I know the title sounds like a bad True Blood episode but trust me, it isn’t. Since you’ve been reading my blog for a while I consider you to be a homie, pal, or whatever you “wanna” call it. Homies can be real with each other, right? So, from one homie to another I’m going to ask you, “ Do you fart?” I know right off some men are gonna say, “Yes!” but the women are going to shy away from that question and rightfully so. I wonder what would happen if women started dropping bombs like us guys do and laugh about it? Hmmm… I don’t want to find out so ladies keep the silent but deadly’s because I know you pass gas…it’s human. But have you ever wondered why gas happens and where it comes from?

I was always intrigued by gas and no, it ain’t with smelling it! I was more interested in why it happens, and why it happens on a larger scale with some people. I wondered if this was a contributing factor to why people fall short of the flat stomach or “six pack” they desire. They say when the student is ready, the teacher appears and with me it happened exactly that way. I subscribe to very few health newsletters because most of it is regurgitated information such as eat 6 meals a day, drink protein shakes 60 times a day, blah blah blah. At this stage in the game, I am more interested in uncovering myths and fallacies in the fitness biz and finding out why our bodies react they way they do to certain stimuli, mainly food. It just so happened that I received a “gem” from a newsletter I subscribed to from Matt Monarch of Raw Food World. I have been following Matt for a number of years namely because he always gives good information. I am not a raw food vegan like Matt but I do value the information and products he offers on his site. I like to think you can learn something from everyone and incorporate it for a healthier lifestyle. I have sampled quite a few raw desserts since discovering this way of eating and they put the best regular pies and cakes to shame. I want to thank Matt for his article and I’ll paraphrase it a bit for my readers. I’ll provide Matt’s original link at the end of the post.

Fermentation

Have you ever had wine? Wine is fermented grapes. Did you know your body undergoes fermentation as a result of digestion? Gaseous waste is produced as a result of the fermentation process. Its unavoidable, “kinda” like a boyfriend/girlfriend you break up with that just doesn’t get the message. Can you say stalker? The amount of gas produced is directly related to the combination, quality and quantity of foods we eat. Those of us who eat fast food, refined carbohydrates, and processed sugar will have more gas released into the blood. If you’re eating a clean diet, chances are there won’t be as much gas released into the blood but there will be some. As a side note, a raw food diet is probably the cleanest diet you can have and will produce the least amount of gas over time. It is also the best way to avoid the toxins which occur in the western diet of meat, meat, and meat. Oh…and potatoes.

Basketball Belly

Cellular Fat

If you are eating a poor diet, the cell membrane will encounter a large amount of gas pressure. This gas has to go somewhere, right? It will then move from a higher concentration to a lower concentration area through a process called diffusion. So…it essentially moves from outside from the cell membrane to inside the cell. The pressure from outside the cell and inside the cell balance but the cell itself must become larger to accommodate the pressure created by the gas. Can you imagine eating a crappy diet every day and what this can do to your body? If you can’t, think about this: your body is made up of trillions of cells which all are trying to rid themselves of gas. Now that’s a big deal! Ever seen someone with what I call, “basketball belly?” If you don’t know what that is picture a man who looks as if he’s pregnant or that woman with the “pooch.” I see this all the time when I visit the beaches here in South Florida during the warmer months. I now know exactly why it happens! Is there a way to prevent it?

Food Detox

I always do a detox at least once a year. The detox I prefer to do is the Master Cleanse or Lemonade Diet . I can always tell my body is clean after the cleanse because my stomach is very flat. It can normally be a little bit “poofy” even though I eat mainly organic foods. The Master Cleanse is a liquid cleanse composed of water, lemons, and cayenne pepper. It is recommended you do the cleanse for at least 10 days. That’s 10 days without any solid food! I know some people think they’ll die if they don’t eat but guess what, you won’t. Your digestive system needs a break from processing all the toxic food you eat and it also needs a break from the gas created through fermentation. Even though the Master Cleanse is a liquid diet, you can also detox yourself through food itself. All you need to do is clean up your diet from excessively processed foods to more organic foods…you may even go “raw”. Going raw is by far the highest level of “pure food” and will result in a more severe level of detoxification but your cells will thank you for it. So what’s all the fuss about passing gas?

