5 Underrated Benefits of Exercise

Posted on March 9, 2014 by Warren Dostie

pres2

Everybody knows the importance of exercise is in controlling or losing weight, or in sculpting that powerful sexy body, but here are some surprising and often overlooked reasons why you really aught to get started…..

  1. Exercise increases intelligence.  The image of the goofy inept jock with all of his assets below the neck – is way out of sinc with reality.  Exercisers are usually smarter than the norm, and for various good reasons.  It has long been know that exercise increases the availability of rich, oxygenated blood for the brain, enabling it to operate at its highest efficiency.  That workout has also been shown to actually increase the quantity of neurons in the brain (see “Studies” above),  it also increases the chemical BDNF or brain derived neurotropic factor, which is important for the process of forming memories.   Exercise obviously makes you a sharper more alert individual.  You clearly are building that mind, as well as the muscles.
  2. Exercise releaves depression.  There have been ample studies to illustrate this effect, as exercise has been shown to make more of the feel good neurotransmitters dopamine and acetylcholine available, and provide the release of endorphins from the pituitary which also gives an immediate lift.  It has even outperformed anti-depression drugs in some studies.  When you’re getting leaner and stronger how can you not feel better about your life?? It’s what nature intended.
  3. Exercise Relieves Pain:  For those involved in serious accidents, heart surgery, or in cases of mild to moderate arthritis – what is one protocol they have in common?  Physical therapy.  That is because the increase of mobility and the rebuilding of damaged or neglected tissue depends upon physical activity, and it is the greatest way to relieve pain in the long run.  The idea that fitness activity creates aches and pains is a perception that really must be overcome.  The exact opposite is true, and once you have continued a program for yourself for a short time you will experience the benefit.
  4. Exercise increases Energy:  Another popular and probably subconscious misconception is that since exercise requires the expenditure of exercise you thus increase your fatigue.  This goes against the indisputable evidence that fitness increases available strength and energy, but when you don’t want to work out – do you really think logically?  Don’t be a slave to inertia.  Get up and get it done!
  5. Exercise makes you younger:  You look that way and feel that way, why should you dispute it?  Exercise has been shown to reverse the physiological and cumulative debilitative effects of aging.  It has been shown to reverse the shortening of telomeres and other molecular “timers” of aging, so to argue against this effect is academic and very negative, isn’t it?

Why shortchange yourself from a big part of life?  Getting the body you want provides a lot more benefit than just losing weight.  It can change your world.  This is why those exercisers always seem to have a smile on their face and a bounce in their step.  🙂  Go ahead, try it and prove them wrong!

Warren

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Being Against ” Anti-Aging” is Getting Pretty Stale….

Posted on February 15, 2014 by Warren Dostie

fruitless3

Yes, they desperately want to protect us from ourselves…   “just shut up and grow old!”

An article entitled “10 things the Anti-Aging Industry won’t say” in the Wall Street Journal recently criticized the attempts of earnest people to mitigate the effects of aging, essentially saying that anti-aging is a fruitless quest, so stop fighting the inevitable and save your money.    Though I often read and highly recommend this prestigious newspaper they are clearly not immune to frivolous and negative rhetoric.

We anti-agers are not a gullible, uniformed lot!  To the contrary, avid life extensionists and other health conscious people really do their homework; the ones consistently purchasing supplements and frequenting the workout clubs know how to get the most bang for their buck and it shows on their faces and their bodies.  They are not wasting their resources on a fruitless quest.  Not only that, for the most part science is in their corner.

The article went on to say that “There are no treatments that have been rigorously shown to reverse aging” – Thomas Perls, prof of medicine at Boston Univ School of Medicine.  Ok, so what is he saying?  That we attempt to chronologically turn back the clock?  Who is suggesting that?  But from a practical viewpoint – the view the articles authors themselves are trying to stress, we can reverse most of the negative consequences that aging may present.  Doesn’t this beg the question?  How about the numerous scientific findings that show exercise and dietary protocol do affect and reverse cellular and molecular benchmarks themselves for actual aging?  I have remarked upon this in many earlier posts, the effect of exercise and dietary supplements on telomere length, brain neuron regeneration and various other aspects of it show much more is at work physiologically, and we are not wasting our time or money.

