Meagan's Fitness Blurbs

Upcoming Events for Nu-U Fitness

2009-08-11T14:15:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone!
Well, this chickadee has finally graduated! Yay! Now it seems like I can fully commit to a happier life!

Nu-U Fitness is participating in some events coming up and we just wanted to share in the excitement!

8/11/09 Police Explorers Whole Body Fitness Presentation

I will be speaking with the individuals in the Police Explorers program about mental, emotional, and physical fitness.

8/19/09 SANCouncil Annual Meeting

Nora and myself will be presenting the executive summary of the SANCouncil Economic Impact Study that we conducted.

9/12/09 (tentative date) NEXT LEVEL PERSONAL TRAINING GRAND OPENING

This is an exciting time for our new studio and we will have live music, entertainment, radio station involvement etc...I will keep everyone updated so that yall can come out and join in the fun!

10/12/09 (tentative date) San Antonio Sports Filming for Fiesta Fitness Program Launch video

I will be the on air personality for the Fiesta Fitness Launch video we start filming sometime the week of the 12th.

God has gracefully given us many blessings to be thankful for and we are rockin' and rollin' here in San Antonio! Keep up the hard work everyone!

San Antonio Express News Article

2009-07-07T07:21:00.000-07:00

The Next Level

2009-06-21T15:21:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!!
I am excited to announce that a co-worker of mine is opening a brand new, all inclusive personal training studio here in San Antonio. I will be joining him as one of his trainers. It will open on July 7th, 2009 at Suite 7806 Jones Maltsberger Rd. It will include a cardio room, showers, powerlifting/running/fitness class room, free weights, selecterized equipment, complementary water, towels, curbside assistance, massage therapy etc, and some of the best training in San Antonio.

Our goal is to help those in need whether it be to lose weight, gain muscle, train for specific sports, pre-natal and post natal fitness, competition prep, overall health etc... We are here for you!

Please call or stop by!

www.nu-ufitness.com

America's Fittest Cities!

2009-05-29T09:00:00.001-07:00

America's Fittest Cities

A new report looks at 30 different measures to determine which cities' residents are healthiest.

When it comes to healthy living, Washington, D.C., is seldom mentioned in the same breath as cities like San Francisco, Portland, Ore., and Seattle, all of which are known for their active, health-conscious residents.

But according to a new report, the city of pomp and politics is the healthiest in the nation. In the second annual American Fitness Index (AFI), a publication released by the American College of Sports Medicine, Washington, D.C., edged out Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., Denver, Boston and San Francisco.

Walter Thompson, a professor in the department of kinesiology and health at Georgia State University and chair of the AFI's advisory board, says the annual project is designed to give communities a data-driven picture of local health--and nudge residents in the right direction.

"I believe significant success in improving the fitness of the community can occur when the residents truly value healthy behaviors," says Thompson.

Behind the Numbers

The AFI is sponsored by the WellPoint Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the health benefits company WellPoint. The index ranks 45 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs)--a geographical measurement defined by the U.S. Census Bureau used by federal agencies in collecting, tabulating and publishing federal statistics--that include the city and surrounding suburban area. It measures each city's performance on 30 indicators, including acres of parkland, death rate from cardiovascular disease, the number of primary care physicians per capita and the percent of residents who bicycle or walk to work. The metrics were gathered from government and non-profit organizations. (For the complete methodology, visit www.americanfitnessindex.org.)

According to the index, Washington, D.C., residents are healthier than other Americans for a number of reasons. They have increased access to farmers' markets, at 13 per 1 million residents, compared to a national average of 11. Fewer residents smoke and have diabetes, and nearly 90% have health insurance compared to a national average of 86%.

Still, Thompson was surprised to see the city rank first for the second consecutive year. "[It] is not mentioned in discussions of cities that have a strong fitness orientation," he says. But the data demonstrated only a handful of weaknesses, most of them having to do with the limited number of recreational facilities.

Lagging Behind

While such a shortcoming doesn't hurt D.C.'s ranking, it's par for the course for cities at the bottom of the list, such as Detroit, Oklahoma City and Birmingham, Ala.

Oklahoma City, which placed last, performed poorly in nearly every category. Only 17% of its residents eat five or more fruits and vegetables per day compared to a national MSA average of 24%. The death rate per 100,000 patients with cardiovascular disease was 289 compared to the average of 223.

Though Detroit residents exceeded the national average for physical activity, 40% reported one or more days when they experienced poor mental health, compared to a national average of 34%.

Jim Kauffman, national director of health and well-being for the YMCA of the USA, says the ability to compare such statistics can help community leaders improve in areas where they perform poorly.

Acting accordingly could pay significant dividends. Research has shown that investments in preventative health care can have financial rewards. A 2008 report issued by the nonprofit organization Trust for America's Health found that spending $10 per person on proven programs like smoking cessation and physical activity could save $16 billion annually in health costs.

The money to pay for these programs may come from the fittest city, Washington, D.C. Despite the recession, which has led to municipal budget-cutting in cities across the country, this year's stimulus act includes $650 million for "evidence-based clinical and community-based prevention and wellness strategies."

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services said that how the stimulus money will be spent or distributed has yet to be determined, but that a decision should be forthcoming in the next several weeks. That's perfect timing for cities at the bottom of the AFI ranking, since they now know where money needs to be spent. It's up to them, however, to take advantage.

"The [index] is meant to build awareness of how residents must take personal responsibility for their health and get involved in their own community," says Thompson.

Top 5 Fittest Cities

1. Washington, D.C.
2. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.
3. Denver, Colo.
4. Boston, Mass.
5. San Francisco, Calif.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

No Time Like Now to Start Fresh

2009-05-21T20:28:00.001-07:00

I personally loved this article and couldn't have said it better! --Meagan Lee

If you lack motivation, feel overwhelmed; want to change something in your life – think now.

When we think about everything that has happened, could happen, may or may not happen, we are not in the present moment and not able to enjoy the beauty of the present.

The present moment is a gift (maybe that is why it is called the "present"), and it really is all we have, because if you think about it, things only happen in today – even tomorrow has to become today before something will happen.

Being present allows you to not obsess about what was or what will be – which pretty much keeps us stuck – and allows us to move forward in a very thoughtful, powerful and graceful way.

Focus your attention on embracing the present
Take the actions that you can take today
Relax and let tomorrow be

Your anxiety will abate the minute you realize that in this moment, everything is fine. And that does not discount the fact that you may want some things in your life to change. In fact change comes much more quickly, and easily, when you focus on being in the now. Again:

Allow the present to be exactly as it is
Take the steps to make the changes you want
Relax and accept what is

You do not have to hate the way you look today to change it tomorrow. You can, and should, embrace who you are today and what you look like, and take action to change what you would like to change.

If you want to lose weight, you can eat less and exercise more and like yourself in the process. In fact, you are more likely to stick with your decision to take these steps if you are not beating yourself up along the way.

Imagine getting up in the morning for a 30-minute brisk walk, getting dressed and cursing what you look like – this makes you want to get back under the covers – versus getting out of bed, appreciating your willingness to try, and determination to overcome the desire to stay in bed. This makes you feel like a hero, and going for a walk leaves you feeling invigorated, and like a champion.
It’s a win, win situation - dive in and enjoy.

By Debbie Rocker

Blogged with the Flock Browser

13 New or Revamped Sports Facilities in San Antonio

2009-03-18T09:12:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,
Its been a busy first part of Spring! I am so excited to have annouced my involvment with Bexar County in developing the business plan for 13 new or revamped sports facilities for San Antonio. Here is a run down of the announcements and recommendations if you are interested in whats soon to come!!

1. Our committee’s top recommendation is the UTSA Athletic Complex. 20 years from now, a top-tier, Div. I athletic program will do for our community what the Spurs have over the last 20 years. In the short-term, the International Track & Field Stadium and the International Soccer Stadium will have the greatest tourist impact.

2. The Regional Soccer & Special Needs Park – better known as the “Hartman Project” – is our second ranked recommendation. The 15 full-
sized fields, when combined with the 12 fields in the Classics Elite/McAllister Park soccer complex, produces a 27-field complex capable of hosting national (and even international) tournament play. In our ROI analysis, soccer is the best tourism investment San Antonio can make. The Special Needs Park should speak for itself. San Antonio has built 3 dog-parks, but has yet to build a Special Needs Park.

3. Ranked third from our committee is the National Aquatics Center at Northside ISD’s Farris Athletic Complex. USA Swimming, the National Governing Body for swimming, has given this project its strongest endorsement. Their Executive Director told us that we can conservatively plan on hosting five (5), large, state, regional and national events per year. These events top out at 1200 families in town for 9 days!

4. Our committee ranked Brooks Soccer Park as our fourth priority. This would be the first tournament-quality soccer facility on the south side. When completed, it will have 14, full-sized fields, only one less than the Hartman complex.

5. Fifth on our list is the Mission Concepcion Athletic Complex. Given the financial realities of a $75m cap, our committee generally focused on outdoor facilities, because the dollar goes farther. Unfortunately, this process left the indoor sports largely untouched, but not at Mission Concepcion. Here we will have the only indoor facility in San Antonio with 6 basketball/12 volleyball courts under one roof. More important, there is a plan for expansion to 12 basketball/24 volleyball courts in the future!

6. The Culebra Creek Soccer Complex will be the largest soccer park in Bexar County. The 14 new fields added to the existing 8 at the ACYSO Park will result in a 22-field complex in the heart of the exploding NW San Antonio.

7. The Wheatley Heights Sports Complex is unique and surprising. It is our only football-focused project! The Wheatley Heights Sports Complex will focus on a fast-pitch softball tournament 4-plex, an international track with a championship football field, football practice and tournament fields, a large soccer practice area, a driving range and a (future) par-3 golf course.

8. Our eighth recommendation is the already mentioned Classics Elite soccer addition, which the committee viewed in conjunction with the “Hartman Project”. This addition is 5, new fields in McAllister Park. When added to their existing 7 and the 15 fields in the “Hartman Complex”. NE San Antonio will have 27 tournament-quality fields within a 4-mile radius.

9. Southeast Skyline Park has been a fixture in southeast San Antonio. Built over a landfill at the far north end of Southside Lions Park and adjacent to Highlands High School, Southeast Skyline has served generations of southeast San Antonio boys and girls. This renovation and addition will replace a target for repeated vandalism with a beautiful, 7-field Pony League complex.

10. The Outdoor Sports Complex at St. Mary’s University can have the same impact on Div. II sports that the UTSA project can have on Div. I sports. Additionally, they are matching County dollars at slightly more than a 1:1 rate and they have plans in place for daily programs involving neighborhood youth.

11. The McAllister Park Little League Park will bring 10 new baseball fields to NE Bexar County. Currently, the McAllister Park Little League is built in the McAllister flood plain. With the recent completion of the dam, the existing fields are frequently unusable or destroyed. The Parks and Rec Department has encouraged ALL sports to “move to higher ground”. This will get McAllister Little League to higher ground, add much-needed capacity, and bring the complex up to tournament standards so that McAlister Little League can host tournaments both at the end of their season and for other organizations during their off-season.

12. San Antonio has a long history in fencing beginning with Lt. George Patton’s Olympic preparation. We have produced many Olympians and currently have the top-ranked woman epee fencer heading into Beijing. Before 9-11, many youth sports were headquartered on our military bases (soccer, judo, fencing, air pistol, etc.). After 9-11, our children and families lost access to those facilities. The Texas Fencing Center will not only keep fencing alive in Bexar County, it will take it to another level as the only, dedicated fencing facility in Texas. If built to plan, it will host 10 regional and 5 national competitions annually.

13. Our final recommendation is the SA Missions Baseball Academy. The Missions will build, manage and program the only adult (15 and older) 4-plex in Texas. As first-mover in baseball, this will give Bexar County a terrific advantage in tournament hosting. Additionally, having the best major-league coaching available to Bexar County boys and girls opportunities that even the Astros and Rangers aren’t creating in their communities.

Pt 3. on how a competitor can manage their time while in school

2009-01-19T15:12:00.000-08:00

Once you begin preparing your meals, you will need Tupperware, a big lunch box, ice packs for the lunch box to keep meals cold, and medicine droppers! Medicine droppers? Absolutely! Medicine droppers are an awesome way to store your flax oil and fish oil while on the go! This way you don’t have to carry the whole bottle around and you can just measure how many drops are needed for your daily dosage. Droppers are a quick, easy way to take your fats! Another suggestion, is to find a microwave on campus that is in proximity of your classes so that you can heat everything up and still make it to class on time. Schedule your eating around classes so you can eat every 2.5 to 3 hours, but if you have to eat in class and your professors give you a hard time about it, explain to them why you are doing it and they will likely understand. If you are a trainer, sometimes this can actually lead to them to their interest in training with you!

Depending on the time that you will be away from home will determine how many meals you pack in your cooler. Though, as a rule of thumb, never leave your house with less than four meals prepped, ready, and in your cooler. This will ensure that if you get side tracked and cannot make it back home as planned, you are not stuck without your meals. This is very helpful especially if you have group projects and have to meet up with your group members.

Womens Sports Foundation

2009-01-19T15:09:00.000-08:00

Hey all!

I will be speaking on Feb 12th at the AlamoDome as a spokesperson for Go Girl Go in their annual conference. I will be speaking on a healthy body image and eating disorders and be holding a workshop for those that would like more information.

If anyone is interested in attending this conference please let me know!

I hope all is well and yall are exercising and eating right!

Pt 2. on how a competitor can manage their time while in school

2009-01-09T12:54:00.001-08:00

As a rule of thumb for pre contest and fat loss, the ratio is 50/20/30, meaning fifty percent of your daily intake is protein, twenty percent are carbohydrates and the last thirty percent are fats. Other common ratios 30/50/20 for gaining muscle mass; and 40/40/20 for general weight loss. An easy daily caloric intake calculation is to multiply your weight times ten. You can then divide your total caloric intake by the percentages given in the ratio, a simple solution for estimating your proteins, carbohydrates, and fats for the day. You can also divide those amounts by the number of calories in one gram of protein, carbohydrate, and fat; 4, 4, and 9 respectively. These results will give you the amount of grams of each component that you should be consuming on a daily basis.

Example:

Step 1: 125 lbs x 10= 1250 kcal/day
Step 2:
• 50 percent Protein / 1250 = 625 calories
• 20 percent Carbohydrates/ 1250 = 250 calories
• 30 percent FATS / 1250 = 375 calories
Step 3:
• Protein 625 kcal / 4 = 156-157g
• Carbohydrates 250 kcal / 4 = 62.5g
• Fats 375 kcal / 9 = 41.6-42g
*This is just a sample of a common ratio used for competition diets. Depending upon where you are in your preparation and how your body responds to this food ratio, will determine exactly how many grams of each component you will be consuming.

Pt 1. on how a competitor can manage their time while in school

2009-01-04T19:34:00.000-08:00

By Meagan Rodriguez

Time is the only thing that we can’t get back in this fast paced in which we live. From school, work, family, and trying to stay healthy, there never seems to be enough time in the day. As a full time, full—load student with a lot of activities on my plate, how is it possible to find time to prep and compete? It comes down to a dedicated-balance routine between sleeping, training, eating, working, studying, and playing, but not necessarily in that order. My time management has to be precise and calculated or I am not able to get everything in, in one day. I literally live out of my day planner on season, but off season I am a little more lenient. In this article I will give you tools and advice on how to manage your time as a student, so that you can be more efficient with your time and become more organized in order to accomplish your competition goals easier than you may have before.
So you have picked the date for your competition and it is in the middle of the semester…now what? Take a deep breath and relax because going to school, working and prepping for competition is possible! The first thing to do is get a day planner. You need to write everything down and at what times they need to be started and completed. This will alleviate some stress about not having to remember everything in addition to prioritizing your daily responsibilities.
The next things to define and outline are- your top priority elements that must be scheduled consistently every week. The first, and a definite must, is food preparation! Pick one day out of the week (mine is Sunday) to prepare all of your protein and carbohydrates so that you can pack and go without having to cook every single day. Also, put your daily food diary on your fridge so that you can refer to it when prepping. If you do not have a nutritionist guiding you through your preparation, it is helpful to know how to calculate your protein, carbohydrate, and fat ratio. This will determine your daily caloric intake, giving you a food diary to follow.

Its been a while...

2009-01-04T18:33:00.000-08:00

Good evening everyone!

Its been a long while since I have written. So many things have taken place in the past month and a half so I will give you the "low down" really fast...I had my photo shoot and the week before finals started one of my husbands best friends was killed (this was at the end of Nov and the beginning of Dec), my business started to pick up like crazy, my father was sick over Christmas and I come to find out he now has cancer, a couple of days after that my good friends mother lost the battle with cancer etc etc... It has been a rough time in our lives but we are holding up well and looking at the bright side of things.

Nu-U Fitness is now working with Bexar county on a huge project for San Antonio and it will start June of this year (if we dont get set back). One of my other programs is about to launch into the pilot version for some of the children here in SA as well. There is a lot to look forward to in this new year!

I hope everyone's new year was well and I look forward to working with all of my new clients this year! New blogs are soon to come with insightful information, if there are any request please let me know!

Bridal Packages and Massage Therapy in San Antonio!

2008-11-28T08:06:00.000-08:00

Attention Brides!
We are now offering special bridal packages that have options like massage therapy for your stressful days of planning, food logs, grocery shopping, and meals made to your liking!

Come check it out at

www. nu-ufitness. com!!

Rita Hernandez is the massage therapist and she provides in home as well as studio massage therapy! Read her blog and contact her today! www.massagetherapybyrita.blogspot.com!

Have a great weekend!

An Awesome Quote

2008-11-25T04:52:00.000-08:00

Very simple but very true,

"We Are Challenged By The Choices We Make."

Think about it...

Communication is Key!

2008-11-23T13:52:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!
Well something came to my attention today; I mean, I have always known this but in the past week it has become more important to me.

When you are a client or a trainer, communication is a key element in reaching your fitness goals. No one knows your body better than you do.

Trainers, I would suggest getting feedback from your clients as much as possible so you are able to tailor their work outs better and to their liking as well. I know sometimes they may have to do an exercise they dont like but if you can find an alternative and get the same or even better results, then thats a good route to take.

Dont be scared to ask for feedback! The only way to get better and to help your clients reach their goals faster is to find out how they are feeling! Even if you are afraid of constructive criticism, do it anyway because in the long run it will benefit both client and trainer tremendously.

