Dealing With Temptation – Refill Your Cup

Posted by admin on Dec 14, 2009 in News Feed | Comments Off

With the holidays upon us, those of us who are looking for ways of dealing with the temptation of overindulgence are likely cringing at the largess before us.  But, take hope — some recent findings about the human capacity for dealing with temptation should give us hope.

Photo Credit Mykl Roventine

My Experience In Dealing With Temptation

During some of my earlier attempts at weight loss, I took that “all or nothing approach.”  I had come to the conclusion that I was eating poorly and not exercising enough, so I went hard-core.  I cut out all sodas and sweets.  Zip.  Zada.  Nothing.

That approach didn’t serve me well over the long term.  I found I was good for a few weeks before I would crash and burn.  Hard.  I ended up gorging myself on some odd sweet, and then set in the cycle of remorse, followed by even more determination to be strict.  Rinse and repeat.

Eventually, I gave up, and became one of the inevitable statistics of people that gain back all the weight they’ve lost.  Fast forward a few years, and I decided to tackle this problem again.  But this time around, I learned from my past mistakes and decided to start allowing myself small indulgences.  I gave myself a few hundred calories to “spend” on junk each day, along with a “free day.”  My daily indulgence became ice cream or peanut M&M’s, which I still allow myself several times each week, in small servings.  These are good because they allow me to deal with my temptation for chocolate, sugar, and fat, while keeping the calorie count to a minimum.

Turns out, there is science to support this approach.  Researchers have discovered that we poor, unsuspecting humans have a finite capacity for dealing with temptation.  A “cup” if you will.  Once that cup has been filled, all bets are off.  You WILL cave.

Fortunately, they also showed that our “cup” can be refilled.  Our ability to deal with temptation can be replenished by allowing some indulgence.  Think of it as a pressure relief valve.  A little spigot at the bottom of the cup of temptation.  Scientists have shown that, much as it has worked for myself, if you allow yourself to indulgence in small temptations, you become better able to say resist when faced with temptation later.  It works for all types of temptation — not just food.

So, the lesson from this is that one of the best ways to handle temptation this holiday season is to cave –carefully.  Before going into a situation where you know you’ll be faced with temptation, plan ahead, and make sure your cup is nice and empty.  In this way, your gain control over your indulgences.  Rather than going to the Christmas office party having starved yourself, live a little beforehand. In this way, you will have replenished your capacity to walk away when the real temptations turn up.

Post from: Live Fit Blog

Dealing With Temptation – Refill Your Cup

Don’t Let Reebok Fool You – Shoes Won’t Tone Your Butt!

Posted by admin on Dec 14, 2009 in Fitness, News Feed | Comments Off

Reebok claims to have a simple answer to the elusive toned body that so many people want. They’ve created a line of shoes called EasyTone that will supposedly tone your lower body simply by walking in them.

According to Reebok, “EasyTone is designed to help give definition to your legs and butt. Simply walk and let the balance pods under your shoe do the rest. The slight instability created by the pods forces your muscles to work a little harder, toning you up as you strut.” Before you invest $100 or more in these sneakers thinking that they’ll actually improve your muscle tone, here are a few things to consider.

Is Appearance More Important than Function?

The foot is one of the most anatomically complex structures of the body, and unfortunately, we spend most of our lives wearing stiff shoes that restrict its function. This promotes weakness and injury in the foot and ankle, and because each joint of the body influences adjacent joints, it can also cause problems in other areas of the body that might seem unrelated. For this reason, it’s advantageous to wear shoes designed to replicate being barefoot such as Nike Free or Vibram Five Fingers. These shoes allow the foot to function more freely and therefore reduce the compensatory muscle and joint strain throughout the body that would otherwise increase the risk of pain and injury.

The Reebok EasyTone shoes are just as likely as any other typical sneaker to alter natural foot function, and walking with “balanced pods” fixed to the bottom of your feet may even be worse. Although unstable surfaces can be beneficial for rehabilitation and injury prevention, this doesn’t necessarily make it a good idea to be regularly walking on “balance pods” that are embedded in rigid soles. Furthermore, the toes provide support and neuromuscular feedback which is important for balance and is likely to play a role in promoting proper walking mechanics. It seems that the “balance pods” in Reebok’s EasyTone sneakers would reduce toe function even more so than a normal sneaker.

