Free Radicals? Why would we free radicals?

Have you heard about the “Free Radicals”? They truly are radical and they are “reactive”. Not a good combination. I have heard about them for years and decided to read up on them and report the findings here.

I will provide a summary up front and if you want more detail you can read through the post, if not you can skip down to the next subject.


Free Radicals – what are they? How do they affect me?

First, what they are not….Free Radicals are not a left wing political group. They are chemicals that can have a negative impact on cell structure. Very interesting….did you know that “Free Radicals” are destroying our cells?

It's the radicals, man

Free radicals are atoms or groups of atoms with an odd (unpaired) number of electrons and can be formed when oxygen interacts with certain molecules. Once formed these highly reactive radicals can start a chain reaction, like dominoes. Their chief danger comes from the damage they can do when they react with important cellular components such as DNA, or the cell membrane. Cells may function poorly or die if this occurs. To prevent free radical damage the body has a defense system of antioxidants.

This info was pasted from this Rice University website.

http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/antiox.html

Studies show that by eating fruits and vegetables, damage caused by free radicals can be repaired.

FOR THIS AND SO MANY OTHER REASONS…IT IS IMPORTANT TO EAT

….a minimum of (5) Servings of Fruits and Vegetables.

Thought Provoking Ideas - Saturated Fats...

The ideas included in these articles are not new but they do go against the grain of conventional wisdom in the medical community. I must admit that I am interested in the theory but I have not committed 100% to the idea. I just can't get over the long held view that saturated fats are bad for you.

Regardless...these are two excellent, thought provoking reads.

(these posts are talking about natural dietary saturated fats).

READ these posts and tell me what you think…I’d really like to know.

Nutrition and health in agriculturalists and hunter-gatherers | The Blog of Michael R. Eades, M.D. http://ow.ly/iedo

Is Saturated Fat Healthy? | Mark's Daily Apple http://ow.ly/ievP

Tabata Sprints Update – I ran one set on Monday but due to my back “injury” I have not run any more this week.

TTFN,

Steve

Two Pronged Attack!

P90X Status:

Nothing exciting this week. Just "pushing play" everyday and "bringing it" each day. I did beat my sons in basketball but the big news that I didn't mention...the night we played, I "tweaked" my back. At the time, there was no serious pain but I've experienced these "tweaks" before. By the time I got home I was "stiffening up" so immediately I did my Plyometrics workout.

There are some who would say that I erred by doing that...they would probably be right. Wednesday morning my back was in "not so good" shape. I've had much worse and it did get better during the day. I was able to finish my "back and bicep" workout for the day.

I WAS VERY CAREFUL TO PERFORM ALL THE EXERCISES PROPERLY, USING "GOOD FORM".

However, I could not complete all of my Ab exercises, some of these just put too much strain on the small of my back, which is where the pain was located.

....so for THE First time, I failed to complete a P90X routine. I had made it this far .... what worried me more...I wasn't sure if my back was getting better or worse. Luckily, today the back is much better and I was able to complete the entire Yoga X routine. The Yoga really helped my back, it actually felt much better after the workout.

Getting Fit - Two Prong Approach.

Someone was asking me how to get started “getting fit”. Of course I mentioned my story of curling water bottles and doing squats in the hospital room. But then I remembered some other tips or things I did to initiate the fitness journey.

a) Managing your Consumption or Meal Plan (I hate to use the word diet).

I follow the Low Glycemic approach to eating, which basically means that I try to limit my eating to those foods that have a Low GI or Low GL. I won’t go into all that here but there are many resources online. http://www.glycemicindex.com/.

b) Caloric Expenditure: To lose weight, you have to expend more energy than you consume.

To maximize your expenditures or the calories you burn each day, it helps to find ways to increase your metabolism through out the day. You can use these tips in the morning:

1) As soon as you wake up, jog in place and stretch for 30 secs. Next do some push ups. If regular push ups are too difficult (as they were for me initially) lean over a dresser or sink etc and do them at an angle. I liked to do 2-3 sets of 20-30, to get the blood flowing.

2) Knee raises – marching in place, raising the knees as high as possible for as long as possible.

