A Tale of two cheeses

 



Just a quick reminder, if you like what you read, forward this email to a friend, or use the little tab at the bottom to link it to your facebook page.  

Why do I ask this?   Its because this is a completely private endeavor I am building up from an initial readership of less than 20, --- but if those 20 forward to 5 more, and then those people forward to 5 more, and we can pick up some folks from facebook  --- then soon we can become a readership with a little bit of power ---

 

- If we can reach 1000 verified readers, then we have buying power , and its power I can take to the manufacturer's of some of the product I recommend and get you guys' better deals on it, among other things, like being able to attract some all star talent for columns and seminars.  

  

Some of you guys and gals are helping out though, as the last entry was downloaded and read by 192 people !   Doesn't sound like much, but its a lot closer to 1000 than 19 was

 

 

 Thank you very much in advance for your support ---- Doug

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A TALE OF TWO CHEESES

 

 

 

 

Today's entry is short and sweet--- I have been busy with my "civilian career" and haven't had as much time to put into prose as I would like , but today's  message centers once again around making smarter food choices


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Pictured above is ace product tester,  Buttercup.   She is a dedicated taskmaster and is in charge of the post training nap department, among other things

Relatively interesting phenomenon happened  yesterday while I was prepping a quick midday meal --- just 1/2 a pita with some Boars HEad lower sodium roast beef and a bit of cheese

Cheese was Kraft Deli Deluxe American cheese slices --- in the hierarchy of American cheeses, this stuff is close to the top (but that's a little like saying you can bench press more than anybody in your kid's 3rd grade classroom - LOL )

The product tester was looking up at me as if to say -- "Where's mine?" --- so I tore off a bite size piece of cheese not much bigger than a quarter for her

---- Here's where it got weird - Buttercup sniffed, then gave the piece of cheese a lick, then she slowly took it from me -- after 2 seconds of holding it in her mouth, she put it back down on the floor.

Curious, I opened up a Babybel snack size cheese wheel --- these come in little round wax capsules and the Lite versions are perfect for a midday snack with a couple of celery stalks
  --- I portioned out roughly half of the Babybel piece and the result was entirely different .

She thought I was playing another trick on her at first like I did with the Kraft, so she sniffed it for a second -- then when she was satisfied it was actually good to go,   it was gone in a tiny little flash of jaws and teeth

 

 

Cute story , sure -- but it made me stop and think -----   If my dog won't eat pasteurized, processed American cheese, why should I?    And why should you?
    
      Things like this seem innocent enough, and its hard to imagine a summer backyard burger without a couple of slices of this ----  the calorie count is not even that big a deal.   70 calories/slice compares favorably to a thin slice of  fresh deli cheddar or Monterey jack,  

   -- but I believe I am going to defer to my crackerjack young product tester on this one from here on out -- why fill my body up with sub-par product?   Garbage in, garbage out and all that

(I believe I even wrote a few paragraphs on this last month
http://fitclaimspro.blogspot.com/2013/12/you-wouldnt-put-87-octane-in-your.html)



I felt I was spot on with my pita choice however, --- If I'm making something myself , I like to use Ezekiel's stuff --- its commonly found in freezer sections  and is named after the bible verse, Ezekiel 4:9
 "Take also unto thee wheat and barley and beans, lentils, millet and spelt, put them in one vessel and make bread of it ---"

The ingredients list reads like an all star lineup --  (copied from Food For Life's site)
 Organic 100% Stone Ground Whole Wheat Flour, Water, Fresh Carrots, Barley Flour, Millet Flour, Lentil Flour, Spelt Flour, Soy Flour, Fresh Yeast, Sea Salt.

Try 'em out , you might like them --- The spelted bread was recommended to me years ago by a couple of coaches and even a dietitian


I wholeheartedly admit I am subject to brain fade from time to time , --- if  I am making my lunch with the best ingredients I can get, why am I garnishing it with a  10 cent slice of cheese ?

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disclaimer:    The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice.  This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted

Make Lunch your b--ch !

                 Make Lunch Your Bitch

                               
                                               this guy does - and everything else

 

I was having  a conversation with a family member a few days ago --- one who also runs a very busy schedule.  

He said --- There is no way I can follow these so-called guidelines on eating food every 3-4 hours.   I do good if I eat one meal a day

This opinion will be parroted by a lot of people out there I am trying to reach--

My response to this in print is  -- "Congratulations ! -- You are training your body to be a very efficient fat storage machine !" 

Now this person does not have a weight problem, so I cannot knock him personally  on that ---- but eating one meal a day and following it up with a couple of evening beers or glasses of wine to get to sleep is not an efficient way to fuel your day regardless of your size

Some people just don't put on a lot of extra weight -- fact of life.   But running a 25 year diet like this will cause you to turn into the 50 year old guy at the party who proudly proclaims -
      --  "I've been wearin' the same size pants since my failed attempt at junior college ! "

  ---- maybe -- but now those pants ride 4 inches lower because you cant get 'em over your little beer pooch efficiently- plus your arms look like little candlesticks   --- this is the "skinny-fat" syndrome that affects a lot of guys (sometimes girls too)

So go ahead --- have 5 cups of coffee for breakfast,  then by 10:30, when you're starving, be the first in line at Chili's/Applebees/RedRobin/Fuddruckers  -etc etc  for a  1300 calorie burger platter  ---

when the effects of carb overload flood your brain at 2 pm, simply fight it off and keep driving forward, because its only 3 more hours till 5 o'clock -----  then its beer time, and sleep time
Sounds like fun , huh?

But how's your 2 mile time? How many pushups can you knock out before your arms collapse like wet noodles?

