Category Archives: Books and Articles

Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 03/08/15

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Nuts, Fat, Added Sugars: New Research– This article looks at the benefit of eating more nuts, and the added weight loss scene in people with a low fat diet vs. low carb. “Those eating a lower amount of nuts per day (less than a half-ounce) had more than a doubling of metabolic syndrome” compared to those eating a half-ounce or more a day.” “Following a low-fat diet led to about a 67% greater body-fat loss than following a low-carb plan.”

The Firefighter Workout– One thing I found fascinating about this article is how it starts, 4 in 5 firefighters are overweight or obese. When you stop and think about that it is alarming. So as you can imagine there is a group of health conscious firefighters working to make a change towards a healthier lifestyle for current firefighters.  The focus is on using functional fitness as the main area of exercise.

Why Running Does Not (Always) Burn Fat– I think this is one of the best articles I have read on running. I myself a few years ago fell into the pitfall of using running as my only form of cardio. Yes I would also weight train, but running was my main focus. Now that I have incorporated so many different kinds of exercise I have found my body is stronger and mentally I am more into my daily workout.

Vitamin B.S.– Have you ever wondered why we all believe vitamins will make us into healthier people? Well that is what this article discusses. Along with how vitamins came about into our culture, built into popularity, and true benefits. You may not want to read the whole article, but can skim through to what sounds interesting to you.

Fast Food doesn’t have to be a diet killer-Let’s face it, sometimes you just need to eat fast food. It has been a long day, you are traveling, etc. I like this article because it gives some really great pointers at the end on how to make healthier choices when ordering fast food. I for one practice a lot of this when I am on the road or out to dinner with friends.  “Key characteristics of fast food can combat a few pitfalls of restaurant meals. No foods are delivered to your table to whet your appetite before your food arrives. There’s nearly no waiting for your food. It’s order and eat. Foods come in a wide range of portion sizes, from small to jumbo.”

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Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 03/01/15

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Learning to Like Spicier Food– I have always found it fascinating the differences we all have in our tastes. For instance I hate cilantro, but I know many people out there who love it. Spicy food is along the same line, for some the burn is not that bad or very enjoyable. Others it feels like they may die from it. This article is interesting as it touches on why some people can tolerate spice and others cant. It also gives ways to improve your tolerance. “Researchers noted a positive correlation between the levels of testosterone in a subject and the amount of hot sauce he chose to apply to his potatoes: Those with higher levels drizzled on more of the spicy condiment. Those men also shared tendencies towards social dominance, aggression, and risk-taking behaviors, the researchers found.”

What is Siphon Coffee, and How is it Made? One of the perks of living in the Bay Area is you get immersed in new food and alcohol trends. Not only new trends, but really good ones. Right now coffee is really big in San Francisco and I for one am 100% on board with it. Most of the artisan coffee houses in the city offer siphon coffee. I have yet to try it, but since I keep seeing it pop up as a premium choice I thought it would be good to look into what the process of making Siphon coffee is.

Should Athletes Eat Fat or Carbs?– “Exercise scientists long ago established that endurance training makes athletes better able to use fat as a fuel. And that metabolic adaptation prompted many scientists and coaches in recent years to wonder what would happen if you extended that ability to its farthest extreme and trained an athlete’s body to rely almost exclusively on fat, by removing almost all carbohydrates from the diet and ramping up grease intake?”

Processed Food Additives May Alter Gut Bacteria– A short article on  how researchers have looked at a study with mice and have determined a common ingredient called emulsifiers which is found in a lot of processed foods might increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and metabolic syndrome. A short read.

The Skinny Carb– With all of the different messages being sent to people on what a healthy diet is, researchers decided to give a group of people one message. Eat more fiber. It is interesting to see the results compared to the group who was watching everything they ate.

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Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 02/20/15

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A little late with this weeks articles, that is what working on the weekend in NYC will do for you 🙂 Enjoy!

Real Runners Do Take Walk Breaks– I am a runner and I have to say I have the same mentality as the writer of this article does. If you are not running the whole race can you really say you ran it? However now that I am getting older and starting to feel my body more, it just makes sense to approach races with the run/walk mentality. If you end up running the whole thing awesome, but knowing you can walk will just make it easier to approach. “The walk breakers performed well. Runners in both groups finished the marathon with similar times, and the group that took walking breaks experienced less muscle pain and fatigue after the race than their running-only counterparts.”

