Stress Management

We've talked previously about developing that "whatever" attitude, now lets talk about concrete ways to handle stress. I think we all know the havoc that stress can play on health, from unhealthy weight loss to weight gain, depression to anxiety disorder, hair loss, sexual dysfunction, and possibly cancer. With all of the negative attributes of stress, finding ways to cope with it is paramount.

First of all, lets understand that all stress is not bad. There is eustress, a type of stress that is fun and exciting, and keeps us vital. (e.g. skiing down a slope or racing to meet a deadline) According to researchers at Ohio State University a brief bout of stress can even give the immune system a beneficial boost but only under certain conditions. Their experiments showed that short periods of stress mobilized all major types of immune cells, or leukocytes, to potential infection sites around the body. The researchers say this stress-induced boost in the number of immune cells may be advantageous for fighting infections and other diseases.

That being said, stress is often detrimental to your health. The goal of stress management is to bring your mind and body back into balance. By adopting a positive attitude, learning healthier ways to cope, and changing the way you deal with stress, you can reduce its hold on your life.

Ways To Cope With Stress

1. Start your day with meditation.
2. Find time to exercise.
3. Find things that make you laugh.
4. Avoid negative people.
5. Set a goal.
6. Practice deep breathing.
7. Keep a journal.
8. Get more sleep.
9. Have a support network of people, places and things.
10. Learn to let go.
11. Practice forgiveness.
12. Remember, you always have options.
13. Take care of your own feelings.
14. Smile! :)

Of course, there are many more ways that you can find to cope with stress, but these are just a few of my suggestions. I have used everything on this list at one or another and I will continue to use them. Remember, that at the end of the day you and only you are in charge of your own physical and emotional well-being. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

Drinking Those Pounds Away

Don't overlook the benefits of drinking water in your quest to lose those extra pounds. Water is an essential nutrient and every organ in the body depends on it to function properly. If you are trying to loss weight or just remain healthy for that matter, this fact can't be ignored. In the fat loss process, water helps the body flush out the product of fat breakdown. Without enough water to do this, kidney stones may form. When the kidney aren't operating to their optimum capacity, the liver must step in to help. This causes the liver to not be able to perform it's other functions properly and fat loss has to wait.

Water also serves as an appetite suppressant. Some experts think that those hunger craving are actually thirst cravings. Nevertheless, try drinking water before lunch or dinner and see if it helps you cut down on the amount of food you eat.

Drinking water is also important in building muscle. Fact, the more muscle you have the less fat. Water basically fills every space in your body and helps form the structures of protein and glycogen. In order to move muscle, you need water. Muscle is an active tissue and water is found in heavy concentrations in active tissue. Without water muscle strength and control are weakened. Weak muscle cannot be work, without the muscle being worked no building is taking place. With no building taking place, no increased metabolic function therefore no fat loss.

How much water you should drink has always been debated. Most expert agree that a minimum of 8 to 10 cups of water a day is adequate, but that more is needed if you engage in moderate or vigorous exercise. Of course, climate has some say in how much water you should drink. If you workout or live in a hot climate, you could dehydrate more quickly and need more water.

Don't make the mistake of confusing fluid consumption with water consumption. Caffeinated drinks, coffee, tea, etc. don't provide the same benefit to the body that drinking water does. Drink more water means drink more water, not drink more liquid. Drinking water for health is essential and it's importance to the body cannot be overstated. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

Run For Your Life

With Halloween just a few days away and all of the ghouls, goblins, witches, and vampires(psychic and other wise) on the loose, running might just be the best thing ever. Seriously, running has long been considered one of the best ways to get and stay in shape. I must confess, I am a bit biased in favor of running, but a recent study has added credibility to the idea that running is fundamental to health and fitness. The study, published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that regular jogging in middle age and late in life may reduce people's risk of disabilities and help them live healthier and longer.

The 21 year study which began in 1984 tracked two groups "ever-runners" and "never-runners". Stanford University School of Medicine immunologist and rheumatologist Dr. Eliza F. Chakravarty, studied 538 people who run regularly, the majority of whom were selected from a national running club, along with a control group of 423 people who never run, drawn from the faculty and staff at Stanford. All the participants were age 50 or older when the study started.

The researchers analyzed the data at three marked years 8, 13, and 21 the final year of the study. The data showed that exercise was a tremendous benefit to health. Over the years, people who exercised versus people who didn't showed improved aerobic capacity, better cardiovascular fitness, increased bone mass, fewer inflammatory markers, less physical disability, better response to vaccinations and even improved thinking, learning and memory. They also lived significantly longer. By year 19 of the study, only 15% of the runners had died, compared to 34% of the non-runners. At 21 years into the study, the author's found that the running group had fewer disabilities.

For avid runners, more good news: the study found no significant difference between the condition of joints in pavement pounders and their more sedentary peers. Looking at X-rays and arthritis rates, Chakravarty says, "there was clearly no difference."

So there you have it, concrete proof that running is good and it helps you live longer. What are you waiting for? Get out there and run....or walk! Thanks for your ear and keep reading.

Beating the Time Crunch

We all have busy and hectic schedules that make it difficult for us to exercise. When I find my time limited, I modify my workouts with either circuit training or I focus on the large muscle groups. This is a way to get the most training in the lest amount of time.

Doing a circuit workout allows you to do a full body strength and conditioning workout in a limited amount of time. The trick is to allow short rest periods between stations, thereby maximizing the cardio activity while also getting the benefits of resistance training. Anyone that has done circuit training can testify to how intense and challenging it can be. The exercises or stations for circuit training are generally alternated between upper and lower body to allow for recovery time. But you can mix it up how ever you like to make it more or less challenging.

