What Women Never Tell You: The Man's Guide to Sex, Love & Beating the Competition. FINISHED!!

What I got for Christmas, from myself and Marcus, was finishing the final revision of our book: What Women Never Tell You: The Man's Guide to Sex, Love & Beating the Competition.

For most of us I'm sure quality time with loved ones and creating/progress/ growth/accomplishment is more satisfying than material stuff, and that's exactly how I feel today. Satisfied & happy... though I wouldn't have turned down a Tesla or Vitamix blender had one or both appeared this Christmas. But finishing this book we've been working on for over 5 years feels pretty damn good this Christmas!

Here's the beginning of the chapter "She Will Never Tell You What She Wants, But Will Expect You To Know." We thought it was apropos to share for Christmas and the giving season! Subscribe to receive the entire chapter for free!

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http://www.whatwomennevertellyou.blogspot.com

She Will Never Tell You What She Wants, But Will Expect You To Know (excerpt)

Most women actually think they are asking for what they want, and don’t realize they’re about as obvious as a whisper in a windstorm. They give you hints and clues with subtle indicators like winks, head nods, and leaving a window open on the computer, and figure... Well he must know. I gave him all those clues. Meanwhile, most men simply wish the women in their lives would straight-up just say exactly what they want without all the detective work.

Why is this the way it is? Well, it comes down once again to how women communicate and perceive things. You think you’re speaking the same language, but you’re not. Women use a secret language, a covert way of communicating that is full of physical, emotional and verbal subtext and innuendo. The funny thing is that for women, their subtext-laden language isn’t subtle at all. To them it is perfectly obvious, like the nose on your face. They truly think everyone talks this way. This is why women overanalyze and think there is more to what you say than what you actually said. You've heard it before, after you say something very clear and simple, your woman asks, what do you mean by that? They hear subtext and subtlety because that’s the waythey hear as well as communicate.

To you, the man, it often seems as though your woman is just rambling. To a woman, what they said was simple and direct, even when it seems they have not said anything. Remember, they are communicating even when they are not talking. The real rub is that a lot of the time what shemeans is the opposite of what she is actually saying.

For example it could go like this:

You:

Hey babe, Jenny wants us to come over for the pre-game party.

Her:

Why? You know how I hate her.

You:

What are you talking about, you talk to Jenny all the time?

Her:

I don't want to go to her barbecue.

You:

But... You... But she’s like your best friend.

Her:

But that doesn't mean I want to hang with her all the time.

You:

Oh... Okay. So you want…. us… to… not go?

Her:

(giving you a nasty look)

We can't not go, are you insane? You said we would go, and plus that would be insulting if we didn't go.

You:

So... You doooo… want… to...go? You just said you didn't though.... I'm confused.

Her:

(looking at you like you’re stupid)

Just because I said I didn't want to go doesn't mean we shouldn't go.

You

(more confused)

Ok?.... What are we doing?

Her:

(pissed off)

Did you not just listen to me! Let’s just go!

Dizzying isn't it? She is operating on a completely different set of rules...

For more, please subscribe to our blog (top left side of this page).

You will receive this whole chapter for FREE and exclusive excerpts and DISCOUNTS when the book is released! We plan to publish a digital ebook by February 2015. Happy Holidays & Happy New Year!!

The Trouble With Antibiotics & Industrial Farming - Frontline/PBS

Disclaimer: 

This is purely an opinion piece and in no way reflects opinions of or from the web, blogger, google, or any company, person, business, search engine or entity on the earth or on the internet,  and is merely an expression of my 1st amendment rights.

Those of you who know me know I'm really into health and fitness.

It seems I'm more extreme (the word used by some friends I've known since childhood - all of whom have severe health issues, none of which I suffer from) than the vast majority of people I come into contact with... though I'm meeting more and more who are on a similar health path.

Being an outlier in this area may seem in conflict with some of my spiritual/mental studies of non-attachment, the middle-way, buddhism and all of that stuff.

But from my perspective, it's not.

The way I approach health and fitness is multifaceted so I'll make a list of the contributing factors that reinforce my choice to eat a mostly organic, farm-based/local, gmo-free, pesticide-free, cruelty-free, low-carb, high in healthy fat, low-temp cooked or raw meat (all from grass-fed, free-range animals), high in beneficial bacteria diet.

Minimize Suffering (or Don't Contribute/Add to it with my purchases/choices)
Unfortunately, Industrial Farming, aka Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) inflict a lot of suffering, even torture. Hidden camera video footage, which is now illegal thanks to the big industrial farm lobby, illustrates cows who have zero room to move and have massive sores on their udders as well as sores and bruises from being beaten by their handlers. Chickens are packed so full they cannot move and they're in constant contact with the chicken shit of thousands of animals.
This extends to myself and my family. I'd prefer we minimize our suffering as well. My research shows the vast majority of degenerative diseases are preventable, including most cancers, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, and immune disorders/infections. Having a healthy immune system is a big factor in my choice to eat raw, grass-fed dairy (fermented & straight up), fermented vegetables, low-temp cooked meats that are fed organic/pesticide-free diets, and other foods with healthy bacteria.

Long-Term Sustainability
I'm not alone thinking the earth's balance, including the human species, is in trouble. Climate change is 99% agreed upon by environmental/climate scientists, and one of the major factors in climate change is industrial farming and the infrastructure of shipping foods long distances and the deforestation due to farming industrialized foods.

Spiritual Alignment
While many buddhists believe in reincarnation to some extent, the jury is still out for me. However, I don't see any benefit to contribute (with my pocketbook or directly) to torture of other living creatures. Full disclosure dictates that I mention the fact that I kill mosquitoes, flies, and gnats, but I do not torture them before I kill them. Also, I catch and free many spiders, grasshoppers and take non-toxic ant and cockroach prevention, avoiding the choice whether or not to kill them as they're nonexistent at home. To me, torture is cruel, inhumane, and soul-crushing; death is a natural part of life, and I do my best to minimize the torture aspect as much as possible. Make no mistake, if you're eating regular dairy, milk and cheese, from the regular old grocery store or a regular, chain or local restaurant, there's a 99% chance the animals this dairy comes from are tortured. Yes, tortured. By proxy, you are torturing animals. We are all connected. The more we deny that, the sicker we seem to get.

