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How does Group/Community help people Lose Weight and Burn Fat Faster?

Making a living with (other) people’s bodies.

Philosophers will continue to ask questions about the ways in which human minds and souls intertwine whether through thought or faith. What is clear to me is that all people share a fundamental foundation of the state of health and fitness. For most people, it isn’t until you get sick that you realize how much you value health.

Maslows needs

In order to produce as a higher being than before, one must support the physiological aspect.

To truly value health is to commit to a better tomorrow

In my five year career in health / fitness around the Puget Sound, I’ve become acquaintance with many people who have struggled with health. Actually, there are a lot of people on the front lines of natural health who themselves have experienced pain or tragedy. They re-learned how to treat their bodies and re-emerged from their struggle to share meaningful stories and information with people going through something similar.

Health must have a preventative focus

At the same time, health must also require urgency. The most important act of health are those which nourish or empower the entire person. Holistic health has a focus on preventing disease of modern society. Every day is extremely important in the function of all human systems including the heart and mind.

Communities with shared health values succeed more often

You’ve heard the saying, “you are what you eat.”

Perhaps you should adopt a new one…, “you are who you spend your time around.”

The quickest way to reach your goals is to surround yourself with people who are experiencing the journey already. Health and fitness, they say is also like success, as in it is more about the journey than the destination.

I see these things as… A healthy constitution, a vessel which is rewarded by ongoing detoxification, a real human person with the thoughts and feelings of empowering their most important asset.

Burning fat is best done in the company of others burning fat

If your goal is to burn fat, aligning yourself with other people who share these values will have a profound positive effect on daily behavior. Yes we are influenced by others, so use it to your advantage.

Maybe you already are on the journey. Then, reader, I solute you. Continue to inspire the people in your life to make choices that benefit the foundation of their needs as a human. Yet, help those who want to be helped.

Finally, the benefits of group fitness summarized

  • Accountability
  • Fun
  • Motivating
  • Effective
  • Positive social outlook
  • Team aspect,
  • Yet individually competitive
  • What humans have known forever:

WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER

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Is Chronic Inflammation holding you back?

Chronic Inflammation is the pre-cursor to disease and insult to the organ system

To experience chronic inflammation, one need only go so far to consume the SAD (Standard American Diet) on a regular basis. Fast food restaurants come to mind. Soda is quite possibly the most anti-fat loss thing people consume regularly. Not only does soda erode oral health, it also causes the bones to leech minerals as an attempt to balance the pH of the system. The acidity mixed with sugar also put stress on the pancreas and liver.

To make things even worse, the quick delivery of all that sugar into the gut tends to feed the harmful, opportunistic bacteria. Then you have serious gut dysbiosis (microbial imbalance) and more and more research has shown that obese people share similar gut bacteria.

It’s about the organs, dummy.

Nah, you’re not weak of mind. You understand that eating healthy is of vital importance to making gains in fitness.

This guy ate veggies today.

This guy ate veggies today.

You can’t get rid of your past

The more years one has eaten poorly and not taken care of themselves, the more effort it will require to re-balance the body. Your lifestyle must change, is changing, or has changed in order to reach a healthier state — a fitter body. Learn from mistakes and be humble because food has power over all of us.

Antioxidants: Healing Power on Daily Basis

Wow, to think that we can consume natural foods and promote the wellness from within our own vessel. I can’t go a day without eating at least something of color. The greatest nutrient density and antioxidant power will make itself known through resilience and hues of the rainbow.

Healthy picnic at the park

Healthy picnic at the park

Promote Healthy Inflammation Regularly with Nutrition

We need a certain amount of inflammation in the right areas at the right times, balanced anywhere around the body. To do that, we have to eat healthy foods — ideally the healthiest foods on the planet.

There is access to some of the world’s healthiest foods in nearly every grocery store in America. It’s usually fresh. It may have distinct colors. It could be pungent, bitter, sweet, sour, or rich and delectable. Natural markets and delis are literally goldmines for the latest new, health trends combined with traditional healing knowledge from all parts of the world (often in the form of herbal extracts or educational products).

Extremely high nutrient density found in this fresh Carrot/Beet/Ginger/Parsley juice and Wheatgrass shot.

Extremely high nutrient density found in this fresh Carrot/Beet/Ginger/Parsley juice and Wheatgrass shot.

