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A Cost Benefit Analysis of your Health & Physical Fitness

March 19th, 2010

This post is for all of those people who:

Want to live a long life, and
Want that long life to be full of health, vitality and general awesome-ness

Because seriously, who wants to live until 100 if you have to spend the final 20-30 years of your life hooked up to machines and/or driving around in one of those motorized scooters because of your poor lifestyle choices

Luckily for you, I am here to help.

The True Cost of Health & Fitness Spending

Sadly, in our modern world, the biggest threat to living a long, healthy, vital and generally awesome life is our lifestyle.

Too little physical activity
Too much sitting
Too much of the wrong foods
Too little of the right foods
Chronic low level stress

Not good.

But, maybe that’s just the way things have to be. Maybe it’s a yin-yang kind of thing.

For all of the benefits of our modern society, there have to be some drawbacks.

Maybe the cost of our technological evolution is a slow, physical de-evolution into WALL-E blobbiness.

Maybe, there is nothing we can we do about it?

personal trainer toronto

wrong.

personal trainer toronto

Here are your options for getting super-fit.

1. Wait for a Technological Solution

Whether it’s a new drug or surgery or medical implant or obesity hygiene device, some people are going to sit and wait for someone else to save them from…themselves.

Cost/Benefit Analysis

Benefits

No exercise
More free time to watch tv and play video games
Eat whatever you want, whenever you want it

Costs

You may die before a “cure” is found
And you may have to spend big bucks on a Comfort Wipe

Conclusion

For me, the costs outweigh the benefits.

I have to give this plan a thumbs down.

2. Become a Caveman

Our caveman ancestors might not have had an iPad, but they certainly were leaner, stronger & fitter. And, if it wasn’t for their higher infant death rate and the general lack of emergency room doctors, our caveman ancestors would probably have retained a high level of physical fitness well into the senior years.

So, solution #2….

Walk away from all of your modern conveniences, leave your home, walk into the nearest forest and adopt the lifestyle that our paleolithic ancestors thrived upon.

Cost/Benefit Analysis

Benefits

Eating real food (wild game, fruit, berries, nuts, vegetables, roots, water… will make a huge difference on your overall health as well as help you drop a few lbs.
Increased physical activity will drastically improve your overall physical fitness
Less tv, less computer, less video games, less time in the car will improve posture, pain and portliness.
Low level stress will melt away as you ditch your daily commute, your boss, your suit & tie and your need to conform

Costs

No income
Property laws mean that you will likely be arrested for vagrancy or trespassing on private property
Herds of wild buffalo are pretty scarce nowadays, so you might have a problem finding enough food.
Replace low level chronic stress with higher level acute stress – starvation, arrests for vagrancy, etc…

Conclusion

The costs associated with returning to our ancient way of life far outweigh the benefits.

Ergo, another thumbs down.

3. Become a Modern Caveman

A modern caveman continues to work at his/her job, live in his/her nice warm home but chooses to eliminate or at least minimize those aspects of modern life that are causing us so much trouble

too much screen time – tv, computer, iphone, etc…
too much sitting
not enough physical activity
too many calories
not enough nutrition

Cost/Benefit Analysis

Benefits

Eating real food (wild game, fruit, berries, nuts, vegetables, roots, water… will make a huge difference on your overall health as well as help you drop a few lbs.
Increased physical activity will drastically improve your overall physical fitness
Less tv, less computer, less video games, less time in the car will improve posture, pain and portliness.
Taking a proactive approach to stress reduction will help improve the quality & quantity of your life.

Costs

Individuality – If you like to blend in, being a modern caveman isn’t for you
Grocery Bills – Real food often costs more than the typical processed Standard American Diet. Or at least it requires more imagination and effort to keep costs down.
Cost of physical activity – whether it’s time or money or a combination of the two, exercise is going to hit you in the wallet. Because you aren’t spending your entire day being active, you’re going to need to “exercise”. Whether you choose to run on your own or hire an in-home personal trainer, there is going to a cost – time, money, combination.

Conclusion

Millions of fit, healthy & attractive people are implementing some version of this plan each & every day.

Next week, i will go into some of the options and break them down…benefits, costs, etc…

Stay tuned.

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If you like what you see here, click here for updates

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Paddy’s Paleo Beef Stew

March 13th, 2010

Next week is St. Paddy’s Day so all week on my site I’ve been featuring a bunch of healthy Irish recipes. Continuing on with my Irish recipe round up…..Yep, it’s another Irish beef stew. I can’t help it–it’s in my DNA!
You’re probably familiar with my Beef & Guinness version and you may remember I made an Autumn Stew this past year. What’s the difference besides the obvious use of Guinness? Subtle differences like using more types of root veg, pearl onions and no potatoes in the stew itself (making it a perfect St. Paddy’s Paleo dish) are the main differences, which goes to show that you can take the same idea and make it different and seasonal.

