dinner: "Fiberilla Burritos"<br />Evening Snack: Safeway “Organics” sliced turkey breast and “Organics” sliced cheese (rolled together)<br /><br />Wednesday<br /> <br />Breakfast: "PJ’s Easy protein shake"<br />Morning Snack: "Wilster’s Mock Smashed Potatoes"<br />Lunch: "Sony Mac’s Turkey Stew"<br />Afternoon Snack: Organic green salad with meat, cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette<br />Dinner: "Blackjack’s Chicken Frittatas" <br />Evening Snack: "Trilster’s Blender Bisque" <br /><br />Thursday<br /> <br />Breakfast: "Blueberry Smoothie"<br />Morning Snack: Valencia Peanuts (up to ½ cup)<br />Lunch: "Guilt Free Sandwich"<br />Afternoon Snack: Celery Sticks with PB2 peanut butter <br /> (www.bellplantation.com) <br />Dinner: "Julio’s Taco Salad"<br />Evening Snack: "Broiled Broccoli" <br /><br />Friday<br /> <br />Breakfast: "Yummy Tummy Yogurt"<br />Morning Snack: Organic beef jerky (PCC)<br />Lunch: "Crock Pot Delight"<br />Afternoon Snack: Pure Fit Bar (Belltown X Gym, PCC or www.purefit.com)<br />Dinner: "Spicy Peanut Bake"<br />Evening Snack: "Cottage Dessert"PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03808971563496285335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1170101756706799581.post-9925228298333520372009-02-01T19:18:00.000-08:002009-02-02T10:47:32.599-08:00Fascinating Studies!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5RzhVGjbemzwFuEEtHhG57fqga9MxKk0fyRMV9aBvHn2sMdWXHYEJ2-xW8tGsaU2c4P68V4T2MtFynFNdwbHmYru4QDlPxU8lP7Mve0SQjvGaL85VH88jkr-G60rmZf8A0oKD8I5mdU/s1600-h/weight-loss-sprinting-high-intensit.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5RzhVGjbemzwFuEEtHhG57fqga9MxKk0fyRMV9aBvHn2sMdWXHYEJ2-xW8tGsaU2c4P68V4T2MtFynFNdwbHmYru4QDlPxU8lP7Mve0SQjvGaL85VH88jkr-G60rmZf8A0oKD8I5mdU/s320/weight-loss-sprinting-high-intensit.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298273085506477026" /></a><br />MORE VALIDATION FOR SHORT AND INTENSE EXERCISE:<br />British researchers have shown that rigorous workouts lasting as little as three minutes may help prevent diabetes by helping control blood sugar. <br /><br />"You can make just as big as an effect doing this as you can by doing hours and hours of endurance training each week" said James Timmons, an exercise biologist at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, who led the study.<br /><br />Timmons and his team showed that just seven minutes of exercise each week helped a group of 16 men in their early twenties control their insulin.<br /><br />The volunteers, who were relatively out of shape but otherwise healthy, rode an exercise bike four times daily in 30 second spurts two days a week.<br /><br />After two weeks, the young men had a 23 percent improvement in how effectively their body used insulin to clear glucose, or blood sugar, from the blood stream, Timmons said.<br /><br />"The simple idea is if you are doing tense muscle contractions during sprints or exercise on a bike you really enhance insulin's ability to clear glucose out of the bloodstream," Timmons said.<br /><br />ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL PROVES THE EVILS OF SUGAR<br />For the past ten years, Principal Yvonne Sanders-Butler, has required students at Browns Mill Elementary in Lithonia to participate in daily physical exercise and eat healthy foods. Her school enforces a strict ban on sugar.<br /><br />According to Butler, standardized test scores increased 15 percent at the school within the first year of the program. She said discipline problems decreased by 23 percent. Student health has improved and obesity at the school has been virtually eliminated.<br /><br />BPA STAYS IN THE BODY LONGER THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT<br />Dr. Richard Stahlhut of the University of Rochester and colleagues looked at levels of BPA (the chemical found in many plastic products) in over 1,000 U.S. adults who took part in a government health survey.<br /><br />While the belief had been BPA was quickly and completely eliminated from the body through urine, this study found people who had fasted for even a whole day still retained significant levels of the chemical.<br /><br />Stahlhut said this suggested BPA may hang around in the body longer than previously known or that it may get into the body through sources other than just food, perhaps including tap water or house dust. Stahlhut added that BPA may get into fat tissue, from where it might be released more slowly.<br /><br />FAST FOOD NEGATES SOME IMPORTANT BENEFITS OF BREAST FEEDING<br />While breastfeeding seems to reduce the risk of a child developing asthma, eating fast food once or twice a week reverses the gains, according to a study of 700 Canadian children by the University of Alberta, published in Clinical and Experimental Allergy.<br /><br />GINGER SHOW TO REDUCE KNEE PAIN FROM ARTHRITIS<br />Along with its inflammation-cooling properties to reduce arthritis pain, ginger may have anticancer powers, too. And the ginger ale your grandma served you when your stomach was upset? There’s science behind that as well. Ginger is a well-known nausea reliever. [Effects of a ginger extract on knee pain in patients with osteoarthritis. Altman, R. D., Marcussen K. C., Arthritis and Rheumatism 2001 Nov;44(11):2531-2538]PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03808971563496285335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1170101756706799581.post-75070109397506710012009-01-18T10:41:00.000-08:002009-01-18T13:25:38.347-08:00Recent Research Update<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo8KtcMo9hx90XS49CcwzOfuRVWSLUGk-apgdAlvBtXnjoI9ytwDZ5B65vL6RL8OJLb799rKcQHxVobDGk7as3JoTY4KqKfRc0_OCtKnDsk-vN7qsb3b72BmWB2zmoifmwp3AWzqiSJRs/s1600-h/Broccoli_man.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 128px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo8KtcMo9hx90XS49CcwzOfuRVWSLUGk-apgdAlvBtXnjoI9ytwDZ5B65vL6RL8OJLb799rKcQHxVobDGk7as3JoTY4KqKfRc0_OCtKnDsk-vN7qsb3b72BmWB2zmoifmwp3AWzqiSJRs/s320/Broccoli_man.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292746940372492018" /></a><br />Lots of interesting studies have come out recently, and some are particularly applicable to the stuff I'm always talking about! Broccoli for instance, as many of you know, is my favorite superfood. It is the most intense "negative fat food" (meaning the more you eat, the leaner you get), it is the most nutrient dense and micro nutrient balanced food on the planet, and it is relatively cheap. <br /><br />I also talk about its effects on fighting illness, disease, and even cancer! I have been affirmed once again in this claim by scientists in this month's Journal of Carcinogenesis. Dr. Wilson and Dr. Jordan found a compound called "isothiocyanates" that contain a compound called "sulforaphane" which targets and attacks cancer cells with more aggression than any drug available. Broccoli has the highest amount of these compounds. Hail broccoli!<br /><br />Researchers found that people who eat rapidly are three times more likely to be overweight than those who take their time at meals (like the Europeans do). This is one of the reasons Americans are so overweight when compared to other countries. [Maruyama, K. et al., BMJ 2008 Oct 21;337:a2002.]<br /><br />Rapid eating is often an established pattern that can be difficult to break. The best way to break this pattern is to change your surroundings. If you normally eat while watching TV, make sure it is off and sit at the table with no distractions. You can also change your posture to cut your consumption. Make sure you are sitting up straight and you will be surprised at how the increased attentiveness will make you feel fuller sooner and slow you down as well!<br /><br />The March issue of Alternative Medicine Review confirmed that taking a vitamin D3 supplement significantly reduces mortality from all causes. This strong statement puts an exclamation point to the necessity of keeping your levels high - especially during the winter months for those in northern latitudes who can't get enough sunshine for their skin to produce adequate amounts. <br /><br />Vitamin C has been found to protect against age-related wrinkles and even reverse them! Guess what food has even more vitamin C than any fruit? Yep, good old broccoli! Chock another one up for my fav! [Cosgrove, M. C., Franco, O. H., Granger, S. P., Murray, P. G., Mayes, A. E., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2007 Oct;86(4):1225-1231.]<br /><br />A recent article by Dr. Al Sears pointed out that Vitamin K has been overlooked by medicine for a hundred years. This neglected vitamin may have the power to prevent heart disease and eliminate the pain from stiff, swollen joints. All these years doctors thought it was only good as a blood thickener, but a new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that it fights inflammation.1<br /><br />Inflammation wreaks havoc throughout your body. It’s a direct cause of heart disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, even Alzheimer’s. Vitamin K can help prevent—and sometimes even reverse—many of these conditions.