       Guess what?  Although that's a horrible meal ( except for the occasional necessary cheat day that is good for your soul) -- at the end of the day, you are still not clocking in an optimum amount of caories to fuel a whole day
           lets see -- coffee is almost a calorie negative, then add in 1300 calories at Chili's ,  a few diet sodas, then 5 beers ---- your only at 1800 calories when ideally you should be running on perhaps 2500 - 2600 if it was spaced properly

   You would think that working on a 800 calorie per day deficit from ideal that you would be as skinny as Twiggy,  --- but whats happening is your body has adjusted to the deficit, -- set its thermostat quite a bit lower, and has also turned on the internal valve that causes you to burn carbohydrates for fuel instead of fat

        that late afternoon energy dump you feel after a big lunch is an insulin reaction to processing a big meal --- and because you are now somewhat carb dependent --- that first afternoon beer starts to perk you up and bring you around ---- puts you into  "party mode!"  Woo Hoo

   --- But -- its not really  a party mode -- it has more to do with carb dependence.     It has similarities to when a diabetic  feels run down, but when they eat a late afternoon candy bar , - it perks them right back up
             Kind of scary that your " 1 meal a day" plan has your system in such a state of flux that it can compare to the effects a diabetic feels

------ How the hell would I know this?  Easy -- I have already divulged  that I'm my first and best customer, - that means I've done this and felt this too

             Wouldn't it be better to know that with just a few tweaks and modifications to how you currently perform your day, -- that you can be more productive?   More productive at work, more energetic at home,  and having the ability to bounce out of bed in the morning with enthusiasm ?

  Some may say ---- "That sounds alright ,  Mr Johnny Atlas, - but I work for a living --- I don't sit on a computer all day dreaming up my next long, exhausting stint on a rowing  machine,  or my next turkey Panini recipe  !"

   I know you work hard  --- so do I, in all reality---------  A couple of my early blog posts from December deal with how to overcome some of this. - and I'd recommend re-reading them, but I will also be adding new ideas to the mix periodically     ( http://fitclaimspro.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-poor-worker-blames-his-tools-and.html ,   http://fitclaimspro.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-poor-worker-blames-his-tools-part-2.html)

The ideas I have in these page's are also just that -- ideas .   Its not gospel---- so put your own spin on things --- but if I suggest maybe tucking a couple of apples in your cooler in the morning, -- don't make it a caramel apple , -- know what I mean ?

   You may blow $300 bucks trying to find a protein or meal replacement  powder you can stomach-- because its physically hard to eat a real meal 5 times a day,  but in the long run, my plan may actually wind up saving you money
  --- I have some recommendations on some good ones, but I'm not on any companies'  payroll but my own, -- so if  you want a solid recommendo, shoot me an email   (Not the bars --- geez , every time I go to a nutrition store - there are 37 new bars there, - I cant make sense of all of them)

 -- One general recommendation I can make on bars though, is to steer clear of the "energy bars" and instead look to bars that have a higher percentage of protein .   Some of these energy bars have as much sugar as a Red Bull and as many calories as a regular cheeseburger from MackDonalds.

       Your protein infused meal replacement bar will have plenty of calories too, but the greater % of protein to carbs lessens the effect of the late afternoon energy dump
     A lot of bars are marketed at the endurance sports crowd too (ORiginal Clif bars and Powerbars just to name a couple) --- these have a huge carb to protein ratio and should be avoided by many of us  -- although I think these companies also have options for people who don't need that many carbs

       ---- The little tiny Nutri-Grain type bars , OTOH, are also mostly carbohydrate, but their calorie count is pretty low - maybe 90 or so, -- and they make a good complement to your protein or meal replacement  shaker bottle.   You get 220-250 calories or so from your big scoop of  high protein drink mix, then you add in 80 calories of carbs with a nutri- grain bar and it helps provide a little glue to hold everything together in your stomach , and makes you feel like you actually had a light meal, instead of feeling like you just drank a big glass of chocolate milk ---
         -- it also comes close to what a lot of dietitians now think is the pefect ration of fats to proteins to carbs, -- with most recommending no more than 40% of your daily calories to come from carbs -- sometimes less




Basically , carbs should complement your meals , not dominate your meals  ----- whether its a snack like I talked about just now, or if its a real food meal -------

          want some examples (2 good and 1 bad) ?    ---- myself and 2 of the staff went to lunch yesterday and here is what was on the table

                 

 


Meal 1  --   First up is mine  -------- yep, I still foolishly think a sandwich should have a little bread involved  --- but in this case the bread is sourdough ---  we have all heard that darker breads are more nutrient dense than spongy white wonder bread -------- well sourdough is a white bread that acts like a dark bread because of whatever is in there that makes it "sour" (yeast fermentation or some such )  -----stacked up turkey, tomatoes and lettuce with feta cheese  in lieu of other condiments ----
 ---also went for grilled veggies instead of fries or chips

         MEal 2 -  Next on the table is this good lookin' Mediterranean salad --- I see some grilled chicken in there, crumbled up Feta to give it some flavor (and a bit of good fat ) -- plus a little bit of toasted pita bread or lavash bread or something ---- but like I said, the little squares of lavash complement the meal, not dominate it

  ----------- personal note though - I like salads, and can do a big salad like this on occasion, maybe even a couple of times a week  -- but I still sort of regard daily salad consumption as a chick thing

So where's the bad in all this? --
 Meal number 3 --- Chicken noodle soup made with orzo (tiny little greek pasta pellets that  look like rice)
           Chicken - good;  Veggies - Good; Chicken broth - marginal due to very high levels of sodium - probably a days worth in a cup of soup like this ;  then add in the Orzo and saltine crackers,( which are basically processed white flour, water and lard -)    and you have a lunch time favorite that looks good - and might even be confused with a "healthy dish" --- but has a lot of drawbacks