Continue reading the Full Recipe Here and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the HEALTHY IRISHMAN Newsletter!

When you do you’ll receive a FREE Entertainment Booklet with recipes and tips for your next dinner party.

Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.

Popularity: 1% [?]

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Posted in Diet - General, Diet/Nutrition, Recipe, healthy recipes, locavore, nutrition, organic, paleo, vegetarian

Tags: caveman diet Gavan Murphy gluten-free healthy cooking healthy food healthy recipe los angeles low-fat nutritional organic paleo primal protein St. Paddy's Day St. Patrick's Day sustainable The healthy Irishman

Jeff Garlin – my footprint

March 10th, 2010

Jeff Garlin’s new book (my footprint) is the best & worst diet book I have ever read.

The worst because…. it’s not really a diet book.

There’s none of the eat this and don’t eat this that all diet books are supposed to have.

There are no promises of rapid and permanent weight loss.

There are no recipes.

The cover doesn’t feature an image of a person with taut muscles and a rippling six pack.

It features Jeff…and his still too big belly…walking on a treadmill….in the middle of a forest.

Not exactly the prototypical diet industry role model.

But that’s okay.

It’s okay because Jeff has written a book that should be read by:

People who find themselves unable to stop themselves from eating
People who identify themselves as food addicts
People who have to eat when they feel angry, sad, anxious, happy, etc..
People who eat when they are already full
People who eat to the point of nausea
People who eat past the point of nausea
People who hide their eating habits from others
People who are ashamed of how they eat
People who love and care for people who eat like Jeff Garlin

Now onto the book…

Jeff Garlin provided the voice for the overweight spaceship captain in the movie WALL-E.

If you haven’t seen the movie, you really should. Even if you don’t like animation – but, I digress.

Back to the book.

After attending the closing night of WALL-E at a movie theater in Hollywood, Jeff realized (not for the first time), that for years, he has been telling himself that he’s going to finally lose the weight and get in shape. But he never does.

On that fateful night, after watching the captain experience his own epiphany, Jeff realizes that it’s finally time for him to stop talking about losing weight and to finally do something about it.

“If not now, then when”?

And as his lies in bed that night, Jeff is struck by an idea – he’ll write about his attempt to lose weight.

And just like his character in WALL-E, he decides to add an environmental transformation to his physical one.

Jeff has decided to lower his carbon footprint as he simultaneously lowers his personal footprint.

Jeff’s Weight Loss Journey

The first thing you’re going to notice about this book is that it reads like a series of diary entries. Chronologically we read about Jeff’s day to day struggles to overcome his food addiction and drop a ton of weight (while simultaneously lightening his environmental impact upon the earth).

The second thing that you’re going to notice is that Jeff is funny. Seriously funny. For those people who are already fans of Curb Your Enthusiasm, this will come as no surprise. But for those people who have never watched Curb, let’s just say that as I read this book (in public – coffee shop, chiropractor’s office) I couldn’t stop myself from laughing out loud.

Yes – I was that strange person laughing to himself in a room full of people.

What I Loved About Jeff’s Message

Jeff made two points that struck me as terribly important.

1. He is a food addict.

This is a very controversial statement.

Most weight loss experts (and the general) population that weight loss is as simple as eating less & moving more.

They are wrong.

People like Jeff know that in addition to the chemistry and biology of human metabolism, many of us have to deal with powerful mental & emotional obstacles that drive us to eat and eat and eat.

Just like the alcoholic, compulsive gambler or drug addict, our thoughts and emotions can have a profound effect upon our hormones, brain chemistry and ultimately our actions.

Food addiction is real.

2. Weight Loss is hard work.

Unlike other “food addicts” Jeff doesn’t take the position that his addiction makes it impossible to lose weight. He doesn’t assume the role of victim.

Jeff is eager to spread the message that:

Weight loss is possible
But it is going to be really hard

There are no magic solutions.

There are going to be good days and there are going to be bad days.

Weight loss is hard work.

End of story.

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Click here if you want to buy the book.

