What Men Should Eat Every Day

If you are struggling to get your body in top condition, Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen say there are 11 things a man should eat every day—or nearly every day—to keep things running smoothly.

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals that keep your body healthy. Foods rich in magnesium like beets, raisins, dates and soybeans are especially important because they'll keep your bowels moving regularly. Dr. Roizen says a man should eat about five handfuls of fruits and vegetables a day.

Fiber

Men should shoot to get about 25 grams of fiber in his diet every day. You can reach this goal through foods like artichokes, lima beans, soybeans, grapefruit, certain berries and whole grains. Dr. Oz says that eating whole grains isn't just the latest craze—they offer multiple benefits to health, including achieving proper poop. But first you need to read the label. When you're buying bread, make sure it says "100 percent whole grain" or "100 percent whole wheat." If the label says something else— like "7-grain" or "multi-grain"—it may not be whole grain. To reach your goal for fiber, the USDA recommends eating at least three servings of whole grains a day.

Folate

Dr. Oz says you can significantly reduce your chances of getting cancer by eating foods rich in folate— you should get about 800 mg a day. If you don't take it as a supplement, you can find folate in orange juice, spinach and other leafy green vegetables. "Folate decreases arterial aging, decreases blood pressure and decreases cancer rate," Dr. Roizen says. On labels, look for the words "folate" or "folic," he says.

Tomato Sauce

As well as being good for the heart, tomatoes decrease risk of arterial aging, heart disease, stroke, memory loss, impotence, and wrinkling of the skin, Dr. Roizen says. And tomato-based products contain lycopene, which has been shown to fight cancer. But to really reap the benefits, you can't just put a few slices of an heirloom tomato in your salad. The best way to get the positive effects is by eating 10 tablespoons of tomato sauce a week. "It takes 165 raw tomatoes to equal 10 tablespoons of tomato sauce," Dr. Roizen says. "So it's much easier to have tomato sauce." Dr. Roizen adds that it doesn't matter what kind of tomato sauce you have, "as long as it's cooked, and you eat it with a little olive oil and a little healthy fat because it's much better absorbed with it."

A Handful of Nuts

Dr. Roizen says walnuts and almonds are excellent for health. And not only are walnuts and hazelnuts excellent sources of heart-healthy omega-3s, but if you eat nuts before sugars (in dishes like pasta or corn on the cob), the fat in the nuts will slow your stomach and help your body most effectively process that sugar. One thing to remember is to keep nuts refrigerated so they don't oxidize.

Baby Aspirin

If there's a true magic pill, Dr. Oz says it could be baby aspirin. "It's cheap and easy to take aspirin," he says. "Aspirin has many, many helping elements. It helps your skin, it helps about anything you can imagine. It has some potential risks if people have sensitive stomachs. But for cancer, you've got to be on it." A man over 35 should take two baby aspirin—or 162.5 milligrams—every day. It can reduce his rise of arterial aging by 36 percent.

Fish

In recent years, there has been a lot of conflicting information about eating fish. On the one hand, fish is consistently regarded as a terrific source of low-fat protein. On the other hand, there are persistent concerns about mercury and other environmental impurities. Dr. Roizen says you just have to remember a few great fish—tilapia, salmon, flounder, cod and mahi- mahi—especially if they are wild caught. And not only is salmon a great source of protein, it has the added health bonus of being full of omega-3s, which are important for a healthy heart. According to Dr. Roizen, you should eat a serving of these fish three times a week.

Eight Glasses of Fluid

Dr. Roizen says that it is important to drink eight glasses—or about 64 ounces—of fluid every day. "It helps move the poop and gives you better hydration. It actually cuts down on wrinkles, too, because you hydrate your skin when you take it internally."

Red Wine

"Red wine has a chemical in it called resveratrol, which is a very strong antioxidant that's also been shown to be heart-healthy," Dr. Oz says: Why red and not white? "Red wine has the material from the skins of the grapes [which provides the resveratrol]. The white wine has that skin stripped away. So if you're going to drink wine and you're going to take the hit on calories, drink red wine."