Clients, let us trainers know how we are doing! Not in a pushy or demeaning way, but in the way of informing us on how you feel about the work outs, how you are feeling during the work outs etc. Yes, we are trainers and can read body language pretty well, but we cant read minds. So verbalizing is a good tool to use to reach your goals even faster. If something is not working for you or anything at all, please let us know so we dont end up wasting time.

And again, this is a key element because if you arent communicating properly, you might not be getting the best work out you can get.

Interview with World Physique!

2008-11-19T18:34:00.001-08:00

Good evening everyone!
I had the pleasure of interviewing with World Physique Magazine recently, if you would like to read it please go to

http://worldphysique.com/meaganrodriguezinterview

and please vote for me starting Dec 2nd!!

http://worldphysique.com/contests1

Thank you!!

Barbecue Chicken Flatbread Pizza

2008-11-15T20:13:00.000-08:00

Makes: 1 Serving
Serving Size: 1 Small Pizza
nutrition per serving
Calories: 344
Protein: 35 grams
Carbs: 33 grams
Fat: 13 grams
This incredibly tasty and spicy recipe will satisfy your craving for pizza without all of the extra carbohydrates and fat.

Ingredients:

1.6" whole wheat tortilla
Pam Cooking Spray
2 Tbsp. tomato sauce or pizza sauce
1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, divided
2 ½ oz. cooked, boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small chunks or shredded*
1 Tbsp. your favorite BBQ sauce
1/8 cup thinly sliced onion (optional)
1/8 cup thinly sliced bell pepper (optional)
Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Place whole wheat tortilla on a cookie sheet and spray the tortilla lightly with Pam Cooking Spray
Spread tomato or pizza sauce on top
Sprinkle half of the cheddar cheese on top of sauce
In a small bowl, combine the chicken and barbeque sauce and layer on top of cheese
Sprinkle onions, peppers and remaining cheese on top of pizza
Cook for approximately 8-10 minutes or until crust is crisp and cheese is melted
Allow to cool slightly, cut into quarters and enjoy!
What is the Balance?
This recipe has a good balance of protein, carbohydrate and fat.

Banana Cinnamon Protein Pancakes

2008-11-02T20:27:00.000-08:00

Makes: 8 Pancakes
Serving Size: 2 Pancakes (approx. 1/4 cup batter per pancake)
nutrition per serving
Calories: 194
Protein: 16 grams
Carbs: 22 grams
Fat: 4 grams
These banana pancakes are loaded with protein and whole grains and flavor. Whole wheat pastry flour gives a lighter texture than plain whole wheat flour. Share them with your kids for a nutritious breakfast.

Ingredients:

½ cup whole wheat pastry flour (can be found at whole foods or any health food store)
4 scoops Vanilla Protein Powder
½ cup (1 oz.) instant oats
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. Splenda baking substitute
1/8 tsp. cinnamon (you may add more if you choose)
2 Extra Large Whole Eggs
8 oz. (1 cup) non fat milk
2 oz. of banana, mashed into a smooth puree
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
Non-Fat Cooking Spray for Skillet/Pan
Preparation:

Combine all dry ingredients (first 7 ingredients) in a small bowl and stir well.
In a separate bowl, whisk together remaining 4 ingredients (wet ingredients) lightly just until blended.
Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and fold until just incorporated (over mixing will cause pancakes to be flat and tough)
Heat skillet over medium/low and spray with Pam non-fat cooking spray.
When pan is hot, add ¼ cup batter at a time. Allow pancake to cook thoroughly on first side before turning (edges will firm and bubbles will appear across entire surface when it’s ready). Because there is protein powder added, they take longer to cook than regular pancakes. Flip when ready. Remove from pan.
What is the Balance?

These pancakes have a great balance of protein, carbohydrate and a very small amount of fat.

Nutritionist's Note:

You may want to add a few nuts to the batter or on top of the pancakes, or a small amount of Smart Balance margarine to increase the fat slightly.

Updates

2008-11-02T20:26:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!
I know it has been quite a while since my last blog so I thought I would apologize and update yall on what has been going on!

Well, this past weekend I had my photoshoot that I had been preparing for, for 25 weeks. It went very, very well. The last few days were tough since I was dieted down and water depleted, but in the end it was all worth it. The photoshoot took 4 hours but we got some amazing shots! I cant wait to share them with yall. I will have them posted hopefully by the end of this week. I will get to see all of the proofs tomorrow.

Now that the shoot is finished it is time for me to transition into off season. I am a little apprehensive but its something that I need to do. I will take 2 weeks off and enjoy myself but after that its back more calories, no cardio, and a lot of heavy lifting! I cant wait to see how I progress in these next 6 months.

Along with all of the awesome physical progress that I have made, there have been business progress as well. Meaning that there are changes coming in the next year that I couldnt have even imagined! There will be 4 options for me to choose from once I graduate, so this is all in God's hands and I have been so blessed to have met all of those that have given me these options! I dont have all the details but when the time is right I will update everyone on the direction I am taking.

I hope everyone had a blessed and good weekend! Be safe this upcoming week!

Work out log 10-24-08 Legs

2008-10-27T05:56:00.001-07:00

Leg press 2 sets 260lbs, 12 reps.

Leg press with hip flexion: 3 sets, 350, 10 reps

One legged Lunges super setted with front squats: 2 sets, 50lbs on lunges x 12 reps, 60lbs on front squats x 12 reps.

Incline bench dumbell hamstring curls: 3 sets 15 lbs, 12 reps.

Flat Bench leg extensions super setted with sumo squats: 2 sets 15 lbs x 12 reps on leg extensions, 70lbs x 10 reps on sumo squats.

Jump Squats: 1 set till failure.

Olive Leaf Extract

2008-10-24T23:47:00.000-07:00

Work out log 10-23-2008 shoulders and abs

2008-10-23T20:23:00.001-07:00

SHOULDERS

Lateral raises: 2 sets, drop set from 20-15-10-8-5, reps are 6-8-8-10-till failure.

Unilateral Free Motion Machine sitting shoulder press: 3 sets on each side 50lbs 12 reps

Free Motion Machine Sitting Bilateral shoulder press with legs up for ab engagement: 3 sets 60lbs till failure with a negative and hold at the end.

ABS:

Incline bench reverse crunches: 4 sets till failure.

Flat bench combination sets of: 2 sets
- 45 degree leg lifts 15 lbs, 15 reps
-lying hip lift with rotation 20 reps
-reverse crunches till failure

Fattiest Foods in America!

2008-10-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

By now, almost everybody knows that trans fats are the food additive that should rarely pass your lips. They add useless calories, build bad cholesterol (known as LDL), and lower your good cholesterol (known as HDL). The American Heart Association says you should only consume 2 grams or less of trans fats in our daily diets. (And we say less. Zero is a good number.)

So why on earth is trans fat still in food if it’s so terrible? Because even though trans fats may shorten your life, they actually add to the shelf life of baked goods, and keep the deep-fat fryers stoked batch after batch. Choosing between your personal health and their own financial health, some chain restaurants and food manufacturers go the wrong way.

Our mission: to raise the warning flag. Here’s a list of the worst trans fat transgressors. Put them on your do-not-eat list, and we’ll all feel a lot better.

TRANS FATTIEST BREAKFAST PASTRY
Cinnabon Classic Roll
5 g trans fat
813 calories
32 g fat

Eat these too often and you might have to be rolled out of the store. Not only do they serve a whopping 813 calories, but they’ll also set you back with a few days' worth of trans fats.

Eat This Instead:
Cinnabon Minibon Delight
300 calories
8 g fat (2 g trans fat)

This is the healthiest option on their menu, and it still has one day’s worth of trans fats. Offset your indulgence and help protect your ticker with these 10 foods that are great for your heart.

TRANS FATTIEST BISCUIT
Bob Evans Country Biscuit Breakfast
6 g trans fat
659 calories
45 grams fat

Beware of biscuits. Like deep-fried menu items, they should set off a trans fat alarm in your head. The lowliest lard keeps biscuits soft and tender. Of course, the fact that Bob’s trans fatty biscuit is drowned in gravy and cheese doesn’t help, either.

Eat this Instead:
Bowl of oatmeal and French Toast a la carte (1 slice)
303 calories
5 g fat (0 g trans fat)

The oatmeal will fill you up, so you won’t overindulge after the slice of toast. For 15 other tips for losing weight fast without sacrificing your favorite foods (or ever dieting again), learn these secret restaurant swaps!

TRANS FATTIEST FRENCH FRIES
Jack in the Box's large Natural Cut Fries
10 g trans fat
300 calories
33 g fat

Although most fast food restaurants have transitioned to trans-fat-free fryers, Jack in the Box hasn’t. Their large servings of natural cut fries and curly fries both pack more than 5 days' worth of dangerous fats. In fact, most of the items on their menu are riddled with more than a day’s serving of trans fats.

Eat this instead:
Jack in the Box Egg Roll (1)
130 calories
6 g fat (1 g trans fat)

The fruit cup and one egg roll are the only sides that do not have 2 or more grams of trans fats. If the fruit cup isn’t for you, limit yourself to one egg roll.

TRANS FATTIEST CHICKEN TENDERS
Dairy Queen Wild Buffalo Chicken Strip Basket (4 pieces)
11 g trans fat
870 calories
96 g fat

The Queen serves up another example of deep-fried danger. The nearly 100 grams of fat alone should deter you from ordering this basket of trouble. But the 4 strips also deliver more than 3 days' worth of trans fats. DQ stands for disqualified.

Eat this instead:
Grilled Chicken Sandwich
400 calories
16 g fat (0 g trans fat)

TRANS FATTIEST RESTAURANT ENTREE
Bob Evans Slow Roasted Chicken Pot Pie
13 g trans fat
908 calories
60 g fat

Trans fats happily make their home in crusts — like the one that surrounds this pot pie. Bob Evans is one of the worst trans fat offenders: many of their dishes contain two or three days' worth of trans fat. Down this pot pie and you’ll have consumed nearly a week’s trans fat quota.

Eat this instead:
Bob-B-Q Chicken
545 calories
14 g fat (0 g trans fat)

TRANS FATTIEST MILKSHAKE
Dairy Queen Large Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard
6 g trans fat
1,320 calories
52 grams fat

Treating yourself to ice cream now and then isn’t a problem. But if your frozen treat includes three days worth of trans fat, it’s time pick a new ice-cream parlor. (And make sure you avoid other drinkable disasters that might be on this indispensable 20 Unhealthiest Drinks in America list!)

Eat this instead:
Small Artic Rush Slush
240 Calories
0 g fat (0 g trans fat)

Or try these 8 frozen desserts that won't wreck your waistline.

TRANS FATTIEST PANCAKES
Bob Evans Stacked & Stuffed Caramel Banana Pecan Hotcakes
9 g trans fat
1,543 calories
77 g fat
Don’t be fooled by the bananas and pecans, which can be healthy on their own. But this dish delivers 3 days worth of trans fat, not to mention over half the recommended daily calorie intake.

Eat this instead:
Stuffed French Toast, No Topping
599 calories
20 g fat (0 g trans fats)

We don’t love the calorie count on this one, so you’re best off splitting this dish or taking half home. But it’s the only Bob Evans pancake or French toast meal that doesn’t slip you trans fats.

To discover other things restaurants might be surprising you with, make sure to check out these 16 secrets the restaurant industry doesn’t want you to know! It’ll help you save your waistline when you’re eating out.

And to avoid 22 other popular trans fat transgressors at your favorite fast-food and chain restaurants, check out this must-have list of big-name offenders. Don't leave home without it!

Know other tips, tricks, and tactics? Please share them with the rest of us here.

by: http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/17837/the-fattiest-foods-in-america/

Work out log 10-21-2008 back, bi's, tri's

2008-10-21T13:14:00.000-07:00

BACK:

Barbell rows:
4 sets, 45lbs x 12 reps x 1 set, 65lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets.

Pull Ups: 3 sets x 8 reps, 7 reps, 6 reps.

Close grip rows: 2 sets x 40lbs x 1 set x 12 reps, 50lbs x 1 set x 12 reps

Wide grip lat pull downs: 2 sets x 60lbs x 12 reps

TRICEPS:

Rope tricep extension: 3 sets x 12 reps x 50lbs

Cable cross reverse grip extentions: 2 sets x 12 reps x 50lbs

BICEPS:

Barbell curl: 2 sets x 30lbs x 8 reps

Side Hammer curl: 2 sets x 10 lbs x 8 reps

Close grip bicep curls: 2 sets x 20lbs x 8 reps

Weekly Food Diary 10-17-2008 13 days out.

2008-10-18T17:06:00.000-07:00

Meal 1:

Protein Powder 1 1/2 scp
Oatmeal 1/4 cup
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 2:

Chicken 5 oz
Green Veggies
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 3:

Post Work out-
Chicken 4 oz
White Rice 1/2 oz

or

Pro Powder 1 1/2 scp
Rice Cakes 1

Non Work Out-

Chicken 4 oz
Green Veggies
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 4:

Chicken 5 oz
Green Veggies
Fish Oil 1 tsp

Meal 5:

Lean Beef or Chicken 5 oz
Greens Veggies

Cardio: 13 sessions of 65 minutes (I use the bike or elliptical and keep my heart rate between 130-140 bpm)

Calories: 986
Protein: 163 grams
Carbs: 36 grams
Fats: 25 grams

How to overcome discouragement!

2008-10-17T12:45:00.000-07:00

How to Overcome Discouragement
by Rick Warren

Then the people of Judah said, “The work crews are worn out, and there is too much rubble. We can’t continue to rebuild the wall.” Nehemiah 4:10 (GWT)*** *** *** ***

Discouragement is curable. Whenever I get discouraged, I head straight to Nehemiah. This great leader of ancient Israel understood there were four reasons for discouragement.

First, you get fatigued. You simply get tired as the laborers did in Nehemiah 4:10. We’re human beings and we wear out. You cannot burn the candle at both ends. So if you’re discouraged, it may be you don’t have to change anything. You just need a vacation! Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is go to bed.

Second, you get frustrated. Nehemiah says there was rubble all around, so much that it was getting in the way of rebuilding the wall. Do you have rubble in your life? Have you noticed that anytime you start doing something new, the trash starts piling up? If you don’t clean it out periodically, it’s going to stop your progress. You can’t avoid it, so you need to learn to recognize it and dispose of it quickly so you don’t lose focus on your original intention.What is the rubble in your life? I think rubble is the trivial things that waste your time and energy and prevent you from accomplishing what God has called you to do.

Third, you think you’ve failed. Nehemiah’s people were unable to finish their task as quickly as originally planned and, as a result, their confidence collapsed. They were thinking, “We were stupid to think we could ever rebuild this wall.”But you know what I do when I don’t reach a goal on time? I just set a new goal. I don’t give up. Everybody fails. Everybody does dumb things. So the issue is not that you failed – it’s how you respond to your failure. Do you give in to self-pity? Do you start blaming other people? Do you start complaining that it’s impossible? Or, do you refocus on God’s intentions and start moving again?

Finally, when you give in to fear, you get discouraged. Nehemiah 4 suggests the people most affected by fear are those who hang around negative people. If you’re going to control the negative thoughts in your life, you’ve got to get away from negative people as much as you can. Maybe you’re discouraged because of fear. You’re dealing with fears like, “I can’t handle this. It’s too much responsibility.” Maybe it’s the fear that you don’t deserve it. It’s the fear of criticism. Fear will destroy your life if you let it. But you can choose to resist the discouragement. Say, “God help me get my eyes off the problem – off the circumstance – and keep my eyes on you.”

© 2008 Purpose Driven Life. All rights reserved.

Work out log 10-14-2008 Shoulders and Abs

2008-10-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

Prone Rotating Shoulderpress SS with Reverse Flies:
4 sets, 10lbs, 10 reps on each exercise.

Decline ab crunch with lateral raises SS with crunch and shoulder press:
3 sets, 10lbs, 10 reps on each exercise.

Flat bench sitting lateral raises with knees up at an angle SS with shoulder press SS with reverse ab curls:
3 sets, 12 lbs, 10reps on lat raises and 8 reps on shoulder press

Standing Shoulder Press Drop Set SS with lat raises and around the worlds:
1 complete set of 20lb shoulder press, 8 reps--15 lbs shoulder press, 8 reps--10lbs lat raises 6 reps--8lbs lat raises 6 reps, 5lb around the worlds 5 reps.

Incline reverse curls:
1 set till failure.

Affordable Online Training Available.

2008-10-12T14:01:00.001-07:00

Hey all,

I know budgets are tight but you may still want to have structure to your work outs and diet but not break that budget. I am offering online training and diet analysis for $35 a week! If you are interested please email me for more details! Thank you and have a great day!

Weekly Food Diary 10-11-208

2008-10-11T18:04:00.001-07:00

Meal 1:

Protein Powder 1 1/2 scp
Oatmeal 1/3 cup
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 2:

Chicken 5 oz
Sweet Potato 1 oz
Green Veggies
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 3:

Post Work out-
Chicken 4 oz
White Rice 1/2 oz

or

Pro Powder 1 1/2 scp
Rice Cakes 1

Non Work Out-

Chicken 4 oz
Green Veggies
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 4:

Chicken 5 oz
Green Veggies
Fish Oil 1 tsp

Meal 5:

Lean Beef or Chicken 5 oz
Greens Veggies

Cardio: 12 sessions of 65 minutes (I use the bike or elliptical and keep my heart rate between 130-140 bpm)

Calories: 1030
Protein: 163 grams
Carbs: 36 grams
Fats: 26 grams

Work out log 10-8-2008 Legs and abs

2008-10-09T04:46:00.000-07:00

Once again, low carb so way less intensity and weight. I almost felt mad when I didnt have that much energy in the gym today, thats what happens 3 weeks out! So its expected. We just dont want to burn off any more muscle than need be.

LEG:

Squats: 5 sets, 65lbs-85-130 x3 sets, 12 reps each.

Legs press: real deep controlled leg press with 210lbs and a static hold on the last rep at the bottom for 5 seconds, 12 reps.

ABS:

Decline crunches: 2 sets, 20 reps

Reverse Crunches: 2 sets, 15 reps

Toe touches: 1 set, 15 reps

Decline Side twist SS with crunches: 2 sets 20 reps.