The Big C

What’s the big deal about being gaseous anyway? I’ll tell you. If your cells can’t release the gaseous waste, it will expand beyond its normal capacity. No one really knows how much a cell can expand but what we do know is once a cell expands to maximum capacity its difficult for it to get oxygen. The cell must then use anaerobic (absence of oxygen) means to convert food into energy. It is in the anaerobic state when the body comes across inflammation and a host of diseases including Cancer. I’ve heard many times and have seen research where diseases cannot live in the body if it remains in an alkaline state. I am going to make the correlation here that the anaerobic process is kin to the body being in an acidic state where most diseases thrive. I use to laugh at gas but it really ain’t a laughing matter. The next time you let one rip it could be a bit more serious then you think. What do you think? Hit the comment button and leave it….Darren

Original article by Matt Monarch

Darren McDuffie

Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Certified Nutrition and Weight Management Specialist
Certified Exercise Foundations Specialist
Certified Fitness Testing Specialist

Why is the gut so important?

I talk to people all the time and I am amazed how little people know about their bodies. If the body is yours shouldn’t you want to know more about it? I guess if you want to know more about it, you’re labeled a health nut but I’d rather be labeled that than dead.   How ‘bout you? So…why is your gut so important? 80% of your immune system is located there. Are you getting the connection now? I hope you are but if you aren’t keep reading and I’ll connect the dots so it makes sense.

Chaotic Antibiotics

I happened to talk to a friend through instant messenger and found out she had an infection after having a surgical procedure. She said the doctor prescribed antibiotics to help her body fight the infection. This is standard protocol for doctors when there is a bacterial infection involved. I wrote about antibiotics in a recent post. You can go HERE to read more about it. There is nothing wrong with prescribing antibiotics when the body needs help fighting disease but they can be overly prescribed,which can lead to resistant strains of bacteria. Most overuse occurs because doctors want to “pacify” patients who come in with a sniffle or sneeze and claim they need antibiotics. In instances where doctors use antibiotics to satisfy patients, this can prove to be more detrimental than helpful to the patient.  Why? Even if patient has a true bacterial infection or not, antibiotics can become chaotic to the body. Why? Antibiotics are both helpful and harmful at the same time. It’s somewhat like the saying, “too much of a good thing, isn’t good for you.” While antibiotics help the body fight bad bacteria, they also wipe out the good bacteria which support digestion and a healthy immune system. Isn’t that quite the body oxymoron? Yes…you just got rid of your infection but it left you susceptible to bad bacteria again, so chances are it will come back like the in-laws you hate.

Anti vs. Pro

There is a Yin to every Yang. For example, the male species has the female species and hot has cold. You get the picture, right? If we take this a little deeper and do some “wordsmithing” anti- means against and pro- means for. So, if there is an antibiotic shouldn’t there be a complement to it? Enter the Probiotic which is the omega to the alpha called the antibiotic. Few if any people know about the probiotic and it’s as if it’s being kept a secret on purpose. How many times has your doctor prescribed a probiotic after a course of antibiotics? I might be wrong but I would venture to say none. Most doctors don’t know what a probiotic is and if they do they don’t prescribe it because they don’t take a holistic approach to healing the body. What is so good about going pro?

Going Pro

Probiotics help replenish the good bacteria in your gut which were wiped out during the use of the antibiotic. See…antibiotics don’t know whether they’re wiping out good or bad bacteria, they just wipe out bacteria. Make sense? To put back the good bacteria, it is necessary to take a probiotic immediately after the use of the antibiotic. It may even make sense to take a probiotic on a daily basis to make sure your immune system is running on all cylinders. Many people die a slow death and age at an astounding rate because they don’t take care of their gut. This can be avoided through the simple use of a probiotic from your local health store. In 2011, start taking control of your health and quit leaving it to chance. If you’re always sick, this could be the missing link for you. Have any experience using a probiotic or a bad experience using an antibiotic? Leave a comment and tell me.
See you on the lean side…Darren

Darren McDuffie

Fitness Coach

Fitness and the 6

I remember when I first jumped into fitness. I knew nothing about diet and nutrition so I bought a bodybuilding magazine and quickly fell into marketing madness disguised as fitness. I thought I struck gold when I found an article which told me to eat 5-6 meals a day to speed up my metabolism. I didn’t give it much thought at the time because it made complete sense, didn’t it? Hmm…the more you eat, the more the body has to digest and burn the food thereby speeding up your metabolism. Oh, and if you throw in this fat burning 64oz jar of protein, you should be good to go! I fell for this hook, line and sinker for so long “till” it wasn’t funny. I believed everything I saw in those magazines which set in the check out aisle at my grocery store. How can you not believe them when you see a guy on the cover with his muscles rippling and you aspire to be the same way? I never thought to question anything, do you?