Another workout that I do when time is limited is to train large muscles only; legs, back, and chest. Because these muscles have more muscle fiber, when you train them your body excerpts more energy which in turn will power your metabolism. Not only while you are exercising, but also while you are resting. This will lead to an improvement in muscle conditioning and metabolism which will create lower body fat and an overall lean appearance.

These are just a few things that I do, but the real key is to decide that exercise is important and to find a way to incorporate it into your day. Remember, just keep exercising! Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

They Don't Only Drink Blood

Have you ever wondered why you feel drained or tired after you talk to certain people? It's quite possible that you've encountered a vampire. Let's talk about vampires. In this case we aren't talking about the blood and guts variety, but the kind that feeds off energy and drive. A person who consciously or unconsciously feeds off the energy of others is a psychic vampire. How does this relate to health and fitness you ask? Well, just as it is important that you keep your body healthy, it is just as important that you keep your mental state healthy.

Psychic vampirism is more widespread than most people think. We have all experienced interactions that have left us drained of energy or know people that generally wear down people around them. What makes a psychic vampire so dangerous is that repeated attacks can result in chronic fatigue, sleep disturbances, irritability, depressed mood, and even physical illness in the victim. These people drain you of all your sprite energy and give nothing back.

Psychic vampires are different in their appearance and character traits. One trait of the psychic vampire is to charm his or her way into another’s life by flattery, asking for help, or giving gifts. The 'vampire' will approach the potential victim and either ask for or offer help if the victim is on hard times. This is a trick because invariably the vampire will find a way to turn all interactions and conversations back toward themselves, forcing the victim to give them energy. He or she will offer the victim what they dream of. These 'gifts' could be as simple as professional contacts or as big as trips or large sums of money. Either way it's all for the benefit of the vampire.

Psychic vampires like to create a fast-paced almost secret life to keep the victim off balance. This allows the vampire to keep the victim confused when communication between the two breaks down. The vampire's emotional guessing game.

Psychic vampires rarely think about the consequences of their behavior. He or she will blame anyone around them for any negative result, often focusing their anger on one person. When this happens, the vampire will go to other people (sometimes victims, sometimes potential victims) for sympathy. He or she will lament how horrible a certain person has been to them and how they helped this person, but all they got back was nastiness. Psychic vampires like to play the victim.

Some vampires will focus severe outbursts of rage or anger at seemingly simply situations. He or she will blow small, silly situations out of proportion because emotions like anger and rage emit huge amounts of emotional energy.

Psychic vampires whether conscious or not are very crafty. They are also toxic and should be avoided. Having one or two of these traits does not necessarily mean that someone is a psychic vampire, but for a person to have all, watch out! Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

Make Mine Green Please!

There is a lot of discussion about the benefits of consuming green tea. Several Asian cultures have used and promoted it's use for centuries. It began to gain popularity in the west when it was noted that eastern cultures that consumed green tea regularly, had fewer heart problems and were less likely to be overweight.

Several studies done on green tea have shown that it may help in thermogenesis, which is the body's production of heat. This consequently helps the body burn calories and fat. Although green tea contains caffeine, it seems to increase metabolism without the jittery, nervous feelings except in the most sensitive.

Green Tea has been shown to be a powerful antioxidant. It helps the body fight off free radicals which promote cell oxidation and aging. This will help boost the immune system and protect against illness and disease.

I prefer to use green tea extract as opposed to drinking the actual tea, mainly because of time. However, when choosing green tea extract, it is important to choose the standardized herbal extract of pure green tea. Standardized means that the product should have the exact percentage of beneficial substance that the test specimen had when it was tested. Many green tea products on the market do not use standardized extract, because it is much cheaper to produce. But beware, because these products do not contain enough active ingredient to offer you green tea benefits.

Because herbs are considered dietary supplements, they are not held to the same strict guidelines that pharmaceuticals are held to in production. Manufacturers don't have to guarantee their products quality or effectiveness.

That being said, there are some promising studies that have been and continue to be done on the benefits of green tea. I take it and I recommend that you do too. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

Not Like Mom's

A calf grows up to be a 600 lbs. cow and does not drink mother’s milk after approximately seven months from birth. Humans are the only ones that drink milk of other animals. Why do humans need cow’s milk at all?

Yesterday after my 6:00pm bootcamp class, we got into a discussing about the necessity of milk in the adult diet. I have long been of the belief that milk beyond a certain age provides no nutritional value to the human body. Do human need to drink cow's milk? There has been tons of research done to answer this question.

Cow's milk form the first foreign protein to enter an infant's body since most formulas are dairy based. Some researchers have said that the consumption of dairy and dairy products results in the increased incidents of immune disorder in countries with high dairy use. We know that a strong immune system is basic for the body to fight off disease.

All types of animal milk contain a simple sugar called lactose. The body produces the enzyme lactase to digest lactose. The problem, however, is that production of lactase reduces significantly after weaning. Which is why people become lactose intolerant. Milk is thus absorbed into the blood without proper digestion. All proteins, including milk protein, are made of blocks of amino acids. These amino acids must first be broken down by the digestive system to avoid excessive immune responses. Repeated exposure to undigested amino acids can result in an overactive immune system, which can result in the body attacking itself and not harmful bacteria. This has been know to cause allergies and other medical issues.

Dairy products are loaded with fats that are easily stored under your skin as "body fat." The fats in that cold glass of milk, that little bite of cheese, and that small bowl of ice cream will move from your lips to your hips effortlessly. Over 25% of children are overweight in Western countries and cow's milk,cheese, yogurt, ice cream, butter, and sour cream, with all their fat and calories, contribute greatly to this deadly epidemic.