The Great American Sleep Recession– For anyone who has kids this is a great article on how much sleep different age groups should have along with talking to the preferred age groups for napping. Are you getting the right amount of sleep every night? “While there is plenty of research confirming all that goes wrong when you don’t get enough sleep, there are also proven steps people can take to help fall asleep and sleep better once they do fall asleep. A new study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine says mindful meditation helps adults fall asleep and stay asleep.”

The Best Thing You Can Do For Yourself — And All The Women Around You– One of my girlfriends sent this article over to me as a must read. For any woman out there who feels like you are not doing enough, this is a great article. I for one am constantly juggling work, friends, family, fitness, and feel like I am never living up to my full potential, but why? Why do we all push ourselves so much? I really like what the author has to say here, good food for thought. “Can we draft a joint resolution to drop the crazy-making expectation that we must all be perfect friends and perfect mothers and perfect workers and perfect lovers with perfect bodies who dedicate ourselves to charity and grow our own organic vegetables, at the same time that we run corporations and stand on our heads while playing the guitar with our feet?”

Eggs Are Back: The Elegant Simplicity of the New Diet Guidelines– Finally! We now have guidelines that just make sense. Just a good article on overall nutrition.  “according to new 2015 federal dietary recommendations, released today—are the time-tested basics: moderation and a focus on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.”

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Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 02/08/15

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Binge-Watching TV: Sign of Depression, Loneliness?- Ok this article is not ground breaking science. It seems pretty common sense. What I did like about it though is how it made me think about the concept of binge. I have always incorporated this word with food. However when I start to think of bingeing more broadly I think back to my time when I was unhealthy and would binge eat, but it didn’t stop there. I would also binge on TV marathons, I remember watching 8 episodes of the first season of Lost back to back one hungover New Years Day in college. I can recall coming home from work my first year in San Francisco and pouring myself a glass of wine. It felt so relaxing and tasted so good. Next thing I knew I had finished the whole bottle on a Monday night. Looking back now at all of the areas I used to binge I have pretty mush ceased this behavior. I now can hardly sit still for an entire movie let alone an entire season of TV. One glass of wine seems to relax me enough without needing more. I still struggle with the food piece, but I am worlds apart from where I was even 9 months ago. What does this all mean? Well for myself I think once I learned how to eat in moderation it started a trickle down affect across every area. Life is all about balance and once you learn how to balance one area it is easy to apply that behavior to more.

Slow Runners Come Out Ahead– “Plodding joggers tended to live longer than those who ran faster. In fact, the people who jogged most often and at the fastest pace — who were, in effect, runners rather than joggers — did not enjoy much benefit in terms of mortality. In fact, their lifespans tended to be about the same as those who did not exercise at all.”

Is Costco Making Us Fat?– It is interesting to think about if being able to get food for cheaper and in bulk is one of the reasons America is becoming more obese.”Only two of the factors ended up being meaningful drivers of obesity: 1) the proliferation of restaurants and 2) the rise of warehouse clubs, like Costco, and super-centers. Both restaurants and super-centers saw a remarkable growth since 1990, and together they explain about half the rise in class II and class III obesity—the worst varieties”

Why Is Popcorn the Default Movie Theater Snack?– If you are like mean when it is dark, cold, or rainy out I love going to see a movie. What I also love is popcorn, which can be a healthier snack option if you are avoiding the extra butter and salt and eating in moderation. This article is not related to health or fitness, but the history of a snack we all know and love. With the rain pouring down outside this felt appropriate for today.

We Know Why You Are Always Late– This article dives into why people tend to be late. The biggest theme is essentially people are not good at estimating the time certain tasks will take. This article does give some helpful tips on trying to curb tardiness.

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Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 02/01/15

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For Athletes, the Time of an Event Can Affect Performance– It makes perfect sense to me that we are not at peak performance if it is outside of our normal routine with working out, sleeping, and eating. In this study they also find an athlete can start working on tweaking their “circadian clocks” in order to help prepare of an event.  “Now British researchers are reporting that something completely legal and much less damaging to the body can dwarf the effects of drugs like EPO or testosterone. What really matters, they say, is whether the time of an event is in sync with an athlete’s body clock.”