<br /><br />A study from the Journal of Nutrition linked dietary intake of vitamin K to reduced risk of coronary heart disease.2 The study also found vitamin K reduces the calcification of your arteries. That’s the damage that occurs when calcium deposits harden and build up.<br /><br />Specifically, vitamin K lowers inflammation by reducing levels of Interleukin-6 (IL-6). When you age, your IL-6 levels increase naturally. This increased level creates significant amounts of inflammation in your body.<br /><br />IL-6 is one of the main culprits behind Alzheimer’s and arthritis. One study found those with high levels of IL-6 had a 200% greater risk of developing a disability such as arthritis.3<br /><br />Vitamin K also prevents brittle bones and teeth. It helps a Gla protein known as osteocalcin regulate calcium. Without vitamin K, osteocalcins become “undercarboxylated,” meaning they can’t hold on to the calcium. As a result, the calcium in your body leaves your bones and teeth, making them weak and porous.4 It’s so effective; doctors in Japan use vitamin K to treat osteoporosis.5<br /><br />What’s more, vitamin K is an amazing anti-oxidant. It destroys free radicals floating in your body at a level on par with CoQ10 and Vitamin E.6<br /><br />Guess what food has ultra - high levels of vitamin K? Yep, chock up yet another one for broccoli! <br /><br />1.Shea, K, Et al., “Vitamin K and Vitamin D Status: Associations with Inflammatory Markers in the Framingham Offspring Study” American Journal of Epidemiology 2008 167(3):313-320<br />2. Geleijnse JM, Vermeer C, Grobbee DE, et al. Dietary intake of menaquinone is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease: the Rotterdam Study. J Nutr. Nov 2004;134(11):3100-3105. <br />3. Ferrucci L, et al. 1999. Serum IL-6 level and the development of disability in older persons. J Am Geriatr Soc 47:639-46.<br />4. Knapen MHK, et al. 1989. The effect of vitamin K supplementation on circulating osteocalcin (bone Gla protein) and urinary calcium excretion. Ann Internal Med 111:1001-5.<br />5. Sugiyama, T, “Possible Involvements of Vitamin K in Bone Quality,” Editor’s Correspondence, Archives of Internal Medicine Vol 167 Number 1 January 2008<br />6. Vitamin K Report, Life Extension Magazine, February 2000, www.lef.org..<br /><br />For a great broccoli recipe click this link and scroll halfway down the page to "Broiled Broccoli": http://www.xgym.com/hardbodcafe.htmPJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03808971563496285335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1170101756706799581.post-6563658830394412732009-01-16T11:30:00.000-08:002009-01-16T16:23:40.877-08:00Reform Your Identity and Cut Your Need For Willpower<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9nyzLnj_pR2TBduYmh8utA6PWqUaKrcC2S_jjP5b2ykDjy6rArMmlqDsZFUBiriNI-P9-ekp-gd-A9w19l9rnYBhLAPoxSh5tWwU5WE-2GvL8yU40u3t99k3FqChvdUUCU-_ROtCT9k/s1600-h/obesity.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 205px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9nyzLnj_pR2TBduYmh8utA6PWqUaKrcC2S_jjP5b2ykDjy6rArMmlqDsZFUBiriNI-P9-ekp-gd-A9w19l9rnYBhLAPoxSh5tWwU5WE-2GvL8yU40u3t99k3FqChvdUUCU-_ROtCT9k/s320/obesity.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292049903769894418" /></a><br />The fundamental reason people struggle with weight loss and fitness is that they are fighting against their own identity. The strongest force in the human psyche is our need for our own identity to match up with our actions. If our identity is one of a fat person, we will stay that way or rebound back to it when we do lose weight. <br /><br />Breaking out of your struggle pattern requires re-writing your identity. This means re-programming your subconscious. Because your identity is located in your subconscious, many people don't even know what their identity is. <br /><br />Some people even have conflicting identities between their conscious and subconscious minds. This can be observed when someone is surprised by how fat they look in the mirror or in pictures. They say to themselves, "Wow, I'm not that fat" or, "Cameras sure do add extra weight." <br /><br />It really doesn't matter what your conscious mind thinks you are like. Your subconscious mind always wins. Whatever picture you have stored in your subconscious will be the one that is controlling both your conscious and unconscious actions to make sure you are that way on the outside.<br /><br />The key to permanent change is to reprogram your subconscious picture of yourself or your "mind's eye". There are a handful of techniques I use when counseling clients on this, but one of the most effective and easiest to implement is through the use of verbal proclamations. <br /><br />I write customized proclamations for my clients based on their three highest human needs which I score according to a list of questions I ask them, but some general proclamations are listed below. You will find some that work better than others based on your personality, so stick with the ones that elicit the most emotion for you. <br /><br />When you are saying your proclamations, make sure you are feeling them with the highest emotional intensity possible. Be emphatic and repeat them over emphasizing a different word each time. They will cause the proclamation to have a different meaning every time you say it.<br /><br />Stand/sit up straight with perfect posture, keep your chin high, and speak forcefully. Pick a convenient time and place. I do mine in the shower or in the car at least twice a day. <br /><br />My main proclamation is "Every day and in every way I am getting stronger and wiser." I say this a minimum of 12 times because I emphasize a different word each time. <br /><br />Making yourself do this exercise every day regardless of whether you feel like it or not is the true key to making it work. Remember that commitment is the difference between "can do" and "will do." Anyone can talk about what they can do, but what you will do is the only thing that counts toward reprogramming your subconscious. <br /><br />Here are some proclamation examples:<br />"I choose to be fit because I deserve it."<br />"I know I have that within me to achieve success."<br />"I command my subconscious to produce only thoughts that empower my goals."<br />"All the tools I need are already within me."<br />"I choose healthy foods because I choose a healthy life."<br /><br />Let these move you emotionally, and they will speak to your subconscious. As your subconscious hears these repeat messages, it will believe them and implement them. Then making the right choices comes naturally and effortlessly because there is no more struggle!PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03808971563496285335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1170101756706799581.post-22603172768117922212009-01-04T11:07:00.000-08:002009-01-04T11:14:09.905-08:00THREE STEPS TO MAKE YOUR NEW YEAR’S FITNESS RESOLUTION STICKMost people make the same fitness resolutions every year, just to repeat a very discouraging failure. They tell themselves, “This time it will be different because I really mean it”, but then the same thing happens and no one can figure out why. Recent research in exercise science and psychology has uncovered the real reason for these repeated failures and it can all be summed up in the following three step plan.<br /><br />1.) Rewire your brain for permanent physical change. The fundamental reason people yo-yo with their weight or fail in their New Year’s fitness resolutions is because they never change their mind’s eye. The weight might come off, but they still think of themselves the same way, so it comes right back on. <br />No one ever talks about this but recent science has found that the brain really is the main reason for failure. Only if you think of yourself a certain way, will you become that way. The body always follows the mind, so changing your mind will change your body.<br /><br />Thin people stay that way because they think of themselves that way. The same goes for fat people. This is also why poor people quickly become poor again after winning the lottery. They never changed their mindset, and because they thought of themselves a certain way, they made conscious and unconscious decisions every day to make sure that happened.<br /><br />The way you think of yourself can be changed. It has to be a daily exercise to make this change permanent, and to form new nerve pathways that change your brain wiring. This rewiring process will make sure your brain is ready to stay thin when you become thin, and that will control your body and actions to make sure that happens.<br />Visualize how you want to look. See yourself in that body and practice it daily. Once you become that person, you will already be comfortable with it, and will be able to stay that way because you have already formed your new identity.