Archive for diet
No Money in the Cure
Posted by: | CommentsAin’t no money in the cure, the money is in the medicine.
- 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!
Emotional Wait dictates Physical Weight
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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!
10 Things Sabotaging Your Fat Loss
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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
Energy Drink or Energy Jinx?
Posted by: | CommentsI am not trying to diagnose or treat any illness this is for information purposes only.
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
Eat Your Vegetables!!!!
Posted by: | CommentsWhy do you have to force kids to eat vegetables? I’ll be the first to admit there are some strange kids out there who just love vegetables. I was one of them! I don’t think my mother ever put anything in front of me I didn’t like except liver. I don’t think there were many kids out there like me. I know this from experience. I had friends who absolutely hated vegetables and would do anything to avoid them. I have personally witnessed countless “fits” when one of my vegetable hating friends was forced to eat these morsels. Why do vegetables have a such a bad reputation?
Kid Before… Adult Now
“I don’t like vegetables!” I hear this every now and then from adults, yes adults. These people are no longer kids. I can only look at them with a squinted eye and say,“huh?” These are the very same people who have the nerve to tell me they want to lose weight and have been struggling to do it. I’m not sure if they know every one of those “commercial” diets contain some sort of “veggie” to be included with a meal. How could they not make the correlation of vegetables and weight loss? Its crazy how we can “miss the forest for the trees,” isn’t it? In my own experience, I have grown out of disliking certain foods as I became an adult. I don’t know if it was just me or I was under the “influence” of others. What do I mean by this? As a kid, I would pretend I didn’t like certain kinds of foods because my friends didn’t like them and I wanted to be a part of the “in crowd.” I guess I told myself this so many times, I started believing it until I matured.
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
