The Heart of the Matter - Lose to Win!

My road back to health and fitness is a personal journey filled with many steps and bites taken each day.  It took many years for my health to be damaged and will take many more for that to be completely undone.  However, I have experienced what many would call an amazing transformation in just six months.  My challenges were certainly not the same degree that some people will face.  But have no doubt, I struggled daily with choosing to eat healthy, exercise and stop making excuses!  It's all in your mindset.  Sure I made some mistakes along the way too.  I hope you can learn from my personal experience and take away from it what you need to succeed in your own personal journey. 

 Every man is free to rise as far as he's able or willing, but the degree to which he thinks determines the degree to which he'll rise.  - Ayn Rand

I am often asked now, “What did you do to lose weight and improve your health?”  There are several factors that can be identified in the success of people who lose weight.  But first, by identifying the things that led to my packing on the weight, I can offer some tips for a weight loss plan that will work when you decide and commit to doing them, as it has done for me. 

I love food!  Before I began my weight loss routine, I would eat more or less whatever I desired.  I could stuff myself to the point where shortly afterward I would hurt.  I would eat and drink whatever I could get my hands on.  I had no idea how many calories I was consuming.   I also had no idea what my body needed calorie wise.  I liked to stay up late, snacking on a huge bowl of mixed nuts, chips and other junk food in one hand and a drink in the other.  There were days where I was so tired upon waking up that I would snooze in bed till the very last minute, with just enough time to spare to get to work on time.  That meant that many breakfasts were skipped.  For lunch and dinner there was rarely a time where I wouldn’t fill up on meat with very little vegetables on the plate.  Fruit was not part of my regular diet.  My diet consisted of very little fish and other lean proteins.  I love bread and would daily down a peanut butter and honey sandwich on white bread.  I ate lots of white flour foods, pasta, a ton of white rice and many other processed and canned foods.  My meals were spontaneous.  I’d come home, look in the fridge to see what was there and grab whatever I could to fill my stomach.  At work, lunch often consisted of KFC, A&W and other fast foods including the fries and pop!  I loved to drink slurpee’s, down energy drinks, knock back a few beers daily and the list of high calorie beverages goes on and on.  Water was not high on my list of things to drink.  I rarely exercised.  Sure I’d go to the swimming pool now and then or go for a walk from time to time.  I cut the lawn when it had to be done and shoveled the sidewalks in the winter.  But generally, my time was spent on the couch watching television, on the computer playing games and more or less being a slouch on my butt.  So imagine that’s your kind of lifestyle and what years of these bad habits will do to your health.  My before pictures are evidence of what happened. 

So now that I’ve identified the actions that damaged my health, let’s take a look at a plan that works to heal yourself through proper nutrition and exercise.  This plan is called Decide, Commit, Succeed!  IT IS HARD WORK!  Do not underestimate how tough it’s going to be and how committed you’ll need to be to get the results you want.  Amazing effort brings amazing results when you make a promise to yourself and follow through with your plan!

Figure out where you are.  How many calories does your body need and how many to burn off.  Besides the kinds of food you eat, you need to burn more than you take in to lose weight.  There are some free food journaling websites that you can use to track what you eat.  Do it!  You won’t know where you need to be until you know where you currently are.  One of the most important meals of the day is breakfast.  Don’t skip it!  Matter of fact, besides three small portion meals each day, I recommend two or three snacks throughout the day between meals.  Your diet must include fruits, vegetables and lean proteins, including fish, white poultry and legumes. Toss the white bread and all other white foods in the trash!  There’s zero nutrition in them and the refined simple carbohydrates play havoc with your blood sugar levels and pack on fat.  Instead, eat whole grains in all their varieties.  Don’t wing it!  Spontaneity is good in the bedroom, but for meals it’s best to plan ahead.  Write down what you’re going to eat and when you’re going to exercise.  What you drink is critical.  Soda pop, alcohol, energy drinks, etc contain empty calories, meaning no nutrition.  So eliminate these and eat the nutritional calories your body needs.  Drink plenty of water.  Nutritional food is 80 percent of the formula for success in your weight loss plan.  The other 20 percent is vigorous exercise 5 to 6 times a week!  Make sure you plan for it and make it a priority.  It’s an investment in your health, so don’t let anything distract from you committing to this daily regimen.  Schedule yourself an appointment on your calender!