<br /><br />Change your self-talk by phrasing everything in a positive way and emphasize your goal the same way. A good example of this is to say, “I’m going to get leaner today” instead of saying, “I’m going to lose some fat today”. They might sound the same, but they are very different.<br /><br />2.) Consider a cleanse routine to get you started right. This process is meant to detoxify the body of harmful chemicals stored in the digestive system and organs. It is also meant to clean out the intestines of harmful flora that prevent you from absorbing key nutrients.<br /><br />It is important to remember that once you have done your cleanse, you are starting over with a clean digestive system and proper intestinal flora, so stick with your new and good nutrition habits to continue to reap the benefits of the process. <br />A cleanse is a great way to start healthy eating, but the intestines will rapidly repopulate with the bad flora if you go back to poor nutrition habits, and then you have lost all the benefits of what you accomplished with the cleanse. It takes 3-4 weeks to get rid of the bad flora but less than a week to get it back! <br /><br />I don't recommend any particular cleanse system because they are all pretty much a waste of money. If you want a cleanse that actually works, eat only these things for 3 weeks:<br /><br /> Wild fish<br /> Organic chicken <br /> Organic grass-fed beef<br /> Organic broccoli, spinach, kale and collard greens<br /> 1 gallon of water per day<br /><br /> Take a probiotic every day and continue it after you are done with the cleanse. You can get a good one at SuperSupplements (but don’t let them talk you into their cleanse systems).<br /><br />This is better than any cleanse out there and will prevent the muscle loss cleanses often cause as well. Get a deep tissue massage 2-3 times a week and take an Epsom salt bath every night on massage days.<br />After your cleanse, continue to eat organic and emphasize lots of dark greens, lean meats and water as your first priority. Make this your new lifestyle habit and adopt it permanently. Make your resolution for life, not just for this year. Think of each change you make as a new permanent step to your new permanent you.<br /><br />3.) Workout harder and train less. High intensity training is the best way to build muscle and burn fat. Strength training to complete muscle failure is the best way to build muscle and increase your metabolism. This metabolic increase helps you burn more fat even when you sleep, so muscle really is the key. <br /><br />This doesn’t mean you have to bulk up, it just means that a little tone and shape will go a long way towards burning the fat off and keeping it off. Pound for pound, muscle takes up about half the space as fat so trading muscle for fat will make you smaller and improve your shape, even if the scale doesn’t show anything! <br /><br />The same high intensity principle goes for your cardio exercise. Interval sprint training is the way to go for the best combination of fat burning and cardio fitness improvement. These workouts only take 20 minutes so it is a great time saver as well.<br />A new minds eye, a cleanse routine followed by continued good nutrition, and high intensity exercise is a sure fire way to reach the resolution goals that have eluded you for so many years by doing things the hard way and the wrong way. Ben Franklin once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”. This year it is time to try something different that actually works instead of the same old thing that has failed you year after year!PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03808971563496285335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1170101756706799581.post-49063164832206300282009-01-01T13:30:00.000-08:002009-01-01T13:43:14.745-08:00I couldn't have said it better myselfI was planning on writing an article for New Year's resolution folks, and then got this from Dr. Sears. It's so great to see other progressive professionals preaching what I do. His article was so good, I just cut and pasted it here. I will post a blog entry soon about specific tips for brain training to help with your fitness resolution, so stay tuned! -PJ<br /><br /><br /><br />Al Sears, MD<br />11903 Southern Blvd. Ste. 208<br />Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411 <br />January 01, 2009 <br /> <br />Dear PJ , <br /><br />Losing weight is probably at the forefront of your mind this time of year. So here’s a “doctor-recommended” resolution for you to take into the New Year: work out less and eat more.<br /><br />I’m not kidding. One of the discoveries I’ve made in my years of working with people on fitness and weight loss is what I believe to be the nature of “true” exercise—short bursts of high-intensity workouts. <br /><br />The reason’s simple: your body wasn’t designed for long, repetitive exercise. What your physiology really evolved to handle is short, intense periods of exertion, followed by rest.<br /><br />Think about it: is there any circumstance you can picture that would have led our ancestors—early caveman—to run seven miles three days a week or isolate their biceps and work them until they couldn’t lift a one-pound rock?<br /><br />I can’t think of one.<br /><br />Same goes for diet. There’s a right way and a wrong way. The bulk of the calories in the pre-agricultural diet came from lean, wild-caught meats, fat from the kill, and above-ground edibles, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.<br /><br />This is what you were meant to survive on. Millions of years of evolution created a digestive system optimally suited to processing protein and fat. <br /><br />What’s more, if you over-consume protein, your native physiology interprets it as “the hunting is good” and starts to shed excess fat stores, since they’re then seen as inefficient drags on speed and energy levels by the body.<br /><br />Modern medicine is finally waking up to the health benefits of this approach. Diabetes experts just this year found that high-protein dieting really does lead to lower fat stores and more lean muscle. They’re looking at it as a way to prevent or even reverse the effects of diabetes.1<br /><br />Another study published late last year found the same thing: the authors concluded that low-carb dieting promotes weight loss, brings soluble fat levels in the blood into balance, and “can be simply incorporated into a person’s lifestyle.”2 <br /><br />The most up-to-date research on high-intensity, low-duration workouts also supports my point about exercise.3<br /><br />Scientists at McMaster University in Canada took 20 healthy men and women with an average age of 23 and put them on a weekly workout schedule using stationary bikes. Some exercised five days a week, doing 40 to 60 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling. Others did four to six sets of 30-second sprints on the cycle, allowing 4.5 minutes of recovery time between sets; their total exercise time was about 15 to 25 minutes—for only three days a week.<br /><br />After six weeks, the researchers found that the intense sprint interval training improved the structure and function of arteries just as much as traditional, longer endurance exercise—without all the wear and tear.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9WIyyt0PLTkAj7f3fvRn6RpkiD1dLDwRUa5TXa7wBUsLi6pTtPTltdCFpkV40DEWMiq3KxI1ADCNqG0eR7ikuRDUkMMHcAbVt3fS-EDycDQu0xS2NECvs5SVelpWoXNUzfED-454F9M/s1600-h/cow+exercise+copy.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 199px; height: 249px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9WIyyt0PLTkAj7f3fvRn6RpkiD1dLDwRUa5TXa7wBUsLi6pTtPTltdCFpkV40DEWMiq3KxI1ADCNqG0eR7ikuRDUkMMHcAbVt3fS-EDycDQu0xS2NECvs5SVelpWoXNUzfED-454F9M/s320/cow+exercise+copy.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286443610144359170" /></a>So start eating more protein—ideally from grass-fed, organic, or wild caught meats—and go for shorter, high-intensity workouts! <br /><br />Best wishes for the New Year from all of us here at the Center for Health and Wellness.<br /><br />To Your Good Health, <br /><br /><br />Al Sears, MD<br /><br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><br />1. Brehm BJ, D’Alessio DA. “Benefits of high-protein weight loss diets: enough evidence for practice?” Current Opinions in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Obesity. 2008. 15(5):416-21.<br />2. Thomas DE, Elliott EJ. “Low glycaemic index or low glycaemic load diets for overweight and obesity.” The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2007. (3):CD005105.<br />3. Rakobowchuk M et al. “Sprint interval and traditional endurance training induce similar improvements in peripheral arterial stiffness and flow-mediated dilation in healthy humans.” American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative, and Comparative Physiology. 2008. 