Weekly Food Diary 10-4-208

2008-10-07T18:55:00.000-07:00

Meal 1:

Protein Powder 1 1/2 scp
Oatmeal 1/2 cup
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 2:

Chicken 5 oz
Sweet Potato 1 oz
Green Veggies
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 3:

Post Work out-
Chicken 4 oz
White Rice 1/2 oz

or

Pro Powder 1 1/2 scp
Rice Cakes 1

Non Work Out-

Chicken 4 oz
Br. Rice 1/4 oz
Green Veggies
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 4:

Chicken 5 oz
Sweet Potato 1/2 oz
Green Veggies
Fish Oil 1 tsp

Meal 5:

Lean Beef or Chicken 5 oz
Greens Veggies

Cardio: 12 sessions of 65 minutes (I use the bike or elliptical and keep my heart rate between 130-140 bpm)

Calories: 1097
Protein: 163 grams
Carbs: 54 grams
Fats: 26 grams

Work out log 10-7-2008 Shoulders and Biceps

2008-10-07T18:40:00.000-07:00

Since I am so low calorie now we have cut back just a tad on the intensity so that we avoid burning more muscle than need be.

SHOULDERS:

FMM Sitting Shoulder Press: 3 sets, 80lbs-90lbs-90lbs, 12 reps-10 reps-10reps

Sitting Barbell Behind the neck Shoulder press: 3 sets, 25lbs, 10 reps each

Sitting Dumbbell side laterals super setted with shoulder press: 2 sets, 10 reps on laterals, 10 reps on shoulder press, 10lbs.

BICEPS:

Barbell curls: 2 sets, 25lbs, 8 reps

Close grip dumbell curl: 2 sets, 25lbs, 10 reps.

Work out log 10-6-2008 Back and Triceps

2008-10-06T17:55:00.000-07:00

BACK:

Pull Ups: 2 sests of 8 reps

FMM High Row: 2 sets, 12 reps, 80lbs

FMM Lat Pull Down: 2 sets, 12 reps, 70lbs

FMM Reverse Lat pull down: 2 sets, 8 reps, 60lbs

TRICEPS:

Incline Skull Crushers: 2 sets, 12 reps, 25lbs

Tricep Ext: 3 sets, 100lbs to 70lbs drop set on each set till failure

FMM Tricep Ext: 1 set, 60lbs, till failure.

No, I have not fallen of the face of the earth.

2008-10-02T06:13:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

Well, needless to say I have been more busy now than ever! That is why I havent been blogging as much, dont have as much time for much so I had to re-pri-oritize! To catch yall up to speed real quick...I am now a council member of the YOPPC here in San Antonio, which stands for Youth Obesity Prevention Partners Council. The(YOPPC)is comprised of program managers of local community-based youth obesity prevention programs that address physical fitness, nutrition, school health, and/or youth mental health programs in any of the 15 school districts in Bexar County. The YOPPC works collaboratively to provide seamless and effective prevention programming across participating school districts!

I am also writing exclusive articles for a website called bizymoms.com and I just had my first interview with World Physique Magazine to be their first profile of the magazine!

I am also starting to go to 3 different schools in Harlendale ISD to implement my Progressive Fitness Program and monitor it. It will be launched fully by January!!

The Rock N' Roll Marathon and Fitness and Health Expo is right around the corner on the weekend of Nov. 14th-16th and I will be volunteering at the San Antonio Sports Foundation Booth to help with registration etc... I am also helping to recruit!! We still need 1000 volunteers, and especially one that is fluent in spanish that can help at the S.A.S.F booth to assist the international runners that are coming in. If anyone wants to volunteer please let me know! As a volunteer you will receive free tickets to the concert that will be at the end of the run on Nov 16th!

My husband and I are moving into our first home on our own this weekend so we are packing and loading everything up!! This is an exciting time!

Last but not least my photo shoot is less than 4 weeks away!! So its down to the wire with diet and cardio. Keep me in yalls prayers and hopefully I will be back to blogging more soon!

Have a wonderful and safe weekend!

Weekly Food Diary 9-27-2008

2008-09-28T16:03:00.000-07:00

Four Weeks out from photoshoot!

Meal 1:

Protein Powder 1 1/2 scp
Oatmeal 1/2 cup
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 2:

Chicken 5 oz
Sweet Potato 1 1/2 oz
Green Veggies
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 3:

Post Work out-
Chicken 4 oz
White Rice 1 oz

or

Pro Powder 1 1/2 scp
Rice Cakes 2

Non Work Out-

Chicken 4 oz
Br. Rice 1/2 oz
Green Veggies
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 4:

Chicken 5 oz
Sweet Potato 1 oz
Green Veggies
Fish Oil 1 tsp

Meal 5:

Lean Beef or Chicken 5 oz
Greens Veggies

Cardio: 12 sessions of 60 minutes (I use the bike or elliptical and keep my heart rate between 130-140 bpm)

Calories: 1154
Protein: 163 grams
Carbs: 67 grams
Fats: 26 grams

Work out log 9-28-2008 Legs

2008-09-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

Well today I just wasnt feeling it, I think I may be coming down with something but I am not sure. But I did a leg work out anyways.

Barbell Squats: 6 sets, 95lbs x 2, 115lbs, 135lbs x 2...12 reps with negatives at the end.

Leg Extension: 4 sets. First with 80lbs and 15 reps with both feet. Next 2 sets are with one leg at 40lbs 8 reps each with a hold at the end, last set is both legs with 80lbs till failure.

Front Squats: 2 sets 50lbs 12 reps.

Leg Press: 3 sets, 230lbs 15 reps.

Work out log 9-27-2008 Back, Tri's and abs.

2008-09-27T11:13:00.000-07:00

BACK:

Super duper set of prone exercise ball dumbbell rows, reverse flies, and delt rows:

2 sets: 20lbs dumbell row, 12 reps. 8lb reverse flies, 12 reps, 8 lbs delt row 8 reps.

Close grip lat pull downs: 2 sets of 70lbs, 8 reps dropped to 50lbs 6 reps. 2nd set 60lbs and then 50 lbs.

Prone Bench dumbell rows: 2 sets 25lbs 12 reps. 2nd set 20 lbs.

FMM Single arm lat pull down with rotation: 2 sets, 90lbs on each side, 12 reps.

FMM Lat pull downs: 1 set, 100lbs till failure.

TRICEPS AND ABS:

Incline reverse crunches super setted with skull crushers: 2 sets abs at 12 reps, 25lbs on skull crushers 15 reps.

Prone Tricep Extensions super setted with seated double crunch: 2 sets 8lbs on tricep extention, 12lbs on double crunch 15 reps on each. 2nd set 5 lbs Tricep Extension and 15lbs double crunch.

Standing Bar tricep extension super setted with flat bench straight leg reverse crunches: 2 sets, 90lbs extension 12 reps, 15 reps on crunches.

Introducing Rita Hernandez! Massage Therapist!

2008-09-26T18:56:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I want to introduce Rita to my team!

She is a Licensed Massage Therapist for our local San Antonio Area! She has traveled throught Texas to make sure she meets the needs of her clients. Rita is a 2005 graduate of, The Academy for Massage and Therapy Training, in San Antonio Tx. Rita has been involved in Health and Fitness since 1993. She has also been in the medical field since 1997.

Her passion to serve others, helped her to pursue a career in massage therapy. Rita is a hige advocate for education, health and wellness. She is currently pursuing her degree in Kinesiology and Athletic Training.

Her work extends from professional athletes to normal everyday people. She was an assistant massage therapist for the WNBA San Antonio Silver Stars in 2006. She has also assisted for the PGA Tour in San Antonio and the PGA Senior Championship Tour in 2006-2007. Rita has also been able to work with many athletes of all sports, and has had the opportunity to assist with athletes that compete in the International Natural Bodybuilding Federation (INBF) and NPC Bodybuilding.

I highly recommend her as a massage therapist and you can contact her at massagetherapybyrita@yahoo.com or 210-544-4584!

Work out log 9-25-2008 Shoulders and Bi's

2008-09-25T21:20:00.000-07:00

SHOULDERS:

FMM Side lateral raises super setter with regular shoulder press: the arms are set like you would do a regular shoulder press but instead you do side laterals. The cables are not crossed. This changes what muscle group is targeted the most.

3 sets, till failure, 30lbs on side laterals, 60lbs of shoulder press.

One arm FMM Lateral raise with arm circles: 1 set on each side, 30lbs till failure.

Cross cable side laterals: 1 set, till failure, 30lbs

Drop set of free weight side laterals: 2 sets, 15, 10, 8 lbs till failure.

Drop set and super set of bent over row and upright row: 2 sets 35lbs bent over row to 20lbs, 15 reps and then on the 20lbs till failure. Up right row 20lbs till failure.

Dumbell Over head press: 30lbs 1 set till failure.

BICEPS:

Incline dumbell curls: 2 sets, 15lbs 8 reps and then holding in a static position for 45-60 seconds.

FMM Over Head Cable Curl: 2 sets, 30lbs on first set, 50lbs on second set till failure.

Homemade Mocha Coffee with 1.5g of fat and sugar free!

2008-09-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I was thinking bout making coffee...but didnt have loose coffee grounds but I did have instant coffee! The instant coffee to me is very strong, unless I put in creamer or milk and I dont wanna do that at this point in my training. so I was trying to figure out how to make it taste better without the extra sugar, carbs and calories.

Think, Think, Think...

AH HA! I have sugar free chocolate pudding in the fridge...lets heat up the hot water add in two teaspoons of the instant coffee and a whole thing of sugar free chocolate pudding, add a packet of stevia....vvvvvuuuuaaaala! Coffee with a hint of chocolate with less than a full serving of pudding, with a whole serving of pudding it tastes like hot chocolate with a hint of coffee!! GENIOUS I must say...it is now one of my favorite drinks when I need a lil pick me up, or a make me feel better, or need a chocolate fix! :-) BYE BYE Starbucks! Hello Meagan Genious Drink...lol...Enjoy guys!

Cardio Conundrum

2008-09-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

By Jamie Filer....thought this was a great article.

We're almost at the 12 week "Countdown to Summer" mark, and everyone knows what that means; Cut, cut, cut. Lean midsections, toned arms, shapely and curvy legs/glutes for women, and shredded to the bone legs/glutes for me.

The beach is something you can't escape during the summer (unless you live in the artic) and thus, I wanted to write an article that helped explain the different types of cardio you can do to help you get that "Beach Worthy" body. We all know that cardio is essential for fat loss, right? Right? Hello? Anyone out there?

There are many different types of cardio you can do, and many different ways/venues to do them. So pick one that's convenient, safe and affordable for you.

Different Types of Cardio

Steady State Training:

Any form of aerobic/cardiovascular training where some reasonably steady intensity is maintained for an extended period. It is essentially a type of training where you can maintain 60-80% of your max heart rate. So for someone 25 years old, this would be about 120 - 160. This would be maintained anywhere from 20 - 60 minutes.

The Advantages To This Protocol Are:

It's great for beginners, depending on the intensity, it burns more calories during the exercise bout than interval training (because it's generally done for a longer period of time), and it can be done daily without taxing the body too much.

The Downsides To This Type Of Training Are:

It can be boring if done in long durations (and you don't have a TV or an iPod in front of you), you can develop an overuse injury if you always run the same course or use the same machine, and lastly, the one most aesthetic athletes should be concerned with, if you do too much endurance activities, you could cause muscle loss (unless you fuel/rest properly after, or sip on a BCAA supplement like Xtend during your workout).

Interval Training:

This is often referred to as high intensity interval training (HIIT). It involves any form of activity that alternates higher intensity (such as 30-60 seconds all out) with periods of lower intensity. The rest interval can be passive (not moving, resting) or active ("recovery pace"). You can do interval training on a bike, treadmill, or even sprints outside.

A typical set-up might be a 5 minute warm-up followed by 15 repeats of 15 seconds near maximum intensity alternated with 45 seconds low intensity activity, followed by a 5 minute cool-down. This is not ideal for beginners.

The Advantages To This Protocol Are:

It leads to greater fat loss over the long run because of the Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption and it is very time efficient.

The Disadvantages Of This Type Of Training Are:

This type of training is very taxing, so if you do it on the same day as resistance training, either your workout or your cardio will suffer. Secondly, this protocol is inappropriate for beginners or people with low cardiovascular capacity.

Lastly, if you're going longer than 15 seconds, you'll develop lactic acid in the working muscles, and chances are, you'll get Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness the next day.

Aerobic Interval Training:

This is a hybrid of the two previous form of training. It's mostly used with beginners who have trouble performing 20 minutes of continuous activity (as outlines by "Aerobic Training").

Aerobic Interval Training is done by performing 5-10 minutes of low intensity aerobic work, then taking a short break, then doing another 5 minutes of low intensity aerobic training, until the participant is fatigued. Each time it's done, try to increase the amount of time you run/bike/elliptical before you take a break, e.g. Week 1 = 5 minutes segments, Week 2 = 7 minute segments, etc.

The Benefits Of This Protocol Are:

It's excellent for untrained/beginner individuals and it helps build aerobic capacity.

The Disadvantages Of This Type Of Training Are:

The disadvantages of this type of training are almost the same as the ones for aerobic training: It can get boring, you can develop overuse injuries, and sometimes endurance activities cause muscle loss.

Unique Forms of Cardio

Sand Running:

It's exactly what it sounds like; running in the sand. Sand, mud, dirt, grass and trails are excellent training surfaces. There are so many benefits to running in this type of terrain: They force you to run slower for the same heart rate, lower risk of injury (because high running intensity is the second best predictor of injury), and your back and shoulders get a workout because you have to maintain balance.

The closer you run to the water (if the sand is near water), the more firm it is, so this is where beginners should start. As you've mastered that part, slowly start to move away from the water to the more shifty, less stable sand.

The downside of this is that it's possible to get skin problems on your feet such as blisters developed by friction with sand. There are possibilities to have some skin cuts and bruises from small stones hidden in sand as well.

Bleacher Running:

Extremely simple; run up and down bleachers/stairs. It's basically a resistance training program for your legs. The fight against gravity as you power up a steep incline translates in both speed and confidence size.

There are two different types of bleacher runs. The first would be to find a set of bleachers, power up the stairs, then take your time coming back down. This is similar to interval training. Really fast up, recovery pace down.

Another form of a bleacher workout is to run "repeats". Find a set of bleachers, and just take the time to jog easily up and down them for 5-10 minutes so that you are adequately warmed up. Once you have jogged at your warm-up speed, try and build your speed/power and run at a hard but sustainable pace to the top of the hill, turn and jog or walk back down. Repeat this 3-5 times or a many as you can, then cool down with a 10 minute jog.

Cardio Cocktails:

A term I heard floating around the internet to refer to steady state aerobic training using different machines in the gym. You could do 15 minutes on the rowing machine as a warm-up, then jump on the bike for another 15-20 minutes, then finish it off with a jog/walk on the treadmill. You could use any combination of 3-4 different machines for anywhere from 10-20 minutes.

Plyometric Training:

Plyometrics are usually sport specific, but I can't see why you can't incorporate them into your cardio routine a few days a week in order to speed up the fat loss.

Plyometrics focus on speed and power movements. A sample routine could include:

5-10 minute warm-up with a skipping rope
5 minutes of stretching (to make sure your muscles, tendons and joints are loose)
Jump squats - 3 sets of 10
Medicine ball throws - 3 sets of 10
"Plyometric Push-ups" - 3 sets of 10

There are some things to consider though before starting a plyometric routine:

Age (low-intensity and low-volume only for athletes under the age of 13 or for athletes who squat less than 1.5 times their bodyweight)

Surface (some degree of softness is needed. Hard surfaces such as concrete should never be used)

Footwear (must have adequate cushioning and be well fitting)

Bodyweight (athletes who are over 240 pounds (109 kg) should be very careful and low-intensity plyometric exercises should be selected)

Technique (a participant must be instructed on proper technique before commencing any plyometric exercise)

Conclusion:

So as you can see, there are many different ways to do cardio, and you can use nature and the warm weather to your advantage in order to make your routine more interesting. Hopefully, you'll use incorporate some of my ideas into your "Get cut for summer" routine, and maybe I'll see you looking ripped on the beach. Good luck!

Work out log 9-20-2008 Legs

2008-09-20T10:34:00.000-07:00

Unilateral movements for today.

Ball squats:

3 sets, 15 reps with body weight, 12 reps with 20lbs, 10 reps with 30lbs. At the end of each set I squatted with both legs and held that static position for 1 minute.

Leg Extensions:

4 sets 15 reps with 80lbs, 12 reps with 60lbs, 12 reps with 60lbs, 10 reps with 50lbs. At the end of each set I did a set of 100lbs leg lifts with a static hold at the end.

Leg Press:

3 sets with a different approach. Started with 150lbs and did 5 reps on each side, then to 200lbs for 10 reps, and back down to 150 for 5 reps (that all equaled one set, and then you do it over for 2 more sets.)

Work Out Log 9-19-2008 Tri's and Abs

2008-09-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

So my back was so sore from the shoulder work out that we did tri's and abs today.

TRICEPS:

Prone exercise ball overhead tricep extension: 2 sets, 50 lbs, 15 reps

Standing rope tricep extension: 2 sets, 40-30lbs, 12-10 reps

Free Motion Machine tricep extension: 2 sets, 50lbs, 12 reps

FMM Cross cable reverse grip tricep extensions: 2 sets, 40lbs, 12-10 reps.

Bar Tricep Extensions: 1 big drop set, 100lbs-50-40-30, 12 reps-12-10-10.

ABS:

Decline ball crunches: 2 sets, 20 reps.

Decline ball side crunches: 2 sets, 20 reps.

Reverse decline 90 Degree cruches: 1 set 15 reps

Reverse decline (legs straight in the air crunches: 1 set 12 reps

Decline toe touch crunches: 1 set 10 reps

Bench leg lifts: 2 sets, 12 lbs, 15 reps.

Knowing Your Vitamins and Minerals

2008-09-17T21:46:00.001-07:00

A great artcle by Joseph Amici.

While Vitamins and Minerals are essential to your diet, it is nice to know what a serious deficiency and large excess of each can do to your mental and physical health! Considering the Daily Values (DV %) listed on different containers are products, I will let you know what these deficiency and excess side effects are.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

A deficiency of Vitamin A can lead you to have side effects including dry skin, dry hair, blindness at nighttime, and an increase in digestive infections.
A large excess of Vitamin A can lead to dry skin (just as in a deficiency), hair loss, pain in the abdominals, headaches, and drowsiness.

Vitamin B1

A deficiency can cause heart failure and water retention.

Vitamin B2

A deficiency can cause areas of discolored skin.

Vitamin B3

A deficiency can contribute to damage to the skin and nervous system.
A large excess can cause flush skin (Niacin Flush) and liver damage.

Vitamin B6

A deficiency can cause nervousness and muscular disorders.
A large excess can cause a lack of coordination and numbness.

Vitamin B12

A deficiency can cause weakened nerve function.