The truth is that we should aim to have a healthy relationship with food — being natural food. This is how you can get a fit body, beyond discussion of calories and macronutrients. Beyond basic calculations. Nothing can make up for the pure antioxidant power of healthy natural food. Eat well my friends.

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Digesting the Sweet Belly of America

The United States of High Fructose Corn Syrupica?

Here’s the fact, calories come cheap nowadays. Basic survival is possible for the vast majority of Americans. So we made progress in the 20th century.

Palin publicly enjoys a big gulp.

Palin enjoys a big gulp.

True secrets to fitness lie within.

What is inside you? From bacteria to blood cells, neurons and rhythms… you will notice the connections. Energy becomes connected to us as we use it and excuse it.

We all know it’s about food.

I am a strong advocate for health and nutrition in this country. There are ways in which public reform would seek to reshape nutritional incentive. We need to show the consumer that consuming leafy green vegetables truly is the best option for long term health and vitality.

The sugar industry is most powerful when people remain ignorant to the intolerable effects of high fructose diets. Sodas are some of the worst offenders as the concoction causes inflammation through multiple parts of the body.

Nutrient density is key.

Foods which contain a high density of nutrients are lean meats, natural dairy, and plant vegetables. Aim for the most nutrient dense foods according to your budget. Eat your greens.

 

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The Gym! Tips for Gymgoers Part 1: Etiquette

The Gymnasium has always been a sanctuary for training. In the ancient days of Greece, everyone valued training as a means to develop the body. During those times, citizens must have yielded superior physical strength to ward off foreign invasions. Always remember that physical strength and vigor was required to defend the very origins of Western civilization and ideals.

Milo of Croton became famous for his… effective training methods.

The point is that Gyms can revolutionize your body. The best way to do that is to pursue your goals while respecting those of others.

Gym Etiquette

You may see people being disrespectful, but I strongly dissuade you from mirroring rude behavior. Truth is, to succeed in fitness you must lead yourself. Simultaneously, you can lead others by setting a positive example in your surroundings.

1. Clothing and Hygiene. Make sure you and your articles of clothing are clean because you don’t want to communicate body odor to the cardio bunnies. Also, avoid wearing very bright, eye catching clothing because it can be extremely distracting… you don’t want people dropping weights.

2. Dropping weights. The exercise begins when you grab hold of the weight, and ends when you return the weight. Not only are you missing out on gaining functional strength by dropping weights, but its also a hazard and disruptive to other gymgoers.

3. Hogging machines. Just like we share the road, we also share the gym. So, be a good driver and let someone merge into your lane. Likewise, in between sets I encourage you to stand up from the machine during your rest period. This will reduce the possibility that another gymgoer is thinking very bad thoughts about you.

4. “Working-in” without making human contact. This offense typically occurs during peak hours. The situation is when you are resting in between sets, and another guy just comes up and starts using your equipment without eye contact or anything. Come on dude, be civil!

5. Protein gas. Don’t you realize the cute girl might think its actually me? You ruining my game bro.

6. GRUNTING LOUDLY. I also enjoy lifting heavy weights, so I cut some slack. If you grunt on your heaviest 2-3 reps — no problem. However, if you are doing 12 reps on the incline dumbbell press and grunting every time, you’re going to piss people off for doing what we all understand to be unnecessary.

7. Disrespecting “mirror-space.” Even if people don’t use the mirrors to help their form, they will still be distracted by a goofball who works out directly behind them. Case in point, I was doing squats in the squat rack and an older lady wearing bright pink takes a bosu ball and does crunches less than three feet behind me. If you are going to exercise in someone’s mirror space, please bring your Harry Potter invisibility cloak.

8. Put weights away properly.

9. Loud conversations. Saying hi is great, but when you start talking about your ex-girlfriends sister who is now engaged to a guy she met at the county fair while waiting in line for scones… you might be taking it too far. Again, it’s distracting and inappropriate so take it to the lounge or make sure you aren’t within annoying distance of other people.

10. Using your arms like hooks on the treadmill. You’re only cheating yourself, and wasting time especially during peak hour when others would like to actually use their legs.

What TO DO

  • Be open minded — everyone’s fitness journey is unique.
  • Focus on your goals.
  • Make it fun by respecting people’s differences.
  • Look and appreciate, but do not stare.
  • Be sexy. Feel good about yourself… holistically. At any age, it can help you maintain your physique for all the right reasons.

Stay tuned for the next in the series../

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3 Fat Burning Super Foods to make you Feel Great for Summer!