A popular advertising campaign seems to promote the myth that dairy products help people lose weight. Shouldn't the idea of milk acting as an "anti obesity" food strike you as fundamentally contradictory? After all, the biologic purpose of cow's milk is to provide large amounts of energy and nutrients to grow the young animal from 60 to 600 pounds. So how does milk become a weight loss product in the 21st century?

The idea that dairy is needed for calcium is also wrong when you consider that dark green leafy vegetables provide an excellent source of calcium without the added fat. Nuts, especially almonds contain as much if not more calcium than most dairy products.

I don't believe dairy serves a purpose in the adult diet. It certainly isn't an agent for weight loss and it quite possibly does more harm than good. Think about that the next time you reach for that bowl of rocky road. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

How Sweet It Is!

Let's be honest, everybody loves a sugary snack every now and then, even me. But the dangers of excessive sugar consumption can be detrimental to your health. I personally don't subscribe to the all or nothing theory in regards to sugar, but sugar should be consumed in moderation. In addition to throwing off the body's homeostasis, excess sugar may result in a number of other significant consequences. Nancy Appleton, Ph.D author of the book "Lick The Sugar Habit " contributed a list of 76 ways sugar can ruin your health. The following is a listing of some of sugar's metabolic consequences from a variety of medical journals and other scientific publications.

76 Ways Sugar Can Ruin Your Health

1. 
   Sugar can suppress your immune system and impair your defenses against infectious disease.1,2
   
2. Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in your body: causes chromium and copper deficiencies and interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium. 3,4,5,6
   
3. Sugar can cause can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline, hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.7,8
   
4. Sugar can produce a significant rise in total cholesterol, triglycerides and bad cholesterol and a decrease in good cholesterol.9,10,11,12
   
5. Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function.13
   
6. Sugar feeds cancer cells and has been connected with the development of cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, rectum, pancreas, biliary tract, lung, gallbladder and stomach.14,15,16,17,18,19,20
   
7. Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose and can cause reactive hypoglycemia.21,22
   
8. Sugar can weaken eyesight.23
   
9. Sugar can cause many problems with the gastrointestinal tract including: an acidic digestive tract, indigestion, malabsorption in patients with functional bowel disease, increased risk of Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis.24,25,26,27,28
   
10. Sugar can cause premature aging.29
    
11. Sugar can lead to alcoholism.30
    
12. Sugar can cause your saliva to become acidic, tooth decay, and periodontal disease.31,32,33
    
13. Sugar contributes to obesity.34
    
14. Sugar can cause autoimmune diseases such as: arthritis, asthma, multiple sclerosis.35,36,37
    
15. Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections)38
    
16. Sugar can cause gallstones.39
    
17. Sugar can cause appendicitis.40
    
18. Sugar can cause hemorrhoids.41
    
19. Sugar can cause varicose veins.42
    
20. Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraceptive users.43
    
21. Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.44
    
22. Sugar can cause a decrease in your insulin sensitivity thereby causing an abnormally high insulin levels and eventually diabetes.45,46,47
    
23. Sugar can lower your Vitamin E levels.48
    
24. Sugar can increase your systolic blood pressure.49
    
25. Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.50
    
26. High sugar intake increases advanced glycation end products (AGEs)(Sugar molecules attaching to and thereby damaging proteins in the body).51
    
27. Sugar can interfere with your absorption of protein.52
    
28. Sugar causes food allergies.53
    
29. Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.54
    
30. Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.55
    
31. Sugar can cause atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.56,57
    
32. Sugar can impair the structure of your DNA.58
    
33. Sugar can change the structure of protein and cause a permanent alteration of the way the proteins act in your body.59,60
    
34. Sugar can make your skin age by changing the structure of collagen.61
    
35. Sugar can cause cataracts and nearsightedness.62,63
    
36. Sugar can cause emphysema.64
    
37. High sugar intake can impair the physiological homeostasis of many systems in your body.65
    
38. Sugar lowers the ability of enzymes to function.66
    
39. Sugar intake is higher in people with Parkinson's disease.67
    
40. Sugar can increase the size of your liver by making your liver cells divide and it can increase the amount of liver fat.68,69
    
41. Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney such as the formation of kidney stones.70,71
    
42. Sugar can damage your pancreas.72
    
43. Sugar can increase your body's fluid retention.73
    
44. Sugar is enemy #1 of your bowel movement.74
    
45. Sugar can compromise the lining of your capillaries.75
    
46. Sugar can make your tendons more brittle.76
    
47. Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.77
    
48. Sugar can reduce the learning capacity, adversely affect school children's grades and cause learning disorders.78,79
    
49. Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha, and theta brain waves which can alter your mind's ability to think clearly.80
    
50. Sugar can cause depression.81
    
51. Sugar can increase your risk of gout.82
    
52. Sugar can increase your risk of Alzheimer's disease.83
    
53. Sugar can cause hormonal imbalances such as: increasing estrogen in men, exacerbating PMS, and decreasing growth hormone.84,85,86,87
    
54. Sugar can lead to dizziness.88
    
55. Diets high in sugar will increase free radicals and oxidative stress.89
    
56. High sucrose diets of subjects with peripheral vascular disease significantly increases platelet adhesion.90
    
57. High sugar consumption of pregnant adolescents can lead to substantial decrease in gestation duration and is associated with a twofold increased risk for delivering a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant.91,92
    
58. Sugar is an addictive substance.93
    
59. Sugar can be intoxicating, similar to alcohol.94
    
60. Sugar given to premature babies can affect the amount of carbon dioxide they produce.95
    
61. Decrease in sugar intake can increase emotional stability.96
    
62. Your body changes sugar into 2 to 5 times more fat in the bloodstream than it does starch.97
    
63. The rapid absorption of sugar promotes excessive food intake in obese subjects.98
    
64. Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).99
    
65. Sugar adversely affects urinary electrolyte composition.100
    
66. Sugar can slow down the ability of your adrenal glands to function.101
    
67. Sugar has the potential of inducing abnormal metabolic processes in a normal healthy individual and to promote chronic degenerative diseases.102
    