The Selling of The Avocado– Ok I really enjoyed this one. First I love business. I am a merchandiser for a living, so I know the importance of having the right item, at the right price, for the right market. Marketing and PR play a huge role in an items success. This article is all about how the avocado or “alligator pear” as it was originally called gained popularity due to how it was marketed. The second reason I love this article, well I love avocados. Who does not want to know more about their history? “The story of how avocados went from being an obscure West-Coast cash crop to the juggernaut of the Midwestern produce section is one of extreme feats of marketing and major shifts in ideas about nutrition. It is a story of a desperate renaming, a PR Hail-Mary, and of the changing nature of the Super Bowl.”

It’s All Bullshit– I like this guy. What he states is very matter a fact, no sympathy and just says it like it is. He also happens to be right in my opinion. “The fitness industry loves extremes – going to the extremes sells shit really well. But try being honest, telling people it’ll be at least 16 weeks of dedicated eating and training before they’ll see any drastic changes, and they’ll head somewhere else. This is a lifestyle you need to buy into long-term to see results. If you don’t make a habit of it, the weight loss will revert to weight gain as soon as your motivation falls off.’

A Possible Treatment for Peanut Allergies– I am luck to not have any food allergies, but for my friends who do it is not always easy. Food allergies in children are increasing so I love how research is finding ways to potentially help those who have them. “Using a mix of peanut protein and bacteria found in yogurt, pediatric immunologists from Murdoch Childrens Research Institute temporarily treated 80 percent of their allergy-stricken patients, they reported this month in theJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.”

How Weight Training Can Help You Keep The Weight Off– Maybe because of my personal connection of having lost weight and having to maintain it, I found the research in this article interesting and pretty spot on at least from my experience. “Over all, the data suggest that exercise — and, in particular, weight training — after weight loss prompts people to move more throughout the day. As a result, they burn more calories and, with some discipline about food intake, should stave off weight regain.”

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Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 01/25/15

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Friendship for a Healthy Heart– Just another reason dedicating time to friends and being social is so important. “Plenty of other studies have linked a lack of social interaction to heart problems. The Swedish Survey of Living Conditions, which surveyed more than 17,000 people, found that those with the fewest social contacts were at a 50 percent higher risk for dying of cardiovascular disease. And once someone has a heart problem, friends improve her chances of survival.”

Writing Your Way to Happiness– Part of the reason I started writing this blog was the need for an outlet. I found writing out my thoughts was very therapeutic and helped me focus what I was thinking about. I like how this research shows one can ultimately change their thoughts or behavior by writing. I feel like this may be a good challenge for myself for the new year, seeing if I can alter some thoughts by writing about them objectively. “The concept is based on the idea that we all have a personal narrative that shapes our view of the world and ourselves. But sometimes our inner voice doesn’t get it completely right. Some researchers believe that by writing and then editing our own stories, we can change our perceptions of ourselves and identify obstacles that stand in the way of better health.”

 Your Diet and Exercise Plan is Not Working: Here’s Why– This is a quick read and it is more about how in order to really succeed at any diet or exercise plan you need to be mentally checked in as well. This is a goal for myself personally as I move into the New Year. How do I talk to myself better in order to make sure I am feeling everything I work so hard for. “A clear mind and a strong heart will do much more for your health and life than any perfect diet or workout”.

Your’e Thinking About Fitness All Wrong I just really like what the author here has to say. “So what should be the purpose of exercise? According to Young, exercise is striving toward wholeness and a fuller life. Fitness is a quest for character, virtue, beauty and pleasure. The point of intelligent exercise is full embodiment of that, a commitment to working out the body and the mind together.”

Partners In Health– “Obnoxious couple’s classes and duo-based workouts be damned, new research shows that twosomes who work out together are more likely to achieve their fitness goals than those who try to get healthy alone.”

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Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 01/18/15

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Salvaging Atkins-Yes it is back, the new and approved atkins diet. What is the difference compared to how Atkins used to be in the prime time of 1980? Well now there are more carbohydrates allowed then before. Back in the hay day it was 20 grams to start. Now the diet allows for 40 grams and can gradually increase. “Focusing on calories probably has failed the American population, but so has the fat-carbohydrate duality. The low-carb movement, like the low-fat movement before it, drew people into a macronutrient-centered approach that lumped all carbs together and all fats together, pitting them against each other in an oversimplified tug of war. The Atkins amendment this week is a partial step away from diet extremism, from the proprietors of what was once one of the most influential extreme diets.”