Non-Regular/Non-Tortured Animals: Since the above raises the obvious question, How do I avoid buying foods from tortured animals? Here is what I've found: Grow your own or visit a local farm. You will know immediately if they confine and torture their animals. If, when you arrive, there's lots of land and a few scattered animals, they're probably good. Next, you want to check how clean their facilities and receptacles are, and how often they check their dairy. Should be 1-2xs per week. But I understand, a lot of people don't have this option. The next best option is to go organic (and vegetarian if you can't get organic & free range meat). It's the only way that is accessible mostly nationwide to ensure your dairy, meat, and produce are not contributing to increased antibiotic resistance, torture, climate change and the overall detriment of health. Organic regulations in the U.S. dictate animals must have a certain amount of room to move around, and zero antibiotic or toxic pesticide use. Think about it: If even 20% of Americans stopped purchasing food from restaurants and grocery stores that contribute to the torture of animals (anything non-organic and non-local), it would create immediate change. Because we're in a capitalist system, voting with a pocketbook is more powerful than voting with a ballot. The most common argument opposing buying organic is cost. I look at it this way: I'd rather spend more on healthier food now, than spend more time, money, pain and suffering in the future because I didn't actively prevent degenerative diseases that are directly linked to lifestyle and diet.

Prevention of Illness/Infection
Frontline (link below) did a great job illustrating this situation in regard to antibiotic resistance, so I'll try to be brief here and just let you watch it for yourself. I will sum up with this: Scientists have found a greater instance of antibiotic-resistant infection (including Mersa and E Coli) in direct correlation with industrial farms in the same region which use antibiotics to increase animal weight. Additionally, scientists found the type of bacteria that was present in the animal manure (of animals given antibiotics to increase weight) to be the exact same strain of bacteria that the nearby hospital was treating in humans and had seen a 30% increase. The vast majority of degenerative diseases are prevented and regulated by the diet I describe (without nasty drug-induced side-effects). But don't take my word for it, read/research the following: Dr. Weston Price's, "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration" and Dr. David Perlmutter's "Grain Brain." (links go to separate links for the respective Doctor's websites and books on amazon).

The Low Carb (Anti-Inflammation) Element
One last thing. I mentioned above that my diet is low carb. Two factors in this choice were vanity and frugality: I wanted to slim down and my research showed that a low carb diet (done properly, NOT Atkins - Atkins may help you loose weight but it will likely help you gain a whole host of other health problems) helps people loose fat, keep muscle, and helps the weight stay off. Also, my clothes had become too small and too tight (now remedied after 10 months on this diet) and I didn't want to spend money to buy a whole new wardrobe! But low carb diets have another huge benefit: Research shows that a high-carb (which is the standard American diet, aka SAD), whether it's fruits, breads, pastas, starchy vegetables, gluten-free or otherwise, yields a higher probability of heart disease, Alzheimer's and dementia. (See Dr. David Perlmutter again and "Grain Brain." The reason? Inflammation. Carbohydrates/high glycemic foods cause a rise in insulin, which cause inflammation and over time this damages our arteries, hearts, vessels and brain vessels. Lastly, I want the option to still have children. My research also shows a low carb diet helps with hormone regulation and health, which is obviously an important factor in conception!

Here's the link for Frontline. Please watch this program. It's excellent and I'm so glad people are actually talking about this. It's personal, after all. Marcus's father died due to complications post-surgery including an antibiotic-resistant Mersa infection - an infection that they cover in this Frontline story.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/trouble-with-antibiotics/

Disclaimer: 

This is purely an opinion piece and in no way reflects opinions of or from the web, blogger, google, or any company, person, business, search engine or entity on the earth or on the internet,  and is merely an expression of my 1st amendment rights.

The Trouble With Testosterone

This is a little on the personal side, but I wouldn't be me, nor would I be doing a service to any of my readers out there, by not sharing some of my most personal thoughts and feelings on things. Hell, I shared my favorite sex position (link to blog: All Hail The Inverted Missionary) a while back, so if I can do that, I can do this...


Most of you know that Marcus is a health, nutrition and martial arts expert.

Most of you also know, based on how comfortable I usually am talking about sex, that I have a relatively healthy sexual attitude and sex-drive.

But what the majority of you do not know is that my cycles have been off. The reason I'm sharing this is because it's pertinent to what has transpired this past month and especially this past week.

In the last year or two, I've noticed my cycles being a little odd. Sometimes 28-29 days (which according to doctors is "normal" - matching the cycle of the moon), but often would be 22 or 24 days, and 31 days. It seemed to be every other month, which indicates I had a "lazy," aggressive (is that possible?) or otherwise misbehaving ovary.

This concerned me mainly for the following reasons:

a) I don't care to have my period more often, for how obviously inconvenient it is.
2) This is likely an indication that something is off with my hormones and/or ovaries.
c) This could mean, over time, a reduced time period for when I am able to have children, and I want to have that option for as long as possible. Women, unlike men who produce sperm their entire lives, have a finite amount of eggs, and I'm not really interested in running out of mine any sooner than necessary.

Noticing this inconsistency in my cycles, I tried a few different things, very casually, over the last year. A slight adjustment in my diet (which is already pretty organic and raw, and theoretically longevity- and fertility-encouraging). Acupuncture and supplements recommended by a holistic doctor I saw last year. Needless to say (or I wouldn't be writing this blog), nothing changed. Same odd cycle continued.

About a month ago, I asked Marcus, again, what he would recommend. Surprise, surprise, I didn't listen the first time.

He said, "You should clean up your diet."

I didn't like that idea the first time he said it to me 6 months ago, thinking I'd have to be more weird in my eating habits than I already am, and thinking I'd have to spend more money on raw dairy or raw whey protein or whatever specialty item or supplement he'd undoubtedly want me to ingest more of...

But I was (a little) smarter this time, and asked, "can you tell me, specifically, what you mean by that?"

He explained that if I really wanted to re-balance my hormone levels, giving up carbs was the best route. No bread, pasta, starches, sugar or even raw honey (which is my main sweet ingredient these days).

"Really?" I said.

Yes. Of course.

A month ago, I started eating less carbs, but honestly, I was still eating carbs daily, just way less. That helped my energy level a little.

About five days ago, I started this really seriously. I've dabbled with my diet a lot over the years, but have never really given up carbs for longer than a day or two tops. Even when I've done juice cleanses or fasting, there was still enough sugar in the juice or tea (sweetened with honey) to satisfy that...craving and whatever it was doing to my body.

