"Lazy Sunday! Wake up in the late afternoon."
For most of us, we've all had days where we just needed to sleep in. From working late, to pulling all night study sessions, to being woken up by crying babies, to staying up for the Daily Show, we have all had days where our bodies were telling us we need more rest than we have been getting. So we end up sleeping in a little, or a lot, and maybe catching a nap at some point too.
Just like our bodies need a break from time to time from the routine that is our daily life, we need a break from working out from time to time as well. Now, allow me to tread lightly on this topic. When I'm recommending a break from working out, I'm not talking about a 4 or 5 day bender. I'm just encouraging a break from strenuous activity on occasion. Our bodies weren't made to be pushed to the limit on a daily basis, either in the gym or the office, and if we don't give our bodies a chance to rest they will begin to break down. When that starts to happen, your time at the gym is no longer productive--but destructive.
So whether you rejoice in the Judeo-Christian motto of Sunday being a day of rest, or whether you just need an excuse to listen to your body and take a day off, remember that a rest day can actually be as productive as a workout day, especially if it's been awhile since you last took one.
Showing posts with label Prevention. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prevention. Show all posts
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Good Reads
In case the dog days of summer are getting to you, allow me to offer you a couple of great book ideas to help bide you some time while lounging by the pool or soaking up the A/C.
"Real Food"--Nina Planck: Great read that will really open your eyes to the fact that so much of our daily caloric intake in the modern diet is, in fact, not real food. Real food doesn't come from the drive-thru or the frozen entreé aisle, it comes from the ground and from the farmer. This book may have done more to shape my views on nutrition than any other source.
"In Defense of Food"--Michael Pollan: This book explores the relationship we have with food, and the fact that you need to have certain types of food in a healthy diet. It does a great job stressing the importance of knowing where your food comes from, and how you can still enjoy meat products in a way that is healthy to both the environment and our bodies. Another great book by Michael Pollan is "The Omnivore's Dilemma".
"Animal, Vegetable, Miracle"--Barbara Kingsolver: I actually just started this book today, so I can't give you a great endorsement of the entire book. The friends that I have that have read it, love it. The book chronicles the life of a family that lives an entire year eating basically nothing but foods that are produced locally. Most of the food they eat they grow themselves, while the rest is purchased at local farmer's markets or direct from the farmers. So far, the book seems pretty good.
"What's Gotten Into Us?"--McKay Jenkins: If you want a book that may in fact scare the bejesus out of you, look no further. This book talks about all of the environmental and product toxins that we live with in our modern world, and looks at the shortfalls of our government agencies that try to protect us. About 1/4 of the way into this book, I felt like I was Neo after he swallows the pill. I almost wish I could unlearn what I read, but the knowledge will certainly make me more mindful about the products we use that literally are poison. For example, do you know we still use Agent Orange in the year 2011? I guarantee my neighborhood is teeming with it, and I bet yours is too.
I hope you have a chance to enjoy some of these books. If there are any books you've read recently that you think I'd enjoy, leave me a comment and I'll be sure to add it to my list.
"Real Food"--Nina Planck: Great read that will really open your eyes to the fact that so much of our daily caloric intake in the modern diet is, in fact, not real food. Real food doesn't come from the drive-thru or the frozen entreé aisle, it comes from the ground and from the farmer. This book may have done more to shape my views on nutrition than any other source.
"In Defense of Food"--Michael Pollan: This book explores the relationship we have with food, and the fact that you need to have certain types of food in a healthy diet. It does a great job stressing the importance of knowing where your food comes from, and how you can still enjoy meat products in a way that is healthy to both the environment and our bodies. Another great book by Michael Pollan is "The Omnivore's Dilemma".
"Animal, Vegetable, Miracle"--Barbara Kingsolver: I actually just started this book today, so I can't give you a great endorsement of the entire book. The friends that I have that have read it, love it. The book chronicles the life of a family that lives an entire year eating basically nothing but foods that are produced locally. Most of the food they eat they grow themselves, while the rest is purchased at local farmer's markets or direct from the farmers. So far, the book seems pretty good.
"What's Gotten Into Us?"--McKay Jenkins: If you want a book that may in fact scare the bejesus out of you, look no further. This book talks about all of the environmental and product toxins that we live with in our modern world, and looks at the shortfalls of our government agencies that try to protect us. About 1/4 of the way into this book, I felt like I was Neo after he swallows the pill. I almost wish I could unlearn what I read, but the knowledge will certainly make me more mindful about the products we use that literally are poison. For example, do you know we still use Agent Orange in the year 2011? I guarantee my neighborhood is teeming with it, and I bet yours is too.