Vitamin C

A deficiency can cause weakened immunity to sickness and slow healing of wounds.
A large excess can cause kidney stones and diarrhea.

Vitamin D

A deficiency can cause softened bones in adults and bone deformities in children.
A large excess can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and kidney damage.

Vitamin E

A large excess can cause fatigue and vomiting.

Vitamin K

A deficiency can cause severe bleeding and easy bruising.
A large excess can cause liver damage.

Minerals

Calcium

A deficiency can cause a loss of bone mass and stunted growth.
A large excess can cause kidney stones and a lesser absorption of other minerals.

Chloride

A deficiency can cause a loss in appetite and muscle cramps.
A large excess can cause high blood pressure.

Copper

A large excess can cause liver damage and vomiting.

Fluoride

A deficiency can cause tooth decay.
A large excess can cause upset stomachs and deformed skeletons.

Iodine

Both a deficiency and excess can cause enlarged thyroids.

Iron

A deficiency can cause a weakened immune system and overall weakness in the body.
A large excess can cause liver damage, shock, and heart failure.

Magnesium

A deficiency can cause muscle cramps.
A large excess can cause neurological problems.

Manganese

A large excess can cause nerve damage.

Phosphorus

A deficiency can cause weakness.
A large excess can lead to a lesser absorption of other minerals.

Potassium

A deficiency can cause muscle weakness.
A large excess can cause heart failure and paralysis.

Sodium

A deficiency can cause muscle cramps and a reduced appetite.
A large excess can cause high blood pressure.

Sulfur

There are no known side effects of consuming too little or too much sulfur.

Zinc

A deficiency can cause slurred speaking, trouble walking, and weakened immune function.
A large excess can cause vomiting and diarrhea.

Conclusion

I hope now that you have read this, you will have a better understanding of what a large excess and/or a deficiency of different vitamins and minerals can do to your body!

References:
Goodenough, Judith. Biology of Humans: Concepts, Applications, and Issues. 2nd

Work log 9-17-2008 Shoulders and Bi's

2008-09-17T21:46:00.000-07:00

Well I have booked my photo shoot date and I will be shooting with Guillermo Velez on Nov. 1, 2008 at 10am for 4 hours. I will have hair and make up done, hopefully I can get some of this on video! My diet and cardio for the last 3 weeks before the shoot will be very intense, keep me in your prayers! But it will all pay off in the end. Now...to the work out of today!

SHOULDERS:

Super Duper set of lat raises, side punches and around the worlds: 2 total rounds of all with little to no rest.
LATERAL RAISES: drop sets of 20lbs, 15, 10, 8 x 6, 8, 10 reps
SIDE PUNCHES: 8 lbs 30 reps, 15 on each side.
AROUND THE WORLD: 8 lbs 12 reps on the first set, 10 on the last

Free Motion Machine Unilateral Lat raises:
2 sets, 30 lbs 8 on each side.

Super Set of Cable Shoulder Press and Cross Cable Lat raises:
2 sets with
60lb over head press 15 reps
30lb lat raises 12 reps

BICEPS:

Barbell bicep curl: 1 set, 35lbs 10 reps

21's: 1 set, 15lbs

Cable curls: 2 sets 40lbs and 30lbs, 1st set 12 reps, 2nd set till failure.

NOTE: My biceps are easily developed that is why I dont necessarily concentrate on them too much.

10 Fitness & Nutrition Mistakes Made by Women Pt 6-10

2008-09-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

6. I'll Have the salad, please.

Salads can be a great source of nutrients while being low in saturated fat and simple carbohydrates. The key word is "can." Too many times I see individuals pass up perfectly healthy sandwiches and entrees, opting instead for a salad drenched in dressing, bacon bits, and croutons. These items, loaded with fat and calories while scant on nutrients, will not only sabotage a diet but will often fail to make you full.

In order to construct a truly healthy salad, focus on nutrient-dense, low-calorie items such as spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, etc and mix in some lean proteins, beans, nuts, and low fat cheeses for flavor and texture.

The best feature of salads is the variety that can be created, so keep things interesting and flavorful. If you prefer the mixture of dressing, bacon bits, and croutons with some greens mixed in, you might as well have some pizza or burgers to at least fill you up. As you can see, not all salads are created equal.

7. Ill Try to skip breakfast:

Study after study confirms that individuals who eat a balanced breakfast complete with carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats lose more weight than those who skip this meal. Why?

After a night of fasting and inactivity (aka sleep), an individual's metabolism is slowed to a crawl. Think of breakfast as the spark that ignites up your body's metabolic fire, setting you up to burn calories for the entire day. More importantly, though, a nutrient-dense, satisfying breakfast prevents overeating later in the day.

While it is true that skipping breakfast equates to zero calories for that meal, it sets you up to consume many more calories throughout the day, when food choices probably aren't the healthiest.

So if your goal is to shed body fat or lose unwanted weight, eat within 45 minutes of waking up. Breakfast can be as simple as a low-fat yogurt with a piece of fruit, so the "I don't have time for breakfast" excuse won't work.

8. I Do Pushups To Get Rid Of My "Batwings."

Some swear by pushups to rid themselves of that unwanted flab around the triceps, others are devotees of crunches to expunge belly fat, while still others try lunging their way to less cellulite on the backside.

Whatever the exercise and whatever the body part, this approach is called "spot reduction," whereby an isolation exercise is performed to tone a specific area. It simply doesn't exist.

You cannot reduce body fat in one spot. While isolation exercises will undoubtedly strengthen the target muscles, the fat surrounding these muscles (and the fat everywhere else on the body) can only be reduced by consistently being in a hypocaloric state (burning more calories than consumed).

This is why anyone with a six pack will tell you that crunches are not the key. So it does not matter if the goal is tighter arms, a small waistline, or a toned backside; decreasing consumption and increasing cardiovascular activity are the paths to success.

9. I Don't Lift Weights. Lifting Will Make Me Bulky.

An overwhelming number of women avoid the weight rooms of local gyms and health clubs because they firmly believe that resistance training, whether it is free weights or machine-assisted weights, will result in an undesirably bulky physique.

This misconception stems from the fact that nearly all men achieve noticeable gains in muscle mass after beginning a weight training regimen. Because it stems from personal observation and is partially true, it is quite difficult to combat.
Yes, regular weight training will result in increased muscle mass.

However, there is a certain type of training necessary to achieve these gains in size, training that involves heavy resistance and volume. By keeping the weight at about 40 to 50% of maximum effort and increasing repetitions for a cardiovascular effect, you will notice tone, not bulk.

10. It's Reduced-Fat. I Can Eat As Much As I Want.

There are two pieces of information I would like to convey here. "Reduced fat" is a relative term and just because an item is labeled such does not mean that it is low in calories.

For example, if one serving of a certain food contains 60% of the daily recommended fat intake, reducing that amount to 30% is considered "reduced fat," and will probably even be marketed as "half the fat of the original!"

However, 30% is still a lot of fat for one serving, so considered absolute values like how many grams of fat, carbohydrates, protein, etc. are consumed instead of relative values like "50% less fat." Additionally, reaching fitness goals is largely about calorie intake. More body fat and unwanted weight will be gained by eating 500 calories of a low-fat item than by eating 100 calories of a high-fat item, so keep this in mind.

If there is a loss of control or guilt when eating diet or low-fat items, it is probably better in the long-run to consume the higher-fat, higher-calorie counterparts in moderation.

10 Fitness & Nutrition Mistakes Made by Women Pt 1-5

2008-09-16T05:34:00.000-07:00

By Anthony Lee but I thought this was very true and wanted to share because I am guilty of a couple of these.

While I initially specialized in fitness and nutrition for men, a growing number of female friends, acquaintances, and potential clients have been soliciting my advice and services. Given women's markedly different fitness needs and goals, I began to incorporate my knowledge of nutrition and exercise to build regimens and routines for the fairer sex.

Through casual conversations and comprehensive discussions with women, I have found that the same misconceptions are reiterated by fitness novices and experts alike.

While these misconceptions surely exist among men, they seem more common among women. Perpetuated by the media, fads, and fashion magazines that carelessly dispense fitness advice, these mistakes are almost ingrained and therefore hard to shake. Below is my response.

1. I need to lose weight:

When speaking about fitness and nutrition, this is the most common phrase uttered by women. While it is true that many overweight individuals (both men and women alike) need to lose drastic amounts of weight for health reasons, many who utter this phrase want to lose body fat, not weight. What's the difference?

If weight goes down, doesn't body fat follow? Not necessarily. For many, an exercise regimen that includes cardiovascular and resistance training increases muscle while eliminating body fat.

The overall effect is a tighter, more toned physique, but body weight could stay the same or even increase. Therefore, the obsession with numbers on a scale is unfounded; one can greatly improve appearance, enhance fitness levels, and eliminate unwanted fat all while maintaining a constant weight. Focus instead on a combination of body fat measurements in trouble spots and the image in the mirror.

2. I just gained 2 lbs!!!

Again, the numbers on the scale are of little importance in the short run. I hear too many women expressing genuine concern over a fluctuation of two or three pounds in bodyweight.

There are so many factors, none of which have to do with "getting fatter," that could have caused such a minor gain, so there is no need for panic.

For example, an individual should weigh him/herself at the same time every day because the difference in weight between stepping on the scale first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and stepping on the scale after dinner can be quite noticeable. This difference, however, is normal and cyclical.

Water weight can also be a culprit of minor differences, and this too has nothing to do with a permanent weight gain. Therefore, the scale should only be consulted about once a week and the long-run changes are what matter.

3. I am Going on the _________ Diet....

To many women, the word diet implies two things that are notorious saboteurs: deprivation and an end-date. Whether it's the grapefruit diet, Atkins, or some other fad diet in the latest fashion magazine (that's why they're fashion magazines, not health magazines), diets require deprivation. They force the follower to give up enjoyable foods, endure intense hunger or some combination of the two, which usually leads to intense cravings and even more intense binges.

A second thing that diets imply is an end date, a day when the h#llish deprivation comes to an abrupt end. So after that spring break trip, high school reunion, or wedding day, many women gain back even more weight/fat than they originally carried. This is because they feel entitled to finally eat the foods they love after a prolonged diet, and a week of carefree eating somehow turns into a month, then a year.

The way to avoid these pitfalls is to develop healthy eating habits instead of relying on crash diets. Eat nutrient-dense foods in small, frequent meals to stay satisfied and embrace portion control so that you can enjoy the foods that you love.

Exercise moderately, incorporating fun and variety to workouts to avoid burnout and boredom. Health and fitness should be lifelong goals, not 4-week tours de force.

4. Ill be on the Elliptical if you need me:

The idea behind some people's religious devotion to the elliptical machine lies in the belief that since cardiovascular exercise effectively burns body fat, any form of cardio will suffice.

First of all, a nutrient-dense diet combined with both cardiovascular and resistance training is shown to trump diet and cardio alone, but that is not even my main gripe.

Research has consistently shown that the elliptical, although easiest on joints, is worse than the treadmill, stationary bicycle, and rowing machine (not to mention activities such as swimming and intense hiking) when it comes to elevating heart rate and burning body fat. This is due to the fact that movement on these machines relies heavily on momentum and not resistance or the propelling of one's bodyweight. All these months of elliptical training has yielded mediocre results, and now you know why. (MEAGAN SIDE NOTE: I dont think this is necessarily true, it really depends on the resistance and elevation and getting your heart rate into the fat burning zone 130bpm-140bpm and keeping it there for 30-60 minutes)

5. Im going to give diets pill a try.

Do you know what Yohimbe is and how its affects the body? Do you know why there was so much concern around Ephedra? Do you consume too much caffeine? If you are not intimately familiar with these substances, why would you put them in your body day after day?

Before taking these pills, an individual should consult a physician to assure that he/she is in good health. Diet pills achieve fat reduction and weight loss by stimulating the body's systems (thereby increasing metabolism), which can put extra strain on vital functions and organs such as the heart.

Also, diet pills are just a tool; effort is still required to make every tool perform. Just because you pop a capsule a few times a day doesn't mean that you can eat junk, skip workouts, and achieve that ideal physique.

In short, diet pills should be employed after starting and maintaining a regimen as that last resort to break through a plateau. They can be very dangerous if used improperly or abused or use caution.

Weekly Food Diary for 9-15-08

2008-09-15T07:35:00.000-07:00

Meal 1:

Protein Powder 1 1/2 scp
Oatmeal 1/2 cup
Fruit 2 oz
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 2:

Chicken 5 oz
Sweet Potato 2 oz
Green Veggies
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 3:

Post Work out-
Chicken 4 oz
White Rice 2 oz

or

Pro Powder 1 1/2 scp
Rice Cakes 3

Non Work Out-

Chicken 4 oz
Br. Rice 1 oz
Green Veggies
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 4:

Chicken 5 oz
Sweet Potato 1 oz
Green Veggies
Fish Oil 1 tsp

Meal 5:

Lean Beef or Chicken 5 oz
Greens Veggies

Cardio: 12 sessions of 55 minutes (I use the bike or elliptical and keep my heart rate between 130-140 bpm)

Calories: 1294
Protein: 163 grams
Carbs: 102 grams
Fats: 26 grams

Leg Day Work Out 9-13-2008

2008-09-13T12:13:00.001-07:00

Well, reading back to yesterdays post and how crazy it was…it was nothing like today! Today was leg day and I knew that I was going to be squatting…but wow…Let me write down what I did and explain the "accident" that happened in this work out.

Squats:

2 sets of 5 reps with 135lbs, below parallel.

1 set of 7 at 185lbs

1 set of 4 at 185lbs (this is when IT happened)

LEG PRESS:

Unilateral leg press 2 sets of 12-10 reps with 260lbs

Drop set with 720lbs 30 reps in all

BACK TO SQUATS: (you will read why we went back, down below)

1set of 10 reps with 180lbs

1 set of 5 with 180lbs.

That was my leg day but the interesting thing is, I learned something today. DONT GET SCARED CAUSE THEN YOU DROP THE BAR AND IT ROLLS OVER YOUR NECK! :-/ So on the 4th set of 4 reps, my spotter was spotting me and his knee was my bench mark to come back up, well on the 4th rep I got three quarters of the way down and lost focus(bad idea) and instead of keeping everything tight I got scared that his knee was lower than before and my shoulders and core just colapsed forward and the 185lb bar just rolled right over my shoulders, down my neck and onto the weight rack. As soon as I felt it moving I knew there was no way I, or my spotter could catch it so I relaxed and just let it roll. Good thing I did because I didnt hurt me neck like I could have (Thank you Jesus for that split second reaction). Point being, DONT LOSE FOCUS, trust yourself and your body and you will be fine. That split second you have another thought come through your head, youre done.

The one awesome thing that did come of this was, that if I hadnt dropped it, I wouldnt have gone back and done the last 2 sets and pumped out 15 more reps! After the crazy leg press I looked at my trainer and he looked at me and we were both like, we gotta do that again…I had to redeem both myself and him…I WAS GONNA DO IT! So in the end I got 2 more sets of amazing squats in and so it wasnt so bad after all.

What a day!!

"The Dirty Dozen" #12

2008-09-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

12. Beer, wine, and alcoholic drinks: by Jordan Rubin

Although Im a teetotaler who may enjoy a glass of organic wine a couple of times a year, I recognize that there have been studies pointing out the benefits of drinking modest amounts of red wine for cardiovascular health. The "French Paradox," so called for the obeservation that the french typically suffer low rates of heart disease despite having a diet rich in saturated fats, was attributed to alcohol and olive oil intake. The "French Paaradox" is only a paradox if you assume that saturated fat is the cause of obesity and heart disease. No wonder the french--eating all kinds of real food to their hearts content and toasting family and friends with a glass of vin rouge--have that certain joie de vivre.

I balance alcohol benefits against the downside of ,excessive drinking which damages family relationships as well as every organ in the body (especially the liver), promotes depression, causes digestive ailments (ulcers, gatritis, and pancreatitis), and impacts fertility. Alcohol adds weight, a full 7 calories per gram, almost twice that of protain or carbs. Thats a significant reason why we seee beer bellies in this world.

(long story short, drinking has become a weight inducting habit that needs to be trimmed back.)

Work out log 9-12-2008 Shoulders and Biceps

2008-09-12T16:36:00.000-07:00

Ok, today was a craaaaazy shoulder and bicep day...so bear with me I will try to get this across as easily as possible (if you want video please let me know). I really need to just film my work outs. lol... Basically, all these shoulder exercises are done with little to no rest in between but I will write them seperated like usual.

SHOULDERS: super duper sets! lol

Standing Free Motion (FMM) Shoulder Press SUPER SETTED with blue band lat raises:

3 sets, shoulder press is set to 80lbs, 15 reps and then blue band lat raises till failure. 15 second rest and then do the next set.

Kneeling FMM prone lateral raises SUPER SETTED with FMM lateral circles:

2 sets, set at 40lbs, 12 reps and then circles forward and back till failure.

Standing FMM Lateral Raises SUPER SETTED with FMM Lateral Circles:

2 sets, set at 30lbs, all until failure.

"Around the worlds" SUPER SETTED with shoulder press: You start with your palms supinated down by your sides and then you follow the line parallel to your body from hips, trunk, shoulders, and then up over your head.

1 set, 10lbs till failure.

BICEPS:

FMM Kneeling Prone Bicep Curls: 2 sets, 50lbs on each cable, 15-12 reps with a static hold at the end of each set for 10-12 seconds.

Standing One Dumbbell Curl: You hold one dumbbel in both hands on the end and curl (similar to a close grip barbell curl, but way more unstable! So the biceps have to work over time) 2 sets, 25-30lbs till failure with static holds at the end for 10-12 seconds.

"The Dirty Dozen" #11

2008-09-12T11:55:00.001-07:00

11. Artificial flavors and artificial colors by Jordan Rubin

(This is a contraversial issue, I just think its something to think about and take into consideration.)

The dictionary definition of artificial refers to something not made by himan beings or a copy of something narutal. Since the gail of Perfect Weight American is to eat natural foods, anything containing artificial flavors or artificial colors will be naturally unhealthy as well as increase the toxic load on the body.

Take the recipe for Waldorf-Astoria Red velvet cake--please! The cooking instructions for this ooh-la-la confection, which originated at the iconic Manhattan hotels, calls for squeezing two bottles of FD&C Red No. 40 into a mixing bowl filled with the requisite shortening, flour, eggs, and sugar. Pastry chefs say they have to wear gloves to keep the shameful dye off their skin or rub nail polish remover if any red spots appear on their double breasted white jackets.

