Carbohydrates have been given a bad rep in the past decade or so. Many people were probably depending on them far too much, structuring every meal around something which contains wheat (breads and pastas for example). When we choose foods that are higher in calories but don't offer as much nutritional density, yes, they lead to fat storage.
However, fruits and vegetables are carbohydrates as well. As are legumes. And brown rice and other whole grains provide us with a ton of fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Carbs are the primary source of fuel for the brain. A good starch can tame hunger almost immediately, provide immediate energy for a workout, restore energy lost after a workout and generally brighten our moods. The trick is to not rely on them exclusively, and definitely learn the difference between refined carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates.
Complex carbohydrates basically provide more nutritional bang for your buck. Because they are fully loaded, they take your body longer to break down. This contributes to your insulin levels remaining more stable, resulting in a steady flow of energy and an efficient metabolism. Refined carbohydrates, on the other hand, spike your insulin levels, resulting in unstable blood sugar levels, energy peaks and dives and encouraged fat storage.
When you eat carbs, be sure to eat them with some protein and some fat. This provides a well-rounded meal that keeps you fuller for longer, keeps cravings at bay (because your body doesn't bother you for more when it is provided with everything it needs), stabilizes blood sugar levels, maximizes workout efforts, makes you HAPPY, etc.
In terms of choosing the healthiest carbs, the best method is to choose foods which are the most natural and grow from the ground. Fruits and vegetables are obviously the most nutrient-packed, but we really need a strong balance. Legumes often provide some protein as well as fiber. Whole grains (millet, brown rice, bulgar, oatmeal, whole wheat breads / pastas, buckwheat) also offer tremendous nutritional benefits.
The only reason why carbs have been linked with fat gain is portion sizes. When our meals are out of balance, it can mess with our blood sugar and thereby with our hunger, which encourages overeating! One serving of whole grains is one slice of bread, 1/2 cup of rice, 1/2 cup of pasta, 1/3 of a bagel... It is safe to sometimes consume up to two grain servings per major meal, depending on the individual and their goals.
Seek out a trainer with nutritional knowledge, or a registered dietician if you would like to know your personal carbohhydrate requirements. Everyone is different - our needs all vary.
But in general, carbs are amazing. Don't hate.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Because Being Obnoxious Is Cool....
There is a percentage of the population (I'm 26 soon, and still trying to figure out a ball-park of what the percentage is - interesting from this point of view on the age meter) that still thinks that being rebellious for no reason, risking death for no reason, being maniacally obnoxious, is cool. Not clever, these types, but I suppose they give the rest of us something else to talk about. Well now I'm just really looking for their purpose upon our planet. Because there are thousands of other things I would be content discussing...
Drunken 19 year-olds choose to drive when they can't control their eyes from being in two directions at once, and people soaked in arrogance weave in and out on the highway going twice the speed limit - simply because they want to stand out among the practical and patient rest of the population. Hey, I'm all for contrast. But, isn't it just a bit stupid?
Well, speaking of stupid:
KFC has come out with a new sandwich to rebel against the health movement in the US. Some Americans (let's be honest) tend to like expressing their pride of what they are, no matter what they are. And their rep of being gluttonous, (instead of motivating the challenging role) has incited the response of "Yeah, so??" from the obnoxious population. A defensive, pride-filled response. KFC manifested this response with the Double Down. Please see the link.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/forget-healthy-kfcs-double-down-revels-in-glorious-gluttony/article1533502/
*Let me briefly explain that these are not anti-American sentiments I'm expressing. This type of attitude exists everywhere, but I am discussing Americans as this sandwich is released exclusively in the US as some sort of, well, flag. Ahem.
Have you ever watched somebody die from drunk driving? You've seen the photos, right? Have you seen the car accidents on the highways that have stricken those passengers who are obnoxious and impatient, weaving in and out of the order? Have you ever sat at someone's side while their body has been taken over and devoured by heart disease? Have you seen someone struggle post-stroke or heart attack, never knowing exactly when their body might be struck again suddenly and when the world for that person might close down suddenly?
