The Biggest Loser 2011 Week 12

March 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment

This weeks show was really good! Here’s why.  

To start off, the very first thing that happened was the remaining 11 contestants all met Allison in the gym. This is the first time I’ve see that this season, but apparently it means that not-so-good things happen.

What happened may not be good for the contestants, but it really made the show much better.

Each person had to grab a dumbbell (which was sitting on it’s end) off of a weight rack. On the bottom of the dumbbell was a color. That color would determine which team they’d be one. There were to be four teams of 3 people. Each team would work with one of the four trainers; Jillian Michaels, Bob Harper, Brett Hoebel orCara Castronova.

What was awesome about this was that the previous two teams (red and black), had created alliances and it was pretty obvious who would be eliminated from week to week (excluding immunity winners). Plus it was also completely random. The player chose in order of total percentage of weight loss, but the dumbbells were completely random so no one would have control of where they ended up.

But there was a twist!

Since there were only 11 contestants left, one team would only have two people on it. Turns out it was the black team of Rulon Gardner and Hannah, They got to choose anyone who had previously been eliminated from the show. They had 30 minutes to make a decision. This was an interesting process, they deliberated over 3 people;  1) the person who needed to be there the most (Arthur), 2) someone who could help the team but not challenge them to win the overall title (some dude that was eliminated before I started watching this season), 3) someone who could help the team, but may challenge them to win the entire show.

Rulon quickly eliminated Arthur, he said that Arthur had “made his own bed…” So they continued to decided….

But they wouldn’t reveal their choice until the challenge.

Before the challenge the trainers did their thing and used the training sessions to get to know the contestants whom they hadn’t had a chance to train yet.

Jillian took Rulon and Hannah to her Malibu beach house (didn’t Barbie have one of those too?) to train them on the beach. Jillian used that time to learn more about Rulon. Rulon confessed that even though he had found the perfect wife and everything he wanted, that he began to eat because he didn’t feel like he was worthy of being truly loved.

I’ll admit two things. One, it was good to see that side of Jillian. She’s normally such a hard ass that you sometimes forget that she really cares. And two, I continue to learn and accept that both weight gain and weight loss is far more emotional than it is physical. It is primarily a mental challenge.

Brett took the red team on a hike to the top of a beautiful mountain in So Cal. At the top he asked them to separate and reflect upon their journey thus, far. Who they used to be, who they are now and who they want to be. Again it was another reminder of how emotionally challenging this process has been for all of the contestants. It is the change from the inside that results in physical change. And it is the source of one’s confidence and power.

Subject Change

The Challenge this week SUCKED!

Each team had to hold a rope that collectively had the total weight loss of that team hanging from the other end. It took over 45 minutes and all they did was stand there and hold a rope. Luckily TV can edit boring stuff out. What made it worse was that they were playing for the chance to video chat with their family. That seems somewhat cool except, these people aren’t in jail. I think they can stay in touch with family members during the show…

The only exciting thing about the challenge was that the black team selected Jay. This was interesting from two stand points, 1. Jay was who they thought might be able to beat everyone and become “The Biggest Loser”, so they took some risk inviting such a strong player back. And 2. Jay is Jen’s father, who is now on the red team.

One other side note before the weigh in, Kaylee, from the green team decided that her journey was complete. She was close to her goal weight and had found her confidence and was ready to get back to “real life”

The weigh in was also very good!

The team that had the lowest percentage of total weight loss would lose a player. But the player on the losing team that lost the most weight would win immunity from elimination. After the black, blue and red team weighed in, the red team was in last place (they had lost 9lbs). As long as the green team lost 10 or more pounds, someone from the red team would be going home.

But remember Kaylee was ready to go. And she meant it, because she lost zero pounds. After Austin weighed in for the green team with 3 pounds, it seemed certain that Kaylee would be going home. But Ken shocked everyone and lost 7 pounds, to make the red team the losers.

And the nine people from the other 3 teams would be voting to eliminate someone!

Then is got a little crazy.

Kaylee immediately realized that she would be staying. Ken felt horrible for two reasons, he wanted to grant Kaylee’s request to go home, and two of the more popular contestants were on the losing red team.

