January 20, 2020

Transformation and 5 Big Reasons Body Composition Matters

I quit dieting in 2010.

Have you realized that some things were just so temporary, ill-fated and too futile to continue doing?

For me, the thought going on a diet is rarer than the thought of me eating candy or drinking soda. You would really have to search and dig deep to find any reason for me to go on a diet. Maybe, you could pay me to go on a diet.

Lifestyle & Environment are keys to unlocking meaningful health.

No longer is it, “You are what you eat,” because now the phrase is, “You are what you absorb.”

Even more, components of our intake that we do not absorb either needs to be processed by the digestive system and detoxified otherwise undigested nutrients could become a serious harm. In truth, you’ll never get the results you want without supporting the gut and digestive process in some way.

Reasons to Care about Body Composition.

I wanted to provide some background motivation for people who are interested in transformation, especially as it relates to body composition, muscle hypertrophy, and the slimming of adipose cells.

1. Adipose tissue, otherwise known as body fat, can disrupt the hormonal system and cause inflammation.

Body fat is not simply a caloric storage unit. Body fat is much more complex than that. Body fat is part of the endocrine system and is contributes to inflammatory and metabolic diseases due to the inflammatory hormones it releases.

Excess adipose tissue = excess inflammation = onset of metabolic diseases = painful pathway to death.

2. Muscles are essential to quality of life.

Strong, balanced muscles are a blessing to all those who wish to enjoy quality movement and an upright posture. We don’t often appreciate our muscles until we get injured or lose function somehow. Becoming older does not mean you have to suffer from a bad back, hips, knees, or shoulders.

Muscles support the body and can take a lot of the stress off of your joints. Muscles can store carbohydrates in addition to the plethora of amino acids in muscles. Muscles can be broken down into essential nutrients to support brain function in times of need.

Furthermore, muscles can atrophy and muscles can hypertrophy in hours or days. Because our bodies can regenerate muscle cells so quickly, they are greatly affected by the nutrients we ingest on a daily basis.

3. More muscle = more bone mineral density.

Along with strenuous physical activity, bones are encouraged to store valuable minerals which not only makes the bone stronger, but also regulates crucial features of human metabolism.

For example, the minerals in bone regulate human pH so that if you consume something highly acidic like soda, your body will actually pull calcium from the bones in order to balance the acidity of the soda.

People who drink a lot of soda or consume a lot of sugar are more likely to get osteoporosis.

Other foods may be acidic and contains acids, but due to the minerals are actually more alkaline forming in the body. For example, lemon juice contains minerals that nourish the body, while soda contains ingredients that deplete the body.

4. You get to make choices in how you will eventually perish and what your end of days will look like.

We will all die, that’s a fact. Knowing that I will die one day gives me courage to love today. However, there is a big difference between dying from preventable diseases in your 60’s and 70’s vs living an active lifestyle into your 90’s.

People who are in their 20’s and 30’s are trending to experience diseases earlier and more frequently than the baby boomers did during their 40’s and 50’s. If you consume the standard, mainstream food products and eat food mostly for coping… well let’s just say be glad you are reading this now, because transformation is on the horizon.

By caring about your body composition, you will be able to stand tall and proud, and you will be able to set an example for your grandchildren and your great grandchildren.

5. Confidence and physical appeal.

In my experience, true confidence does not come from having a nice body. True confidence comes from accomplishments and overcoming challenges.

How can you turn your challenges into opportunities to help yourself and others?

Barriers are a gift. Barriers and obstacles are what you wash away or transform into something more meaningful and productive for you. We generally need some sort of suffering or misery in order to transcend quickly. All thoughts can be reframed and all questions can be asked in different ways.

Are you willing to transform yourself from deep within?

Transformation is about your relationship to nature, the planet, and the universe.

Do you dare to consume the freshest foods?

Are you able to stay hydrated instead of reaching for the depleting can of diet soda?

Can you fathom enjoying the temporary feeling of hunger?

Would you be willing to accept that you need to develop a new, greater awareness of yourself in order to move forward?

Everything is connected.

You, me, the air and the trees.

There is no nothing, there is always something.

All things happen for a reason.

BE THE REASON!

Thanks for reading and make sure to hit the follow button for new updates.

September 7, 2019September 7, 2019

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WARNING: Don’t Go Blind with THIS Eating Strategy

A heartbreaking headline crossed the screens recently.

“Teenager goes blind from years-long diet of french fries, potato chips and white bread!”

I am sorry!

Science Says: Eating nothing but fries, potato chips, and white bread can make you go blind.

Apparently the doctors and people around him said that he looked healthy and no visual factors indicated that he was in serious condition.

You Can’t Judge a person’s health by their appearance alone!