Noted health advocate Sanjay Gupta said recently in an interview that he is very enthusiastic on exercise – he has witnessed personally how it has reversed his own bodily age progression.  He said that he had his telomeres checked prior to beginning a running/weight program, and then repeated the process months later to find that they had lengthened to resemble a much younger person.  This process can be shown to be effective for those much older that the noted doctor.

Fighting aging is a noble undertaking.  It is not “insecurity” that impels us to better ourselves any more that taking an evening course to further our careers is greedy or arrogant.  The more you work against the declines of aging the more you benefit.  Rather than showing insecurity you are showing good sense!  But be sure to be nice to those anti-anti-agers if you happen to visit them in the geriatric clinic on your way to the gym or the basketball court. 🙂

wsj

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Sugar – A Burst of Negative Health Repercussions

Posted on February 9, 2014 by Warren Dostie

just one please

How much sugar do you really get every day?  The answer might surprise you, though it’s through no fault of your own.

Most people have heard of the “glycemic index” that is the rate at which sugar is absorbed, but the total glycemic load is another factor to be concerned with.  Because of so many dietary “experts” advocating a high consumption of complex carbohydrates, the levels of glucose and its “partner in disaster” insulin reach and remain at a destructive high for most people.  The result is obesity, diabetes, heart disease, sarcopenia, dementia, and a host of other diseases of western society.

So we need to go beyond the obvious and look at all carbs including complex carbohydrates as sugar, because that’s exactly what they are.  A complex carbohydrate or starch is merely a polymer of sugars, or a chain of them.  The fact that most unprocessed starches do come with a vitamin/mineral package does not exonerate them from the overall load of glucose that they contain.  To make matters worse the preferred mode of sweetening for soft drinks and other foods is high fructose corn syrup which can greatly contribute to obesity beyond merely it’s calorie content.

These are the real destroyers of your health:

sugar threats

Perhaps I should have omitted the potatoes at the bottom, but only if they are not peeled!

When I was a young boy we used to go out to the neighbors yard and pull up carrots or cucumbers, wipe em off and eat till we were gorged.  We’d grab string beans from vines or even pick certain plants in the forest an eat them with relish.  We actually preferred this to endlessly crunching on potato chips or candy.  Which do you reallythink is the acquired taste?  For a hint, remember that taste is your body’s natural way of spurring you to supply it with the nutrients it needs.  Theres a societal and economic reason for the poor dietary habits that are prevalent today.

Have you ever considered the Paleo Diet?  This one advocates a philosophy I’ve always espoused: Eat the diet that got us here.  Our bodies haven’t changed much in the past 50,000 years; we survived and thrived on foods in their natural state, so why not emulate it?  Meats, nuts, fruits, vegetative matter, berries, etc, etc.  Try to get back to that and a side benefit might surprise you – a rekindled enjoyment and enhanced taste for the good stuff.

To your health

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Health and Convenience – Diet with Foresight

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Warren Dostie

leftover 4

I suppose I could have opted for a Filet-0-fish and French fries…..

Do leftovers have to be a dreary alternative to enjoyable eating?  I say absolutely not!  But how much planning do we put into our lunches on a daily basis?  It’s usually a snap decision right?   But as you’ll see lunchtime can make it or break it for your fitness or weight loss plans.

Lots of us do make it a point to save our left overs for our “meals on the fly” the next day.  We usually do it either for convenience or to simply save money.  But if you have expended a bit of effort to ensure that you get at least one healthy meal every evening, why not multiply the payoff by carrying it over to the next day?  All this takes is thinking a bit larger when you prepare the entrée (hopefully we don’t encourage gorging 🙂 and putting together a nice little package when you clean up after the big meal.  Thinking even farther upstream you might take that foresight with you to the grocery store too.  Whatever you end up buying is what you end up eating, so you should get into a fitness mindset when you are cruising the aisles.  This is one of the secrets to success in weight loss and in body or strength building.

I’ve been engaged recently in an attempt at a later age to increase my strength and body mass.  Fitness is not my goal because I’ve always had that, but I’ve been only marginally successful at increases because of inconsistent eating habits.  Very simply put I don’t get enough protein.  This has resulted in those freaky dream episodes I wrote about recently, and also in the disasterous unexpected weight loss I’ve seen.  (I’m a lean dude, don’t wanna be a bone wracker!)  But as any serious trainer knows if you up the exertion you have to up the cals and protein.  At age 57 my body’s protein synthesis has also slowed a bit so this is a critical requirement.  I’ve made the adjustment however.  Its very simple, as I’ve said it all just takes a little planning.

