Health Habits

improve your health, habit by habit

Posts Tagged ‘weight loss’

Anti-Cancer Potato Chips

December 22nd, 2009

Over the past few years, a growing body of research indicates that acrilamyde (a substance produced when potatoes/corn et al are deep fried) can lead to heart disease, nervous system disorders and cancer.

Ironically, this means that the bag of potato and/or nacho chips you ate last night while watching House might just lead to a situation where you require the services of a real-life Greg House.

Ain’t irony grand?

Luckily for us Canadians, our socialized health care system has sprang into action and has devised a plan to solve this whole acrilamyde kerfluffle.

And how are they going to do this?

By implementing a public health campaign to reduce the consumption of crunchy snack foods?
By taxing products high in acrilamyde?

Nope

Health Canada wants snack food manufacturers to put small amounts of the enzyme asparaginase into their products prior to the deep frying process.

What is Asparaginase?

Asparaginase is an enzyme that hydrolyses an amino acid, asparagine, to aspartic acid by hydrolyzing the amide in free asparagine to the corresponding acid, aspartic acid.

This is a good thing.

Reduced levels of asparagine means reduced levels of acrylamide means reduced chance of heart disease, nervous system disorders and cancer.

Currently, asparaginase is injected into leukemia patients as a treatment for their cancer.

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So this is what we’ve come to.

Instead of “not eating” foods that cause cancer, we choose to inject those foods with anti-cancer enzymes.

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It won’t be long before every bag of nachos comes with it’s own pre-loaded syringe of asparaginase.

But, before that happens, Canadian health regulations require that before a new food additive is allowed to be used in Canada, a submission must be filed with Health Canada so the Department can conduct a safety evaluation of the proposed use(s) of the additive. Food manufacturers are not permitted to use the additive until the safety assessment has been completed by Health Canada and the Regulations are amended to formally enable its use…. blah, blah, blah…

As part of the evaluation process, Health Canada is soliciting comments from the public.

So, for all my Canadian readers, I urge you to take the time to shoot Health Canada an email and let them know if you want asparaginase injected into your nacho chips.

But before you send that email, here are some…

Points to Consider

Deep fried Potato/Nacho chips have high levels of acrilyamide
Acrylamide is linked to heart disease and cancer
You don’t want heart disease or cancer
Acrylamide researcher Dr. Lorelei Mucci says that acrylamide levels can be reduced by cooking chips at lower temperatures or by first soaking the chips in water to extract some of the sugar. Unfortunately, these techniques can affect the plesant odor, crispness or color of the finished product
Acrylamide levels can be reduced to 0% by not eating potato/nacho chips

Potato/Nacho chips make you fat and give you pimples.
Cool kids don’t eat potato/nacho chips

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Last Minute Christmas Shopping Guide

December 21st, 2009

If you’re anything like me (and 96.4% of all men), you have left your Christmas shopping to the last minute.

And the stores are all sold out of Red Ryder BB guns.

So, whatcha gonna do?

I’ll tell you what you’re gonna do.

You’re gonna give your friends and family the gifts of health, fitness and smaller love handles.

And I am here to help with my Health Habits Approved™ Last Minute Christmas Shopping Guide.

Category 1: Health Club Memberships

Don’t do it.

The latest research shows that overweight gym-goers feel more embarrassment and intimidation about exercising, exercising around young people, exercising around fit people, and about health club salespeople than individuals of normal weight.

And most health clubs do nothing to address these feelings of embarrassment and intimidation.

As a result, the people who need that gym membership the most are the same people who are most likely to quit.

So, unless you enjoy throwing your money away, don’t buy them a gym membership. Just don’t do it.

Category 2: Personal Training

Once again, don’t do it.

Starting in the new year, I will be starting a Health Habits Fit Club for anyone interested.

Daily workouts emailed to you
Social support via the Facebook group
Nutrition programs

All for the low, low cost of $0.00

Note – I will give you more details later in the week.