Coffee

Men will stand up and cheer for this next Dr. Oz tidbit—coffee is actually good for you in reasonable amounts. Coffee actually has been shown to reduce liver cancer and to be effective with—or with symptoms of— Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, Dr. Oz says. "So there are a bunch of different places where coffee can play a role. The reason it got a bad name is because it does have side effects, for example, migraine headaches and heart palpitations. But if you're not having them, coffee is reasonable." Did we mention it's good for those bowel movements, too? Dr. Oz suggests 24 ounces of coffee a day is a rational amount for one person.

Milk or Vitamin D-Fortified Orange Juice

The calcium in milk is obviously good for bones—any man with a mother has heard that one. But the other important ingredient is vitamin D, which is a cancer-fighting agent. While your body can actually get this vital nutrient from the sun, if you live north of Los Angeles or Atlanta, you won't get enough vitamin D in winter and you'll need to supplement it. A glass of milk or fortified orange juice a day should do the trick.

Source: From the Oprah.com Exclusive "Spotlight on Health" by Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen, August 2007

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Glutamine vs Glucosamine

Okay... So, in my last post about what I did during Insanity, I talked about using Glutamine for my joints. I was wrong (thanx for pointing that out Manny... LOL) and I wanted to clarify some things. I got the wrong stuff from the GNC people and that is why it is always good to do research on your own! I should have been taking Glucosamine... But, Glutamine isn't bad at all... Here is what I got:

L-glutamine is a sugar... A carbohydrate. Not to be confused with table sugar. Human beings and all animals depend upon specific sugars (carbohydrates) for proper cellular communication. These specific sugars (carbohydrates) are what your cell enzymes use as zip codes to know where cell parts and cells belong as well as recognizing friend or foe. Enzymes are made out of a series of protein molecules. Glutamine is a known dietary enzyme or protein. It is also a substrate used for DNA synthesis.

Glutamine comes from eggs, beets, spinach, etc... and activates as a benefit for the human body in healing and injury and regeneration of bones and tissues. Therefore, the body not only uses enzymes for cellular signals that have to do with replacing new tissues and destroying old scarring and aging tissues... The body also uses specific sugars/carbohydrates for cellular communication that is far more complicated than what enzymes can do. These specific sugars sit on top of the protein stems on cells for cellular communication. The protein stems are enzymes. The antennae or braille that the cells use are the sugars on top of them. Neither one will cancel each other out as they are food molecules that should be a part of our naturally occurring diet. Primitive man had plenty of these to function optimally, but modern man does not... So we have to supplement.

If you take more Glutamine or Glucosamine, your body will just flush out what it cannot use and innately know what it can use. So, if you can eat an apple and an orange, you can eat these supplements, together. Both are intrinsically different, but both have a symbiotic function. Symbiotic means they have a working relationship.

L-glutamine sources vary in the product. If you are allergic to shellfish, make sure you get L-glutamine from plant sources. It comes from a microscopic crustacean species to wheat or corn. Not all products have purity. So, you have to spend more to get the pure and effective product. It's about quality, not quantity. So, to be sure, you get a product with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices), which is FDA standards, however... GMP's do ignore synergistic affects of products, but they don't ignore product claims. This means, that if a product is of GMP standards, you don't need to make things up and you are getting a high quality food supplement. Synergistic, meaning... Does the product need a specific nutritional catalyst in order for the enzyme or carbohydrate or vitamin to work? Does one nutrient cancel another one out...????

FYI - LDL is your anti inflammatory hormone. It does not cause heart disease; it is a response hormone to something that is injured, which is why it is high in the presence of an autoimmune disease, such as heart disease. Statin drugs are used to lower LDL, which again, is an anti inflammatory hormone and LDL does not trigger heart disease. It is the affect of a cause.

So, it makes sense that when there is an injury, your liver manufactures LDL, and your enzyme L-glutamine is triggered to help synthesize the DNA needed for cell repair, so both would be present... But, L-glutamine is NOT the cause of LDL anti inflammatory hormone response. It is triggered for cell repair.

... And that's about it... I got this off Google...

Be great!