Successful dieting for whatever the goal requires intelligent choices, and the utilizing of the power of substitution.  There are many healthful options you can select in your menu – that are also enjoyable, you simply have to plan ahead.  If you don’t you might have to just grab for that burger and fries.

They call it “fast food” for a reason.  It’s all about convenience and low pricing.  But underneath it all its about conditioning and habit too.  If you plan ahead by saving healthy adequate leftovers (including snacks) and have these available the next day you beat the fast food establishments at their own games – and reach your health goals in the process.

I call this “dietary jiu jitsu”   – intelligent leverage in you strategic execution.  I hope it works out for you!

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Sleep Without Medication

Posted on January 4, 2014 by Warren Dostie

evening

Well, the holidays are winding down, so for most of us it’s back to work and hopefully back to getting to sleep normally.  I think most would agree that there are few things more exasperating than trying to force yourself back into slumber in the wee hours of the morning:  laying there playing some mental game to “shut out the lights”, straining and fidgeting for a comfortable position.   How you can expect to actively slow an active mind dumbfounds me.  But that’s what I myself often do at night.  There is hope however, if you follow a few simple guidelines and take a couple safe supplements you can easily and thoroughly get that long needed rest you so require.

First, here are the basics – the ones every expert seems to ring in with:

  1. Be sure to get in a bit of exercise every day, you need this actual physical expenditure for your body to put itself deeply under when you hit the hay.  Even a 15 minute walk can have a dramatic effect on your nocturnal success (not to mention the waistline).
  2. Try to get to bed (and up) at the same time every day.  Our physical bodies don’t understand or care a hoot about modern schedules.  They do as  nature designs.  Of course an extra hour occasionally when you’ve overworked or underslept might do more good than harm, but the regular schedule should be your target for the long run.  Forget the idea of “sleeping-in” till 10:00 sunday morning.  Your body will spend most of the next week trying to readjust.
  3. Don’t have a large meal too close to retiring.  This does put a workload upon your digestive system;  I’ve often noticed the unpleasant sensation of my heart racing in the middle of the night if  I’ve had a few the previous evening, or a large desert.  This is NOT conducive to cutting the Z’s, I’d suspect…
  4. The next not so obvious suggestion they give: avoid alcoholic beverages at night.  It’s true that alcohol might be able to “knock you out” like any other drug, but you will not experience the deep REM sleep stages you require.  Again, if you love a beer for the game or that favorite dance show, go ahead and enjoy it, just limit it to one!
  5. Here is one that they give which I dispute:  “Reserve the bedroom for sleep or sex. The television or tablet exudes rays that interfere with melatonin, etc….”  One of the strangest phenomenon this strange guy (me) experiences regularly:  I’m reading on line in the dark with just one small light on, I’m nodding off as drowsy as hell and so click the tablet and night light off and voila:  I’m suddenly as wide awake as at a football game.  This ever happened to you?  Heres how I’ve coped with it:  I now read with just the Ipad OR night light – well within reach, and when I start to drop off I snap it off with as little motion as possible.  In conjunction with my other suggestions below this has seemed to do the trick.

If you are a real tough case in the sleep department you should give the natural sleep hormone melatonin a good try.  I would recommend that you experiment with the smallest possible dose however –  opt for 300-500 micrograms to start.  This surprisingly may be more effective than the higher doses available.  In one study (“studies” page)  300 micros worked better than 3000 (3 mg) in inducing sleep.  Perhaps it’s your own body’s production making a small adaptation?  At any rate you can slowly increase the dosage if you see no results.  Melatonin is a very safe supplement at quite high doses.  (read label for any interactions with certain drugs, etc.)   You should not expect it to knock you out as a sleeping pill would, but it can greatly help your efforts in the long run,  and naturally.  By the way, melatonin is a very powerful antioxidant,  it works its magic primarily in the brain, which is kinda important…..