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If you like what you see here, click here for updates

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Grilled Steak n Cauliflower

March 6th, 2010

There’s a lot to be said for mastering basic cooking techniques like properly grilling a steak, plain and simple. Here I’ve done just that yet to spice things up I roasted cauliflower with a little kick using smoked paprika. This might sound too basic but this is where choosing your ingredients makes all the difference. Grass-fed meats and organic produce are bursting with natural flavour. Delicious doesn’t have to mean complicated.

RECIPE:
2 x 6oz NY grass-fed steaks
1 tsp cracked black pepper (1/2 tsp per steak)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp grape seed oil (or olive oil if preferred). Grape seed oil gets to a higher temp before burning so is ideal for searing on high heat.

1 head organic cauliflower – cut in florets
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 cup green olives – halved
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
drizzle agave or honey

Continue reading the Full Recipe Here and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the HEALTHY IRISHMAN Newsletter!

When you do you’ll receive a FREE Entertainment Booklet with recipes and tips for your next dinner party.

Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.

Popularity: 2% [?]

3 comments »

Posted in Diet - General, Diet/Nutrition, Recipe, healthy recipes, locavore, nutrition, organic, paleo, vegetarian

Tags: caveman chef diet fitness food Gavan Murphy health healthy cooking healthy food healthy recipe los angeles nutrition nutritious organic paleo paleo diet primal sustainable The healthy Irishman

Seafood Stew

February 27th, 2010

Growing up in Ireland most people assume it’s all meat n veg but being an island we have amazing seafood and a lot of my training as a chef was in seafood restaurants. This is my simplified version of a bouillabaisse. Typically, and according to tradition, there should be at least five different kinds of fish (not including shellfish) in a proper bouillabaisse. That can get pretty pricey so I thought I’d use some key seafood ingredients saving money yet without compromising flavour (which I may have used for a (my) six-pack). This version is light, fresh and brothy… just the way I roll!

If you do have a craving for some good ol’ fashioned meat try my Tomato marinated Flank Steak or Citrus Fennel Crusted Pork.

RECIPE:
Serves 4

20 mussels – rinsed
20 Manila clams – rinsed
1/2 lb large locally caught wild shrimp – P&D’d (peeled & de-veined)
1 lb white fish (Pacific cod, Tilapia, Pacific halibut) – 1″ cubes
3 cups leeks (whites only) thinly sliced, washed
1 red bell pepper – small dice
3 bay leaves
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1 x 15 oz can diced tomatoes – drained
1 cup white wine (whatever’s in your glass will work) OR an 8 fluid oz bottle of clam juice*
3 cups water
about a handful of fresh basil – chiffonade
2 sprigs fresh thyme (for steaming mussels & clams)
2 tbsp olive oil

*TIP: Bottled clam juice is easily found in the States though it might be hard enough to find across the pond. Steaming the shellfish in the white wine is a great alternative for making your own clam juice.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat large soup pot on medium heat for 1 minute. Add olive oil along with leeks, red pepper and chili flakes. Saute, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Cover with lid while they’re sauteing. This will keep in the moisture and help prevent them from going brown. You don’t want any colour on the leeks, just softened.
As leeks and pepper are cooking, preheat a large saute pan on high heat for 1 minute. Very carefully add mussels and clams to pan along with the wine and thyme or bottled clam juice and thyme. (Be careful of splashing the liquid.) Cover with lid and cook until all the shells are open. Give the pan a shake after 30 seconds or so to move them around. Cook for 2 minutes approx or until all the shells have opened.
NOTE: If there are any unopened or cracked shells when the majority are cooked, discard them.

Holding a colander over the soup pot drain the shellfish into the colander. This steaming liquid will be the base of your soup and it’s delicious. Add the water, bay leaves and chopped tomatoes to the soup pot and bring to a boil.
Next remove all the mussels & clams from their shells. Set the meat aside and throw away the shells or even better you could use them with your saved veg and the shrimp shells to make a seafood stock.

Add the white fish and shrimp to the soup and stir. (They’ll cook in the broth.) Once soup comes to a boil reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes on medium low heat.
Just before serving add all mussels, clams and fresh basil. Stir and taste. Season with S&P.

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

Continue reading the full recipe here and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the HEALTHY IRISHMAN Newsletter!

When you do you’ll receive a FREE Entertainment Booklet with recipes and tips for your next dinner party.

Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.

Popularity: 2% [?]

