Increased Energy
Increased Sex Drive
Clearer, Smoother Skin
Weight Loss Results
Better Performance and Recovery
Stronger Immune System

What if I could give you the secrets to all this? What would you say? Well, I can do it and I am experiencing it first hand myself. After I completed the Master Cleanse, I made an effort to change my diet. I wanted to cleanse myself of the nasty carbs and the processed sugar which was a part of my life for many years. I also unknowingly rid myself of some of the other things which may have been giving me a problem. I feel so much better now!!! I’ll tell you how I did it!

I Go Paleo

Have you ever heard of the Paleo Diet plan? The plan consists of how people ate centuries ago before there were Twinkies, potato chips,  or fast food. How did We ever survive before all the processed crap came on the market? For most of us, it’s hard to think of a simple time when people ate protein consisting of meat, carbs from vegetables, and fruit. There were no supermarkets where we could load up our carts with ice cream, cookies, and TV dinners. As a result, people were healthier and obesity was rare. This isn’t the case now. I can walk down the street and 1 out of every 2 people I meet might be overweight or severely overweight! If you think I am exaggerating, try observing this for yourself. It’s the main reason I gave Paleo a try and I am very glad it did it. Here is what Paleo eating involves:

NO

Grains
Potatoes
Lentils
Dairy
Processed sugar
Preservatives

For years, I have been wanting to get dairy out of my diet but had a love affair with pizza. I didn’t want to give it up! I am not sure why because I am lactose intolerant and it gave me all sorts of problems, but I still had to have it. I finally “kicked” the pizza habit and almond milk and coconut milk have made easier substitutes for any other recipes or treats calling for dairy.

Want to go Paleo?

If you want to do the Paleo diet, it does require sacrifice. You’ll need to prepare your meals in advance which you should be doing anyway, right? Most restaurants aren’t Paleo friendly but you can find your occasional salad with no cheese or croutons, etc. and some places you frequent, might let you special order things if you ask. You can do it, it just takes effort and planning!

I benefit from Paleo

I have had great success from the Paleo Plan. I no longer wake up feeling tired even after I have gotten the right amount of sleep. I have more energy than I have had in years and my body seems to recover better after exercise. I have also found it easier to keep my belly fat down. I’ll be posting more on Paleo and the philosophy of why certain things are forbidden. Keep reading and commenting. 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

I had to share this with you!!! It is amazing what the human body is capable of once you are fully committed. All you have to do is make the change. I am afraid to say it, but these women are putting most people half their age to shame! Listen to the reason why the second lady started working out.

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

I wanted to announce the winner of the Kick Start the Summer Giveaway! The winner is….. (drum roll) Shari Goss. I’ll be sending Shari a pair of Pumas. I’ll be having another giveaway soon so keep your eyes to the blog for it. Thanks again to all the subscribers who entered the contest.

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

Back in my unhealthier days, the four food groups took on a whole new meaning for me. You know what the “real” food groups are, but mine were burgers, fries, cookies and cake. I had the poorest dietary habits. I am glad I made the decision to live a healthier life and changed the way I ate. It has made a big difference for me, but way back when….

The Honey Bun Bandit

In South Florida, they have these stores I like to call “bread houses.” A bread house is where bread companies send their surplus to be sold at cheap prices. I would go there and buy 3 to 4 loaves of bread at a time. I had a sandwich fetish, and I needed the bread to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, if you’re wondering about it. Yup, I had a bad habit! I don’t eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches anymore and I certainly don’t eat white bread now…yuck! I am going to finally “come clean” here, so pay attention. The bread was not the main reason I went to the bread house. I don’t think you’ll ever guess what my first reason was for going, so I’ll tell you. It was for honeybuns! Yes, I loved honeybuns and the bread house just happened to have them 3 for a $1.00. I started off buying three then six, and my habit grew out of control to 9! I was buying 9 of these things at a time and I would go home and eat three at one sitting!

Can you feel it?

I would sit down with a tall glass of milk, juice or koolaid and devour 3 honeybuns in no time at all. These honeybuns were not your normal honey buns, they were huge! At 6’7, I have pretty big hands and if you placed the “bun” in my hand it would cover it. I can’t believe I ate 3 of those darn things in one sitting. I continued to do this until one day I took note of how I felt after eating them. I didn’t know food could change your mood, but I experienced it myself with my honeybun habit. I would feel great after and right before eating the honeybuns. My mood would then suddenly change within an hour after eating them. I would go from being happy to slightly depressed and tired. Have you ever felt that way after eating something? I took notice of the way I felt after eating the “buns,” and started to pay attention to other foods as I ate them. I can tell you “honeybuns” weren’t the only thing that made me feel that way. I now know the foods I need to stay away from by using my “feeling” method.

The Missing Link

Years after I made my self discovery, I came across an article in a magazine which talked about foods and how they altered your mood. Did you know pasta and white sugar are linked to depression? I have also heard certain foods can trigger migraine headaches. Most people don’t make a conscious effort to “feel” their food. They just stuff their faces. Your body knows what is good for it, you just have to be still and listen. If you pay attention to the food and how you “fell” after eating it, it would make it easier to resist the foods that make you gain weight. Start to “feel” your food and see what happens.

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

“Find a fool, hit them up side the head and keep them dizzy”.

Kevin Williams

I heard this quote from my friend a while ago and I laughed at it. I didn’t give it any thought past the conversation we had that day until now. Read the quote again, do you know what it means? I’ll explain it to you because it hit me like a baseball bat the other day.

Have you seen the commercial for the Shake Weight? If you don’t know what it is, its a weight you shake (hence shake weight) which works on the idea of dynamic inertia. What the hell is dynamic inertia? Is that even a word? I had to laugh, as I sat down and watched the commercial. I thought,”who the heck is going to fall for this?” I would be willing to bet alot of people are falling for this, especially women! I am not saying women are any different from anyone else out there, but the commercial was geared towards women to tone up their flabby arms. It came complete with testimonials and the guarantee of only 6 minutes a day. I watched how they held the weight and what they were doing and it didn’t make any sense. Ok, let me let you in on something…women by predisposed genetics carry more fat on the back of their arms than men. So from the date of birth, women are at a disadvantage when it comes to toning the back of the arms. Did you know that? I bet the person marketing the Shake Weight, did. Marketers play on our fears and worries and convince us we need something even when we don’t really need it. Everyone, and I do mean everyone falls for it at sometime or another because its based on emotion. We rarely buy on need, but always buy on emotion. Don’t believe me, check this out. All of us were kids at one time, and begged our parents to buy us a toy because the commercial persuaded us by appealing to our emotion. I know some adults who are still buying on emotion not to mention eating on emotion. But, do you remember getting the toy you begged for and most of the time it didn’t even amount to what you saw in the commercial. Most of us played with it for a minute and after the “shine” wore off so did our need for it.

I wonder if we get caught up in the “marketing” of the product versus the product itself? I remember when I first started training I wanted to get my six pack back, so I bought some fat burners. I used them religiously for the first couple of weeks and now they are sitting in my pantry gathering dust. I didn’t even finish them. I have done that many times thinking that this time the “answer” was finally coming. How about you? Have you ever had that experience? The fitness industry will always give you the “answer” if you are looking for it. I bet at any given time you can go on your computer and get several different answers to your question, but only one will be the truth. Please realize this if you haven’t already… there are basics to everything and those things always work. Don’t get caught up in the marketing because marketers are only trying to, “ find a fool and hit them up side the head and keep them dizzy”. Be smart and buy on reality and not the “promise” of reality. 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