"Why should a dose of Red No. 40 turn Betty Crocker into Hester Prynne?"
asked Slate.com writer Daniel Engber, referring to the fictional colonial woman forced to wear a scarlet letter "A" for committing adultery. "Ask a gourmand, and youre likely to hear three specious answers. First, Epicurean: Artificial color tastes bad. Second, Hippocratic: Its bad for your health. And third, Platonic: It makes food unnatural."

Dont purchase foods that list artificial flavors and colors on the packaging. These additives have been linked to behavioral problems in children and increase the body's toxic load. They have also been associated with allergies and skin rashes.

Work out log back and tri's 9-10-2008

2008-09-12T06:18:00.000-07:00

BACK:

Pull ups: 2 sets of 12

High row on cables: 2 sets till failure at 80lbs

Lat pull downs on free motion machine: 2 sets till failure at 90lbs

Unilateral row: 2 sets of 12 at 50lbs

TRICEPS:

Super set of cross cable extensions and rope tricep extensions: 2 sets till failure cable extension were at 50lbs, rope tricep ext were at 60lbs.

Barbell Tricep extensio (skull crushers): 35lbs 1 set till failure.

"The Dirty Dozen" #10

2008-09-09T17:57:00.000-07:00

10. Artificial Sweeteners: by Jordan Rubin

Dieting and artifical sweeteners go together like...ham and eggs? Mea culpa for the jarring smile, but the huge demand for low calorie and sugar free foods and beverages by those seeking to consume fewer calories has created a $6 billion market for artificial sweeteners. Aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose are found in umpteen thousands of foods as well as in blue, pink, and yellow packets of Equal, Sweet N' Low, and Splenda found on restraunt tables.

If you have always thought that artificial sweeteners will help you lose weight, you might want to rethink your position. Reserachers at Purdue University say these sugar substitutes could interfere with the bodys natural ability to count calories based on a foods sweetness. In other words, drinking a diet soft drink instead of the full octane sugar version will reduce you caloric intake, but it could also trick the body into thinking that other sweet items dont have as many calories either. This sort of thinking gives weight conscious people another mental alibi for overindulging in sweet foods and beverages.

I understand the rationale behind drinking low-cal or no-cal drinks--lower total caloric intake--but spping artificially sweetened drinks is not the solution. Sweeteners like aspartame are addicting. Read this edited exchange between skeptical Bill O' Reily host of the O' Reilly Factor, and Shari Lieberman, PhD, a certified nutrition specialist:

Bill: In the "Back of the Book" segment tonight, Americans drink billions of gallons of diet soda a year. Its incredible how much we consume. And some believe millions of Americans are addicted to the stuff. They have to have it.
With us now is Dr. Shari Lieberman, a certified nutrition specialist her ein NYC.
All right, so its--tenn billion cases of soda sold every year in the USA, and 30% of that, approximately, is diet soda, and I know people who walk around all day long drinking diet soda. What is that all about??

Shari: Its unbelievable. It is such an addicting substance. You have the aspartame, the Nutra Sweet, combined with the caffeine. Youre basically getting a rush all day. It actually messes with your brain chemicals, Bill.

Bill: Does it really?

Shari: It really does. You know, aspartic acid actually makes what we call excitatory neurostransmitters. Imagine we have a balance of ones that calm us down and ones that hype us up. So, if youre drinking something thats going to make the ones that are excitatory or making us hyper all day long, thats why there are so many side effects associated with NutraSweet, such as irritabiility and anxiety...

Bill: Now is this physically addicting, do you believe, or is it psychological?

Shari: I believe its physically addicting. You know, we know that caffeine is. So youve got a ton of caffeine in the diet sodas. Then you actually have a substanc thats affecting neurotransmitters. So theyre really getting a double whammy, and, of course, were tlaking about people that are drinking it all day long.

Bill: Yes, and they think that, well, I can drink it all day long because theres no calories in it, Im not going to get fat. Go ahead.

Shari: I have to tell you something about that. If you look at the research, people that drink diet sodas are oftentimes, eating more calories than people drinking regular sodas.

I already made the last point, but Id like to make another: as bad as sugar and HFCS can be for your body, Id rather you consume them than artificail sweeteners. Theyre that bad for you.

"The Dirty Dozen" #9

2008-09-08T18:18:00.000-07:00

9. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) by Jordan Rubin

HFCS or corn sweetner, is more than plain bad for you--its horrible for your health and the worst form of sugar. Americans receive some 200 calories daily, mainly from soft drinks. HFCS is a major contributionto weight gain because foods with fructose may not turn off your hungar signals. You get hungry after eating a snack containing HFCS because youre not satiated. Your appetite is saying, " Nice try, but Im still famished!"

With such a high falutin' name, youd think that a sweetener with the word corn in it wouldnt be as bad for you as regular white sugar, but it is. With HFCS, research scientists invented an enzymatic processing method tha tbegins with milling corn to produce cornstarch, which is then made sweeter by chemically converting some of the glucose to fructose. The more fructose in the end product, the sweeter it is. A widely used variety of HFCS, known as 55-HFCS, consists of 55% fructose and 42% glucose. Thanks to a system of price supports and sugar quotas that have been in plance for 25 years, importing sugar into the US has become cost prohibitive, which has opened up a huge markey for American companies manufacturing HFCS.

Coca-Cola and Pepsi dumped the sugar from their carbonated soft drinks back in 1984, substituting cheaper HFCS in its place. These days youd be hard pressed to walk into a 7 eleven and find a soda pop sweetened with sugar. The only hold out I could find was Goose Island sodas, although Jolt Cola did use sugar one time with the following marketing slogan: "All the sugar twice the caffeine." But the makers of Jolt Cola reforumlated their product with HFCS, no doubt to make the product less expensive in stores. Im sure the opportunity to lower costs is the reason HFCS has become the principal sweetener in fruit juices, baked goods, canned fruits, dairy products, cookies, gum, and jams and jellies.

So what makes HFCS such an unhealthy, fat promoting form of sugar? The body handles fructose differently than it does other sugars. For starters, the body metabolizes fructose into triglycerides more than other sugars, which raises blood triglycerides significantly and increase the risk of heart disease. (Triglycerides are the body's storage form for fat and are found in fat tissues.) Unlike glucose, fructose does not stimulate leptin, the hormone that tells you "Im Full," but reduces ghrelin hormone levels, which tell you "Im still hungry." Consumption of fructose from corn sweeteners comes with no enzymes, vitamins, or minerals, so it cheats the body of micronutrients. HFCS is different from the natural fructose found in whole fruit because with fruit, the body gets the enzymes, vitamins, and minerals to help with digestion and utilization of the fructose.

The liver cannot handle fructose very well. When fructose reaches the liver, says Dr. William J. Whelan, a biochemist the University of Miami School of Medicine, "the liver goes bananas and stops everything else to metabolism the fructose." The fructose propels the liver into a fat promoting maode by activating the formation of enzymes that lead to elevated levels of "bad" cholesterol and triglycerides.

The consumption of HFCS in beverages--about 2/3 of all HFCS consumed in the US is in beverage form--has certainly left its fingerprints vis-a-vis our nations obesity epidemic. The consumption of HFCS increased 1000% between 1970 and 1990, far exceeding the changes in intake of any other foods or food group. Juice drinks like Minute Maid's Hi-C are among the worst offenders: despite flavors like Blazin' Blueberry and Orange Lavaburst, Hi-C lists pure filtered water and HFCS as its first and second ingredients. At least they're filtering water!

"The Dirty Dozen" #8

2008-09-07T18:48:00.000-07:00

8. Soft Drinks: By Jordan Rubin

A 12- ounce, sugar or HFCS sweetened beverage contains nearly 9 teaspoons of sugar and 150 calories--empty calories that provide little or no nutritional value. If you drink one can of soda per day and dont change anything else about your diet or exerecise regimen, you will consume 55,000 extra calories in one year, which adds up to 15 pounds of weight gain. (wow...thats insane!...think about that one! Quit drinking sodas and lose 15lbs a year!)

Soft drink manufacturers know that once teenagers leave the adolescent years, they become more health conscious, or at least more aware of how bad sweetened soft drinks are for them, so thats why they try to hook 'em young. Nicki swore off soft drinks during her senior year of high school (so did I and I lost 20lbs!), but not because she wanted a better fit in her prom dress. Her epiphany came after conducting an experiment in her science class. One day her teacher informed the class that they were going to learn about acidic reactions. He dramatically dropped a galvanized contruction nail into a glass of Coke to see what would happen over night. The nail didnt desolve--that was an old wives tale--but the red rust encrusting the galvanized nail blew Nicki away. She hasnt had another soft drink since then.

Weekly Food Diary for 9-6-08

2008-09-06T19:02:00.000-07:00

Upped the calories 'cause im actually leaner than last week!! wooohoo! full muscles, but lean and mean! hehe...

Meal 1:

Protein Powder 1 1/2 scp
Oatmeal 1/2 cup
Fruit 2 oz
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 2:

Chicken 5 oz
Sweet Potato 2 oz
Green Veggies
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 3:

Post Work out-
Chicken 4 oz
White Rice 2 oz

or

Pro Powder 1 1/2 scp
Rice Cakes 3

Non Work Out-

Chicken 4 oz
Br. Rice 1 oz
Green Veggies
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 4:

Chicken 5 oz
Sweet Potato 1 1/2 oz
Green Veggies
Fish Oil 1 tsp

Meal 5:

Lean Beef or Chicken 5 oz
Greens Veggies

Cardio: 12 sessions of 55 minutes (I use the bike or elliptical and keep my heart rate between 130-140 bpm)

Calories: 1310
Protein: 163 grams
Carbs: 106 grams
Fats: 26 grams

"The Dirty Dozen" #7

2008-09-06T12:24:00.000-07:00

6. White Sugar: by Jordan Rubin

Ill bet you that any food with enriched flour also contains sugar or one of its sweet relatives-high fructose corn syrup, fructose, and sucrose. Youll find these sugars among the first ingredients listed in candy bars, pastries, snack cakes, cookies, and ice cream. You will also find plenty of sugar in foods you might think are healthy, like "natural" breakfast cereals, energy bars, raisin bagels, certain whole wheat breads, hot dog buns, salad dressing, steak sauce, ketchup--the list is endless.

Sugar is so omnipresent that most people dont realize they eat sugar with every meal: their breakfast cereal is frosted with sugar; break tim is soda or coffee mixed with sugar and a Danish; lunch has its cookies and treats; and dinner could be sweet and sour ribs, sweet potatoes covered with marshmallows, a garden salad doused with artificially sweetned dressing, and a sugary parfait for dessert. Talk about adding a sweet exclamation point to the day! A US Department of Agriculture study reavealed that we eat an average of 31 teaspoons of sugar a day--- with 17 teaspoons coming from High Fructose Corn Syrup, and 14 tsp coming from cane or beet sugar(sucrose). This adds up to more than 500 calories daily!!!!

If youre looking for a guilty party to blame for the bellies hanging over beltlines, then look no further than King Sugar, which takes sugarcane or sugar beets from the fields and processes it 99.9% before its dumped into 5 lb bags of bleached white sugar. (Im sure research scientists are working over time to remove the last one-tenth of 1 % in sugarcane thats healthy.)

According to Ann Louise Gittleman, author of "How to Stay Young and Healthy in a Toxic World," "Sugar is not an innocent substance that gives us pleasure and causes no harm. Quite the contrary; there is perhaps othing else in the diet that promotes disease and aging more over the long term than excess sugar." She says that more than 60 ailments, ranging from allergies to yeast infections (candidas overgrowth, which feeds on simple carbs), have been associated with this dietary demon.

"Without a doubt the biggest change in our diets has been our sugar consumption...refined white sugar known as sucrose, brown sugar, corn sweetners, High Fructose Corn Syrup, dextrose, glucose, lactose, and maltose," said Gittleman. "Over the past 2 centuries, we have literally shocked our bodily systems with outrageous and ever growing amounts of nutrient robbing sugar. At the end of the 1700's, sugar consumption was less than 20lbs per person a year. By the end of the 1800's, sugar consumption had risen to 63lbs annually. Now, 100 years later, the average American eats over 170lbs of sugar each year."

ATTENTION: all that sugar makes for a pounding headache when you cut it out from your diet. When you change your diet and cut out drastic amount of sugar, you can expect to experience withdrawl-like symptoms like less energy, gyrating mood swings, and monster cravings. (Just an FYI)

Work Out Log 9-6-2008 Legs

2008-09-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

LEGS:

Front Squats super setted with leg press:

FS- 65lbs the first and 2nd set x 10 reps
95lbs the third set x 8 reps

Leg press: 640lbs till failure.

Barbell squats: 135lbs x 12 reps for the first and second set
185lbs x 8 reps for the last set

Leg extensions: 100lbs first and second set
80lbs last set all till failure

I will admit that the reason why we switched to leg extensions was because I got nauseated doing squats! Im guessing its because I wasnt breathing right and I was rushing my reps instead of taking them one at a time. Live and learn! Plus we just got our squat rack at the gym so I havent actually squatted...squatted, in over a year! Quite a shock to the body....lol...

"The Dirty Dozen" #6

2008-09-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

6. Pasteurized, homogenized skim milk: By Jordan Rubin

When it comes to dairy products, the conventional wisdom in the diet world can be summed up in this way: whole milk, bad; skim milk, good. (depending on if its people that dont know anything about real nutrition and just on "dieting to lose weight", or nutrition buffs)

Whole milk is loaded with fat and calories, right? But removing the fat to make it 2 percent or skim milk makes the milk less nutritious and less digestible as well as cause allergies. Yes, whole milk has more calories, but I have seen research suggesting that the mix of nutritents found in milk, such as calcium and protein, may imporve the body's ability to burn fat, particularly around the mid section. Besides, the thought of a cow naturally delivering reduced fat or fat free milk is " udderly" ridiculous, but Im gong to milk this topic for all its worth because milk does a body good. (end of cliche' alert.) lol!!

The richest food sources of calcium are milk and milk products, but I dont recommend drinking any commercially homogenized and pasteurized milk. The pasterization process alters vital amino acids, which reduces your ability to access the protains, fats, minerals, and great vitamins like A, B 12, D, Folic Acid found in raw, unpasteurized milk. The homogenization process may be even more dangerous as it alters the fat globules and creates a compound known as XO, or xanthine oxidase, which is believed by some to cause damage to the arterial walls and may lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

I recommend drinking unpasteurized milk from grass fed animals instead of homogenized, pasteurized milk. Unfortunately, raw milk can be dangerous if it comes from a farm that lacks sanitary practices, which is why its not available in many states. The next best thing is finding cultured or fermented dairy whole milk products, such as yogurt and kefir (mmmm sooo good), which are produced from pasteurized, nonhomogenzied milk.

If you can get used to its "goaty" smell and tasste, goats milk is naturally homogenized, less allergenic, and more rapidly absorbed in the digestive tract. (I have tasted goats milk and its pretty darn good!! And Im picky!) Goats cheese, which has become widely available in the last few years, is very healthy, as is cheese made from raw cows milk. My fav dairy products are made from sheeps milk, which are easy to digest and more nutritious than dairy products made from cows or goats milk. I find the creamy taste wonderful. Look for sheeps milk yogurt and cheese at your local natural foods grocery.

Youve probably noticed the major supermarkets as well as warehouse clubs sell organic milk. I dont believe commercial organic milk is the answer however. Some companies with organic brand names you would recognize produce pasteurized and homogenized milk.

Work out Log 9-5-2008 Back and Tri's

2008-09-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

BACK:

Close grip lat pull down: warm up 40lbs 15 reps, 2 sets of a drop set 70lbs for 12 reps then drop to 50lbs 8-10 reps.

Barbell bent over Row close grip: 70lbs x 3 sets 10 reps.

Prone Exercise ball row on FMM: 2 sets 50lbs on each side 12 reps or until failure

super setted with

High row with rope: 2 sets 90 lbs 12 reps.

Squatted row on FMM: 70lbs on each side one set till failure.

TRICEPS:

FMM Tricep extension: 2 sets, 60lbs on each side till failure

Cross cable extention on FMM: 1 set on 50lbs till failure.

"The Dirty Dozen" #5

2008-09-04T08:24:00.001-07:00

So we are almost half way through this series. Has anyone learned anything new yet?? Now its on to Number 5! One of the most "hidden" but not hidden ingredients in foods.

5. Hydrogenated Oils by Jordan Rubin

Pick up a loaf of bread at the supermarket, and you will notice that hydrogenated oils or partially hydrogenated oils are usually recorded right after enriched white flour on the ingredient list. If you see any words with the "hydro-" prefix or "partially" on a package or box, dont buy it. If a friend offers you a packaged doughnut or cupcake, dont eat it. (all in moderation but best to stay away from)

During the hydrogenation process, hydrogen gas is injected into the oil under high pressure to make the oil solid at room temperature and prevent the oil from becoming rancid too quickly, but as mentioned earlier, this hydrogenation process produces an ugly stepchild: TRANS FATS!!! Research shows that trans fats by far are the most dangerousfor your heart. They lower the good HDL cholesterol, increase the bad LDL cholesterol, and increase triglycerides as well as another fat called lipoprotein (a).

As mentioned ealier, if the ingredient list includes the words, "shortening," "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil," or " hydrogenated vegetable oil," then the food contains trans fat. Even if the ingredients label says, "zero trans fat," that doesnt mean what you think it does; the FDA allows food manufacturers to have any amount less than .5 grams of trans fat in the food (per serving) and still legally say "zero trans fat" on the packaging.

Its a good idea when youre eating in a restaurant to ask the server if the kitchen is using partially hydrogenated oil for frying, baking, or cooking their dishes. Ask about salad dressing as well.

Work out log 9-3-2008 shoulders and bicpes

2008-09-04T05:54:00.000-07:00

I havent really worked out in forever!! or atleast it seems that way. I did shoulders and bi's yesterday and here how we do!

SHOULDERS:

Dumbbell over head press: 3 sets, 35 lbs in each hand, 10-12 reps with a negative at the end and a static hold on the last 2 sets.

Sitting side lateral raises: 2 drop sets, 10 to 5 lbs, first with 10lbs at 15 reps...drop to 5 lbs and go till failure.

Around the worlds super setted with 90 degree side laterals: Id have to get you a video but ill try to explain as best I can... You start with 5 lbs weights and your arms are by your side, hands supinated position and follow the line of your shoulders rotating upward (works the delts) and then come down. 2 sets with 5 and 10lbs till failure.

BICEPS:

Kneeling pronate bicep curls on the FMM: 3 sets 50lbs on first set drops to 40 for the last 2 sets.

