ELIMINATING EXCUSES | fitness

Before I get into this post, I have a special announcement. One of my sisters just bought a computer, so I am excited to welcome her to the 21st century!!

Now to the business - some of the benefits of protein:

Inclusion of up to 6 grams of protein during training or racing lasting greater than 3 hours may help enhance endurance performance by sparing muscle glycogen as well as increasing fluid uptake. One study demonstrated nearly a 25 percent increase in cycling endurance when an hourly rate of 6 grams of protein was consumed in a 7.75% carbohydrate solution. Another study discovered that athletes utilizing protein during training had 20% more endurance during their second workout of the day.**

DO SOMETHIN’!

** information source: Competitor texas magazine (CompetitorTX.com), January 2008 vol.05 #1, pg. 12, article by Kimberly Mueller, M.S., R.D.

In addition to eating a variety of fruits and vegetable everday, it is important to make sure that each meal is the right portion size for you. Rather than eating to fill completely your stomach, think in terms of what your body needs for normal functioning and how much food your body can process at one time. Overeating can lead to poor digestion of your food and other health issues. What I’ve found to work best for me is to eat about 4 - 6 times per day with each meal consisting of portions of foods that are about the size of my fist. So I am eating about the same amount or slightly more than I used to when I had 3 meals per day. By spreading this amount of food over more meals (not all meals being the same size as in total calories), I am not sluggish from eating a lot in one sitting (as in no more post meal ITIS); and I feel that more food digests more smoothly. Here’s a tip from Competitor texas health and fitness magazine on portion control:

For the average active person, the size of a small fist represents an appropriate portion of food. At main meals, aim to eat a fistful of starch (such as legumes, potatoes, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, whole grain cereal or a slice of bread) along with a fistful of protein (low-fat yogurt, milk or cottage cheese, soy foods, flank/round/sirloin steak, skinless poultry or fish) and two fistfuls of color (fruits and vegetables).**

For more details on what the right portion size is for you based on your caloric needs, I suggest that you check with your physician or dietician.

DO SOMETHIN’!

** information source: Competitor texas magazine (CompetitorTX.com), January 2008 vol.05 #1, pg. 12, article by Kimberly Mueller, M.S., R.D.

Happy New Year! I hope that you enjoyed the holidays and that ‘08 is off to a strong start for you.

As we look to keep our nutrition on point, here is a tip from Competitor texas health and fitness magazine:

Half of every meal should have a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables, which have been shown to be loaded with antioxidants that help protect our immune cells from harmful oxygen molecules called free radicals and ultimately protect against disease. Norwegian and American scientists recently complied a list of the foods with the highest antioxidant content per serving. The list included blackberries, strawberries, artichokes, cranberries, raspberries, blueberries and grape juice.**

Now that you have the facts, DO SOMETHIN’!

** information source: Competitor texas magazine (CompetitorTX.com), January 2008 vol.05 #1, pg. 12, article by Kimberly Mueller, M.S., R.D.

In most of last week’s posts, I shared some perspective on dietary supplements. One of the most popular supplements is creatine. Below are some interesting facts on creatine that I would like to share:

- The long term effects of taking creatine have not been established. Most studies have examined the short-term effects (30 days or less).
- All studies conducted have involved adults only. Creatine’s effect on children are unknown.
- Concerns exist about possible liver and kidney damage if large quantities (>40 grams/day) of creatine are consumed.
- Stomach cramping and diarrhea have been reported as adverse side effects of creatine supplementation.
- Creatine supplementation alone, in the absence of physical training, has been shown to be ineffective
- The U.S. Food and Drug Aministration (FDA) issued the following statement regarding creatine use: “Much remains unknown about whether creatine is absolutely safe for long-term use at levels currently recommended. Both current and potential users should consult their physicians to identify any potential health problems.”