S Share

My Insanity Workout Journey Video

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My Final Verdict on the Insanity Workout Challenge

So, I have taken the Insanity challenge and made it through in one piece! I made it to day 63 on 21 May, 2010 and I truly feel that Insanity has changed my life forever. I have come a long way from day 1 until now and I’m astonished on what I have accomplished. Over the past 2 months I have quit smoking and traded one addiction for another. I am now addicted to working out and bettering myself physically and mentally. I feel that I have the physical thing down; but the mental thing may take some time, which is for me to talk about in a different blog… LOL! I have also loss 23 lbs and 7 inches off my waist! I have changed the way I eat, the way I look, the way I think, the way I live; I have changed my life! This is all because I took a chance on an infomercial workout DVD.

Here are my final results:

Weight:

Day 1: 198 lbs/ Day 63: 175 lbs

Waist:

Day 1: 38 inches/ Day 63: 31 inches

Every two weeks or so, during Insanity, you have to take this brutal fit test. You take the test at the beginning of the program and it’s basically a baseline to track your progress. I chose to only take this test twice; once at the beginning and once at the end. People who know me know that I’m an “all or nothing” kind of guy. That being said, I looked at the fit test as something that I was training for and it would be sink or swim time at the end. I felt that doing the fit test throughout the program would make it seem inconsequential in many ways for me. I didn’t want to “dumb down” the importance of that last test. The last test would end up being my Super Bowl and if I didn’t make extreme improvements at the end; then I would have to take the “L” and come back harder. But, I was happy with my results and it worked out great for me! I did see areas during the test I could improve on during my next rounds; but overall I was proud of my performance. The fit tests consist of:

• Switch Kicks – Standing up straight and alternately kicking each leg out in front as high as you can. As many as you can do in 60 seconds.
• Squat Jacks – Jumping jacks, only in Squat Jacks you go down into a full squat at the end of every repetition. As many as you can do in 60 seconds.
• Power Knees – Standing up straight with your hands interlaced overhead, and then bringing 1 knee up at an angle across your body as many times as you can. As many as you can do in 60 seconds.
• Power Jumps – Down into a full squat and then leaping up into the air as far as you can. As many as you can do in 60 seconds.
• Globe Jumps (I hate these!) – One hop back, one hop to the right, one hop forward, and one hop to the left equals 1 repetition. As many as you can do in 60 seconds.
• Suicide Jumps – From a standing position down into a plank position, then back to standing and then leap straight into the air. As many as you can do in 60 seconds.
• Push Up Jacks – Regular pushups, only you spread your feet wide apart and then bring them back together on every single repetition. As many as you can do in 60 seconds.
• Low Plank Obliques – From a plank position, keep your upper body totally still while alternatively bringing each knee up as close to your shoulders as possible. As many as you can do in 60 seconds.

Here are my results:

Fit Test:
Day 1: S.K. = 55/ Day 63: S.K. = 150
Day 1: P.J. = 27/ Day 63: P.J. = 61
Day 1: P.K. = 59/ Day 63: P.K. = 103
Day 1: P.JP. = 20/ Day 63: P.JP. = 61
Day 1: G.J. = 7/ Day 63: G.J. = 11
Day 1: S.J. = 12/ Day 63: S.J. = 18
Day 1: P.U.J. = 20/ Day 63: P.U.J. = 41
Day 1: L.P.O. = 43/ Day 63: L.P.O. = 63

Insanity claims to be the hardest workout put on DVD. They also claim that they can get you where you want to be physically in only 60 days. That is 30 days shorter then P90X! When you hear these claims, you think that there is no way that it is that hard and there is no way it is going to get me in shape in 60 days. Only the latter of these statements could be true for some people. This program is really built for people that are already in some kind of shape. It is also made for those who have the discipline to stay committed to a physical regiment of this magnitude. Now, not everybody will see the same results that I have; but I am convinced that if you stay committed to the program, you will see results.