68. I.V.s (intravenous feedings) of sugar water can cut off oxygen to your brain.103
    
69. Sugar increases your risk of polio.104
    
70. High sugar intake can cause epileptic seizures.105
    
71. Sugar causes high blood pressure in obese people.106
    
72. In intensive care units: Limiting sugar saves lives.107
    
73. Sugar may induce cell death.108
    
74. In juvenile rehabilitation camps, when children were put on a low sugar diet, there was a 44 percent drop in antisocial behavior.109
    
75. Sugar dehydrates newborns.110
    
76. Sugar can cause gum disease.111

Limit your sugar consumption and watch how your health improves. Low sugar diets are helpful for having a lean body. Again, I don't believe in all or nothing but consume in moderation. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

Buyer Beware

Finding a good personal trainer is not an easy task. You should be as discriminating about your selections in trainers as you would be with any other professional. Because personal training is one of the fastest growing professions in the fitness industry, many "fly by night" trainers pop up to reap the benefits of a lucrative trade. Beware of these charlatans, many of them do not have the necessary skills or experience to help you achieve your fitness goals. Furthermore, while you should expect to pay for the level of expertise that a trainer has, some trainers are often more interested in your finances than your physique. Personal training 101 give a list of qualities and qualifications a good personal trainer should have.

Personal Training 101

• Personality: A good indicator if the relationship will be successful. Important because you'll be working very closely with this person. Make sure you get along with your trainer and feel comfortable asking questions.
• Education: A good personal trainer should have a certification with a legitimate fitness organization. Many trainers have several certifications and multiple disciplines. This is good because the more knowledgeable your trainer is , the better trainer they should be.
• Experience: Make sure that your trainer has the necessary experience in whatever your goals are. A triathlete would not want to hire a trainer whose main expertise was in bodybuilding. Many personal trainers have multiple disciplines, a good trainer will be able to design a program to fit your needs.
• Appearance: While everyone has different body styles, your personal trainer should look and should be in shape. A good personal trainer will hold themselves accountable to the fitness philosophy and lead by example. While you may not want to look like your personal trainer, they should inspire you to be healthy.

A good personal trainer will be attentive and a good listner to make sure that they understand your goals. He or she should track your progress and make changes if necessary to insure success. Make sure that your trainer is someone that you are comfortable with, personality clashes won't make for good workouts. Your trainer can and should be a friend, but they should also hold you accountable and make sure you reach your goals. As always thanks for your ear and keep reading!

Find The Funny

Everybody enjoys a good laugh, right? I try to keep a sense of humor about everything. It's partly because of my personality, but also because there are health benefits that can be gained from laughter. Several studies have been conducted about the positive effects of laughter on stress. Many healthcare professionals have written about patients who have seen tremendous improvements with their illness due to humor.

Dr. Lee Berk and fellow researcher Dr. Stanley Tan of Loma Linda University in California have been studying the effects of laughter on the immune system. To date their published studies have shown that laughing lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, increases muscle flexion, and boosts immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting proteins called Gamma-interferon and B-cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies. Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, and produces a general sense of well-being.

Laughter is good for the heart. Think of laughter as internal jogging because it helps strengthen the body's strongest muscle, the heart. It increases circulation and improves the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to tissues throughout the body. Humor is known to lower blood pressure (and for reasons that escape even the most trained medical experts, women seem to benefit even more so from frequent laughing than do men).

Outside of just physical benefits, laughter brings people together. It makes us feel like we are apart of something bigger than ourselves. Even if we disagree, laughter can ease the tension. People feel closer when they share a laugh.

Learn to laugh. Find the funny and things are never as bad as they seem. Proving that the old adage is true, laughter really is the best medicine. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

It's All About Legs

We've previously address the idea of strength trainers who refuse to work on anything but upper body. We've already exposed the fallacy in this practice; limited strength gains, poor balance, weak core strength, reduced endurance, the list goes on and on. That being said, lets talk about the advantages and benefits of working and developing your legs.

Working your legs has many benefits. The first and most obvious is it give you a well rounded physique. How many times have you seen guys with great upper bodies with "chicken legs"?
Another benefit of working legs is an increase in growth hormone. Because your legs consist of some of the biggest muscles in your body; your body will need to excrete more growth hormone in order to recover, helping other body parts grow as well. Increased growth hormone also has the added benefit of helping you stay lean. This is another benefit of leg development. Working your legs will use significantly more calories than other body parts due to their size and the time it takes to recover. Since your legs take longer to recover, your metabolism will be raised for a longer period of time.

So as you can see, the advantages of doing leg training are tremendous. As with any body part, legs should be trained with a measure of caution. Always start with a comfortable weight, use a spotter if available, practice proper progression in weight choices, and always, always use proper form. Before you work you legs, allow at least 10 minutes to stretch. Just doing lightweight does not completely warm-up the muscle. Work your legs and watch how your body will begin to change for the better. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

Core Essentials

• How can I run faster?
• What can I do to jump higher?
• How can I strengthen my back?
• What can I do to improve my balance?
• I want to strengthen my abs.

The answer to this and all similar inquiries is to strengthen your core. The core is often called the center of power, it consist of the trunk and torso. A strong core will allow you to use proper form and have correct body alignment while exercising. It will also allow you to generate greater power and explosiveness in your movements. It cannot be overemphasized the importance of developing and maintaining the center of power. Training your center of power is the first step to developing total body power, speed, quickness, agility, coordination, or just a great set of abs.