You don’t need a gym or club membership.  You don’t need to be a star on a television show.  All you need to succeed is listed in the simple weight loss tips above that worked for me and have worked for thousands upon thousands of people who decided to take control of their health and stop making excuses.  Don't reinvent the wheel.  No fancy gadgets.  No gimmicks.  Just good old fashioned eat healthy and exercise.  Just show up and keep pushing play! It’s your choice! 

I hope that by reading through my blog archive that you'll be truly inspired and feel motivated to get off your butt.  I’d be happy to read what you have to say about my blog posts and answer any questions you may have. Let me know how you're progressing in your own personal journey.  We strengthen each other in the sharing of our stories, and I'd enjoy hearing from you.  So tell me what's worked for you, what hasn't, what you're challenges are, what your successes are and more. 

It's never too late to start changing bad habits, habits that can shave years off your life and impact the quality of your life. So, if you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me. I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts. I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes. So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started! 

Sukuma Wiki

I'm on the lookout lately for unique and exotic foods that are easy to make, high in nutrients and delicious to the taste!  I happened upon this quite by chance recently looking for ways to combine the leafy green vegetables from our home grown garden.  We have Kale, Swiss Chard and Spinach in plenty and in season.  The recipe I share today is simple, it's quick, it uses fresh ingredients that you can get locally at your grocer or from your garden!  Get ready to love Sukuma Wiki!

Sukuma wiki, Swahili for "stretch the week," is a ubiquitous Kenyan dish. Nutritious and tasty, it is a way of "stretching" out kitchen resources.  Served alone or with a side dish of fish or Kenyan Ugali.  In Kenya, the plant traditionally used is a tall-growing cabbage variety elsewhere known as "walking stick cabbage" for the tall woody stalk it produces. 

Some of the health benefits of Sukuma wiki, Kenyan Style Sauteed Greens, are high protein, calcium and iron, a variety of other essential vitamins and minerals, it's extremely nutrient rich, plus it's antioxidant health benefits.  The darker the leafy greens, the healthier it is for you!  So, here's the recipe I used for Sukuma wiki along with some pictures I took during the preparation and cooking process.

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Virgin Coconut Oil
1 Large Sweet Onion chopped
1 Tomatoe diced
A large handful each of Kale, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Collard Greens, chopped
1/4 Teaspoon of Himalayan Crystal Salt
1/4 cup of Coconut Milk/Cream
Directions:

Add coconut oil to medium hot pan and sautee onions for about 5 minutes .  Add diced tomatoe and sautee for a few more minutes.  Add leafy greens, 1/4 cup of water, salt and sautee while occassionaly stirring, for about another 5 minutes, or until tender.  Dish into two bowls and top with a splash of the coconut milk.



If you want to spice up your sukuma wiki, add some hot sauce or chili peppers!  The recipe is very flexibile when it comes to choosing what leafy greens you want to add.  If you want more protein, grass fed organic beef or chicken is an alternative.  I totally enjoyed eating this dish vegan style!  I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe and let me know how it turned out for you! Remember that when people eat meals together, there are no strangers!

It's never too late to start changing bad habits, habits that can shave years off your life and impact the quality of your life. So, if you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me. I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts. I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes. So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!

Pick Your Own and Eat it Too!

Despite my lack of childhood memories, I do remember the hours spent in the garden.  We grew up on a small 3.5 acre parcel of land, much of which was a vegetable garden.  A lot of time was spent weeding the rows, that seemed endless!  If memory serves me correctly, our parents would compensate us for each row that was weeded.  Trying to get my own children to weed is futile, even for money!  Then came harvest time and the hours that took to pick and prepare the food for canning and freezing.  What a huge chore!

I was never a real big fan of green beans as a child, unless they were smothered in butter and salt.   There's such a difference in taste, in quality, in texture between a fresh vegetable and a frozen vegetable.  And there's a difference too in whether it's mass produced with pesticides and herbicides.  When you grow and pick your own it tastes so good and it's incredibly healthy knowing it's free of chemicals.  They simply are better than anything you've ever had from a store!  I love to eat green beans!



The rewards and benefits of  picking and preparing your own food are just as huge as growing and tending a garden!  I wish now that I'd pay a little closer attention to how my parents prepared the food for canning and freezing.  Hindsight is 20/20, but fortunately there are many great resources available through the Internet that provide a wealth of knowledge on every topic you can imagine.  I came across a website as I was searching for how to freeze my green beans from my garden.  I needed clear directions, recipe, photo's and advice. 