Super Foods to fuel the active lifestyle.

You should always include Bang-for-the-Buck natural foods that satiate, detoxify, and rebuild.

Listed below are three powerful nutrient dense foods  — their function is multi-purpose and their benefit can be felt from head to toe. Today, I bring awareness to the following foods as part of an empowered lifestyle.

THE LIST BEGINS…

1. Cherries

Welcome to an adventure of natural proportions. I invite you along in this tale of the Cherry — one of the planet’s tastiest natural healers.

A vibrant red hue, antioxidants in the cherry skin are responsible for many health benefits of this tart pleasure. Cherry lipstick or even the tantalizing tongue twister of cherry stems has significance in our culture. Actually, the color of the cherry is so attractive that attention grabbing lips tempt even the strongest of dispositions.

The signs are out there: embrace the cherry, for it is precious. The cherry represents youth — a time before stress and reality begin to take its toll on our mortal bodies. My friends, the cherry is the spark of life which explodes of powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging properties.

Benefits of Cherry Success:

  • Phytochemical antioxidants with strong anti-inflammatory effect in the body.
  • Effects promote healthy joint function
  • Hastens recovery from training, workouts, and reality of life.
  • Sweet, delicious and sexy (you will be).
So go forth and revel in this feel good summer food. Enjoy fresh cherries or frozen.
For an easy post-workout meal, combine frozen cherries with greek yogurt — fantastic!

2. Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard is PACKED with vitamins and minerals, and that isn’t even the main benefit. 

Nutrition experts support the idea of consuming fruits and vegetables in colors “like the rainbow.” Take a look at Swiss Chard — it combines nature’s most powerful colors in one.

The leafy Green, representing ability to synthesize energy from the sun.

Yellow with its power to protect the skin and bring warmth to my flow.

Red... the color of my blood — a force in my veins that compels life.

Take your imagination forward as you discover and re-discover…

The Top 5 Benefits of Swiss Chard

  • Contains a very good amount of Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium, Iron, Vitamin E, and Dietary Fiber.
  • Delivers over a dozen phytonutrient antioxidants that work in synergy to protect billions of cells in your body.
  • Weight loss, more than fiber. Swiss Chard has a beneficial effect on blood sugar to support fat loss.
  • Powerful detoxification support, Chard makes your skin beautiful and liver strong.
  • Bone health. Chard is LOADED with Vitamin K, which prevents bone breakdown. The leftover Vitamin K  is converted by friendly bacteria into Vitamin K2 — and that promotes collagen and bone integrity.
If you are a person who consumes Swiss Chard, I consider you a friend and you may dine at my residence.
Now on to the next and final Super Food…

3. Whey Protein

Lets get one thing straight though…

Whey Protein IS natural. It is simply the protein molecules which have been separated from milk. As a consumer, you should be considering the type of protein extraction methods utilized by your protein brand.

Whey is the byproduct of cheese production.

Like most natural foods, lower heat preserves a greater nutrient density. For the highest in quality, get ‘Cross-flow Microfiltration’ Whey Protein Isolate (WPI).

Whey Protein can be taken at any time during the day.

So lets get to the benefits of Whey Protein:

  • Why Protein contains a balanced amino acid profile with significant amounts of the muscle-preserving BCAA’s.
  • Immunoglobulins naturally occur in whey to promote a healthy immune system and preserve integrity.
  • Contains all essential amino acids, which are synthesized via enzymatic processes into the essential components of the body as well as neurotransmitters in the brain and gut.
  • Whey Protein promotes healthy hair, skin, and nails.
  • Easily digestible and well absorbed in the body.
  • Convenient and cost-effective method to increase protein in your diet.
My friends, it is vital that you understand the importance of Whey. In its natural form, Whey has been used as a medicine and vigor builder for thousands of years.
The tribe which comes together for its ‘daily whey’ shall grow strong and resilient to both disease and invasion.

Eat Food for Sensational Fat Loss!

If you want real results fast, you have to eat MORE of the good stuff. For the sake of this post, I don’t care how much junk food you’re eating. Right now, all I care about is how much good food you consume.

How many superfoods entered your mouth today?

It’s an opportunity cost and you only get one chance every-time hunger strikes.

Maybe you’re just afraid that you’ll never want to go back…

Progress is to Eat with Purpose!

Stay tuned for more posts featuring the benefits that food can offer you.

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