The Art of Off Season Training– This article is written by Yael Averbuch a professional women’s soccer player who talks about what it means to be in off season and how one optimizes time when not in the peak of competition. I like her principles, although you can tell she is a fierce competitor. I think the goals she lays out could be interpreted in a lot of aspects in life outside of just fitness as well.

Yoga For Heart Health– ” In 1404 studies on yoga – 37 were direct comparisons of yoga to either no exercise, or traditional aerobic exercise. The results of yoga versus no exercise were clear. Compared to non-exercisers, those who practiced yoga sustained significant improvement in cardiac risk factors. On average, yogis lost 2.35 kg of body weight, lowered their blood pressure by 5 mm/hg, and improved their cholesterol profiles by reducing LDL and increasing HDL.”

Women’s Self-Esteem and What Men Want– A sad, but very real finding on how women have better perception of their bodies when they feel men are more attracted to slightly bigger women. What I found interesting is the rule did not apply to other women. “A recent study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science found that telling women men were attracted to non-stick-thin models increased their body satisfaction.”

F.D.A Approves Surgical Implant to Treat Obesity– I find it sad we are becoming a nation which needs to have implants in order to help people from preventing to eat in order to lose weight. “The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved a surgically implanted device to treat obesity in some adults. Called the Maestro system, the implant is the first to generate an intermittent electrical pulse that blocks nerve signals from the brain to the stomach, reducing hunger pangs.”

 

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The Foodist, the Best Diet Book I have Read

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The Foodist

Lately I have had a few people ask me if there were books I used during my weight loss that I would recommend out to others. Unfortunately I did not read anything specifically in my weight loss mode besides a lot of health magazines and internet articles, however I have read a lot of books since then on food, fitness, and overall healthy living. Some of the books I have read have been very science based, while others are more opinion focused. My favorite books are the ones which are real, where I can relate to the topics covered, the advice given, and feel like anyone can do it. In order to make something a habit it needs to be something you are able to sustain. Who wants to live life without the indulgences of good food? With this in mind my favorite book by far on this topic is the “Foodist: Using Real Food and Real Science to Lose Weight Without Dieting” by Darya Pino Rose.

I first learned about this book at a local bookstore in Noe Valley called Omnivore Books who deals solely in books on food. Brilliant right? The books cover everything, cooking it, growing it, eating it, you name it. It was about a year ago I had found the little store and decided I needed to plan a whole day around going to it, have I mentioned my love of bookstores yet? This meant one Sunday morning after convincing Dustin to join me we got up and started the 2 mile leisurely walk there grabbing coffee and breakfast along the way.

Bookstores have always been a place of peace for me. I can spend hours in them. I take everything in around me. I walk from table to table looking at the curated assortment from someone else’s perspective. I take my fingers caressing the cover’s and picking up ever so gently the ones that peak my interest. I skim through the pages, pausing when I get to pictures. Looking, taking it all in. I found the foodist perched up towards the front window. As I started to read the summary my interest was immediately spiked even though I was no longer trying to lose weight. However the selling point for me from browsing to actually buying was seeing a little sign by the book talking to how in just a couple of weeks the author was going to be in the store doing a book reading and signing. I am a sucker for lectures, so in that moment the decision was made. I would purchase the book, read it, and attend the event.

First I am going to talk about the book, which we already know I loved. The author Darya had an ease to her writing that made it very educational without being preachy. It was refreshing to read a book that embraced food and health in a sustainable, which had been my focus at the time. Darya talks to how there is so much more to being healthy then constant exercise and watching everything that goes in your mouth. You don’t have to count every calorie or kill yourself at the gym to be able to lose weight and maintain it. Personally it made me feel confident that once the habits you make are established then your healthy lifestyle is easy to maintain, something I still struggle to fully trust. After reading her book my immediate reaction was feeling energized towards healthy living. I felt like I had just been talking to a friend who had given me some great advice.

In person Darya was very easy going. She talked to her book with a confidence and poise which made me want to befriend her.  I wanted to be engulfed with her knowledge. She seemed sweet, sincere, and grounded.  Nothing is better then hearing directly from someone on what inspired their work. It gives you context you would never get out of the book alone. Lastly I think what made me love this book even more was Darya lived in San Francisco, actually it turned out only a few blocks from where I lived. So the way she lived her life, the grocery stores she went to, the farmers markets, the gyms, those were the places I went to as well. If she could sustain this life only a few streets down from me, then I had no obstacles either.