Marcus has some biological explanation for anyone interested - my understanding and sum up of it is this:

All carbohydrates are converted into some sort of sugar, whether it's long or short chain carbs. It goes into your blood and your blood sugar goes up. In order for your cells to receive that energy (glucose), a body has to release insulin to allow the glucose to go into the cell. High insulin levels cause a host of other issues, including a bunch of metabolic/hormonal issues: More insulin means more fat, because your body converts calories to fat more efficiently when a person has more insulin in their blood. More fat means more estrogen, because fat is an estrogen producing cell. More estrogen means reduced testosterone.

The reason humans aren't operating at optimum efficiency eating a lot of refined or even whole wheat carbs and sugars is because we're feast or famine animals. Additionally, humans have not evolved (evolution takes a minimum of 50,000 years, more realistically 150,000+) to deal with processed food for fuel, specifically because they're so high in glucose. For beings who subsisted for thousands and thousands of years on nuts, berries (which were largely sour), fat, meats (mostly raw or sun-dried) and raw dairy (pasteurization is only about 150 years new); large quantities of breads, pastas, sweet corn, sweet fruits, sugars, and pasteurized cheese and milk are relatively new to the human body, and cause these huge insulin spikes, which cause the aforementioned metabolic issues and also, as you might've guessed, lead to obesity and diabetes.

While I am no where near obese or diabetic, I began noticing how eating even "healthy" complex carbs was affecting my hormones.

DISCLAIMER
Before I get into my personal experience with this, I need to give all of you a disclaimer. If you're tempted to try this for yourself, I highly recommend you do your research, as this diet is only healthy if you're eating ample amounts of non-denatured protein every 2-3 hours, large amounts of nutrient-rich vegetables, and raw, healthy saturated fat. If you need more guidance, please comment, or peruse my and Marcus's past blogs, as there's a bevy of nutritional information. Also, of course, check with your doctor or nutritionist.

Now for the lay-woman's anecdotal experience:
Here's what I've experienced. I feel happy. Or at least happier than my normal level of happy. I've felt more energetic. I also feel, to put it bluntly, like a dog in heat. It would seem that my testosterone levels are increasing (weren't they high enough for a chic to begin with?!?) just as Marcus predicted they would. Apparently this can only happen in a healthy way when we give up carbs AND eat plenty of non-denatured (which means raw and unprocessed) protein. Also, my scent is stronger than usual. I do not like this and do not even like admitting it, but it helps no one if I'm dishonest about this experience. According to Marcus, my scent is stronger than usual because I'm not eating glucose, my body finds glucose for fuel by burning the fat off of my hip. We store toxins in our fat, and that gets released as we burn fat and are in what is called ketosis. Ketosis, simply put, is when our bodies use fat for energy.

In the past, my body was using the carbs it was receiving for energy, and keeping fat stored. Currently, based on how I've been feeling, my body is using fat for energy.

The trouble with testosterone is, it's distracting! Sex is on my brain virtually all the time. Construction workers, handsome trees, beware! There's a general warmth and buzzing feeling in my nether-regions. I have more sex dreams than usual, and I seem to be flirting more. (Thank Goddess I'm with a man who doesn't care if I flirt with everyone and everything...there's a good-looking palm tree over there, just give me a minute...)

I don't know how guys do it. From what I understand, this starts in boys around the age of 13 and lasts until the mid to late twenties. How do you function in the world like that? No wonder guys in their teens and early twenties seem kind of stupid. I honestly feel like my I.Q. points have dropped due to this resurgence of testosterone.

Hopefully this is not true. Marcus assures me it is not (and my research says the same), but it can lead to more rash decisions and aggressive behavior. The best correlation is this: when a person is ravenously hungry, they'll do a lot more for food than if they just ate an hour ago.

Marcus assures me this will rebalance itself once my body re-regulates and isn't on heavy fat-burning duty. Once I shift over and my pancreas and liver are healthier, as well as my ovaries, please help me, my body will run more on the raw proteins I'll continue to eat, over the fat that has been stored in my body for at least a decade.

Mainly, I'm looking forward to the day when I can wake up and not feel pure heat from my undercarriage. But maybe this is going to be par for the course because of my age and already high testosterone levels. Only time will tell.

This must be as close as a woman can get to experiencing morning wood.

Poor Marcus. I look at him like a piece of meat now. Mind you, I don't even need my meat cooked to devour it. I just dive right in.

Good thing Marcus doesn't mind so much.

First off, a little explanation. This blog has been dark (quiet) for a few months, and now, within 48 hours, two articles on scary stuff that we either cook with or eat on a regular basis. What!?!

The first yesterday on the dangers of non-stick. Today, this article is on seven foods experts avoid and the reasons why.

I'm not setting out to scare anyone, I swear! That is not my intention. But I do care a great deal about many of you out there and would like you to live long, happy and healthy lives. Also, knowledge is power, and just in case some of you out there haven't heard about any of the following, I thought I would share. Shockingly, this is from foxnews.com. They republished it from Prevention Magazine.

Organic is not just for liberals, it seems.


To your health & knowledge!

7 Foods You Should Never Eat

By Prevention Magazine

Published December 02, 2011

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/12/01/7-foods-should-never-eat/#ixzz1fpBs5csH

Food scientists are shedding light on items loaded with toxins and chemicals--and simple swaps for a cleaner diet and supersized health. 

Clean eating means choosing fruits, vegetables, and meats that are raised, grown, and sold with minimal processing. Often they're organic, and rarely (if ever) should they contain additives. But in some cases, the methods of today's food producers are neither clean nor sustainable. The result is damage to our health, the environment, or both. So we decided to take a fresh look at food through the eyes of the people who spend their lives uncovering what's safe--or not--to eat. We asked them a simple question: "What foods do you avoid?" Their answers don't necessarily make up a "banned foods" list. But reaching for the suggested alternatives might bring you better health--and peace of mind.

1. The Endocrinologist Won't Eat: Canned TomatoesFredrick Vom Saal, is an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A.

The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people's body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. "You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that's a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young," says vom Saal. "I won't go near canned tomatoes."

The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe's and Pomi. 

(*Note from KatieStrandWorld: boxes are not better as they're still lined with plastic. Best choose glass bottles if not using organic fresh tomatoes.)

Budget tip: If your recipe allows, substitute bottled pasta sauce for canned tomatoes. Look for pasta sauces with low sodium and few added ingredients, or you may have to adjust the recipe.

2. The Farmer Won't Eat: Corn-Fed BeefJoel Salatin is co-owner of Polyface Farms and author of half a dozen books on sustainable farming.