3) At this point, I had worked up a sweat so I would then jump in the shower. While I was washing and shampooing, I would do squats for as long as I could and then finish up with more knee raises.

I would then begin to turn off the hot water until at the end I was only using the cold water…this never fails to wake you up and get the heart moving. :)

Doing these would only take a few minutes and if you were like me, this will be enough to get your heart rate up and get you off to a good start in the morning.

HIIT vs Slow Cardio

A friend who is experienced and knowledgeable on all matters fitness and nutrition sent me an article today. It restates the case I was making earlier in regards to Interval Training vs Slow Cardio.

The article backs up what I was saying in a previous post, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) like Tabata Sprints burns more fat and improves your cardiovascular health more than hours of jogging.

Fit with HIIT: http://ow.ly/iEpv

What is another form of H.I.I.T. …let me think…oh yeah…P90X!

This is kind of funny…in a sad way.

Kids Fool Obesity Researchers, Put Pedometers on Dogs - Health Blog – WSJ.

Falsifying data…yet another reason to distrust studies.

http://ow.ly/ifXx

C U L8r,

Steve

The Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth

More WEIGHT LOSS ..... (yawn).......down to 167 lbs...(yawn).

Why am I no longer concerned about weight loss?

While I do continue to lose weight, I am also still getting stronger.

I lifted more weight with bicep curls today than I've done in my life ...combined! JUST KIDDING ABOUT the "combined" comment. just checking to see if you were reading for comprehension!

SO, I am losing weight and I continue to strengthen ...that's a combo that I am comfortable with.

Squash Noodles Recipe

Speaking of combos, I tried a simple change to an age old recipe...AND IT WAS AWESOME!

BRIEF RECAP: Once I started becoming fit...I greatly reduced my carbs but I was still eating legumes and All Bran cereal almost daily. Also, I occasionally would eat whole grain pasta, whole grain breads and rice. I have reduced them all ...my goal is to only receive carbs from vegetables. I am still adhering to the Low Glycemic Index...just more stringent than their general guidelines.

In the past I would eat whole grain pasta which is better for us than regular pasta, but my sugar would still increase some. In other words, it still has a lot of carbs...just not as many AND the fiber from the whole grains is supposed to slow the assimilation of the carbs into your system.

BUT I FOUND A RECIPE ANYONE CAN USE TO REDUCE CARBS YET ENJOY A TRADITIONAL DISH with a twist.

I used squash noodles with my spaghetti sauce, I followed this recipe...IT WAS TASTY!

Low Carb Pasta Substitute |

Mark's Daily Apple http://ow.ly/ixrE

I followed the cooking instructions but not the prep...as you can see...I used a knife to slice the squash....got in a hurry and cut them too thick...but they still tasted great.

I know the picture of just squash may look like french fries...I assure you it's yellow squash. :)

I could eat the squash by itself, they were so delicious when cooked by the recipe. They were heated with virgin olive oil and minced garlic....hmmm.

Be good,

Steve

*We interrupt this regularly scheduled program - Steve’s Goals UPDATE!

With 24 days left in his P90X training, Steve has accomplished the 4^th of his 5 goals! In an exclusive interview with this blog, here are Steve’s comments.

5 Goals

1. Wearing 32” jeans…Done!
2. BMI = Normal, Weight = 168.5 lbs…..Done!
3. 30 Push Ups….completed 32 Push Ups…Done!
   
   
4. “Beating sons in basketball”…Done!
   
   “Wow, just got this one last night. What can I say…beating 18-20 year olds in any sport is tough especially when you are 48 years old. Not to mention the fact that 5 months ago I was diagnosed with Diabetes, obese and taking insulin shots. Today I am medication and insulin free.
   
   “It was a tight match until the end with both of us having long runs. We were playing to 11, win by two. He went up on me 4-0, then the old man warmed up and I had a 6-0 run to take a 6-4 lead. He could have put it away, he was up 10-9 with the ball but I was able to score the last three baskets to win 12-10. I do credit P90X for giving me the strength and endurance to compete. He is taller and quicker but my experience and conditioning were the keys to a hard fought victory.”
   