Allison kind of got pissed and told Kaylee that this show wasn’t a prison and everyone was free to leave whenever they wanted. Then Moses, Kaylee’s father, from the blue team spoke up and requested that he talk to his daughter.

See how fun the team shake up thing is?

Moses talked Kaylee into staying, so it’ll be interesting to how she does next week.

Turns out Jen had lost the most weight on the red team so she was immune from elimination. so it was between Justin and Courtney, two of the most popular people on the show.

Justin told everyone that Courtney needed to be on the show more than he did (which is true), and to vote for him.

So there was really no drama over the vote and who would be eliminated, Justin was gone. But everyone on the show cried anyway!!!

Now for the quotes from the show

“You’ve got to find a way to feel worthy”

“Today is the beginning of the rest of your life and today is the day your making the changes to change the rest of your life”

“Nothing is impossible, you just have to reach for it”

“I’m becoming who I want to be”

“I was looking to find myself, to find confidence, I found that”

“Get off the couch, look in the mirror. It’s time for you to be honest about who your are. Have the courage to stand up and do it. It’s the best thing that could happen to you”

OK , this post was a little long, like I said it was a good episode!

See you next week…

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Biggest Loser Week 11

March 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment

This week’s show was very interesting.

To start things off the black and red teams were merged into one team. The blue team. The blue team had a common goal, lose more total weight than the previous week. The twelve remaining contestants lost 64 pounds the week before. If the blue team worked together to lose 65 or more pounds, then no one would be eliminated from the show.

My first thought was that this would be next to impossible. Last week the red team followed a miserable weigh in (during the two weeks spent at home), with incredible results. The thing about weight loss is that is often comes in stages. If you have a great week it’s not uncommon to not quite lose as much the next week.

The cool thing about this episode was to see how quickly the blue team accepted their common goal. The red and black teams had spent the last 5-6 weeks really battling each other. I thought there might be some tension, but there wasn’t. They got right to work!

The four trainers; Jillian Michaels, Bob Harper, Brett Hoebel and Cara Castronova all seem quite shocked by the merger of the two teams. I don’t know if they really keep the trainers in the dark about the challenges and twists or not, but if they don’t the trainers are also excellent actors. Bob and Jillian took the men and Cara and Brett took the women. In essence the trainers took the team members that they hadn’t had a chance to train yet.

Soon after the teams merged each person met again with Dr H. (Dr. Huizenga), for their mid-point check up. He reassessed them and showed their improvements by using The Biggest Loser “real age” program. This was yet another cross promotion. But it was really awesome to see how much each person really improved their health in just 10 week.

This show puts so much emphasis on weight loss that it’s easy to lose sight of the true benefits 0f exercise and proper nutrition; Good Health, Decreased Risk of Chronic Diseases, Improved Quality of Life and an Extended Life Expectancy!!!!

In the middle of the show they brought in Curtis Stone and Lorana Garcia. I think they are from the new show America’s Next Great Restaurant. This was obviously a chance for NBC to cross promote the show. Anyway the blue team was divided up into 6 teams of 2 (one person each from the former red and black teams).

Each team had 30 minutes to create a dish. The two guest chefs would vote on the best one based on calories, taste, and presentation. The winning team would win The Biggest Loser meal plan from the time they were eliminated from the show until the finale. This was yet another cross promotion. But the food they made looked great, and was healthy and nutritious. So it was cool to watch.

Olivia and Moses Won!

Before the weigh in there was one team challenge. The entire team had to pull a rope (think of the type of rope that is used to tie ships to the docks), out of the dirt. At the end of the rope were questions that they had to answer. If they got it correct they’d continue in one direction (presumably the shorter route), and if they got it wrong they’d go in another direction. Each time the got the correct answer two more teammates would help pulling the rope.

They had 90 minutes to complete the challenge. If they finished in time then the team would get a 5 pound advantage at the weigh in. They were very motivated to win this challenge.

Now this sounds really easy, but they buried the rope really deep in the dirt. They had to dig and pull. Even Rulon Gardner (who won a gold medal at wrestling and has been training hard for the last 10 weeks), could hardly pull the rope out of the dirt.  Long story short, they completed the challenge with only 15 seconds to spare and won the 5 pound advantage.

At the weigh in it seemed like they edited the order that each person wieghed in, to create the most drama. It is TV after all. Each person needed to lose an average of 5 pounds to prevent anyone from being eliminated.