The question of breakfast

Do you really need to eat breakfast? I thought for a long time I needed to and for a long time I did, even though I wasn’t hungry. I would force myself to eat just simply because the magazine told me to do it. After I did some research, I found out eating breakfast is another fitness myth. It should be left up to individual’s preference. Most experts tell people to eat breakfast because people have the tendency to eat unhealthy food when they don’t eat in the morning. For example, how many times have you not eaten breakfast in the morning then around 11 am you become so hungry you’ll eat anything. Most of the time that “anything” might be a bagel or doughnut someone brought into the office to share with the rest of his/her coworkers! Let’s face it…we all make less than desirable choices when our hunger meter goes in the red. There is no danger in not eating breakfast, the danger is the choice we make when we suddenly get hungry.

Nuttin but the truth

I read somewhere where eating frequent meals doesn’t have any significant effect on metabolism. There you have it! I won’t get into the scientific mumbo jumbo of it all and bore you to death. Since I found this out, I have cut my meals to 3 meals a day and I don’t have a problem maintaining this. I always had a problem maintaining the 6 meal a day thing and to be honest I felt I was forcing myself to eat. Was I training myself to overeat? I think so and since then I feel better eating 3 times and just practicing some good ol’ fashion self control. Will this work for you? It might but then again you might be different from me. The real truth is to find what works for you and continue to do it. You might be comfortable with eating one meal a day or even two just don’t let a forced belief have you doing something for the sake of doing it. It’s all up to you. Until next time, see you on the lean side.

Darren McDuffie
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Certified Nutrition and Weight Management Specialist
Certified Exercise Foundations Specialist
Certified Fitness Testing Specialist

Since it is breast  cancer awareness month, I thought I would post a video. I have some mixed emotions about the disease and I can sympathize with anyone who has had it, beat it, or died from it. I lost my mother in November 2005 to breast cancer and it is forever “etched in my memory”. As you have read in my posts, I am a natural health care advocate and believe the body can cure itself. This belief “fuels” my other belief that cancer is a business and natural cures are deliberately being withheld from the public to keep the business intact. Call me what you want but dumb isn’t one of them! While you are enjoying the video, please take a look at another post which feels the same way I do:

The Stink of Pink

Take what people say at face value. Be open to learning more on your own. Enjoy the video

Darren McDuffie
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Certified Nutrition and Weight Management Specialist
Certified Exercise Foundations Specialist
Certified Fitness Testing Specialist

The weight loss formula

If you have followed the blog, you should know the weight loss formula! If you don’t here it is: calories in – more calories out = weight loss. I’ll translate this for you to make it a bit easier to understand. In order to lose weight, you’ll need to burn more calories than you consume! How do you do that you might ask? I can tell you its not an easy task since there is a chance to commit “carbocide” around every corner. Most of us commit “carbocide” and then jump on the next fad diet. We then realize staying on a diet is as hard as Wiley Coyote catching the Road Runner. It ain’t gonna happen… but what if there was a food which had no calories, no carbohydrates and left you feeling full?

Enter the Miracle Noodle

Back in college, I ate Ramen Noodles. I think I had those noodles every way you can have them. I ate them with hot sauce, hot dogs, and ground beef. I ate them with a spoon, I ate them with a goon. Oops… pardon me, I just had a Dr. Suess flashback but you get the picture. I had to be creative since my budget was limited at the time. Once I graduated, I swore off noodles as I ate them so much , I  couldn’t stand to look at them anymore. It was a miracle in itself ( no pun intended) I would even try noodles again. I did try them again and I liked them. They just happened to be called Miracle Noodles!