The most important part of this plan would have to be the diet. I’m no nutritionist, but I realized the importance of eating right from day 1. Did I follow the diet plan to the letter? Hell no! LOL… But honestly, for the first two weeks I counted my calories and followed the diet plan. See, I had already done P90X and basically knew how to eat. The thing I noticed about the Insanity diet plan verses the P90X plan was the carbohydrates. You can eat way more carbs on the Insanity plan, which is a good thing because you use every single carb during the workouts. After a few weeks, I slowly started to stray from the plan and incorporated my own eating habits. I looked at this as a lifestyle change and I wasn’t going to just eat from this book for the rest of my life… Now, that would be insane… LOL! So, I used the Insanity meal plan and the P90X meal plan as the framework for what I wanted to eat. I Google'd and researched a lot of different things on eating right and just started eating healthy stuff I wanted to eat. Furthermore, after counting calories for awhile, you can really gauge your intake in a day without literally counting. Using the formula in the Insanity plan, I was supposed to intake like 2000 calories a day to get to my goal of 165 lbs. That rarely happened… LOL… Do you know how hard it is to eat that much healthy shit in one day? Without coming off the diet to just get calories; getting to 2000 calories a day was a very difficult thing for me. Thus, I tweaked my diet a lot during Insanity. I noticed that I would stop losing weight… Tweak the diet… I would feel fatigued during the workouts… Tweak the diet… I would feel sore and wouldn’t recover fast enough… Tweak the diet… I would feel or look bloated… Tweak the diet… I wasn’t sleeping well… Tweak the diet… Diet, diet, diet!!!! I can’t stress the importance of a healthy diet while doing Insanity or any other workout plan. It is the key to your results and success! I plan on experimenting with the Zig-Zag calorie intake method next; to help me lose another 10 lbs. I will talk about that in another post.

During Insanity I experimented with a lot of supplements. I can't stress the importance of good supplements and vitamins while doing Insanity. I used GNC AMP Muscle Igniter 4X at the beginning and didn’t like the way it made me feel. First off, it gave me the “bubble guts” if I took it on a empty stomach and the second problem was the ignite heat shock proteins (HSPs). This HSP Activator is involved in releasing heat shock proteins during exercise. HSPs are proteins included by heat or other stresses that play a role in muscle physiology and are multi-functional. Well, that HSP stuff just made me extremely hot and sweaty all day. Even hours after my workout, I was still sweating profusely. It really sucked! Then I used USP Labs Jack3D once and almost died. That shit made me feel like my heart was going to explode and dribble down my leg, half way through the Plyometric Cardio Circuit workout. Not good! Finally, I just started using Hydroxycut Hardcore for the majority of the final month. Hydroxycut really isn’t a workout supplement and did nothing but give me a really nice caffeine rush during my workouts. It gave me energy without killing my heart-rate or giving me a stomach ache. I only lost 5 lbs during the month I was using it, so I really didn’t see the massive weight loss effects that they claim it has. Finally, I have recently started using MRI Black Powder and I love it so far. Black Powder is a NOS up-regulated pre-training formula with instant release formula spiked with ACTINOS2 IR (MRI's new technology). It's loaded with B vitamins and raw muscle fuel like MCTs and malic acid so your energy metabolism remains efficient and steady throughout even the toughest parts of a workout. Supposedly, the ACTINOS2 IR creates an "instant blast" of nitric oxide, creating levels 950% greater than previously possible. It’s also a blood doper that causes blood channels to "hyper-dilate" - driving Black Powder's nutrient matrix to muscle. At the same time, the spike of 950% more nitric oxide amplifies the "cell-signaling" and magnifies the signals that control both muscle performance and muscle size. Now, is all that just bull-shit? Maybe, but it is the best supplementation I have used so far and it makes me feel like a beast with no side-effects... So, I likes it! As far as vitamins go, I just used Mega Man Sport, which seemed like a good multi-vitamin that turned my piss florescent yellow. So, it must be good, aye? Lastly, you have to have an awesome recovery drink. This is a must for Insanity and I used Vanilla or Dutch Chocolate Zero Carb Isopure, GNC Pure Glutamine Powder, and Chocolate Soy Milk. I swear by chocolate milk as a recovery drink! There are so many studies that have shown that it is the best thing out there and it taste like awesomeness! I use soy because I’m lactose, but I’m sure 2% low fat would work just fine. Couple it with the Isopure protein and the Glutamine for joint recovery; you can’t go wrong with it. Not only is this drink an awesome recovery; it can also be a meal replacement if you want. You can add Banana, peanut butter, berries, oats, and all kinds of stuff to it. It is great!