The photos of this sandwich make me want to cry.
It's important to not take life too seriously, to have a sense of humour, and to indulge a little. But actively trying to get as much trans fats and salt into a meal, to rebel against the evidence that it quickly murders our bodies (and obviously SELVES), is just so obnoxious and irritating.
I don't know the meaning of life, or of the individuals' place on the planet. But I know that being healthy leads to happiness, leads to productivity, leads to more happiness, leads to more purpose. I KNOW we need balance in everything, including between smart and stupid people. But I have to rant anyway. When companies that FEED people begin to possess qualities of the most arrogant, obnoxious and carelessly murderous people we know... I become a little bit worried.
Do me a favour, and don't put this thing into your pure, intricately-composed human body.
(The only remaining things I have to say would be deeply profane.) Now I'm all frustrated, knotted up and need to go for a run. Grunt.
Drunken 19 year-olds choose to drive when they can't control their eyes from being in two directions at once, and people soaked in arrogance weave in and out on the highway going twice the speed limit - simply because they want to stand out among the practical and patient rest of the population. Hey, I'm all for contrast. But, isn't it just a bit stupid?
Well, speaking of stupid:
KFC has come out with a new sandwich to rebel against the health movement in the US. Some Americans (let's be honest) tend to like expressing their pride of what they are, no matter what they are. And their rep of being gluttonous, (instead of motivating the challenging role) has incited the response of "Yeah, so??" from the obnoxious population. A defensive, pride-filled response. KFC manifested this response with the Double Down. Please see the link.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/forget-healthy-kfcs-double-down-revels-in-glorious-gluttony/article1533502/
*Let me briefly explain that these are not anti-American sentiments I'm expressing. This type of attitude exists everywhere, but I am discussing Americans as this sandwich is released exclusively in the US as some sort of, well, flag. Ahem.
Have you ever watched somebody die from drunk driving? You've seen the photos, right? Have you seen the car accidents on the highways that have stricken those passengers who are obnoxious and impatient, weaving in and out of the order? Have you ever sat at someone's side while their body has been taken over and devoured by heart disease? Have you seen someone struggle post-stroke or heart attack, never knowing exactly when their body might be struck again suddenly and when the world for that person might close down suddenly?
The photos of this sandwich make me want to cry.
It's important to not take life too seriously, to have a sense of humour, and to indulge a little. But actively trying to get as much trans fats and salt into a meal, to rebel against the evidence that it quickly murders our bodies (and obviously SELVES), is just so obnoxious and irritating.
I don't know the meaning of life, or of the individuals' place on the planet. But I know that being healthy leads to happiness, leads to productivity, leads to more happiness, leads to more purpose. I KNOW we need balance in everything, including between smart and stupid people. But I have to rant anyway. When companies that FEED people begin to possess qualities of the most arrogant, obnoxious and carelessly murderous people we know... I become a little bit worried.
Do me a favour, and don't put this thing into your pure, intricately-composed human body.
(The only remaining things I have to say would be deeply profane.) Now I'm all frustrated, knotted up and need to go for a run. Grunt.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Feed a Cold
Well, I've been sick. These things come out of nowhere sometimes.
And I know I have to get doing all the right things to make sure it doesn't take over my week...
How do you feed yourself properly when you have zero energy to cook?
Tonight, I'm throwing things into a pot. Chicken stock, bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower and firm tofu. I'll add a small amount of ground pepper and bean sprouts. If I have any more energy after this lazy, careful workout I'm doing, I'll throw in some rice noodles as well.
Then sit back and keep sipping green tea and ice water, and eating kiwis intermittently.
I'll check back in tomorrow - but I've tried this many times and IT WORKS.
Happy sick season.
And I know I have to get doing all the right things to make sure it doesn't take over my week...
How do you feed yourself properly when you have zero energy to cook?
Tonight, I'm throwing things into a pot. Chicken stock, bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower and firm tofu. I'll add a small amount of ground pepper and bean sprouts. If I have any more energy after this lazy, careful workout I'm doing, I'll throw in some rice noodles as well.