Shirataki Noodles

Miracle Noodles are the commercial name for Shirataki Noodles. Shirataki Noodles come from the far east, hence the name. The noodles are made from the Konjac Plant’s root which contains a soluble fiber called Glucomannan. This fiber which is derived from the plant’s root, is considered a vegetable and has no fat, sugar, and absolutely no carbohydrates. That’s right no carbs and no calories. What does that mean?

Weight Loss made easy

Since Miracle Noodles have no carbs and no calories, this means you can eat them and  lose weight. How? Think about it. If you can eat a food which has no calories , it won’t count in your daily caloric intake. There are countless stories of people losing weight as they have adopted eating shirataki noodles on a daily basis. There is no other food out there which can boast to have no calories or carbs. I believe water is the only thing which has no calories and its a liquid! As an added benefit, the noodles leave you feeling full for hours! If you don’t know, one of the biggest problems with any diet is sticking to it as it restricts you to foods which  don’t fill you up and leave you hungry minutes later.

True story

I am now using miracles noodles as a way to enjoy pasta the guilt free way. I really don’t need to lose weight but its a great way for me to maintain a healthy weight. I can also satisfy my craving for pasta. There are many more benefits of this miracle plant. If you’re wanting to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, why don’t you make it easy on yourself?

To learn more about Miracle Noodles visit   NOODLES

Darren McDuffie
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Certified Nutrition and Weight Management Specialist
Certified Exercise Foundations Specialist
Certified Fitness Testing Specialist

- Chris Rock

Chris Rock, in my opinion, is one of the best comedians out there today. He can take real life situations and make them funny. He also gets you to “think” way after the laughter has stopped. So…why am I quoting a comedian today? What could this possibly have to do with fitness? I promise you there is a method to my madness, so buckle up and enjoy the ride! Before I begin, I wanted to give Rusty Moore from Fitness BlackBook credit for inspiring this post from a blog post he wrote called, “What the Heck is…  Inflammation” . In the article, Rusty explains Brad Pilon’s most recent edition of Eat Stop Eat in which he talks about the role inflammation plays in the body. You can check out both Rusty and Brad’s work at Fitness Black Book and Eat Stop Eat, respectively. The following excerpt is taken directly from Rusty’s post called, “What the Heck is Inflammation? Why Should You Care”? Please read carefully.

What the Head of A Major Pharmaceutical Company Told Me
Ten years ago, I was an executive recruiter who placed Ph.D. level medicinal chemists into pharmaceutical companies. These are the scientists who discover the lead compounds that eventually get turned into drugs that help people. It was kind of an intimidating job, because often times these high-level scientists would list CEO’s and VP’s of major pharmaceutical companies as their references. It was my job to contact these CEO’s and to conduct reference checks. Let me tell you, it is not easy to get a hold of a high level executive in companies that do tens of billions of dollars per year. I would always think to myself “who am I to talk to this ultra-smart super successful person”. One executive level chemist in particular told me something I will never forget…

“Never, Ever Allow Yourself to Become Overweight for an Extended Period of Time”
This guy spent a lifetime studying chronic disease and he spent close to 30 minutes drilling this point into my head. He said the number one thing that will drastically decrease your chances of getting any disease is to never allow yourself to become overweight. He wasn’t just talking heart disease and things we normally associate with being overweight either (obviously this isn’t a guarantee, there are countless examples of fit people who develop cancer and other life threatening diseases). He went on to tell me that the mass media understates the cause and effect of obesity and disease…and that if the general population wasn’t overweight, that the drug companies would lose billions.

If “they” say its important

Well, there you have it! It’s coming straight from the horse’s mouth. The media may understate the causes behind all the diseases out there, but the biggest cause is being overweight. It’s a known fact obesity is the gateway for heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. I wonder what other diseases might be directly related to being obese and why would a chemist spend 30 minutes drilling into someone’s head not to let yourself become overweight? He knows the direct relation to obesity and disease. I like to call it “the cycle”.