Standing FMM Wide Grip curls: 3 sets 50lbs upped to 60 lbs for the last set, till failure.

"The Dirty Dozen" #4

2008-09-03T12:30:00.000-07:00

4. White Flour By Jordan Rubin

One major reason why we have an obesity epidemic is beacuse the stardard American diet (aka-S.A.D...added by Meagan) is weighted heavily with sketchy foods containing refined grains where the wheat has been stripped of wheat germ, bran, and half of the healthy fatty acids during the milling process. The end result is something calld "enriched white flour," but the only reason why enriched wheat flour is bright white is because the wheat stalks are rinsed with various chemical bleaches that sound like a vocabulary test from a high school biology class: nitrogen oxide, chlorine, chloride, nitrosyl, and bezoyl peroxide. The "enriched" adjective comes from the millers adding a few isolated and synthetic vitamins and minerals back into the nutritionally stripped flour, but that's like dressing an American Girl doll in tattered clothes.

Enriched flour, the main ingredient in nearly all the bread and buns on super market shelves as well as a zillion other food items baked in commercial bakeries, is easy to spot on the list of ingredients: it's usually the first item listed. The healthy alternative is purchasing or making your own whole-grain bread from unprocessed whole-grain flour.

"The Dirty Dozen" #3

2008-09-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

3. Processed meats and hydrolyzed soy protein: By Jordan Rubin

The quintessential processed meat of all time is SPAM, a syllabic abbreviation of "Shoulder of Pork and hAM," because it deserves Hall of Fame status in pantheon of faux foods. Spam is one of those mystery meats--along with breakfast links, frankfurters, salisbury steaks, bologna, sausages, and salami--where you have no idea what part of the steer or pig is used. You can figure, though, that youre eating ground up stomach, snout, intestines, spleens, edible fat, and even lips!

One thing you can be sure of is that processed meats contain nitrates to convey flavor, give meats their blood-red color, and resist that development of botulism spores. Nitrates can convert to nitrites, which have been studied for decades in public and private settings and found to cause cancer and tumors in test animals.

While we're on this unpleasant topic, I would also steer clea of processed turkey and chicken luncheon meat for the same nitrate reasons (unless its organic and the ingredients dont have nitrates in them).

You may be wondering what hydrolyzed soy protein is all about. Have you ever substituted imitation carb for the real stuff when making a pasta dish for the family? Sprinkled imitation back buts on their salad? Ordered inexpensive sushi at a restaurant? All these foods are forms of hydrolyzed soy protein.

Hydrolyzed soy protein usually contains a significant amount of genetically modified soy as well as compounds that closely mirror the dangerous monosodium glutimate, or MSG. Hydrolyzed soy protein is also a known excitotoxin, which means it has the potential to cause neurological disturbances. Its not fish or fowl, and its not real food.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Any comments or questions please let me in and know! I love to hear what people have to say about things like this!

"The Dirty Dozen" #2

2008-09-01T14:04:00.000-07:00

From Jordan Rubin.

2. Shellfish and crustaceans:

If you were blown away by my recommendation to strike pork from your diet, Im not done yet. Shrimp and lobster, two of the most popular foods in America, are, in my opinion, extremely unhealthy to eat and should aslo be avoided, even if chains like Red Lobster and Olive Garden delectably advertise entrees like breaded shrimp or scampi with pasta.

Invairably, whenever I take out my wife, Nicki, for our anniversary dinner at an expensive seaside restraunt in South Florida, a waiter with a Frenc accent will approach our table and say, " Monsieur et Madame, ze special tonight is pork tenderloin ringed with Alaskan crab and drizzled with a lobster sauce."

But thats not what I heard. His description sounded more like this: Monsieur et Madame, ze special tonight is fresh garbage, ringed with raw sewage and drizzled with solid waste.

Stay with me here. Shelfish and crustaceans, as well as fish without fins and scales such as catfish, shark, and eel, where also declared to be detestable back in Moses's day. The reasons are similar to those that make pigs out of bounds: lobsters, crabs, shrimp, and catfish are bottom feeders. The troll along the seabed or lakebed, sustaining themselves with fish waste. The physiology of crabs, clams, ad lobsters means that whatever they consume goes straight into their system, which is why scientists can measure water pollution by checking the flesh of shell fish and crustaceans for toxin levels. While all this "clean up" is great for water quality and one of nature's ways to scrub the aquatic environment, eating shellfish and crustaceans is not good for your bodies or your health.

---------------------
Now, someone brought something to my attention ,me, Meagan, about pasture fed or farm fed animals...that is a grey area in my opinion...so I will just stick to not eating them. That may be one of the questions Ill ask Jesus when I meet Him! lol...

"The Dirty Dozen" #1

2008-08-31T18:25:00.000-07:00

The dirty Dozen by Jordan Ruibin, with commentary by me.

"No matter what time of year, you will be strealing from your future and robbing you health if you eat any of these foods that I call the "Dirty Dozen."

I wouldnt be suprised if some of thse are among your favorite goods to eat. Nor would I be suprised if you find my list of foods to be controverisal. When you elminate these foodsfrom your shopping list and/or toss out what's left in your cupboards and fridges, however, you will take a major step toward excellent health and reaching your perfect weight.

The following "Dirty Dozen" items should never find a way onto your plate or into your hands (and here is why):

1. All Pork Products:

Did you just sit up in your chair? I'm sure I got your attention because America loves pork! Fast food establishments have watched their earnings sizzle by topping every hamburger and chicken sandwich in sight with strips of salty bacon; they go by names like Bacon Mushroom Melt, Big Bacon Classic, Cravin Bacon Cheeseburger, Mesquite Bacon Cheeseburger, and Arch Deluxe with Bacon. America's favorite toppings are pepperoni and Hawaiian (pineapple and Canadian Bacon). Only the Chinese, who have 4 times our population, consume more pork meat than us.

Ive met people who have told me they have an emotional attachment to bacon for breakfast and pork chops with mashed taters and gravy for dinner. That was how they were raised, and maybe you feel the same way. Marketed brilliantly as "the other white meat," pork chops and pork ribs are usually the most inexpensive meats on display at the supermarket. Many folks eat pork 3 times a day: ham and eggs in the morning; a BLT or a bacon topped burgerr for lunch; and pork bbq or pork tenderloin for a hearty supper. Others love snacking on pork rinds-the cooked skin of pigs...ewww...

So whats my beef with pork?? My aversion to swobelly is partly based on a pigs physiology. A pigs fast acting physiology make up and instinct allow them to eat any
swill thrown at their muddy feet. Well, maybe swill isnt the right word. Actually, Im thinking about the old saying: Happy as a pig in slop.

Yes, pigs will chomp on pails of you know what and not be bothered in the least. They derive nutrition from human excrement (waste) dredged from a latrine pit, eliminating a sanitary problem for their rural masters. Even their own waste tastes frin to them. Although its anecedotal, I heard the story about the pig farmer who stacked ten pigs one on top of the otehr. All the farmer had to do was feed the pig on the top and let trickle down economics prove itself. As I am fond of saying (and I Meagan is fond of saying...) in my seminars, "Remember, if you eat the meat of animals, you are not just what you eat; you are what THEY ate/eat!"

As Im for their physiology, pigs have a simple stomach arrangement. Whatever a pig eats goes straight into a simple stomach, wheres its rudimentarily digested and pushed out the back end in the matter of 4 hours.

Now compare the pigs digestive tract to animals that are OK to eat, such as cows, goats, sheep, oxen, deer, buffalo, and so forth. These animals put their vegetarian diet-they usually chomp on grasses, alfalfa, and hay-through a "wash and rinse cycle," thanks to a stomach and a secondary cud receptacle available for the task. Instead of speedy four hours to digest and eliminate their waste, these animalstake a more leisurely 24 hours.

Another reason I dont eat pork is my Jewish background. In Leviticus and Deuteronomy, two of the first 5 books of the Torah or the Bible's Old Testament, God forbade the Hebrew people to eat swine: "You shall not eat any detestable thing. These are the animals which you may eat: the ox, sheep, goat, deer, gazelle, roe deer, wild goat, mountain goat, antelop, mountain sheep. And you may eat every animal with cloven hooves, having the hoof split into tow parts, and that chews the cud, among the animals. Never the less, of those that chew the cud or have cloven hooves, you shall not eat, such as these: the camel, the hare, and the rock hyrax; for they chew the cud but do not have cloven hooves; they are unclean for you. Also, swine is unclean for you, because it has cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud; you shall not eat their flesh or touch their dead carcasses." (Deut 14-3-8)

The Scriptures used Hebrew words that can be translated as fould, polluted, and putrid, to describe these unclean meats that were to be banished from their diets. What were God's reasons for doing so?

It wanst because the Israelites didnt have refrigerated trucks following them from Eqypt to the Promised Land to keep ham, bacon, or baby back ribs in a cool environment "safe" for consupmtion. No, God scratched pork from their meal plan because He knew all about the physiology, and He created them to be nature's garbage cleaners.

If you decide to strike pork from your diet, I am predicting that you wont miss sausage, bologna, salami, bacon, and butchered cuts from the hog at all. I promisse there are great alternatives (Turkey bacon!)

Some of you will feel that swearing off pork completely is too drastic--too radical given your attachment to Easter ham and carnitas burritos. If thats the case, remember that every time you choose beef, chicken or fish--especially from organic sources--you are taking a fantastic leap forward in your health, but each time you take a bite of crisp bacon, grilled sausage, and shredded pork, you are falling further behind.

New Blog!

2008-08-31T17:32:00.001-07:00

Hey all,
I have created another blog under my profile. NU-U In Christ....check it out!

www.nuuinchrist.blogspot.com

Thanks!

Globesity

2008-08-31T11:27:00.000-07:00

From a book, that my friend read and passed along the info…very astonishing!

Obesity is a public health crisis. Do something about it! Change your lifestyle! Life is better when it is enjoyed, and you can raise and play with your children. When the cost of medical expenses drop because you are in a healthy state of mind! Don’t just do if for yourself, do it for others!
If Atlas were holding up the earth today, he’d better trust his loins to lift all the overweight people inhabiting the planet. For what surely must be the first of recorded history, demographers have determined that there are more overweight people living among us than those who are undernourished. One Billion adults are overweight, which 300 million are obese.

For thousands of years, our forebears lived out an existence that depended upon the sweat of their brow and whether or not nature provided bountiful crops at harvest time. Hunger was their constant companion, their frequent worry. I couldn’t imagine what went through the minds of desperate parents who held their starving children in their arms wondering what they were going to be able to feed them the next day.

The miracle of modernization has taken card of much of that problem. Too many people fall asleep each nigh with gnawing hunger and growling stomachs. One-Sixth of the global population has a different dilemma. They’re too big from gorging themselves with greasy, high-fat, low-nutrient, chemical-laced, mass produced foods. The global growth of industry and technology has led to an abundance of cheap, high calorie meals, unhealthy sugary snacks, and a steep decrease in physical activity, resulting in one of the most blatantly visible, yet most neglected, public health problem in the history of man kid.

Global obesity is becoming an epidemic. If things don’t change globesity could become as devastation just as malnutrition, especially to the economies of the poorest countries. In other words, the global Obesity epidemic could become more harmful to the world community than starvation.

What an astonishing turn of events. I can remember when My mother was reminding me to clean my plate because of the "Starving children in china," but she would have to amend her example if she were raising me today. Ten percent of city-dwelling Chinese children suffer from obesity….A number that’s increasing by a shocking eight percent a per year. In Japan, obesity in nine year olds has tripled. Twenty percent of the Australian Europe has tripled in the past two decades; half of all adults and 20 percent of all children are over weight!

The tentacles of globesity reach into every continent and grip every major city in the world. We’re seeing hundreds and hundreds of million consume western-like convenience foods, shift away from physically demanding jobs in agriculture, and devote their growing leisure time to watching TV and surfing the internet. They’re adopting this new lifestyle rather rapidly, unaware that they are putting themselves at risk for chronic diseases that could shave years off of their life’s. Fast food is everywhere in Belize, were eating "well "means eating like the American’s or the British…the greasy fried foods they see advertised on television.

Another telling example comes from the Japanese, who, after centuries of staying slim on a diet of fish, vegetables, seaweed, fermented soy, and rice, have developed a new millennium sweet tooth for the Krispy Cream doughnuts and cold stone creamery. When the Japanese McDonald’s introduced the Mega Mac, and four patty burger, they sold 1.7 million in four days.

The Japanese still have a long way to go before they catch up with us, though. Not only are we the fattest nation on earth, but we’re also ballooning to extremely obese proportions at an alarming rate. While most people have heard that two-thirds of American adults aged twenty years and older are overweight, the number of those who are extremely obese, has quadrupled since the 1980’s. Twenty years ago, one in two hundred adults were candidates to purchase two seats when traveling on southwest Airlines. Today that number is one in fifty.

If People keep gaining weight at the current pace in the U.S, 75 percent of U.S adults will be overweight and 41 percent obese by 2015, which is right around the corner.

Why People don’t lose their Fat!

1. Menu is too high in calories from calorie dense foods like snack foods, pizza, desserts, pasta, bread, and dairy products.

2. Activity and exercise levels are too low, or non-existent.

3. Slow Thyroid. About one in two Americans has an under active thyroid, mainly becuase of the foods they consume.

4. Fewer than 20 grams of protein are consumed for breakfast. Protein regulates insulin levels.

5. Too much fat is consumed. Butter, salad dressing, fried foods.

6. Too much sugar is consumed.

7. The heaviest meal is eaten at night rather than at breakfast.

8. Alcohol slows down the metabolism and is processed like sugar by the body.

9. Too few meals or calories are eaten per day.

10. To many in between snacks are consumed.

Most Important:

Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance

Weekly Food Diary for 8-30-08

2008-08-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
I am not competing anymore but I am going to do a photo shoot so I am still on the diet but we increased the carbs a tad but then increased cardio as well. Take a look and if you have any questions please let me know!!

Meal 1:

Protein Powder 1 1/2 scp
Oatmeal 1/2 cup
Fruit 2 oz
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 2:

Chicken 5 oz
Sweet Potato 2 oz
Green Veggies
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 3:

Post Work out-
Chicken 4 oz
White Rice 1 oz

or

Pro Powder 1 1/2 scp
Rice Cakes 1 1/2

Non Work Out-

Chicken 4 oz
Br. Rice 1 oz
Green Veggies
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 4:

Chicken 5 oz
Sweet Potato 1 1/2 oz
Green Veggies
Fish Oil 1 tsp

Meal 5:

Lean Beef or Chicken 5 oz
Greens Veggies

Cardio: 12 sessions of 55 minutes (I use the bike or elliptical and keep my heart rate between 130-140 bpm)

Calories: 1222
Protein: 163 grams
Carbs: 84 grams
Fats: 26 grams

Work out log 8-29-2008 Biceps and shoulders

2008-08-29T16:18:00.000-07:00

SHOULDERS:

Dumbbell Shoulder press: 4 sets, 20lbs x12 reps, 25lbs x 10 reps, 30lbs x 6 reps, 25lbs 10 reps.

Upright Rows: 3 sets 40lbs x 10 reps each with hold and negative at the end.

Barbell Shoulder Press: 3 sets, 75 lbs x 5 reps, 75lbs x 5 reps, 50lbs x 10 reps, 50lbs x 10 reps.

Cable soulder press: 2 sets, 35lbs each side x 12 reps, 30lbs each side x 12 reps

BICEPS:

Modified Barbell bicep curl: 3 sets 20lbs 15 reps.

dumbbell modified hammer curl: 3 sets 10lbs x 12 reps

Regular barbell curl: 2 sets 20lbs, 12 reps.

Work out log 8-28-08 Back and Tri's

2008-08-28T18:25:00.000-07:00

After throwing out my lower back I finally got back into the gym to work out! Woohoo!

BACK:

Free Motion Machine (FMM) lat pull downs: On bent knees I faced away from the machine and did 2 sets of lat pull downs with 70lbs on each side 12 reps on each.

High Row on FMM: 2 sets, till failure, 100lbs on each side.

Wide grip lat pull downs: 3 drop sets, each till failure, 70lbs, 60lbs, 40lbs.

TRICEPS:

FMM Tricep extentions: 2 sets, 50lbs on each side till failure with static hold at the end.

Rope tricep extentions: 2 sets 100lbs until failure with static hold at the end.

Nutrition Labels

2008-08-28T05:20:00.000-07:00

I will not buy any food—even if I’m shopping at Whole Foods—without looking at the “Nutritional Facts” on the packaging. For instance, one of my favorite snacks is dried papaya. But at some health food stores, the only one dried papaya on the shelves has sulfites, which is a preservative to prevent discoloration. Sulfites can provoke adverse reactions, especially for those with asthma. So why would I want to introduce an unneeded preservative into my body? That’s why I choose dried fruit without sulfites, even if its costs a little more.

Reading a list of the ingredients as well as the nutritional labels is second nature to me, as well as a professional hobby. I just love the fast ones that food manufacturers and beverage makers try to pull. The U.S. government began requiring the listing of trans fats in foods in 2006, which meant that any products with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats (the source of bad trans fats) had to be listed on the packaging.

Well, makers of snack foods rejiggered their commercial recipes so they could splash their packages with phrases like “Trans Fat Free” or “Zero Trans Fats.” That’s great, except for one thing: manufacturers can still put dangerous trans fats in your food, as long as they ensure there’s less than 500 milligrams of trans fat per serving. The problem is that when you multiply 500 milligrams by the amount of servings you consume, then eat many different foods that play the same tricks with their labels, you’re consuming trans fats when you thought you were being “good” and staying away from these menacing compounds.

Then there’s the amount of the serving, which is another “gotcha.” You might look at a 20-ounce bottle of sweetened ice tea and see that it has 100 calories and 15 grams of sugar. But the “serving size” is 8 ounces, which means there are 2.5 servings in that 20-ounce bottle, so when you gulp all 20 ounces on a hot day, you’ve just consumed 250 calories and 37.5 grams of sugar! The size of the serving on the beverage or food package influences all the nutrient amounts listed on the label. Oreo cookies say that a “serving size” is two cookies. Yeah, right!

As for the “Nutrition Facts” listed on the packaging, pay attention to calories (especially as it relates to serving size), the amount of cholesterol, total fat, and sodium. I also pay attention to the “Total Carbohydrates,” which includes the listing of healthy carbs (whole grains, fruits, and vegetables) and refined carbs (sugar). Obviously, minimize the sugar—actually, you shouldn’t be eating anything with refined sugar anyway—and load up on the fiber.
Better yet, buy and eat as many foods as you can that don’t have ingredient and nutritional labels, and that would be meat, fruits, and vegetables.