Category 3: Book Learning

There are a lot of really crappy health/fitness/diet books out there.

And sadly, some of the worst are some of the best sellers.

So, to help you separate the wheat from the chaff, I went through my library and picked out my favorite health/fitness books.

And here they are

Exercise & Fitness Books
Health Books – (pain, mindfulness,general health)
Diet & Nutrition Books

If you’re still confused which books to buy, shoot me an email and I can help you narrow down your selection.

Note – you don’t have to buy the books through my little Amazon store…even though I would appreciate the 4% kickback I get from them.

Category 4: Cardio Equipment

It’s a FACT* – 68% of all cardio equipment purchases are used primarily as over-priced clothes racks.

And 90% of those people who employ their cardio machines as luxury clothes racks feel intense remorse and shame every time they recall what lies underneath that pile o’ clothes.

So, if you’re going to buy your loved one a piece of cardio equipment (bike, elliptical, treadmill) ask yourself these questions:

Are they going to use it?
Is this the type of equipment they enjoy using?

Bike people don’t use treadmills and vice versa

Is the equipment going to last?

If you can afford it, avoid the “home grade” equipment and move up to the “light commercial” or even the “commercial grade” equipment. The “home grade” has lower quality bearings, motors, etc. The end result is that they break down sooner. And breakdowns = service calls = $$$

What does the warranty cover? – see #3
Bells & Whistles?

To me, this is the least important stuff. Unfortunately, it is also the stuff that salespeople use to get you all excited in order to sell you an inferior piece of equipment.

Remember, the primary use of cardio equipment is to improve your cardio. And, you don’t need all sorts of on-board computers and video monitors and internet connections, etc to improve the function of your heart & lungs. All of this flashy stuff should go in the “want” category, not the “need” category.

However, if money is no object, go nuts on the bells & whistles.

* actually I have no idea what percentage of cardio equipment ends up as expensive clothes racks. 68% just seemed like a good number.

Category 5: Non-Cardio Fitness Equipment

do not buy this...you have been warned

Once again, I need to warn you that when it comes to fitness equipment, there is a lot of junk out there.

My advice:

Avoid the shopping channels
Avoid anything that promises chiseled abs in 6 weeks
If it seems to good to be true, it probably is.
Take a look at some of the items I have collected here.

For much less than the price of a 12 month gym membership, you can build a compact home gym that will meet all of your needs.

Here’s what I recommend:

Exercise Mat

I have grown to love my G2 mat.

It’s cushier than a yoga mat, but not as cushy as a gymnastics style mat. As Goldilocks would say, it’s cushiness is just right.

Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have a visual reminder to stretch more often.

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Resistance / Strength training

Forget about buying one of those “home gym” multi station gizmos.

Seriously, just forget about it.

For about $200, you can have a strength training center that is next to invisible, won’t break down and gives you a significantly better workout.

What you need to do is:

Buy a set of Jump Stretch or Iron Woody resistance bands. These bands never break and will give you more workout than you can handle.
Buy a 4 ft long safety grab bar and install it (vertically) where ever you want your new home gym. Alternately, you can go with a painted or stained wooden handrail for a more rustic look. Be sure to install it well. We don’t want thos screws coming loose.

Here is an article I wrote than might give you a better idea.

Note – I am currently working on setting up a sales arrangement with either Jump Stretch or Iron Woody to get you guys a better price.

As an option, I would also recommend a chin-up bar. It’s not vital, but there is such a high payback from chin-ups, you really should consider it.

I prefer an “Iron Gym” style chin up bar that you don’t have to screw directly into your door frame.

Note – There’s no need to worry about this chin-up bar collapsing under your weight. I have used it at home during on of my strength phases. I weighed 265 lbs at the time.

So, what’s next?

Core Strength

Buy an ab wheel…end of story.

It’s the best thing for functional core strength and a bullet proof lower back.