Another concern is that the slight instability created by the EasyTone sneakers likely makes them inappropriate for certain activities, especially sports. Any activity that demands additional strength, balance, and agility, which can be something as simple as running on a bumpy sidewalk to catch a bus, will increase the need for stability. Because Reebok’s EasyTone sneakers are intentionally designed create slight instability, they oppose this need and can potentially increase the risk of injury in such situations. Although most people might consider this to be a matter of common sense, I’m sure there are some who would assume that the EasyTone sneakers are safe to use for any activity that regular sneakers could be used for.

While a toned body may give you some personal satisfaction and bring you additional attention, such benefits aren’t worth very much if you’re in pain and prone to injury. I’m not suggesting that Reebok’s EasyTone sneakers will directly cause you pain, but rather that the concept behind them is very questionable and prioritizes appearance over optimal function. In addition, it’s quite a stretch in my opinion to expect a pair of sneakers to have a noticable effect on your physical appearance.

Sneakers are Not the Answer to an Attractive Figure

Reebok claims that walking in their EasyTone sneakers results in your calf and hamstring muscles being activated up to 11% more than they would be with ordinary sneakers and that your gluteal muscles will be activated up to 28% more. Regardless of the percentages that Reebok quotes, walking isn’t enough of a stimulus to transform legs that are skinny or fat into legs that are toned with muscular definition. This would still be the case even if the EasyTone sneakers resulted in 100% more muscle activation. Despite this, I’m sure Reebok will make millions from their EasyTone line because most people are too attached to the prospect of a quick and easy solution and will be eager to believe that they really can “tone up as they strut.”

Being toned is really nothing more than having a reasonable amount of muscle without a lot of excess body fat. Although this is a simple concept, many people make the mistake of thinking that they need to do special types of exercises and do an excessive amount of exercise to burn calories. By doing so, they’re sacrificing their health for a slim figure when they really don’t need to. All that’s typically necessary to achieve an attractive figure is a moderate amount of exercise and a truly healthy diet, both of which will promote optimal health instead of detracting from it.

If you’re truly committed to improving your figure and don’t want to waste $100 on a pair of sneakers that are unlikely to deliver the results you’re hoping for, I suggest that you focus more on your lifestyle than what you’re wearing on your feet. With optimal health as your top priority and motivating force, stop eating processed foods, especially those containing sugar and refined carbohydrates, and eat more natural whole foods. This is the most reasonable way to lose weight, and you can accelerate the process in a health promoting way by doing low intensity aerobic exercise on a regular basis along with occasional interval training.

To improve your muscle definition, do some moderate strength training with an emphasis on functional and compound movements such as presses, pulls, lunges, squats, and deadlifts. These exercises will improve your physical function as well as improving muscle definition, and the fact that Olympic powerlifters do these exercises doesn’t mean that they’ll make you bulky or that you’ll need to lift heavy weights to benefit from them.

More on Improving Your Figure the Healthy Way

If you’re looking to improve your figure, one of the best things you can do for yourself is realize that most of your success will result from living a generally healthier lifestyle. Attempting to improve your appearance without this foundation will likely be a compensatory effort that will compromise your quality of life in other areas. If you need more guidance getting started with a well rounded exercise program, I recommend reading Core Performance by Mark Verstegen. For more information on the healthy lifestyle habits that will help you live a better life and make it easier to improve your figure, I suggest that you sign up for my free course, 7 Simple Steps to a Leaner, Happier, and Healthier You.

Benefits to Exercise: Weight Loss

Posted by Joe Gigantino on Nov 23, 2009 in News Feed | Comments Off

“No matter who you are, no matter what you do, you absolutely, positively do have the power to change.” ~Bill Phillips

In continuation of the benefits to exercise series, this week we’re talking about exercise as part of effectively losing weight. I’m not here to advocate that exercise alone should make up your weight loss program. Since your weight is determined by the number of calories you eat each day minus what your body uses, your diet and nutrition must work in conjunction with your exercise program in order to maintain a healthy weight or lose unwanted weight.

