Drink Up - Give Your Body What It Needs

What should I drink?  How much should I drink? What frequency do I need to drink?  When is a drink needed?  It would seem that something as simple as water may be very complicated.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  Many of us don't get enough water for whatever reason or excuses we can come up with to rationalize why we don’t or won’t. Life is busy, we substitute, we’re forgetful, too many bathroom breaks and sometimes we just don't care. Survival without food is possible for several weeks, but try to go without water for more than a week and expect to perish.  Even going without proper hydration for several hours takes its toll on your health. 

Your total adult body weight consists of between 60 to 70 percent water.  The human body needs all that water for so many different functions, such as elimination of waste and toxins, regulating body temperature, producing digestive enzymes, distributing minerals, vitamins, amino acids, glucose, and many other nutrients to your cells and many other important roles in your health.  Life, as we know it, cannot exist without this one simple ingredient, purified water.  

Dehydration occurs with as little as a 1% loss of total body weight as a result of fluid loss.  If you fail to replenish daily water losses over time or lose a lot of body water in a very short period of time, you will notice signs of thirst.  Fatigue, loss of appetite, dark urine, poor concentration, clumsiness, dizziness or light headedness and cramping in limbs, stomach or back, to name just a few.  By the time you feel these signs of thirst, it’s already too late! 

There’s no hard and fast rule to how much water a person needs daily.  If you’re active, you’ll consume more.  If you live in a hot climate, you’ll consume more.  Listen to your body.  But as a general rule of thumb, most in the debate agree that eight 8-ounce cups of water throughout the day is about what’s needed for an adult to replace what’s lost.   Drinking purified water, or eating water rich foods regularly throughout the day every couple of hours will maintain what your body needs. 

It is especially important to stay hydrated during intense or strenuous exercise, and especially during the warmer times of year by consuming enough fluid to replace that lost to sweating. If you become mildly dehydrated, drink water slowly one sip at a time to replace lost fluids.  Besides purified water, I have found from my own experience that recovery drinks after a workout are extremely effective at replenishing the body with the essential nutrients lost during vigorous exercise and rehydrate the body with lost fluids. 

Drinking a sufficient amount of clean water is one of the smartest things you can do for yourself and will help your body to prevent short changing itself.  So the next time you reach for a coffee loaded with syrups, sugars and whipped cream, before you indulge in sodas, carbonated beverages and sugar loaded juices, reach instead for the one drink that truly satisfies thirst and improves your health, water!

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!

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! 

Big Fat Fiasco

What is good science and bad science? What is open minded and closed minded thinking? How do you recognize a cognitive bias toward long held views or beliefs when presented with better information and a fuller consideration? Are we willing to consider the possibility that certain claims are no longer valid? When it comes to our health and fitness, there are so many differing views, studies, research, explanations and scientific claims. It all seems so confusing. Have we been fed a load of bologna?

We've all heard, read and seen in the news the countless stories of an obesity epidemic in North America and people dying from heart disease. Everywhere I go now I am shocked at just how many people are so large! Not just large, but ginormous! Having been there once myself, it's now something I more conscious of. The film FAT HEAD reveals that nearly everything we've been told about obesity and healthy eating is wrong. Former health writer Tom Naughton serves up some startling facts in this no nonsense film. In the following YouTube segments of a speech by Tom Naughton, he explains the Big Fat Fiasco.

So get yourself comfortable and prepare to be stunned by what you're about to watch and learn as many of the myths of obesity and healthy eating are shredded like fat on a treadmill!





Big Fat Fiasco pt. 1







Big Fat Fiasco pt. 2







Big Fat Fiasco pt. 3







Big Fat Fiasco pt. 4







Big Fat Fiasco pt. 5

So I ask again, what is good science and what is bad science? What is open minded and closed minded thinking? How do you recognize a cognitive bias toward a pattern, long held views or beliefs when presented with better information and a fuller consideration? Are we willing to consider the possibility that certain claims are no longer valid?  Benjamin Franklin said it best, “For having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged, by better information or fuller consideration, to change opinions, even on important subjects, which I once thought right but found to be otherwise.”

Films can have a strong and immediate impact, but there's no substitute for reading.  READ PEOPLE, PLEASE READ.  I hope you'll take the time to carefully read through the many posts I've included in my blog.  They contain a wealth of education that will hopefully inspire you to pursue a healthier lifestyle. 

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!

My Story, My Opportunity, My Journey, My Choice, My Time, My Life

What keeps me pressing forward?  What’s my purpose?  Do I want a like minded community, meeting new people and making new friends?  Do I do this to compete, for athleticism, to improve my quality of life, to have fun?  Do I want to look better and have more self esteem and confidence?  Is my purpose to gain more out of life, to have more energy, a stronger mind and body?  What is your purpose and what is your reason?   In the next few minutes, I share with you my story, my opportunity, my journey, my choice, my time and my life. 

