DAYS 9 and 10

DAY 9

Happy Valentine's Day!  I hope y'all made time to look good for your significant others.  I know I couldn't thank my wife enough for the love and support she gives me.  I can honestly say I don't always enjoy lifting weights, but I am motivated each and every day by her.  I work hard to make sure that we will have a long, healthy, and happy life together.  I love you, Lee-Cassie.  I can't wait to see what the future holds for us!

Valentine's Day was no excuse to miss a day a training.  I squeezed a great workout into my busy schedule.  I feel like my body is starting to head in the right direction now that I have the right food to fuel me and the right schedule to get proper rest.  One set-back has been the crowds in my gym lately.  I workout in a shipyard, so when we have more Navy ships docked, there are more people in the gym. I plan on starting to workout early in the morning this Thursday. We'll see how that goes.

DAY 10

My sweet wife went grocery shopping for us this week after I compiled a list of the types of food I should be eating every week to fuel my workouts.  Below is my personal 7 day list if you're curious. I don't have too much time to write tonight.  I'm getting to bed early so I can get in the gym bright and early tomorrow morning.   

FRUIT
Apples
Bananas
2 Pineapples (precut)
Plums, Pears, or Oranges
Berries

VEGGIES
5 Bags Fresh Spinach
3 Bags Baby Carrots
7 Potatoes
1 Onion
4 Red Bell Peppers
Cucumbers

DAIRY
1 Dozen Eggs
2 Large Containers Plain Yogurt
4 Cartons Egg Whites
Sliced Sharp Cheddar
2 Gallons Milk

MEAT
3 Packs Chicken or Turkey Sausage
4 Pounds Extra Lean Ground Beef
Large Bag of Chicken Breasts
Fish

GRAINS+NUTS
Whole Grain English Muffins (NOT ENCRICHED)
1 Box High-Fiber Cereal
Walnuts
Cashews
Quinoa
Steel Cut Oats
Spaghetti Noodles

OTHER
Banana Cream Syntha-6 Protein Powder

Sports Drink Mix
Fish Oil Capsules (EPA + DHA = 300 to 600mg)
1 Bottle Flax Oil
Green Tea
Spaghetti Sauce

Let me know! How is your workout going? What does your grocery list usually look like?

Invest Now!

You probably already have a good understanding of basic finances,

right? Then you know about compounding interest - earning interest on top of interest.  Wait, isn’t this a health blog??? Yes. Bear with me!

Let’s say someone is planning on retiring at 65.  If someone puts $1,000 in a retirement account when they are 25, that $1,000 would turn into $45,000 by the time they get off the job. If they wait untilthey’re 35, they would only have $17,000. Delaying the investment by only 10 years led to barely getting one third as much at retirement!

You probably see where I am going with this.  Your body is much like an interest-bearing account.   It is incredibly important to develop
healthy habits as early as possible.  People that do not take time to invest in their body early in life have a lower life expectancy, are generally less happy, and are often much more prone to diseases. You save money so you can live a comfortable life once you have retired. There is little point in saving this money if you are not going to be alive and well when you’re done with work.  If you wait to exercise and eat healthy, you are doing your body a horrible disservice.  If you are older, however, don't make excuses. It is never too late to start! Take time to develop life-long healthy habits today.  You will be thanking yourself later in life!


Here's a list of a few healthy habits you could work on tonight:
1) Exercise at least 3 to 5 hours a week (elevate your heart rate!)
2) Eat only lean meats, whole grains, nuts, fruits, and vegetables 90% of the time
3) Be less sedentary (find hobbies that let you get outside and move around)
4) Get at least 7 hours of sleep every night
5) Eliminate clutter so you can focus on the people and things that you love
6) Surround yourself with people who also want to live a long, healthy life

DAY 6

I'm shrinking! My body weight has dropped to a 5 month low of 178 pounds. Unfortunately, I am trying to add muscle (thus weight), not lose it. This week serves as an excellent example of how to eat during weight lifting for both those trying to build muscle mass and those trying to burn fat.