Everything you eat contains calories and everything you do burns up those calories – even sleeping, eating and digesting food. Outside of those normal body functions, any physical activity added to the mix burns extra calories. The key being to balance the number of calories expended through exercise and physical activity with the calories you put in your body. Sounds like simple math to create the best way to lose weight, right?

However, we live in a “want it now” society, so many people want a desired outcome, but heaven forbid they have to exert any effort in order to obtain it! There is no magic quick weight loss pill – no matter what those late night infomercials tell you. I’ve said it before – you need to MOVE and get off of your bootie on a consistent basis, combined with healthy eating in order to achieve the most efficient and healthy weight. When you’re active, your body uses energy (calories) to work, helping to burn the calories you take in with everything that goes in your mouth.

Last week we talked about the importance of aerobic exercise in order to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system. The chart below from Mayo Clinic shows the estimated number of calories burned while performing a variety of exercises for one hour. Obviously this may vary depending on the exercise, intensity and the individual’s fitness level, but it’s a good source for deciding which combination of exercises or activities may create the best weight loss program for you.

Try to keep in mind this week while you’re surrounding yourself with huge spreads of food that in order to burn those unnecessary calories you may be indulging in, you’ll have to MOVE in order to keep the weight loss equation in check.

I would also like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and extend my gratitude to my family and friends, staff members and those who work out at any of my clubs. This may have been a tougher year than most for many; however, there is still so much to be thankful for. Thank you all for being a part of my social media family as we offer support and encouragement to each other while on this continual journey called “wellness.”

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Nutritious Eating – Eat by Color for Tasty, Healthy Weight Loss

Posted by Healthy Village on Nov 17, 2009 in News Feed | Comments Off

Nature’s way of steering us toward nutritious eating is all about color. Follow her palette and you will lose weight for life. Becoming healthy isn’t about complicated diets…just listen to your instincts and eat as many colors as you can every day.

Here are some examples of healthy diet foods and the colors to guide you:

Red

Delicious red tomatoes, flavorful beets, sweet rasberries, and crunchy apples are just a few examples of vibrant red foods.

Green

Probably the easiest example is green. Some of the most nutritious vegetables are green: broccoli, romaine lettuce, chard, spinach, avocados, and brussel sprouts.

Pink

Starting your day with half of a pink grapefruit is a proven lose weight strategy. The vitamin C and antioxidants help prevent cancer too.

Purple

“Red” cabbage is really a deep purple vegetable packed with flavanoids and other anti-cancer properties.  And we’ve heard a lot about the health benefits of blueberries and purple grapes – perfect low calorie vegan snacks.

Orange

Favorite healthy orange foods include carrots, sweet potatoes, yams, and of course oranges. Eat at least one of those every day and you’ll be reaping the benefits of nutritious eating.

Yellow

The most nutritious yellow foods include bananas, squash, yellow peppers, and pineapple. Looking for a healthy drink? Make your own lemonade sweetened with Stevia.

White

Yup even white nutritious foods exist. How about cauliflower, jicama, white mushrooms, and onions.

You get the idea. Eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables every day and you’ll be well on your way to becoming healthy and slim.

Want to learn more about how a plant based diet means permanent weight loss? Visit www.lose-weight-for-life.com/diet-to-lose-weight.html.

Flat Stomach Exercise of the Week – Stability Ball Dumbbell Chest Press

Posted by admin on Oct 24, 2009 in News Feed | Comments Off

There are tons of awesome exercises out there to help you build muscle and burn fat.  You don’t need to include ALL of these exercises everyday, but it is important to change what exercises your flat stomach workout has every few weeks.

This week I’m going to suggest you try the Stability Ball Dumbbell Chest Press. This exercise offers all the benefits of a chest press while adding some difficulty and allowing you to further strengthen your core muscles.