Then sit back and keep sipping green tea and ice water, and eating kiwis intermittently.
I'll check back in tomorrow - but I've tried this many times and IT WORKS.
Happy sick season.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
A Fort For Your Pet Bunny!
Sadly, many gyms still occupy their square footage with Ab Rollers. Trying to satisfy their lazy members, I suppose.
Really, I would like to torch them. But I'm not violent or destructive, so there must be other uses for this thing?? (See title.)
My point is, they do nothing for your abs. When you see somebody sputtering about, flailing their torso back and forth within the confines of this product that some manipulative airhead has created to make a quick buck, please kindly show them a proper crunch. I will outline this below.
The reason why the Ab Roller does NOT work is that it is indirect. Your hands are to push a bar, so that your torso closes, so that your abs contract by default. Really, it encourages the exemption of your abdominals altogether. (The machines in the gym in which you are seated, and pressing forward against resistance, are not any better.) They are a waste of space, a waste of time, a waste of effort. If, of course, you are the type of North American who adores the superfluous, continue bobbing your head around like an idiot. But my nails will be dug into my hands in your presence.
Watch carefully as your fellow gym members "crunch" in this device. Your arms should be out of the equation, completely. Your abs' contraction should be the very first thing that happens, before any movement. From this contraction, the back is tightly clamped into the floor (and pelvis gripped and held still). The ribcage moves toward the hipbone, as you exhale. The chest remains expanded, shoulders back, and head completely neutral (the weight of your head is used as resistance for your abdominals). Pushing through the arms, to then move the head and shoulders, to then lightly shut the abs is just backwards. Try both, and report back.
*Sidenote - your arms can go behind the head, if you PROMISE not to support the weight of the head in the slightest. I prefer arms folded across the chest, simply adding weight to the load for the abs to press against, while they close and push through in an isolated force.
Perhaps I shouldn't be so harsh. It is important that people make an effort toward a stronger core and abdominal group. And I do pity those who pat themselves on the back for BEING (note the passivity) pulled through an exercise with good intentions. But hey - I'm here to burst bubbles and everyone will get over it... and be beaming, when they're finally strong. When their abs are assertive (not passive), wound tightly to protect an otherwise cranky back and to reveal a lean, delicious waistline.
Bottom line: If you have an ab roller, throw it out and use your brain.
Peace and love and kisses!
Really, I would like to torch them. But I'm not violent or destructive, so there must be other uses for this thing?? (See title.)
My point is, they do nothing for your abs. When you see somebody sputtering about, flailing their torso back and forth within the confines of this product that some manipulative airhead has created to make a quick buck, please kindly show them a proper crunch. I will outline this below.
The reason why the Ab Roller does NOT work is that it is indirect. Your hands are to push a bar, so that your torso closes, so that your abs contract by default. Really, it encourages the exemption of your abdominals altogether. (The machines in the gym in which you are seated, and pressing forward against resistance, are not any better.) They are a waste of space, a waste of time, a waste of effort. If, of course, you are the type of North American who adores the superfluous, continue bobbing your head around like an idiot. But my nails will be dug into my hands in your presence.
Watch carefully as your fellow gym members "crunch" in this device. Your arms should be out of the equation, completely. Your abs' contraction should be the very first thing that happens, before any movement. From this contraction, the back is tightly clamped into the floor (and pelvis gripped and held still). The ribcage moves toward the hipbone, as you exhale. The chest remains expanded, shoulders back, and head completely neutral (the weight of your head is used as resistance for your abdominals). Pushing through the arms, to then move the head and shoulders, to then lightly shut the abs is just backwards. Try both, and report back.
*Sidenote - your arms can go behind the head, if you PROMISE not to support the weight of the head in the slightest. I prefer arms folded across the chest, simply adding weight to the load for the abs to press against, while they close and push through in an isolated force.
Perhaps I shouldn't be so harsh. It is important that people make an effort toward a stronger core and abdominal group. And I do pity those who pat themselves on the back for BEING (note the passivity) pulled through an exercise with good intentions. But hey - I'm here to burst bubbles and everyone will get over it... and be beaming, when they're finally strong. When their abs are assertive (not passive), wound tightly to protect an otherwise cranky back and to reveal a lean, delicious waistline.