Copyright ©2008 Jordan Rubin

The Five Stages and Interesting some notes!

2008-08-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

From Jordan Rubin's Desk:

I haven’t met a heavyset person who wouldn’t want to lose weight, but from my vantage point, many obese individuals harbor attitudes similar to the classic “five stages of grief,” as articulated by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in her seminal book, On Death and Dying (Scribner, 1997).

The five stages are:
1. denial
2. anger
3. bargaining
4. depression
5. acceptance

I’m willing to wager that if you’re battling your weight, you could place yourself among one of those five descriptions. You could be denying that you’re really overweight, that all you have to do is set your mind one day to taking off those “extra” pounds on your waist and hips. You could be angry about your lackluster physical condition and appearance, harboring resentment that you’ve always been heavy or were born into a family that fed you crummy foods growing up. You could be at the bargaining stage where you’d do anything to lose weight—like undergo expensive gastric bypass surgery or take a pharmaceutical with dangerous and embarrassing side effects. You could be depressed and feel like you have no future . . . and no hope of reaching your perfect weight. Or you could be at the final and most dangerous stage—acceptance, a feeling that you’ll always be obese and there’s nothing you can do about it.

I’m seeing more evidence that being overweight is a societal norm among the cultural elite. Weight and body image issues are squeezing into college course catalogs as “fat studies” emerges into a growing interdisciplinary field in universities around the country. At Harvard, students can sign up for “Body Sculpting in America,” which examines the social and political consequences of being overweight. The University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee offers a course called “The Social Construction of Obesity,” which is taught by Margaret Carlisle Duncan, a human movement sciences professor who challenges the alarmist message about the obesity epidemic in America.

Elsewhere, students on a dozen campuses are organizing groups that focus on promoting “fat acceptance.” One of those, Sheana Director, a San Diego State University graduate student, co-founded Size Matters to fight the prevailing attitude that being fat is a moral failing rather than the result of complicated factors. Ms. Director wants the freedom to say “I’m fat” with a sense of defiance and pride. I’m all for feeling good about yourself, but I’ve met far too many people who tell me they don’t feel much vitality when they’re so heavy that they can’t see their shoelaces. They are eating their way to an early grave in more ways than they realize.

For many with waistlines in the beer belly range, a sizable weight-loss industry has stepped into the vacuum, thanks to the insatiable appetite of more than 70 million Americans claiming to be on a diet at any one time. The U.S. weight-loss and diet control market tops $50 billion annually, according to Marketdata, a market research firm that has tracked diet products and programs since 1989. That works out to $136 million a day spent on the following:

• calorie-free soft drinks like Coke Zero allow dieters to continue sipping their favorite fizzy drinks without guilt. (I’ll have a lot to say about how unhealthy diet soft drinks are in Chapter 4, “Drink for Your Perfect Weight.”)

• books promising the “newest” approach to weight loss, plus a handful of perennial bestsellers: Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution, The South Beach Diet, and Dr. Phil’s Ultimate Weight Solution: The Seven Keys to Weight Loss Freedom. Harvard Law School researcher Ethan Zuckerman, using sales rank data found on Amazon.com, estimates that nearly 11,000 books on dieting—with a value of $150,967.19—are purchased just on Amazon.com every day.

• medications like rimonabant (also known by its brand name Accomplia), which works on a newly discovered system in the brain that is involved in the motivation and control of the appetite. Other “fat-blocking” drugs for long-term obesity therapy—Xenical (orlistat) and Meridia (sibutramine)—inhibit the absorption of about 25 percent of fat that is consumed. A non-prescription version of Xenical called Alli hit the market in the summer of 2007, setting off a feeding frenzy in Southern California pharmacies, where it flew off the shelves in spite of a price tag of around $60 for a bottle of ninety capsules. You’re not going to like Alli’s notorious side effects, which include fecal urgency, loose stools, and gas with an oily discharge. Alli’s official website carries this ominous warning: “It’s probably a smart idea to wear dark pants, and bring a change of clothes with you to work.”

• gastric bypass surgery, in which surgeons staple or bind the stomach with an adjustable band. This creates a small pouch able to hold only a few ounces of food. Celebrities such as singer Carnie Wilson, Today Show weatherman Al Roker, reality show star Sharon Osbourne, talk show host Star Jones Reynolds have sung the praises of this potentially dangerous surgery after shedding hundreds of pounds. “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson, who has advised less-than-svelte contestants that they might want to lose some weight, underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2003.

• commercial chains such as Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and NutriSystem, where dieters commit to “customized” diet plans. More than 7 million have signed up for these structured programs, which include “phone meetings” with a trained consultant as well as the consumption of diet meals purchased directly from the company.

• over-the-counter diet pills such as Xenadrine EFA, CortiSlim, One-A-Day WeightSmart, and TrimSpa, which are heavily advertised on television and radio and alluring ads in supermarket tabloids. They target the lose-weight-quick crowd with breathtaking copy describing how their “miracle ingredients” and “breakthrough formulas” are “clinically proven” and “guaranteed to work.” Anna Nicole Smith, before her untimely death, was a TrimSpa endorser who claimed that she was “hotter than ever” after “just twelve weeks” of taking the diet pill.

• diet food home delivery, where affluent dieters pay as much as $1,200 a month (per person!) for healthy meals to be delivered daily to their doorstep. A handful of companies such as ZoneChefs, Seed Live Cuisine, and Jenny Direct (part of Jenny Craig) are cashing in on this booming market.

• weight-loss summer camps for heavy teens, which are a predictable outgrowth of the childhood obesity problem in this country. These types of camps didn’t exist in my parents’ time because the demand wasn’t there. Today plump teens seek to turn their lives around at places like Camp La Jolla and Camp Shane.

Adults don’t have summer camps, although there are a number of discreet but expensive “fitness spas” (a description that sure sounds better than “fat farm”) that you can check yourself into if you have the time and the dinaro. In the world of weight loss, anything is possible if you have the money and the time.

Copyright ©2008 Jordan Rubin

Sweet Tea Sabotaging your Weight Goal!

2008-08-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

From Jordan Rubin's Desk: I couldnt have said it better!

The same goes for slurping specialty coffees, sports drinks, fruit punch, and sodas. You can cut back on doughnuts and sweets in the break room, but if you’re sipping sweetened ice tea throughout the day, you’re moving further away from your perfect weight.

Let’s say you drink a 20-ounce serving of sweet tea, which is the summer beverage of choice in the Southeast where I live. Bingo, you’ve just consumed 240 calories—the same as cola. Some people drink sweet tea by the gallon, unaware that they’re ingesting nearly 1,500 calories a day that way!

Then there are the sugar-and-salt cocktails like Gatorade, which commands 80 to 90 percent of the sports drink market in America. As someone who attended Florida State University, I’ll be upfront about this: My feelings about Gatorade aren’t derived from the fact that this sports drink was invented at my rival school, the University of Florida, and was named after the Gator football team. I’d be saying the same thing if this stuff was called “Seminolade.”

My gripe with Gatorade is that it’s a combination of non-purified water, sucrose, glucose, fructose (which are nothing more than sugars), and artificial colors with some potassium and sodium (the “electrolytes”) thrown into the mix. In other words, Gatorade is artificially colored and flavored sugar water with a salty aftertaste. Contrary to their claims, I believe Gatorade and other power drinks do more harm than good. It would be better during workouts to consume natural mineral or spring water.

I’m also not a big fan of “fitness waters” like Propel, which, interestingly, was created by the makers of Gatorade. Propel is your basic H20 with four B vitamins and two antioxidants (vitamins C and E) added in various flavors: lemon, orange, and berry.

In case you’re wondering how a manufacturer can pour additives into water and still call it “water,” the International Bottled Water Association (yes, there is one) decided that if the additives don’t add up to more than 1 percent by weight of the final product, then it can still be sold as “water.” I’m still shaking my head how a product with four grams of sugar in each bottle gets to stand on the same shelf as bottled water, but that’s America for you. When it comes to something as basic as water, you should accept no imitations. I hate to see such a wonderfully healthy resource perverted, so to speak, to satisfy our taste buds.

Water is an overlooked resource by those seeking to lose weight. Many times dieters, I’ve found, confuse hunger and thirst. They think they’re hungry when actually they’re dehydrated. Drinking fluids will not only hydrate the body for all the good reasons I’ve just described, but it will put a damper on those hunger pains coming from the pit of the stomach.

A good rule of thumb is to drink a half-ounce of water daily for every pound you weigh. In other words, if you weigh 200 pounds, then try to drink 100 ounces of water throughout the day, which is around 12 glasses.

If you’re trying to reach your perfect weight and get hungry, drink an eight-ounce glass of water. You also find that drinking a glass a half hour before lunch or dinner will act like a governor on an engine, taking the edge off your hunger pangs and preventing you from raiding the fridge or pillaging the pantry.

Copyright ©2008 Jordan Rubin

Weekly Food Diary for 8-23-08

2008-08-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

Meal 1:
Protein powder 1 1/2 scp
Oatmeal 1/2 cup
Fruit 2 oz
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 2:
Chicken 5 oz
Sweet Potato 1 1/2 oz
Green Veggies
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 3:
Post Work out:
Pro powder 1 1/2 scp
Rice Cakes 1 1/2

Non-Work out:
Chicken 4 oz
Br. Rice 1/2 oz
Green Veggies
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 4:
Chicken 5 oz
Sweet Potato 1 oz
Green Veggies
Fish Oil 1 tsp

Meal 5:
Lean Beef or Chicken 5 oz
Greens Veggies

Calories: 1263 grams
Protein: 163 grams
Carbs: 83 grams
Fats: 31 grams
Cardio: 12 sessions of 50 minutes each during the week.

Project Measure Up!

2008-08-21T03:51:00.000-07:00

Good morning all!
Well today is the day that I go to a training class called Project Measure Up with The Health Collaborative of San Antonio. It is for the Fitgram pilot program that I am working on and for volunteer services! I am not sure what is going to go on, so we will see! I will be there from 9 till 2 pm! I am excited to meet new people and to see who else out there is ready to help change the lives of these kids and young adults!

I hope everyone has a blessed and great day!

Work out log 8-20-2008 shoulders and abs

2008-08-21T03:17:00.000-07:00

Well we switched it up a bit now since we are 71 days or almost 10 weeks out! We worked on shoulders and abs today instead of shoulders and bi's. Tomorrow we will touch up on Bi's, but mainly focus on back and tri's.

SHOULDERS:

Dumbbell lateral raise: 1 set, 20lbs, 3 reps.
2 set, 25lbs, 3 reps
3 set, 20lbs, 4 reps
4 set, 15lbs, 10 reps
5 and 6 set, 10 lbs, till failure

Sitting shoulder press on Free Motion Machine: 1 set, 80lbs on each side, 12 reps

Incline bench prone shoulder press on FMM: 2 sets, 40lbs on each side, till failure.

Bent over delt raises: 2 sets, 15lbs, 12-10 reps.

ABS:

Sitting Upright Reverse Crunches: 2 sets, 15lbs, till failure

Incline Bench Reverse Crunchs: 2 sets, 25reps with a hold at the end.

Ab bench resistance band crunches: 2 sets till failure.

Go Girl Go Speech Update!

2008-08-19T10:09:00.000-07:00

For those that dont know I spoke at a curriculum school meeting here in San Antonio last Thursday and Friday about eating disorders and how important it is to have early prevention.

It went well and I was so excited to actually be able to share my story because I learned that talking about eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia is very touchy! I mean we can walk about talking about how obese this nation is with no problem, but people scatter and go hush hush when someone mentions someone throwing up after they eat… I can understand why, but there needs to be more people out here that will speak up about it!

In the end there were some that came up to me afterwards and spoke privately about issues that they were having or family members etc… I was so glad that I could reach out and be that resource for those that needed it and were at their whits end and didnt know where to turn, to them I was a blessing at just the right time. I thank God for placing me there and that I could be of some assistance! It was a great experience and I cant wait to get out there and do it again!

To those that need a little encouragement!

2008-08-18T21:46:00.000-07:00

One of my best friends sent this to me today and it really touched my heart to know that she thinks about me and is routing for me in my competitions! Thnk you Adaia!

Isaiah 40:31"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew {their} strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; {and} they shall walk, and not faint."

Keep you heads and hearts turned towards the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart and the strength and energy to achieve them.
God Bless!

Work out Log 8-18-2008 Legs

2008-08-18T16:42:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!
So my trainer was sick all weekend long, bless his heart...he never gets sick and he found out that he is allergic to mold the hard way! Well today was leg day and he was too sick to work out so I decided it was time to see how far I could push myself on my own...hehehehe needless to say I nearly made myself sick, but it was so much fun...lol.

I ended up working out at UIW Wellness Center because I felt like having others around me pumping iron would motivate me, and it did.

Here is what I did, I concentrated on quads today.

Warm up: 2 sets of 15 reps of jump squats.

Leg Extension: 4 sets. First set at 100lbs for 12 reps, 2, 3 and 4 at 120lbs 10 reps.

Close legged Leg press: 4 sets. First set at 200lbs at 12 reps, Second Set at 290lbs at 10 reps, Third set at 380lbs 10 reps, Fourth at 430lbs at 10 reps.

Stationary Lunges: 3 sets at 80lbs, 12 on each leg.

Dumbell Leg Extensions: 4 sets at 10lbs, 12 reps.

Front Squats: 3 sets , 45lbs at 12 reps.

Work out log 8-15-2008 Back an triceps

2008-08-18T09:17:00.000-07:00

BACK:

Close grip barbell row: 3 sets 70lbs 12 reps

Close grip lat pull downs: 4 sets 12-10 reps, 1 and 3 set at 70lbs, 2 and 4 set at 50lbs.

Standing cable row: 2 sets at 60lbs, 12 reps

TRICEPS:

Free Motion Machine cross cable extentions: 2 sets, 12 reps 50lbs.

FMM tricep ext: 2 sets till failure at 40lbs.

Weekly Food Diary for 8-17-08

2008-08-18T09:08:00.000-07:00

Meal 1:

Protein powder 1 1/2 scp
Oatmeal 1/2 cup
Fruit 2 oz
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 2:

Chicken 5 oz
Sweet Potato 1 1/2 oz
Green Veggies
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 3:

Post Work out:
Pro powder 1 1/2 scp
Rice Cakes 1 1/2

Non-Work out:

Chicken 4 oz
Br. Rice 1/2 oz
Green Veggies
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 4:

Chicken 5 oz
Sweet Potato 1 oz
Green Veggies
Fish Oil 1 tsp

Meal 5:

Lean Beef or Chicken 5 oz
Greens Veggies

Calories: 1263 grams
Protein: 163 grams
Carbs: 83 grams
Fats: 31 grams

Cardio: 11 sessions of 50 minutes each during the week.

Reasons Why....

2008-08-15T03:32:00.000-07:00

Well, LOL here I am...a very busy person but bound and determined to get back up on stage. I have even flipped my handle bars on my stationary bike to fit my laptop so I can work on projects, speeches, and homework while I do my 100 minutes of cardio a day! I felt like I was
wasting time...so I fixed it!

Lately, there has been some things that stick out in my brain one of them is selfishness. I know that there needs to be some selfishness in us, its a preservation mechanism, but to completely loose yourself in it, is a different story. Unfortunately in the competition realm, it is a selfish sport and there is a fine line. But, can't anyone earn a little bit and stay true to themselves and practice what they preach and stay true to why they originally started competing and trying to make a difference in the first place?? For some yes, and some no. I sit here and wish that everyone could be a little less selfish because it would definately make this world a nicer place to live in.

My goal for competing has changed somewhat, I want to stay focused and make sure I am true to myself and those around me and keep my original plans in motion because people look up to me and I wouldnt want to disappoint them and everything that I promised....because my head got to big to fit in the same room with them.

Yes, I compete for myself, this has been a 6 year long drive that has been instilled in me, only God knows why!...but never the less it has helped me grow in knowledge about health and wellness and teach me how much people DONT know! I strive to educate and to build the fire back up about keeping the body healthy. Look at it this way, if you dont have your health, you dont have anything! God gave us this one body, and if we distroy it we only have ourselves to blame. The lack of knowledge can kill you!

I want to be accessible to people, not too high and mighty (or atleast act that way) so that people dont even want to come near me or talk to me! I do not want to be fake or go back on my word, or twist my words around to suit me at any given time. It all boils down to being selfless, and giving and putting what talent God gave me into practice to help others, not hinder and boast in my own glory....because like my grandfather used to say about that "a hundred years from now, no one will know the difference."

I want to make a difference and if I can reach or touch one person with my selflessness they may pass it on and do that for someone else! I will not lose myself and if I start too my husband is sure to put me back into place in a loving and kind way but he also keeps me grounded and I thank the good Lord for that because I know how easy it is to fall into that category of selfishness that is over the top....lol...

I will first and formost say that it was not all me that got me there because if it wasnt for the great team of people, family and friends...but mainly God up above, I wouldnt be where I am today!

So thank you all for helping me and lets all do each other a favor and check ourselves, is your heart in the right place or is it all just a selfish act to get attention. Because, honestly attention makes you feel good for 2 seconds and then you want more... where does that leave you? Making someones day by reaching out to them will leave a lasting impression on that person as well as yourself and give you a sense of lasting joy that can only be received from an act such as that!

Good Morning!!!! lol...have a great day and be safe!

Work out log 8-14-2008 Biceps and shoulders

2008-08-15T03:13:00.000-07:00

SHOULDERS:

Seated barbell over head press: 4 sets at 12 reps, each set increase the weight decrease repsby 2 and the last set do a drop set till failure.

Seated free motion machine over head press: 4 sets at 12 reps on the first 60lbs on each side. 2nd set at 10 reps with 50lbs with a static hold at the end, same for third set. 4th set drop the weight to 30lbs and rep out those shoulder presses till failure and then a static hold at the end.

BICEPS:

Olympic bar curl: (bought ripped my biceps outta my arms! it was awesome!) 3 sets 45lbs, 1st set was until failure, 2nd and 3rd were 6 regular curls 4 negatives! Since the bar is so long you have to stabalize more! This was a great exercise to get the blood pumping!

Free motion machin side hammer curls: 2 sets at 50lbs till failure both times.

Go Girl Go!