The problem: Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today feed their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for slaughter. But more money for cattle farmers (and lower prices at the grocery store) means a lot less nutrition for us. A recent comprehensive study conducted by the USDA and researchers from Clemson University found that compared with corn-fed beef, grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), calcium, magnesium, and potassium; lower in inflammatory omega-6s; and lower in saturated fats that have been linked to heart disease. "We need to respect the fact that cows are herbivores, and that does not mean feeding them corn and chicken manure," says Salatin.

The solution: Buy grass-fed beef, which can be found at specialty grocers, farmers' markets, and nationally at Whole Foods. It's usually labeled because it demands a premium, but if you don't see it, ask your butcher.

Budget tip: Cuts on the bone are cheaper because processors charge extra for deboning. You can also buy direct from a local farmer, which can be as cheap as $5 per pound. To find a farmer near you, search eatwild.com.

3. The Toxicologist Won't Eat: Microwave PopcornOlga Naidenko, is a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group.

The problem: Chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in the lining of the bag, are part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans, according to a recent study from UCLA. In animal testing, the chemicals cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer. Studies show that microwaving causes the chemicals to vaporize--and migrate into your popcorn. "They stay in your body for years and accumulate there," says Naidenko, which is why researchers worry that levels in humans could approach the amounts causing cancers in laboratory animals. DuPont and other manufacturers have promised to phase out PFOA by 2015 under a voluntary EPA plan, but millions of bags of popcorn will be sold between now and then.

The solution: Pop natural kernels the old-fashioned way: in a skillet. For flavorings, you can add real butter or dried seasonings, such as dillweed, vegetable flakes, or soup mix.

Budget tip: Popping your own popcorn is dirt cheap

Top 10 Food Mistakes Your Making

4. The Farm Director Won't Eat: Nonorganic Potatoes
Jeffrey Moyer is the chair of the National Organic Standards Board.

The problem: Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes--the nation's most popular vegetable--they're treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they're dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting. "Try this experiment: Buy a conventional potato in a store, and try to get it to sprout. It won't," says Moyer, who is also farm director of the Rodale Institute (also owned by Rodale Inc., the publisher of Prevention). "I've talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for themselves without all the chemicals."

The solution: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isn't good enough if you're trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.

Budget tip: Organic potatoes are only $1 to $2 a pound, slightly more expensive than conventional spuds.

What to Really Look for on a Nutrition Label

5. The Fisheries Expert Won't Eat: Farmed SalmonDr. David Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany, published a major study in the journal Science on contamination in fish.

The problem: Nature didn't intend for salmon to be crammed into pens and fed soy, poultry litter, and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. As a result, farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and pesticides such as dioxin and DDT. According to Carpenter, the most contaminated fish come from Northern Europe, which can be found on American menus. "You could eat one of these salmon dinners every 5 months without increasing your risk of cancer," says Carpenter, whose 2004 fish contamination study got broad media attention. "It's that bad." Preliminary science has also linked DDT to diabetes and obesity, but some nutritionists believe the benefits of omega-3s outweigh the risks. There is also concern about the high level of antibiotics and pesticides used to treat these fish. When you eat farmed salmon, you get dosed with the same drugs and chemicals.

The solution: Switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says fresh Atlantic, it's farmed. There are no commercial fisheries left for wild Atlantic salmon.

Budget tip: Canned salmon, almost exclusively from wild catch, can be found for as little as $3 a can. (*Note from KatieStrandWorld. Please see #1. Canned goods are no good. Maybe salmon doesn't leach as much plastic from the can because salmon is less acidic than tomatoes, but still, it's no bueno.)

6. The Cancer Researcher Won't Drink: Milk Produced With Artificial HormonesRick North is project director of the Campaign for Safe Food at the Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility and former CEO of the Oregon division of the American Cancer Society.

The problem: Milk producers treat their dairy cattle with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST, as it is also known) to boost milk production. But rBGH also increases udder infections and even pus in the milk. It also leads to higher levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor in milk. In people, high levels of IGF-1 may contribute to breast, prostate, and colon cancers. "When the government approved rBGH, it was thought that IGF-1 from milk would be broken down in the human digestive tract," says North. As it turns out, the casein in milk protects most of it, according to several independent studies. "There's not 100 percent proof that this is increasing cancer in humans," admits North. "However, it's banned in most industrialized countries."

The solution: Check labels for rBGH-free, rBST-free, produced without artificial hormones, or organic milk. These phrases indicate rBGH-free products.

Budget tip: Try Wal-Mart's Great Value label, which does not use rBGH.

7. The Organic-Foods Expert Won't Eat: Conventional ApplesMark Kastel, a former executive for agribusiness, is codirector of the Cornucopia Institute, a farm-policy research group that supports organic foods.

The problem: If fall fruits held a "most doused in pesticides contest," apples would win. Why? They are individually grafted (descended from a single tree) so that each variety maintains its distinctive flavor. As such, apples don't develop resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently. The industry maintains that these residues are not harmful. But Kastel counters that it's just common sense to minimize exposure by avoiding the most doused produce, like apples. "Farm workers have higher rates of many cancers," he says. And increasing numbers of studies are starting to link a higher body burden of pesticides (from all sources) with Parkinson's disease.

The solution: Buy organic apples.

Budget tip: If you can't afford organic, be sure to wash and peel them. But Kastel personally refuses to compromise. "I would rather see the trade-off being that I don't buy that expensive electronic gadget," he says. "Just a few of these decisions will accommodate an organic diet for a family."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/12/01/7-foods-should-never-eat/#ixzz1fp9LEfgm

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead

Most of you know I've worked on documentary television and films, as well as  other random commercial, scripted feature, and reality television projects.

People who work in film and television can often become a bit critical of their audio-visual entertainment. It makes sense: if you know what goes on behind the scenes, you're more likely to be critical when something isn't done well. Like a chef at a shitty restaurant, you want your entertainment to be good and when it's not, it's frustrating.

But to be honest, as much as I can be critical of movies and television, I've also tried to relax a bit and just enjoy my viewing pleasures.

A rare gem in the documentary world is to find a documentary film that is both informative and really entertaining. Supersize Me is a great example of a film that accomplished this. Michael Moore does it sometimes. Religiosity did it mostly.

But the most recently documentary film that has caught my attention (thanks to Marcus who found it for us) is called Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead. And it just so happens to be streaming (recently released) on Netflix!

I highly recommend you see this movie. I won't give too much away other than it's about a dude who was fat, sick and nearly dead, and his journey of healing and transformation.