I hope you have a chance to enjoy some of these books. If there are any books you've read recently that you think I'd enjoy, leave me a comment and I'll be sure to add it to my list.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Navigating the Grocery Store
If you've decided to take charge of reinventing yourself, congratulations. And if you've made the decision to start making more of the meals you eat, then you're off to a good start in the journey of the rest of your life. So now that you're cooking your own food, we need to take a look at what ingredients you use in your cooking.
Of the 1000's of products available to you in your local grocery store, not many can be classified as good for you. As an example, take a walk down the cereal aisle. How many types of cereal could you make a valid argument about the nutritional benefits of that particular brand? Half? Maybe a quarter? Even cereals that most people view as healthy pack a lot of sugar into your bowl. And the amount of sugar found in most kids cereals would blow most people's minds.
In fact, if you walk down most aisles in the grocery store, you are much more likely to find unhealthy options as opposed to good for you options. There is, however, a much safer area of the grocery store to shop. If you stay to the perimeter of the store, your chances of finding healthier food improves dramatically. Typically, the perimeter of the store has the meat, dairy, and produce sections. While there are certainly good and bad choices that can be made in these sections, your chances of coming out ahead are much better.
The "problem" with shopping the perimeter is that most of these products have expiration dates. The fact that they aren't jammed full of preservatives is actually a good thing. I heard it said once that the foods you should eat are the foods that can go bad. Obviously, the fewer the preservatives in something, the better it probably is. And to further that though, if a "food item" literally won't go bad, you really shouldn't eat it--happy meal or Twinkie anyone?
The other "problem" with shopping the perimeter relates to the cost of buying perishable foods. I can't very well argue that healthier foods are cheaper than non-healthy ones, but let me try to give you a little common sense. People spend so much money on health and beauty items. Whether it's make-up, hair products, cleansers, or spa treatments, all of theses products are rather pricy and work to improve our external appearance. Why not save a little bit of that money and instead spend it to improve the quality of food you are eating. Not only will the better food improve your overall health, but you may be surprised that better food will improve the health of you skin, hair, and nails as well. When it's all said and done, the impacts of eating well by far offset the marginal difference of cost over the long run.
As is the case in all areas of improving your health, you can improve your diet if you want to. The money you save from eating out all the time will more than pay for the healthy food you are going to start buying. And if you really want to start saving on your produce, check out local farmers markets and fruit stands. Read more about the benefits of farmers markets here.
Once you make the commitment to eat better, you'll be surprised at how well you feel. An occasional splurge is obviously ok, but limit the junk food you put into your body and your body will thank you for years to come.
Find out more ways to improve your health at www.dkfitsolutions.com
Of the 1000's of products available to you in your local grocery store, not many can be classified as good for you. As an example, take a walk down the cereal aisle. How many types of cereal could you make a valid argument about the nutritional benefits of that particular brand? Half? Maybe a quarter? Even cereals that most people view as healthy pack a lot of sugar into your bowl. And the amount of sugar found in most kids cereals would blow most people's minds.
In fact, if you walk down most aisles in the grocery store, you are much more likely to find unhealthy options as opposed to good for you options. There is, however, a much safer area of the grocery store to shop. If you stay to the perimeter of the store, your chances of finding healthier food improves dramatically. Typically, the perimeter of the store has the meat, dairy, and produce sections. While there are certainly good and bad choices that can be made in these sections, your chances of coming out ahead are much better.
The "problem" with shopping the perimeter is that most of these products have expiration dates. The fact that they aren't jammed full of preservatives is actually a good thing. I heard it said once that the foods you should eat are the foods that can go bad. Obviously, the fewer the preservatives in something, the better it probably is. And to further that though, if a "food item" literally won't go bad, you really shouldn't eat it--happy meal or Twinkie anyone?
The other "problem" with shopping the perimeter relates to the cost of buying perishable foods. I can't very well argue that healthier foods are cheaper than non-healthy ones, but let me try to give you a little common sense. People spend so much money on health and beauty items. Whether it's make-up, hair products, cleansers, or spa treatments, all of theses products are rather pricy and work to improve our external appearance. Why not save a little bit of that money and instead spend it to improve the quality of food you are eating. Not only will the better food improve your overall health, but you may be surprised that better food will improve the health of you skin, hair, and nails as well. When it's all said and done, the impacts of eating well by far offset the marginal difference of cost over the long run.
As is the case in all areas of improving your health, you can improve your diet if you want to. The money you save from eating out all the time will more than pay for the healthy food you are going to start buying. And if you really want to start saving on your produce, check out local farmers markets and fruit stands. Read more about the benefits of farmers markets here.
Once you make the commitment to eat better, you'll be surprised at how well you feel. An occasional splurge is obviously ok, but limit the junk food you put into your body and your body will thank you for years to come.