Bottom line: If you have an ab roller, throw it out and use your brain.
Peace and love and kisses!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Stand Up Straight!
Posture is really important. It changes the way energy flows through your body, it changes your mindset and psychological well-being and it changes the way people view and react around you.
Most of us (irony noted) spend hours and hours sitting at a computer. Deltoids (shoulders) wound forward, pectorals (chest) slightly closed, typing away. The shoulder blades are expanded and released. Too much time spent in this position leads to weakness in the muscles beneath the scapula in the back (sub-scapular muscles) and tightness in front. Also, most of the motions we humans engage in are focused in front of our bodies, therefore the back becomes neglected. It's important to make up for this, with proper training, to stand up straight and use our anatomies properly!
Every time you train your back (with exercises such as a seated row or a lat pulldown - and there are hundreds of exciting variations of these exercises), you need to set your shoulders first. My clients reading this are laughing. "Set your shoulders" is probably a phrase I say the most, while training. Its direction is to protract the shoulder blades, pulling your shoulders down and back, away from your ears. This expands the chest, and allows for proper closure in the back. You MUST be expanded on one side, in order to properly close / contract the opposite side. Makes sense, right? If you don't set your shoulders at the beginning of EACH REPETITION, you will be ripping yourself off of the most beautiful contraction the world has ever seen. You will stay slightly shut in front, and won't reach that deep, tight closure in between the shoulders blades.
Please, don't swing your body while training your back. Oh how that pains me. Keep the core tightly gripped, so that the proper muscles can take on all the range of motion that they are meant to, in isolation. Freeze the core, set the shoulders, exhale and allow the subscapular root muscles to take on all the load.
Poof - after a few weeks / month, you will be standing straighter and enjoying life in a whole different way. Perhaps I sound like I'm dramatizing the effects - just try it. You'll see.
Most of us (irony noted) spend hours and hours sitting at a computer. Deltoids (shoulders) wound forward, pectorals (chest) slightly closed, typing away. The shoulder blades are expanded and released. Too much time spent in this position leads to weakness in the muscles beneath the scapula in the back (sub-scapular muscles) and tightness in front. Also, most of the motions we humans engage in are focused in front of our bodies, therefore the back becomes neglected. It's important to make up for this, with proper training, to stand up straight and use our anatomies properly!
Every time you train your back (with exercises such as a seated row or a lat pulldown - and there are hundreds of exciting variations of these exercises), you need to set your shoulders first. My clients reading this are laughing. "Set your shoulders" is probably a phrase I say the most, while training. Its direction is to protract the shoulder blades, pulling your shoulders down and back, away from your ears. This expands the chest, and allows for proper closure in the back. You MUST be expanded on one side, in order to properly close / contract the opposite side. Makes sense, right? If you don't set your shoulders at the beginning of EACH REPETITION, you will be ripping yourself off of the most beautiful contraction the world has ever seen. You will stay slightly shut in front, and won't reach that deep, tight closure in between the shoulders blades.
Please, don't swing your body while training your back. Oh how that pains me. Keep the core tightly gripped, so that the proper muscles can take on all the range of motion that they are meant to, in isolation. Freeze the core, set the shoulders, exhale and allow the subscapular root muscles to take on all the load.
Poof - after a few weeks / month, you will be standing straighter and enjoying life in a whole different way. Perhaps I sound like I'm dramatizing the effects - just try it. You'll see.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Structure Shmucture - listen to what your body wants.
It's been a while... I had to take a week or so off from my entries to get set up in a new city.
It's very difficult to stay healthy when you're thrown off your routine. Moving often means many meals out, and certainly skipped workouts! So how do you get back into it after you've taken a bit of a hiatus?
One of the first things I did was go grocery shopping, once my feet were planted in my new space. Let's face it - eating out over and over again starts to feel so dissatisfying. You know the restaurant has zapped the nutrients and blanketed the foods with sodium and sugar. I really start to miss real, fresh food from my own kitchen. It suddenly feels like a luxury to have your kettle set up, fresh fruit in the fruit bowl, and rye bread ready to hit the toaster.