If you don't have netflix, try these links to view a streaming copy on your computer, or you can go to the movie's website: http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/ and support the filmmaker by buying a DVD.


http://www.letmewatchthis.ch/watch-1926963-Fat-Sick-and-Nearly-Dead



Please let me know what you think.


Here's to your health!

Shake it... for Whole Body Vibration!

In the past few months, Whole Body Vibration has come onto my radar several times. Since I've learned that anything crossing my path 3 or more times is something to pay attention to, I recently got a mini-presentation and sample of Whole Body Vibration. The machine I sampled was at a doctor's office, and it was the Body Vibe Pro 5000. I highly recommend you try these out. It not only felt great and made me all smiley, giddy and tingly, but apparently it has many long-term health benefits beyond giddyness. (Although giddyness might be enough motivation since giddyness seems a too-rare commodity.)

Basically, you stand or do exercises on a vibrating platform and according to Dr. DeOrio, "I investigated and learned more about whole body vibration and found it not only stimulated the neuromuscular and endocrine systems, but also improved fat metabolism."

I did wonder after trying it out for myself recently if standing on two $15-vibrators from my local adult store would work as well as the high-end, $2000 machine (some lower-end machines sell for as little as $300), but I'm thinking it's not quite the same thing. Funny visual, though.

Focus. Anyway, according to the woman who gave me the mini-presentation, after using the machine for about 10 minutes a day for a few months, her eyesight improved to the point where she didn't need eyeglasses, her hormones regulated (as evidenced by her cycle regularity and skin), and she grew 1 1/2 inches! Another testimony comes from a woman in her mid to late thirties who was having trouble conceiving and had even tried in-vitro. Under a doctor's care she spent about 10 minutes on the Body Vibe machine and was pregnant within 3 months! These are primary and secondary testimonials, but Dr. DeOrio has even more testimonials below. Check it out!

Here's the article on Whole Body Vibration by Dr. DeOrio (our new family doctor until further notice). Please only do this type of thing under the care of a licensed physician, and check with your doctor before trying or purchasing a machine, but there's no harm in reading...

Article from Vibrant Health Wellness Center.

The Body Vibe
A Revolution in Fitness, Wellness and Healing

Keith DeOrio, M.D.

Last year, a fitness instructor patient of mine introduced me to whole body vibration. At first I thought it was just another typical new exercise invention geared toward the gym/fitness crowd. It was presented to me primarily as an exercise machine but with possible therapeutic and medical applications. Those possibilities drew my attention. As a holistic medical doctor with a wellness medical practice, I am always looking for new and better ways to improve fitness and health for myself as well as my patients. Of course, the search is based from a holistic perspective that must be consistent with the body, mind and spirit medicine that I practice and believe in! I investigated and learned more about whole body vibration and found it not only stimulated the neuromuscular and endocrine systems, but also improved fat metabolism.

The Body Vibe is a sophisticated exercise and therapeutic wellness machine that uses vibrational technology based on decades of Russian research and development. During the first extended periods of time Russian cosmonauts spent in space, it was observed they experienced bone and muscle tissue loss due to a lack of gravity. In an effort to stop or reverse these degenerative conditions, researchers were led to the whole body vibration (WBV) technology. Since that first research decades ago, it has been well documented that vibrational technology does in fact repair the bone and muscle tissue loss experienced by the cosmonauts. Of course, this discovery inevitably led the way for the vibrational concept to be applied to the fields of athletics and fitness. The Body Vibe is the latest “state of the art” vibrational technology machine designed for all around physical performance enhancement. It is used widely through out Europe especially by Olympic and top sport athletes. Within the last year, its notoriety and popularity has spread in America as well. Athletic superstars such as Los Angeles Lakers Shaquille O'Neil, 2002 Canadian Olympic Hockey gold medal winner and goalie Ed Belfour as well as the Oakland Raiders and Tennessee Titans are among the first users in America to recognize the incredible advantage of vibration training.

The Body Vibe machine produces equal, if not better, results than conventional training methods such as weight lifting in far less time, with less effort and with much less stress on the joints, tendons and ligaments. Consequently, the Body Vibe significantly reduces the chance for potential injury normally present with conventional training methods.

The Body Vibe produces a vibration at varying hertz (times per second) through which energy is transferred to the human body. This mechanical stimulus produces a subconscious stretch reflex, which results in the muscles repetitively contracting and relaxing vigorously over a preprogrammed time interval. The body rapidly adjusts to the stimulation, resulting in an increase in physical performance and total body neuromuscular balance. This phenomenon of rapid adaptation is called super compensation. Super compensation is the major healing force behind the machines’ profound effects.

The Body Vibe has a 24" x 20” vibrating base plate that the user can either stand on in various static or dynamic positions or can use for massage and other therapeutic applications. The plate vibrates at various vibratory levels ranging from 20 to 50 Hertz .

At this range, the body transmits the vibrational frequency efficiently through tissues, muscles and organs creating the positive stimulation necessary to mimic and supercede the effects of regular exercise. The plate utilizes a three dimensional vibration pattern moving from front to back, left and right, and up and down. It has handlebars affixed to the top front of the main shaft approximately four feet up from the plate. The handlebars stabilize the user as well as providing vibrational stimulation from the handles into the user's upper body through the hands. The top of the shaft houses a computerized LCD display panel which allows one to select settings ranging from time interval duration to varying hertz levels and low and high speeds. Two straps attached to the sides of the base are held by the hands in various exercise positions. The straps are made from a fabric that was found to best relay the vibrations from the base to the hands and into the body.

More than 150 different exercise and stretching positions have been developed specifically for vibration training. The entire body musculature as well as internal organs and glands are affected by whole body vibration stimulation. Muscle spindles fire secondary to the mechanical stimulation produced by the Body Vibe. Rapid firing of the muscle spindle causes an adaptive neuromuscular response leading to physiological changes to the brain and the entire body. Traumas and injuries, even if healed, can leave old cell memories in the brain or body tissue that still impede normal body movement or function. Body Vibe usage allows the body and brain to rapidly de-imprint these old cell traumas and then re-imprint with positive healthy information. Physical therapists around the world have found vibration training to be better and more efficient at resolving injuries from sports or surgery than traditional methods of therapy.