Find out more ways to improve your health at www.dkfitsolutions.com
Monday, June 6, 2011
Diet Drama on the Bookshelf
Unless you've been living under a rock like the dudes in the Geico commercial, you've got to be aware of the expanding waistlines of the majority of the US population. Every health expert and nutritionist has his or her own explanation of the root cause of the additional pounds we are packing on. While all the angles have a certain amount of merit, I throw my lot in with the crowd that feels that our food choices play the biggest role in determining our body weight.
Apparently, I'm not the only one who feels that the saying 'you are what you eat' has a good bit of credibility. This was the scene at the local bookstore my wife and I visited the other day:
In case I need to make things a little clearer, there were 19.5 shelves that contained books telling you what you should eat to get healthy/lose weight. I counted the books on 3 of the shelves and there was an average of 42 books in that sample size. For arguments sake, let's say there were only 40 books per shelf, that would give you 780 books trying to sell you a way of eating that will make you healthier. The problem with all of these books is that there are so many conflicting titles. There are the no carb books. There are the no fat books. There are the no taste books. Well, maybe not no taste books, but after browsing a couple of them I think that no taste might be an accurate assessment. There is the cave-man diet book. The abs diet book. The skinny bitch diet book. (Ladies, for what it's worth I'd rather you be cool and a few pounds overweight than be a bitch and be skinny. Just sayin'.)
There are literally 100's of different titles in the diet and nutrition section trying to tell you what you should eat. If you ask me, they all miss the point. Well, all but one. Nina Planck wrote a book called Real Food; it completely changed the way that I think about food and it makes absolutely perfect sense. Our bodies need real food to function properly, and real food comes from the ground and from nature. Now, you can argue that organic is better than non-organic (and I wouldn't disagree with that point), but we as a country and we as a world need to realize that real food is better than processed food for our bodies. Our bodies don't know how to digest the processed food that we eat. I believe the reason for this is so logical that it is easy to miss, a kind of 'can't see the forest for the trees' scenario. Depending on your belief structure, (and I promise to not get into a creation vs evolution debate, at least not now) our bodies have been eating relatively the same types of food for the first 7,000-100,000 years that homo sapiens have been on the planet. It's only been in the last 60 or so years that we've screwed everything up. Whether it is trans-fats, partially hydrogenated oils, or genetically modified crops, our bodies can't process them. When we eat these foods too often, our bodies don't get the nutrients they need, and it sends a signal to the brain to eat more in an attempt at getting the nutrients required.
So, what I tell my clients (pay attention here) is that you need to do the best you can to eat real food. Real food is the kind of thing you have to cook. You have to take the time to peel and/or wash it. Eating real food is the only way to live a healthy and long life. The shit that we eat from fast food restaurants (excuse my language but I believe that you should call a Big Mac what it is, and it surely isn't food) is killing us. And by looking at the dramatic rise in obesity rates and chronic diseases in the last 60 years, you can't even say that processed foods are killing us slowly. Cause they're not.
The question isn't whether you can afford to buy real food; the real question is whether you can afford not to.
Remember, you really are what you eat.
Apparently, I'm not the only one who feels that the saying 'you are what you eat' has a good bit of credibility. This was the scene at the local bookstore my wife and I visited the other day:
In case I need to make things a little clearer, there were 19.5 shelves that contained books telling you what you should eat to get healthy/lose weight. I counted the books on 3 of the shelves and there was an average of 42 books in that sample size. For arguments sake, let's say there were only 40 books per shelf, that would give you 780 books trying to sell you a way of eating that will make you healthier. The problem with all of these books is that there are so many conflicting titles. There are the no carb books. There are the no fat books. There are the no taste books. Well, maybe not no taste books, but after browsing a couple of them I think that no taste might be an accurate assessment. There is the cave-man diet book. The abs diet book. The skinny bitch diet book. (Ladies, for what it's worth I'd rather you be cool and a few pounds overweight than be a bitch and be skinny. Just sayin'.)
There are literally 100's of different titles in the diet and nutrition section trying to tell you what you should eat. If you ask me, they all miss the point. Well, all but one. Nina Planck wrote a book called Real Food; it completely changed the way that I think about food and it makes absolutely perfect sense. Our bodies need real food to function properly, and real food comes from the ground and from nature. Now, you can argue that organic is better than non-organic (and I wouldn't disagree with that point), but we as a country and we as a world need to realize that real food is better than processed food for our bodies. Our bodies don't know how to digest the processed food that we eat. I believe the reason for this is so logical that it is easy to miss, a kind of 'can't see the forest for the trees' scenario. Depending on your belief structure, (and I promise to not get into a creation vs evolution debate, at least not now) our bodies have been eating relatively the same types of food for the first 7,000-100,000 years that homo sapiens have been on the planet. It's only been in the last 60 or so years that we've screwed everything up. Whether it is trans-fats, partially hydrogenated oils, or genetically modified crops, our bodies can't process them. When we eat these foods too often, our bodies don't get the nutrients they need, and it sends a signal to the brain to eat more in an attempt at getting the nutrients required.