Training Guidelines

Training can both build and break down the body. Begin by knowing your appropriate starting level, follow a correct training plan, always use proper technique, and be consistent. Improper training can lead to serious injury. So before you get started on developing your core, note a few precautions.

• First, learn and master the exercise before moving up in weight or repetitions
• Second, start light and low. Low weight with few repetitions, safe progression to master the exercise.
• Train frequently. Once you have achieved your desired goal, you can scale back frequency but never intensity.
• Avoid exercises that place your spine in severe hyper-extended position. Always fatigue the weaker regions first. Train your abs in the following order:

1. Obliques
2. Lower abs
3. Upper abs

• Because the upper abs help with so many movements in the lower abs and obliques, it is important not to fatigue the upper abs first.
• Always train protagonist and antagonist muscles to prevent imbalance. Such as abdominal and low back muscles.

As a general rule do strength building exercises slowly and power building exercises at greater speed. Remember to keep training so that you maintain your gains. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

Consider Glutamine

It was about five years ago that I discovered glutamine and it's benefits. After months of studying different supplements and their uses, I read about glutamine and was intrigued by it's role in protein synthesis and muscle repair. Since then, glutamine has been a staple in my supplement cabinet and after seeing how useful this amino acid is it will probably be a must have for you too.

What Is Glutamine?
Glutamine is the most common amino acid found in your muscles. Over 60% of the free-form amino acid in skeletal muscle is made up of glutamine. Glutamine was at one point thought to be a non essential amino acid because the body has the ability to product it's own. It has since been reclassified, however, as a conditionally essential amino acid because in times of physical stress, such as intense exercise and surgery, the body requires more of it to maintain its glutamine stores in blood and muscle. When glutamine stores are low you experience a decrease in strength, stamina, immune function and recovery. Glutamine can be found in protein rich foods like meat, fish and chicken. Most protein supplements have glutamine in them.

Why Glutamine?

• Glutamine is the most important component of muscle protein, and helps repair and build muscle.
• Glutamine has been shown to prevent your muscles from being catabolized.(broken down)
• Research has shown that glutamine helps you produce growth hormone which can help in fat loss.
• Glutamine has been shown to improve the immune function of the body. This is important to weight lifters because heavy training tends to depress the immune system.

Should I take Glutamine?

In a word, yes. Glutamine isn't only for people who engage in intense training. Because it is essential for maintaining normal intestinal function as well as helping to maintain the immune system, it is good for 'ordinary people' who want to experience all of the benefits that it provides. Glutamine has not been shown to have any side effects and because it occurs naturally in your body it has no health risk.

So, what are you waiting for? Glutamine can be useful to everyone whether you are a heavy lifter or not and because it is relatively inexpensive, you won't break the bank buying it. My suggestion, give it a try. What do you have to lose? Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

Don't Believe The Hype

Let's face it, most of the myths surrounding weight training are really just excuses to keep from having to exercise. These myths have been disproved time and time again, yet they still persist like some chronic disease that won't go away. From myths like "I don't want to lift weights because I don't want to get big, I just want to tone, to "Cardio is the only way to lose weight." Listen, anyone who is moderately active has muscle tone. It is simply a natural state of a muscle that stays contracted under resistance. What most people mean when they make this statement is that they don't want to look like a professional bodybuilder.



Getting 'big' like a bodybuilder requires intense and almost obsessive training, above normal caloric consumption and a genetic predisposition to easy muscular development. Steriods often play a role. Normal strength training won't produce extreme results, rather it will help you burn fat which (along with a good diet) will create a normal muscular body.



Which bring use to the myth of cardio being the only way to lose weight. This notion is simply not true. While aerobic exercise ( running, cycling, etc.) does burn fat, it is not the only or most effective method. Weight training has long been identified as the most effective and efficient way to burn body fat. While aerobic exercise burns fat while it is being performed, strength training has been shown to burn fat while exercising and after exercising during the growth and recovery phase.



We've all heard the myth of light weights, heavy repetitions as a way to build muscular definition. There is no support for this idea. Muscular definition is created by [a] increasing the size of the muscles, and [b] reducing the amount of body fat covering the muscles. Increasing the size of the muscles requires heavy weight training. Reducing body fat requires a controlled diet. There is no special lifting routine for improving muscular definition.



So let's be clear, there is nothing better than weight lifting for fat loss, muscular definition and strength gains. Don't believe any of the myths that are just excuses to keep you from working hard in the gym. There are no short cuts, no magic pills and no special training, just hard work. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

Why Functional?

What is functional training? Functional training is a specific system of programs and exercises designed to develop a higher level of athletic preparation. Functional training is not just about getting stronger or bigger; it is about reducing injuries and improving performance. In functional training, strength is developed with the intent of improving sport skills, not for the sake of more strength. Although many people train for appearance, functional training views improved appearance as a by-product of performance enhancement training.

Function can basically be defined as purpose. Therefore, functional training is essentially training with a purpose. Functional training is not really sport specific training but rather a general approach to developing skills that are useful in most sports. Functional training looks at the commonalities of sport and seeks to reinforces them. Functional training seeks to mimic the actual activity and environment that a sport is performed on and tailor the training to fit that action. This type of training is best characterized by exercises done with the feet in contact with the ground without the help of machines. Reason tells us that most machine-based training systems are not by definition functional because the load is stabilized for the lifter by the machine. While machine-based training may seem safer, the lack of stabilization strength could lead to more injuries during competitive activities when it counts. Basically, functional training teaches athletes how to handle weighted loads plus their own body weight.