Check out this info on ab wheels

Pain Relief / Flexibility / Massage

For the less than half the price of a massage, you need to buy a quality foam roller and a massage ball.

The foam roller will break up all of the knots, tight muscles, scar tissue, etc in your thighs, back, calves etc.

The massage ball does the same thing for all of your nooks and crannies that the roller can’t get to. I rely on it for the small muscles in my upper back.

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Okay, that should do it for your Christmas shopping.

Unless somebody wanted to get me something…hint hint…the new 2010 Camaro is just my size

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Posted in Exercise, I Wanna Be Healthy, I Wanna Look Great, fat, fat loss, fitness, personal trainer, working out

Tags: diet Exercise exercise equipment fitness gym health health club personal trainer weight loss

You Will NEVER Drink Soda Again

December 15th, 2009

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10 Really Good Diet Hacks

December 14th, 2009

For today’s post, we’re keeping it simple. Here are…

10 Really Good Diet Hacks

diet weight loss fitness health

1. Eat a Big Breakfast

……Your grandma was right. Studies have shown that eating a big breakfast helps reduce hunger ……and promotes weight loss.

fitness

2. Macronutrient Timing

……Eat low fat/ high protein/moderate carb meals in the morning – fruit smoothies with protein ……powder, oatmeal with cinnamon, raisins & protein powder, grilled chicken fruit salad

……Eat low carb/high protein/moderate fat meals in the evening – soups, salads, stir frys, etc…lots ……of veggies (the crunchy kind) but no grains

……Lunch can go either way.

……Part of the theory behind macronutrient timing is that carbs are used for energy. As your day ……winds down, your need for carbs is reduced. And if you’re not burning carbs for energy, the will ……turn to fat.

……So, if your afternoon is going to require lots of energy, opt for a carb/pro meal. If your afternoon ……is kind of lazy, then go with the pro/fat meal.
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3. Eat Protein at Every Meal

……I’m not saying to eat a huge 24oz. Porterhouse steak. More like half a chicken breast or a ……couple of eggs or some tofu or a scoop of protein powder.
fitness

4. Fiber at Every Meal

……Oatmeal, vegetables, fruit, ground flax seeds in your smoothie….
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5. Stop Drinking Your Calories

……This morning, I am in Starbucks behind two women who are complaining that they can’t lose ……weight even though they are 1. working out 3 times a week and 2. never cheating on their diets.

……And then they both ordered Grande mocha-frappucino type drinks

……My head almost exploded.

……BTW, they had just walked across the street from their health club.
fitness

6. Stop Eating Bread

……Just stop it. Seriously
fitness

7. Drink More Water & Tea

……Your body needs fluid. Odds are, you don’t get enough.
fitness

8. Supplement with Omega 3 Fish Oils Every Night

……Every month, there is new research highlighting the health benefits of Omega 3s. At the ……present time, the best & most affordable source of Omega 3s are fish oils. Vegetarians should ……look at Krill Oil.

fitness
9. Get Smart about Peri-Workout Nutrition

……At the very least, you need to sip on a sugar-sweetened beverage during your workout – ……Gatorade, diluted orange juice, etc…

……In tomorrow’s post, I will elaborate on this subject.
fitness

10. Always Carry Healthy Snacks

……Our society thrives on junk food.

……If you want to eat healthy in order to lose weight, live longer, etc, you need to be prepared. Like ……a good little boy scout, you need to spend a little time every night preparing your healthy lunch ……& snacks.

fitness

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Fitness Trends 2010

December 11th, 2009

fitness trends 2010

It’s that time of year again.

It’s time for the fine folks at the American Council on Exercise (ACE) to peer into their crystal Bosu balls and predict the Fitness Trends for 2010.

So, without any further ado, here are your…

Fitness Trends for 2010

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ace

The clairvoyants at ACE have predicted that fiscal restraint will be the biggest influencer on the fitness trends of 2010.