Some dietary suggestions:  Certain foods contain tryptophan, an amino acid that converts to serotonin (the calming neurotransmitter) and ultimately melatonin.  Turkey and milk are often noted for this.  They can work, but usually only if a small amount of carbohydrates are also consumed.  (turkey also contains tyrosine which converts to dopamine and adrenaline!)  The carbs will work to express the serotonin instead.   Opt for foods such as bananas, milk and cookies (yes! but only a few), cottage cheese and seeds that contain tryptophan and also magnesium.  Magnesium is a very smart choice to supplement also, as I’ve noted in many posts.  Despite it’s presence in many foods, many people are deficient in this mineral, which I call the great relaxer.  It’s many therapeutic effects include the ability to attain a quicker and deeper sleep.

One last important recommendation.  It is important to put the day’s issues to rest before you put yourself there.  Try to “finalize” them before you walk to the bedroom.  This little solemn act should be part of a closing evening ritual to prepare yourself for slumber.  Then as you read that boring book or article your mind is not taxed and you can thus allow it to drift around which is the desired goal.  I’ve been working on a short novel for about two weeks now, it’s not a very exciting one, and I am only able to get a couple pages in before zzzzzzzz.

Hope I haven’t put you to sleep with this latest post.  Well then maybe you can save it for a particularly difficult night?

To a deeper slumber

Warren

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The Great “Solution” for New Years Resolutions….

Posted on December 31, 2013 by Warren Dostie

sunbreakinthru

Why are people so fond of making grand resolutions this time of year?  It’s obviously because they hope that all the pomp and celebration of the occasion will create a sort of momentum to propel them into a new start, right?   A nice formal and dramatic way of breaking with the past and opening the door to a newer, better life.  Is there anything wrong with this optimism?  Heck no!  It’s all about attitude ain’t it?  “You can do anything that you put your mind to” they say, and I firmly agree – as long as you also put your hands to it.  I have here a couple of powerful tools right at your disposal that might truly make a difference this year.  If you use them consistently you might find that the typical February “drop from the wagon” actually becomes a time where you start reveling in your success.  Check it out.

I read an article recently about a well known billionaire who stated that since he was a young man he began every single day with a few minutes of quiet meditation.  He felt that this little ritual was as instrumental to his success as all of the other principles and practices he performed as a businessman.   Well, I think you can safely classify this guy as an authority.  He obviously knew the importance of starting out right.

Just as we instinctively know the importance the New Year  we should do a little favor for ourselves and treat every single morning the same way.  It truly does set the tone for the entire day.  We often tend to just drift into work every morning after waking, spending (wasting) a good chunk of the morning with small talk and yawning as we shake out the cobwebs.  How much better it would be if we could take the first ten minutes to give ourselves a little pep talk, to mentally reaffirm the commitments we created, and to prep for our first course of action.  The person who thinks he can slowly build momentum throughout the morning hopefully will remember to smile at all the fast starters as they blow by him. 🙂

The other critical time for success-minded individuals is that time just before closing the books on the workday.  This is the perfect time to set the agenda for the next day.  You have all of you requirements and objectives fresh in mind, hopefully with all sorts of notes and important points to cover tomorrow.  This list will be far more complete than one you can throw together in the morning.  I’ve seen that one of the biggest failings of mediocre performers is trying to sort out the days agenda – on the day they are suppose to be executing it!   Using a preplanned list not only makes you faster and more efficient, but it also actually gives you more flexibility to fit more in.  But it has to be layed out and ready for you when you first wake up.

So why not make this one of your own New Years resolutions?  Resolve to give yourself ten minutes every night and ten minutes first thing in the morning – every single day – for a month.  Success breeds excitement.  It also thrives on application and consistency.  See if you can grab your own little chunk of wealth just as that billionaire did!

Cheers!

champagne2

Warren

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Alarming Dietary Health Shortages

Posted on December 29, 2013 by Warren Dostie

healthy

Are you getting all that your body requires?

Even with that healthy diet you are maintaining (-I hope!)  there is still a very great risk that you are running short on certain key nutrients.   Some health advocates may say otherwise for sure, but the fact is that in this day of modern food processing, soil depletion, toxic contamination, etc.  just trying to watch what you eat  is not enough.  Furthermore, in order to be effective, a smart supplementation plan must be complete and intelligently integrated in it’s design.  Otherwise a disturbing condition may be difficult to diagnose, and the long term effects of many deficiencies can be drastic.