295(1):R236-42.PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03808971563496285335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1170101756706799581.post-69386612763783169882008-12-30T10:05:00.000-08:002008-12-30T11:09:11.864-08:00Interesting research I found this week<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjkDovzKT8gzxO5a3aTvcpjE2mD3ZJEYO7y-7S83jMbWKw35teEHuySpvV-arMuzPVSsNAFtbsti-SPA1hQoJ8L_njYmciWoLnDZLx2CFASSsHC7pkr7b1DWELS7pcPiXAc2wMgiL-IY/s1600-h/fat_kid_gasd.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 271px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjkDovzKT8gzxO5a3aTvcpjE2mD3ZJEYO7y-7S83jMbWKw35teEHuySpvV-arMuzPVSsNAFtbsti-SPA1hQoJ8L_njYmciWoLnDZLx2CFASSsHC7pkr7b1DWELS7pcPiXAc2wMgiL-IY/s320/fat_kid_gasd.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285662149607573650" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Most pediatricians under-diagnose overweight kids.</span><br /><br />A new study published in the January issue of the Journal Pediatrics shows just one-third of children who are overweight or obese actually receive that diagnosis by their pediatrician. Researchers reviewed BMI measurements recorded for 60,711 2-18 year olds which showed that 19% of the children were overweight, 23% obese, and 8% severely obese. While 76% of severely obese children and 54% of obese children were diagnosed – just 10% of the overweight children received a proper diagnosis. “Despite having set pediatric BMI guidelines, this is a bit of a wake-up call to pediatricians that as many as 90% of overweight children are not being properly diagnosed,” said David C. Kaelber, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., lead author of the study. “Better identification of this group of children who have just crossed into the ‘unhealthy’ weight category is essential for early intervention which will hopefully prevent not only a childhood of increased health problems, but also what now often becomes an ongoing battle through adulthood with life-long issues.”<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Speed circulation to your brain to fight Alzheimer's </span><br /><br />LONDON (Reuters) - A slow, chronic reduction of blood sugar to the brain could trigger some forms of Alzheimer's disease, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.<br />The study of human and mice brains suggests a reduction of blood flow deprives energy to the brain, setting off a process that ultimately produces the sticky clumps of protein researchers believe is a cause of the disease. Scientists found that a protein called elF2alpha is altered when the brain does not get enough energy. This boosts production of an enzyme that in turn flips a switch to produce the sticky protein clumps. The finding could lead to strategies such as exercise, reducing cholesterol and managing blood pressure to keep Alzheimer's at bay.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Another study shows importance of protein after exercise.</span><br /><br />Recovery from exercise is enhanced with carbohydrate-protein drink vs. a carbohydrate only drink. Adding protein to the formula immediately after exercise dramatically increases fat oxidation and speeds recovery. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2008, 5:24doi:10.1186/1550-2783-5-24PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03808971563496285335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1170101756706799581.post-3328966294161941532008-12-21T10:17:00.000-08:002008-12-21T12:01:55.396-08:00Interesting ResearchI found some interesting research this week! I'll talk about a lot of it tonight on the X Gym radio show on KVI AM 570 at 5 pm.<br /><br />The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition gave some support to past studies finding that breakfast eaters are less likely to be overweight -- and that eating a high-quality breakfast (especially protein), rather than grabbing a pastry, is the key.<br /><br />The Food and Drug Administration has finally approved the use of two new zero-calorie sweeteners made from the stevia plant. Coca-Cola and other companies plan to introduce drinks sweetened with stevia-based products. Coca-Cola Co. is expected to launch a drink in the U.S. this week containing a natural, calorie-free sweetener, intensifying a race with PepsiCo Inc. to dominate a new generation of noncarbonated beverages. Stevia has been used in Paraguay for centuries and in Japan for decades, and until now, it has been available in the United States only as a nutritional supplement. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOed1LNWEEapnKtM4bL-q1SOhqaXWMzrZGewgaXT_dyzggdskVSSCxVJE0_M_wySyN64yQhwST7bQ_Oue_FQV6Ty5ed4Jyfl2EkS2Xj_BvE2yCPo4RMN-suvXD-VUYucF51q8PcmpKHQA/s1600-h/Pigeon.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 306px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOed1LNWEEapnKtM4bL-q1SOhqaXWMzrZGewgaXT_dyzggdskVSSCxVJE0_M_wySyN64yQhwST7bQ_Oue_FQV6Ty5ed4Jyfl2EkS2Xj_BvE2yCPo4RMN-suvXD-VUYucF51q8PcmpKHQA/s320/Pigeon.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282330780609379858" /></a>People tend to either love or loathe yoga poses like Pigeon. Regardless of which camp you inhabit, keep in mind that Pigeon can help safeguard your precious knees and low back and make myriad poses infinitely more pleasant. Here's a look at the tremendous benefits of hip openers. Open hips can mean less back pain. Tight hip flexors pull your pelvis forward and exaggerate the curve in your lower back. Picture your entire pelvis as a bowl of water spilling toward your toes, with the back side of the bowl raised up. When your lumbar becomes shortened, you're likely to feel compression and discomfort over time. You'll notice it in your poses, too. If your hip flexors are short in a pose like Warrior I or Camel, your lower back will overdo the arch, and you'll feel pain. Open hip flexors help bring the pelvis back to neutral and mitigate pain.<br /><br />Exercise only (without dieting) shows fat loss comes mostly from dangerous belly fat. Women who increased their activity by 3,500 steps a day lost five pounds. Men doing the same lost 8 1/2 pounds. Participants who exercised the most decreased their belly fat by 10 percent to 20 percent. The study points up the good news: Belly fat is actually quite sensitive to exercise. “That’s where you’re most likely to lose the weight,” said David Robbins, endocrinologist and professor of medicine at KU Med in Kansas City. “These fat cells shut off very quickly.” But even a small weight loss shuts down some very dangerous signals from belly fat cells, the kind that put people at risk of disease, Robbins said. “So even losing five to 10 pounds can have a disproportionate benefit to your health,” he said.<br /><br />Phenol Power<br />Cinnamon and cinnamon sticks were clear standouts for healthy spices in a recent test, not only because of their total antioxidant ranking but also because they scored high marks for phenolics -- health-protective compounds credited with thwarting cell-damaging processes in the body. Cinnamon phenols in particular may also help bring down blood sugar. Ground or stick, sprinkled or stirred -- cinnamon packs an antioxidant wallop. Cinnamon is used in many of the recipes on the X Gym website at www.xgym.com/hardbodcafe.htm so check it out!<br /><br />High blood levels of vitamin C could cut stroke risk by as much as 42 percent and reduce your odds of developing type 2 diabetes by a whopping 62 percent. That’s exactly what happened in two recent studies involving middle-aged and older adults. As blood levels of C went up, risks went down. Researchers suspect that the vitamin’s strong antioxidant qualities may be the reason for its protective effects. And there’s no better way to raise your blood levels of C than to start filling your body with C-rich winter foods like broccoli and other dark greens!<br /><br />A new study found that overweight men and women burned more post-meal fat when they ate a high-protein breakfast and lunch than when they had lower-protein meals. The added protein seemed to modify the fat-burning deficit seen in heavy individuals.<br />This isn't the only study to show the metabolic benefits of high protein. A large number of other studies have also suggested that high-protein diets may help people shed weight more easily. [Nutrition & Dietetics June 5, 2008; 65(4): 246-52]<br /><br />Turns out people who regularly quench their thirsts with water consume a whopping 9 percent fewer daily calories than non-water drinkers. Not only do water drinkers seem to drink fewer sugary and calorie-heavy beverages (like eggnog, mulled wine, and champagne), but they also have healthier eating habits overall, according to a recent study. [Water and food consumption patterns of U.S. adults from 1999 to 2001. Popkin, B.M., et al., Obesity Research 2005 Dec;13(12):2146-2152]<br /><br />In a study, people who ate at least 27 grams of fiber per day had better lung capacity than people who got less than 10 grams. The high-fiber eaters were also 15 percent less likely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, an irreversible lung condition that makes it hard to breathe. Fiber may protect lungs by reducing tissue-damaging inflammation. The antioxidants in fiber probably help protect lung cells, too. [Dietary fiber, lung function, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the atherosclerosis risk in communities study. Kan, H., et al., American Journal of Epidemiology 2008 Mar 1;167(5):570-578]<br /><br />Remember to filter your water! Tap water has too much fluoride, and now researchers are finding this chemical may be partly responsible for early onset puberty in girls.