After the first four people they were 3 pounds behind the pace.

After the next three people they were 4 pounds ahead of the pace.

Three people after that they were only up 1 pound with two people to go. They could do it!!!

But Marci didn’t lose any weight and Kaylee actually gained 2 pounds, So someone would be eliminated.

They had to vote for one of the bottom two; Marci or Kaylee.

Marci who had lobbied to be voted off the last two weeks, asked everyone to vote her off. There are two reasons she seemed like the best person to eliminate. She now weighs 162 pounds, and is at her goal weight. She is the mother of another contestant, Courtney, who still needs to lose more weight. Plus Marci has become a mother figure to a lot of the younger people on the show.

Everyone except one person honored Marci’s request (not including Moses, who wouldn’t vote off his own daughter, Kaylee). So Marci is gone!!!

Now for the quotes of the week:

“Nothing is more important than you”

“One step, one day, one choice at a time, and you will get there”

“I’m fully happy and fully confident and I’m proud of myself”

“The most important thing you can take care of is you”

“These small victories are everything to me”

“Parents set an example for their children”

“I just want my life back so bad”

See you next week!!!

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Biggest Loser 2011 Week 10

March 11, 2011 by Leave a Comment

OK this week there was a little hiccup on my prediction that Bob and Jillian’s team would continue to crush Brett and Cara’s team.

But there is an important weight loss lesson to be learned from this!

Weight loss isn’t a linear process. There are often bumps in the road and plateaus. Think of weight loss as at flight of stairs. You’ll continue to work your way downs the stairs toward your weight loss goal. So you should expect that you’ll have weeks when you experience the weight loss you’re hoping for. Other weeks the scale won’t move. These plateaus are part of the process, part of the journey. Your body is adapting to the changes and will respond by losing more weight.

I should have seen this coming.

In the previous episode the contestants went back home for two weeks. The red team struggled with environmental and emotional issues that caused the weight gain in the first place, and they struggled with the weight loss. While the black team did not seem to have the same struggles, and they rocked the weigh in.

So the black team was primed to have a “plateau” type week. While the red team was in position to show some really significant losses on the scale. In fact what they had done back at home is a little trick that I’ve used for years to help people bust through plateaus, EAT MORE!

Eating more really shocks the body, it helps to reset your metabolism. It’s typical for the body to adapt very quickly to dietary changes, lose some weight, then stop. By eating more calories your metabolism increases, then when you go back to “healthy” eating, so you start to lose weight.

So I gave away part of the ending. The red team won the weigh in.

Here’s what happened in the show to get to that point. Both teams had to pick a captain for the week. The captain would have to make decisions for the team during the week. Kind of an interesting idea. The red team selected Justin, he seems to be the natural leader, but I don’t really see why. But it was an obvious choice for the team.

The black team chose Marci, who is the only parent left on the black team from the original “couples”. She seems to have adopted the rest of the girls on the black team and has become sort of a mother figure, so that was an obvious choice.

They had to make 3 choices for the team.

1. Select only two people from each team to work with the trainers (everyone else is on their own)

2. Pick one person to prepare all of the food for the week

3. Select the order that people would enter the challenge for the week

Here’s how it went. Both captains seemed to make really good, rational choices. The red team was all in with every decision that Justin made. There was a little drama on the black team. One lady that was selected for the workout took it as an insult that she needed the extra help. Marci also selected her own daughter to sit out the challenge, and she didn’t take that well.

Both the cooks did great but they discovered how difficult it was to have responsibility and still find time to workout – WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD!

Turns out that Marci made a good choice, as the black team won the challenge. The challenge was a sort of mud pit relay, which didn’t have any real consequence on the out come of the show. But the winning team won $6000, and money is always great!

So for this episode there were no real big twists. It was pretty straight forward. The team that loses the weigh in would have to vote off a team member. As you already know the red team won.

Marci had already made it clear that she would sacrifice for the “daughters” on the team, and it was clear that she would be voted off.