At my wellness center, I incorporate a spectrum of different healing modalities ranging from Chinese Medicine to Homeopathy. The Body Vibe fits right in with my other healing techniques because it enhances the modalities I am already using. Increased blood flow combined with mechanical cell vibration leads to improved distribution and bio- availability of vitamins, nutrients, herbs, minerals and even homeopathics. Once the correct compound is chosen, the most significant factor in getting it to work is getting that substance to those tissues, organs or glands that need the healing. Getting nutrients into devitalized tissue with poor blood flow is one of most difficult things a health practitioner faces after choosing the right compound to heal the problem. Vibration helps to move the nutrients through the cell membrane and into the cell. The Body Vibe is the perfect tool to accomplish this job. Total body vibration causes the muscles, lymph, and cells in the body to contract and relax in a rhythmical fashion. If the right antioxidants, herbs and other nutrients are present in the blood prior to Body Vibe usage, a powerful super perfusion of the organs, glands and tissues is the result. Increased circulation and better lymph system drainage combines to give more rapid toxin removal resulting in more rapid healing and less detoxification side effects.

I believe this machine is consistent with the full spectrum of fitness and therapeutic applications I employ at my clinic. The positive effects of vibrational training are equal to if not greater than a heavy workout regimen. Studies have shown that ten minutes of training on the Body Vibe are equal to an hour workout with weights. This is accomplished with the least amount of stress to the joints, tendons and ligaments making it not only a perfect exercise machine, but an incredible therapy regimen for people with injuries (sports or other types), the elderly or those with disease conditions such as arthritis, fibro-myalgia or MS who are normally excluded or limited from a good fitness program. Long term Body Vibe usage leads to structural and anatomic changes in the body that persist for extended periods of time even when the Body Vibe is not being actively used.

Body Vibe Benefits:

• Increased flexibility and Mobility
• Increased hormone secretion: IGF-1, Testosterone, and HGH (human growth hormone)
• Enhanced bone and muscle building
• Increased lymphatic drainage
• Increased muscle strength (especially explosive strength)
• Cellulite reduction
• Increased circulation
• Decreased Cortisol levels
• Pain reduction
• Increased secretion of Serotonin and Norepinephrine
• Increased T cell count
• Improved vitality and wellbeing

Continued use of the Body Vibe eventually leads to anatomic changes in the cardiovascular system resulting in increased blood flow to the tissues at therapeutically higher baseline levels. Every tissue in the body benefits from the bones to the hair follicles. A new double blind, placebo controlled study from Germany has demonstrated reversal of osteoporosis in a large sample of menopausal females. The results show that the effects of whole body stimulation are more significant at stopping and reversing bone loss than traditional weight bearing movement at a fraction of the time and effort. Taken to the next level, improved circulation to the brain would enhance mental acuity, improve sleep, and strengthen the entire endocrine system which affects growth hormone secretion and therefore increases longevity and aging as well.

Cosmetically, enhanced blood flow and increased cell stimulation improves the integrity of the collagen matrix. This leads to tighter, stronger and more beautiful skin, hair and nails. Many of my patients report improved appearance within weeks after regular usage. Increased oxygenation to the tissues improves the metabolic rate which increases fat and cellulite loss. Just three minute three times per week is enough to cause this fat burning effect.

Infertility specialists from Holland have used whole body vibration to treat infertility. They reported that a group of ten infertile females who failed all traditional drug methods of fertility treatment were instructed to use whole body vibration three times a week for three months. After three months, six out of the ten were pregnant and all carried to term. Increased blood flow to the ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes, vagina, brain and the entire endocrine system is the most probable explanation for this outcome. The Body Vibe is safe to use through out pregnancy. If the right nutrients, herbs and other modalities such as acupuncture had been added to the Body Vibe treatment regimen, a much higher rate of fertilization probably could have been achieved.

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About Dr. DeOrio

Dr. DeOrio is an internationally known expert in Integrative medicine. He is a graduate of the University of California/Irvine's College of Medicine. Upon graduation, he completed an internship at the Kaiser Fontana, Ca. Family Practice Residency Program. He attended the UCLA Medical Acupuncture Program and is a member of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture. Dr. DeOrio received a degree from the British Institute of Homeopathy.

He is a specialist in nutritional and preventative medicine and recently published a book outlining four important nutritional paradigms of the 20th century titled The New Millennium Diet Revolution. Dr. DeOrio created a complete line of nutritional and homeopathic formulations designed to rapidly heal many of our present day, difficult-to-treat conditions. He is proficient in prolo and neural therapy, which is used to treat musculoskeletal and pain conditions that do not respond to traditional therapies.

The DeOrio Wellness Medical Center was featured in ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE MAGAZINES' Ideal Clinic Section. Dr. DeOrio hosted his own national radio show called Natural Health and Healing. He is featured as a guest expert on television and radio as well as print media. His most recent interview was for a segment on the Discovery Channel's "Inquiring Minds" documentary in which he presented a cured case of Lupus documented by laboratory testing and validated by third party medical experts.

Dr. DeOrio treats patients from all over the world and is known for his ability to integrate various treatments in a way that quickly brings vitality back to the patient’s life. 

http://www.bcvibranthealth.com/bcvibrant/articles/deorio.htm

The Paleolithic Diet - why it makes sense

The following excerpt is from Aajonus Vonderplanitz's website, wewant2live.com and I think it's worth reading as it helps explain some about the diet that I've grown to love. I feel happier, healthier and stronger than ever. Also, my Mother is currently cancer-free after a little bout with breast cancer 18 months ago, and she underwent ZERO chemotherapy or radiation. She had a lumpectomy, but she's doing fantastic and I think it is due in large part to this diet (my beau Marcus was her nutrition guru during that time, and he was the one who turned her on to this diet, although she was already familiar with some of it since she had all of us drinking raw milk back in the 70s). Anyway, my Mom looks and feels fantastic and her doctor says she's doing great - no signs of anything cancer-like. Woohoo! So, I feel great, my Mom feels great, and I've seen this raw primal diet do wonders with other people. But here's some of the rationale behind it from someone other than me... The second part is a letter to the editor of Whole Life Times and I've included it because it's a testimony from a regular joe. Enjoy! Learning The Benefits Of The Paleolithic Diet Eating Raw For Better Health