Every woman should being doing the chest press (its not going to make you look like a man – we now know that there are many benefits of weight lifting for women).  The dumbbell chest press builds your chest muscles, which helps to increase your upper body strength. By building our chest muscles we also tighten our triceps. Tight triceps means sexy, toned arms in any sleeveless or strapless dress. This exercise also helps you build sexy shoulders without doing too much shoulder work.

By moving the dumbbell chest press from the bench to a stability ball, we increase the benefits by strengthening your core. In order to keep the stability ball ’stable’ you must engage your core and glutes during the entire exercise. Having a strong core and glutes helps to prevent back injuries in the future, as well as helping you reach your flat stomach goals faster.

Watch the quick video below to see the proper form for this exercise, to prevent any injury.

Happy Training!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Related posts:

1. Flat Stomach Exercise of the Week – EZ Bar Skull Crushers
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Four Types of Push-Ups to Strengthen and Tone Your Arms and Abs

Posted by admin on Oct 24, 2009 in Books, News Feed | Comments Off

Need a new exercise for your upper body to keep your workout exciting? Or are you trying to sculpt lean, sexy arms? Whatever the reason for your need of a new exercise you need to make sure that you add push-ups to your workout today.

Now it might seem weird that I’m telling you to add push-ups to your workout – right? They seem like such a simple exercise that there couldn’t possibly be so many benefits – I agree. However, push-ups are a great exercise to help you further your progress towards a flat stomach and build strength in your upper body.

Doing push-ups is going to help you build muscle (which we all know helps us burn more fat), and also helps our upper body become stronger. Unfortunately, many women lack necessary upper body strength, and push-ups are a great simple exercise to help you increase that strength.

Not only do push-ups benefit your upper body (chest, triceps, shoulders) but doing push-ups correctly will help to strengthen your core muscles.  Having a strong core will prevent back injuries and get you to that flat stomach faster.

I think my favorite thing about push-ups – they’re portable! Haha – yes – no equipment required! Plus, you can use your stairs, books, coffee table or even the couch to help you make them more difficult.  Personally, I also like to challenge myself and like to see how I get stronger – tracking how many push-ups you can do is a great way to do that. For example – lets say you can barely do one push-up (without going on your knees) – no problem. If you keep trying everyday (doing 10 push-ups on your knees and trying one push-up without being on your knees) – you’re going to see your strength increase and pretty soon you’ll be doing 5 push-ups without going on your knees. Seeing the increase in number of push-ups is an instant picture to show that your hard work is paying off and you are getting stronger.

So – what types of push-ups are there? There are 100s of different variations of push-ups, but I’m not going to show or tell you about all of them. This short video shows four of my favorite types of push-ups that are going to help you get stronger, sculpt lean, sexy arms, and get a strong, tight core.

Click here to view the embedded video.

**Side Note – If you don’t do push-ups with the right form or sag your lower back -they are going to prove to be no benefit to you – you will instead only hurt yourself. Make sure you start off slow and gradually and daily build your strength.**

Related posts:

1. Flat Stomach Exercise of the Week – Stability Ball Dumbbell Chest Press
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How To Avoid Disappointment And Find Contentment In Life

Posted by greg on Oct 23, 2009 in News Feed | Comments Off

Have you ever worked hard to achieve a goal, or been excited about something new, only to have it end in disappointment, once you achieve the fruits of your labor?

This is one of my little boys.  We told the kids we were going to the beach 8 weeks in advance of a trip.  The youngest almost immediately started counting down the days.  He pulled out the calendar and marked them off, and talked about all the fun he was going to have almost incessantly.  Needless to say, he was excited.

This was the reaction when we finally reached nirvana.  There was record heat, the shells on the beach were very sharp, sharks had been sighted in the water, and several people had been stung by jellyfish.  I think you can tell from his body language how he felt about his dream vacation.