Before you can design an effective functional training program, you must first analyze and understand the demands of your sport or activity. Review your sport in your mind. Determine what type of sport it is and what type of skills you need to be successful in it, then tailor your training to address those needs. The key to developing a truly functional training program is not to go too far in any particular direction. The majority of exercises should be done standing and should be multi jointed, but don't neglect tried and true methods for strength training. A good functional strength-training is one that uses exercises such as the bench press and squats and then transform the strength developed into functional strength through movements such as plyometric pushups and single leg squats.

As you begin to explore the concept of functional training, keep an open mind about how and why athletes move in your sport. A training program built around actions that don't occur in sport simply does not make sense. The key is to design a training program that exercises the muscles in the same they are used in sports. Basically, functional training. Thank for your ear and keep reading!

Que Sera, Sera

A friend asked me the other day what I would change about her. I replied that I wouldn't, rather I couldn't change anything about her. I told her that all change is internal and that really her question should be,"What would I change about myself?" She thought a moment then she said, I would love to have a whatever attitude." She went on to explain that she stresses everything and that she would love to learn how to let things go.



Many people are just like my friend, holding on to 'stuff' that serves no purpose. Becoming caretakers of useless materials and emotional baggage. This 'stuff' often serves as a distraction and is counterproductive to any goals and desires that we may want to achieve. Your physical well being is directly related to your emotional state. There is a real link between how you think and how you feel. Emotional health is just as real as physical health. Emotions are often the root cause of many illnesses. They are the foundation on which we build our lives. Learning to recognize and control how our emotions effect us is the first step in developing the whatever attitude.



In developing the whatever attitude, you must understand who and what you influence. Trying to control anything outside of yourself will only lead to frustration and disappointment. It's not zen or metaphysics. It is reality. True control starts with self discipline. Then and only then can you extend your sphere of influence beyond yourself. Learning to let go of those things that you can't control or that are useless to your personal development, is the first step to a healthy psyche. Which leads to a healthy body. This is the mind & muscle connection.



Never underestimate the spiritual aspect of a healthy lifestyle. Not spiritual in the sense of religion, but meditation and imagination. Albert Einstein once commented that imagination was more important than knowledge, learn to see yourself as you want to be. While it may seem strange to think of mental imagery or meditation as effective in health or well-being, there have been documented case where patients have actually thought themselves well.



Learn to let go of things that don't matter or that are useless to you. Imagine yourself as you want to be. Meditate on health and well-being. These are the keys to developing that whatever attitude. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

What's My Motivation?

From time to time even the most dedicated fitness enthusiast needs a kick start. The discipline required to maintain a consistently healthy lifestyle goes beyond just the enjoyment of training and eating right. Because of jobs, family obligations and just everyday living, sometimes fitness can seem more like a bother than a bargain. While these feelings are often fleeting, how we cope in these moments will often be the difference between continuing our fitness quest or giving up and reverting back to an unhealthy lifestyle. The following are a few tips that should help you overcome those hurdles and keep training.

1. Rededicate Yourself - Review what motivated you to begin training and commit to following through with whatever promise you made to yourself. Hold yourself accountable to fulfill that promise. Remind yourself of why you exercise.
2. Find a Training Partner - Choose someone who is just as passionate about training as you are. Make sure it is someone who will support your goals and hold you accountable to train.
3. Set New Goals - Reassess where you are in your fitness evolution and continue to challenge yourself to reach higher heights. Pushing the bar and challenging yourself can re-energize you and give your training the kick start that it needs.
4. Spice It Up - Try new activities. Try interval sprints instead of a straight run. Take a class at your gym. Trying new activities will help you stay motivated and will help you develop other skills.
5. Buy New Clothes - It may sound strange but new workout gear can be a motivator. As the old adage goes, look good and feel good.
6. Sign Up for a Race - Signing up for a race or triathlon will motivate you to train.
7. Reward Yourself - Let's face it, we are all a little vain. Take pride in the accomplishments that you have made in your training and reward yourself accordingly. A massage, a night out, a extra dessert, whatever you want. Remember, it's a treat for a job well done.

These are just a few tip to help you cope with the inevitable moments when you don't want to exercise. Remember this is a marathon not a sprint. Even if you have to take a break, make it brief and restart you program as soon as possible. Thank you for your ear and keep reading!

It Hurts So Good!

The one thing that all active people have in common whether they are weekend warriors or professional athletes is the risk of injuries. There isn't an athlete around who doesn't know the pain and frustration of not being able to compete or participate in the activities that they enjoy. Although there are some injuries that are beyond our control, the majority of fitness injuries can be prevented by following these guidelines for exercising safely.

• Always Warm Up & Cool Down - The times before the start of your activities and after finishing your activities, may be the most important times in helping to prevent fitness related injuries. I generally like to take my athletes through a 'dynamic' warm up before we get started with any activity, including stretching. A 'dynamic' warm up helps get the blood flowing and the heart rate up while simulating at a slower, less intense pace the actual movement that the athlete will be performing. After exercise, you can gradually lower your heart rate to its resting rate by walking for 5 minutes or so.
• Practice Proper Stretching - Arguably one of the most misunderstood aspects of fitness injury prevention. Stretching has become synonymous with the warming up and cooling down processes but my personal recommendation is that you do static stretching after you warm up with a 'dynamic' routine. An investigation conducted by Rob D. Herbert and Michael Gabriel at the University of Sydney found that static stretching before activity does not provide considerable protection from injury or muscle soreness. While 'dynamic' stretching has been shown to be a more effective pre routine because it increases the blood flow to your muscles, lubricates joints and decreases muscle tightness. Static stretching should remain an important part of your training routine. It is still one of the best ways to increase range of motion and maintain flexibility.
• Practice Safety First - If the activity calls for the use of helmets, goggles, arm pads, gloves, etc., use them. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
• Use Proper Equipment - Throw those old running shoes away. The fitness battlefield is no place for sentimentality. Sure they may have some nostalgic value and bring you good luck, but at the cost of bad knees and twisted ankles. Make sure all your equipment is crafted or adjusted to fit you and your needs.
• Be Sensible - Know your limitations. Being fit and staying healthy is a lifestyle, a marathon and not a sprint. It does you no good to push yourself beyond your ability to competently compete and set yourself back weeks, months or permanently. Fitness, while it can be competitive should always be fun.
• Listen To Your Body - The body has a way of letting you know when enough is enough. Fatigue can lead to poor execution which can often lead to injury. If your livelihood does not depend on you taking that jump shot or making that last heavy lift, give yourself a break. Your body will thank you for it.