Finally, you have to have a good pair of shoes. I used a pair of Nike basketball shoes at first and they worked out pretty good. Because of all the jumping involved in these workouts, basketball shoes or cross-trainers work pretty well. DO NOT USE RUNNING SHOES! Well, you can if you want, I just didn’t like them. I experimented with a pair of straight running shoes and almost rolled my ankle a few times. Afterwards, my feet went into cardiac arrest and cramped up like never before. I never wore them again while working out (wasted $90). Then I went back to the basketball shoes, but I was still having a lot of pain in my legs during and after the workouts. So, I dropped $100 on a pair of Reebok Zig-Zags. Awesomeness! Very, very, very, good shoe! I love them! Their design took away almost all the pain in my legs. They are so light; it is like working out on airbags. Reebok’s Zig Tech footwear is designed to conserve and return energy to the athlete for a soft and springy ride. The one-of-a-kind Zig Tech bottom unit features innovative, lightweight foam that is engineered into a dramatic, geometric, zig-zag shape. This unique zig-shaped sole absorbs the impact of heel strike and sends a wave of energy along the length of the shoe to help propel the athlete forward with each step. That is exactly what it feels like when you jump or run in these shoes… You just want to jump out the room! Now, these are running shoe, but they kind of aren’t because of the way the absorb shock. Another shoe that I hear works nicely are the Nike Shox. But the Reebok Zags are just what they claim to be… They are an “energy drink for your feet!”

My final verdict on Insanity is that it is an awesome program for those who are committed to it. In order to get the full worth of a workout program like this you have to look at it as more than just a 60, 90, or 120 day thing. It has to be a lifestyle change in order to see results. You will only get out, what you put in and Insanity demands a lot. But, all the hard work will pay off if you stick with it and buy into its philosophy. If you are extremely out of shape and overweight… Insanity is not for you! If you are unwilling to work harder than you have ever worked in your life and then dig deeper and work harder than that… Insanity is not for you! If you are not willing to change your mind, attitude, and life… Insanity is not for you! But, if you are one of the many of us, like me, who are willing to work harder than you ever have to obtain your fitness goals… Then Insanity might be that perfect stepping-stone for you. Next up for me is recovery for a few weeks. My recovery will consist of working out 5 days a week instead of 6 days, doing some of the lighter Insanity recovery workouts, P90X’s YogaX and StretchX, jogging, bike riding, and just staying active. I will also be experimenting with the Zig-Zag diet and dropping my carbohydrate intake. Then when my body feels like it is ready, I will be starting a P90X-Insanity hybrid program… My journey continues! Stay tuned!

Good luck and keep digging deep my fellow Insaniacs!

S

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My Insanity Journey UPDATE: Final Week of Round 1, USAF PT Test, & Upper-Cross Syndrome

I’m fast approaching the end of my first round of Insanity. Yes, I did say, “first round” because I plan on doing it again and again and again and maybe again after that! LOL! I really love the workout and it has helped me change my body, as well as my mind, and hopefully my life.

This week I had my Air Force annual physical fitness assessment. I passed my test with the best score of my entire 13-year military career! I scored an 85! I received max points for my waist measurement, push-ups, and sit-ups! But, the 1.5-mile run was still my nemesis. Even though I knocked 45 seconds off last years time; I was still under-satisfied with my run performance. Insanity did not really help me in that regard. I have come to the conclusion that, in order to be able to run, you have to get out and run. There is no substitute for running. I really don’t like running, but will have to get out and do it, if I want to improve my run time. Insanity did help me improve every other aspect of my fitness level on the test. I have a 31.5-inch waist (down from a 38-inch waist!!!!); I did 52 push-ups, and 54 crunches. Insanity really helped me, waist and strength wise, but I will have to really train for the run.