I was out of shape and I felt bad about myself.  So why then was I so out of shape?  Here are some of the excuses I played over and over like bad reruns:  Too tired after work, I’m always too busy, there aren’t enough hours in the day, I can’t get to the gym, why should I work out when my family and friends don’t, I’m not in that bad of shape, I’ll have to spend money to buy new clothes, and my list went on and on.  What’s your excuse?   I had many excuses and this is the body it got me! ----------->



You don’t have to choose to make bad choices over and over again at breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Be a little open minded here and willing to try new things and you’ll soon discover how easy it gets to make healthy choices.  My results did not happen by tearing up a few moves from a muscle magazine.  It happened by using a system that told me exactly what to do, everyday for 90 days.  That’s MY P90X!  It seriously challenged me, but with the challenge came an amazing transformation.   My hope is that what I've achieved and this blog will inspire you to find your purpose, your reason.

I’ve gotten into the best shape of my life simply by working out at home!  I did it in 90 days and now I’m consistent with my fitness and health!  The coined phrase that practice makes perfect is true when combined with variety, which is the spice of life.  When you realize how quickly you can transform your body in your own home, with very little gear, you’ll be surprised by how easy it is to make the time.  Time flies when you start to see rapid results like I did in 90 days, in 180 days and so on, so I simply keep on pushing play.  My life will never be the same again! <-------- I hardly recognize myself

Let me give you a glimpse into my life as I write candidly here and share with you the reason for my wanting to make a major change.  Before P90X I took life one day at a time, on the couch, watching TV, in front of the computer living in virtual reality games, being plain old lazy.  I had no interest in outside sports, no gym activity and a very sedentary lifestyle.  I tried a couple of times to get inspired and motivated to change my bad habits, but kept making excuses and going back to the lazy routine.  It was easier.  I didn’t like the hard workouts.  I felt alone without any real support or encouragement.  I didn’t have a lot of hope.  It just didn’t seem like I could climb out of that rut on my own and I didn’t know who I could turn to for help.  So I found comfort in what I ate and drank.  It just didn’t feel like my health mattered anymore to me.  My quality of life was deteriorating.  I’d get up in the morning tired, go to work and struggle to feel energized to make it through the day, come home to pass out on the couch and rely on my wife and children to pick up my slack.  I was sacrificing for things in life that really didn’t matter, when all along what was most important was right at home, my family.  In short, I was going nowhere fast and the tracks of life were running out!  I was at a tipping point.   Do I sacrifice about one hour of my time per day or do I sacrifice what I care about most?  The choice was pretty clear.

"Do or do not, there is no try" as Yoda explained to a non-believing Luke Skywalker in the epic movie Star Wars when Luke was attempting to lift a massive object.  Our mind is indeed a very powerful force.  Our thoughts and words unleash the power of our mind into our actions.  I have been through the phase of TRY and I most certainly failed time and time again.  Trying anticipates failure.  By changing the words, we change our mindset and although there is still the chance of failure, we don’t program ourselves for it.  Instead when I say I will DO this, it focuses on success!   DECIDE, COMMIT, SUCCEED. That’s the mantra of the P90X Fitness Program and it has become my motto.  I was ready to change my life.  So I dug in and I trusted the routine and nutrition guide and went for it!  The journey starts with that first step, one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!  Imagine how different the world would be if we each took that first step to ending the fat trend.  

My reason for changing is simple, I had a choice to make.  You have a choice too.  Were you expecting a more complicated answer? How do you choose what to be or not to be?  Do you want to be better than before?  Who do you surround yourself with? How long do your better choices last?  I had to decide whether to continue to be a slacker or finally get my act together. I’m not getting any younger.  No one else could do this for me.  I had to make the choice to stop making it about me all the time and be an example to people in my life who need a role model, a father and a dad.  I would no longer allow these external forces and my own weak mindset to control my life.  At the age of 48 some might call this a mid-life crisis.  I call it a miracle and am grateful for the gifts and time that I have in my life.  How we use these to help each other is the true measure of our success.

 

Be the change you want to see in the world.  Take that step today.  If you need help, please ask.  I’m not in this for the contests.  I’m not in this to sell you something you don’t need.  I’m not here to recruit you for any business opportunity.  This is simply my way of starting to give back instead of continually taking from everyone else.  I would like you to have what I’ve gained.  I made the switch and life is returning with vitality, with greater confidence, self-esteem, energy, love and new friends.  I’ve gained so much more than what I lost.  I’m so very grateful to my family and friends who have been a huge support for me.  Honestly, I don’t know where I’d be today without P90X and the nutrition guidance I gained from my personal trainer Tony Horton.  He got me out of my comfort zone and helped me to get real with life instead of living in a virtual reality. 

I promise if you make a decision and make that commitment, it can happen for you too!  Give yourself a gift, you deserve it!  It will transform every aspect of your life, from the way you think about fitness to the way you think about your health and what you eat.  If you too will commit to exercising and eating healthy, you too can go confidently in the direction of your dreams and really live the life you’ve imagined!

Honey I Shrunk My Pants

The right combination of diet and exercise is the key to dropping excess pounds. Do your pants or clothing feel tight or snug? An effective way of dropping a pant size is to change your diet and increase your activity level. Creating a deficit of calories will cause a loss of weight and lead to a smaller waistline. But first you need to establish a baseline for your daily calorie intake. I use the Harris-Benedict Equation as a guide for determining my caloric needs to maintain my current weight.

Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

As an example, I’m 48 years old, 6’1” and weight 175 pounds. Using the above equation for men, 66 + (6.23 x 175) + (12.7 x 73) – (6.8 x 48) = 1757 calories. If I want to lose weight, I would strive for 500 fewer calories per day, or to gain weight I would add 500 calories to my daily diet. It takes an accumulative deficit of about 3500 calories to drop 1 pound. Over the course of weeks and months, it can add up fast and shrink your pant size!

If you want to burn even more calories, other than through reducing the amount you eat, you need daily exercise. You burn calories through physical activities like biking, jogging, walking, swimming and other athletic sport activities. It’s recommended to get at least 30 to 60 minutes of daily exercise. By combining my reduced calorie diet and P90X exercise, I burned over 13 thousand calories more per week than I consumed, and I was successfully able to achieve an average weight loss of 15 pounds per month for the first three months. Since February 1st, I’ve lost a total of 65 pounds and 7 pants sizes! In the video, you can see how I look going from a 44 inch pant size to a 32!



To help you stay motivated, I recommend you track your progress. There are many online resources that are free such as www.fitday.com or www.sparkpeople.com that have calories trackers that count what you eat, what you burn through exercise and help you reach your goal. It’s a great way to stay focused and get results!

One thing that you can do to greatly improve your health is by going with fresh fruits and vegetables. Skip the processed foods and choose foods that are lower in calories including whole grains and lean proteins such as fish and poultry.

Lastly, to rev up your metabolism and burn more calories, start training your muscles through resistance workouts and weight lifting. The more muscles you build and develop, the more calories you’ll burn and the more weight you’ll lose. Soon you’ll be fitting into the pants you wore when you were younger and you’ll look and feel great!

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!

5 Star Succulent Civiche

 I was browsing online at the foods that would be served at this years Heritage Festival in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and came across a food that caught my eye as being healthy and nutritious.  It wasn't something I was familiar with, but sounded like it would be delicious based on the ingredients.  So I took my search to Google to find out about Ceviche.  Perhaps you've never heard of it either.  So, here's what I found by way of explanation from Wikipedia. 

"Ceviche (also spelled cebiche or seviche)is a seafood dish popular in the coastal regions of the America's, especially Central and South America. The dish is typically made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices such as lemon or lime and spiced with hot chili peppers. Additional seasonings such as onion, salt, and pepper may also be added. Ceviche is usually accompanied by a side that complement its flavors such as sweet potato, lettuce, corn or avocado. As the dish is not cooked with heat, it must be prepared fresh and for the right amount of time to avoid the potential for food poisoning."

The recipe I share is one that I made at home today, and both my wife and I really enjoyed it's fresh flavors and tasty textures.  I let my wife try it first, to which after a few bites she announced that it was a keeper and I would be making that one again!  There are apparently many health benefits to eating this popular Latin American seafood and veggie combination dish.  Based on the ingredients used, here's a few that come to mind.

• Helps to maintain a healthy heart
• It is said by those who eat it that it decreases symptoms of arthritis
• It's an immune system booster
• Promotes healthier skin
• Good for the eyes
• May decrease the risk of Asthma
• Helps in maintaining strong bones
• May Reduce the risks of Alzheimer's

So when something that's so ridiculously healthy and also tastes so good, how can you not eat more?!! Here's my modified recipe from allrecipes.com for this delectable and refreshing Succulent Ceviche. 

Ingredients:

4-6 ounce of Tilapia (substitute scallops, halibut, red snapper, flounder, swordfish)
2 cups of frozen cooked shrimp
6 fresh whole limes, juiced, remove pulp
2 whole red tomatoes, diced
1/2 medium size red onion, finely chopped
1 long stalk of celery, sliced
1/2 yellow pepper, diced
1/2 mango, diced
4 inch of cucumber, peeled and diced
1/4 to 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 a large avocado, diced
1.5 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 teaspoon of Himalayan crystal salt

Directions:
Rinse Tilapia (or substitute fish) and cut up into 1 centimeter pieces and place into bowl.  Pour fresh squeezed lime juice over Tilapia.  It should be completely covered by the lime juice.  Juice more limes if needed.  Chill the bowl in the refrigerator for about 1 hour, or until the fish is opaque (you cannot see through the pieces).

Add all the remaining ingredients together in a seperate mixing bowl and stir together gently.  Take the fish and lime juice from the fridge after is marinated and pour into mixing bowl.  Stir together gently and place back in the fridge to cool.  We served these with some multi grain tortilla chips.  Recipe makes 4 servings.

Note: Marinating times may vary depending on quantity and thickness of fresh raw fish pieces.  Click image for larger scale.

Ceviche is simply fantastic and I highly recommend it!   It's almost like a really chunky seafood salsa, only better!  Doesn't that picture look mouth watering?  IT IS, and I can't wait to have more!!  Being my first attempt at making Ceviche, it turned out to be quite amazing and so worth all the chopping and dicing during the preparation.  You will love this food if you enjoy seafood and veggies.  Eat healthy my friends and enjoy!

Remember that 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!