BUT HERE IS THE TWIST FOR THE WEEK

Marci lost the most weight for the black team, she had earned immunity. They couldn’t vote for her. No one saw that coming. Even Marci admitted that she never considered that as a possibility. And for good reason, Marci is the lightest person on the entire show. She only weighs 167lbs. and she dropped 5 lbs. to get to 162 lbs. Plus she’s 49 and everyone else on her team is mid-20s to mid-30s.

SIDE NOTE: No more excuses for middle age women who weigh under 170 pounds to not reach their weight loss goals.

Marci is ROCKING IT!

So they voted off Sarah, who happened to switch teams last episode to avoid being voted off by the red team.

Now for the quotes of the week.

1.” The only person that is going to stand in your way is you”

2. “I have to fix what’s broken”

3. “Your journey is to take care of yourself”

4. “I cant quit, no matter how hard it gets, no matter how many times I get knocked down”

5. “I forgot to take care of me”

See you next week!

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Biggest Loser 2011 Week 8

February 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment

OK this is my second post on NBC’s show The Biggest Loser. But I’m a quick study so I think I’m pretty much up to speed.

The big deal this week is that two, not one person, will be eliminated from the show! Here’s the deal. One person would be eliminated the regular way. The team that lost the weigh in would have to vote someone off. But a second person would also be eliminated from the show. That would be the person who lost the least amount of weight. The Biggest Loser people called this “falling below the red line”.

No were talking! This is the show I’ve been waiting for. It make so much sense to me that the person who performs the worst should be eliminated. But there were two things that resulted from this, one annoyed me and the other really kind of pissed me off!

The first thing that annoyed me (and it might have annoyed you too), was the “red line”. It seems obvious that no one wanted to get voted off, so the trainers used “the red line” for motivation throughout the week. The end result was that for about 45 minutes the trainers on the show seemed incapable of saying any thing other than, “there’s a red line this week” or “don’t fall below the red line” or “are you going to fall below the red line?” and the succinct “red line”.  Anyway they all said “red line” more times in 45 minutes that you would think would be humanly possible. It was distracting and annoying.

Now for what pissed me off!

Disclaimer: I don’t have children.

Clearly the “red line” was intended to motivate the contestants to put forth their best effort that week to avoid elimination. And that is exactly what I thought was going to happen. But it didn’t. If you remember from my post last week, this season is The Biggest Loser, couples. Most of the couple are parent/children. It turns out that three of the parents sabotaged their own success to ensure that their child would remain on the show.

It was emotional and somewhat inspiring to see parents sacrifice for their children, I’m sure it is instinctive behavior for all parents. (Remember my disclaimer), But it totally pissed me off!

There are several reasons why.

In this episode, not putting forth your best effort was rewarded, and that should never be the case.

If you don’t take care of yourself, you are not going to be capable of caring for others. Sure, in the short run you’ll be able to care for your kids, but once your health fails you, you’ll no longer be able to care for anyone.

The reason that the children(on this show they are all adult children) in the show are overweight, is because they followed the example of their parents. The parents need to change their behavior, lose weight, and improve their health every bit as much as their children.

Nothing will have a more positive effect on others than leading by example. Putting forth less than your best effort is a horrible example!

The good news is that two of the three parents that sabotaged their results are off the show, as they deserve to be.

Now for the quotes of the week (actually paraphrases, I tweaked them a little so they make sense and are a little more motivational).

“You can do whatever you want to do, the key is you have to want to do it”

“You’ve got control of right now”

“Get out of your own way and accept that you can do it”

“You health is worth fighting for”

“Regardless of what’s in front of you, give everything you’ve got”

“You are not in this battle alone”

“I want to be happy”

Even though I was a little disappointed on some aspects of the show, it does provide for some great quotes. The next episode the contestants go home and are back in the real world again. I’m really looking forward to next weeks episode, because the “real world” is where you live. We’ll see how they do.

See you next week.

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Healthy Holidays And Merry Fitness

December 8, 2010 by Leave a Comment

 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays From Fitness Know How Headquarters!

 

It’s holiday time again. I wish you all good health and happiness during the holiday and upcoming New Year. But I don’t wish the typical weight gain that occurs this time of year on anyone. The typical American will gain weight. There are a lot of numbers out there suggesting just how much weight you will gain, let’s just say it’s a safe bet to assume you will gain five to fifteen pounds this holiday season. You already have plans to lose weight and can’t afford another fifteen pounds. You can’t afford another pound! Here are some tips to help you get through this wonderful yet difficult time of the year.