In a nutshell, here are the 8 simple steps to freezing green beans, courtesy of pickyourown.org.

1.  Get your green beans from the garden!

2.  Wash the green beans.

3.  Trim the end, and if you prefer cut into smaller pieces.

4.  Get your blanching pots ready.

5.  Blanch the green beans for about 3 minutes in boiling water.  I steamed mine for 6 minutes.

6.  Cool the green beans in ice cold water.

7.  Bag the green beans in freezer bags or vacuum sealed Foodsavers.

8.  Place the bags into the freezer.

Beans sealed in Ziploc bags with as much of the air extracted as possible will keep for about 9 months in the freezer.   I always put aside some of the fresh green beans into the refrigerator to be eaten over the next week.  If you seed your beans in stages, you can pick fresh all summer long.  Nothing beats the flavor of a freshly cooked green bean from the garden!  I highly recommend it.  Yes, it's a lot of work.  Yes, it costs a little money to plant a garden.  It seems that anything worthwhile takes time and money.  The seeds to plant that crop of beans were a few dollars and the water was free from mother nature this year.  The time I put into it was well worth the effort.  It's an investment in my health.   This year we're going to try and harvest our own green bean seeds from our plants by letting some of them dry out on the vine.

It's never too late to start changing bad habits, habits that can shave years off your life and impact the quality of your life.   So, if you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me.  I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts.  I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes.  So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!

A Love Affair

I couldn't help myself, I completely gave into my desires and lost myself in her arms.  She's become like a drug that I refuse to give up.  She's totally irresistible at times and when she calls to me, I bend at the knees and find myself powerless to her temptation!  The very thought of her just makes my heart beat a little faster and I build up the anticipation until the moment when she touches my lips!   Oh the sweetness of her dark curves and subtle, creamy and soft taste as she melts on my tongue!  My Diva's name is Cocoa and I am a slave to her taste sensation!  I'm having a love affair with dark chocolate!!   The seduction of cocoa has a long history dating back thousands of years.

In the book “Chocolate: a healthy passion", Shara Aaton and Monica Bearden compare men’s and women’s chocolate cravings. They say,  both men and women enjoy chocolate, though women tend to be more vocal in their “needing” chocolate (p.165). Eighty-five percent of men and 86% of women claimed to give in to their craving.  Is chocolate just a guilty pleasure, like a friend with benefits?

In the book entitled Better Than Sex: Chocolate Principles to Live By, British author Theresa Cheung states that it was her long-standing “love affair with chocolate” that prompted her to write this little pocket-size guide to better living through chocolate —“without feeling guilty.” According to her “a massive 60 percent of women would rather have a one-to-one with a chocolate bar than have sex!”

But seriously, while dark chocolate may satisfy your carnal cravings, it may also be a remedy for some health conditions. Milk chocolate is higher in sugar and lower in beneficial compounds than dark chocolate, and the best choice for dark chocolate is at least 60 percent cocoa solids by weight. Eat dark chocolate only in moderation every few days as part of a healthy diet.

Many of the potential benefits of dark chocolate result from its content of flavonoids, which refer to many groups of compounds in plant-based foods. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids called flavanols. Flavonoids may act as antioxidants, which means they reduce the cell-damaging activity of dangerous free radicals in your body. Dark chocolate may reduce your risk for heart disease, but many other dietary and non dietary factors contribute to your risk for heart disease.  See note at bottom.

Doctor Steven Warren examines the health benefits of dark chocolate. He explains the function of anti-oxidants and bioflavonoids and the fact that dark chocolate is the #1 superfood in the world.



As Dr. Warren indicated, dark chocolate may also reduce your risk of heart stroke. The effect of dark chocolate is similar to that of a blood thinner that can improve your vascular function, which means that your blood vessels are more relaxed and your risk for stroke decreases.

Nutritionally, one ounce of quality dark chocolate provides about 3.3 mg iron, or 18 percent of the daily value for this essential mineral for preventing iron-deficiency anemia.  Dark chocolate supports a healthy blood pressure because it provides 200 mg potassium and only 6 mg sodium per ounce, and it provides 64 mg magnesium, or 15 percent of the daily value, for this essential nutrient for a normal blood pressure.

So the next time you're tempted to have a love affair with dark chocolate, don't feel guilty about your submission to it's powerful seduction and resulting health benefits.