A paleolithic diet is one that consists of the same foods the early hunters and gatherers consumed during the Stone Age. This involves eating wild foods and only foods that have not been processed; all-natural unprocessed foods, meat and nuts. 
After all, many foods commonly eaten today are processed in order to be "safely" consumed. If not processed first through cooking or other extensive processes, some foods routinely consumed are actually toxic. How could these foods possibly be good for the body? 
The paleolithic diet, combined with the practice of eating raw dairy foods, is better suited for the human body. The reasons for this are quite simple: the human body had millions of years to adapt to this sort of diet. As such, it learned how to process these natural foods in a more effective method. 
In addition, it involves eating foods in their natural state, ensuring they are truly safe for your body. For this reason, combining eating raw with a paleolithic diet is ideal for the body. It allows your body to function with more natural, cleaner nutrients and fuels. 
Following a diet that goes back to our roots also naturally goes hand-in-hand with Holistic Alternative Medicine, which is a form of medicine that involves treating the entire body rather than just one part. In addition, it focuses on prevention rather than on a quick fix. 
The same holds true with eating food that is raw. By following specific raw diet recipes from Dr. Aajonus Vonderplanitz's books, eating raw foods, your body will be able to effectively metabolize the foods you eat as your body progresses to its original primitive vitally strong healthy state. 
source: wewant2live.com

The following is a letter to the Whole Life Times journal that published an interview with nutritional scientist and author Dr. Aajonus Vonderplanitz titled DIET OF OUR ANCESTERS: 

Note that aprox. 2 years ago you ran an article entitled Diet Of Our Ancestors. That article as I recall at the time was somewhat controversial because the nutritionist who was interviewed, had his clients eating raw foods, including raw meats and raw eggs. 

Note that a few months after that article, I submitted a Letter to the Editor, entitled The Raw Truth, which you published. My letter stated that I had been on the diet for several years and the [Primal] diet had done me 'wonders'. 

I would like for you to consider that...I ... have been on the Primal Diet for five years with ever-increasing health. Will you run a small 'follow-up' article on me , let's say even a paragraph or two which would be like a status check on how my health is doing, 2 years after the Raw Truth letter was published? I noticed that your Fll issue is dedicated to Food and Nutrition. What I could do is coordinate probably several people in the LA area (including former vegetarians) who are on the Diet of our Ancestors and they can all be a part of the testimony.

This solicitation is of my own volition and I have no ties with any food or supplement organizations, nor would I be implying anything other than the powers of Mother Nature - with her raw foods.  

Daniel K. 

Los Angeles ('5 Years on the Diet of our Ancestors')

source: wewant2live.com

Superhero weight training

Pete Cisco is my new hero.

This guy just makes sense to me.

But let me back up, because it is likely nobody knows who the flambe I'm talking about.

Pete Cisco is a strong-man, weight-lifting expert that worked with Tony Robbins a few years back. I happened upon some Tony Robbins DVDs and started learning about static lifting, aka static contraction. Not only does this method of weight-training make sense when you describe it in plain terms, it also is proven scientifically based on the rate of increase in strength.

How I understand it, static contraction is the older, smarter brother of maxing out. Maxing out is basically the maximum a person can lift, or do one rep, of any given weight exercise.

Static goes just beyond your maximum amount by going just beyond your max amount and starting at the farthest contraction and releasing the weight down. And it only takes 5-20 seconds per muscle group/exercise. Yes, that's 5-20 seconds!

Anyway, check it out for yourselves. Please let me know what you think - even if you think I've swallowed some major BS...

It seems to be working for me. I feel stronger and healthier than ever. I'll be re-measuring myself again in a week or so, and for me, proof's in the pudding, so I'll let you know if and how my body has changed.

It's worth noting that while I do want to look healthy, fit and vital, and truth-be-told, like a female superhero, I do not want to get too big, which for me is looking like some female body-builders who could've easily passed for men. I already have muscle mass and shoulders that have been mistaken for a professional swimmers, so I'm not trying to build as much as I'm trying to get stronger and get slightly bigger muscles. Marcus is a big help (as I mentioned in previous blogs) since he's been into fitness for a long time and was certified as a NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) personal trainer, but I may need to consult with Pete to find out the lean-mean-female version of his stuff. So far though, I've not gotten much bigger, but I do seem leaner. We'll know soon once it's time to re-measure my muscles.

Here's Pete Cisco's website precisiontraining.com, and one of his articles that was not only intriguing but also really resonates when you break it down.

From Pete Cisco/Precision Training:

Are You Building Muscle? Or Just Lifting Weights?

Here’s a question I love to ask guys who go to the gym every day: “Do you want to lift weights or do you want to build muscle?” The fact is most people lose sight of why they are lifting weights in the first place. Favorite exercises take on a life of their own. People perform them by rote, day after day, month after month and never evaluate whether it’s generating a tangible benefit. It’s a classic case of what philosopher Alan Watt’s called “mistaking the menu for the food.” It not about the exercises - it's about gaining muscle.
A true, muscle-building workout is an event! It’s an adventure! It takes you into territory you’ve never been in before. It’s the opposite of what the folks are doing in the “cardio” area of the gym. In the cardio area bored men and women walk, jog and step on machines while they read a magazine or absent-mindedly gaze at a ceiling mounted television. They grind away at a steady pace and sharp mental focus is the last thing they want because the activity is sheer boredom and who wants to dwell on that?
Building muscle is different.
No two strength workouts should ever be the same. Every exercise in every workout should involve a higher intensity of muscular output. That means you should always be reaching new personal records of heavier weight or more reps or an extra set. That’s how new muscle is built. It’s an adaptation to a new, greater demand.
Here are three secrets to having the kind of explosive workouts that build muscle.
#1 - Right Exercises
Individual exercises come in and out of vogue for a variety of reasons. But the only thing that really matters is which exercise permits you to deliver the absolute highest possible overload to the muscle you are targeting. 
Take triceps for example. You could do cable press downs, dumbbell triceps extensions, dips, pushups, French presses, close-grip bench presses…I could go on and on. Then there are the dozens of variations of triceps machines from all the leading equipment companies.
How do you know which one is right for you? The simple answer is: the one that allows you to hoist the most weight. So if you can do dumbbell triceps extension with 40 pounds in each hand but you can do weighted dips with your full body weight plus 30 pounds of plates hanging from a weight belt, it’s pretty obvious which one is delivering the highest overload to your triceps.