Now, since I have been on Insanity there has been one problem I have noticed with these workouts. The workouts, along with my lifestyle, have caused me to developed upper cross syndrome and it has really been an annoyance. The best way to describe upper cross syndrome (UCS) is seeing that old person who's standing up, but appears to be falling over. You know, their head shifted forward, shoulders rounded, and they look like a hunchback. The reason why they look like that is because of a muscular imbalance between the flexors and extensors of the upper torso. UCS is the weakening and lengthening of the posterior upper-back and neck musculature, and the tightening and shortening of the anterior and opposing musculature.

The way to tell if you might have UCS is you may feel an ache or severe burning sensation in the upper-back, between the shoulder blades, at the base of the back of your neck. You can place two fingers at the top of your right shoulder and feel for a bony notch that protrudes from it. That's your acromion. Now grab a ruler and lie on your back on the floor, your right arm resting alongside your body. With your left hand, measure the distance from your right acromion to the floor, being careful not to raise or lower your right shoulder. If the distance is more than 1 inch, you have UCS. Another method would be to have a friend take a picture of you, shirtless, from the side. Stand tall, but in a relaxed position, the way you would if you weren't thinking about your posture. Check to see if the middle of your ear is in line with the middle of your shoulder, hip, and ankle. If you can't draw a straight line through these points, then you have UCS.

Poor posture, such as slumping over a computer or slouching, contributes to the development of UCS. See, the average human head weighs 8 pounds and if your chin moves forward just 3 inches, as it tends to when you work at a computer, the muscles of your neck, shoulders, and upper back must support the equivalent of 11 pounds. That's a weight-bearing increase of 38 percent, often for hours at a time.

The shoulder (upper-back) is the most complex and unstable joint in the human body. For it to function properly, you need to train all the muscles that help stabilize it. The trouble is that Insanity fails to isolate work the shoulders and back. Some of the exercises target the front and middle portions of the deltoid, but neglect the smaller muscles at the back of the shoulder joint. The result is a strength imbalance, which makes the shoulder less stable. The correction of this problem involves the strengthening of the weakened posterior musculature and stretching of the tight anterior musculature.

A lot of experts feel that a good stretching program, such as Yoga, is essential to both preventing and correcting UCS. In particular, the pectoral muscles and anterior shoulder muscles must be stretched often, especially following training of these muscle groups. Furthermore, a conscious effort should be made to maintain correct posture when walking and sitting (shoulders pulled back, head, neck and back straight). This practice is especially important for those working in an office setting and sitting at a desk in front of a computer all day long. The tendency is to slouch forward with head bent. To help support proper posture when working at a desk, the computer monitor should be at eye level, keyboard should not be too far in front of the body so that shoulders can be kept back, and feet should be flat on floor with a 90-degree bend at the knees.

Insanity doesn’t really address this back and shoulder area at all, but P90X does! So, I will be starting a P90X-Insanity hybrid program after a recovery week, once I finish my first round of Insanity. Hopefully P90X's YogaX and the back and shoulder workouts will help get my back right again… We will see!

I will keep you all posted on what happens once I start. Until then, I will keep digging deep and pressing play! I will be posting my final results and before and after pictures soon!

Late

S

P.S.

If you are suffering from UCS, here are the sources for this article, which have awesome info on the how’s, what’s, why’s, and treatments for this syndrome:

http://www.menshealth.com/men/fitness/muscle-building/posture/article/98b871957cb98010VgnVCM200000cee793cd

http://www.myyogaonline.com/videos/workplace-wellness/upper-cross-syndrome

http://www.active.com/fitness/Articles/Avoid_upper_cross_syndrome_and_maintain_rotator_cuff_stability.htm

http://www.mmatraining.com/fitness/posture-up-dealing-with-upper-cross-syndrome/

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5 Best Heart Foods

5 Best Heart Foods

5 foods that can help rein in out-of-control cholesterol

By: Phillip Rhodes, Illustrations by: Eboy

1. Almonds

These nuts provide a rich source of cholesterol-lowering sterols, but Christopher Gardner, Ph.D., a cholesterol researcher at Stanford University, credits monounsaturated fat with most of the benefit. Unlike saturated fat, the mono kind doesn't block the removal of LDL cholesterol from the bloodstream.