None of these meals bust 500 calories --  -  and even with the negative thoughts I had on the soup, its still more harmless than a lot of things mainly due to its low calorie count -- but if you do something like that at luch , compensate throughout the rest of  the day with greater percentages of protein and even  fats



                         - But lets compare any of those above with America's lunchtime favorite, pictured below  --a phat-ass cheeseburger -- this is exactly what I'm talking about --- a meal like this will stuff you to the extent that you really don't feel like eating for hours and hours------   The bun alone likely has as many calories as that bowl of chicken noodle -- then all those fries
      -- carbs are absolutely dominating this meal and making you their bitch.      While in my first 2 examples above, its the opposite -  -- those meals don't fore-go the carbs, but the ratios are much more complementary



I have repeated this several times --- there is still room in your life for your so-called "normal meals" - like a big burger and fries -- don't make this seem like work .  Just engineer some cheat days in every couple of weeks  -------  but my first 3 examples?---  You can eat stuff like that everyday if you get stuck doing a lot of business lunches  or just need one meal a day away from your cooler
 -----  I'm not implying you should be eating sourdough bread and pitas at every single meal during the day though ---- its just that the custom of lunch trips a lot of us up -- eat a solid 5 or 600 calorie lunch -- then get on with your day and keep maintaining a steady positive stream of nutrients the rest of the day
       A 1300 calorie platter though -- that's like throwing a 2 foot wide barricade in the middle of your positive stream that's only 3 feet wide --  Yes, you can get around , and it probably won't kill you,  but it impedes forward progress and ruins efficiency for a while

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  ---- I am picking up new readers everyday, but still want to stress --- the site grows through the efforts of the readership, as this is entirely a word of mouth exercise right now  and not a public entity

,   ------ so if you like what you read,  forward this to a friend in need -
 --- and if your reading for the first time,   drop a quick email simply stating  "subscribe" to  Dougmcbride@fitclaimspro.com  and I will get you on the subscriber list


Thank you and have a great day

-- Doug

SHAME?- Thats not my problem !

 

 

SHAME

 

 

 

Whats a humorous pic of  a robust gent riding a bike have to do with this column?  Plenty --- these writings are not necessarily directed at elite athletes  , but if anyone reading this happens to be one, -- I've got some material you can appreciate too

I like the guy in the pic  and I like the message
  ---  It says to me -----    "I don't let shame get in the way of my workout !"

I might not agree with the color choice - but the guy is out there, loud 'n proud

How many people say things like --- "I'm too out of shape to go to the gym"  -- or
 "I feel humiliated wearing gym clothes" ---- or  "What if people are watching me? - "  , "I'm too fat to get on the mountain bike trail,  the kids will run over me" 

I'm going to quote a friend's text to me from yesterday because there's a tie -in.   He's also on the subscriber list, so thanks for the quote

         "Lately I've noticed that excuses are cornerstones in weak performance of almost anything"

Don't let your insecurities turn into an excuse

       - Maybe you don't have the ideal physique for cycling togs right now  -- not everyone is built like Schwinn Armstrong--- but if you like to ride, lycra spandex with a chamois pad for your rear  is the most efficient thing to wear to enjoy that activity, regardless of your size

So if you imagine  the feeling of people looking at you -- relax, they're most likely not.   But if you still think they are , just repeat this little mantra to yourself once or twice ---

--- IF that person has a problem with me or my appearance  - that's their problem .   That's not my problem!

Your wearing spandex or sweats because you're working on your problem  --- so if you imagine a little bit of scorn directed your way - just quietly saying  - That's Not my Problem --- puts it back on the other person ----
   put it behind you , - downshift the bike and sprint off, or turn the treadmill up a little faster -- squeeze out another set of squats just to prove you can if your on the weights that day--

-----or just stay the course - if your workout calls for a slow and steady slog for an hour -- no sense in deviating from your path because of a little insecurity

--- other people's problems are not yours, - so as I said ,  don't let a little bit of shame turn into  an excuse

The gent on the right is a retired professional motocross racer who weighed 150 pounds in his prime ---not an ounce of shame there.   He is still faster on a motorcycle than 99.5% of the racing population and has competitive age group class speed on a mountain bike
 ------  I guarantee he is not the least bit worried about whether some stick-like hippie mountain bike dweeb thinks he looks cool or not anymore








.......... one more time to close out this train of thought




           THATS NOT MY PROBLEM !


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 I know that I am trying to bring these columns around with a more direct focus on the busy claims professional , or anybody with odd scheduling parameters - and I will get to that,  but here lately a lot of my musings can really benefit more people than that

I am guessing the average American spends  a good portion of their 20's somewhat neglecting the fitness equation while they work on things like  a) that first big job  b) starting a family  c) working towards their first house   ---- things like that
     And thankfully, in your twenties and even into your early thirties, - you still have youth on your side and perhaps your appearance really didn't start to slide too much
     Somewhere in there though,  that extra 5 pounds you typically pick up during the holidays starts to hang around and before you know it, you've packed on a little extra
     For a while its cool, - you might even be wearing the same clothes, and your wife may think your chubbier face is kind of cute  --- but doesn't the "cuteness" go away as soon as the shirt comes off ?