Eat right, have a healthy lifestyle, exercise, and drink or eat chocolate to utilize this superfood to feel better and improve the quality of your life!

It's never too late to start changing bad habits, habits that can shave years off your life and impact the quality of your life.   So, if you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me.  I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts.  I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes.  So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!

Note:

TOP ANTIOXIDANT FOODS ORAC* Units Per 100 Grams
Dark Chocolate	13,120
Milk Chocolate	6,740
Prunes	5,770
Raisins	2,830
Blueberries	2,400
Blackberries	2,036
Kale	1,770
Strawberries	1,540
Spinach	1,260
Raspberries	1,220
Brussel Sprouts	980
Plums	949
Alfalfa Sprouts	980
Broccoli Florets	890
Oranges	750
Grapes, Red	739
Red Bell Pepper	710
Cherries	670
Onion	450
Corn	400
Eggplant	390
*ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) is a measure of the ability of food to subdue harmful oxygen free radicals that can damage our bodies.

HARD CORE!

I want a six-pack!  Who doesn't want to get into the best shape of their life and have the perfect abdominal section.  A strong hard core has everything to do with strength, power, performance and your health.  If your midsection is weak, guess what...you're probably not benefiting like you could from this crucial center of power, agility and balance.

Using the P90X program has provided me, and several friends I know, (in the picture to the right, thanks Toni & Matt) with the perfect way to develop my core strength.  If you neglect the core muscles that consist of your abdominal and back muscles, the oblique side muscles, the transverse abdominis muscles that wrap around your torso, you are at significantly higher risk of pain and injury.  If you have lower back pain and want to reduce or virtually eliminate it, then you must improve your spinal flexibility by going hard core with exercise. 

However, I won't promise or guarantee you a six-pack if you fail to clean up your diet.  Exercise and nutrition go hand in hand.  I had a huge belly at a whopping 47 inches of fat when I started this journey on February 1st, 2011.  If I had continued down that path of obesity from overeating and poor nutritional food, it's most certain I would have developed cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney ailments, joint pain and a host of other conditions that medical doctors have linked to weight gain and bad diet.  Carrying all the extra belly fat was just a real pain and was becoming a major problem for me.

Fast forward 6 months and today I'm trimmed down to a respectable 34 inch waist! (I'll post updated pictures of my progress after August 1st) I have the creator of P90X, Tony Horton, to thank for giving me the program that brings results.  It offers a variety of core exercises that improved my posture, enhanced my body movements, strengthened and defined my abdominal and lower back muscles and is flattening my tummy!  I don't have a six-pack yet, but I'm working on it hard and daily.  Here's a video below that I put together of my workout today with a montage of the variety that's offered in the Core Synergistics Workout from Beach Body.



I ended my fat trend, I know you can too!

It's never too late to start changing bad habits, habits that can shave years off your life and impact the quality of your life.   So, if you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me.  I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts.  I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes.  So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!

David's 90 Day P90X Transformation

I invite you to check out my new transformation video of my first 90 day round. It began on February 1st, 2011 and continued through to May 1st, 2011. During that time I lost 45 pounds, 8 inches off my waist and about 14% body fat!



See more amazing success stories from other regular guys just like myself at the Success Stories section of my blog.  If you would like to learn more about P90X, please read my blog post on Beginner, Striver or Warrior.

It's never too late to start changing bad habits, habits that can shave years off your life and impact the quality of your life.   So, if you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me.  I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts.  I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes.  So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!

Alcohol, Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde

What are the benefits and risks of drinking alcohol? Doctors and studies suggest that moderate drinking can be beneficial, but not for everyone. So, when it comes to your health, alcohol is a bit like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The effects on people vary from person to person, depending on who and how much.

Even moderate drinking can increase the risk of colon and breast cancer, however these risks are trumped by the boost in cardiovascular health—especially in middle age. That's the time in life when heart disease begins to account for an increasingly large share of disease and deaths.

If you're a non-drinker, you certainly do not need to start drinking to improve your health. For heavy drinkers, with their increased risk of cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, cirrhosis, and dependence it is recommended to cut back or stop drinking altogether. A pregnant woman should also avoid any amount of alcohol, since it can cause brain damage to her unborn child resulting in fetal alcohol syndrome.