First, if you are currently working out don’t stop. If you don’t work out, start. I know this is a busy time of the year and you are being pulled in a lot of different directions, but if you simply maintain your weight throughout the holidays you are up to fifteen pounds ahead of the typical American come January 1st. The other advantage of beginning to workout now is that the gym will be empty. This will help you get acquainted with the equipment and time to develop a workout plan before the crowds hit in January. Another important reason to workout now is the challenge of all the excess goodies (and the calories that come with them) during the holidays can be offset by expending energy in the gym.

Second, start new traditions. Don’t exchange gifts with everyone like cookies, candies, cheese balls, nut rolls, and dare I say, fruit cake. Instead buy or make an ornament with items from a vacation you took during the year or some other personalized gift that they can keep forever. It is far more pleasant to reminisce about the creative gifts that everyone has exchanged over the years, than how difficult it is to walk a flight of stairs because you have all contributed to each others obesity.

Third, control yourself at holiday parties. This one is a little more difficult, but here’s what you do. When you get invited to a holiday party; remember the host is inviting you because they like you, not because they need you to come over and eat their food. Don’t show up to the party starving. Eat before you go. Not a lot, just a snack, enough so when you get there you don’t consume 3000 calories of hors d’oeuvres before you take off your jacket. You don’t want to eat so much food that you show up and don’t eat a single thing either. A good rule of thumb is to consider how much you typically eat for a meal and eat half of that, one to two hours before the party. If the host is offended because you did not make a pig of yourself at the party, consider looking for other friends to socialize with over the holiday season. Go very light on the hors d’oeuvres. Don’t feel obligated to try everything, instead enjoy the food you know you enjoy. Eat only a taste of your favorites, especially the high fat calorically dense items.

The holidays are a time to spend with friends and family, a time to get together with those we love. Remember why the holidays are important to you and celebrate as such. But if you don’t want the holidays to be about you getting fatter, follow these simple suggestions and enjoy.

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Bonus Tip! Top Ten Summary!

November 8, 2010 by 2 Comments

I hope you’ve enjoyed my “31 Tips To A Much Improved You”. You received the last Tip about a week ago and I’m sure you’re applying all the information to your daily routine and you’re feeling awesome. Anyway I wanted to follow up with a review of the most important changes that you can make so that you continue to live a much healthier life. Here are the Top Ten Things you should be doing everyday…enjoy!

1. Drink a gallon of water every day

Staying hydrated is essential if you want to lose weight, or maintain a healthy body weight. It also helps to reduce your hunger, aid in digestion, increase your metabolism, reduce pain and headaches, and reduces the risk of digestive system cancers.

2. Engage in Cardio 3-6 days each week

Cardio increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Helps to control risk factors such as blood pressure and cholesterol. It also burns calories and increases yourmetabolism; which helps to maintain a healthy body weight.

3. Eat your fruits and veggies

Fruits Provide: Fiber, Antioxidants, Vitamins and Minerals
Vegetable Provide: Fiber, Antioxidants, Vitamins and Minerals

Here’s the thing Fiber, Antioxidant, and Vitamins and Minerals, all fight off diseases, especially many cancers
 
4. Resistance Training 3-6 Day a week

Resistance Training increases your strength, bone density, and your metabolism. It’s the only way to ramp up your metabolism 24 hours a day. And it helps to make everything you do in life a lot easier.

5. Eat 5-7 small meals each day

Eating 5-7 small meals a day will regulate blood sugar and hormone levels, and increase your metabolism. This will make it super easy to either lose excess body weight, or maintain a healthy body weight.

6. Stretch Every Day

Stretching every day will help to reduce aches and pains. Plus it will make all of your daily activities easier

7. Eat lean sources of Protein

Protein is essential to your health. Focusing on lean proteins will help to ensure you keep your calories under control and maintain a healthy body weight.

8. Do your Core and Ab exercises

Having strong and healthy core and abdominal muscles is the foundation for being fit. A strong core will minimize back pain and optimize your ability to perform physical activities

9. Eat. Oatmeal, Yams, and Brown rice

You’ve got to have Carbs, they are your body’s (and your brain’s fuel of choice). Plus you can’t utilize fat without having carbs in your system. Eating Oats, Yams, and Brown Rice will ensure that the carbs you are eating are healthy and gluten free.