   “People on this blog have read these words from me before…but it truly is exhilarating to be able to run 100% , all out sprints. It truly does get me “stoked” to compete and be competitive playing basketball, a sport I’ve participated in “on and off” for over 35 years!”
   
   “Is it worth “pushing play” for 90 days ......ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY!”
   
   

5) Sub 7 Minute Mile.

“I do have one goal still outstanding…running a sub 7 minute mile. IT WILL BE TOUGH to accomplish at my age but we’ll see how the last 24 days of my P90X training goes.”

Steve

Food Pics and Obesity Stats

Observations from a Recently Released Study

1) Obese spend 42% MORE ON MEDICAL COSTS….wow!

2) Obesity Related Health Care Costs have increased 89% from 1998 to 2006, can we as a nation afford another 89% increase in the next 8 years??? NO!

3) US Obesity Rates ….rose 37% in eight years---today 2 out of 3 are overweight, 1 out of 3 is obese! To rephrase it 66% are overweight, 33% are OBESE !!!

** These first three findings should be enough of a reason for all of us collectively to do something about being overweight and / or OBESE!

But guess what…there is more than just the economic costs.

What about the quality of life costs? Can’t quantify these but they ARE REAL! I’m talking about reduced self esteem. I’m talking about the inability to play with grand children or take hikes with a loved one or going swimming.

I am NOT talking about living longer…although that is part of the equation.

….I AM talking about being able to live more fulfilling lives, being able to enjoy life more.

4) “One expert was talking on TV about malnutrition in the United States…in the past you could always tell who the malnourished kids were because they would be too thin.”

That isn’t the case any longer due to our highly processed “junk” foods of today. You can be obese and be malnourished thanks to all of the sodium, sugar, carbohydrate packed, “nutrient lacking” foods we Americans eat today.

Think about that…you can be OBESE and be STARVING for nutrients.

5) There are talks of taxing sugar drinks and junk food as a means to slow the growth in their consumption.

At the end of the day, it is up to each of us to take personal responsibility to improve not only our health but the health of our children. That means eating more vegetables, lean meats, fruit and some whole grains. Drinks are an important part of the puzzle as well, do NOT drink sugar drinks….and only drink artificially sweetened drinks occasionally.

6) Just a thought…why don’t we decide today that we will discontinue providing/selling/subsidizing non-nutritious foods & drinks in our schools.

Wait a minute…let’s think about this…today, we the taxpayers are subsidizing the foods that are provided to our children. We are providing them with bad fats, bad carbs and sugars (yes I know sugar is a carb),…we are contributing to the poor health and increased medical expenses…that we the taxpayers will have to pay for later.

Does anything seem inherently wrong with this picture?

This reminds me of the fact that we put fertilizer on our yards so we can pay more time and money to care for it. At least with fertilizer you get a more attractive lawn, that isn’t true with the results of the ”junk” we are feeding our kids.

….maybe WE should sue our school systems for child abuse!!!

Food Porn Info & Pic

The information below came from Nutritiondata.com. I wanted to compare a former favorite restaurant’s food but they did not have Bojangles…so I had to resort to KFC.

Look at what KFC does to a beautifully nutritious food like Chicken Breasts.

(I had difficulty formatting the stats, for some it may not format correctly..sorry)

KFC Chicken Raw Skinless Chicken
Breast – Original Breast, meat only

1 breast

370 calories 195
19 g fat 1 g
6 g sat fat 0 g
145 mg cholesterol 105 mg
1145 mg Sodium 115 mg
11 g carb 0 g
40 g protein 40 g

I’m not saying that feeding your kids a KFC Chicken breast is child abuse…but JUST LOOK what you are feeding them.

In looking at the sodium alone…they are receiving over half the daily amount of salt for an ADULT WITH JUST ONE PIECE OF CHICKEN! Not to mention all the fat, carbs and sodium in their other menu items.

Sad truth…there are probably much worse “so called foods” that you and your children eat on a daily basis. Then we wonder why children are getting obese and why more and more children are being diagnosed with what used to be called “Adult Onset Diabetes”.