Moderate drinking for women is considered up to one drink per day while for men, it's up to two. One serving is considered to be 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1½ ounces of hard liquor, for example vodka or rum.

Harvard School of Public Health looks at balancing the risks and benefits of alcohol.

Here are 5 quick tips from the Nutrition Source to stay healthy with alcohol.

1. If you don't drink, there's no need to start. For some people—especially pregnant women, people recovering from alcohol addiction, people with a family history of alcoholism, people with liver disease, and people taking one or more medications that interact with alcohol—the risks of drinking outweigh the benefits. There are other ways to boost your heart health and lower your risk of diabetes, such as getting more active, staying at a healthy weight, or eating healthy fats and whole grains.

2. If you do drink, drink in moderation—and choose whatever drink you like. Wine, beer, or spirits—each seems to have the same health benefits as long as moderation's the word (no more than one drink per day for women, and no more than two drinks per day for men). To read more about whether the type of alcohol consumed has any effect on health, read "Is Wine Fine, or Beer Better?"


 
3. Take a multivitamin with folic acid. Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate, a B vitamin that may help lower the risk of heart disease and cancers of the colon and breast. Those who drink may benefit the most from getting extra folate, since alcohol moderately depletes our body's nutrient stores. The amount in a standard multivitamin—400 micrograms—is enough, when combined with a healthy diet. To learn more about folate, check out the vitamins section of The Nutrition Source.

 4. Ask your doctor or nutritionist about your drinking habits.  If you (or your friends) think you may have a problem with drinking, talk to a doctor or other health professional about it. He or she can help.
 

5. Pick a designated driver. Alcohol and driving do not mix. If you're going out drinking, give your car keys in advance to someone who'll be sipping pop all night.

Fitness and health guru Steve Edwards writes in the BeachBody Newsletter on Nutrition 911: The best and Worst Cocktails.

If you're still unsure after reading, studying and researching both sides of the debate, then avoiding alcohol is the best advice I can offer.  It's never too late to start changing bad habits, habits that can shave years off your life and impact the quality of your life.   So, if you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me.  I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts.  I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes.  So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

Are you battling sleep deprivation? Some of the symptoms you may feel are sluggishness, fatigue, daytime sleepiness, clumsiness, poor memory and may be gaining weight or have trouble losing weight.  I've struggled with these issues for several years.  It got so bad that I finally and reluctantly had my medical doctor refer me a few years ago to a sleep specialist.  They wired me up and I tossed and turned the night while they diagnosed my condition.  Turns out I had sleep apnea.  My wife already knew how much of a problem it was when I'd stop breathing in my sleep, only to take a huge gulp of air and a lot of snoring.  It was as much of a health issue for me as it was to her sleep patterns.  The specialist said I would need a CPAP machine to help keep my restricted airway open while sleeping.  My medical doctor said the machine would help, or I could lose weight and that my condition would likely improve and correct itself. 

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2010), over 25 percent of Americans experience sleep deprivation. For some, disrupted sleep results from the hectic nature of busy modern lifestyles. For others, serious sleep disorders affect both rest and health.  Sleep plays a vital role in health and wellness.  Most people know that eight hours of sleep per night is desirable. 
 
People who got very little sleep ate more, but did not necessarily burn any extra calories in a new study that adds to evidence supporting a link between sleep deprivation and weight gain.  The new findings from the University of Pennsylvania show that “sleep should be a priority,” said Michael Grandner, who studies sleep and sleep disorders at the University in Philadelphia.  “If you’re trying to be healthy, don’t forget that getting healthy sleep is probably an extremely important part of being healthy,” said Grandner.   

In a separate study, the department of Neurology at Northwestern University in Chicago linked obesity to sleep duration.  The study also found that people who sleep later into the day and eat later in the day had a higher body mass index.   What they found was that late sleepers consumed 248 more calories a day, mainly at dinner and later in the evening. They ate half as many fruits and vegetables, twice the fast food and drank more full-calorie sodas than those with earlier sleep times.  "The extra daily calories can mean a significant amount of weight gain - two pounds per month - if they are not balanced by more physical activity," said co-lead author Kelly Glazer Baron, a health psychologist and a neurology instructor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.  “The research findings could be relevant to people who are not very successful in losing weight,” said Phyllis Zee, M.D., the study’s lead author. "The study suggests regulating the timing of eating and sleep could improve the effectiveness of weight management programs."