My job requires tons of running around, climbing ladders and stairs, and ducking through passageways. I have been working 13 hour shifts this week, so I am doing a lot more of this than normal. Since my activity level has increased, but I have not had time to eat more food, I have been losing weight. If your goal is weight-loss, this is exactly what you should do (increase your activity level while eating a balanced diet). But my goal is to put on muscle mass. If I want to continue to see gains on the scale and big gains in the weight room, I have to eat more to keep up with my caloric demands.  Pretty simple!

I'm hoping this evening is my last 13 hour shift. Once I am done, I will write a few posts I have been wanting to share with you. Plus, I will start providing you with my daily nutrition information and tips! Photo update will be posted Monday.

Have a great weekend. Get out there and do something!

Let me know! What are you doing this weekend to stay physically active? 

DAYS 3, 4, and 5

 Technique, technique, technique...

I keep having to repeat this.  My goal each and every day is to improve, so I have always been really competitive with myself.  For example, if I benched 185 pounds last week I would want to bench at least 190 pounds this week. These kinds of increases are possible, by the way, but here is my problem... The weights I have lifted previously have been completed with poor technique.

If you start lifting with poor technique, you may have a very hard time correcting it later on. 

If I were to continue to lift heavier and heavier weights each week, I would not be able to improve my technique. I'll use an exercise from today's workout as an example - the static lunge.  I have done the static lunge before with a 155 pound barbell, so I wanted to be able to at least do 155 pounds today.  While repeating that mantra in my head (technique, technique, technique), I figured out that when I was lifting 155 pounds I was only bending my knees half as much as I should have!  Your back knee should come close to touching the ground while your front knee bends about 90 degrees. I was able to complete the exercise with perfect technique and tempo after dropping the weight to 105 pounds.  In short, technique should always come before the amount of weight you lift! Who cares if the guy next to you is benching 300 pounds. As long as you are maintaining proper form, you will be on your way to being the healthiest you can possibly be.

This week is still crazy at work. I worked out on Monday and Tuesday then rested Wednesday and Thursday. I just got off of another 13 hour night shift and went straight to the gym.  I am still unable to get proper nutrient timing with my horrible schedule.  I'm doing the best I can on nutrition, but I will likely not see too much improvement with my body this week without the proper food for fuel and recovery. Food is undoubtedly half of the battle when it comes to weight lifting. I can still honestly say I am making huge improvements though, because now everything I do in the weight room is with proper form.

Let me know! Have you struggled with using proper form in the past? What are the exercises you have the most trouble with?

Grocery List – Whole Grains

You should be eating 5 to 8 servings of whole grains every day.  How many do you eat?  If you are like the average person, you fall well short of the amount you should be eating every day.  I strongly suggest that you start finding ways to add the following grains into your diet, but first let me give you a quick shopping tip.

The best rule to follow when you are picking out grains is to avoid enriched or refined grains.  Grains that are enriched or refined are stripped of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.  When you are looking for grains you must look for whole grains!  When you’re looking at the ingredients of whole grain bread or pasta, make sure that the word ‘enriched’ is not on the label!  There are tons of ways to prepare raw whole grains.  

GRAINS

Amaranth

Barley

Brown Rice (Basmati, Long Grain, Medium Grain, Short Grain)

Buckwheat

Bulgur

Couscous

Flaxseed

Millet

Oats (Steel Cut/Rolled)

Quinoa (pr. keen-wah)

Rye

Spelt

Wheat (Bulgur, Durun, Hard Red, Soft Red, Kernels)

Wild Rice

FOODS CONTAINING WHOLE GRAINS

Whole Grain Bagel

Whole Grain Bread

Whole Grain Cereal

Whole Grain Crackers and Graham Crackers

Whole Grain English Muffin

Whole Grain Granola Bars

Whole Grain Oatmeal

Whole Grain Pasta

Whole Wheat Bread

BENEFITS OF EATING WHOLE GRAINS

Low in fat

Helps weight loss

Makes you feel full longer

Aids in digestion

Excellent source of fiber

Rich in vitamins, minerals, and plant enzymes

Prevents constipation

Reduces risk of heart disease

Protects you from some cancers

Prevents type 2 diabetes

Longer life expectancy

Make sure you are getting your 5 to 8 servings. Go shopping now if you have to! Whole grains are incredibly important for building a healthier you!