2. Apples

Earlier this year, Cornell University researchers found that eating one Red Delicious apple a day can block LDL oxidation, resulting in an 8 percent drop in levels. Bonus: Apples (and their skins) contain soluble fiber, the kind that scrubs artery walls clean. Cut one up and mix it into your oatmeal, another top source.

3. Beans

Much has been made of soybeans' ability to overcome everything from cholesterol to cancer. Gardner isn't convinced: "I'm not sure how much of the health benefit is soy versus what soy displaces." When it comes to controlling cholesterol, he says, that means substituting a vegetable patty for a fatty beef burger and topping your salad with edamame or kidney beans instead of chicken tenders a couple of times a week.

4. Blueberries

Similar to the resveratrol in grapes, pterostilbene, an antioxidant found in blueberries, can stimulate liver cells to better break down fat and cholesterol, according to USDA scientists.

5. Fish

Two weekly servings of fatty fish, like salmon, can lower LDL by 20 percent. Tufts University scientists found that, in high enough quantities, the omega-3 fatty acids from fish chewed through cholesterol molecules in the bloodstream and shrank the size of remaining LDL particles by 12 percent.

source: http://www.menshealth.com/spotlight/heart/5-best-heart-foods.php

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We Have All Had A Day Like This On Our Fitness Journey...

As I sit here watching the Cav’s beat the Bulls and advance to the next round of the 2010 NBA playoffs; I can’t help but think how miserable I feel. See, I didn’t get a chance to workout today… It is like the entire universe was against me pressing play!!!

1. I didn’t get enough sleep last night… But, I still could fight through it and workout, right????

2. My wife was extremely late picking me up from work, making me grumpier then normal… Best time to workout and release some stress, right???

3. By the time I did finally get home I was really tired… Again, fight through it and press play, aye????

4. It’s my daughter’s birthday… Maybe I can fit the workout in, she won’t care as long as I order her some pizza, right????

5. Finally, we are watching our neighbors two little boys while they go out tonight; thus they are now playing Wii in the room I workout in and running all over the house…

Ummmmmmm, OK!!!! That’s it… I’ve had it!!!! I will just make the day up!!!! I’m just not in the mood!!!!

We have all said this or had this happen or have had this feeling on our fitness journey...

But here is a silver lining…

You felt bad for not working-out and that is a good thing!

I feel horrible for not working-out!!!! Which is an awesome feeling!!! I still feel like crap, but I will feel better tomorrow when I get the workout in. See, that is a change in my mentality and I can finally say that I think I’m starting to get my mind right, going into month two of Insanity!

My first week of month two was like starting from day one, all over again. It really sucked! Everything I thought I was ready for went out the window after the warm-up of the first day of month two. The first workout was Max Interval Circuit and it killed me. It was double the time of the workouts in month one and the moves were twice as hard. It was a crushing blow to my ego. The next day was Max Interval Plyometrics and it was equally hard. You still get the crazy cardio, but they throw in all the jumping and strength training you expect from a plyo workout. Max Cardio Conditioning was next up and it was truly insane! Non-stop cardio and strength training with nonexistent breaks! This one was my favorite of the month two workouts thus far. Finally, it was time for Max Recovery and then I started the whole thing over again until my rest day. All the workouts are double the reps of the month one workouts and about 20 mins longer.

I had a head cold the entire week and felt horrible, but I kept pressing play and made it through the week. As I move through my second week, I feel a lot better and can feel my strength and cardio improving with each workout. My weight loss has seemed to have slowed down, which is not a good thing for me mentally. I’m stuck at 179 lbs and still would like to lose another 13 lbs. I’m trying to tweak my diet and I’m also using Hydroxycut Hardcore, which I enjoy because of the energy boost. I have had to add more carbohydrates back into my diet because I felt like my workouts were suffering. I just felt sluggish and fatigued. My workouts have improved, but my weight loss has stopped. I will have to find a way to balance to two… Any suggestions?

Other then that, I’m happy with my results thus far and I promise to stay committed!

I will keep pressing play!!!!

Late

S

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