As a youngster, and even into adulthood, I have pulled many an all-nighter.   There is always a price to be paid the next day: trouble focusing, a fuzzy memory and other cognitive impairments.  When I improved my diet and lifestyle to healthy eating and started exercising, the sleep apnea began to minimize and eventually virtually eliminated.  I now get a sound nights sleep, as does my wife.  I'm able to function at what I feel is a much higher level of cognition.  I think clearer, have more energy and vitality, feel stronger and don't get the sleepiness or feel sluggish.  I no longer feel fatigued and my weight is now ideal!   Sleep deprivation leads into a cycle that seems to spiral out of control, if we choose to let it.  I took back the control through proper nutrition and exercise and my sleep deprivation was reversed.

Is sleep deprivation holding you back in life?  Nearly everyone knows that good nutrition and regular exercise are key ingredients to a healthy, happy life. However, nutrition and exercise are not the only foundational elements of well-being. Without healthy sleep, my overall health was utterly compromised. Fast forward from three years ago, and thus, nutrition, exercise and sleep became a key factor in the success of my well being.   It is absolutely imperative to be educated and understand the importance of these three foundations.  I am a testament to its impact on my life.  I hope my blog post today will help empower you to live life to its fullest. 

If you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me.  I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts.  I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes.  So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!

Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead

We all know that food has the power to heal.  Specifically, foods high in micronutrients, high in anti-oxidants , foods that are beneficial to your heart and health.  Everything we feed our bodies has a cumulative effect that over time reveals the state of our health.  Do you lack energy?  Do you have a medical condition?  Is your emotional state effected?

I recently watched a documentary film about a man from Australia who was fat, sick and nearly dead!  100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Joe Cross is at the end of his rope and the end of his hope. In the mirror he saw a 310lb man whose gut was bigger than a beach ball and a path laid out before him that wouldn't end well— with one foot already in the grave, the other wasn't far behind. FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD is an inspiring film that chronicles Joe's personal mission to regain his health.  With doctors and conventional medicines unable to help long-term, Joe turns to the only option left, the body's ability to heal itself. He trades in the junk food and hits the road with juicer and generator in tow, vowing only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for the next 60 days.  What happens is an amazing transformation!

My friends, produce is the most important health care your money can buy!  So eliminate where possible junk and processed foods.  Grow a veggie garden! The choice is what proportion to eat dead food (cooked) and living food.(raw)  The best foods to eat are the healthy, nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables. By making these super micronutrient and anti-oxidant foods the major portion of your diet, you can protect yourself against cancer and other serious diseases.

Here are a just a few of the kinds of foods I like to fuel up on. Raspberries, Strawberries, Blueberries, Pineapple, Flax Seeds, Green Leafy Vegetables, Tomatoes, Broccoli, Walnuts, Sunflower seeds, Pomegranates, Beets, and Peppers.

Processed foods high in saturated fat and trans fat are consistently associated with high cancer rates and illness. Just ask Joe Cross where he was headed on that kind of diet.  Here are some quick facts about the foods Joe used to regain his health and vitality.