I do not deny that creatine can aid one if developing muscle mass. However, the muscle development appears to come at some cost; but is it worth it? Keep doing your research and talking to your physician to make the best personal choices in dietary supplements.

DO SOMETHIN’!

**information source: ACE Personal Trainer Manual 3rd edition, edited by Cedric X. Bryant, Ph. D and Daniel J. Green, page 259.

In previous posts, I have not discussed dietary supplements to great detail. My primary reason for not doing so is that I recommend that you talk with a health professional and that you do your own research in order to determine what supplements (if any) are right for you. However, I do have some interesting information that I would like to share with you. Recently, I met the stunt double for the Hulk (from the 2003 movie, Hulk) and we had an interesting conversation. In exchange for some karate and jujitsu lessons, he gave me the ok to quote him on my blog. Here it is . . .

Martin: “Do all supplements work the same for everyone?”

Hulk stunt double: “No. We all have our differences in the way we absorb and process different substances. What works for some may not work for others and vice versa. If interested in a certain product, I would recommend checking its safety and supposed effectiveness. At that point, if a supplement seems to be a safe and effective option, give it a try and pay attention to any positive and/or negative effects. It is very important to keep in mind when reviewing supplements that this industry is not regulated by the FDA. So just because something is on the shelf at a store does not mean that it is truly safe. It could be, but maybe it is not. Do your research online, at the bookstore, or even better, with an actual health professional.”

Again, this information reflect’s the Hulk stunt double’s opinion. Talk with your physician to determine what is right for you.

DO SOMETHIN’!

In previous posts, I have not discussed dietary supplements to great detail. My primary reason for not doing so is that I recommend that you talk with a health professional and that you do your own research in order to determine what supplements (if any) are right for you. However, I do have some interesting information that I would like to share with you. Recently, I met the stunt double for the Hulk (from the 2003 movie, Hulk) and we had an interesting conversation. In exchange for some karate and jujitsu lessons, he gave me the ok to quote him on my blog. Here it is . . .

Martin: “Are supplements required for building mass?”

Hulk stunt double: “Supplements are definitely not required for building muscle mass. It is possible to gain mass from whole foods alone; however, this is difficult and requires a great deal of dedication. I believe that most people lack the level of determination and dedication to achieve substantial gains in muscle mass from a diet of only whole foods. A more realistic way of packing on muscle is a diet rich in natural sources but also one which does use supplementation. Supplements are not required, but, in my opinion, make building muscle more convenient and achievable.”

Again, this information reflect’s the Hulk stunt double’s opinion. Talk with your physician to determine what is right for you.

DO SOMETHIN’!

In previous posts, I have not discussed dietary supplements to a great detail. My primary reason for not doing so is that I recommend that you talk with a health professional and that you do your own research in order to determine what supplements (if any) are right for you. However, I do have some interesting information that I would like to share with you. Recently, I met the stunt double for the Hulk (from the 2003 movie, Hulk) and we had an interesting conversation. In exchange for some karate and jujitsu lessons, he gave me the ok to quote him on my blog. Here it is . . .

Martin: “Why do you think people take supplements?”

Hulk stunt double: “I believe that people take nutritional supplements in an effort to minimize dietary deficiencies and to maximize performance either for sport, body appearance, and/or general well-being. It is very difficult for the average person to obtain necessary and essential nutrients from food alone. Most people simply do not have the time to cook 6 or more meals per day. People have jobs, family obligations, and other commitments that make eating 6 or meals difficult. It is important to eat real food at least 3 times a day, but adding supplements such as protein shakes and meal replacements can offer solid nutrtition and a high level of convenience. When something is easy to do, it is more likely to be incorporated into one’s routine. I believe this is the case with supplementation. A healthy combination of whole foods and nutritional supplements which are approved by one’s doctor, is in my opinion, a solid approach to achieving good health and fitness.”

Again, this information reflect’s the Hulk stunt double’s opinion. Talk with your physician to determine what is right for you.

