Aspire to Inspire

This weekend I had the privilege of watching 13 kids participate in what for some was their first triathlon. Inner city kids who after being introduced to the sport, create goals to compete in and complete a mini triathlon. This was a monumental experience for me. After watching and training with these 13 athletes for 5 months, it was gratifying for me to see them accomplish their goals.

Webster defines inspiration as the "stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity". It is the " divine influence directly and immediately exerted upon the mind or soul".

What these kids accomplished was for me confirmation that anything in life is possible with planning and practice. Some of these kids had never even seen an ocean much less swam in one. But undaunted, they pressed on and 3 placed among the tops in their age groups. When asked after the race if they were afraid before the race, most said that they were. But not one quit! As Emerson once commented, "It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, "Always do what you are afraid to do."

After having survived the death of his family and the German concentration camps, Victor Frankl once commented, "Life can be pulled by goals just as surely as it can be pushed by drives." All of these kids were driven to achieve a goal and it was their accomplishment of this goal that inspired me. Inspiration can come from any source and I'm proud to say that the kids from Tri-Kids Inc. inspired me to continue to pursue my goals. I hope that their story can inspire you to reach for that thing that you've been dreaming about in life. Who knows maybe one day you too can be the inspiration for someone else to reach their goals. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

Clean Living

Eating clean is not a new concept. Fitness enthusiasts, both professional and novice, have long recognized the importance of a healthy diet. To eat clean, there are a few easy principles to follow.

Clean Eating Principles

• Drink water with every meal.
• Eat proper portions.
• Avoid soda and other sugary juices and drinks.
• Avoid saturated and trans fat, instead consuming healthy fats.
• Avoid all over-processed and refined foods, especially sugar, white rice, and white flour.
• Combine lean proteins and complex carbs at every meal.

When eating healthy, many people focus on what they put in their diets. But much can be said about the benefit of eliminating toxic things from your diet as well. Clean eating is not about deprivation, avoiding food groups, counting calories or starvation, but about making healthy food choices and providing the body with the best foods possible.

The Benefits of Clean Eating

• Increased energy
• Weight loss
• Fat loss
• Better sleep
• Increased mental well-being

Eating clean is not complicated but it does require planning. Many people underestimate the importance of eating good quality foods. The human body and mind are nothing without food so make good choices. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

The Training Paradox

Just to be clear, a paradox is "a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth." In the sense of fitness and training, a paradox exist because to avoid overtraining, sometimes less is more.

When people ask me for advice about training and nutrition, I like to get an idea of what their current routine entails. Often what I suggest to them is that they probably aren't seeing the results that they expect because they are doing too much. Interestingly enough, these same people find it very difficult to change.

It's a common mistake for people to do too much when training. That burning desire to somehow "catch up" or "get right" overnight has lead many fitness enthusiast to injury and just plan burnout.

Doing too much is the root cause of overtraining. When a person is overtrained they typically experience muscle and joint aches and pains which are very annoying. Other symptoms of overtraining are insomnia, irritability, and a loss of appetite. When an individual is in an overtrained state, their progress in their exercise program generally ceases. This is why we see so many people in the gym day after day, sometimes working out very hard, and yet there is little or no change in their body composition.

For most people 3-4 exercise sessions that combine cardio and resistance training is fine. The sessions should be short and intense lasting about an hour, more if you are performing specialized training. Focus on compound movements that work multiple muscle at a time. Set a time limit on the amount of rest you take between exercises and sets.

Working out less often and taking more days off, gives your body the opportunity to recover. It is during this recovery period that the body actually responds to exercise. Combine this with proper rest and a healthy diet and you have the recipe for success.

The results that most people want from exercising requires a long term commitment. Remember, this is a marathon not a sprint. It is important that you pace yourself to avoid any setbacks that might effect your ability to train and see results. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

Healthy Dining Out

Many people think that when they start living a healthy lifestyle that they can no longer eat out. You can eat out and eat healthy, too. Many restaurants offer delicious meals that are low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. That’s good news for your health because a diet high in saturated, trans fats and cholesterol raises blood cholesterol. High blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease, and it’s also a risk factor for stroke.

When dining out, I am never hesitant about making a special request. Many foods on most menus will probably fit into a heart-healthy diet if prepared with low-fat ingredients and less salt. Ask your server if the kitchen can alter preparations to meet your needs, or call ahead before you choose your restaurant. If your food isn't prepared as you requested, send it back.

Also important is portion size. Even healthy foods can be unhealthy if eaten in excess. Help control your weight by asking for smaller portions, sharing entrees with a companion, or putting half of your meal in a to-go box.

Tips For Dining Out

• Fried, au gratin, crispy, escalloped, pan-fried, sautéed or stuffed foods are high in fat and calories. Instead, look for steamed, broiled, baked, grilled, poached or roasted foods. If you’re not sure about a certain dish, ask your server how it’s prepared. You can request that visible fat be trimmed from meat and skin be removed from poultry before cooking.
• High-sodium foods include those that are pickled, in cocktail sauce, smoked, in broth or au jus or in soy or teriyaki sauce. Limit these items.
• Have gravy, sauces and dressings served on the side, so you can control the amount you eat or skip them completely.
• Even if they aren't on the dessert menu, many restaurants can offer you fruit or sherbet instead of high-fat pastries and ice creams.