2008-08-13T07:02:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,
Well, tomorrow is my debut so to speak for the Women's Sports Foundation! I will be speaking as a spokes person (WNSO Natural Athlete) for Go Girl Go! at the Harlendale School Districts Cirriculum meeting tomorrow and the following day! I will be speaking on the importance of helping girls with their body image and how media and school life affects that, as well as on the eating disorders of obesity, bulimia and anorexia in San Antonio and how to help prevent it even before it surfaces!

Please keep me in your prayers that I may be a helpful influence to these individuals!

Thank you!

Work out log 8-11-2008 Legs

2008-08-11T16:48:00.000-07:00

Glutes and hammies: (My quads are very developed so we are working on catching up the glutes and hammies)

Glute Extension: 2 sets, 20lbs, 10 reps. You lie face down on a flat bench with your hips at the end, knees on the ground, you lift you legs into a "super man" position while pointing toes, add the weight in between feet and bring legs back into starting position, repeat.

Stiff Legged deadlifts: 3 sets, 40lbs, 12 reps.

Hamstring curls: 2 sets, 25lbs, 12 reps.

Kickbacks: 2 sets, 60lbs (1st set) 40lbs (2nd set), 12 reps

Weekly Food Diary for 8-10-08

2008-08-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

Meal 1:

Protein powder 1 1/2 scp
Oatmeal 1/2 cup
Fruit 3 oz
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 2:

Chicken 5 oz
Sweet Potato 2 oz
Green Veggies
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 3:

Post Work Out
Protein powder 1 1/2 scp
Rice Cakes 1 1/2

Non-Work Out day
Chicken 4 oz
Br. Rice 1/2 oz
Green Veggies
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 4:

Chicken 5 oz
Sweet Potato 1 oz
Green Veggies
Fish Oil 1tsp

Meal 5:

Lean Beef or Chicken 5 oz
Greens Veggies

Calories: 1249
Protein: 135 grams
Carbs: 112grams
Fats: 29 grams

Alternatives and food tips.

2008-08-10T15:37:00.000-07:00

Hey there all!
I kinda wanna hit on diet tips for normal everyday people, because I always talk about competition diets. Before I started to diet for competing I lost a lot of inches by making little changes or replacing things with alternatives. Here are some of them and a look at my normal day of eating.

Ezekiel/spelt Bread: found in the frozen foods section. Instead of using whole wheat bread or multigrain bread I swtiched to ezekiel bread. I used it for sandwhiches, pb and j's etc...

Ezekiel Noodles/spelt: I used this for speghetti. (easy recipe: ground beef cooked up with garlic, onion, salt and pepper, ezekeil noodles, tomato sauce....greeeeat speghetti!)

Natural sandwich meat: I used natural, organic turkey meat for my sandwhiches.

Fat free cheese: I used fat free cheeses in my sandwhiches.

Chips: If I ate chips I ate baked lays or veggie chips.

Tofu: I used tofu in my second meal shake for a "fluffiness" to keep my stomach full for 3 hours.

Almonds: I put a hand full of almonds into my second meal shake for good fats and a nutty flavor.

Fiber: I added about 10 grams more fiber into my diet. (Enzymatics strawberry fiber)

Green Vibrance: I added a green super food called Green Vibrance to my diet. I mixed it with my fiber in mid-day and at my last meal.

Parasite Cleanse: I did a parasite cleanse and actually removed alot of toxins in my body and it helped me digest and absorb everything so much better! I even lost a couple of pounds!

Now what my daily eating habits were from Oct. 2007-Jan. 2008 where I lost 3 inches off my waist:

Meal 1: Protein shake with 1/2 cup of oatmeal or 1 egg 2 egg whites with 4 slices of turkey bacon and 1/2 cup of oatmeal.

Meal 2: Protein shake with 1 scoop of protein, 4 rice cakes, some tofu a hand full of almonds

Meal 3: Turkey sandwhich with 4 slices of turkey, fat free cheese, spicy brown mustard in between two toasted piece of ezekiel bread. A hand full of veggie chips are optional. (greens and fiber)

Meal 4: Same as meal 3. Unless I was training and then it was a protein shake with an apple after my work out.

Meal 5: Turkey chili with a piece of toast, or ground beef on top of a baked potato with fat free cheese, organic butter and a bit of salt. (greens and fiber)

This diet was done while I was in school full time, working 20 + hours a week, and training for muscle gains.

Exercise Do's and Don'ts

2008-08-10T12:20:00.000-07:00

Do's and Dont's of Cardio and exercise!

-Don't run or try to embrace another form of low impact cardio. Believe me, your muscle mass and your joints will thank me! Fitness models and other professionals lean towards the "no running" principle because it's known to "eat away" at the muscle you work so hard to gain.

-Don't work against yourself and defeat your progress by running. It takes a lot of energy with no real gains, except for cardiovascular. You can receive cardiovascular benefits from other low impact versions such as using the Elliptical, Nordic Track, Air Stepper, and the Stair Master.
Don't do less than 25 minutes, or more than 45 minutes (unless you are prepping to compete). This "magic zone" between 25 to 45 burns fat as well as keeping your heart rate between 130-140 bpm. If you do more than that your body "hits a plateau" and your body "hits a wall" and you slow/stop your progress.

-Don't focus soley (added in for clarification 8-29-08) on cardio! In order to have that strong, sleek and sexy, muscle tone, you need to focus more on weight training to build it up. Don't do excessive cardio which will "eat away" at your muscle mass.

-Don't overtrain! If you overtrain, your appetite will increase and you will start eating like a 250 pound football player and not a fitness model. Rather do just enough to blast fat, and not to hit a plateau. Again if you overtrain, your body will "lock up" and not allow you to burn the fat off that you need too, because it will reach a state of "shock", thus holding onto the fat.

-Do understand that fitness is a journey to be enjoyed, not a one time event. Like the old adage goes, "Rome wasn't built in a day." Your body too is a masterpiece in progress. Take it one day at a time, and enjoy the process.

(source)

Chicken Marinade, Chocolate, and stuffsss....

2008-08-09T22:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I have found a marinade that I love! And in 12 weeks havent gotten tired of it !

-KC Masterpiece Honey Teriyaki! Marinade over night and bar-b-que or bake.

What tides me over till cheat day when that chocolate urge hits:

-Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding

Easy brown rice:

-MINUTE Ready to Serve Brown Rice
(Easy Recipe: Combine the brown rice and Starkist Herb and Garlic tuna, heat and eat!)

My Goal for those that want to compete!

2008-08-09T18:28:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

Well I do have a goal with my blogs, like this one here and the one on blogger (www.nu-ufitness.blogspot.com) but...before that a story...
When I first started getting into fitness and wanting to lose weight, tone up , see my abs etc... I had no clue where to start. I did a fitness model search and came across some profiles on here, on the web in general, and on myspace. I emailed most of them to get feed back and either never heard anything in response or go some advice but they would neeeever really tell me what they did for their work outs and what they ate, how they ate it etc... So with little to no knowledge I went into dieting and exercising...thinking and going off of what those people told me. To me exercise was running and doing crunches, and good/ healthy food was quesadillas and raisin bran! With that I never really saw results and I wanted it so bad that I went into a tail spin for the worse and ended up becoming bulimic.

The point of this story is to say that I want to be a person that has no fear or insecurity about telling people how I got the body I have, because in all honesty the people that I tell actually have to apply the information from my blog to see the results they want. I want others to see what goes into a competitor/models daily regime, workouts, and diet so they dont end up like me and then fiiiinally after 2 1/2 years figuring out that they were going about it the completely wrong way!

I hope that my blogs bring insight and knowledge to those that are just starting out, or others that want to compete. That is my goal... to help and inspire! Not lead on and flaunt what I have for nothing.

God Bless and take care of those bodies and stay natural! Be smart and there really isn't an "easy" button when it comes to competing!

Meagan

Work out log 8-8-2008 Back and Triceps

2008-08-09T12:34:00.000-07:00

BACK:

Bent over bar bell row: 2 sets at 40lbs, 10 reps slow and controlled movements

Close Grip Lat Pull Down: 2 sets, 1 set at 80lbs, 2 set at 60lbs. 10 reps slow and controlled with a hold at the end.

High Row on one knee on Free Motion Machine: 3 sets, first set at 80lbs on each side 10 reps, second is the same as the first, third is at 50lbs faster paced till failure.

TRICEPS:

Free Motion Machine (FMM) cable cross tricep ext: 2 sets at 60lbs on each side.

Over head rope extension: 2 sets 60lbs on first, 50 lbs on second 12 reps.

Skull Crusher: 1 set 30lbs till failure.

Work out log 8-6-08 Shoulders and Biceps

2008-08-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

SHOULDERS:

Upright row: 3 sets at 40lbs with 8 reps, dropped down to 20lbs and did 6 reps all together.

Delt raises super setted with bent over rows (with pronation): 2 sets 10lbs on delt raises for 12 reps and then bent over rows with 10lbs for 8 reps.

Lat shoulder raises on the free motion machine with 45 degree angle: 2 sets with 30lbs on each side.

BICEPS:

Alternating standing bicep curls: 3 sets, 1st with 20lbs and 12 reps, 2nd with 15lbs 10 reps, 3rd with 10lbs and 8 reps.

Lying down cable bicep curls: (this exercise is amazing because it triggers all of the parts of the bicep!) 3 sets at 20lbs 12 reps

Work out log 8-4-2008 Legs

2008-08-04T15:52:00.000-07:00

Hello All! I am so excited about today! I have not barbell squatted since sept of last year and I was only able to do 95lbs for about 4 reps. Well today I have broken that record and am excited to say that I squatted 185lbs 6 times after doing 4 sets of squats with lower weight!!! Here is what I did today:

Warm Up:
10 jump squats

Squats with legs shoulder width apart: 70lbs 12 reps, 1 set

Squats same as above: 95lbs 10 reps, 1 set

Squats same as above: 135lbs 6 reps, 1 set

Squats same as above: 185 6 reps, 1 set!!!!

One legged lunges: 40lbs in each arm (total of 80lbs extra weight) 10 on each leg 1 set.

Plyometric jump squats onto bench: 1-5 jumps with 1 squat at top, 5-10 jumps with increasing squats at the top until 10 reps are completed.

Leg Press: 1 set of 12 reps with 620lbs.

Thank goodness for more carbs this week! It woulda been hard gettin through that work out in 30 minutes without them!

Weekly Food Diary for 8-3-08

2008-08-03T12:17:00.000-07:00

Hey Bloggers!
My nutritionist decided to bump my calories up since we have an extra 2 weeks for the North American Championships!! SOOO for one week I will be less sleepy and be able to hit it up harder in the gym! He added fruit and some extra carbs. Proteins and fats stay the same as last week. As well as cardio.

Meal 1:

Protein powder 1 1/2 scp
Oatmeal 1/2 cup
Fruit 3 oz (I choose kiwi because they are really good!)
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 2:

Chicken 5 oz
Sweet Potato 2 oz
Green Veggies
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 3:

Post work out
Protein powder1 1/2 scp
Rice Cakes 2

Non Workout Day
Chicken 4 oz
Br. Rice 1/2 oz
Green Veggies
Flax Oil 1 tsp

Meal 4:

Chicken 5 oz
Sweet Potato 1 1/2 oz
Green Veggies
Fish Oil 1 tsp

Meal 5:

Lean Beef or Chicken 5 oz
Greens Veggies

1242 calories
163 grams of protein
89 grams of carbs
26 grams of fat

10 sessions of cardio at 50 minutes each.

New Tid Bits I Have Learned Today!

2008-08-01T14:58:00.000-07:00

While I was doing cardio this morning I was reading a great fitness magazine.... andI learned all kinds of stuff! Like....

Real Champions:
- Are the ones who made the best series of choices during their off season and contest prep.
-They choose to stay natural, not purchase cheap off-brand products in the off-season, and not gain 40 lbs of fat in the off season.
-They choose to outwork their opponents, and not overindulge in foods that are counterproductive to reacing their objectives.
-They choose to be humble, learn from others, and enjoy the process of getting ready to compete, instead of complaining about the diet.
-And most of all, they choose to do everything within their control to prepare for their contest, and not to worry about variables outside their control.

On Metabolic Rate (better explained that I could do it):
-"Bottom line is that a purely calorie restricted diet lowers your metabolic rate, eats muscle like a kid in a candy store, and causes you to lose your mind!!"
---The solution:
- First, quit worrying about your weight and focus on your diet.
- Second, feed your body the right kind of macronutrients (proteins, carbs, fats) so that it
responds the way you want it to. Every time you eat you stimulate you metabolism, so
eat often.
- Third, supplement the diet with a good vitamin/mineral supplement.

Work out log 8-1-2008 Shoulders and Biceps

2008-08-01T14:50:00.001-07:00

Hey guys,

Here is my crazy work out for shoulders and bicpes!

SHOULDERS:

Sitting shoulder press on the free motion machine: first set, warm up presses until failure 50lbs on each side. Second set was 15 reps 70lbs on each side, holding half way down on the last rep for 5 looooong seconds...lol....

Standing shoulder press on the free motion machine while leaning forward: pressing over head with the cables off the arms 2 sets for 12 reps at 70 and then 80lbs on each side. Holding on the last rep for 5 seconds.

Shoulder Press Lying Prone on an exercise ball: Cables off of arms, 2 sets 12-15 reps at 70 lbs on each side, with a hold at the end.

Delt raises lying prone on the exercise ball: 12 lbs in each arm, arms straight out to the side and lifting with the delts, 10 reps with a 10 second hold at the end.

BICEPS:

Close grip bicep preacher curls lying prone on the ball: 15 lbs in each arm rep till failure for 2 sets.

Standing Side hammer curls super setted with regular curls: 2 sets till failure 12lbs in each arm.

I dont do much for biceps because mine are very developed.

Meagan's Butt Blaster Leg Press Exercise!!

2008-07-31T15:18:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,
I had a couple of people ask me about this one leg exercise soooo I recorded it and put it online, take a look at the video below and if you have any questions please let me know! Also the leg press sled on this particular leg press weighs approx. 170lbs.

Work out log 7-30-2008 Back and Triceps

2008-07-31T15:04:00.000-07:00

Hey there!

Here is my back and tricep work out for yall!

BACK:

Close Grip Lat pull down (but facing out) with legs up and crossed for ab work out as well: 2 sets of 12 at 80lbs

Close grip lat pull downs facing the correct way: 3 sets of 8 at 100lbs and 2 sets were negatives.

Prone dumbell wide grip rows on the exercise ball: 2 sets with 12 lb dumbells

Free motion machine wide grip lat pull downs with lift: 3 sets of 12, 1 and 2nd set at 80lbs, last set at 100lbs. You start the movement by leaning forward over your knee and as you reach about half way through finish the movement by moving to where you are vertical with your hips.

TRICPES:

Free Motion Machine, cross cable tricep extention: 3 sets of 12 at 40lbs.

Over head rope tricep extension: 2 sets of 12 at 60lbs

Rope Tricep Ext: 1 set till failure at 40lbs.

Activia for 10 days...try Fiber and Enzymes, they work a lot faster!

2008-07-29T14:08:00.001-07:00

So,
I was about to take a well needed nap when the Activia yogurt commercial came on and talked about how it can regulate your digestive tract in 10 days. Well, why not spend less time and money and not get as much sugar and preservatives and go for the natural fiber and enzymes that are needed by the body to help your digestive system and get you going in 12-24 hours!??

Why?? Because people don't know. They dont know that they dont get enough fiber in their diet with the processed, empty calorie foods and their metabolic digestive enzymes are depleting because of that food as well.

Here is a solution, find a fiber that works for you because everyone's body is different (I use Enzymatics Fiber in the strawberry flavor). In the beginning, get atleast 20-25 grams of that fiber and drink lots water at room temperature but this is a suggestion, if you want follow the directions on the container . Take digestive enzymes as they are directed; I have found that taking one with everymeal, especially if you eat late, helps tremendously!

Here is a little bit more about why enzymes are important and very overlooked!

Although systematic and digestive enzymes are absolutely vital to human health, you hardly ever heard of them in the dietary supplement industry until recently. I've found them to offer more benefits than almost any other supplements I've taken, and are an integral part of any effective colon or liver and cleansing program.
Just what makes them so important?

Essentially, every metabolic process in the body requires the catalytic action of enzymes. They're involved with digestion (obviously), breaking down and digesting the food we eat in order to release the nutrients they contain. But enzymes also play a key roll in the immune system, the circulatory system, the liver, kidneys, spleen and pancreas, and even our ability to see, breathe and think.

Every organ and gland in your body has a set of enzymes unique to itself. One researcher found over 98 enzymes carrying out metabolic functions in the arteries alone. Pretty much the same is true all all body tissues. (That's why I've found the use of glandular and organ tissue supplements for helpful.)

Where do we get our enzymes ?
Some of the enzymes we need are present in the foods we eat. (At least they're supposed to be.) Some are synthesized by the body itself.
However, when our food provides us with insufficient levels of enzymes, our bodies must produce its own. In the case of digestive enzymes, the need to — in effect — overproduce the enzymes needed to fully digest our food limits our ability to produce enough metabolic enzymes to carry out other body functions, including the clearing of our blood stream of foreign proteins, balancing fibrin in the blood and detoxification of the tissues.

Our enzyme-depleted diet:
Unfortunately, in our modern world, most of the foods we have available to us are enzyme-deficient, and are then processed and prepared in a manner that renders them all but dead and inert. What do we do to our foods to turn them into toxic waste?
· Chemical cultivation: When foods are grown in an artificial environment of chemicals, their enzyme content is all but destroyed. Add to this the fact that most of our seed is hybrid for production, not food content, and we start out in quite a hole.
· Heat: Enzymes start breaking down at 118 degrees F., and are totally destroyed at 129 degrees F. So many of our foods are super-heated during cooking, it's no wonder they're enzyme-deficient.
· Modern processing: The standard processing methods of pasteurization, sterilization, canning, freezing and microwaving all render enzymes inactive.
Early signs of enzyme deficiency:
Some of the early signs of enzyme deficiency include:
· obesity;
· digestive complaints; heartburn; gas; bloating; stomach aches;
· diarrhea; constipation;
· fatigue; chronic fatigue;
· headaches;
· yeast infections;
· nutritional deficiencies;
· pain; joint stiffness;
· colon, liver, pancreas and intestinal problems;
· skin eruptions, psoriasis, eczema.
To this list you could add cardiovascular problems and even cancer; and an enzyme deficiency might very well play a roll in such diseases as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, MS and other disorders that are becoming so prevalent today.

The need for enzyme supplementation:
Given the manner in which our food is grown and brought to market, is it really realistic to think that we can get the enzymes we need from our foods?
Not really.
Therefore, it really is important to supplement your diet with enzymes.