Ladies, don't think I'm entirely letting you off the hook here, it happens to you too ---- you just have the huge advantage of being better looking than us going in , so its a longer slide to hit the bottom - LOL
               If you are in that 35-45 year old age bracket, right now I hope you are doing well and are poised to enter your peak earning years.   In some ways , getting older can bring excitement because of this.    I hope you can afford nice homes, to put back for your retirement, anfd if you want a toy or two, you can probably treat yourself occasionally -- not to mention in these years, you are finally starting to get enough scratch put together to take a decent vacation occasionally , without it breaking the bank
                --- But wouldn't you enjoy the vacation more if you weren't tired and run down? It'd be nice if you didn't have to wear a t-shirt to slosh around in the waves at the ocean, huh?
        The late James Gandolfini, of Sopranos fame, was only 51 years old when he passed.   He was on vacation in Rome with his son.   In the wake of his tragic crossing over, I read a few doctor's reports stating that the vacation heart attack was actually a pretty common thing---
          - you take an out of shape caboose overseas, its exciting, so you add stress to your system trying to see and do everything on your itinerary - then you cap it off with lavish meals in the evening which can further constrict your blood vessels for several hours afterwards --
      --- this is not quite a recipe for success.
  Gandolfini had a number of other risk factors reportedly --- being a smoker , and reportedly a drug abuser earlier in his life.   But, fans of the show can see a physical transformation over the shows 8 year run from a guy who looked like he might have been a former linebacker early on in 1999,  to just another fat anonymous schlub in 2007
           That's how it starts --- initially those first few pounds aren't that bad  (like 1999 Tony Soprano), but left unchecked, you turn into a person who probably has a hard time getting out of bed

At 51, James was also in that "peak earning year" range as well
         Sooner or later, your work years are going to be done ---- and I truly hope we all have a say in the matter and do it on our terms --- wouldn't retirement be better if we had a bit more left to give? 
If we irresponsibly squander our health in our  thirties and forties, --- things may start looking pretty grim 20 years further

            I still communicate with quite a few amateur athletes who compete in age group competition, -- a handful of triathletes, bicycle track racers and even a couple of guys who race motorcycles --- everyone complains when they hit a "milestone birthday" like 40, 45, or 50 etc.  ---
  I tell them --    Relax - you get to move up an age group and will have the opportunity to dominate for a couple of years !

-- Now that's something to look forward to !



As always, help the site out by forwarding this on to a friend or co-worker if you like what you read,  and drop me an email at  Dougmcbride@fitclaimspro.com to be placed on the active subscriber list

Episode guide -- the 1st month

Folks I am relatively new to this semi-daily writing thing --- It occurred to me that I fired up this little blog adventure a month ago and as I go on, I am re-counting things hidden in the dark recesses of my mind I never realized would come out again (scary, huh)

My fledgling business - Fit Claims Pro and Fitclaimspro.com has mostly been lying dormant for the past couple of years ---hey, I've been busy working claims! - not to mention a number of other personal pursuits ----  a large part of my mantra is the belief that, --- when you strip everything else aside and wake up in the morning - look in the mirror and that is what you've got --- Body, mind and soul

--It is important for me to work on the mind-body connection as a vital part of the fitness equation --- as that is how decades of neglect and bad habits are erased

 ------  But tonight -- this little chapter of my lifelong endeavor has been underway exactly one month  and I'd like to see it grow to include new subscribers , so this brief episode guide is dedicated to those of you who may just be tuning in or may have only recently tuned in
   They say a novelist's first book is a thinly veiled autobiography , so I guess I am apt to throw in my share of personal experiences as well, even if they are a bit off-topic at times


This is a very brief re-cap of the last 18 or 20 entries and a sentence or 2 about each one so you can backtrack if it sounds interesting


1) 12-11-13 -- Accountability - http://fitclaimspro.blogspot.com/2013/12/12-11-13-accountability.html
  --- a very low key intro to what we're trying to do here along with a couple of sentences about coaching and future goals with the business

2)  12-12-13 Accessibility    http://fitclaimspro.blogspot.com/2013/12/12-12-13-accessibility.html

  - This post very briefly fleshes out some of the high points of what we're trying to achieve here, -- and that's how to seek out the equipment, locations and food that benefits us when we're on the road

3)  12-12-13  Holiday Eating -  http://fitclaimspro.blogspot.com/2013/12/12-12-13-holiday-eating.html
   -- YEs,  this was written during the Christmas season, but the pointers here can help with any get-together scenario

4) 12-13-13 - A Poor Worker Blames His Tools  http://fitclaimspro.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-poor-worker-blames-his-tools-and.html
  -- This is a brief introduction to 5 ways people blame their "tools" for their failures

5) 12-14-13 - A Poor Worker Blames His Tools- Part 2  -    http://fitclaimspro.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-poor-worker-blames-his-tools-part-2.html

After the brief introduction to this concept -- this is where I try to offer up suggestions on not letting some common hurdles upset your goals

6)  12-17-13 Specialized Behavior in Sports and Life   http://fitclaimspro.blogspot.com/2013/12/specialized-behavior-in-sport-and-life.html
 -- a super brief short essay on diversification vs. specialization with a lot of humorous overtones (well, to me)

7)  12-17-13  Dietary Pitfalls On The Road Or Home -   http://fitclaimspro.blogspot.com/2013/12/dietary-pitfalls-on-road-or-at-home.html

Some common ways to blow your program out of the water

8) 12-17-13  - Character- Its What You Do When No One Is Looking
http://fitclaimspro.blogspot.com/2013/12/character-its-what-you-do-when-no-one.html
   -- What can I say -- this is a rant against our younger generation -- from the current military to the upside-down credit card generation --- but the ultimate message is self appreciation for what you are blessed with ------  and I hope to continue this someday soon

9)12-18-13  -- PAssion - plus Resolution makers and breakers --
http://fitclaimspro.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-earlier-postings-i-prefer-to-call.html
almost self explanatory --

10) 12-23-13  -  You Wouldn't Put 87 Octane In Your Ferrari -
http://fitclaimspro.blogspot.com/2013/12/you-wouldnt-put-87-octane-in-your.html
This is a brief essay on the importance of better nutrition for aging athletes and any "average" guy or gal trying to better themselves, and how we shouldn't look to the elites as inspiration in the dietary arena

11)  12-23-12 - The Christmas Rifle - A Short Story http://fitclaimspro.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-christmas-rifle-off-topic-short.html
 --- completely off-topic and its not mine , but it meant something to me  so I shared it and hope others will do the same and pass it on

12) 12-25-13  -  Christmas Day - http://fitclaimspro.blogspot.com/2013/12/christmas-day-short-and-sweet.html
-- this is a completely forgettable little blurb that you can skip --- but its a paragraph or 2 about how a mundane , short workout turned into something sort of special -- and I think we need to be spontaneous enough that when we feel something good coming on , we should dig a little deeper and see what we're made of ,!  