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Posted in Diet - General, Diet/Nutrition, Recipe, healthy recipes, locavore, nutrition, organic, paleo, vegetarian

Tags: bouillabaisse caveman diet fish fitness Gavan Murphy health healthy cooking healthy food healthy recipe Ireland los angeles nutrition nutritious organic paleo paleo diet paleolithic primal Seafood sustainable The healthy Irishman

Poblano Pork Stew

February 20th, 2010

Being in California I’m exposed to an amazing array of fresh organic fruit n veg that I wouldn’t normally get, especially back at home so I’m taking full advantage of it. One of my weekly adventures is heading to our local farmers market and seeing what’s in season and figuring out something to make with it. You might recall a few weeks back I made a Braised Beef Rib recipe using some Poblano peppers, which actually came from my garden. Turns out I really liked their charred smoky flavour so I figured I’d have another go with them. I love roasted peppers (Roast Red pepper Hummus) and funny enough I actually made this pork dish already but my photos weren’t up to par so this is round two. With a few tweaks this turned out even better than the last time.
Lucky for you I’m a shitty photographer!

Continue reading the full recipe here and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the HEALTHY IRISHMAN Newsletter!

When you do you’ll receive a FREE Entertainment Booklet with recipes and tips for your next dinner party.

Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.

Popularity: 2% [?]

No comments »

Posted in Diet - General, Diet/Nutrition, Recipe, healthy recipes, locavore, nutrition, organic, paleo, vegetarian

Tags: caveman caveman diet diet dinner farmers market Gavan Murphy healthy cooking healthy food healthy recipe los angeles meat nutrition nutritional nutritious organic paleo paleo diet paleolithic primal protein sustainable The healthy Irishman

Shrimp & Spaghetti (Squash) Fra Diavolo

February 13th, 2010

You may have noticed all the different winter squash at the markets–acorn, butternut, spaghetti, kabocha, just to name a few. I absolutely love butternut squash, which is what I tend to use most often. I suppose we all tend to stick with what we know and like but lately I’ve had quite a few inquiries for what to do with a spaghetti squash, which is great because I really dig this squash too. Actually I’m really into pasta (gluten free) but I’m off heavy carbs in the evening thanks to DR, Mr. Health Habits himself with the training program I’m on so this squash, believe it or not, makes a brilliant substitute for pasta! Thought all you who are sticking to any sort of get-in-shape regiment and of course all the Paleos, would love this idea, too.

RECIPE:
Serves 2 with leftovers

1 medium spaghetti squash (preferably organic)
1 lb medium wild, locally caught shrimp (21-30’s) P&D’s (peeled & de-veined)
1 cup pasta tomato sauce (whatever you fancy)
1 tbsp capers
1/2 lemon- zested
chili flakes (as much as you can handle)

Continue reading the full recipe here and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the HEALTHY IRISHMAN Newsletter!

When you do you’ll receive a FREE Entertainment Booklet with recipes and tips for your next dinner party.

Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.

Popularity: 2% [?]

No comments »

Posted in Diet - General, Diet/Nutrition, Recipe, healthy recipes, locavore, nutrition, organic, paleo, vegetarian

Tags: caveman diet farmers market Gavan Murphy healthy cooking healthy food healthy recipe los angeles nutritional organic paleo paleo diet paleolithic primal shrimp spaghetti squash sustainable The healthy Irishman

Jamie Oliver v.s. America’s Childhood Obesity Epidemic

February 12th, 2010

Last week it was Michelle Obama.

This week it’s British celeb-chef Jamie Oliver making an appeal to the American public…begging them to change their food & lifestyle habits in an attempt to save their children from a shortened and unhealthy future.

more about “Jamie Oliver’s TED Prize wish: Teach …“, posted with vodpod

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So, what do you think?

Personally, I question the effectiveness of big government social programs like the First Lady’s Let’s Move program. I think that change is most effective when it happens at the grassroots level.

And while I don’t know if we should consider a multi-million dollar reality tv show to be “grassroots”, we all know about the powerful effect that television has upon on our lives.

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Maybe instead of tv causing obesity, it can help solve the problem.

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If you have someone in your family who needs to lose weight, please forward this article.

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If you like what you see here, click here for updates

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Is Stephen Colbert a closet Paleo?

February 11th, 2010

Last week, Stephen Colbert interviewed John Durant (the Paleo guy from the NY Times article).

And during the interview, I noticed that Stephen seemed to be taking it a little easy on John.

Even while Stephen poked fun at John’s lifestyle and his pursuit of a celiac / lactose intolerant girlfriend, he never mentioned:

the bloodletting or
the raw meat or even
the Vibram Five Fingers that John was sporting.

So, why did Stephen take it so easy on Durant?

Perhaps it’s because Stephen is considering a switch to the Paleo way of life.