The Cycle

The Cycle

I use to be a pharmaceutical rep, so I am speaking directly from experience. Pharmaceutical companies care little about the individual and more about profits. For instance, when I first entered the industry I knew of a drug which had been proven to cause liver damage and physicians were still prescribing it. Hard to believe right? It may not be if I told you by the time a drug is placed in the pharmacy it has gone through countless tests and those tests can reveal side effects and the deaths the drug is going to cause. Yes…every drug has side effects and most of them are linked to deaths every year but you will rarely hear about them. I wonder why?  Pharmaceutical companies consider death as collateral damage and will do anything to protect their profits. If you’re overweight for an extended period of time, you’re not only opening yourself up to obesity related diseases such as hypertension and diabetes but now you’re at the mercy of the pharmaceutical companies. While the drug may cure one thing, chances are you’ll need another drug at some point. Why? The drug you took for your original ailment probably damaged something else in your body so now you need another drug to fix it. This is why I call it the cycle and as they say, “ the wheels on the bus go round and round.”

Joker on the Square

What are you doing now to lose weight? Are you counting points? Are you keeping frozen meals in your freezer at work? Have you fallen prey to eating a “cookie” to lose weight? The diet industry is a “joke” as they sell the illusion of losing weight. Diet companies just like the pharmaceutical industry will stand to lose millions if everyone became fit,  so why would they want you to lose weight? The degree to which you will lose weight will amount to the degree of  self control you can exercise from the countless opportunities you have to eat. There are plenty of them disguised as office meetings, sporting events, and birthday parties, etc. It’s up to you to seize control and stop being the “butt” of the diet/pharmaceutical companies’ joke.

Prophet of Profit

Don’t allow yourself to be overweight for an extended period of time. It not only leads to chronic disease but you fall prey to pharmaceutical companies and diet companies. They are the “evils” which appear in the form of angels to rescue you from your demise. It’s all profit at your expense. The real cure is to practice self control and look at exercise as a life giving oil to keep your engine humming for a lifetime. If you keep living with being overweight, you’re making someone else rich at your expense and why should they profit from your life’s worth?

PS… enjoy the clip from Chris Rock. The language may not be suitable for some but he makes a whole lotta sense!

Ever had the day from hell?

Have you ever had one of those days when everything goes wrong? It’s usually a waterfall effect, right? One thing goes wrong then something else happens that’s totally unrelated to the first thing and then another thing happens. They say bad things happen in “threes” and I’m wondering if it has something to do with mindset. For instance, when the first bad thing happens, most people usually ask, “What else can go wrong?” and more often than not this is when the next bad thing occurs. I’m a true believer of bad things happening in the mind first through worry and fear and then manifesting into physical reality. I also believe this is true about weight issues.

Fat Begins in the Mind

A few years back, I got a job I thought I really wanted at the time. It took me two years to get this job and when I got it I was happy! I was making a great salary and I had a company car and great benefits. I was finally getting an opportunity to travel and enjoy vacations I had only dreamed about before getting my dream job. After six months, I realized I liked the image of the job more than the job itself. I was “stuck like chuck” because after chasing this job for two years and finally getting it, wouldn’t it be stupid to decide I didn’t like it? It caused me a great deal of stress, fear, and worry. The more I thought about my situation, the more it zapped my energy. I went from having a positive outlook to a negative outlook as a result of my inner struggles. It was during this time that I felt like crap and my weight began to skyrocket! I didn’t see the connection at the time but now I do.

We all battle inner demons

Mind Dictates Matter

I have a strong belief weight issues have nothing to do with the “physical” but are more of a manifestation of the “mental.” What does that mean? I have talked to many people and more often than not weight issues are directly tied to something they are experiencing emotionally. It could be something from childhood or it can be from something they’re going through now, such as a bad relationship. It always starts on the “inside” first then is seen on the “outside”. For example, I remember watching Oprah say she had a poor self image and during this time she was at her heaviest. When she resolved her self esteem issues, she began to lose weight. We have all witnessed Oprah’s battles with weight!  I am not sure what weight she is now but you get what I’m saying right? Your mind will always dictate your matter. What are you presently thinking about?

The Personal Behind the Training

In my personal training career, I’ve realized training is more about changing a person’s attitude or beliefs . All of us have some unresolved emotional issues or fears which prevent us from shedding pounds. Some may have light baggage and others may have enough baggage to start a suitcase collection.   A good trainer will connect with his or her trainee and find out what “issues” they have and modify the behavior to achieve the desired results. This could be through a few words of encouragement or relating to the person as someone who has “been there and done that” and is now on the other side to tell about it. It all boils down to being a bit more “personal” rather than just training the physical being.