Another name for “Type 2” diabetes is “adult onset diabetes”. It typically was a condition for adults, something they obtained when they “slowed down” and ate more.

Today…they can’t call it “adult onset diabetes” because more and more children are being diagnosed with the disease!

While I was looking for a chicken breast pic....this one came up. I posted this one because I just like looking at it. See, ladies....if you eat large garbage can buckets of KFC chicken...you can look just like her. :)

Ok…sorry for the ramble. I need to get busy.


Take care,

Steve

P90X, END OF WEEK 9 - Goal Update !!

Broken Finger, One Tough Hombre :)

Just an fyi – do you remember me “whining” about my jammed finger. Well, three weeks later, I was told it was broken. It doesn’t hurt much any more but I can’t bend it completely. But…I worked through the pain…still do.

Goal Update

1. Nutrition BMI = Normal : DONE! (wt 168.5) HOW LOW WILL I GO….who cares…I don’t? I have gone back and forth on this but I am now ok with continued weight loss as long as my strength continues to improve.
2. 32” jeans : DONE! I can wear 29’s but with 30’s I have room to spare.
3. 30 Push Ups : DONE!! Completed 32! Up from 29 last week!!! Tammy was at the store when I completed them…she didn’t believe me so I had to do them again in front of her, about 4 hours later.
4. Beat sons in Basketball : no update -- barring an injury…I ain’t worried about this. Cocky?...maybe…confident…absolutely.
   
   …who wants to get whipped by a 48 yr old, former obese, diabetic….old man. :)
   
   
5. 7 Minute Mile – Ran a 8:19 mile today – 4 secs better than last week. THIS ONE IS NOT LOOKING GOOD.

Work Out Addiction?

Folks I am afraid I have a new addiction...to fitness. I'm being serious...today is my rest day, yet I still did 89 push ups, 36 curls, 24 military presses, ran bleachers and ran a mile. I keep worrying this will catch up to me but thus far I don't think it has. Who knows, maybe I would have gotten stronger or quicker had I taken full advantage of my "rest days".

If I don't work out...I feel like I am missing an opportunity. I think part of it is, deep inside I am afraid I will start that slide back down to being obsese again.

Here I am in 40” jeans…the sad truth is, at one time these were too small and my gut was actually hanging over these!!!

While there has been progress...I am looking for more. I was wearing these as late as March....and no I am not "sucking it in" in this picture. I can squeeeeze into 29" jeans but 30" are more comfortable.

Take care and be safe.


Steve

Day 63 - 4 Weeks Left....Countdown Begins

P90X Status – Today is day # 63…only 27 days left….4 weeks to go.

New Low? I know I’ve heard some of you say…”Steve can’t go any lower…” but I did, I am now at 168.5 lbs. I was concerned about losing too much weight …but with only 4 weeks to go, I am not concerned about that any longer.


What did you say…oh, apparently when you said, “Steve, you can’t possibly go any lower"……you weren’t talking about my weight…well, moving right along then. :)

Interval Training 101

I want to talk about Fitness Training; I think it is important for everyone to know some basics about Interval Training.…why? To live longer more fulfilling lives, I think you should begin to incorporate some forms of it into your weekly routine, starting out slowly.

Interval training is a “big tent” that many training methods fall under. It is simply a type of physical training that involves increased intensity events followed by lower intensity periods. When I eat…this would definitely fall under interval training…even though I eat “cleaner” …the initial feeding frenzy is definitely more intense than at the finish. :)

Interval Training is generally accepted to be the best way to increase your cardiovascular fitness. Two of my favorite forms are below.

Tabata Protocol– I have talked enough about this, here are my posts if you missed them. Before we move on I want to stress, Tabata can be used with any exercise, the more muscles used the better. It does not have to be sprinting.

Mini Goal Update and Tabata Protocol http://ow.ly/idYE
Tabata Pool Party - Come on In Boys the Water is Fine http://ow.ly/idYP

Fartlek Training

Next I want to discuss Fartlek Training. It typically is less intense but doesn’t necessarily have to be and it is a legitimate training method used by professional athletes.

Instead of a bland recounting of what I’ve read let me tell you about a recent conversation I had with a sales person.