Watching him deal with this disappointment got me thinking about how common this sort of behavior can be, among kids and  adults alike.  How common is it for someone to set a goal and pursue it with single-minded purpose, only to be disappointed when they achieve the fruits of their labor?  I watch my friends and co-workers cycle through this behavior with alarming frequency, and it seems to happen almost without their active involvement.  It happens in careers, retail purchases, relationships, and even – vacations.  So, how can we avoid the cycle of disappointment?

Prepare A Road Map

Take the time, once a year, to sit down and write goals for yourself.  The process of goal writing demands the  thoughtful consideration of  your values.  It provides a framework for making decisions throughout the year.  And make no mistake about it, opportunities will come your way.  Having taken the time to consider the direction you want your life to take will lay the groundwork for making choices that could impact you for years.

Consider the Downsides

Quite often, opportunities are presented to us and we only take the time to consider the positives.  When we told our son about the beach, all he could think about was playing in the waves.  He neglected to consider the fact that going south also meant more heat, or that oceans contain wildlife, too.

As adults, we often engage in the same behavior.  The idea of moving for that higher paying new job sounds great, but make sure you consider the potential sacrifice in lifestyle, friends, and family before signing on the dotted line.  Otherwise, you could find yourself disillusioned with the lack of free time that you so sorely cherished.

Seek Counsel

Each of us have people in our lives whose judgement we trust and cherish.  These may include your spouse (hopefully), friends, family, co-workers, religious leaders, etc.  Seek them out and discuss your choices with them.  If you value their opinions, trust them to provide you with input that can help shape your decisions.  Even if you disagree with their opinion, it’s valuable input, provided without the bias of being enmeshed in what may sound like a great opportunity.

Choose To Find Contentment

The end to the story about my son, was that he had a great time playing on the beach.  After he got over the initial realization that stepping on the sand did not force the heavens to open and angels to sing joy to the world, he found contentment in playing on the edge of the water, building sandcastles and rolling in the surf.

As adults, we can learn from this, as well.  When opportunites don’t turn out as you expect, seek out ways to find contentment within the confines of your situation.  Ever cloud does have a silver lining, and if you’ve stepped into a situation expecting one thing and ended up with another, chances are good, that with a little work, you can find contentment.

So, how about you?  Have you ever built up an opportunity in your mind, expecting it to be the greatest thing in the world, only to find things didn’t work out as you wanted?  If so, how did you deal with it?

Post from: Live Fit Blog

How To Avoid Disappointment And Find Contentment In Life

Jump Rope

Posted by Joe Gigantino on Oct 23, 2009 in News Feed | Comments Off

Today workout focuses on maintaining cardio for a 70% max heart rate and incorporating upper body with push ups. 

When was the last time you jumped rope? …and don’t say grade school! Jumping rope is a great way to keep your heart rate up and body moving. Try this workout today and you might just fall in love with jump rope again!

Warm up: jog 1200 meter (3 laps around track)

Workout:

- Push ups; Men 30, Women 20 (Adv = 40)

- 2 minute jump rope (Adv = speed rope)

- 4 rounds, no rest until you have completed the jump rope and then 10 second rest between rounds. Post your time!

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7 Ways We’ve Failed Miserably at Trying to Outsmart Nature

Posted by Vin Miller on Oct 21, 2009 in News Feed | Comments Off

With our high level of intelligence and the vast amount of technological innovation that we enjoy today, it’s ironic that excellent health is so elusive to so many people. Without any of the modern technology that we rely on today, our primitive ancestors were able to enjoy exceptional health and rarely encountered the many chronic and debilitating conditions that are so common today. These people had an intimate knowledge of nature and a tremendous appreciation for it which is something that we’ve lost without reliance on technology.

While our primitive ancestors were forced to live in agreement with nature, we seem to do everything we can to outsmart it, and we almost always fail. The following are some of the more notable and devastating mistakes that we’re still making.

1. We’ve Lost Our Inherent Ability to Choose Healthy Food

Even the planet’s most simplistic and unintelligent creatures are able to select appropriate foods to support their health. Despite being the most intelligent form of life on earth, many of us have lost this inherent ability and are literally killing ourselves with our food choices. Perhaps we’re too smart for our own good.