<br />Up until the 1990s, no research had ever been conducted to determine the impact of fluoride on the pineal gland -- a small gland located between the two hemispheres of the brain that regulates the production of the hormone melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate the onset of puberty and helps protect the body from cell damage caused by free radicals. It is now known -- thanks to the meticulous research of Dr. Jennifer Luke from the University of Surrey in England -- that the pineal gland is the primary target of fluoride accumulation within your body. After finding that the pineal gland is a major target for fluoride accumulation in humans, Dr. Luke conducted animal experiments to determine if the accumulated fluoride could impact the functioning of the gland -- particularly the gland's regulation of melatonin. Luke found that animals treated with fluoride had lower levels of circulating melatonin, as reflected by reduced levels of melatonin metabolites in the animals' urine. This reduced level of circulating melatonin was accompanied -- as might be expected -- by an earlier onset of puberty in the fluoride-treated female animals. <br /><br />According to neuroscientists, obesity gradually numbs the taste sensation of rats to sweet foods, and drives them to consume larger and sweeter meals. There is apparently a critical link between taste and body weight. The researchers implanted electrodes in the rodents' brains to record the firing of nerve cells when the rats' tongues were exposed to various tastes. The obese rats had about 50 percent fewer neurons firing when their tongues were exposed to sucrose, suggesting that they have become desensitized to sucrose.PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03808971563496285335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1170101756706799581.post-54551429158152944402008-12-08T21:32:00.001-08:002008-12-08T21:49:17.359-08:00Would You Listen To a Chubby Trainer?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxy9eE5ea2sCiHkFfQdi99Q6AwFrjvJBuuMlsN0JM_zbStZL12y7r589uci_pzGlpHpKa78bmy_dS2VJxHBEUfdr5XUwwC-gOXq5XrxceyS8xF4W9mD166j3Bm1y2PXuuk6pGSfcf2FhY/s1600-h/Trainer.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxy9eE5ea2sCiHkFfQdi99Q6AwFrjvJBuuMlsN0JM_zbStZL12y7r589uci_pzGlpHpKa78bmy_dS2VJxHBEUfdr5XUwwC-gOXq5XrxceyS8xF4W9mD166j3Bm1y2PXuuk6pGSfcf2FhY/s320/Trainer.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277662580986890370" /></a><br />One of my pet peeves is seeing an overweight personal trainer or deconditioned aerobics instructor telling other people how to get in shape. Would you take investment advice from someone who is broke, or hire a chain smoker as your running coach? <br />It makes about as much sense to hire an out of shape fitness expert, but they are everywhere! Educationally deficient trainers abound as well. In this state, a license is required to cut your hair, but to treat your back pain and guide you in correct exercise form, all it takes is the ability to sweet talk you out of your hard-earned money. <br />Believe it or not, in economic downturns, people turn to exercise and local fitness experts more often than in strong economies. People look to invest their money in themselves instead of an unpredictable market. They also need to burn off the stress that comes with uncertainly and they seem to instinctively know that exercise is the best antidote.<br />If you are looking for a personal trainer or someone to get fitness advice from, first make sure they walk what they talk. If they can’t convince themselves to follow proper nutrition and exercise habits, they will suck even more at motivating you. <br />Looking good isn’t enough however. Make sure they have some classroom time in fitness and nutrition and not just a certification. Most “certified” personal trainers just ordered a text book, read it over the weekend, and then showed up in some hotel conference room to sit for the test when that agency happened to be in town. <br />This is better than nothing, but the next step up is a trade school or an organized program that offers an actual course with hands-on training. These usually take 4 months to a year and include lectures, teachers, videos, and practical experience. The next step up from there is a college degree, but trainers with those are pretty rare.<br />Most X Gym trainers do in fact have a college degree in an exercise field, so we are a very safe bet. I don’t want to brag or turn this into an infomercial either, but we are also in fantastic shape. We even won 12 of the 14 medals presented at the WAMU tower stair climb for Cystic Fibrosis on December 4th and reset many records that stood for years prior. Our members got in on it too, helping to win some of those medals, and when all was said and done, 14 of our 19 team members placed in their top 10 for their age groups.<br />If your trainer doesn’t inspire you to do crazy stuff like run up 56 floor buildings in under 8 minutes, or can’t motivate you to just get moving again, you need to find one who does. Look up local trainers and interview them. Get a free workout and try as many as you want before you make your decision, because it’s an important one and it’s your money. <br />Their personality and teaching style should be a match too. If you don’t like them on your first impression, you probably won’t grow to like them later, and then might be stuck in a “package deal” with a bunch of workouts to finish up. If you find one who you respond to and produces constant results, you have found a gold mine! If you plateau however, or find yourself spinning your wheels, you might as well put that money back into the market. At least there you will have some unpredictability and something positive might happen!PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03808971563496285335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1170101756706799581.post-85413739183836569812008-11-19T11:51:00.000-08:002008-11-19T18:59:57.194-08:00Go Bonkers For Breakfast<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3X0YfNFGs9BmLBPEDEQk3fXNBV6TcFEjX9rGwj1s5Oz6ONcVjzyBYItjHJ-X7YnD75cYVP5pvmZpQxPpnjdtifVTQrRwisErZlSjgfmqb-_79hhZAl9-pS_JP70tLiuJeuzlysBJAxdo/s1600-h/Omelete.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3X0YfNFGs9BmLBPEDEQk3fXNBV6TcFEjX9rGwj1s5Oz6ONcVjzyBYItjHJ-X7YnD75cYVP5pvmZpQxPpnjdtifVTQrRwisErZlSjgfmqb-_79hhZAl9-pS_JP70tLiuJeuzlysBJAxdo/s320/Omelete.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270568127401274306" /></a><br /><br />Research shows that our capacity to feel satisfaction from our food is stronger in the morning and grows progressively weaker throughout the day. If you eat more in the morning you can trick your body into eating less at night. <br /><br />One study showed that when obese dieters ate a big breakfast starting with healthy protein, they lost significantly more weight than dieters who ate only half that much. The dieters who ate a big breakfast naturally ate less at night. Those who ate a smaller breakfast got the munchies and ate more of the bad stuff before bed.<br />Scientists now believe that circadian and diurnal rhythms -- the body’s natural daily patterns -- determine this effect. When we eat a good breakfast, especially with high amounts of protein, our rhythms are set correctly for the day and late night snacking is not as much of an issue. <br /><br />Most people skip breakfast or eat fast carbs like donuts, rolls, bagels, and the like which create a spike in blood sugar. This in turn causes cravings and hunger to increase through the rest of the day and peak at night. Coffee makes this effect even worse, so you can see how most Americans are sabotaging themselves every day without even knowing it.<br /><br />Those who eat mostly protein for breakfast don’t have the resulting blood sugar spike, and their hunger stays more level instead of the drastic swings from the coffee and carbs. They effectively “set” their body rhythm clock and keep it ticking on pace by starting their day with the right type of calorie.