Behavior is another important way to understand the potential health consequences occurring within a body. The behavior of selectively avoiding anything fresh or colorful in an eating habit could lead to dire consequences, such as blindness!

I have seen people in larger bodies do amazing things in a fitness setting and my experiences in fitness have led me to believe that you can be healthy and fit in so many different shapes and sizes.

That being said, you can also be unhealthy and unfit in so many ways too. Therefore, we should all strive to attain regular consumption of fresh greens and also veggies of the colorful variety because doing so can possibly lead to healthy normal function in all systems of the body.

Essential nutrients may be essential to living, while non-essential nutrients may be essential to well-being.

Personally, I love the feeling after I eat the Red Chard vegetable leaves, for example. Lately, I have been placing a layer of pico de gallo sauerkraut on top of the boiled red chard and the taste is quite palatable.

To me, these are beautiful red chard leaves and I would probably boil them at home in my own comfort.

One reason I love red chard is because it provides many of the benefits of beets without the sugars. The red antioxidant can be strongly present in the veins of the chard leaves (if rainbow chard, you get more variety of antioxidant). The nutrients found within the green leaves also help to promote healthy blood sugar so that my body has the incentive to keep overall fat-mass on the healthy side.

Key Takeaway: Blindness is Caused by a Junk Food Diet.

Seriously, eat your damn vegetables. I have to tell myself this over and over. Trust me, I don’t want to eat vegetables every day.

Unfortunately for me, I have been in settings where I have seen the consequences of poor eating and I have witnessed a quality of life that I never wish for anybody.

Food literally interacts with our DNA and genetic expression. This processed environment that we often ingest is too over-stimulating for our bodies to handle, and may be strongly related to obesity, heart disease, cancer and more.

You may be able to change your life with nutritionally motivated eating

I will have more articles about how to use food for disease prevention coming up. Of course, I am still very interested in using nutrition for keeping body fat at healthy levels so there will be more content related to that as well.

News & Current Events Nutrition, Immunity, and Digestion

February 8, 2018February 8, 2018

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4 Health Benefits of Guacamole

Have you made guacamole or do you remember the first time you made it?

Guacamole for Fitness Gains

I’m passionate about food in a big way. I was blessed to be able to stuff food into my stomach and I’ve learned that some ways of eating are better than others.

^ New video! Watch me make my famous Guacamole! Also if you’re on YouTube, hit that subscribe button 🙂

Benefits of Guacamole for Health and Fitness

In this article, we’ll talk about some of the benefits of the particular ingredients in guacamole that may be relevant for a person interested in fitness, fat loss, and health.

1. High Fiber

People who consume higher fiber on average are at less risk for many types of diseases, especially obesity.

The mechanisms of dietary fiber on health is speculated to be a result of changes in intestinal viscosity, nutrient absorption, rate of passage, production of short chain fatty acids and production of gut hormones

All of the above benefits are exactly the mechanisms that support a healthy metabolism and the potential for a person to be able to experience the lean lifestyle.

Individuals with high intakes of dietary fiber appear to be at significantly lower risk for developing coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and certain gastrointestinal diseases. Increasing fiber intake lowers blood pressure and serum cholesterol levels. Increased intake of soluble fiber improves glycemia and insulin sensitivity in non-diabetic and diabetic individuals. Fiber supplementation in obese individuals significantly enhances weight loss. Increased fiber intake benefits a number of gastrointestinal disorders including the following: gastroesophageal reflux disease, duodenal ulcer, diverticulitis, constipation, and hemorrhoids… The recommended dietary fiber intakes for children and adults are 14 g/1000 kcal.

Let’s recap: less risk of metabolic diseases that millions of people are currently dying from, and less chance of getting hurt by bacteria, toxins etc that inevitably enter the gut. Also, MORE likely to have a healthy weight.

2. Minerals

POTASSIUM (Blood Pressure Control)

MAGNESIUM (Vascular Tone & Insulin Sensitivity)

3. Vitamin Powerhouse

The avocados contain high levels of natural Vitamin C and Vitamin E which are seldom found together in significant concentrations. This vitamin combination promotes circulatory antioxidant protection and slows the breakdown of healthy LDL cholesterol so that you can keep LDL balance in the body longer.

Vitamin K1 from avocados may promote bone health and support blood coagulation mechanisms.

B Vitamins to prevent chronic inflammation of the cardiovascular system. Okay even if you don’t follow along with this, just know that the b vitamin folate (or folic acid) is a methyl donor which promotes greater homocysteine in the body and that actually helps the whole system run more smoothly with less stress to the body.

THEREFORE, with high folate consumption, you can age more gracefully and you could have healthier babies if you’re at that stage in life. Also, you can be possibly be more athletic because the pumps are on point.