DO SOMETHIN’!

Recently, I answered a question on pre and post workout nutrition. In my response, I spoke of the importance of carbohydrates as fuel for your muscles. I’d like to elaborate more on this point with an excerpt for the ACE Personal Trainer Manual:

Muscle glycogen depletion is a well-recognized limitation to endurance exercise that exceeds 90 minutes. Carbohydrate loading* can nearly double an individual’s muscle glycogen stores. Therefore, the greater the pre-exercise glycogen content, the greater the endurance potential.

The classic study on carbohydrate loading compared exercise time to exhaustion. Subjects exercised at 75% of maximum aerobic capacity after consuming diets with varying amounts of carbohyrdrate- a low carbohydrate diet, a normal carbohydrate diet and a high carbohydrate diet. The low carbohyrdate diet sustained only an hour of exercise; the normal diet sustained 115 minutes of exercise; and the high carbohydrate diet sustained 170 minutes of high intensity exercise (Bergstrom, 1967).**

So, you can see how critical carbs are to muscle performance and endurance. Think of glycogen as fuel for your muscles; and carbs are stored in muscles as glycogen. So, low carbs = low fuel and no carbs = no fuel.

DO SOMETHIN’!

*Carbohydrate loading is defined as up to a week-long regimen of manipulating intensity of training and carbohydrate intake to achieve maximum glycogen storage for an endurance event.

**information source: ACE Personal Trainer Manual 3rd edition, edited by Cedric X. Bryant, Ph. D and Daniel J. Green pg. 124, 126, 544

My passion for health and fitness stems from my belief that good health and fitness better equips one for conquering challenges throughout the journey of fulfilling one’s purpose in life. So my objective is to share information that I believe will aid you in your journey. On my blog, you will not find profanity or any material/information that is contrary to my objective.

In addition to having my videos on my blog, my videos also appear on youtube; and there are a few on jumpcut and revver. My facebook and myspace pages also link back to this blog. Unfortunately, there appear to be sites that are showing my videos/content without my permission. If you come across my videos or links to my blog on any site other than my blog or the 4 other sites I mentioned, please know that it is possible that the site may be displaying my content without my permission; and please inform me by posting a comment on my blog with a link to the site. I have come across at least one site that is displaying my video without my persmission, and this site is doing it in a distasteful manner. I apologize if you experience or have experienced any such encounters. Know that I am working on a solution.

Please be mindful of this message that I am sharing with you. Eliminating Excuses is all about DO SOMETHIN’ and only about DO SOMETHIN’ and I want to make that clear.

Thank you.

Feeling energetic today? If not, can you buy some energy? How about an energy drink? Actually no, you don’t need to buy an energy drink. Let me explain.

I asked a question in regards to how you “feel.” So, the answer will be based on subjective mental and physical feelings as it should be. However, just because you feel this way does not mean that your muscles don’t have the potential (or capacity) to do work. Your muscles use ATP (adenonine triphosphate) for fuel; ATP is derived from the foods that you eat. For this reason, it is critical to eat the right kinds and quantity of foods to provide your body with sufficient carbohydrates, protein and good fats. In addition, your body needs water, vitamins and minerals. Even though vitamins and minerals don’t provide calories, they are essential to many key bodily functions like energy production. So if you are eating right, you already have the energy needed to DO SOMETHIN’! If you don’t feel energetic, maybe you had a stressful day or you need to get more sleep.

Don’t be fooled by energy drinks. Many provide nothing more than caffeine which is addictive and can be harmful to your health. If you are looking to quench your thirst before/after/during a workout, water is an excellent choice. You can also consider sports drinks with no caffeine, no (or low) sodium and a concentration of 5 - 10% of carbohydrates.

Now you have the facts. DO SOMETHIN’!

**information source: ACE Personal Trainer Manual 3rd edition, edited by Cedric X. Bryant, Ph. D and Daniel J. Green