Mmmmm...Berries...

I was planning on writing a different post today but I received a tremendous tip this weekend that I want to pass along (more on that later.) One of the best foods everyone can add to their diet are berries (of all kind!) My own diet includes:

• Blueberries - There is a scoring system for antioxidant power in foods called ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity.) The explanation for the test from "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth" is, "Scientists test how well all the different phytochemicals and antioxidants in a given food perform together, and then give the food a rating based on that performance." So what's the point? Blueberries are the highest scoring fruit on the planet! On top of that blueberries have been found to have the greatest cancer fighting properties of all fruits.
  
• Raspberries - We all know fiber is good for you. Well, raspberries contain a ton of fiber! in one cup of raspberries you will get 8 grams of fiber. They also contain tons of important vitamins (calcium, vitamin C, vitamin K, etc...) Raspberries are perhaps the best source of Ellagic acid. Tests have shown ellagic acid kills cancer cells without destroying healthy cells. Oh, that brings me to my nifty tip. I love raspberries! They are one of my favorite foods. But a container lasts about 3 hours in my refrigerator (really a pretty good sign of the health benefits, but I want to get to them before other organisms.) So as I was checking out at Trader Joe's the woman bagging mentioned to cover raspberries with a paper towel. I tried that yesterday and they stayed fresh the whole day and are still not mush and moldy this afternnon! Jackpot! One other important note about raspberries, they are heavily contaminated with pesticides and other bad stuff. This is one food it is a very good idea to buy organic.
  
• Strawberries - Also contain tons of ellagic acid. Strawberries also may help with short term memory, you know, if you want to remember stuff.
  

These are just a few that are a staple in my diet. All berries are great foods to add to your diet. They can be eaten fresh or frozen. Frozen berries taste great in my morning smoothie! I also make a snack that contains whole milk plain organic yogurt, peanuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed meal, raspberries, blueberries, and avocado. It's quite tasty. Add a scoop of whey and throw it into a blender and you have yourself a nice post-workout meal. That's it for today...Now I'm hungry.

Mike

Random thoughts...

Here are a few interesting things I read today....

• This is a blog that I regularly read. If anyone likes hummus (YUM) he has a homemade recipe posted today. I think I'm going to give it a try...
• Speaking of Vitamin D, here's another quick article about the role of Vitamin D and cholesterol..."Diabetics deficient in vitamin D can't process cholesterol so it builds in blood vessels, increasing heart attack and stroke risk, U.S. researchers said."
• Here's one for the Stupid Human Tricks Hall of Fame.
• Here's another blog I read often. I really like her most recent post about the power of simply believing in yourself, staying focused, and going through every aspect of life with a positive attitude.

Everyone have a tremendous weekend!!

Mike

Sunlight to Prevent the Flu

A few days ago I saw on the television that the predicted number of deaths due to the H1N1 virus could reach 30,000 - 90,000 in this country (or the U.S. for those readers abroad.) Yet, missing from these reports is a nice and easy way to significantly decrease your chances of contracting the virus, or any other strain of flu. That is by getting optimal levels of Vitamin D. And that means getting outside for some sunlight...EVERY DAY! Seriously, no more going from house, to garage (without stepping outside), to car, to parking garage at work, then back home. In fact, many people believe that influenza is simply the symptom of Vitamin D deficiency. Canada is currently doing some research regarding Vitamin D levels and flu symptoms. And getting a flu vaccine is NOT the answer (especially for the youngsters!) Here's an important article detailing some of the side effects of the flu vaccine. Also included are some very easy ways to prevent the flu, including:

• Get optimum levels of Vitamin D
• Get enough sleep
• Eliminate sugar and other processed foods from your diet
• Include an Omega-3 supplement to your diet
  

A Better Warm-up

One of my pet peeves (I don't have too many) is watching people hop on a treadmill for 5 - 10 minutes prior to their workout and think they are getting in a good warm-up. Spending 5 - 10 minutes on the treadmill is not a good warm-up. A proper warm-up will increase flexibility and mobility, increase your heart rate, and prepare you for your workout. 5 minutes on a treadmill (or elliptical or stationary bike) will merely accomplish one of those things (increase heart rate.) Your warm-up is the perfect opportunity to work on your mobility, especially in your ankles, hips, thoracic spine, and shoulders. Some joints need to be stabilized, others need to be mobilized. Starting at the bottom and working our way up these are the functions of our major joints:

• Ankle - mobility
• Knee - stability
• Hip - mobility
• Lumbar Spine - stability
• Thoracic Spine - mobility
• Scapula - stability
• Shoulder - mobility