<br /><br />Another good reason for protein in the morning is that it burns more fat off your body than other types of calories. We all wake up in a fat burning state because we have been fasting all night. Eating protein keeps us in this state, while carbs and coffee shut it down. Protein effectively extends this fat burning window and even bumps it up a level as it causes a natural metabolism increases. <br /><br />Most Americans eat lots of carbs and little protein before bed, so their fat burning won’t start until all those carbs are burned off. This can take 4-7 hours, so they have a very short fat burning window before they shut it back down with their coffee and croissant the next morning. <br /><br />Since protein for breakfast will also cause you to eat less in the evening, and therefore start your fat burning window sooner, it’s a double whammy for fat loss! You are stretching your fat burning window out longer in the morning and starting it sooner in the evening and are therefore attacking it from both sides. <br /><br />Try to get clean protein to optimize your fat burning metabolism. This means eating organic scramblers, omelets, or protein shakes for breakfast, and organic white meat, wild fish, or grass fed red meat for dinner. Organic cheese and plain Greek yogurt are other good sources. You can mix Greek yogurt with berries and liquid Stevia to make it taste like the full sugar stuff and double the protein while slashing the sugar at the same time. Use this same formula for organic cottage cheese and you have a treat rivaling many deserts. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwIluQuTXhTyjvqQdEk4sDXN8TBzb4lko-u7kzCpRFja_UUtb8vBgWVOFXn0_fns_MzbqLaaAvyLX7C8e1P11G3QuHhOSmGgfGdUu0-Xc68NUmg8jpaPPgl__G-DfDc3Eaem36g8fyTw/s1600-h/book.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 189px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwIluQuTXhTyjvqQdEk4sDXN8TBzb4lko-u7kzCpRFja_UUtb8vBgWVOFXn0_fns_MzbqLaaAvyLX7C8e1P11G3QuHhOSmGgfGdUu0-Xc68NUmg8jpaPPgl__G-DfDc3Eaem36g8fyTw/s320/book.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270568767578048690" /></a>The calorie in-calorie out theory has been debunked for many years. Those still preaching it simply haven’t kept up with the research. It’s about the timing and the type of calorie that dictates whether you lose fat or not. My book “Cracking Your Calorie Code” discusses this and other calorie strategies and can be ordered through our website at www.xgym.com.PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03808971563496285335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1170101756706799581.post-601323417965779722008-11-15T20:10:00.000-08:002008-11-16T08:01:53.008-08:00If You Have a Big But, You Probably Have a Big Butt<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGi6AxAI3fhlIDsysDFYTdqQKI5nh1CLHPTBsYleuVWq7X0J0OWSsJfqxhHUChA9doVvju87rY_dFIJ8FQ6juP6l2EEZ6jqwdSuTExiwkkTxIdrWBfc-EjGyTDPdu1EY15stQeHPgluG0/s1600-h/butt.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 237px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGi6AxAI3fhlIDsysDFYTdqQKI5nh1CLHPTBsYleuVWq7X0J0OWSsJfqxhHUChA9doVvju87rY_dFIJ8FQ6juP6l2EEZ6jqwdSuTExiwkkTxIdrWBfc-EjGyTDPdu1EY15stQeHPgluG0/s320/butt.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269272630403136386" /></a><br /><br />Excuses are often the biggest reason for the size of your butt. I have heard them all, ranging from “I’d like to exercise, but I just don’t have the time” to, “I have tried it all, but nothing ever works.” There is always a “but” stuck in there somewhere when folks with big butts are trying to explain why their butts are so big.<br /><br />Your “but” is based on your personality and how you were raised. You learned somewhere that excuses get you out of uncomfortable stuff and make life easier, but in the end, excuses just grow your hind end. <br /><br />Using “buts” are just a way to keep you within your comfort zone. Staying within your comfort zone often means staying within the parameters of your “minds eye”. Everyone has a certain way they see themselves, and when their fitness progress exceeds that visual picture programmed into their subconscious, sabotage and “buts” take over so everything goes back to normal and within the comfort zone.<br /> <br />No one got fit by staying comfortable, and if that is your goal, you will never be fit either. Real fitness means stretching your comfort zone and pushing your envelope to expand it and make it bigger. It means doing workouts that aren’t comfortable and addressing the mental roadblocks that cause your “buts”. <br /> <br />It also means changing your minds eye by regularly picturing yourself the way you want to look and feel, and feeling that sensation in the present tense. This practice actually changes the wiring in your brain and will not only help you reach your goals faster, but will also help you stay there once you reach them.<br /> <br />You simply cannot have both comfort and fitness. You must pick one and fully commit to it. The X Gym workout takes only 20 minutes twice a week, and it is the most intense workout there is. Nutritional commitment is also required, and that takes some stretching of the comfort zone as well. <br /> <br />Stretching your comfort zone causes growth. The more you stretch it, the faster you grow, and as with all living creatures, you are either growing or dying. There is no in between. Comfort will kill you. Pushing your envelope will save you. <br />People tell me I look younger every year. They say that I now look like I am in my 20’s, and I do feel that young, but my driver’s license says I’m 42. I am in the best shape of my life, I eat the most calories I ever have, I’m the leanest I have ever been, and I’m the strongest too. My cardio fitness is also the highest of my life, and you can bet I don’t try to stay comfortable! <br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_yl0aLR8K1WXEaJaPH_6QJKbH6o3_TpWBr_4KQdbXinPwmVePZKspHnkEtXgiqI6AhsW6gcb18MSrCTLoscWicHLg51IzdIW0CxXAMt7t1HMQRc9_RySxN3_pOpA4XvvJA2Mqr47xsF4/s1600-h/fire.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 286px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_yl0aLR8K1WXEaJaPH_6QJKbH6o3_TpWBr_4KQdbXinPwmVePZKspHnkEtXgiqI6AhsW6gcb18MSrCTLoscWicHLg51IzdIW0CxXAMt7t1HMQRc9_RySxN3_pOpA4XvvJA2Mqr47xsF4/s320/fire.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269271650576615250" /></a>Other X Gym trainers tell the same tale. Zach just placed 2nd in the Fireman Combat Challenge and earned a trip to the world championships in Vegas. Jenn just won the Fall City run, and then a month later, took 2nd in her first ever sprint triathlon. Scott qualified to compete in the World Ironman competition in Canada recently, and earned the title “All American” for his efforts. <br /> <br />All of us have small butts because we don’t use the word “but!” We are no different than you either. If we can do it, so can you. It’s just a matter of deciding between comfort or fitness and then committing fully to your decision. If you do decide to get rid of your “but” you will also find that you will get rid of your “butt!”PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03808971563496285335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1170101756706799581.post-84736421850113331442008-11-03T06:18:00.000-08:002008-11-16T08:07:52.432-08:00CRACKING YOUR HUNGER CODEOur hunger sensation is a tricky bugger. Most people’s hunger center doesn’t work right anyway because they are either misreading it or are chronically dehydrated. Understanding how hunger works will be the most important step towards translating your own sensations and reading them for what they really are.<br /><br />There are seven types of hunger. Cellular, mass, blood sugar, volume, thirst, cilia, and emotional hunger are all various contributors to the sensation. <br /><br />1.) Cellular hunger is our most instinctive hunger sensation. This hunger is caused by our cells craving certain things due to a deficiency or addiction. If your cells are low on a certain vitamin or mineral, certain hormones will send messages to your brain that tell you to eat. <br />In the same way, your cells will also report low levels of addictive drugs or even certain food ingredients if the cells have become addicted to them. This will launch specific cravings or just general hunger to try to fill that void. <br />Dehydrated cells will also cause hunger messages to be sent out which are often answered with more food consumption instead of the water they are really asking for. Water is the best weapon to win that battle so be sure to guzzle it down before you fill up on what you “think” you are craving.<br />Cellular hunger can be a very valuable tool and even help you survive. Most of the time however, it tells us to eat the wrong things. When you are eating enough dark greens and protein, and drinking enough water, this type of hunger will be much more reliable and will cause you to crave healthy foods.<br /><br />2.) Hormonal hunger relates to the hormones and chemicals produced in your body that cause hunger. There are many different hormones and chemicals responsible for this response so going into each one will only confuse matters. What you need to know is the best plan to balance the hormonal hunger and read it correctly.<br /> Getting quality sleep, adequate water, and quality exercise (especially high intensity exercise) will regulate your hormones better than any medication. Most people need 7-8 hours of sleep, 3-4 quarts of water, and 2-3 sessions of high intensity exercise to reach peak hormone balance.