Healthy eating really doesn’t have to be complicated. Simply choose the whole foods provided to us by nature. Sure, there’s more to a healthy diet than simply eating whole foods, but this principle alone is in my opinion more important than any other and will resolve many of the diet related health issues that are so prevalent today.

2. We’ve Forgotten How to Sustainably Grow Food and Raise Livestock

For more than 99% of our history, we didn’t farm our food. We hunted animals and gathered fruits and vegetables. Although farming isn’t purely natural, it’s become a necessity with the drastic growth of the human population and is a tremendous convenience that allows us to settle down and establish communities instead of having to follow herds of animals. We’ve become reliant on farming, and unfortunately, modern practices have greatly deviated from the laws of nature. They’re contributing to our many prevailing health issues and are destroying the planet. If the current trend continues, we’ll eventually run out of productive land to farm.

Nearly all forms of life are supported by an amazingly efficient cycle in which the earth’s nutrients are continuously reused. The many organisms that exist in the soil feed on decaying matter such as fallen leaves, dead plants and animals, and animal excrement. The resulting byproducts feed the plants that eventually become food for animals and humans. Some of these animals then become food for other animals as well as humans. The cycle is completed when excrement and other organic matter decomposes and replenishes the soil with the nutrients that once again become food for the organisms living in it. This natural, effective, and robust cycle has been broken by modern farming in favor of increased efficiency and profit.

Without a way to naturally replenish the soil with nutrients, it becomes depleted, produces less nutritious food, and increases the need for pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. In addition, livestock are being raised in unsanitary conditions which leads to poor food quality, promotes the development and spread of disease, and contaminates the environment with highly concentrated lagoons of toxic excrement. To learn more about the flaws of modern farming and what good farming is really about, watch the Food, Inc. documentary and Fresh the movie.

3. We Intentionally Avoid the Essential Benefits of Sun Exposure

We wouldn’t survive very long without the sun, but despite this, many of us avoid it like the plague. Our primitive ancestors spent most of their time in the sun, and as a result, we’ve evolved to depend on it for more than just heat. The primary reason why sun exposure is essential to our health is because it provokes our skin to produce vitamin D. This important vitamin, which is really a prehormone, regulates the expression of more than 10% of our genes and plays a critical role in our immunity, particularly in regard to cancer prevention.

Despite the importance of sunlight, we’ve been advised to minimize our exposure and use sunscreen which blocks the production of vitamin D. This advice is mostly based on the high incidence of skin cancer and the fear of melanoma which is it’s most dangerous form. However, melanoma is most frequently found on areas of the body that are rarely exposed to the sun and has a notable prevalence among people who spend most of their time indoors. While frequent sunburn can certainly cause cancer, the significant amount of stress, chemical exposure, electromagnetic radiation, and unhealthy foods that we encounter on a daily basis are arguably more of a concern.

Instead of completely avoiding a natural resource that we’ve depended on for millions of years, a healthier and more practical approach would be to get sun exposure on a regular basis without getting burnt.

4. We Make Ourselves Sick By Polluting Our Environment

One of the major aspects of technological advancement is the invention of synthetic chemicals. We’ve polluted the earth so terribly that every single body of water on the planet is contaminated. Even the breast milk of Inuit women from the Arctic has been found to contain toxic chemicals. During our millions of years of existence, the human body has never before encountered these chemicals, but is now exposed to hundreds or even thousands of them on a daily basis. The body is often unable to process these chemicals properly, and even if this isn’t the case, the volume of exposure is still likely to be overwhelming, especially among the many people who aren’t optimally healthy.

Our obsession with profit encourages the production of a tremendous amount of material goods that we really don’t need. Unfortunately, the manufacturing of these products creates a considerable amount of pollution. We make matters worse by intentionally using chemicals to grow our food, and we’ve adapted a medical system that promotes the excessive use of chemical medications. Each of these sources contribute to our chemical exposure and the pollution that exists in our air, land, and water.