13) 12-29-13  - Built, not Bought - http://fitclaimspro.blogspot.com/2013/12/built-not-bought.html
 A few paragraphs about taking a hands-on approach to your life, followed by a thought or 2 about New Years

14) 12-31-13  - New YEars Eve - http://fitclaimspro.blogspot.com/2013/12/new-years-eve.html
'13 is closing out and here comes '14  -- a brief comparison to baseball and asking how you are going to handle the challenges ahead  -- this one is short and sweet

15) 12-31-13 - Old Bikes From the Attic - Part 1 - http://fitclaimspro.blogspot.com/2013/12/old-bikes-from-attic-part-1.html
   Cycling has and will be an important part of my life forever --- instead of spending New YEars firing up a beer bong or doing keg stands,  I cleaned up a couple of old bicycles of mine  --- I may lose a few readers on these occasional sidetracks, but most of my machines have stories to tell , and some have stories still waiting to be told

That closes out 2013

16) 1-6-14 - Monday-The Holidays Are Officially Over - http://fitclaimspro.blogspot.com/2014/01/monday-holidays-are-officially-over.html
 - Some humorous digs at the new guys at the gym after new years on any given year (but I sincerely hope they all stay around - or find something they can get over the moon about to keep them going) ---

17) 1-10-14 - Fitness and the Ten Commandments - http://fitclaimspro.blogspot.com/2014/01/fitness-and-ten-commandments.html
 we are finally starting to dig a little deeper -- here we compare a gluten-free diet to Moses --- and re-word the meaning of a few of the 10 Commandments to apply them to a healthy, vigorous lifestyle !  --- I also encourage participation and deep thinking on this one

18)  1-12-14 - Harmonious Living With The Global Terror Color Chart  -
 http://fitclaimspro.blogspot.com/2014/01/harmonious-living-with-global-terror.html
I'm stepping up to the plate and swingin' deep with this one too -- (another baseball analogy) - primary focus is personal stress and its effect on our goals-- an interactive exercise

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I will close out my episode guide with a quote I am partial to -- and I hope its ok to use hundred year old quotes ---



"I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time."
-Jack London

          


Thanks as always - and since this is a word of mouth venture, feel free to fwd to a friend in need --- its my pleasure to share this journey with whoever will listen or even contribute


-----Doug

Harmonious Living with the global terror color chart

Here, I am taking some well established concepts of what constitutes a stress factor in life and am applying a bit of a new spin to them (well, not that new - just a different twist)

I saw the Homeland Security terror color chart recently and it got the wheels turning in my mind regarding  the principles of stress as it relates to weight loss, goal setting, and the ability to undertake a fitness program successfully

I've pasted the chart into this entry several times to keep you from having to scroll up and down to think about it ----
 --- but basically --- for the purposes of this blog entry -- throw out all the crap about terrorists and lets apply the color chart to how our lives should be led

Green is still Low risk          -------     Red is still severe , but the levels in between are the levels that are trending towards ideal , which is probably yellow
 ---- all stress is not bad ,  but if you read this entry and find you're hitting on red in almost everything I bring up  --- its time to de-compress a bit

 

 

 4 weight loss factors

• Sugar/Insulin Management
• Alcohol
•  Gut Inflammation (Eating foods your body either doesn't like or can't currently handle at it's current immune state)
• STRESS/Cortisol management

Fail to address all 4 of these and there's not a diet, supplement or exercise program in existence that can help you.  (I know , like I said before  -- I am my own personal test bed, good and bad )

 

 

Rate your overall stress level -- think of the color chart above -- are you a calm and collected green,  or are you in the red all the time?

Many things will affect numerous categories and many categories have crossover such as working in a hazardous environment will be in both job stress and environment.

 Again , use the  color bar

•Environment-            Do you work in a chemical plant? Live near the freeway? Get Road Rage often? Have loud neighbors disrupting your sleep(see how this ties in with relationships too?)? Have a spouse that buys nothing but junk food when you're trying to eat clean? -- you have a condition Orange or RED environment 

  If you have a nice view out your office window , work in an environment that rewards achievement over brown-nosing, and are appreciated at home -- your likely closer to the harmonic ideal of yellow 

      Condition green would assume you only get out of bed to meditate and perform Tai-Chi next to a Hawaiian waterfall ----- hardly any of us are condition green - and while this condition may be a nice place to take a break occasionally, its unsustainable

  

•Lifestyle- Do you party a little too much,- stay up late and consume more than a few drinks per week?  Always out of money? 7 years behind on your 5 year plan perhaps?  ------ flirting with the red zone

 Are you on track to completing your life's goals ? In bed by 10:30 every night? Sleep well and interact well with your family and friends?   ---- that's the yellow zone .   a zone that is not without its stresses here and there, but is a sustainable lifestyle 

•Movement- This one is a bit tougher to quantify , -- if you are following a regular, vigorous exercise program , I would rate that at a yellow - right in the middle basically.     If you obsessively run 10 miles per day at the expense of your relationships, job, - your in the red most likely.   If your a couch potato, your probably bluish /green

   --- in this category, a bit of stress is desirable , but if you are working out like an Olympic athlete on top of working 50 hours a week, --- there is such a thing as too much of a good thing

•Nutrition- Are you you eating breakfast daily? If not, score yourself no less than orange,  no exceptions. Are you consuming protein, produce and water every few hours? Are you freaking out about every little calorie? If you're counting calories and more than 30 pounds away from your goal weight, go head and mark yourself a red. Are you eating super clean without thinking about it so you can bring the color down? -good!