<br /><br />3.) Blood sugar levels play a very important role in your hunger. When sugar levels are low, your insulin levels will typically follow. In extreme low situations, you may even feel weak and sometimes shaky. Stomach growling can begin, your core body temperature my drop, and almost any food looks good to you.<br />This type of hunger can quickly be satisfied with a piece of fruit or sport drink. Most people go overboard however, and overeat or binge to make the sensation go away because this is one of the most uncomfortable hunger sensations when it is happening. Mood swings are also common and can make rational thoughts about how much to eat go out the window.<br /><br />4.) Mass related hunger has to do with the weight of the food. The heavier the food, the sooner that hunger component will send its signals. This is why water and protein are so important. Water is of course, one of the heaviest materials you can put in your stomach. Protein is also heavy, and lean meats are even heavier than water. <br />The weight of food in your stomach will send signals to stop eating. This response is delayed however, and takes 15-30 minutes to register, so fast eating or “gorging” will rob you of this useful cue. <br /><br />5.) Thirst response is the most often misread hunger cue. Most American are chronically dehydrated anyway and this causes the thirst mechanism to send the wrong signals. People feel hungry when they should be feeling thirsty because their signals are getting crossed. As you develop proper hydration habits, this mixed messaging will stop.<br />In the short term, you can fight this hunger miscue by drinking water 20 minutes before eating. Then reassess, and if your hunger level hasn’t changed, it might very well be another reason. <br /><br />6.) Cilia hunger is an anatomically powered sensation that relates to the volume of food in your stomach. There are certain mechanisms at the top of your stomach which look like fingers sticking down that sense food when the stomach is full enough for the food to touch them. At this point, signals are sent to your brain that tells you to stop eating.<br />This hunger satiating response is another delayed mechanism that takes 10-20 minutes to register, so slow eating will help this work correctly as well. Some people can desensitize this response with repeated “squashing” of the cilia from overfilling the stomach. The messages also become less effective if they are sent to often with repeated overeating.<br /><br />7.) Emotional hunger is often the most powerful sensation. We frequently medicate our brains in an attempt to alleviate stress, depression, and other emotional issues and feelings. This can be a temporary quick fix but always ends in a rebound of a worsened condition. Then the downward spiral begins until the food is part of the addiction library we store in our tissues and brain.<br />Now that you understand hunger a little better, you can face it down and manipulate it to eat less of the wrong foods and more of the right foods. Remember that the cravings you are receiving might be for the wrong things so stop and check yourself first, Think about what your body really needs and not what your brain thinks it wants. It might even be as easy as grabbing a glass of water!PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03808971563496285335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1170101756706799581.post-78756429751291934292008-10-05T09:56:00.000-07:002008-11-16T08:30:01.115-08:00Have You Ever Seen a Skinny Hippo?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUhCbMXH1Q4Y8GZxuAjLGdrEzh_eN1Xy3peXYWa3yq1-Qnb6fooUOjY1hEnJt_WU79hRF8kv8nWiS4yu3YHaFBVEd77o9s2QHMZw1NtADkFR1YGA618esy-LqLBnFk8bh3HFathSrjN8/s1600-h/hippo.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUhCbMXH1Q4Y8GZxuAjLGdrEzh_eN1Xy3peXYWa3yq1-Qnb6fooUOjY1hEnJt_WU79hRF8kv8nWiS4yu3YHaFBVEd77o9s2QHMZw1NtADkFR1YGA618esy-LqLBnFk8bh3HFathSrjN8/s320/hippo.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269288774177186450" /></a><br />I respect the cause of vegans and tip my hat to their dedication, but if you want to get truly lean, you have to eat animal protein. It’s a fact that carnivores are the leanest creatures on the planet, and I have yet to find a single scientific study that shows a carbohydrate dominant diet (vegan) creates a leaner body than a diet dominated by protein and fat. <br /><br />All the studies I have researched unanimously conclude that diets which restrict calories and include carbs, fail miserably in the long term. These are the mainstream diets of today, and are also the cause of the frustrating yo-yo dieting phenomenon. Studies prove that high protein/low carb diets succeed more than 50 fold over the calorie restrictive diets that include carbs.<br /><br />Protein and fat diets are the easiest to stick with because they satisfy hunger, while carb diets actually cause hunger to increase. Studies even show that people lose fat faster on a higher calorie diet consisting mainly of protein than those people who eat carbs as a predominant component and take in only half as many calories.<br /><br />The calorie-in calorie-out theory was debunked long ago, and the low fat diet has failed miserably, yet people are still trying them, and the large medical and nutritional associations are still promoting them! Doctors and dieticians just assume the diet isn’t working because their patients must be “cheating”, but this usually isn’t the case. It’s our physiology that is to blame for the failure of the calorie restrictive diet which includes carbs as a component. <br /><br />Don’t take my word for it. You can see this for yourself with your own objective survey. The next time you are at the grocery store, find someone who is obese (this should be easy) and look in their shopping cart. You will find that it is full of carbohydrate rich food. Then look for someone who is in great shape (this might be hard) and look in their cart. Things that make you go “Hmmmm.”<br />Look at the animal kingdom for another example. I bet you can’t think of many fat wild animals, but elephants and hippos might come to mind. What do they eat? You got it – they are vegans! Now think of all the carnivorous wild animals and you won’t be able to come up with a single one that is fat. <br /><br />The digestive systems and teeth selection among the carnivorous animals are vastly different from the carb eating animals, and guess what? Our teeth and digestive system is much more similar to the carnivores than the vegans. We are of course suited to eat vegetables as well as meat, but in certain populations of humans like the Eskimos and Inuit tribes of the past, over 95% of their dietary calories came from meat and animal fat. They not only survived, they THRIVED, and had the lowest incidence of disease and nutritional deficiencies as well. <br /><br />We were created to eat mostly meat and some vegetables, nuts and berries. If we were meant to be strict vegans, we would have a mouth full of molars and multiple stomachs to more effectively process the vegetation. Before we had ovens that could bake us carbs, and before the farming revolution which allowed us to grow carbs, we were primarily carnivores. So why are we fighting our natural tendency and physiology? <br /><br />Some people are addicted to carbs and have a very hard time reducing them. The good news is that I’ve got a solution for them as well. My book Cracking Your Calorie Code includes specific mental techniques to not only bust the carb cravings, but to also reprogram your brain so you actually want to eat the way you should without the need for willpower.<br /><br />The bottom line is that if you want to lose fat and look fit, you must get the majority of your calories from animal products. If you are on a quest to be strong, toned and lean, but also want to be a strict vegan, you’ve got a conflict. You just can’t have it both ways, so you will simply have to pick one or the other.<br /><br />BRAIN TRAINING TIP FOR THE DAY: Visualize the body you want. Imagine your end goal as if it has already happened. Close your eyes and feel what this feels like in the present tense. Doing this short exercise every day will form new nerve pathways to create the thin you and change your habits without even knowing you are making those changes! For more details on this and other techniques to create new and permanent fit body, see my book "Cracking Your Calorie Code."PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03808971563496285335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1170101756706799581.post-6756900680294734012008-10-04T19:12:00.000-07:002008-10-05T09:56:12.307-07:00Flush the fat with Greek yogurt!When obese people followed a reduced-calorie diet that included three 6-ounce servings of calcium-rich yogurt a day, they lost a whopping 61 percent more fat overall -- and 81 percent more fat around their waists -- compared with those who didn’t eat yogurt. Why? Turns out the calcium in yogurt may hinder fat storage and boost fat loss. And calcium-rich dairy products like yogurt may contain additional fat-burning compounds as well.