Steve: “Hi, I am looking for some info on a training method …wondering what you could tell me about Fartlek training.”

Sales Person: “you want me to tell you about fart lick training…what the hell?”

Steve: “no, no I said I want some Fartlek Training info.”

Sales Person: “brother you are in THE Wrong Place for some fart lick training, you need to get the heck outa here right NOW, that is for sure!”

Steve: “no, just listen to me…I said I want some Fartlek, F-a-r-t-l-e-k Training info. It’s a type of interval training that is less structured than other methods. ”

Fartlek, a Swedish term that means "speed play," and it is a subset or form of interval training. Just like Tabata Protocol it can be effective in improving your speed and endurance. It involves varying your pace throughout your run, alternating between fast segments and slow jogs. These can be planned or can be spontaneous.

Work-rest intervals can be based on how the body feels. You can experiment with pace and endurance. Many runners, especially beginners, enjoy fartlek training because it involves speed work. But it is more flexible and not as demanding as traditional interval training.

Summary: This is how Fartlek Training “How to” was explained to me. Instead of jogging endlessly for hours (as I used to do), while you are jogging, pick out a tree, mail box etc and run at a significantly faster pace to it (sprint if possible). Once you have recovered from your “sprint” try it again. You can vary the length of the sprints but the goal is to increase the distance that you can sprint so as to increase your aerobic and anaerobic capacity.

That’s enough for now…..oh and as you probably already know, the "conversation" above really only exists in my mind. I couldn't help it...I watched some Richard Pryor vids on Youtube.


L8r,

T8r H8R

(actually I hate starch)

Connecting with My Primal Self?

P90X - Kenpo X workout for Saturday – Day 61/90

I have Kenpo X tomorrow, a lot of punching and kicking going on. I get to act like Bruce Lee and George Foreman. :)

Many P90X’ers love Kenpo X, as I do. But like with anything, if you look hard enough you will find people who say that “Kenpo X is easy” or “Kenpo X isn’t that difficult”… I sweat profusely each time I do it so I find those comments difficult to understand.

Why? Tony Horton (fitness guru, P90X creator and DVD Instructor) mentions this statement at least once in all of his DVD’s…”intensity is the key, you have to bring it”…but that is true for ALL EXERCISES. The term, “no pain, no gain” is based on “bringing intensity”, pushing yourself to do more reps and / or use heavier weights. You can choose the toughest workout and if you slack off in reps or in weight, you can say “it’s easy” or “not that tough”.

When I do Kenpo X, I intensify the workout as much as possible but I do that for each workout. When Kenpo X starts, I will typically do extra reps and take less breaks early…but before it’s over, I am hitting the pause button. I don’t think I’ve ever completed a workout without having to hit the pause button a couple of times.

Point is : No matter what you do…”bring it” and intensify as needed.

Max is happy, can you tell? He knows it is "walk time".

Lastly, for example : Last night I was taking Max for a walk and as he gets older…his pace is slowing and he likes to spend more time “smelling” than walking. Where we walk there are benches and I alternated doing push ups and chair dips at each bench. It gave me a little extra calorie burn and gave Max the time he needed to enjoy himself. I made it a win/win.

Tabata Sprints Update

I started slowly on Monday with one partial Tabata Sprint. But Tuesday, Thursday and tonight (Friday) I did two full Tabata Sprints and I have to tell you…I really enjoy them. Yes, they are tough but it feels so good to run at 100% and it took less than 30 minutes including warm up and cool down. Who knows…maybe I am “connecting with my primal self”.

Can’t wait for some of the comments to come in on that statement. Ok guys…I gave you slow pitch over the plate…hit a home run with it. :)

Mommy, They're Here...Steve's Day 60 P90X Pics

Steve's Half Nude P90X Day 60 Pics.... (I get a kick out of saying that!)

1st row is Day 1, 2nd row is Day 30 and 3rd row is Day 60.

(Editor's Note: Due to formatting and a lack of width, the pictures do not line up in rows and it's not as easy to compare. With the email version, they line up perfectly, so if you'd like the email version send my an email.)

Just keep in mind a couple of things...