Here are some of the surprising nutrients many of us fall short on:

  • Iodine.  According to the Journal of American College of Nutrition, (2006 Feb 25(1)1-11)  nearly 74% of normal, so called “healthy” adults are not consuming enough iodine.  Part of the explanation may be the reduced consumption of Iodized salt by health-conscious individuals, and also the fact that flour production no longer uses iodine, instead opting for bromide which can actually inhibit the action of iodine.  Iodine is a critical element of the diet, make no mistake about it.  It is necessary for the production of thyroid hormone, and thus regulates almost all facets of metabolism.  Some of the symptoms of iodine shortage:  Fatigue, muscle weakness, weight gain or loss, mental “fog”, irritability, depression, joint or muscle pain.  As stated it is far reaching and critically important.  Iodine may also prevent breast and stomach cancers, it can treat or prevent diabetes and helps to maintain normal immunity.  Here are your best dietary sources for iodine:  Eggs, Dairy, seafood, seaweed in particular, iodized salt, soy sauce.  (Seafood, soy – is it surprising that Japanese women suffer only 1/3 the breast cancer rate of their American counterparts?)
  • Vitamin B12.  B vitamins are critical for so many functions that I always recommend their supplementation despite the availability in so many foods.  I’ve written on them earlier here, and despite this easy accessibility B12 in particular may be lacking in many people’s diets.  According to Prev Medicine (2004 Dec:39(6):1256-66, “up to 40% of Americans have low levels of B12 (cobalamin)and more than 20% of those over 65 suffer from severe B12 deficiency.”  This may in part be responsible for that “mental fog” so many attribute to aging; it’s deficiency has been linked to depression, cognitive impairment, and age-related dementia.  Along with B6 and folate it is also an important player in the metabolic process of methylation,  neutralizing the dangerous amino acid homocysteine and thus safeguarding against cardiovascular diseases.   Your best dietary sources of B12:  Meats, eggs, dairy products.  Vegetarians must be sure to supplement B12 or they could run the risk of developing pernicious anemia.
  • Gamma Tocopherol.  (a version of Vitamin E)  One of the most popular ones on the shelves, Vitamin E or alpha tocopherol is well noted for its antioxidant and cardioprotective properties.  However, if you are taking  D alpha tocopherol in particularly large doses you run the risk of upsetting some important metabolic balances.  Excessive Vitamin E (over 1500 iu/day) may contribute to the development of TMP or tocopherol mediated peroxidation, where the antioxidant itself becomes a radical after giving up its electron.  This must be neutralized or recharged by other antioxidants such as Vitamin C and lipoic acid.  Another drawback to overloading on alpha tocopherol is that it can supplant the important gamma version in the cell membranes.  (“Studies” page above)  Gamma tocopherol, (along with tocotrienols) can neutralize already existing free radicals in the cells.  The recommended dosage: 50-300 mg/day.
  • Vitamin K.  Everyone knows this one as an important blood clotting agent, but  Vitamin Ks importance goes well beyond that function. It is critical to maintaining bone strength and also cardiovascular health.  The K1 version is present in green leafy vegetables, the other one – Vitamin K2 – is manufactured by bacteria in the GI tract.  I find it’s interrelationship with calcium to be pretty interesting – K2 is necessary to remove excess calcium from the bloodstream where it can lead to calcification of arterial tissue ( and also cartilage, by the way).  Consumption of insufficient calcium prompts the body to draw it from the bones so it can be used for the nervous system.  If inadequate vitamin K2 is present this free calcium can actually deform arterial tissue into bone forming cells, and a downward spiral of arterial disease is inevitable.  Unfortunately it is very easy to be deficient in vitamin K despite a healthy diet because to its poor absorbability and insufficient GI production.  This is exacerbated by the fact that most multi vitamins fail to include it.  (check your own)  Vit K is a very inexpensive one to add to your arsenal.
  • Magnesium.  Here is another interesting study -despite being present in so many foods most people are still consuming insufficient amounts of this critical mineral.  It’s almost hard to name a biological function that is not in some way dependent upon magnesium to some extent.  It is necessary for nerve function, bone matrix construction, hormone manufacture, energy generation, etc, etc.  Suffering from diabetes, or maybe high blood pressure?  Trouble sleeping at night?  Magnesium supplementation may be the answer.  In America alone less than 30% are getting enough of this mineral, with all the food sources it is hard to explain.  Consume more nuts, chocolate, pumpkin seeds, bananas and whole grain products.  As a low-cost assurance you might add a 250 mg supplement in the evening.
  • Vitamin D.  The info on this hormone-like vitamin keeps pouring in.  It is well known for it’s role in calcium absorption, but it is also very important to immunity, and diseases like tuberculosis and multiple sclerosis have been linked to its deficiency.  Vitamin D is important to muscle protein synthesis, and thus in promoting muscle mass and strength.   It may even aid in the burning of fat.  In an interesting meta-analysis published in BioMed Central  Public Health, researchers found a lower risk of dying over 3.8 to 13.5 years among men and women with the highest Vit D levels.  Up to 75% of Americans may be low in this important vitamin.  Experts recommend supplementation of 1,000-2,000 iu per day for most people.