Chemical toxins can impair cell function and lead to a variety of serious problems including the dysfunction of important organs and glands, particularly the brain. Some of the best ways to avoid exposure to toxins are to drink filtered water, use natural personal care products, and eat organic produce, pasture raised meat, and minimally contaminated fish.

5. We Run Our Bodies Into the Ground and Call it Exercise

Most people tend to associate exercise with many laborious, painful, and boring hours spent on a cardio machine. Some people even become fanatical about endurance exercise and run marathons or participate in other types of long distance events. It’s highly unlikely that our ancestors ran the long distances that most enthusiastic runners do which makes it likely that we don’t have the long term capacity for it, especially with all of the additional sources of stress that exist in modern life. Over time, it’s very possible for this much physiological burden to cause adrenal fatigue.

Our ancestors were more likely to get their exercise from activities such as hunting, fleeing from danger, walking, gathering food and supplies, building shelter, and carrying heavy objects. Activities such as light aerobics, high intensity interval training, and strength training resemble these activities much more closely than exhausting yourself on a cardio machine.

Another common problem is that many modern exercise trends encourage people to sacrifice their health for appearance. The popular P90X program is a great example of this. Instead of being overly concerned with weight loss, it’s easier, more effective, and much more satisfying to exercise for good health and let weight loss be a natural result of a truly healthy lifestyle.

6. We Avoid Saturated Fat Thinking that it Promotes Disease

Saturated fat has been part of our diet for millions of years, but just within the past century, we’ve decided that it’s unhealthy and causes heart disease. The is despite evidence that indicates otherwise such as the work of Weston A. Price which clearly shows that saturated fat promotes excellent health. As is shown by the Fat Head documentary and The Cholesterol Myths by Uffe Ravnskov, the idea that saturated fat causes heart disease is based on manipulated research and is completely unsupported.

In an effort to replace saturated fat with something more healthy, we’ve invented a highly processed and unnatural form of fat called trans fat which has proven to be extremely unhealthy. We’ve also decided that it’s healthier to consume polyunsaturated vegetable oils which are very unstable and can easily produce free radicals and cause cell damage. Ironically, these fats have been associated with an increase in the prevalence of heart disease and are also linked to a number of other worrisome health issues.

7. We’ve Disregarded Our Natural Sleeping Rhythm

It’s only since the last century that artificial light has truly given us the ability to live according to our own schedule rather than the rising and setting of the sun. Through our millions of years of evolution, we’ve developed a circadian rhythm based on the sun and the earth’s magnetic field. Regardless of how we plan our day, our body’s preference is to operate according to this natural rhythm which would mean going to bed reasonably close to sunset and waking up at sunrise. In contrast, most of us follow a chaotic sleep schedule that differs significantly from this, and to make matters worse, we sleep much less than our ancestors did. Compounded with the significant amount of stress that’s characteristic of modern life, this can have considerable health implications.

Following healthy sleep habits is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to improve your energy, moods, and overall health. Instead of improving our lives with such a simple adjustment, most of us choose to rely on coffee to compensate for missed sleep and struggle through the day as a result. For more information on how artificial light has altered our lives in a negative way, I highly recommend reading Lights Out by T.S. Wiley.

Embrace Nature and Live Better

Many people unfortunately regard a healthy lifestyle as something that’s complicated and difficult to follow. However, if you let nature be your guide and use some common sense in applying the wisdom we’ve gained from our multimillion year history, it’s really not as hard as it may seem. For more information on how to live a healthy lifestyle based on natural principles, sign up for my free course, 7 Simple Steps to a Leaner, Happier, and Healthier You!

Superman!

Posted by Joe Gigantino on Sep 26, 2009 in Fitness, Health, News Feed | Comments Off

This weekend focus on core strength in every contraction… don’t be fooled, this is disguised as a core workout!

Warm up: 15 minutes on elliptical machine or stair master, 2 sets of 25 push ups

Workout:

- 40 walking lunges
- 20 superman  back extensions
- 20 mountain climbers
- side planks; 30 seconds on each side
- complete 4 rounds for time, post your time!

“Clark Kent is who I am, Superman is what I can do” - Superman (the movie) quote

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