Remember, exercising is the fountain of youth. It's enjoyable, exciting and rewarding. So reward yourself by staying injury free, in the game and not on the sidelines. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

Back To Basics

Okay, so what's the deal with the guys in the gym who only do chest and bicep work? It's clear to me that they don't understand the principles related to protagonist and antagonist muscle development. Look, most young guys get into strength training because they want a big chest and big arms. So it's only natural that they begin their learning curve with lots of bench pressing and curls. It's a normal mistake but a mistake nonetheless.

The average lifter isn't going to build much muscle mass in his chest and arms unless he first builds mass around his back, thighs and hips. Lifters often neglect strengthening the back side of the body which is a serious handicap in strength building and leaves them venerable to injury.

Exercising the back muscles not only strengthens the muscles of the back, but also those of the neck and shoulders. The latissimus dorsi are the largest and strongest muscles of the upper body. When developed, they add impressive width and thickness to your upper back and to your overall chest size. That being said, I like to do four movements to cover the entire back. Each movement varies from workout to workout but the principle of controlled movement and proper form applies every time.

Basic Back Routine

• Pull ups (Lats) - To pre-exhaust the muscle before the heavy training. 4X - 8/10 reps
• Single Arm Dumbbell Rows (Lats and Biceps) - Progressively increasing the weight with each set. 4X - 8/12 reps
• Barbell Stiff-Legged Deadlift (Lower Back, Glutes, Hamstring) - use light resistance and ease in movement. 4X - 8 /12 reps
• Negative Chinup (Lats and Biceps) use an 8 to 10 second lowering time. 4X - 5/8 reps

Again, this is a very basic but effective back routine. Things to remember when exercising is to use proper form (one good rep is better than ten poor ones) and use a weight that you can handle (strength building like fitness is a marathon not a sprint) and always focus on your training and take it seriously. These are just a few tips that I utilize in my quest to get better.

Thanks for your ear and keep reading.

So Fresh and So Clean

Okay let's be honest, discussing internal cleansing is not your typical dinner table conversation, but on occasion... Seriously, the benefits of internal cleansing are numerous. I'm continually surprised at how many people I meet who don't understand the important of regularly cleansing the colon. A clogged colon can lead to constipation, feelings of sluggishness, irritability, being bloated, headaches, gas, skin problems, and depression. Uggh!



Colon cleansing assists in cholesterol breakdown; rids the colon of parasites and stops infection, inflammation and yeast infections. It also helps to control blood pressure; restores pH balance; restores proper digestion; helps the body with vitamin/mineral absorption and reduces body odor. Now, if those benefits aren't enough it also cleanses the body of toxins that lead to those unpleasant symptoms mentioned in the above paragraph and many people have experienced weight loss as a result of cleansing.



There are several ways to cleanse the colon. A well-balanced and proper diet, along with herbal cleansers, will cleanse the colon. Colonic irrigation is also a popular method that many people choose. The important thing to remember when looking for a cleanse is to find one that is gentle and provides the body with the necessary nutrients to nurture the body. When we cleanse the body and nourish it with proper nutrients it will operate at it's highest level and heal itself. So don't be embarrassed by the idea of cleansing because you owe it to yourself to be the healthiest that you can be. Thanks for your ear and keep reading.

Basic Supplementals - A Word on Supplements

A funny thing happened at the gym today. I'd just finished my interval training and was about to begin a very intense but functional chest routine when a fellow fitness enthusiast approached me and started talking about supplements. Well, to be more specific, he started asking about supplements. Questions like "What are you taking?" and "How does it work?" Not wanting to be rude but desperately needing to start training, I gave him a litany of pre-scripted responses (I've been through this before) and began my workout. In reviewing the exchange in my mind between a superset of single arm dumbbell presses and plyometric pushups, it dawned on me just how uninformed many people are on the merits and benefits of taking nutritional supplements. Of course a truly in-depth study of supplements uses and benefits takes time, but there is still some basic information that everyone seeking optimal health and fitness should know.


The first thing to understand is that your body is a finely tuned machine and if you take care of it by providing it with the proper vitamins and minerals, it will operate at peak efficiency and optimal health. Because of the fast paced lifestyle that many of us lead, not to mention the poor dietary choices that we make, it's easy to see why supplement use has become so important in helping to maintain healthy lives. Naturally, every supplement program should start with a balanced diet but the right combination of vitamins and minerals can enhance whatever dietary shortcomings you might have.


Of course all supplements are not created equal. There are certain vitamins and minerals that provide some level of goodness to different parts of your body, but the same supplement could also contain other vitamins and/or minerals where you are already getting more than you need, and taking more of it could actually be detrimental to your overall health. Not to mention that extremely active people (like myself) may need more of one supplement than someone less active. My basic rule is this, know what you are taking and why you are taking it. That being said, here is my list of basic vitamins that I think everyone could benefit from.