•Overall Health- How many medications do you take, trips to the doctor per year, chronic ailments, and how many prescriptions are you on? ---- if your a type-2 diabetic who is overweight and on blood pressure medication - consider yourself in the red,  -- If none of these applies except for routine checkups, that would be green ---  most of us probably fall somewhere in between

•Mindset- Some people may put spirituality in this category as well. What's your will to win against all odds no matter what? Do you say you can't have such and such food or do you say you don't need it? Do you consider yourself a weak person or strong person? Do you need motivation or are you overflowing with it? -- perhaps a bit brash and over-confident, or cocky even?

     Again -- balance is everything-- being strong willed is often looked at as an asset, but it can be a stressor as well --- if you explode when you don't get your way, or if an employee is "not doing it right"  --- you're likely in the orange-red zone.    The green zone would be a meek little mouse who gets steam-rolled by life    -  yellow is the zone of harmonious balance

•Dim-wittedness   -   Do you frequently forget things at the store you were supposed to pick up?  Lose your keys/wallet/sunglasses - etc. frequently ?  Unable to multi-task any more or juggle any more routine tasks than you are already juggling? - you got it -- Red zone -- you are a harried mess

 

A lot of this is time management skills --- what negative habits do you have that throw this off? -- Loafing on the computer playing Candy Crush for hours?  -- getting stuck in front of the tv? taking on more responsibility than you can handle?   ---- isolate the problem areas and conquer them in the name of reducing your stress level

 

These are the BIG 3 that cause people more stress than the rest,

•Financial- This one should be self explanatory. If you think about finances once a day or more (Bad OR Good), you're probably closer to the red zone  

•Job/Career/Life Purpose- Don't have a career or need a job? Then what is your life purpose? Are you living it? How much stress do your supervisor or co-workers give you? Do you love your job or hate it?   

•Relationships- Are they good? Bad? Are you working on improving them or just letting them sit? Relationships with Co-Workers? Family? Kids? Friends? Only you can answer if your in the Red zone, or the much more harmonious bluish -yellow zone  -- in this case , yellow and blue do not make green - LOL

 

jot these things down

 

1. Environment
2. Lifestyle
3. Movement
4. Nutrition
5. Health
6. Mindset
7. Dim-wittedness
8. Finances
9. Career
10. Relationships

Score yourself from the range of green to red

Too many solid red categories or orange categories and you are likely over-stressed.  Your body will be producing much more cortisol than someone in the middle ground

   ------ I doubt very many of us will have more than 1 or 2 categories in the green, but for example, if all your categories were green , you would be the most boring person in the history of the world

 

--------  Introducing radical changes to your diet and exercise programs adds additional stress to our bodies, and if we aren't achieving harmony in other areas, this additional stress can make some people snap- and its not completely because they're weak - it happens to strong people too

 ---------- work on taking the Red's down into the orange and preferable yellow level.  If you can go blue, more power to ya, but as I mentioned, the human machine is designed to operate under a bit of a load , and some stresses are positive

 

For example: Before you can add the additional stress of a strict diet or hard core exercise program ,  which would bring nutrition and movement closer to the red zone,  , you need to be eating breakfast 90% of the time for a minimum of 3 consecutive weeks or the best diet in the world is a complete waste of time because your consistency is poor.

     As well , it would help greatly to bring other categories of stress down a color , or your overall stress level will still be contributing to elevated cortisol levels

_________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Thanks for reading

As always, you can help us out by turning a buddy onto the blog just by hitting FWD and sending it on   -- if you are reading this for the first time and wanted to be added to my subscriber list (I try to do this a couple of times a week) --shoot me an email to   Dougmcbride@fitclaimspro.com 

 

 

--Doug

 

 

 

 

 

Fitness and the Ten Commandments

disclaimer -- this post is not meant to inlame or fire up anybody's religious beliefs , or lack thereof - so if there are issues with my observations , -- send me an email at  Dougmcbride@fitclaimspro.com  ,
   but if not - enjoy the read

Gluten Free

Unless you have celiac disease, (and its a small portion of the population that has this) -- then you don't need to worry too much about Gluten mania -- but NEED and WANT - are 2 different things

Its hard to get away from though -- the "Gluten Free!" marketing is impressive-- it reminds me of the "zero carb" stuff that was popular 12 or so years ago

So we have otherwise sane people eating pizza crust's that taste like rubber, and hoagie buns that have weird mushy textures in attempts to make so-called healthy pizza's and NY deli sandwiches --dumb
 --much better just to eat the real deal, but reserve it for a once -every coupla weeks cheat day or something - unless, as I said, you are in the small % who is truly mildly allergic to wheat products


   The low carb people eat bacon and velveeta for breakfast, then snack on pork rinds and Slim Jims  throughout the day
   -----does any of this stuff sound like something an athlete should be consuming ?  Well, not unless he has a good antacid handy



Tons of stuff is gluten free , or low gluten naturally, as gluten is a wheat derivative ---

 

 


Here's where we start digging deep ------
   ------ moderating gluten consumption , just like the 10 commandments , is not a bad way to live your life,   ----In fact, it can be the cornerstone of a great diet plan