So as you can see, though a healthful diet is always the first recommendation, it may not be enough to ensure the robust, long healthy life you desire.  These critical nutrients are easy to get, and inexpensive to supplement.  Why not cover all the bases?

Warren

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Motivating Yourself for Exercise: Brain Power trumps Willpower

Posted on December 22, 2013 by Warren Dostie

riley waiting2

Ok, there’s no denying that it’s sometimes very difficult to peel yourself up off that couch to start your walk or workout routine– even though you know that your health and well being require it.   That big blob of inertia just won’t seem to let go of you sometimes.   Well cheer up, there’s a way you can make it easy on yourself and reach all of your fitness goals – if you just bring a little “Mental Jiu Jitsu” into play….

Lets take a second here and analyze why you have such a reluctance to any form of physical exercise.  One possibility is that you might  be short circuiting your own plans without even knowing it.  You are very likely making a mountain out of a molehill, and building up an exaggerated  dread of the coming “ordeal”.

When we’re faced with an unpleasant task we have a natural tendency to downplay the reward of its completion and overestimate the effort required.  “I don’t have to start right this very second.”  Or “It might not really be worth all the work, there is some controversy about it’s value you know.”  Sure.  The brain gets very creative when trying to avoid an uncomfortable proposition.  And as you can see this mental train is going off a cliff; you need to redirect it mighty quick.   Why not simply flip the switch?  Downplay the effort required and sweeten the payoff.

This is actually the more realistic viewpoint by the way.  You’re not stepping into the cage for a round with Cain Velasquez (the heavyweight champ), you’re only taking your pooch for a one mile walk, or doing 20 minutes with the weights.  After that of course you can grab a beer and plop right back on that couch where you are right now.  “Mission accomplished – where was I?”

In addition to a more realistic perspective on your exertion you have to do as those positive thinking chanters say and visualize that payoff.  What exactly are you working out for?  To eliminate or mitigate the threat of disease?  To get off the diabetes drugs and your other “issues“?  To develop more energy and build a strong youthful body?  Turn your mind deliberately to those visions.  They will be reality.  Now you are ready for move #2 in the mental jiu jitsu program.  The start.

Remember to downplay the exertion.  Don’t tell yourself you’re going to bust your butt for an hour.  Just put on your shoes and go.  Start at a low pitch then simply keep going if you’d like.  Once you begin you find that it’s really no big deal after all, and that big ugly blob of inertia begins to melt really fast!

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Useful Health Myths

Posted on December 7, 2013 by Warren Dostie

Your dietary medicine cabinet

targetfoods

The ancients always seemed to seek a mystical connection for all of their medicinal advice –  and sometimes they got it right despite themselves.  I am referring to a centuries old theory called the “Doctrine of Signatures” put forth by a Renaissance physician named Paracelsus.  He noted how some foods seem to resemble bodily organs and so made the connection that these substances would benefit those specific organs and even cure ailments particular to them.  Well, it just happens that these foods are very healthy and broad spectrum in their benefits, so the guy almost couldn’t miss!

Notice how celery looks almost exactly like a bone 🙂  Naturally it just has to maintain strong bones.  Of course it actually does help in that respect, but being such a healthy disease fighting food item it benefits in the prevention of cancers and other illnesses as a nifty bonus. 

Carrots (when sliced of course) resemble the human eye, walnuts resemble a brain, and a stack of grapes resemble a heart? (had trouble with that one).  The list goes on and on.  It’s important to remember that from a scientific point of view correlation does not imply causation.  Still, it’s kind of a fun theory.