Walk Down Memory Lane

If you have gained weight, is it presently tied to stress, fear, or worry? If you gained a bunch of weight in the past and somehow came to lose the weight, take a stroll down memory lane and think about the circumstances which caused the weight gain. I bet it wasn’t tied to anything physical but has manifested because of something which started in your mind. This is why I say, “your inside always dictates what you see on the outside.” Change the inside first and see what happens. I always invite your comments and would love to hear from you!

I thought I would do a something a little different this week. Here are my top ten things which sabotage fat loss. Do these sabotage you?

1. Not drinking enough water – This is a biggie! Your body needs water to work at an optimal level. It also needs water to flush out toxins and aid in digestion. Muscle is made primarily of water. Get the connection?

2. Making weight loss harder than it is – Weight loss is a simple formula but we complicate it. This is partly because the diet industry wants to keep us confused to sell more products! Calories in – more calories burned = weight loss. Don’t over think it!

3. Mindset – You get what you think about!!! If you say I can’t lose weight, guess what happens? Your mind tells your body you can’t lose weight and the weight stays on. Change your mindset to “weight loss is easy for me” and watch what happens.

4. Not eating vegetables – I did a post on this a while back. You can see it Here. If you’re an adult you should be eating vegetables and the ones smothered and covered in butter don’t count.

5. Eating too much – As a rule of thumb, you should leave the table a little hungry. Don’t eat until you’re full. It’s a big myth we’re told to eat until we’re full. It comes back to bite you in the a** later on.

6. Alcohol – If you workout all week, why go to the bar and ruin it on the weekend? Hold a two drink minimum to keep your fat loss efforts intact.

7. Sugar – Heroin, Cocaine, and “Meth” have nothing on Sugar. Most of us are addicted and don’t even realize it.  It’s in everything and will keep you from losing weight. Did you know you can go through sugar withdrawal? Yup…it’s just that addictive. Cut down on sugar and watch fat loss soar!!!

8. Boring workout program -  You might be a dummy if…you’re doing the same workout program from 1992. It’s time to change! You should change your workout every 8 weeks. If you get bored like I do, change it every 6 weeks.

9. Eating out with friends too much -  All of us tend to get a little “loosey goosey” when we’re out with friends…one tortilla chip turns into 2 then a whole basket is consumed before you know it. Once this happens we ditch all efforts and go for broke with a burger, fries, and a Coke. Limit the “socials” to one day a week preferably on your cheat day.

10. Eating “big” immediately after cardio -  You just hopped off the treadmill and decide to eat a big lunch.  Guess what you did? You just replaced the calories you burned and in most cases you added more. Go figure? Wait a least an hour after cardio to give your body a chance to burn fat then eat sensibly. Control your portion sizes and drink plenty of water.

If you have any more things which you’ve found to sabotage your fat loss, shoot me a comment, and I’ll add them and give you credit!!!! See you on the lean side!

Darren McDuffie
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Certified Nutrition and Weight Management Specialist
Certified Exercise Foundations Specialist
Certified Fitness Testing Specialist

Oh sh***! It must be something serious today, huh? Sit back, relax, and enjoy the post.

When I was in college, my friends and I would attend the local college night at a bar and stay out until 3 or 4 in the morning. I would go home and get a couple hours of sleep and then get up at 7:30 am to attend a 8:00 class. I can remember taking a quick shower and throwing on some old sweats and a baseball cap. I would then run to the “cafeteria” and “inhale” my breakfast in 5 minutes and jet off to class. I can’t believe I stayed awake in class after getting so little sleep. That was then, this is now. As I get older, I’m finding my body needs sleep and it will do anything to get it!

Slim steps on the scene

Do you remember when energy drinks came on the scene? I do because I ended up working for a distributor of one of the well known energy drinks. It came in a small slim can and I thought it was the coolest thing ever! I remember my boss telling me these things would eventually outsell soft drinks and he was right! I see these things everywhere now and the cans have gotten bigger. I guess people need more of a “dose” to boost their energy. It’s crazy what you can do with a marketing plan and a “marketable” can. Does that rhyme? In all seriousness, these drinks have given us a promise of energy and we have fallen for it hook, line, and sinker!