I have had conversations with people who do not share my philosophical beliefs -- one of my longstanding rebuttals has been --- lets examine the 10 commandments -- also, -- not a bad way to live your life or raise your kids

Not saying that restricted gluten should be an 11th commandment or anything -- but again -- as long as you can separate fact from fiction and rely on good foods, and not bandwagon jumping companies trying to release chemically altered breads and things in the name of low gluten -------- I'd also say -- Not a bad way to live your life

  ---  Anybody reading this has probably already noticed I try to keep the mood light -- as such , I'm not going to drop 10,000 words of nutrition history -
 but look at it simply -- our ancestors did not consume a lot of wheat products because it was hard to process ----- millstones and grinding and all that - I mean, bread and beer has been around since biblical times, to be sure, 
   but today, with the automation, - and half million dollar tractors processing hundreds of acres of wheat and corn per day -- it is being used in almost everything to fortify foods ---- plus our reliance on carbs is higher than ever

            Reducing Gluten in your diet is not the same thing as eating in the Paleo fashion, but there are some parallels if you go a fewsteps further and concentrate on eating foods as closeto their raw and unprocessed , or minimally processed state as you can

 

There is quite a list of naturally gluten free foods --- one look at this and you can see its not necessarily just "health foods"

      
Foods made from grains (and grain-like plants) that do notcontain harmful gluten, including: Corn in all forms (corn flour, corn meal, grits,etc.). Rice in all forms (white, brown, basmati and enriched rice). Also amaranth, buckwheat (kasha), Montina, millet, quinoa, teff, sorghum and soy.

The following ingredients:

Annatto, glucose syrup, lecithin, maltodextrin (even when it is made from wheat), oat gum, plain spices, silicon dioxide, starch, food starch and vinegar (only malt vinegar might contain gluten). Also citric, lactic and malic acids as well as sucrose, dextrose and lactose; and these baking products: arrowroot, cornstarch, guar and xanthan gums, tapioca flour or starch, potato starch flour and potato starch, vanilla.

 

The following foods:

Milk, butter, margarine, real cheese, plain yogurt and vegetable oils including canola. Plain fruits, vegetables, (fresh, frozen and canned), meat, seafood, eggs, nuts, beans and legumes and flours made from them.

 

 

 

So there, --- as with most ideas I try to introduce with this forum --- I recommend anybody try it out for a couple of weeks to test your tolerance , or intolerance, to a particular diet modification

  --- but if wheat products make you sleepy ,  or causes energy dips throughout the day, -- give it a try, its not going to hurt anything - and you may just find it helps you out --- like the 10 Commandments


So  ---- lunch may look like this  -

 Instead of this --------- admittedly, this looks pretty good too --- but lay off the wheat based pastas for a while and see if you notice any changes



Dinner?  ---

A wise man named Sam Elliott once said -- "Beef, its whats for dinner "

Not a hint of gluten to be found , except maybe in a crouton -- which you can pick off and throw at another patron easily enough
  -------- I don't see much at all in the way of those mean 'ol carbs on that plate either, but if I needed to watch the calories, I'd pick either the steak or the lobster, not both


----------- and if you don't like the idea of red meat that often, there is always fish and fowl

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Okay ------ if the Gluten thing was a stretch for you -- here's where things may get really weird   ;)

I believe a few of these commandments are actually applicable to our fitness goals, --

So bear with me as I break this down   ---------

HEre are the 10 originals  --- no argument here

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make idols.
3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet.

So take number 1 --
 1) You shall have no other gods before Me.   -- this  applies to the concept of treating your body as a temple.    The gods in this sense, are the things we let stand in the way of our goals, whether it is stress at home,  overwork, or any number of other things that keep us from our goals  --------
      --- none of us reading this are lazy , and we cant be accused of lethargy - the career we have chosen is too demanding and strenuous for that -----
   -- but, if we put off our time on the treadmill  in favor of getting a little more paperwork done -  we are putting work before our own bodies, and as a result sacrificing ourselves one piece of paper at a time
  ----- nobody looks at a heavyset guy and thinks --- "Man - he weighs 256 with 35% bf and skyhigh blood pressure, but you should see him process a claim--- he can do 6 a day!"


I'm not touching 2 and 3 , but 4?
4) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. --
---take a rest day, - and take it seriously.  If you think you have problems with discipline regarding skipping days, make it an active rest day-- if you're working in a cool area, take a walkingtrip through the downtown area (if its safe) -- basically, if skipping a day makesyou prone to skipping 2 days, - then try to do something fun that's still active -- but get plenty of sleep, take long naps, and recuperate
  note: - your rest day does not have to be on a Sunday , but its just as good a day as any

5) Honor Your Father and Mother 
     This is where your genetic code was written, so it makes sense to recognize this, and give reverence to it, as your natural strengths and weaknesses were passed down here
        This is helpful in setting realistic goals  -- if your parents were both tall and thin, and you need 6000 calories a day just to keep your pants up  - it might not be constructive to make it a goal of competing in the MR Olympia contest

    If your parents were short and stocky, - and your the same way - it might be counterproductive to shoot for a sub 2:30 marathon time (but you may be able to bust 3:15 :)  )
  Basically, we need to recognize our genetic strengths and weaknesses , but not use them as excuses ----- you may not ever be able to squat 400 pounds -- but chances are, you can squat a bit more than you do now
 -- you might not ever be able to do a 25 mile bicycle time trial in less than an hour, but I'm pretty sure that with some effort, you can still improve on what you have

Thank your parents for the gifts that you do have ----we all have something we can be a little bit special at

6)  Thou shall not murder.