4. Phytonutrients / Plant antioxidants

Okay even though I could list a ton of carotenoids, phenolics, and phytosterols here, I’m just going to say that these plant antioxidants go into every part of the body starting with the gut.

Who loves antioxidants? You gut, your heart, your eyes, your genitals, and basically every organ of the body. When all major systems of the body are receiving antioxidants from diet, the body will have a better chance to ward off mutations and eliminate mutated cells before they can cause a way bigger problem.

Of course antioxidants are great for metabolism! If takes a healthy, normal function of the body in order to achieve metabolic success. Take that into consideration.

Enjoy the Fresh foods.

If you’re reading from Seattle or anywhere that is not a food desert, why wouldn’t you eat mostly fresh foods?

Seriously, try increasing fresh food intake and then see how you feel starting with your gut feeling and think about the ability of your body to recover from hard workouts/life stressors when you eat fresh foods.

Of course there are lots of non-fresh foods that can be healthy too, I’ll post on that in the future.

Make sure to follow the blog and subscribe to the It’s Dre Fitness YouTube channel. Thank you for reading and I appreciate you.

disease prevention Fat Loss Nutrition, Immunity, and Digestion

September 27, 2017September 27, 2017

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3 Honest Examples of What I Eat

I’ve been asked lately about what I’ve been eating so here is a quick post to share with you today. You can see that even though I aim for nutrient dense foods, I also intake some inflammatory foods which I think is inevitable in real life.

Monday:

4AM: Chlorella algae powder w/ matcha powder (of green tea leaves). Feeling: Energized.

Matcha (bright green, powerful energizing, brain boosting, antioxidant rich substance). Chlorella (dark green, extremely high chlorophyll making it a potent cellular rejuvinater and energizer).

5:00AM-7:45AM (coaching)

8:00AM – 8:20AM: abbreviated workout (20 mins of sleds)

9:00AM Scrambled pastured eggs cooked w/ coconut oil. Black beans, a small avocado, some pepperjack cheese, a few bites of raw saurkraut (PROBIOTIC), and boiled chard.

12:30 PM Another round of chlorella/matcha because I was going back to coach.

1:15 PM: Meeting at the studio, food provided by management. Berries, then some of those deli wraps which did have flour, processed meat, cheese, lettuce, and tomato.

3:00PM-6:30 PM (coaching)

6:45 PM amazing chamomile tea from Roy Street coffee

7:30 PM Organic grass fed raw home-made Kefir (PROBIOTIC)

Tuesday:

3:50 AM: Chlorella algae powder w/ matcha.

4:45AM – 7:30AM (coaching)

7:35 AM: Lots of blueberries as a gift from VIP member Deniz at LQA. Also a small peanut butter ball / protein snack that I had on the go walking from one training location to the next.

Blueberries are for antioxidant winners!

8:00AM – 9AM (coaching)

9:45 AM: Wild Alaskan King Salmon 8oz w/ raw saurkraut. (I wanted to have more veggies, but didn’t want to feel rushed during my short break so I just made it easy on myself and had the kraut).

11:00 AM: Americano from Analog Coffee. (nothing added)

12:20 PM: Small coconut nut butter protein ball (another little gift given to me from earlier) as a pre-workout energy source.

12:45 PM: Workout

1:45 PM: 16oz of coconut water (I just love a cold coconut water after the workout, not that I scientifically think it’s the best post-workout. It just makes me feel better than any of the hundred other post-workout drinks I’ve tried)

2:00 PM: Brew DR. Kombucha, “Spiced Apple,” flavor while chillin’ at Cal Anderson Park.

ITSDREFITNESSCalAndersonPark2017Sept26th

Picture at Cal Anderson park yesterday for my Instagram followers and blog readers.

3:00 PM: 24oz of Wild Alaskan King Salmon. Took 20oz of fresh spinach and steamed it/ate it. Also 2 bundles of chard which I boiled and ate that. Only had half an avocado because I was getting so full from the veggies.

5:30 PM – 9PM (coaching)

9:45 PM: Organic grass fed raw home-made Kefir (PROBIOTIC)

Wednesday:

5:40 AM: Chlorella algae powder w/ matcha

6:15 AM: Workout

7:20 AM: Post-workout, I had the Boar’s Head, “Rainier,” sandwhich from the QFC deli in Broadway Market w/ a coconut water of course. Another Brew Dr. Kombucha, this time “Clear Mind” flavor.

8:00 AM – 1:00 PM (coaching)

10:20 AM: During a quick break between coaching HIIT classes, I drank part of store bought Kefir called “Grace Harbor Farms, Plain Kefir” from QFC. This particular brand IS real legitimate kefir, unlike many store brands.

11:40 AM: Drank the other half of the bottle of kefir (Sometimes I only get a few moments to consume anything so I try to make it count, or otherwise I go too many hours without eating probably).