1) I discharged from the hospital on 2/18/09, I started working out that day and I weighed 212 lbs on my 5' 10" frame. That may not sound that bad, but as bad as it sounds....my fitness condition was much much worse.

2) My Day 1 pictures were taken 5/25/09 (or there abouts), when I thought I was in pretty good shape. I was running 6-8 miles at least every other day, with a high of 10.6 miles plus I was working out with light weights. I weighed about 181 lbs, on Day 1.

So, before I even started working out with P90X I had come ALONG WAY from whence I came....(never thought I'd type "whence" in a sentence).

3) Today, 7/23/09, I weigh about about 170 lbs plus or minus a pound and I am VERY EXCITED ABOUT MY PROGRESS!

I've been tied up with some things so I will just wait and do a full goal update on Sunday.

Hope you enjoy these "half nude pics of Steve"....I know you will... LOL! JUST KIDDING!

Steve

Tabata Pool Party - Come on In Boys the Water is Fine

Tabata Protocol - Sprints

Why am I spending so much “ink” on this??? Because I know for many of you...

...finding time to exercise is a problem.

To remove this excuse/reason…YOU CAN UTILIZE THE TABATA PROTOCOL! And to make it even less of a strain, you can use practically any exercise to get started. Burpees and sprints are tough but you could start out with Jumping Jacks, Push Ups, Crunches, Sit Ups, Squats or Lunges….literally any exercise. Heck, if you were like me, sedentary you could start out walking briskly for 20 seconds, rest 10 secs etc. (the more muscles used the better)

We are only talking about 15-20 mins MAX per day. Only 4 mins of actual exercising per set!! Once you build up your endurance you can do 2 then 3 different exercises.

Question: Why would I perform Sprints with the Tabata Protocol?

Answer: To obtain a cardio workout, that studies show is superior to hours of jogging, in a fraction of the time. Tabata sprints improve aerobic and anaerobic fitness levels.

** You need to consult your physician before performing this workout. **

Ok, I have been “itching” to try the Tabata Protocol, last night I dipped my toe into the “Tabata Pool” and to quote, “O Brother Where Art Thou”…

“Come on in boys, the water is fine”

Maybe it’s because I am becoming a “fitness addict” ….I don’t know, but I do know I loved the workout and heck…it only lasted 15-20 minutes total, including warm up and cool down.

I have been doing some pretty intense cardio with P90X; still, I started out slow.

The Tabata Protocol –
1) 5 minutes warm up
2) 20 seconds of exercise at 100%, 10 second rest = 1 set
3) Repeat 7 more times for a total of eight sets.
4) 5 minutes of cool down

I have not run “ALL OUT”...100% in YEARS, maybe even decades. I didn’t want to start out running 100% so here’s…

Steve’s First Day Protocol -
1) 10 minute warm up – I stretched, walked and jogged.
(I made extra sure I was warmed up)

2) I started out running at an estimated 80%, doing 40 secs of running and 20 secs of rest.

The main reason I started at 80%...I wanted to make sure my legs wouldn’t fall off! LOL!

By the 4th set, I was running 100% for 20 secs and 10 secs rest. From now on, I plan on running 100% and using the stop watch on my cell phone for timing.

3) I did my 8 sets…and was “whipped” when I was done. Just an FYI….for me...by the 8th set, running at 100% isn’t very fast…LOL!

4) 5 minutes of cool down – I took Max for our usual night time walk so I cooled down for longer than 5 mins.

Primal Living

When I first heard the name Primal Living and read some of it’s ideas…I thought, this sounds really cool. At the time, I did not think I’d heard it before yet it somehow sounded familiar. I watch History and NatGeo channel so it’s possible I saw a show concerning Paleo Man that had similar topics for discussion.

But last night I was walking Max and it hit me…I had heard of the theory before. I remember watching a show discussing canine aerobic capacity …dog fitness to the layperson. :) Anyway, the expert was saying that dogs were not “wired” to run with their owners for long distances and they definitely should not be “run” while their owner rides a bike for long distances. The expert was saying that dogs were “wired” to run short distances and then rest. In other words, due to their canine evolution their bodies were designed for short runs.