Deciding what to do workout-wise when you're absolutely covered in bruises, the home to about 500 new muscle knots and throbbing forearms is a bit trickier. I know this labour has given my heart some pumping, and I know all that painting really kicked my shoulders' butts (yes, I'll go ahead and use that expression). Take three minutes to think about what your body wants, activity-wise. Sometimes it's just sleep. So day one, I took that route. Day two, I did twenty minutes of cardio (this day was also a painting day during which I'd done the equivalent of 30 minutes of heart-pumping cardio). Day three, I had to think for a minute. If you listen to your body, it tells you what it needs. My muscles were still a bit... angry, from the different kind of challenge they had been thrown (probably most specifically at the lugging of the new sofabed, solo - a hysterical episode for any of my new neighbours who might have witnessed it).
I decided upon a full strength workout (I skipped biceps and delts!) and an intensive yoga session. Yoga totally restored my body - I feel much more operational and fresh and mobile today. I suppose my connective tissue had been on its way to becoming stone...
The reason why I'm babbling about my past few days is just to assert the fact that the body really always knows what it wants. And what it wants is balance. If you've spent a day or two squatting, scrunching, pulling, pushing, lifting and struggling - it's probably a good time to follow with bending, breathing, opening and expanding.
So, even if you're on particular program, learn to listen to your body and be flexible sometimes with what you deliver. I often tell clients to reject what I've assigned for a day if they really feel like doing something else (ie going for a bike ride instead of doing a strength circuit). If you're changing it up often, it's all good. Just make sure you're engaging in something physical most days of the week. Because, well, that's what our bodies are for. Exercise their use.
And now I think my body is begging for a massage....
It's very difficult to stay healthy when you're thrown off your routine. Moving often means many meals out, and certainly skipped workouts! So how do you get back into it after you've taken a bit of a hiatus?
One of the first things I did was go grocery shopping, once my feet were planted in my new space. Let's face it - eating out over and over again starts to feel so dissatisfying. You know the restaurant has zapped the nutrients and blanketed the foods with sodium and sugar. I really start to miss real, fresh food from my own kitchen. It suddenly feels like a luxury to have your kettle set up, fresh fruit in the fruit bowl, and rye bread ready to hit the toaster.
Deciding what to do workout-wise when you're absolutely covered in bruises, the home to about 500 new muscle knots and throbbing forearms is a bit trickier. I know this labour has given my heart some pumping, and I know all that painting really kicked my shoulders' butts (yes, I'll go ahead and use that expression). Take three minutes to think about what your body wants, activity-wise. Sometimes it's just sleep. So day one, I took that route. Day two, I did twenty minutes of cardio (this day was also a painting day during which I'd done the equivalent of 30 minutes of heart-pumping cardio). Day three, I had to think for a minute. If you listen to your body, it tells you what it needs. My muscles were still a bit... angry, from the different kind of challenge they had been thrown (probably most specifically at the lugging of the new sofabed, solo - a hysterical episode for any of my new neighbours who might have witnessed it).
I decided upon a full strength workout (I skipped biceps and delts!) and an intensive yoga session. Yoga totally restored my body - I feel much more operational and fresh and mobile today. I suppose my connective tissue had been on its way to becoming stone...
The reason why I'm babbling about my past few days is just to assert the fact that the body really always knows what it wants. And what it wants is balance. If you've spent a day or two squatting, scrunching, pulling, pushing, lifting and struggling - it's probably a good time to follow with bending, breathing, opening and expanding.
So, even if you're on particular program, learn to listen to your body and be flexible sometimes with what you deliver. I often tell clients to reject what I've assigned for a day if they really feel like doing something else (ie going for a bike ride instead of doing a strength circuit). If you're changing it up often, it's all good. Just make sure you're engaging in something physical most days of the week. Because, well, that's what our bodies are for. Exercise their use.
And now I think my body is begging for a massage....
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