GOOD FATS!!! BAD FATS!!!

Welcome Back,

In today's society there is a common misconception that we should avoid fats in our diet.  When in fact fats are a vital nutrient and incredible source of energy.  Below is a very informative article I found on WebMD.com about good fats vs. bad fats.  This is only part of the article if you would like to learn more follow the link at the bottom of the page. 

Best Wishes,
Derek

The Skinny on Fat: Good Fats vs. Bad Fats

How fats fit into your healthy diet.

By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic-Feature

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Fat, fat, fat! Would all of our weight loss problems be solved if we just eliminated fat from our diets? Unfortunately, it's not that simple. We actually need fats -- can't live without them, in fact. Fats are an important part of a healthy diet: They provide essential fatty acids, keep ourskin soft, deliver fat-soluble vitamins, and are a great source of energizing fuel. But it's easy to get confused about good fats vs. bad fats, how much fat we should eat, how to avoid artery-clogging trans fats, and the role omega-3 fatty acids play in heart health.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommend that adults get 20%-35% of their calories from fats. At a minimum, we need at least 10% of our calories to come from fat.

The problem is that the typical American diet is higher in fat: Roughly 34% to 40% of our calories come from fat. Why? Because they taste so good and are widely available in our food supply. Fats enhance the flavors of foods and give our mouths that wonderful feel that is so satisfying.

Does Dietary Fat Make You Fat?

So you might assume that fat is to blame for the obesity epidemic now plaguing our nation. Actually, fat is only part of the problem. Obesity is much more complicated than just overeating a single nutrient. Eating more calories -- from fats, carbohydrates, protein, and alcohol -- than you burn off leads to weight gain. Simply put, people who get little physical activity and eat a diet high in calories are going to gain weight. Genetics, age, sex, and lifestyle also weigh into the weight-gain formula.
That said, dietary fat plays a significant role in obesity. Fat is calorie-dense, at 9 calories per gram, while carbs and protein have only 4 calories per gram, and alcohol has 7 calories per gram. It's easy to overeat fats because they lurk in so many foods we love: french fries, processed foods, cakes, cookies, chocolate, ice cream, thick steaks, and cheese.
And eating too much fat does more than expand our waistlines. Our love affair with fat has helped to trigger an increase in the rates of type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and heart disease.   
 ...continued

Are You One Dimensional?

Welcome Friend(s),

How do you train?  Do you train on your own? With a partner or a trainer?  Either way there is a pretty good chance that for the most part you do a lot of the same (if not similar) exercises more often than you would like.  CORRECT?  For example bench press, curls, squats, etc.

If so, get out of your one dimensional way(s) and mix things up a bit.  There a three different planes in which your body can move in: saggital which runs front to back dividing you into right and left halves, frontal which runs from left to right dividing your body into front and back halves and the transverse plane which divides the body top and bottom halves.  Each plane allows for different movements such as leg extension and biceps curls in the saggital plane, lateral raises and shoulder shrugs in the frontal plane, and trunk rotations in the transverse plane. 

My challenge to you is to try and incorporate movements from at least two of these planes simultaneously in one exercise inorder to increase functional training effeciency and decrease the boredom.  We don't opperate in a one dimensional life so why should we train in one?

Listed is a list of my favorite muli-plane exercises to get you started.

1. Burpees w/ or w/out push-up- (saggital/frontal) hands down my absolute favorite!
2. Ski-Jackers-(saggital/fontal) (transverse with a twist)
3. Dead-Lift- (saggital/ frontal)
4. Lunge w/ med-ball twist (saggital/ transverse)
5. 3 jacks (saggital/ frontal)

Feel free to give these a try and see what it adds to your training.

Best Wishes and Good Luck,
Derek

Kickin' The HABIT

Welcome Back,

In the health and fitness industry we encounter many obsticals.  Whether it is with food, exercising regularly, or simply finding motivation to want to be healthier.  Whatever it may be there are no impossible obsticals, they are only as difficult as you make them.   More often than not they appear difficult because we are so use to doing things the only way we know how.  Therefore it becomes HABIT. 

Obviously not all habits are bad, if they were, we would all be in trouble!

Habits are made and fortunately they can inturn, be broken for good or bad.  However, we are going to focus on breaking the BAD and making them GOOD. 

Research shows that it takes on average 21 days to break a habit.  Unfortunately, most of us don't ever make it to the 21 day mark to see any sort of positive change.  Instead we tend to think with the mindset that "if it hasn't killed me yet, it can't be that bad for me."  YET is the opperative word there.  Hasn't killed you YET! 

The United States of America is the #1 obese country in the world and it is because of that irrational thinking that got us to the TOP SPOT on a list I personally am not proud to be on.  We live in day and age where our children are dying before the parents because of preventable diseases like childhood diabetes (typically due to childhood obesity) primarly because of poor eating HABITS!  Allowed by who?  THE PARENTS!

Children do not know any different. It is up to the parents to take an active roll in the childs' lives and set good examples for them at an early age in order to prevent unnecessary illnesses throughout their lives. 

Now don't get me wrong, I think a kid should be a kid and be able to enjoy a candy bar from time to time.  But parents come on lets be a little bit reallistic about this and keep the garbage out of your house.  Good habits start in the home and they start with YOU! 

You are like superheros to your kids whatever you do they want to do too.  If they see you drink a pop they want a pop, if you have a candy bar they want a candy bar.  The list goes on and on.  So why not create the imprint in their minds at a young age that fruits and veggies are delicious and nutritious.  I know it's not always the most convenient snack but that is the problem with people to day is that we are so spoiled by convenience that we neglect to take the time to prepare a health conscious meal or snack not only for our kids but for ourselves as adults.  Instead of the morning pop have a CUP (6-8oz.) of BLACK COFFEE and a water with your breakfast and rather than wake up with just enough time to race out the door to work wake up 30 minutes earlier and have some breakfast with your kids.

I understand people don't like change, believe me I didn't either but I knew that if I didn't change in the profession I am in why should anyone else to want to either.

Take for example my love for Dr. Pepper. I will admit that there was a time where my vice was Dr. Pepper and believe me I LOVE Dr. Pepper!  But I realized that even though I enjoyed the taste of it, I knew that it was one of my obsticals I had to adjust to for me to achieve the goals I was trying to obtain.  First of all pop is aweful for you regardless of the delicious taste, but 90 percent of the time so is most anything that taste great.  But you learn to adapt.

I use to drink at least one pop daily and now I am lucky if I drink one a month.  I was able to kick the habit in less than a week because what I was working for meant that much to me. I was running a do as I say not as I do business and in fitness that just frustrates people more than motivates, so I had to make some changes. And I did!  I no longer crave pop, in fact I find that I can't get enough water and a pop just doesn't hit the spot anymore. 

All it takes is a little will power and the motivation to want to take the steps toward living a healthier and happier life. 

I KICKED my habit. And you can too! 


Best Wishes,
Derek