To sum it all up, for anyone starting their healthy living journey, in the middle of it, or just needing to be inspired again I would recommend this book.  Trust me, you wont be disappointed.

 

Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 01/11/15

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How will you be working out this year? Top fitness trends for 2015–  I had a similar article like this last week, but if you are like me I am all about trends. “Experts predict that the most popular form for exercise for 2015 will be high intensity interval training. This form of exercise uses short bursts of intense exercise, followed by short periods of rest. Usually, this type of training is done as part of a class with a leader. The benefit is that you can get a good workout in as little as 20 minutes.”

Muscle Strength Is in the Mind– “In a small study recently published in the Journal of Neurophysiology, researchers found that much of muscle strength is based on brain activity, rather than on the mass of the muscles themselves. There’s a fair amount of evidence that you’ll activate the same parts of the brain doing imagery as you do if you’re actually doing the task itself,” The basic thought is that the imagery is allowing the brain to maintain those connections.”

The 7 Secrets of Travel Workouts– After just wrapping up my busy season at work I for one am getting ready to start my work travel again. Through in a couple of planned vacations this Spring as well and it looks like I am going to be spending at least a week or two away a month. What this means is breaking up my usual workout routines and having to improvise. This is a lengthy article, but the author gives some really good and specific tips. If you want some quick go to’s then scroll down to the bottom of his article and he has some quick tips.

Junk Food In The New Year– This article is really short, but it is interesting to me that with everyone’s new year resolutions un-healthy food consumption continues to increase after the holiday’s.

Unearthed: How to get people to cook more? Get Easters to complain less– I really enjoyed this article. It talks about the obstacles people face when cooking at home vs eating out or cooking more processed foods. Probably since I do not have children myself, I had never thought about how challenging it would to have someone at your table complaining about what you cook. “Prepared and processed foods are made by people whose job it is to formulate delicious dishes. In some cases, they devote vast resources to irresistibility. They don’t care whether you eat your vegetables or whether you’re getting fat. Their job is to make you like what they cook.  So the hard, cold fact of it is, as Lumeng says, “the food you cook at home is often not as tasty.” No one says “how delicious” because it is not delicious.”

 

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Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 01/04/15

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5 Fitness Trends to Try in 2015- In several articles I have read it looks like High Intensity Training, or HIT is going to be the big trend this next year. I mean who wouldn’t want to burn the same amount of calories in less time? Also top of the list are Body Weight Training, Treadmill Training, Recovery Efforts, and Digital Engagement, aka Apps and other fitness technology.

Mile Posts: 10 Tips For Making 2015 Your Fittest Year Yet– I found all of these tips really useful and good. Especially the Self Pep Talk, we can all do a little more of that.

Why Not Just Breathalyze Yourself?– This article essentially covers personal breathalyzers and if more people were to use them then we could potentially see a decrease in drinking and driving. I like how the author compares it to a speedometer. You would never drive your car without knowing how fast you were going, so know what your BAC is should be similar. With cost’s starting at $30 and the size of a key chain, it seems like an easy low barrier of entry. The question is how do you make it more popular for people?

My Relationship With Food: Breaking Up Is Hard to Do- But So Worth It– This is more of a personal story then it is health tips. However I feel with the New Year and people making resolutions, it is nice to read from someone else’s perspective. I also love the questions she has at the very end to ask yourself. Sometimes I feel we do not stop enough to ask ourselves how the food we eat makes us feel. So why not start now?

The Super-Short Workout and Other Fitness Trends–  Let’s just face it. Exercise is good for us.It is important everyone moves their body, however it does not need to be an hour in the gym every day. Even as little as 1 minute of vigorous activity can make a difference. Anything is better then nothing. “In various experiments, physical activity was found to lessen and even reverse the effects of aging on human skin; protect against age-related vision loss;improve creativity; lower people’s risk of developing heart diseaseeven if they had multiple risk factors for the condition; increase the numbers of good bacteria in athletes’ guts; raise exercisers’ pain tolerance; and alter, in desirable ways, how our DNA works.”

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