Let us know! What are your favorite whole grains? How many servings do you get each day?

When To Eat

Do you eat 3 balanced meals every day? Is dinner your biggest meal of the day?  Are you one of those people who just can’t eat breakfast?

If your answer is yes to any of these questions, you have it all wrong!

If you have been following along these last few weeks, I have given you a glimpse of  what you should be eating and drinking for optimal health.  Lean meats, fish, dairy, whole vegetables, whole fruits, whole grains, unpasteurized fruit juice, water, etc.  See Grocery List - Fruit , Grocery List - Vegetables, and Grocery List - Meat, Poultry, and Fish for some guidance in what to eat.

What I have not yet discussed is when to eat. I like to call this nutrient timing. Improving your nutrient timing will allow your metabolism to stay high throughout the day and turn your body into a well oiled, fat burning machine. 

If someone asked you, "What are the two most important meals of the day?", what would you say? If you said breakfast and after your workout, you are correct!  Do you know why?

BREAKFAST

When you are getting your long night’s sleep, your metabolism is at its most efficient state and you have tons of stored energy and low levels of glucose in your muscles.  It is extremely important to eat a healthy meal within 1 hour of waking up in order to keep your metabolism high and build up stores of nutrients for the day. You have to avoid simple carbohydrates and refined sugars, because these foods will have a negative effect on your metabolism. Plus, the excess glucose actually turns into fat! Don’t start your day with a plate of fat. Instead, eat lean proteins (e.g. egg whites or natural peanut butter), complex carbohydrates (e.g. whole grain english muffin or a whole grain bagel), whole fruits, and vegetables.  Breakfast will affect your metabolism more than any other meal. The effects last the rest of the day. If you are not eating breakfast, you are shooting yourself in the foot. I would say you’re shooting yourself in both feet. If there is anything you take away from this post it is that you should start every day off right with a good, nutrient-rich breakfast!

AFTER YOUR WORKOUT

Cardiovascular and anaerobic exercises both use nutrients very quickly, so exercising, like sleep, will create nutrient deficiencies in your body.  For this reason, what you eat after your workout can be very similar to what you would eat for a healthy breakfast. In the meals following your exercise, you should replenish your body with lean proteins, carbohydrates, and vegetables. If you consider yourself to have a sweet tooth, post-workout is probably the best time of the day to get your sugar fix. A little sugar improves your insulin and glucose levels. I’m not a huge fan of sweets, but my post-workout protein shake includes hydrolyzed whey protein (quick dissolving for quick supply to the muscles) and sports drink mix (sugar).  If you drink a post-workout protein shake, make sure it is immediately after the workout. Also eat a solid meal within two hours of your workout. Avoid fatty foods (even healthy fats) in the 6 hours following your workout.

EAT SIX MEALS PER DAY

You have probably heard this one before. Eating six meals each day is incredibly important for maintaining a high metabolism. You will get nutrients more frequently, avoid over eating, and spend less energy handling waste products.  Many studies have shown that a person who eats 6 meals each day gets way more nutrients than a person eating the same exact food in 3 meals. The body can only absorb a certain level of nutrients, so large meals create tons of excess waste that slow the metabolism down.  If you’re eating three meals per day, it is time to make the change! Take a few minutes each morning or night to prepare your meals if you have to.

These three rules apply to everyone wanting a healthier body. If you want an individualized eating plan meant for your particular goal (weight loss, muscle mass, etc.), feel free to email me or leave a comment below. I would be more than happy to help!

Let us know! Which one of these tips do you struggle with the most? If you eat 6 meals per day, how do you take time to prepare each meal? Leave a comment below!

A Healthy Body in 10 Words

FOR EVERYONE
Drink water.
Eat whole foods.
Do enjoyable cardio.
Lift weights.


FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Drink water.
Eat whole foods.
Do more cardio.
Lift weights.