I don't know -- this one is tough for me--- I think you should spend a few hours a week attempting to murder a weight pile, a treadmill, your bike trail, or your rowing machine

7) You shall not commit adultery.
   -- probably poor form to do this, unless your Bill Clinton -- but no real parallels here I can see

8)You shall not steal.
I'll reference the remarks I gave above regarding the 1st commandment --- are you stealing from yourself? 
    Stealing your own health, vitality, and zest for life in favor of being a slave to the grind?   Well, stop that

9) You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

You should not call your neighbor a fat, ugly stupid inbred pile of monkey shit just because he won't go on a bicycle ride with you, or flip tractor tires with you in the backyard  --
 -- with luck, you can be a positive example with either how good you look, or how good you feel and the confidence you project ,  - and he or she  will come around

10) You shall not covet.
  -- Unless you leave your bike outside - then you need to covet before it rains   (see what I did there)
 
I'm going to disagree with this one for the sake of this blog --- coveting, or wanting something, can be a powerful motivator
   If you covet your body from 5 years ago, --- take control , and lets get it back -- if you covet running a 7 minute mile, and are now running 8's , lets do that too ---- use your shame and desire  as a powerful form of goal setting

                              
_______________________________________________________________________________



Okay, I've managed to apply 7 out of the 10 commandments to our lifestyles we are trying to lead -----
  that was exhausting,  --- its time to dive into a big 'ol cereal  bowl full of pudding !   (kidding -- lunch was a spinach stuffed chicken breast with a side of broccoli, no way am I going to ruin the good vibrations with a bunch of puddin'  today )


As always -- direct complaints or constructive criticism to  Dougmcbride@fitclaimsro.com  ---
likewise if you have any personal suggestions on amending  the fitness "commandments"

If you like what ya read, turn on a friend, neighbor, co-worker or even a lover to the site and i'll get 'em added to the subscriber list



Thanks

-Doug









 

Monday - The holidays are officially over

Monday -

This is a big Monday.    For me, the  Christmas/New YEars holiday season is officially over.  Why did I drag it out through the 5th?

Well, College football season effectively ended for me on the 3rd with the conclusion of the Cotton Bowl,  (and ends for everybody else tonight) -- then follows a weekend -- and then there's Monday.

I may sneak over to the YMCA with my cell phone cam at the ready today to see the fresh meat.  The newcomers who approach with equal parts trepidation and enthusiasm.  Crisp and fresh workout wear and new sneakers .   People pushing and pulling and jogging  ---
 -- gonna be a lot of sore bodies out there tomorrow.  A typical 30 something without some base fitness does not realize how little they can do before soreness sets in hard.   If the pump feels good, then its likely too much until you get a couple of weeks under your belt

If you wake up sore -- rejoice --- its your body telling you that you're still alive , still viable and that when this discomfort subsides, you'll be ready for round 2

I actually will leave the camera at home ---- no sense in having a laugh at other's expense  --- just like the old adage about people in glass houses --
      --- oh - what the heck -

  but I am curious, -- take a cross section of 100 New YEars resolution newcomers and it will be like the selection process for a tough military school
  -- after 2 weeks, 25 will drop off
  -- after 4 weeks - another 25
 - in 6 weeks -- another 25 will fall by the wayside

If you make it 6 weeks - you're in  -- welcome to the pack

This all goes back to what I mentioned in the blog posts from December 13 and 14th called -- A Poor Worker Blames his Tools - Parts 1 and 2 -- especially the point about "I'ts Friday - I'll pick up where I left off on Monday"

That closes the doors on many right there --- justifying skipping a workout for whatever reason , leads to skipping  a 2nd, a 3rd,  - then before you know it, a month has gone by


So you may ask ---  "Well what are you doin' today Big Dog?  you talk a good game ! "

Easy --- I started out today with a protein drink with 30g of protein,  followed up by breakfast 2 hours later that just consisted of 2 eggs and 3 slices of low sodium turkey

Since this is the Monday after the holidays, -- some unwanted crap has built up in the pantry , so I'm going to deposit things like tortillas, hamburger buns, chips, leftover holiday candy,  unwanted alcohol products -- straight into the round file
  I haven't consulted my workout schedule for the day yet, but there is one scheduled ----I believe its a muscle failure day, with some rowing mixed in,       and I have rest days scheduled too 
 ---- that brings up another point


The Rest Day

 -- a lot of newcomers blow themselves out quickly by thinking they have to workout every day  -- wrong -- even  CrossFit has some rest days sprinkled in their program
  You can't make gains unless you make time to rest and recover adequately -- taking the whole weekend off can often lead to poor decision making for many of us though, so I don't recommend that- but its ok to take off one of those days

.......... unless your this guy -- he hasn't missed a workout  since 1986

Epilogue:

 I will add that if you haven't taken care of yourself and fall into the category of a NEw YEars Resolution Newbie,  relax, you're not alone


Throw on the headband , dust off the British Knight high tops and get out there - pace yourself , try something new and its ok to have fun your first 3 or 4 weeks --- there will be a time to knuckle down and start "getting serious" soon enough



   -- But until then - for the sake of everyone else there, wear some underwear if you're doing squats in jean shorts ----  this one is complicated even more by the fact that the Green bumper plates are the 15 pounders !  yes -- this dude blew out his ass on a whopping 75 pounds

Also -------- keep your hands to yourself if your taking a pilates or yoga class  -- unless your over 65, then apparently you can do whatever you want
  

And lastly, keep this very accurate gym sign in mind , because I have it from a reliable government source that this is true

Thanks again to everybody who gives this a quick read  -- check the previous entries if you're new to the site, and if you like what you read --  feel free to turn a buddy onto the blog or my website by forwarding the blog on

NEwbies - send me an email and I will put you on the subscriber list


Thanks


------ Doug

Dougmcbride@fitclaimspro.com