10. Eat your healthy fats, get your omegas.

Eating Fat is essential to your health. To be healthy make sure to eat mono- and polyunsaturated fats (and avoid saturated and trans fats). Also get plenty of Omega-3 andOmega-9. Dietary fat has a ton of health benefits, but the most important might be maintaining healthy cholesterol levels.

 If you’ve found this information to be interesting, helpful, and useful, please share it with your friends.

And remember to visit www.fitnessknowhowhq.com regularly. I’ll be updating the site with new health, fitness and exercise information frequently.
Thanks for trusting me with your health

In Good Health,

John Preston.

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Fitness Tip #31 of #31 Do Something New

October 31, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Wow this is the final tip of the month! Funny how time flies when you’re getting healthy.

I’ve shared a lot of really important information with you this month. I’m confident that you’re probably already beginning to notice the positive effects of making these  changes in your life. You can expect to see real, continued improvements in your health during the upcoming weeks and months.

The reason for making the decision to lead a healthy life is simple. If you are healthy, you feel good. When you are healthy and feel good you can choose to engage in activities that unhealthy people cannot. Now that you’ve taken the first steps to living a healthy life I want you to do something that you’ve never done before. This can be a very simple new activity.

When you participate in a new activity you’ll be challenged in ways that you’ve never experienced before. And all of these challenges and experiences will only impact you in a positive way. Each activity has unique skill set and movement patterns. The more you challenge yourself physically to learn new movement patterns the more efficient and balanced you’ll become physically. By introducing new movement patterns into your life you’ll not only challenge your body but also your mind. And like a good friend of mine always says, “The body follows the mind.”

So get out there and take advantage of your newly rediscovered health and learn and do something new. But make sure it’s something you’re interested in, here are some great examples:

1. Yoga
2. Pilates
3. Kick Boxing
4. Learn any Martial Art
5. Join a swim club
6. Join a rowing club
7. Tennis
8. Golf
9. Hiking Club
10. Dance Lessons (Swing, Ballroom, Belly, Two-Step)
11. You get the idea

Take Massive Action and sign up for something today…do it, right now!

OK now you’re equipped with a ton of information that will help you to live a much healthier life for the rest of your life. Enjoy!

And if you’ve found this information to be interesting, helpful, and useful, please share it with your friends.

And remember to visit www.fitnessknowhowhq.com regularly. I’ll be updating the site with new health, fitness and exercise information frequently.

Thanks for trusting me with your health

In Good Health,

John Preston.

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Fitness Tip #30 of #31 Limit Your Coffee And Alcohol

October 30, 2010 by Leave a Comment

If you remember back to Tip #4 (Drink a gallon of water every day), you’ll remember the importance of staying properly hydrated and all of its health benefits. The thing with both coffee (caffeine) and alcohol is that they are both diuretics. When you consume either you lose water and become dehydrated. For this tip you don’t need to completely exclude coffee and alcohol from your life, but I do suggest you minimize both considerably.

Coffee contains a stimulant called caffeine and consuming a little caffeine can increase your metabolism and help improve the intensity of your workouts. So there can be some benefits. Alcohol really doesn’t have many health benefits. I know, wine has anti-oxidants! But so do grapes, so eat those. Alcohol is part of our society and culture. It’s a part of many of our celebrations and traditions. Remember cheat days (Tip #7)? Keep your alcohol consumption limited to your cheat days.

The caffeine found in coffee is a stimulant and it will elevate heart rate, increase blood flow, and raise body temperature. It increases blood sugar levels and act as a diuretic, meaning you urinate more frequently and reduce water intake.

For people with high blood pressure or high blood sugar levels (diabetes) the negative effects of caffeine should be understood. Caffeine can raise both these levels. Any type of heart problem can be affected by caffeine. The negative effect of caffeine in increasing heart rate can create problems for people with heart conditions, and in high doses, caffeine can induce irregular heartbeats in healthy people.

People with stomach conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, ulcers, and gastro-intestinal reflux, may all suffer from the negative effects of caffeine. Caffeine increases acidic response in the stomach which may lead to excessive bowel movements and is associated with stomach discomfort.