1. Multi-vitamin - The basic supplement designed to address all general vitamin and mineral needs.


2. B-Complex vitamin- The group of water- soluble vitamins that work synergistically to provide among other things energy.


3. Vitamin C - A powerful water-soluble anti-oxidant that helps protect the cells from oxidation. I prefer the esterfied form of the vitamin.


4. Vitamin E - A powerful fat-soluble anti-oxidant.


5. Omega 3 - Essential fatty acids. They are essential to human health but cannot be manufactured by the body. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut, other marine life such as algae and krill, certain plants and nut oils.


6. Green Tea - A powerful anti-oxidant that protects against free radical damage and helps to enhance the metabolism.

This of course is far from a complete list of all the nutritional supplements that you may find useful in your fitness pursuits, but it's a good starting point for anyone that wants to optimize their health and well being. Thanks for your ear and keep reading.

Food for Thought

http://www.thenutritionsource.org/

http://helpguide.org/life/healthy_eating_diet.htm

http://www.mypyramid.gov/

http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/HealthyEating_calculator.htm

Two of the most important factors in establishing good health are how active we are and what we eat. Creating a solid and effective workout program can be challenging, couple that with knowing how to eat properly and most people throw in the towel before the fight starts. We all know that eating a wholesome and balanced diet is the key to good health. While there seems to be a plethora of information about eating healthy, enough to confuse the most astute student, when it comes down to it eating right is relatively simple.

Most nutritionist agree that a plant-based diet should be the starting point of a healthy diet. Fruits and vegetables should be featured heavily on your plate. Add to that good, clean protein like fish and chicken, good essential fats, good carbs like whole grains and you have the basis for a healthy diet. Of course for many of us its hard to eat properly all the time so there's nothing wrong with having a treat every once in a while as long as you indulge in moderation. And no, moderation doesn't mean one treat everyday, more like once or twice a week max.

Tips for Healthy Eating

1. Practice portion control. To much of a good thing can still be detrimental. A good rule of thumb is to stick to child sized portions.
2. Eat at regular time intervals. This helps to stiffle the urge to grab and go which often leads to poor food choices.
3. Don't run from dessert. Don't make the mistake of thinking that desserts can't be healthy. Fill a bowl with fruit it's just as sweet and satisfying with fewer calories and an added bonus of healthy vitamins and nutrients. Save those high calorie desserts for one day out of the week, it will give you something to look forward to and serve as a reward for doing the right thing the rest of the week.
4. Drink water. Drinking water can help you feel full, preventing you from loading up on unnecessary calories later.

For more tips on healthy eating try some of the above links. Knowledge is power and we all have the power to eat healthy. Thanks for your ear and keep reading.

Ab-solutely 'Flab'ulous

One of the more frequently asked questions that I get as a trainer is "How do I get my abs tight?" Along with its other variation of "How can I lose my stomach?" I would, of course, be remiss if I forgot my all time favorite that's more of a statement than a question although a lack of knowledge is implied. "I don't need to lose weight anywhere else just in my stomach." Huh?! It easy to see how the desire for the six and fabled eight pack would be enticing. I mean whole careers have been started because someone had a 'proper pack, just look at any underwear model. The real question however is how can we, those that have not been necessarily blessed with the genetic make up of a model, turn our soft or flabby tummy into the flat, cast iron washboard stomach that we desire?

The first thing that I tell anyone looking for definition in the abs is that strength training and endurance work are great for developing abs. But to see definition in your abs (for any muscle group really) it is all about body fat levels. This is why the million crunch program doesn't work for definition. It doesn't address the need of your body to burn enough calories to tap into that stored fat. A simple rule of thumb is this, consume less food + burn more calories = weight loss. Spot training to develop ab definition DOES NOT WORK!! If you can't see your abs it probably has to do more with your diet than your ab routine. Its been said before and I quote "You can't out train a bad diet."

The next tip that I tell those seeking to lose ab flab is that cardio and weight training combined work best to maximize fat burning. Again, with the understanding that fat loss is what uncovers definition, its easy to see how combining weights(that helps burn fat) with cardio(that helps expend calories) would contribute to over all body fat loss. I personally love interval training but you should be creative to avoid boredom. Because I teach boot camps, I generally do cardio six days a week and lift weights five days.

The third and maybe the most important tip is to exercise proper nutrition. Again, you cannot out train a bad diet. Hundreds and hundreds of crunches are fine, but if your abs are cover in fat and definition is your goal then your mission is a failure.

Tips for 'Flab'ulous Abs

1. Spread your calories over 5-6 small meals. Be aware of portion size.
2. Eat complete good protein with every meal. I'm personally love salmon but you may like other protein sources.
3. Avoid refined and processed foods, white sugar, white flour, soda and alcohol.
4. Eat natural complex carbs like vegetables, beans, brown rice and whole grains.
5. Drink plenty of water.
6. Keep over all fat consumption low. Keep saturated fat low. But maintain a good balance of essential fats like fish oil, flax seed, seed and nuts.

Follow these tips and see how fast you develop that pack that you've always wanted. Thanks for your ear, keep training!

Birth of a Blog

When it comes to clients, personal trainers are concerned with many things. Good trainers, want to insure that the mind is as fit as the body given the synergistic balance between the two. This philosophy is one of the core principles of my training method. A method that has created a open door policy of interaction, ideas and information between my clients and myself. It was during one of these many 'brainstorming' sessions that the idea for this blog was born. The desire to reach and teach as many people as possible about health and fitness is its driving force. With that in mind, each day with this blog we will seek to explore, explain, examine and expunge the truths and myths concerning fitness, training, health and nutrition. This is a journey that we are all taking and hopefully along the way we can each learn something to make our fitness experience better. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!