Follow these few tips and your dining experience will not only be delicious but healthy as well. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

It's All In The Enzymes

Enzymes are the sparks that start the essential chemical reactions our bodies need to live. They are necessary for digesting food, for stimulating the brain, for providing cellular energy, and for repairing all tissues, organs, and cells. Humbart Santillo, B.S., M.H., in his book Food Enzymes, quotes a Scottish medical journal that says it well: "Each of us, as with all living organisms, could be regarded as an orderly, integrated succession of enzyme reactions."

One of the first benefits that many people experience once they begin taking enzymes is increased energy. Enzymes are synonymous with energy and when they are taken they will increase the body's energy because you will be able to utilize your food more thoroughly. As the enzymes do their function and assist with your digestion, your body will have more energy reserved for more important life functions. As a result your overall health will improve as your bodily organs are empowered with the energy that they need to function at their optimum level.

Digestive enzymes help us digest foods more completely. This means more nutrients (and maybe eating less!) and the good health that goes with them.

Dr. Edward Howell, who has written two books on enzymes, theorizes that humans are given a limited supply of enzyme energy at birth, and that it is up to us to replenish our supply of enzymes to ensure that their vital jobs get done. If we don’t replenish our supply, we run the risk of ill health.

In the enzyme nutrition axiom, Howell postulates that "The length of life is inversely proportional to the rate of exhaustion of the enzyme potential of an organism. The increased use of food enzymes promotes a decreased rate of exhaustion of the enzyme potential."

In other words, the more enzymes you get, the longer and healthier you live.

The key is to remember that food enzymes are destroyed at temperatures above 118 °F. This means that cooked and processed foods contain few, if any, enzymes, and that the typical diet found in industrialized countries is enzyme-deficient. When we eat cooked and processed foods, we could well be eating for a shorter and less-than-healthy life.

This points back to the importance of eating raw fruits and vegetables because they are "live foods"; that is, foods in which the enzymes are active. The more enzymes you get, the healthier you are. And the more raw foods you eat, the more enzymes you get. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!

The Fats Of Life

It's the beginning of the year and as always people are concerned with health and getting in shape. With that in mind, lets talk a little about fats. Fats are an important part of a healthy diet: They provide essential fatty acids, keep our skin soft, deliver fat-soluble vitamins, and are a great source of energizing fuel. But it's easy to get confused about good fats vs. bad fats, how much fat we should eat, how to avoid artery-clogging trans fats, and the role omega-3 fatty acids play in heart health.

The problem is that the typical diet is higher in fat than it should be. Roughly 34-40% of the typical American diet comes from fat. Because fat enhances food taste and is so widely available in our food supply, it has taken a larger role in most diets.

Fat is calorie-dense, at 9 calories per gram, while carbs and protein have only 4 calories per gram, and alcohol has 7 calories per gram. It's easy to overeat fats because they lurk in so many foods we love: french fries, processed foods, cakes, cookies, chocolate, ice cream, thick steaks, and cheese.

"Choosing the right types of dietary fats to consume is one of the most important factors in reducing the risk of developing heart disease," says Tufts University researcher Alice Lichtenstein. DSc.

But while choosing healthier fats is better for your heart, when it comes to your waistline, all fats have about the same number of calories. And cutting the total fat in your diet not only helps you shed pounds, it can also help you live longer and healthier.

Basically, there are two groups of fats: saturated and unsaturated. Within each group are several more types of fats.

Let's start with the good guys -- the unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats include polyunsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fats. Both mono- and polyunsaturated fats, when eaten in moderation and used to replace saturated or trans fats, can help lower cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart disease. One type of polyunsaturated fat is omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are found in fatty fish (salmon, trout, catfish, mackerel), as well as flaxseed and walnuts. And it's fish that contains the most effective, "long-chain" type of omega-3s. The American Heart Association recommends eating 2 servings of fatty fish each week.

Now on to the bad guys. There are two types of fat that should be eaten sparingly: saturated and trans fatty acids. Both can raise cholesterol levels, clog arteries, and increase the risk for heart disease.

Saturated fats are found in animal products (meat, poultry skin, high-fat dairy, and eggs) and in vegetable fats that are liquid at room temperature, such as coconut and palm oils. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting saturated fats to 10% or less of your total calories, while the American Heart Association recommends keeping them to just 7% of total calories. There is evidence that saturated fats have an effect on increasing colon and prostate cancer risk.

The real worry in the American diet is the artificial trans fats. They're used extensively in frying, baked goods, cookies, icings, crackers, packaged snack foods, microwave popcorn, and some margarines.

Research has shown that even small amounts of artificial trans fats can increase the risk for heart disease by increasing LDL "bad" cholesterol and decreasing HDL "good" cholesterol. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends limiting trans fat to less than 2 grams per day, including the naturally occurring trans fats. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines simply recommend keeping trans fats consumption as low as possible.

Stick to the good fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These lower bad cholesterol levels and increase good cholesterol levels. Just a little advice to get your new years diet off to the right start. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!