In a nutshell, that is what Primal Living’s principles are all about, imitating our “wiring” when it comes to nutrition and exercise.

Note to Dog Owners: Why don’t you add a brief sprint while you walk your dog(s), tomorrow you could add two brief sprints, etc etc. It will be better for you and your dog.

** Normal Disclaimer: Please consult your doctor and your veterinarian before attempting this exercise…. I don’t want to be responsible for any dogs expiring prematurely....:)

Breakfast Idea….Chili and Eggs….yum-yum! I saw this once in a Mexican Food Restaurant…it looked good so I decided to try it….I LIKED IT! I’ve actually been eating these for awhile but forgot the mention it. I typically will fry my egg and while the egg is cooking, I warm up my “Steve’s World Greatest Quickie Chili”. Once the egg is done I lay the egg on a plate and pour the hot chili on top of the egg. Add a sprinkle of cheese…and you have a low carb, high Protein nutrient dense meal.

Note: This morning, I also added some Collard Greens, not much, but it was Xcellent!

TTFN!


Steve

Remember my award winning blog post?

You don’t remember it? I was hoping you would because I don’t either….well, what about this one…

“Save the Planet – Eat Weed”

Well….Scientific American must have seen my blog post and did a follow up article. “How Fertilizers Harm Earth More Than Help Your Lawn:” Scientific American http://ow.ly/hIRN

I bet you didn’t know I was a “trendsetter” did ya. Yep, ole Steve does a blog post…next thing you know Scientific American, a premier scientific journal of America starts writing articles on the subject…..”yep”. (doing my Barney Fife imitation).

The gist of the SA article (SA is what we in publishing call Scientific American)…now where was I…oh yeah, the gist of the SA article is that chemicals we put on our yards and crops is harming our water supply, which leads to harming our wildlife, which leads to harming us.

Here is an excerpt:

“A 2007 study of pollution in rivers around Portland, Oregon found that wild salmon there are swimming around with dozens of synthetic chemicals in their systems. Another recent study from Indiana found that a variety of corn genetically engineered to produce the insecticide Bt is having toxic effects on non-target aquatic insects, including caddis flies, a major food source for fish and frogs.”

If you add to this, the “trace elements” of prescription drugs that are found in our water supply…how much longer will it take before those amounts start affecting our health? I am not trying to alarm anyone I’m just saying…

Just to boil it down, (pun intended) : “Save the Planet – Eat Weed”!!! (I still have not eaten a weed salad)

P90X Update

1) Just a few days left until Steve will be posting Half Nude Pics of himself!!!

Yes!!!! :) (for the record…I do not enjoy posing or posting my pics…) And of course I will post Max’s too. Max has been consistently performing his Yoga Relaxation Therapies…but he still needs some work with his “between meals snacking”.

2) Today was the start of Block 3 – today was difficult…but it felt SOOO Good! It had been a month since I’d done these works outs…I hate them…but I love them.

Diet Conversion

When I use the word diet…I mean dietary nutrition plan. I hate to use the word diet because to most it’s a short term “fix” people use to lose weight. I am talking about a dietary nutrition plan.

This lady writes:

“I've learned to love all kinds of foods that I hated before: brussels spouts, broccoli, cauliflower and more. I really like vegetables, whereas I used to merely tolerate them. Fruits seem intensely sweet to me now.”

THAT IS WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!….you can change your dietary preferences!!!

I don’t know how many years would be added to your life if you exercised and ate nutritionally. I don’t know how much it would improve the quality of life in later years....but studies show that, on average, it will improve the quality of your life and reduce your risk for disease.

LOOK AT IT THIS WAY, if you were stranded on an island and all you had to eat were fruits, vegetables and lean meats…I know that sounds terrible but could you make yourself eat it just to survive? Answer is “OF COURSE YOU COULD” which means…you could do it now. Just start buying only healthy, nutritious, low carb foods.

I’m going to step off my soapbox while I still can. :)

Peace Out Weed Lovers!


Steve

Mini Goal Update and Tabata Protocol

Tom Watson's Miracle?