1:45 PM: Pho Than Brothers Pho #1 Large with extra broccoli.

2:30 PM – 4PM (coaching)

5:00 PM: One Chipotle Burrito Bowl with white rice, black beans, fajita vegetables, chicken, pico, salsa verde, corn, 1/2 serving sour cream, guacamole, and lettuce.

7:30PM: Goat Milk Kefir and start preparing for my day tomorrow.

Kefir, a fermented milk beverage with promising health benefits.

Planning ahead for tomorrow

Tomorrow I’ve planned that I will have more salmon/greens because today wasn’t my best eating day. I’ve taken on more work and helped other trainers at OTF so I notice that when my schedule becomes more demanding, I find it more challenging to consume the top foods. I’m sure you can relate.

I can’t wait to get salmon back in my body.

I already know that I’m going to have my matcha/chlorella around 4:00AM tomorrow. By 9AM, I’ll have some pastured eggs meal similar to that I had on Monday. Then when 3-4PM rolls around, I’ll be preparing my meal of fresh salmon / greens that I’ll have just picked up from the store. I try to go to bed around 8PM because if I get less than 6 hours of sleep, I already know it’s going to be a STRUGGLE to choose healthy foods. Sleep is so crucial for making the right choices.

Tomorrow will be a new day though, with more opportunities for nutrient dense food. It’s not glamorous that I have to wash a bunch of pots and pans to keep up with my cooking, but you just gotta do what you gotta do. I sometimes remind myself what a blessing it is to have access to some of the best nutrition in the world here in my city of Seattle. Why let the opportunity slip by?

Fat Loss Fitness Nutrition, Immunity, and Digestion

April 15, 2017April 16, 2017

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Cue CrossFit Seattle: Grand Opening 2017 Pioneer Square Fat Loss Workout

Cue CrossFit opens new CrossFit location by Century Link field in Seattle.

If you live or work in Pioneer Square, near Sodo, or the International District in Seattle, you now have a new option for high intensity workouts. Cue CrossFit just opened and of course Dre Fitness had to be there since we just love events that are fitness related.

Cue CrossFit Seattle Grand Opening which is by CenturyLink field.

You can meet a lot of good people and strengthen friendships with existing people.

I love going to fitness events because I get to hang out — doing healthy activities — with friends, professional contacts, and with people I’ve never met before.

Fitness is about community.

When it comes down to it, as long as the workout is high enough intensity and safe, it really doesn’t matter what style of workout it is. Ultimately, group fitness gyms like CrossFit, Orangetheory, or growing gyms like Accelerate Seattle are all about community. We workout together, sweat together, and through the process, we become stronger together.

Cue CrossFit Seattle WOD with my friends Brandon H., Brandon S, Katie, and more. Goblet Kettlebell Squats.

You can come up with new exercises or new ways to program an exercise, but ultimately if you’re not squatting, you’re just not allotting your time well. All good fitness programs will prescribe squats for you. All good fitness programs will work your muscles with exercises that promote strength and muscular balance. All good fitness programs will be prescribed by legitimate, motivational coaches.

Building community in Seattle.

People often ask me if I will ever make the leap to be the owner of my own gym. While I respect those who take the risk to open their own gyms, at this point I am going for the blogger, vlogger, and influencer route. I realize that there is only one of me and that I can produce content that is useful to many people as long as I stay dedicated and authentic to myself and my followers.

I teased Brandon S. during the video only because I have great respect for his work!

Fitness is about more than a brand name.

Even though competition can be ruthless in the fitness industry, it is still an industry that is highly rewarding. I have more and more friends who are passionate about fitness but are stuck in office jobs that they simply have no love for. For that reason, I feel blessed to be part of a fitness lifestyle in which I can fully support myself here in Seattle and Capitol Hill to be specific.

Fitness is love, need I say more?

Train hard, and use nutrition to recover your body.

Regardless of the workout, it’s all about nutrition and sleep in order to promote recovery. Excuse my language, but any jackass can go and do a hard workout. However, the person who eats wild Alaskan salmon with kale and avocado will have FARRRR superior results than the person who goes and drinks their gains away with alcohol and Dick’s burgers. It’s been my experience that people who eat Dick’s end up smelling like Dick’s too.

Darsenio can jump this high. Thanks to nutrition!

Antioxidants, protein, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, fiber, probiotics, and other nutrients are 100% crucial to all fitness, athletic, bodybuilding, and health related goals. If you care for yourself, eat your damn vegetables!

Subscribe to my YouTube channel, Follow the DreFitness.com Blog and stay tuned for more.

Thanks for reading. Even though we’re in the early process of launching our YouTube, I guarantee we will have growth. I have too much passion for the fitness and too many friends who are willing to help out that it will be impossible to fail. All we have to do is stay consistent and get the message out there.