Quel surprise

Here’s their top 10:

Cost-Conscious Workouts at Fitness Clubs and at Home: The impact of the economy continues to affect the choices of fitness enthusiasts and health clubs alike. Gyms will alter programming and training to better serve the needs of the cost-conscious member, while in-home workouts utilizing small, portable fitness equipment will be popular among individuals watching their budgets. health fitness exercise Honestly, I can’t say enough about the Iron Woody bands – great workout tool, portable, inexpensive and pretty much indestructible. For the time being, you can buy them here. But, in the near future, I hope to be able to get you a better Health Habits discount.
Group Training: Individuals will scale back on personal training sessions to take advantage of small-group training and group class participation as another way to save on expenses. Health clubs may alter some programs to better suit the needs of larger groups. Likewise, individuals may find that the group setting offers additional motivation and support of their fitness efforts. health fitness exercis xxxe body We are already seeing this with the explosion of Boot Camp style group workouts health fitness exercise workout hiit
Time-Efficient Workouts for the Time-Pressured American: Shorter yet higher-intensity workouts will be more appealing to those with busy schedules because they can reap significant fitness rewards with relatively minimal time investment. Boot-camp style workouts will continue to be one of the most popular of these trends in 2010, offering the ability to burn sufficiently large number of calories while simultaneously improving muscular fitness. Circuit training will also be a time-efficient workout of choice due to its combined strength and endurance activities. health body fitness health health fitness hiit healthhabits hiit healthhabits Not to mention the growth of HIIT & HIRT workouts health fitness exercise workout hiit health fitness exercise workout hiit
Exergaming: Exergames (see Nintendo Wii Fit) will continue to climb in popularity and be taken to the next level: fitness clubs. By integrating fitness-based video games into their programming, clubs will offer unique exercise sessions for game-lovers and those looking for variety within their workouts. health fitness exercise hiit healthhabits fitness obesity weight loss Note – This already exists at “kids-only” gyms like this one he health fitness exercise workout hiit health fitness exercise workout hiitalth
Boomer-Specific Programs: Special fitness programming for aging adults will remain a strong trend next year. Growing numbers of boomers recognize the multitude of benefits that come along with regular exercise participation, from lowering blood pressure and cholesterol to maintaining one’s functional independence and overall wellbeing. fitness obesity weight loss hiit The Boomers have been driving market trends for decades. No reason for it to stop now. health fitness exercise workout hiit health fitness exercise workout hiit
Functional Training Workouts: Functional training workouts will increase in variety. health Over the past 12 months, I have noticed that people are replacing “bodybuilding” style exercises more more “functional” movements. Hopefully this is a trend that has legs. health fitness exercise workout hiit health fitness exercise workout hiit
Health and Fitness Awareness: The importance of health and fitness is gaining greater awareness among commercial and governmental organizations. There will be a strong movement towards collaboration between these groups and health and fitness organizations throughout the New Year. These diverse groups will work together in the fight against physical inactivity and obesity. The media frenzy over America’s Obesity Epidemic is driving this increased awareness. heal health fitness exercise workout hiit health fitness exercise workout hiitth fitness exercise workout hiit health fitness exercise workout hiit
Importance of Proper Professional Credentials: Health and fitness clubs are recognizing the need for, and the importance of, hiring trainers who hold high-quality, reputable professional credentials. NCCA-accredited fitness certification is fast becoming the recognized stamp of approval for credentialing quality in the fitness industry. ACE is among the few organizations to which the National Commission for Certifying Agencies grants this accreditation for certification programs. Hmmmmm, is it coincidence that ACE exists solely to sell training certifications??? Methinks I smell a conflict of interest health fitness exercise workout hiit health fitness exercise workout hiit
Specialty Exercise Classes: Specialty classes such as ethnic dance, hooping, pole dancing and Zumba will remain popular due in part to the continued success of shows like Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance. Fusion-type classes will be popular among fitness enthusiasts that want to switch up their typical workout programs. Additionally, more gyms will offer unique group exercise programs and mind-body activities. fitness fit weight loss Let’s face it. A lot of people don’t exercise because it bores them out of their little Ritalin addicted minds. Zumba classes, stripper classes, surfboarding classes, ballet bootcamp classes, mma classes and even dodgeball classes aim to make exercise a little less like work and a little more like play. health fitness exercise workout hiit health fitness exercise workout hiit
Fitness Training Tools: Technology is continuing to infiltrate the fitness world. The use of tracking and online training and scheduling tools will increase in the coming year with more people looking to better gauge their progress by accessing and monitoring details of their fitness programs. Mobile applications are even bringing fitness on-the-go through iPhone applications and other downloadable programming. health body fitness health health fitness hiit healthhabits Between wearable fitness tools and their online companions, technology IS going to play a larger role in the fitness industry. Unfortunately, you are still going to have to do all of the sweating.