Take a look at that list. If your hips aren't as mobile as they should be your lumbar spine and knees need to pick up some of the slack and become more mobile. This is exactly what leads to knee and low back pain. Most people lack mobility in their thoracic spine. This leads to an unstable scapula, thus shoulder immobility (along with low back pain.) If your left ankle is immobile that could lead to compensation all the way up the chain and lead to right shoulder pain (or even right pinky finger pain!) Go here for more information on the way our joints work together (if anyone is interested.) A proper warm-up will include body weight lunges in all three planes of movement (lateral lunge, back/front lunge, and rotational lunge.) This will increase mobility in your hips and ankles. Add a few quick exercises to mobilize your ankles, thoracic spine, and shoulders and you are ready to go. Here is a great article with videos of 8 mobility exercises to include in your warm-up.

I'll steal Mike Boyle's last line to finish up, "Give these a try. It will take 5-10 minutes and not only will you look better, you'll feel better."

Food of the Week: Kiwifruit

One of my absolute favorite fruits is Kiwifruit. And as it turns out they are one of the most nutritious fruits as well! In fact, Kiwi is, ounce for ounce, the most nutrient dense fruit on the planet.

• Kiwi contains twice as much Vitamin C as an orange, which is very beneficial to alleviate symptoms of asthma
  
• Two medium sized Kiwifruit contains 5 grams of fiber
• They have more potassium than a banana

Perhaps best of all is Kiwi is a hearth healthy food. Kiwi acts as a blood thinner (Dave!) without any of the side effects of blood thinning medicine or aspirin.

All that and they are wicked tasty! And cheap! Oh, and they are also one of the foods least contaminated with pesticides!

I have used them in my juicer and have found they don't juice very well. But, the skin is edible, so no need to cut them up, just eat as is!

Mike

Missing from the Health Care Debate

Hmmmm...what to write about today? Well, the Health Care Reform debate seems to be a popular news item lately. Unfortunately none of the proposals will actually lead to a healthier society. Over 30% of the U.S. population is obese! Obesity leads to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain cancers (all things that drive up health care costs.) Yet the foundation of the FDA sponsored food pyramid is 6 - 11 servings of grains per day. For most people that is 6 - 11 servings too many! Grain is used to fatten cattle, yet people are surprised when that same diet leads to obesity in humans. And the result is the drug companies maintaining their control over our society while selling us drugs that only makes us sick. Here is an article detailing ten things missing from the health care debate. I admit, implenting these kinds of reforms would lead to a short term economic disaster, but isn't our health worth it? Our government subsidizes the growing of corn (and thus high fructose corn syrup, really bad stuff by the way) yet grass fed beef is not only hard to find but REALLY expensive. That would be reform #1 in my opinion. End the corn subsidies and use that money to bring the cost of vegetarian fed beef/chicken down for the consumer. My quest is to find some local farms that sell grass fed beef. I will pass along that info. In the interim Trader Joes does sell grass fed beef (along with vegetarian fed chicken.) That's my rant. Unfortunately these items are not included in the debate. But of course the fear of socialism and death panels are.

Mike

Foam Rolling

One of the most important pieces of equipment everyone should own is a Foam Roller. In fact my quest is to put a foam roller in every living room. I know, not much of a quest, but it's really a great and easy to use piece of equipment (and cheap too!) Foam rollers are used for self massage. The benefits of using a foam roller include (but not limited to) correct muscle imbalances, increase joint range of motion, and relieve muscle soreness and joint stress. The roller can be used on any part of the body. My typical rolling regimen is as follows:

• Calves (very painful for me)
  
• Hamstrings
• IT bands (very painful for most people)
  
• Glutes
• Upper back (hands behind head then arms crossed in front of body)
  

I do this prior to training as part of my warm up then post workout as well. It only takes 3 - 5 minutes. It's also a great way to recover from a long car ride. If you spend your days working at a desk take a few five minute blocks and hop on a roller to improve your posture. Seriously, if I am sitting at a desk or in the car for a while all I have to do is roll my upper back and my posture immediately feels correct again. Here's the thing, DO NOT avoid the painful spots! In fact that is where you want to spend more time. I spend most of my time on my calves (stupid calves.) Most people need to spend their time on their IT bands (outside of thigh running from hip to knee.) If you are a runner a foam roller will be your best friend. You can name it and everything. I think Pedro would be a good name. Anyway, here is a great article with many photos showing how to roll most of your body.

Mike