Stephen Colbert interviews Paleo Caveman John Durant – Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

video link for Canadians (Comedy Network doesn’t have embed codes)

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And, if you like what you see here, click here for updates or Share this Post with the rest of the world.

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Herb Grilled Chicken with Celery Root Puree

February 6th, 2010

I wonder, is the Super Bowl as popular in Canada as it is here? All week I’ve posted healthy Super Bowl grub on my site but then I started thinking….if we happen to fall off the wagon a bit and chug a few unexpected beers, shouldn’t I have a ‘make-up’ recipe ready to rock for Monday? Being healthy is all about balance and planning ahead, right?

I’m still new to the Paleo way of eating but I think I’ve a good idea here. What I really try to do with food, besides creating easy healthy recipes, is to shop and eat sustainably and seasonally. With all my recipes you are encouraged to use what ever is in season in your area, which might be different than my area especially because I’m planted in sunny Southern California, as I often like to remind DR. (Better not make him too jealous or my next workout session might be brutal!)

Since the Paleo diet does not include potatoes (ouch says the Irishman) I wanted to show you an easy substitute using what I know as Celeriac, often called Celery Root. It is a kind of celery grown as a root vegetable that tastes like celery with a potato-like consistency. Common across the pond, we use as mash, in mash or even raw, grated in salads. Here’s how it stacks up against the potato:

	Celery Root*	Potato*
Calories	42	118
Carbohydrates	9g	27g
Dietary Fiber	2g	2g
	*1 cup celery root (155g) boiled, drained with no salt	*1 potato (136g) boiled in skin with no salt

In California we can get celeriac all year round but the season runs about October through April. As for the tomatoes, I didn’t think it was tomato season yet we received these lovelies in our CSA box. Feel free to substitute any in-season veg for the tomatoes if you can’t get locally grown tomatoes this time of year.

RECIPE:
Serves 2

2 x 4-6 oz organic/grass fed chicken breasts

1 tbsp fresh marjoram
1 tbsp fresh oregano
1 large garlic clove – minced
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 lemon – zested

2 medium celery roots (you’ll probably have some left overs but that’s grand!)
low-sodium chicken broth
S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Begin by mixing all the marinade ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Add chicken breasts and coat. To store, either place in a Zilpoc bag or cover in a bowl in the fridge. Turn occasionally to make sure all sides are marinating.
NOTE: This can and should be done ahead of time to get maximum flavor. I would suggest marinating for at least 4 – 24 hours.

To cook celeriac:

Top and tail celery root and using a small kitchen knife carefully peel the outer layer. (Top & tail is common chef lingo, which means trim the top and bottom.)

Once all peeled roughly chop root in equal size pieces and boil in salted water (maybe a couple of teaspoons) until fork tender. Drain and return to same pot. Mash, add broth, taste & season.

I made the little blistered cherry tomato thingy by sauteing some cherry tomatoes on medium heat in olive oil under they begin to break down. Once they soften add a drizzle of red wine vinegar and a pinch of S&P. These will add a nice contrast and burst of flavor with the chicken and celeriac.

Preheat grill pan or outdoor bbq and when hot sear chicken on both sides. Cook to internal temp. 160F, 8-12 minutes approx. Let rest for 3-4 minutes after cooking before cutting.

Tasty and easy! Let me know how you got on with the celeriac. Cheers!

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

Be sure to sign up for my newsletter. When you do you’ll receive a FREE Entertainment Booklet with recipes and tips for your next dinner party.

Popularity: 2% [?]

3 comments »

Posted in Diet - General, Diet/Nutrition, I Wanna Be Healthy, I Wanna Look Great, Recipe, healthy recipes, locavore, nutrition, organic, paleo, vegetarian, weight loss

Tags: celeriac celery root chicken diet food Gavan Murphy healthy cooking healthy food healthy recipe los angeles organic paleo paleo diet sustainable The healthy Irishman tomatoes

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Health Habits

Archive for the ‘Diet - General’ category

A Cost Benefit Analysis of your Health & Physical Fitness

The True Cost of Health & Fitness Spending

1. Wait for a Technological Solution

2. Become a Caveman

3. Become a Modern Caveman

Related Posts

Paddy’s Paleo Beef Stew

Jeff Garlin – my footprint

Related Posts

Grilled Steak n Cauliflower

Seafood Stew

Poblano Pork Stew

Shrimp & Spaghetti (Squash) Fra Diavolo

Jamie Oliver v.s. America’s Childhood Obesity Epidemic

Related Posts

Is Stephen Colbert a closet Paleo?

Related Posts

Herb Grilled Chicken with Celery Root Puree