We,, there you go. The fitness trends for 2010.

Too bad that the #1 trend wasn’t…MORE EXERCISE, LESS TV

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Fitness Scam or Miracle Supplement?

December 8th, 2009

Earlier today, I came upon this online ad.

i got ripped

Wow!!!

Paul got ripped in 4 weeks…without killing himself in the gym or dieting.

However did he do it?

I have to know….Must follow link…to this site….

pauls hollywood workout

Double Wow!!!

It gets even better….a FREE super supplement used by hollywood actors to get ripped in 4 weeks without killing themselves in the gym or dieting

It almost seems too good to be true.

But, Paul looks like an honest guy, so I click through to check out the secret to his success…Muscle Might

muscle might

Triple Wow!!!

The World’s #1 Selling Muscle Building Supplement
A Risk Free Trial
A Chance at a $1000 prize

and I can get ripped in 4 weeks without killing myself in the gym or dieting

Sign Me Up!!!

But wait, maybe this offer is too good to be true.

Perhaps I need a little cooling off period.

This feels like one of those impulse purchases I have been hearing about….

(30 minute cooling off period…imagine the theme from Jeopardy playing)

….I’m back, and it’s not an impulse purchase. I still want to take advantage of Paul’s kind No Risk Offer.

So, let’s head back to Paul’s website….and what the???

pauls hollywood workout

Who’s this guy?

That’s not Paul.

And what the hell is Ultimate Acai Max?

Where’s my #1 Best Selling Muscle Building Supplement – Muscle Might?

Arrrrggggghhhh!!!!!

Paul lied to me.

I feel so used

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But wait, it gets worse.

I’m not alone in my shame.

According to web traffic reporting sites

Alexa

alexa

and Quantcast…

quantcast

…a lot of people are being sucked in by Paul’s fat burning, muscle building siren’s call.

And my question to them is…is anyone buying buying this stuff?

Does anyone believe pretend Paul?

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Waves and Waves of HIIT

December 7th, 2009

This workout is dedicated to the “skinny-fat” cardio guy at my gym…you know who you are.

It’s a simple HIIT workout that is guaranteed to have you sweating buckets and burning mega calories.

THE WORKOUT

Cardio equipment of your choice (I recommend an exercise bike, but an elliptical or Versa Climber are acceptable alternatives)

10 min steady state cardio at 60% of maximum perceived intensity

10 min of alternating duration (Wave) sprints

Sprint #1: 10 sec sprint / 50 sec rest
Sprint #2: 15 sec sprint / 45 sec rest
Sprint #3: 20 sec sprint / 40 sec rest

Repeat for 10 sprints

5 min steady state cardio at 60% of max intensity

Beginners are now finished….go home and rest

However, if you think you can handle some more HIIT, please feel free to do another:

10 min of alternating duration sprints - same as above
5 min steady state cardio at 60% of max intensity

And now, go home…seriously.