<br /><br />Organic plain Greek yogurt is the best, and look for the low fat version (nonfat is kind of nasty). If you need to sweeten it up a bit, mix in some organic blueberries. If you need it sweeter yet (like Yami) mix in some liquid Stevia!<br /><br />Brain training tip for the day: Fitness Affirmations! These will reprogram your subconscious so over time, it will start believing these affirmations and then make them happen by causing you to make changes in your habits and actions without you even knowing you are making those changes!<br /><br />Look in the mirror and tell yourself the following affirmations every morning:<br /><br />Sunday:<br />I am starting a new week of wonderful progress towards my fitness goals.<br />This week I am even healthier than last week.<br />I will plan my nutrition every day.<br />I will act the way fit people act, even when I don’t feel like it.<br />I admire fit and healthy people. <br />I choose health and fitness because I deserve it.<br />If other people can do it, so can I.<br /><br />Monday:<br />I release all subconscious barriers to fitness progress and success.<br />I am an excellent nutritional manager.<br />I focus on eating foods that contribute to my fitness and health.<br />I make fitness a priority every day.<br />I will be an example to others of how to succeed in fitness. <br />I am in charge of my health and fitness success.<br />I exercise because I choose to, not because I have to.<br /><br />Tuesday:<br />I choose to eat healthy because I choose a healthy life.<br />My inner world creates my outer world.<br />Everything in life is a choice. I choose to be healthy and fit.<br />I create the exact amount of health and fitness I have.<br />I play the fitness game to win. <br />I am changing my genetics.<br />I am fully committed to permanent and lasting fitness and health. <br /><br />Wednesday:<br />My healthy lifestyle changes are permanent and are part of the new me.<br />I will be a health and fitness inspiration to others through my example.<br />I believe fitness is important, and good health means freedom.<br />My metabolism will increase today. <br />I will get leaner today.<br />Every day and in every way, I am becoming fitter, healthier and freer.<br />It is fun to become in better shape.<br /><br />Thursday:<br />I deserve to look and feel the way I imagine I should.<br />I am changing my metabolic set point.<br />I am destined to have permanent and lasting health and fitness.<br />I am truly grateful for the health I have now.<br />Exciting opportunities for activity and healthy foods always come my way.<br />My highest desires are manifesting now.<br />My capacity for exercise and proper nutrition increases every day.<br /><br />Friday:<br />I expect and receive miracles.<br />My mind is growing new positive nerve pathways every day.<br />My vision of my ideal body is getting clearer every day.<br />My goals and objectives are manifesting themselves now.<br />I continue to act the fitness lifestyle, even when I don't feel like it.<br />I am committed to pushing my comfort zone and growing as a person.<br />I will focus first and foremost on foods that contribute to my fitness and health.<br /><br />Saturday:<br />My body is feeling stronger and healthier every day.<br />I am moving better and find physical tasks easier to complete.<br />Healthy food makes me feel better and gives me more energy.<br />Water cleanses my cells and gives them what they need.<br />I am a lean machine.<br />My body craves activity and movement.<br />My tastes are changing towards healthier foods.<br /><br />This will be yet another step toward creating your lean brain to cause your lean body!PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03808971563496285335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1170101756706799581.post-17691904266994415312008-10-04T19:07:00.000-07:002008-10-04T19:12:03.266-07:00More good info!I can't stop finding great stuff! I spend about 10-15 hours each week finding new studies and research, and love to share all the great new information out there. Here's some more:<br /><br />Obesity is a public health disaster of enormous (pun intended) proportions. The prevalence of obesity in the U.S. has increased from:<br />• 12 percent in 1991 <br />• to 18 percent in 1998 <br />• to 34 percent in 2006, according to CDC obesity data <br /><br />A full two-thirds of the U.S. population is now considered overweight. However, in some ethnic groups the rates are even higher, such as African-American women, of whom 78 percent are currently either overweight or obese.<br /><br />If the trends of the past two decades continue, researchers estimate that 86 percent of American adults will be overweight by 2030, with an obesity rate of 51 percent. <br /><br />So what is the solution to this epidemic? MOre willpower? NO! It's about retraining our brains! Visit www.tapping.com to learn how to bust cravings, and keep posted on this blog for more tidbits and techniques to think like a thin person so you become a thin person without even working at it!PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03808971563496285335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1170101756706799581.post-80963728232709588652008-10-04T17:28:00.000-07:002008-10-04T18:46:53.513-07:00Get fit and stay fit without willpower!I'm finally up and running with my blog! The world of fitness and nutrition is so riddled with misinformation it's astounding. The info here is new, correct, effective, and all based on the latest scientific research.<br /><br />I will regularly post interesting new topics on this blog that I stumble across each week. Be sure to order my book to, as it has all the best information and techniques on exercise, nutrition and brain training so fitness can be achieved and maintained without the need for willpower! Stop the diet yo-yo once and for all!<br /><br />Here's something interesting I came across today:<br /><br />WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Overeating makes the brain go haywire, prompting a cascade of damage that may cause diabetes, heart disease and other ills, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.<br /><br />Eating too much appears to activate a usually dormant immune system pathway in the brain, sending out immune cells to attack and destroy invaders that are not there, Dongsheng Cai of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and colleagues found.<br /><br />The finding, reported in the journal Cell, could help explain why obesity causes so many different diseases. It might also offer a way to prevent obesity itself.<br /><br />"This pathway is usually present but inactive in the brain," Cai said in a statement.<br />Obesity is a growing global problem, with 1.8 billion people estimated to be overweight or obese in 2007. Drugs marketed so far to fight obesity have only limited success and, often, severe side-effects.<br /><br />Cai's team worked in mice, seeking to explain studies that have shown that obesity causes chronic inflammation throughout the body. This inflammation is found in a range of diseases related to obesity, including heart disease and diabetes.<br />They homed in on a compound known as IKKbeta/NK-kappaB.<br /><br />Immune cells such as macrophages and leukocytes use it but Cai's team found it in the hypothalamus, a part of the brain linked with metabolism in mice and humans alike.<br /><br />"The hypothalamus is the 'headquarters' for regulating energy," they wrote.<br />They found high levels of the compound there but it was normally inactive.<br />When they fed mice a high-fat diet, it became extremely active. And when it was active, the body ignored signals from leptin, a hormone that normally helps regulate appetite, and insulin, which helps convert food into energy.<br /><br />Stimulating IKKbeta/NK-kappaB made the mice eat more, while suppressing it made them eat less.<br /><br />Cai believes his team has discovered a master switch for the diseases caused by overeating.<br /><br />"Hypothalamic IKKb/NF-kB could underlie the entire family of modern diseases induced by overnutrition and obesity," his team wrote.<br /><br />Cai does not know why this compound would be in the brain and in the immune system but suspects it evolved long ago in primitive animals that do not have the same sophisticated immune system as modern animals, including mice and humans.<br /><br />"Presumably it played some role to guide the immune defense," Cai said in a telephone interview. "In today's society, this pathway is mobilized by a different environmental challenge -- overnutrition."<br /><br />"Knocking out" the gene using genetic engineering kept mice eating normally and prevented obesity. This cannot be done in people but Cai believes a drug, or even gene therapy, might work.PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03808971563496285335noreply@blogger.com0