Ban on energy drinks

I recently saw an article where a high school football coach told his kids to quit using energy drinks. His players were complaining of “cotton mouth” and fatigue after drinking them. I have experienced this first hand when I was working for the energy drink company. I have also experienced the constant fatigue as my body became dependent on the energy from a can. I had a limitless supply of these drinks as I carried them with me in my delivery van and I would chug one after the other in an attempt to get over feeling tired. I was creating my own addiction as I felt tired all the time. I thought I wasn’t getting enough sleep. After a while, I made sure I got enough sleep but the “tiredness” wouldn’t go away. In attempt to find an answer, I ventured into a health store and told the store owner I was feeling tired all the time and he recommended some vitamins. Guess what? Those didn’t work! It wasn’t until about 3 years ago I found out what was really wrong and how to repair it. In an attempt to salvage my energy before I made my discovery, I gave up energy drinks.

Adrenals are located just above the kidneys

Endocrine system

I had a science professor in college who was booooorrrriiinnnnnggggg. He was so monotone and soon as he started talking the whole class would drift off to sleep. In tribute of him, I’ll try to make this a little more interesting. What is the endocrine system and what does it do? The endocrine system is system of glands which secrete hormones in the blood stream to regulate your body. They include the following glands: pineal, pituitary, adrenal, thyroid, ovary, testis. I won’t discuss all of them because our main concern here is the adrenal. The adrenal gland is responsible for releasing hormones which directly correlate to your energy levels. If you are tired all the time, you might be suffering from adrenal fatigue. This was the case with me. How did I get there?

Burnt Adrenals

Your adrenal glands react to every kind of stress be it emotional, physical, or psychological. Its very easy to get to a point where they become “tapped out.” You then become increasingly tired or like I was tired all the time. In order  to combat my fatigue, I reached for an energy drink. Some of you might reach for the same or even coffee or a combination of both. This only makes it worse as caffeine will continue to “stress” your adrenals and burn them out. You are only compounding the problem and will continue to feel more tired. You’ll probably keep reaching for the energy drink or the coffee and the cycle will continue.

The cure

As they say in church,”can I get a witness.” I can tell you, you can get your energy back. I got mine back through  a biomeridian assessment. This is another post in itself which I’ll do later. I was placed on a natural substance which helped replenish my adrenals and therefore my energy. I never felt better. I wanted to continue this feeling so I have switched to “decaf” coffee and long gone are those sleek slim cans from my refrigerator. If you are feeling tired all the time you might be suffering from adrenal fatigue… look into it. See you on the lean side… Darren

Darren McDuffie
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Certified Nutrition and Weight Management Specialist
Certified Exercise Foundations Specialist
Certified Fitness Testing Specialist

The Big Fail

If you are not eating vegetables, you’re pretty much screwing yourself. I can give you the same ol’ regurgitated mumbo jumbo about the nutrients veggies provide, but chances are you heard it all before, right? I don’t think this has convinced you in the past so it won’t do anything now. I can tell what will convince you…hunger! Everyone pays attention to their grumbling stomach when they are hungry. I can’t tell you how many people I hear complain about hunger when they start their fitness training programs or diet. Vegetables are fiber dense and leave you feeling full longer. You need to feel full or eventually you’ll cheat and fail on your program. You can eat an unlimited amount of these tidbits and they have no overall effect on your calories. It takes as many calories to burn vegetables as in the vegetable themselves so they are the perfect fat burning food!

I’m Tired!

Do you know someone who is tired all the time? Some of us may have a medical reason for being tired, but it might just be a nutritional deficiency. Veggies provide complex carbohydrates which are slow to burn in the body and provide energy all day long. They don’t spike the blood sugar and you want this benefit if you’re going to lose weight. So, if you’re tired of being tired, try some vegetables. There are many other benefits to eating vegetables and this could be a very long post so I want to cut it short but I’ll leave you with one recommendation. If you’re having a problem eating your veggies, try a sweet potato. Everyone loves something sweet! You can work your way into the hard stuff later. 

Darren McDuffie
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Certified Nutrition and Weight Management Specialist
Certified Exercise Foundations Specialist
Certified Fitness Testing Specialist