Perhaps more important, using some simple experimentation you can test the validity of exercises that are recommended by gurus, gym rats and other erstwhile helpful people. Just compare how much you can barbell squat vs. hack squat vs. leg press and you’ll reach your own empirically validated conclusions.
When you start using the best exercise for each muscle group your workouts will explode.
#2 - Big Weights
This point is an obvious corollary of point #1 but it goes further. Even with the right exercise you have a choice between using a heavier weight and doing fewer reps (or a shorter static hold) or using a lighter weight and doing more reps (or a longer static hold). I’ve tested all these combinations and none works better than hoisting the heaviest weight you can for a little as 5 seconds of static contraction. The intensity of that overload creates maximum metabolic changes in the body. It literally forces an adaptation.
Don’t believe that old gym bromide about “light weights for definition” High reps with light weight is pretty much a complete waste of your time. It’s inefficient at building muscle and it’s inefficient at improving definition. There are better ways to do both.
When you start using big weights for each exercise your workouts will explode.
#3 - Short Duration
If your workout is taking you more than 30 minutes something is wrong. If you’re getting it done in less than 20 minutes you’re on the right track. Remember, a good muscle-building workout isn’t like sleep walking on the treadmill or stair stepper. It’s all out, it’s high intensity, and you can’t sustain it for long because it takes everything you have. You’re forcing your body to adapt to a massive stress.
I work with advanced trainees who target five different muscle groups per workout and they are finished in 15 minutes. In that time they actually perform only 25 seconds of actual lifting. That’s not a typo…they perform five exercises using a five-second static hold on each exercise. When they return to the gym in two weeks or so they perform five different exercises for different muscles. And they make progress on every exercise in every workout. How many people do you know who can honestly say that? – new personal records on every workout! 
When you start engineering workouts that are super intense and can be sustained for only a short time your workouts will explode.
So please think about these three 'secrets' next time you are in the gym. And ask yourself, “Do you just want to lift weights or do you want to build muscle?”


Train with your brain,

Making Peace with Counting Calories

In my life, I have never counted calories.

My first exposure to this type of thing was around age 12 or 13, when I first really noticed my female peers obsessing about their body images. My mother never counted calories. Her biggest thing with food was to only eat when you're hungry, and that food should be closest to it's natural state. Ha! I bet she didn't realize I'd be taking that to the most literal meaning now as an adult. Thank the heavens for my Mom, both my parents really, and the firm foundation they set for me in nutrition and health.

But my peers. I remember noticing girls looking at calories on food packaging. I hated it. I don't know why, but it felt wrong to me. It was as if it made food, a natural, normal, and delicious part of every day life, into a worry, and I didn't like that.

So even though I spent the majority of my formative years in a weight room with my football coach/fitness teacher father, started teaching aerobics at age 12, then spent several years as a personal trainer, pilates and yoga instructor during college; I was still hugely resistant to counting calories.

But since my current intention is to feel and be in my highest health, and since Marcus (who's an even more intense fitness dude than I am), keeps telling me all the body builders and fitness model types he's ever known have all been meticulous about their food, I finally decided to let go of this one prejudice.

Now before I go into it, let me tell you a little what my resistance about counting calories looked like of late. When I would talk with Marcus about getting my body into even better shape, he would tell me I would have to start counting calories, my ire would immediately rise and I'd say something like, "I don't want to do that. I've never been obsessive about food and I don't want to start now. Why are you trying to make me into one of those crazy, calorie-counting women who are obsessed with all of their food. I don't want that!"

I had serious issues with it.

What changed? Well, being someone who is willing and even likes to try new things was in direct conflict to my unwillingness and downright aversion to the idea of counting calories. So, considering my intention about health, and my proclivity towards trying new things, and Marcus' steadfastness, the idea of it crept into my mind. After a few weeks of back and forth about it, I let go of my prejudice. Maybe 7-10 days ago. It took us a few days to put together my approximate BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), which I plan to verify at some point via a fitness center that has a machine to test that, and my schedule - how often I'd eat since it's likely I'm a little hypoglycemic. I tend to get a little cranky and can't think straight if I haven't eaten for several hours; when I do eat again, I feel like a different person. Also called "low blood sugar," this has actually very little to do with sugar and more to do with utilizable protein. Anyway, we figured out my daily calorie needs, as well as a schedule for eating based on my energy and potential hypoglycemia.

Here's what I found.

I actually like tracking my food. (I'm calling it "tracking my food" instead of counting calories.) I've found a FREE online program to help me so it's friendlier that also works on my iphone so I can update from my computer or iphone.

But I must admit, I'm shocked. I LIKE IT!

Why? Well, it probably appeals to the nerdy scientist in me. It's like a science experiment. Also, since I'm eating every three hours, I'm not experiencing the energy or mood peaks and valleys that I used to experience eating more haphazardly. Also, with the website I'm using, I can also enter exercise and it calculates the likelihood of losing weight. Now this might be another thing for me to get over, but I'm not all that interested in weight or pounds. I'm more interested in how I feel and look. Ever since puberty, I've been a muscular person and so I've always weighed more than people with the same body because I've had more dense muscle mass...but I would like to look even more like a lean, mean, fighting machine! I get that, I don't care what I weigh.

 

http://www.myfitnesspal.com

Anyway, here's a link to the program for anyone who's interested in it. It's an open program so you can add foods, which is great for me since I eat mostly organic and raw, so I can enter my raw milk, cheese and eggs and the program doesn't wig out. I like it. Plus, it's free and there are other paid programs out there that personally don't seem worth it to me. (One note: Their calculations for your daily caloric needs seem to be a little off, so please check with a professional before proceeding.)

One last note. I travel to see my family in August and I'm going to try some of this out on my parents. It's funny that this is coming full circle. My father was the fitness guy growing up, but I distinctly remember my mother running in the morning (she'd be absent when I woke up in the morning and would come home all sweaty), and my mother has always been into dancing and fitness, so I'm extremely lucky I have it from both sides. But they've both been feeling a little discouraged about their bodies and fitness. My mother has a hip that's been sore, so she's been unable to do a lot of the activities she loves at her normal level; my father is as strong as an ox (he bench pressed around 250 lbs on his 70th birthday!), but he carries extra weight in his mid-section, and admits to being "in a rut" around his fitness. So, when I'm home, I'm going to help them with tracking their own food and adding some interval training into their fitness routines. (More on interval training on another blog, but the more I study fitness the more I realize how vital interval training is. Maxing out for just 30 seconds helps create vital growth hormone, whereas more low-level, steady cardio actually discourages the creation of natural growth hormone!) Anyway, it's intriguing to me that this is coming full circle. My parents were the first health and fitness influences in my life, and now I'll be supporting them in achieving better health and fitness. (I can hear The Lion King Music - The Circle of Life in my head as I type this.) It's really perfect. To people who've given me so much, it's the least I can do to give back to them. Plus, it's totally selfish since I want them around as long as possible, and want them to feel and be happy, healthy and fulfilled. That's all we can really ask for our loved ones, isn't it?