FOR SKINNY GUYS
Drink water.
Eat more calories.
Lift more weights.
Rest hard.


APPLY THE 10 WORDS
Apply these 10 words to your life. Make them your absolute priority and all good habits. This is all it takes!


Let us know! Are these all priorities in your life? If not, what are you struggling with? What is keeping you from living a simple, healthy life?

Grocery List - Fruit

I always have a hard time to remember what fruits I should buy organic and what is safe to eat non-organic. I would buy all organic if I could, but sometimes the selection is low and the prices are just way too high. This is why I've split this list into conventional (aka non-organic) fruits I think are safe and ones I think we should buy organic. The ones in the list titled "Fruit Okay to Buy Non-Organic/ Conventional" are almost always considered 'clean fruits' and are free of pesticides.The fruits in the "Fruit to Buy Organic" list have at least a generous amount of those pesky pesticides when grown conventionally. In case you were wondering, no, you cannot wash all the pesticides off. They are treated throughout the growing process and a lot of it is absorbed.

I tried to alphabetize the list to help with looking things up. Fruits I consider to be highest in pesticides all have an asterisk * next to them. I would avoid conventional forms of these asterisked fruits as much as possible. I hope this helps you guys and gals out. I know I will be pulling this list up about every time I'm wandering around the produce aisle or making my grocery list.

Fruit Okay to Buy Non-Organic/Conventional 

Avocados
Bananas
Blueberries (local)

Cantaloupe (in season and domestic/avoid ones imported from Mexico)

Honeydew Melon
Kiwi

Mango

Papaya

Pineapple

Watermelon

Fruit to Buy Organic

Apples**
Blueberries (if  buying non-local)
Cantaloupe (if out of season/imported)

Cherries*

Grapefruit

Grapes*

Oranges

Lemons

Nectarines*

Peaches*** (conventional peaches usually have the highest amount of pesticides over any other fruit)

Pears*

Plums

Raspberries*

Strawberries**

Tangerines
Tomatoes (buy local)

*Fruits considered to be high in pesticides if non-organic.

**Very high in pesticides if non-organic

***Extremely high in pesticides if non-organic

Let Us Know! Do you have certain fruits that you only buy organic? Is your decision to buy organic fruit based on flavor, the lack or pesticides and other chemicals, or because you like to stick to locally grown crops? Is there anything missing from the lists? 

When to Eat Organic

 If you are just starting to eat healthier foods, I would not worry about eating organic at first. Your first priorities should be to eliminate junk food from your diet and start eating more fruits, vegetables, and healthy snacks. There are people who only buy organic foods, but guess what – they could still be filling their bodies with junk.

Organic foods, under the United States Department of Agriculture's definition, are free of synthetic substances; contain no antibiotics and hormones; have not been irradiated or fertilized with sewage sludge; were raised without the use of most conventional pesticides; and contain no genetically modified ingredients.

This is all fine and dandy but when you're eating organic cheese puffs you are still eating junk food!  I'm completely guilty of this, by the way, those organic cheese puffs are some of my all-time favorite snacks – but, like many of you out there, I have tried to begin changing my ways. My point is, there are tons of organic products that are just as horrible for you as their non-organic counterparts. 


Health expert, Jillian Michaels, talked about eating organic in one of her recent podcasts. She is a huge advocate for eating organic for, what I consider to be, all of the right reasons. She does not want to ingest all of those extra hormones, antibiotics, and other chemicals that are often found in conventional foods. But, you might ask, organic food is expensive, right? This is true in a lot of cases, so you have to find your balance. Jillian says if you have any expendable income, and you’re interested in being healthy and keeping chemicals out of your body, you should use it to buy organic foods. I think this is a great tip and it has stuck with me. I think what’s most important is that you find balance in your budget to include organics. In the end, it’s your prerogative – conventional foods with all the chemicals -or- organic, natural foods eaten the way God intended without any additives.

My wife and I have been trying to buy more organic fruits, vegetables, and meat lately and you can really tell the difference with some of them!  I think many of them taste better, sure,  every once in a while they don't, but I can rest assured that I'm not pumping my body full of all those man-made chemicals in conventional foods. I'm still not eating entirely organic foods yet and I’m having a hard time convincing my wife it’s worth the extra money that could be spent on books and clothes and other girly things, but it's a work in progress.