Note: HIIT sprints are designed to be performed at maximum intensity for maximum benefit. If your intensity starts to drop below 90% of your best effort, shut it down and call it a day. Intensity is key. It’s better to do 5 sprints at 100% intensity than 10 sprints at 75%

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Transformation #2 – Me

December 2nd, 2009

Doug...happy & sweaty @ the gym

Every autumn, I dedicate my workouts to strength & power.

I set myself a goal, hit the gym and unleash the beast.

This year, my goal was to press 350 lbs overhead.

And, as that stupid grin on my face can attest to, not only did I achieve my goal, I crushed it by pressing 365 lbs overhead. Woo Hoo!

Unfortunately, along with all this superhuman strength comes some superhuman eating and a wee bit of extra body-fat.

As of this morning, I weighed in at 252.2 lbs @ 15.4% body-fat.

doug's body composition Dec 2

Way too p-p-porky for my liking.

So, as I do every winter, I clean up my diet and start a new training program similar to the one I gave to the Healthy Irishman.

The goal being that I drop my body-fat down to 10% without losing much muscle mass.

doug's body composition goal

What is new for this year is that I will be doing this transformation in front of my millions and millions of readers.

In the next few days, I will post an outline of workout & nutrition plans.

I will also post my daily workouts here. Feel free to sign up for email updates if you want to follow along.

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Posted in Exercise, I Wanna Be Healthy, I Wanna Look Great, Mental/Emotional, fat loss, fitness, obesity, weight loss, working out

Tags: diet Exercise fat fat loss fitness health healthy cooking healthy food nutrition obese obesity paleo primal transformation weight loss workout

Words of Wisdom

November 30th, 2009

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“If hunger is not the problem, then eating is not the solution”

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Posted in obesity, weight loss

Tags: emotional eating fat obesity quotation quote weight loss

Health Habits P.I.

November 27th, 2009

magnum_pi_tom_selleck

Earlier this month, Health Habits went undercover.

I approached 10 of the biggest, most powerful names in the fitness/weight loss business, and I tried to get the answer to one simple but powerful question.

But, before I get to the question, let me explain my motivation behind this little adventure.

Obviously, I am obsessed with health/fitness/weight loss
I am always searching for easier & more effective ways to help people transform their bodies from flab to fab, from fat to fit, etc…
While I think that certain ways of eating and exercising are superior to other methods, I believe that the key to improved health & fitness is consistency. The best training or diet plan is useless if you don’t follow it consistently.

So, being a wee minnow in the ocean of health & fitness, I decided to pick the brains of the giant whales of the industry.

Here’s what I did:

I emailed these fitness gurus and told them that some friends of mine had experienced great success with their program, but that I was having trouble sticking with the plan. I would lose some weight, cheat, gain the weight back…

Did they have any advice on how to improve my adherence to their amazing plan?

The Results

3 of the 10 never responded to my emails (3 attempts)
An additional 3 of the 10 recommended that I purchase their book.
2 of the 10 suggested that I join their online coaching program
and the remaining 2 of 10 actually replied with a personal response.

Of those two responses,

The first recommended that I needed to set goals and work step by step towards those goal.

Set goals…seriously?….Why didn’t I think of that? (sarcasm)

So, at this point, I was pretty bummed about the results of my little undercover private investigation.

But then this happened…

Doug,

Thanks for the email.

Your problem is one that I have personally and professionally experienced many times over the years, and to be honest, I don’t have a “fool proof” answer to your question.

My experience has shown me that every person is unique and that they need to find their own motivation. The thing that motivates me might not motivate you.

All I can suggest is that you try to find something that creates an emotional response down deep in your heart. Take that emotion and use it to fight those bad habits that we all have.

I hope this helps

So, whaddaya think of that?

My faith in human nature has been restored.

A multi-millionaire personal trainer to the stars has his own problems and is willing to admit that he doesn’t have all the answers.

But, where does that leave us?

Is there a magic answer to my question?

How do we train ourselves to stick with the game plan?

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