Some of his assumptions might be considered a bit of a reach though.  The tomato slice pictured above is supposed to look like a heart, to me upon close examination it looks more like a lung.  What do you think?

heart-lung

With the vitamin C, potassium, lycopene and other phytonutrients in the tomato it certainly does benefit the heart, but probably even more so the prostate.

Green peppers must be good for the muscles I would say.  This one definitely looks like the Incredible Hulks butt!

GammaRay butt

To your health  🙂

Warren

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Is Breakfast REALLY the Most Important Meal of the Day?

Posted on November 30, 2013 by Warren Dostie

Dreamsteak

The dream usually starts out the same way:  I’m at some function waiting for the meal to be served and a waitress starts toward me with a huge plate and a tantalizing, dripping,  inch-thick ham steak on it.  She wends through the crowd nearing my table when suddenly someone bumps her and the steak and platter crash to the floor.  I’m devastated.  The other version I’ve often had:  I’m standing over a glass case at a buffet staring down at – that’s right – huge delicious looking ham steaks garnished and oozing sauces and aroma.  I’m told by management something like this: “Those will not be served tonight,  however you can pick from the finger-rolls at the end of the table”.  At this point I usually wake up sweating.

The above lamentations are the absolute truth.  I have had those exact dreams every night when I’ve performed a hard  workout and forgotten to include a hearty, protein rich snack just before bed.  It’s almost ludicrous.  The body is definitely trying to tell me something here.

The title of this post brings into question the validity of the claims by many experts that breakfast is unquestionably the most important meal of the day.  There is no doubt that the body craves nutrients after a long 8-10 hour fast, and you do need to restoke the furnace per se, but a hearty meal first think apon rising may not be in your best interests.

Experts like to point out that studies repeatedly show that breakfast eaters tend to lose more weight than those who “rush out the door”.  They also are correct in stating that the abstainers usually crash around two hours later and have to reach for something to calm their hunger.  But these natural repercussions don’t imply that a huge repast should start your day.

Bigbreakfast5

The weight loss findings might be explained in other ways

For example, those who routinely skip breakfast typically don’t walk out the door without anything, they usually grab a doughnut or a bagle and a large coffee loaded with sugar to prime the engine.  Is it really a great mystery why they are hungry 2 hours later?  And of course they then grab a bag of chips or something else from the vending machine and a couple more cups of java….   Yet they can’t understand why they have so much trouble losing weight 🙂  These unfortunate souls are putting themselves on a rollercoaster of glucose/insulin spikes,  crashing blood sugar levels and also a neurotransmitter tug of war.   Along with sedentary habits these are the basis of the modern western obesity epidemic.

But common sense and good dietary advice provide easy solutions.  Nutrients are required by our bodies for two basic reasons:  To provide building blocks for repair and hormone/enzyme mfg, and to serve as energy obtained from the carbs, fat and protein.  Each meal should be geared for the specific deficit our bodies are experiencing at any time.

My agonizing nocturnal cravings illustrate the drastic need for protein and minerals to rebuild after a serious workout.  The dreams do not occur if I have a slow digesting protein rich snack at around ten at night.

In the morning the building material isn’t as important a factor because most of the repair occurs at night – with the raw material furnished in the evening.  All that’s needed is a bit of protein for neurotransmitter stimulus and a bit of carbs, vitamins and fats for energy production.  There is no need for a huge meal and that can really weigh you down.  A simple egg with a piece of whole grain toast or a glass of whey protein with a banana (as I usually  have) will set you right for the morning.

That high quality protein with your breakfast stimulates glucagon which can access glucose from the liver later in the morning to stave off hunger.  The protein also generates “wakeful neurotransmitters” to keep you alert.  A bit of fat and fiber rich carbs can also provide slow-release glucose to keep the fire burning.  Then a mid morning healthy snack like fruit is all you will need to carry you through to your main meal.

So in summary, my belief is that breakfast is an important meal but not any more so that the other 2 to 4 that you may be accustomed to.  Smaller meals throughout the day is the healthiest any way you look at it.  Choose quality over quantity.  It’s clearly the most reliable way to enable weight loss and also training gains.

To your health  (and sweet dreams 🙂

Warren

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