Here's a short list on why I think we should eat organic: (Remember, I’m only human and my reasons are  based on a lot of personal research and a passion for a healthier, better life.)

1) Free of pesticides (contain neurotoxins that damage brain and nerve cells)

2) Higher in nutrients like vitamins, antioxidants, and healthy minerals

3) Earth-supportive (a lot of modern agricultural practices are dangerous for the environment)

4) Support local/small farmers

5) Lower your cancer risk

6) Free of antibiotics, hormones, and other chemicals

Let us know! Are you eating a healthy diet? Do you avoid all of those processed foods in the middle aisles at the grocery store? Do you eat anything organic?

Bad Food, Cigarettes, and My Grocery List

I have always been interested in reading about and studying body transforming exercises, but I did not start caring about healthy eating until a few years ago. I've always been scrawny, so I always thought I was healthy no matter what I ate. Boy was I wrong!

I have often heard people say that "the food you eat is half the battle" and I couldn't agree more. Since I have started eating healthier foods, I have seen a huge change in my life. I feel lighter, happier, I sleep better, I get sick much less often, and I have seen a ton of improvement in all of my workouts. And these are just the short term benefits! I also have the peace of mind that everything I'm putting into my body is fuel for a longer life. Eating healthy will give me good cholesterol, blood pressure, body fat, bone strength, and cardiovascular health for the rest of my life.

I like to compare bad foods to cigarettes. They are both addicting. Our bodies, by nature, love high calorie, fatty foods. The problem is that all of these foods are terrible for us. Most of them are man-made with all kinds of ingredients that are not meant for our bodies. Sure, the FDA approves them for consumption, but the long term effects of eating tons of these horrible foods are equivalent to effects from smoking. Eating poorly and smoking both lead to a shorter life expectancy in some way or another. Poor food choices can lead to heart problems, diabetes,  hypertension (high blood pressure), and even cancer in addition to tons of other horrible things. 

Avoiding poor food choices is a daily battle. There is conflicting data on just about anything you pull off of the grocery store shelf.  I spend a few hours every week just trying to learn what food is healthy and what is not.  

My best advice is to find a hand full of healthy options and recipes that you enjoy and stick to them! Jillian Michaels is a personal trainer and health expert from shows like The Biggest Loser and The Doctors.  She has a great podcast I like to listen to each week (It's called "The Jillian Michaels Show" if you want to check it out). Anyways, in one of her podcasts she talked about what she likes to eat to stay healthy. She said she just has 2 or 3 different things she'll eat for each meal of the day. She always knows her intake of calories, protein, fat, etc. I love the simplicity of this! I took this idea and compiled my own personal menu. It was so easy to do and it makes trips to the grocery store a heck-of-a-lot quicker! I know, I know. You're probably thinking "What if I get tired of these meals?" or "What if I can't eat the same thing twice in one week?" If you get tired of something, just can always just switch it out and you can always make the menu as big as you want. Maybe you want a menu the size of the novel they have at The Cheesecake Factory. There's good things to be said for that and I think you could definitely benefit from my upcoming 'Grocery List.'

GROCERY LIST

As a start on my posts on nutrition, I've decided to make a 'Grocery List.' I'm hoping it will be a great resource for anyone making their own grocery lists or even someone looking to add another recipe to their 20 page menu. I have a hard time remembering all of the foods that are healthy. For example, I always forget which types of fish need to be wild-caught and which types are okay to eat farm-raised. I also forget what types of fruits I need to buy organic and what types are okay conventional. For now I'm just going to make a huge list of healthy foods. If you want me to explain my choices, feel free to comment or email me. And by all means, let me know if you have some more healthy options to add to the list. I will try to categorize everything, but I imagine it may take a while to list them all. There are more healthy options out there than you think! 

What bad foods do you have a hard time quitting? What's your favorite thing on your healthy menu? Let us know and maybe we'll start a Better Health Blog cookbook. 