• Apples contain antioxidants that help protect “good” HDL cholesterol levels in the blood.
• Avocados are densely packed with anti-inflammatory, healthy fats. Well-known for its vitamin E content, an important antioxidant.
• Beets are potent antioxidants with liver-protective properties.
• Blueberries and blackberries are rich in anthocyanins—these phytonutrients have power. They can reduce inflammation, increase detoxifying enzymes in the liver, and stop cancers from creating their own lifeline-blood supply.
• Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable that promotes natural detoxification in the liver. It is high in sulfur and iodine.
• Carrots are the richest plant source of vitamin A, good source of potassium.
• Celery is high in organic sodium, magnesium, and iron. Magnesium is important for the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats into energy; for muscle relaxation and the prevention of cramps; and for nerve conduction and preventing tooth decay.
• Cilantro provides a rich source of carotenoids.
• Cinnamon has been shown to help keep blood sugar in check.
• Cucumbers contain potassium and phytosterols, which help lower blood cholesterol levels.
• Fennel’s active ingredient, anethole, blocks inflammation in the body and can stop cancer cells from multiplying.
• Ginger root reduces nausea, pain and inflammation, and provides heartburn relief. It also aids digestion.
• Grapefruits provide a rich source of vitamin C, and are a good source of lycopene (a carotene with prostate cancer-protective properties).
• Kale is an especially nutrient-dense vegetable with many potent micronutrients. Rich and abundant in calcium, lutein, iron, and vitamins A, C, and K, kale has seven times the beta-carotene of broccoli and ten times more lutein, another potent carotene. Kale is part of the cruciferous vegetable family, making it a good source of the phytonutrient indole-3-carbinol. Research shows I3C has many anti-cancer actions, such as promoting estrogen ratios in the blood that are weak, but needed to discourage breast cancer tumor growth. Crucifers are also potent detoxifiers.
• Kiwis offer twice the vitamin C of an orange per serving. They are a good source of vitamin E (a potent antioxidant) and potassium.
• Lemons contain natural anti-nausea and overall digestive-aid properties.
• Mint is rich in plant-based omega-3 fats – an important nutrient for healthy hair, skin, and nails that has powerful anti-inflammatory activity. Omega-3s may also protect against the development of heart disease and certain types of cancers.
• Parsley is a good source of folic acid, which may help lower the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancers. It also promotes fresh breath.
• Pineapples are high in the enzyme bromelain, an anti-inflammatory.
• Spinach is high in iron, vitamin C, and beta-carotene. The vitamin C and beta-carotene in spinach are antioxidants, and may help to protect cells from the damaging effects of free radicals. Most dark green leafy veggies are rich in lutein – a phytonutrient shown to help delay age-related macular degeneration of the eyes.
• Sweet potatoes (and carrots for that matter) are rich in – a phytonutrient responsible for giving these veggies their rich orange color. Zeaxanthin has anti-cancer activity: it helps encourage cancer cells to commit suicide (apoptosis), and helps prevent tumors from being able to create their own blood supply (anti-angiogenesis).
• Swiss chard tastes sweeter in juices than spinach. It is rich in vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium. Foods rich in potassium have been shown to lower blood pressure and heart disease risk.
• Tomatoes are rich in lycopene – a member of the carotene family famous for its potential to prevent prostate cancer.
• Turmeric has been shown to have multiple forms of anti-cancer activity in prostate, ovarian, colon, uterine, and breast cancer cells. The active ingredient responsible, curcumin, is approximately 1,000 times more bioavailable (absorbable) when combined with black pepper. 

Did you know that the average person eats fewer than two servings of produce a day!  I want to encourage you to add more fruits and vegetables to your daily diet.  I guarantee you'll become healthier, happier and have more vitality.

If you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me.  I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts.  I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes.  So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!

Why Don't You Drink Milk?

When friends ask, "why don't you drink milk?" I am now confident that what I am eliminating from my daily diet is the best for my overall health and fitness.  I base this on my own experience and study of the topic.

I believe that cow's milk is mother nature's perfect food for a calf or breast milk for a human child, until it's weaned.  Calcium and protein?  Where do cows and other animals get calcium for their bones and protein for their muscles?  From plants!  Enough said.  There are however some healthy dairy choices and nondairy foods I'd recommend.  I use 1-2 daily servings (1 servings=8 ounces or 1 cup) of the following:

Organic low fat Greek yogurt
Goat milk or goat cheese
Almond Milk
Coconut Milk
Rice Milk
Soy Milk
Soy-based cheeses and yogurt
Kefir (fermented dairy products)

We simply don't need to consume dairy milk to be healthy.  Reducing your intake of dairy will cut back on your levels of unhealthy saturated fat and lower cholesterol.

Got Milk?  The dairy industry is...well, it's an industry...a business, and they can market whatever they want.  But if you're like a questioning consumer that I have become and carefully scrutinize what I fuel my body with, then you might ask yourself some questions about why humans are the only animal species that drink milk and continue to after being weaned.  I found the following article in the McDougall Newsletter to provide some solid  information with factual references on the topic.   Dairy foods are simply high in calories, high in fat and cholesterol and contribute to disease and illness.

In the months that I've eliminated dairy milk from my diet, I have also eliminated my cravings for dairy.  I have eliminated congestion from my body.  I feel great being off dairy milk.  It has not been an hindrance, but an advantage to my health and wellness.  Like Dr. John McDougall, I can find no reason to add dairy into my diet.  Tony Horton, the creator of P90X suggests try eliminating dairy milk from your diet for 30 days and see how it makes you feel.  Then add it back in and see what difference you feel.  Take the 30 day Food Challenge! 

If you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me.  I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts.  I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes.  So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!