Negative effects of caffeine can be broken down into moderate and serious side effects:
Moderate negative effects of caffeine include:

1. Headaches
2. Irritability
3. Increase in breast tenderness
4. Restlessness
5. Mild insomnia
6. Increased heart rate
7. Increased blood sugar
8. Difficulty concentrating
9. Mild stomach upset

Severe negative effects of caffeine include:

1. Panic attacks
2. Irregular heartbeat
3. Sleep deprivation
4. Continuous stomach problems
5. Prolonged depression
6. Sleep disorders

The Negative Effects of alcohol include

1. Water loss:  There is rapid water loss (diuresis) within the first several hours of drinking alcohol due to decreased secretion of antidiuretic hormone, a pituitary peptide.

2. Electrolyte Depletion:  Depletion of magnesium. Magnesium depletion can lead to a reduction calcium from bone. And reduced phosphate level may lead to muscle weakness anddegeneration.

3. Vitamin Deficiency: Folate deficiency can occur and is a common cause of anemia. Alcohol also interferes with vitamin B12 absorption. Deficiencies of the two vitamins cause large-cell anemia. Vitamin B6 metabolism is disturbed by the process of alcohol oxidation, contributing to anemia. Niacin deficiency, is also common. Vitamin A storage is commonly decreased.

4. Micronutrient Deficiency: Trace element metabolism may be disordered with regular alcohol consumption. Alcohol may increase the urinary loss of zinc and the absorption of iron. Zinc deficiency aggravates vitamin A deficiency, since zinc is needed in the transformation of vitamin A into its active form.

5. Liver damage is the best known result of alcohol abuse.

6. Alcohol impairs regulation of blood sugar levels

7. Alcohol impairs reproductive functions

8. Alcohol impairs calcium metabolism and bone structure

So there you have it. This one is pretty simple. Limit your coffee intake to 1-2 cups each day. And only drink alcohol on your cheat days (and don’t go crazy either!)

I’ll be back tomorrow with your final tip!

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Fitness Tip #28 of #31 Increase Your Fiber

October 28, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Eating enough dietary fiber is essential for good health. In previous tip’s I’ve recommended to increase your fruit and vegetable consumption which will help with increasing daily fiber intake. Now we’re going to kick it up an notch by adding oatmeal to your daily routine. A single serving of oats provides almost twenty percent of the daily fiber requirement. Plus, oatmeal is a source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber helps to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, while insoluble fiber keeps the digestive tract working properly. Oatmeal has a ton of health benefits, here they are…

1.Eating oatmeal may help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. The soluble fiber in oats helps remove LDL or “bad” cholesterol, while maintaining the good cholesterol that your body needs.

2.The soluble fiber in oatmeal absorbs a considerable amount of water which significantly slows down your digestive process. This result is that you’ll feel full longer, i.e.oatmeal can help you control your weight.

3. Oatmeal may reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes. The soluble fiber in these foods help to control blood glucose levels

4.With the exception of certain flavored varieties, the oats found in your grocery store are 100% natural. If you look at the ingredients on a canister of rolled oats, you will usually see only one ingredient… rolled oats.

5. A diet that includes oatmeal may help reduce high blood pressure. The reduction is linked to the increase in soluble fiber provided by oatmeal. Oats contain more solublefiber than whole wheat, rice or corn.

6.Oatmeal contains a wide array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and is a good source of protein, complex carbohydrates and iron.

7.The fiber and other nutrients found in oatmeal may actually reduce the risk for certain cancers.

8.Oatmeal is quick and convenient. Every type of oatmeal can be prepared in a microwave oven. Even when cooked on the stovetop, both old-fashioned and quick oats can usuallybe made in less than 10 minutes.

9.Oatmeal can be absolutely delicious! Whether instant, cooked on the stove or baked in the oven, the combination of flavors you can fit into a serving of oatmeal is limitedonly by the imagination.

OK, it’s probably not a stretch to convince you that eating Oatmeal is a healthy thing for you to do. But don’t screw up a perfectly healthy food with a bunch of unhealthy toppings. Milk, butter and sugar (of all types) are out. Remember these are health and fitness tips. I eat my oatmeal plain and it’s really good that way. I know, for some, that isn’t probably likely so try these toppings.