Grocery List - Vegetables

I am terrible about eating all of my vegetables. Growing up, the only servings of vegetables I got were in the form of pizza sauce or taco lettuce. Ever since I met my wife, she's been trying to get me on the right track.  If there is one thing I have learned in my research on nutrition, you should definitely consume more veggies than any other type of food. 

I am dividing my list into what I think is safe to eat non-organic and what should be bought organic. Vegetables in the organic list have been known to be covered in pesticides. I have alphabetized them to make the list a little easier to use. Vegetables especially high in pesticides have asterisks * next to them.  I would avoid the non-organic/conventional types of these asterisked veggies at all costs. The more asterisks, the worse. I hope this list helps and remember to keep eating your veggies!


Vegetables to Buy Non-Organic/Conventional
Asparagus
Avocados
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Corn, sweet (buy local)
Eggplant
Garlic
Okra
Onions
Radishes
Rhubarb
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes (buy local)
Winter Squash (if you don't eat the skin)
Zucchini


Vegetables to Buy Organic
Beets*
Bell Pepper**
Carrots*** (carrots are sometimes grown just to absorb heavy metals from soil)
Cauliflower
Celery*** (generally most pesticides of any other conventional vegetable)
Collard Greens
Cucumbers**
Green Beans*
Kale
Lettuce
Mushrooms (not a veggie, but you will probably find these in the vegetable aisle)
Pepper
Potatoes
Spinach*
Summer Squash
Winter Squash (if you eat the skin)


* Vegetables high in pesticides, heavy metals, and other contaminants
** Vegetables very high in pesticides, heavy metals, and other contaminants
*** Vegetables extremely high in pesticides, heavy metals, and other contaminants


If I'm missing any veggies from the list, let us know!

Grocery List - Meats, Poultry, and Fish

MEATS

Beef (organic, grass-fed) – Get lean cuts of grass-fed beef, 93/7 or better, to avoid high fat content. Grass fed beef will cost extra, but you’ll be avoiding all of the horrible chemicals and hormones that are pumped into most cows. Beef can have anywhere between 25 and 35 grams of protein  and 150 and 250 calories (in 4oz serving) depending on the type of cut.

Bison (organic, grass-fed) – This is a great alternative to beef. Fat content is generally lower and there is a ton of protein packed in (32g in 4oz). Get grass fed!

Lamb

Elk

Venison

Pork Tenderloin (organic)

POULTRY

Turkey (organic) – 34g of protein and 180 calories in 4 ounces. Turkey has to be the best poultry you can eat.

Chicken breast (organic) – It’s the leanest part of the chicken. You can also get it ground like beef and turkey. It’s another one of the best proteins you can buy with 190 calories, 35g of protein, and 5g of fat in a 4oz serving. I have a hard time finding organic chicken, but it is definitely worth the splurge. You avoid tons of synthetic chemicals, GMOs (genetically modified organisms), and all kinds of other bad stuff. Anyone who has seen Food Inc. knows what I’m talking about and if

you haven’t seen it, you should definitely add it to your Netflix queue!

Ostrich

FISH/SEAFOOD

Salmon (wild caught) – Salmon is probably the best fish you can eat. It’s full of fatty acids called Omega-3s that have tons of great benefits for your body including cardiovascular health, anti-inflammatory, better brain function, and protection from heart attacks and strokes (200 calories and 29g of protein in 4oz). Avoid farm raised at all costs, they are fed chemicals to give them color, fed things like chicken feces, and given antibiotics at higher levels than any other livestock.

Sardines and Herring – Both of these, like Salmon, are high in Omega-3s.

Trout (farm raised) – Farm raised trout is just fine (140 calories and 24g of protein in 4oz).

Lobster

Crab

Mussels

Clams

Oysters

Crawfish

Scallops

Shrimp

Squid
Tuna (limit mercury exposure! eat skipjack light canned tuna if you want to eat often, eat albacore or yellowfin if you just want to eat it once a month or so)


Let us know! Is there anything missing from these lists? Are there any meats you like to eat organic?