Did you see my man Tom Watson! The 59 yrs and 10 months old golfer that ALMOST pulled out a miracle. I really felt for the man when he fell apart in the four hole playoff. All golfers have "what if's" but if had he taken just a "tad" off his second shot on 18...he would have been the 2009 British Open Champion.

Sunday was a rest day so...I rested…for awhile but after watching "The Open", I decided to go get a little exercise and burn off some adrenalin.

I typically will take Max outside with me about this time each day for our “mid day break”. Usually Max loves going outside but because of the heat, some days he’s not as anxious to go out.

I asked him to go out and I get this look….

Today he performed the “I am not interested in going outside” act. When he does this, the outcome is always the same….So I go outside and starting working out. I glance at the door…and burst out laughing, dropping my weights….Max was at the door begging to come out, see the pic below. He had pushed window covering to the side with his nose.

So....I let him out and finished my mini-workouts on my "rest day".

Mini Goal Update

BTW - I decided to see how many push ups I could do....I did 29!!! (Tammy can confirm this....)I made it part of the way up on #30....I wanted it SO BAD...but couldn't get there.

Tabata Protocol

In my Journey I came across the previously mentioned Primal Blueprint, the link to that post is here, Primal Blueprint . I had mentioned that there were fitness technique ideas that I found on the website that were very interesting. Here is one below, it goes by different names the Tabata Protocol, Tabata Sequence or Tabata Training.

If you desire to get fit...Do not discount this training …this could be exactly what you are looking for. The Tabata Protocol has been in use by athletes for quite some time. If you do a search there are 100’s of thousands of websites referencing the method.

Summary:

The Tabata Protocol can be done using any exercise. The originator Dr. Tabata, designed this with sprinting but the example below is with an exercise called Burpees. The best exercises to use with a Tabata Protocol are those that use a lot of muscles...and as you'll see Burpees fit that description.

Tabatas allow you to workout intensely in a shorter amount of time. This protocol goes against the grain of taking long walks or jogging for hours as the best method to improve your fitness. Using this method you could become fit in as little as 15 minutes a day….but it is intense. You will need to start out slow and build up.

To show you how widespread the Tabata Protocol is, the info below is from Men’s Fitness Magazine, a widely read magazine. I mention this so you won't think this is some crazy thing Steve found on the internet.... :)

Stamina Fitness Challenge

Fatigue-proof your body with the Tabata protocol

by CJ Murphy

Wondering just how well your workouts are paying off? Try performing a few Burpees. The simple yet rigorous exercise provides the short bursts the body needs to build endurance. See how many you can do before your lungs start burning. That number will help you determine your level of conditioning.

HOW IT'S DONE

From a standing position [1], squat down and place your hands on the floor [2]. Now shoot your legs straight behind you, as if you were about to perform a pushup [3]. Reverse the motion quickly to come back up and jump as high as you can with arms reaching overhead. That's one rep. Land softly, immediately going into the squat again to begin the next rep.

(I've inserted a video of burpees here )

THE TEST

Get a stopwatch and time yourself. Perform as many burpees as you can in one minute.

RATE YOURSELF

You performed…

• 15 or fewer burpees = Seriously? That's pathetic.

• Around 25 = You're in average shape.

• Around 35 = You've got good stamina.

• 45 or more = You must never get tired!

Didn't score as well as you'd like on your burpee test? Follow this program, which uses the Tabata protocol—a highly famous and effective conditioning and fat-burning method—to improve your anaerobic endurance.

Get a stopwatch and perform burpees as fast as you can for 20 seconds, and then rest 10 seconds. That's one interval. Repeat this process for eight total intervals, which should take four total minutes. If you want to perform these on the same day as a weight-training workout, do them afterward.

Week 1: Perform one block of Tabata intervals (eight in four minutes).

Week 2: Perform two blocks (16 in eight minutes).

Week 3: Perform burpees for 30 seconds and then rest 15. Continue for eight intervals in six minutes.

Week 4: Perform two blocks of the new intervals (16 intervals in 12 minutes).

Week 5: Take the burpee test and see how you've improved.

Here is the link if you would like to see the original . Stamina Fitness Challenge - Men's Fitness