1. Fresh Fruit
2. Nuts
3. Cinnamon
4. Stevia (the only sweetener I recommend)

Here’s my gluten disclaimer. Oatmeal doesn’t naturally contain gluten, but the growing and packaging practices of major oatmeal brands do result in the presence of gluten in oatmeal. Therefore you’ll need to look for smaller brands with the word’s “Gluten Free” on the label. I’m trying to avoid promoting specific brands but because I want you to make it as easy as possible for you to improve your health, I’m going to recommend  “Bob’s Red Mill, gluten free oatmeal” I’m not sure if this oatmeal is better than any other gluten free brand, but it’s the brand that is most likely to be on the shelves of the grocery store you already shop at.

So here’s the tip. Eat a serving of oatmeal every single day. You might find breakfast to be the most logical meal for this. Enjoy.

See you tomorrow!

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Fitness Tip #27 of #31 Get Your Omegas

October 27, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Eating sources of fat that are high in omega-3 fatty acids is a great way to ensure that you living a healthy life. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in foods including walnuts, some fruits and vegetables, and coldwater fish such as herring, mackerel, sturgeon, and anchovies.

The benefits of omega-3s include reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke while helping to reduce symptoms of hypertension, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), joint pain and other rheumatoid problems, as well as certain skin ailments. Some research has even shown that omega-3s can boost the immune system and help rotect us from a variety of illnesses including Alzheimer’s disease. It also plays a vital role in the health of the membrane of every cell in our body.

Omega-3 has another important health benefit, its ability to reduce the negative impact of yet another essential type of fatty acid known as omega-6s. Found in foods such as eggs, poultry, cereals, vegetable oils, baked goods, and margarine, omega-6s are also considered essential. They support skin health, lower cholesterol, and help make our blood “sticky” so it is able to clot. But when omega-6s aren’t balanced with sufficient amounts of omega-3s, problems occur. When blood is too sticky, it promotes clot formation, and this can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

The latest research shows that the most promising health effects of essential fatty acids are achieved through a proper balance between omega-3s and omega-6s. The ratio to shoot for is roughly 4 parts omega-3s to 1 part omega-6s. The typical American diet has a ratio of around 20 to 1 — 20 omega-6’s to 1 omega-3 — and that spells trouble. The easiest way to achieve that balance is to focus on increasing Omega-3 intake.

Here are good sources of Omega-3 fatty acids

1. Salmon (plus other cold water fish)
2. Walnuts
3. Flaxseeds (oil)
4, Soybeans (organic)
5. Brussels Sprouts
6. Winter Squash

Here are some good source of Omega-6 fatty acids

1. Flax seed oil
2. Pumpkin seeds
3. Pine nuts
4. Pistachio nuts
5. Sunflower seeds (raw)
6. Olive oil
7. Olives

How to Get What You Need

The recommendation [for omega-3s] is two servings of fish each week, each serving being 3 to 4 ounces. If you really want to protect your heart you should eat a variety of  types of fatty fish (such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel) at least twice a week. But even if you don’t like fish (or choose not to eat it), you can still get what you need from other sources, particularly flaxseed. Another choice is walnuts, about an ounce, or one handful of walnuts have about 2.5 grams of omega-3s. That’s equal to about 3.5 ounces of salmon.

Besides getting more omega-3s, you can also help your heart by replacing some omega-6s from cooking oils with a third fatty acid known as omega-9 (oleonic acid). This is a monounsaturated fat found primarily in olive oil. Though it is not considered “essential” (the body can make some omega-9), by substituting it for oils rich in omega-6s, you can help restore the balance between omega-3s and omega-6s, plus gain some additional health benefits.

Here are some good sources of Omega-9 fatty acids

1. Olives
2. Avocados
3. Almonds
4. Peanuts
5. Sesame oil
6. Pecans
7. Pistachio nuts
8. Cashews
9. Hazelnuts
10. Macadamia nuts

So for this fitness tip you are going to replace omega-6 with omega-3 and omega-9 fatty acids. Minimize your intake of eggs, cereals, vegetable oils, baked goods, and margarine and add your favorite fats from the Omega-3 and Omega-9 lists.

Have fun with this and I’ll be right back…tomorrow!

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