So, what I tell my clients (pay attention here) is that you need to do the best you can to eat real food. Real food is the kind of thing you have to cook. You have to take the time to peel and/or wash it. Eating real food is the only way to live a healthy and long life. The shit that we eat from fast food restaurants (excuse my language but I believe that you should call a Big Mac what it is, and it surely isn't food) is killing us. And by looking at the dramatic rise in obesity rates and chronic diseases in the last 60 years, you can't even say that processed foods are killing us slowly. Cause they're not.
The question isn't whether you can afford to buy real food; the real question is whether you can afford not to.
Remember, you really are what you eat.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Get Fit or Go Broke--Part I
When it comes to fitness and becoming more physically active, everybody has an excuse as to why they can't commit to being active. (You know what they say about excuses, right?) The leading excuse that I hear is, "I don't have time to exercise". That topic will be tackled in an upcoming post, but believe me, you have time. Another common excuse concerns the wallet. Apparently, the cost of eating healthier and getting some exercise on a daily basis is a major obstacle for some. However, when you think about the associated costs of not taking care of yourself, the question you need to ask yourself is, "How can I afford to not be improving my health?"
As costs of medicine and insurance continue to rise at an incredibly alarming rate, those who are sick spend more and more to get healthy. For people who are classified as obese (34% of American adults, source), the estimated annual costs are alarming. According to researchers from George Washington University, all things considered, the annual cost of being obese is $4,879 for women and $2,646 for men! If you do the math, being obese for 10, 20, or 30+ years can cripple you financially. Being obese also greatly increases your odds of suffering from many kinds of illnesses; from cancer, to diabetes, to heart disease, and everything in between.
In American medicine, we have a terrible habit of waiting for a problem to occur before spending lots of money to try and solve it.
There is, however, an alternative to this "reactive medicine" that is starting to gain traction in the United States. "Preventative maintenance" is relatively new to the scene in terms of one's health, but it is hardly a new concept altogether. Think about all the things in your life that you maintain to prolong the lifespan of a particular item. You change the oil in your car to help the engine last for 200,000 miles or longer. Your computer updates its software every so often to protect against viruses and other technological issues so you won't need to replace it as often. Some people even put sheets over their fancy furniture so that the upholstery lasts a few years longer before it fades or gets dirty.
Why are we only now starting to realize that taking care of our health is one of the most important things that we can do? Why do we all know the saying that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" and yet seem to make the conscious decision not to do something about our health?
Folks, at it's core, becoming healthier is an investment in yourself that pays off exponentially. When you invest a little bit of time, energy, and money into making yourself healthy, the long-term financial savings are well worth it. And if you think the cost of this initial investment is more than you can handle right now, check here to find out how inexpensive getting healthy actually is.
And honestly, can you put a price on being healthy enough to chase your grandkids around the playground? Or seeing your grandson get married? Or rocking your great-granddaughter to sleep? I didn't think so.
As costs of medicine and insurance continue to rise at an incredibly alarming rate, those who are sick spend more and more to get healthy. For people who are classified as obese (34% of American adults, source), the estimated annual costs are alarming. According to researchers from George Washington University, all things considered, the annual cost of being obese is $4,879 for women and $2,646 for men! If you do the math, being obese for 10, 20, or 30+ years can cripple you financially. Being obese also greatly increases your odds of suffering from many kinds of illnesses; from cancer, to diabetes, to heart disease, and everything in between.
In American medicine, we have a terrible habit of waiting for a problem to occur before spending lots of money to try and solve it.
There is, however, an alternative to this "reactive medicine" that is starting to gain traction in the United States. "Preventative maintenance" is relatively new to the scene in terms of one's health, but it is hardly a new concept altogether. Think about all the things in your life that you maintain to prolong the lifespan of a particular item. You change the oil in your car to help the engine last for 200,000 miles or longer. Your computer updates its software every so often to protect against viruses and other technological issues so you won't need to replace it as often. Some people even put sheets over their fancy furniture so that the upholstery lasts a few years longer before it fades or gets dirty.
Why are we only now starting to realize that taking care of our health is one of the most important things that we can do? Why do we all know the saying that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" and yet seem to make the conscious decision not to do something about our health?
Folks, at it's core, becoming healthier is an investment in yourself that pays off exponentially. When you invest a little bit of time, energy, and money into making yourself healthy, the long-term financial savings are well worth it. And if you think the cost of this initial investment is more than you can handle right now, check here to find out how inexpensive getting healthy actually is.
And honestly, can you put a price on being healthy enough to chase your grandkids around the playground? Or seeing your grandson get married? Or rocking your great-granddaughter to sleep? I didn't think so.
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