Feedback For Fatloss. Do you listen?

It almost seems like I need a slap in the face to effectively change my behavior every time I do something my body doesn't like. Case in point, I'm making this KILLER breakfast shake (I have the recipe if you'd like it) and I had to give it a taste upon mixing. It was SO freaking good that I couldn't put it down. I kid you not, I had the worst brain freeze I have ever experienced. Lesson learned, right? Nope. Once the crippling brain freeze was over I continued to devour the shake, obviously too fast again... brain freeze, slightly milder. It dissipated and... I learned my lesson. I put it down and called truce. 

But what about other times when it wasn't so obvious? Why does it need to be so apparent for me to learn my lesson? Must it

What's Wrong With P90X?

Some late night reading and stumbling back and forth on the internet when I came across a NY Times piece recently published about Beachbody's P90X featuring Tony Horton. I couldn't resist my thoughts.

P90X'd

Obviously this campaign has been going on for quite some time (since '02), with great success (over $400 million in yearly revenue) and plenty of capital to keep it going. People are talking about it, yes including me. I have clients and friends ask ALL the time whether or not it's 'worthy'. My brother even gave it a trial, against my wishes :) If we look at RESULTS FIRST, we see some positives. They have helped people realize it's up to them to take

Eating On the Run-

 I cannot tell you how many times I get this question "what do I eat if I am out and about"? It's a great one. We all have times where our lifestyles are so hectic that we must rely on something outside of our own preparation. I know I do it from time to time. The key is to keep it as minimal as possible and to choose quality over quantity. Here are a few things that are also important to realize-

1) - Changing your health and lifestyle should always be shaped around your current limitations. Be realistic about where you are, and start there. Too much at once will limit your results. If you have never cooked and decide that cooking daily is a must, you will probably burn out fast.

2) - The healthiest people are those that take ownership in their health. Joel is a great example. He didn't start by cooking most of his meals, but has

Results First- Fats

I love the mantra- 'results first, beliefs second'. It's something I attempt to live by everyday, and I have to say at times it's not easy. We are bombarded with so many "truths" (beliefs) that have little results to back them up. We tend to lose ourselves in social proof, or the idea that if enough people believe it, it must be true. It's time to wake up! I wanted to share some of my personal results in the area of health and fitness that were once dictated by broken and/or misaligned beliefs. This will be a series and I wanted to start with food as there seems to be a ton of confusion out there.

The Belief(MYTH): Fat is bad, particularly if it's from an animal source (aka. saturated).

The Truth:  Studies done associating fat and heart disease have been done on PROCESSED saturated fats... aka trans fat and hydrogenated oils or on animals raised on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO's). What that means is

Where's YOUR Water From?

 Though I am not an environmental expert, I am a movement coach and  health expert and I understand the human body and how we interact with our external environment.  If you think about it, nature is very similar in design to that of the human body (or the other way around, whichever you prefer) in that our body is over 70% water and Mother Earth is over 70% water.  The water in our body is connected to a vast web of communication via our circulatory, nervous and lymphatic systems, which are paralleled in nature through the connection of trees, roots and plants, all relying on their local water sources for life.  We are connected to our environment, which means that what we do affects it, good or bad, and is especially true when talking about our drinking water.

 

The most important resource for all living things is water.  But most of us don't think about where it comes from, the quality of the water and the difference that sourcing it locally can make. There are many different waters to chose from. How to do we know which is best?

 

Tap water may be the first answer for some, but for me it is not an option.  Yes, it comes from a local source (or so we believe), but I cannot get past the fact that it goes through a rigorous, man-made treatment before it goes into my glass.  I'm not confident that

-Miso Crazy-

Currently my top 3 favorite foods-
1) nut butter
2) local eggs
3) miso 

This is always changing with the days, weeks, seasons etc. The first two I'm confident you are very familiar with, but have you ever tried miso? (other than miso soup?) Do you know what miso is?

Miso - is a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt and the fungus kojikin, the most typical miso being made with soy. (wikipedia)

Miso's health benefits include (but not limited to) increased food utilization and absorption due to its high Lactobacillus acidophilus content, as well as its high amounts of naturally occurring b vitamins. It's easy to use and is a versatile staple not to be ignored. I use miso in soups, salad dressings, oatmeal, for soaking, etc. It can be found at any natural foods grocery store such as Whole Foods or Natural Grocer and is relatively inexpensive. Most are cultured at least one year (yellow sweet miso) and up to 3 to 5 years (red dark miso). Here is my current favorite miso infused food:

MISO PORRIDGE - *adopted from Nourishing Traditions*
1 cup organic oats, rolled or cracked
2 cups water (or to cover)
2 tablespoons naturally ferments light (yellow) miso

With pastured local eggs and Nates Raw Harvest

RECIPE :
In the evening, cook oats in water for 5-10 minutes or until water is absorbed. Allow to cool and mix in miso. Cover and leave the mixture at room temp overnight. In the morning, reheat gently without bringing to a boil. (I actually prefer mine cold when left in the fridge).

It's great topped with nuts, fruit, eggs, yogurt or by itself. 

enjoy

3 Fat Loss Tips GUARANTEED To Work For 2011

I recently ran a very short clip with Hilary Kennedy of YouPlusMedia on how to get fit in 2011. I'd like to elaborate a bit more here for those interested.



1) Keep it REAL:
What is real food? Food that is not denatured, tampered with, processed or unlike how it is naturally found in nature. It's as simple as that. Organic fruits, vegetables and grains (in their natural state), grass fed meats and organic grass fed dairy are all real food.

When we eat real, quality foods, our body needs less. Fats, carbohydrates and proteins are not what we are seeking at the biochemical level. It's the nutrients that make them up that is most important. In terms of quality, studies now prove that local and organic foods have greater levels of nutrients per quantity of food. You are not only what you eat but qualitatively what you eat. Start where you can and see what works best for you.

2) Quality Movement:
What is quality movement? Movement that is within your limits. If you don't know your limits, start here. If you do, then you already understand the benefits of monitoring speed, tension, breathing and alignment as well as not moving in pain. That to me is quality movement. I personally think we place too much emphasis on "gym" movement with a tendency to negate the effects of "life" movement. Gym movement is based around form that is not necessarily natural or intuitive in many ways. I would say you most likely do not move in life like you do in the gym. With that, there really is no right or wrong form... only what is correct for YOUR body and YOUR goals. That again is quality movement.

 3) Relax:
  Are you familiar with the phrase "As above, so below"? If I am tense in body and mind, am I not tense on a cellular or biochemical level? Do I not perceive the world to be more tense or stressful? If we are overly stressed about working out, losing weight, getting healthy, etc, it can actually be detrimental to progress. The more we can relax, the more clearly we can listen and see... the more we can tap into what our body is trying to cue and the better we can respond. The goal is perpetual progression. Better is better and better is more.



peace

An Easy Resolution-

Okay. It's that time of year again. The time of year we all look forward to a fresh new slate... and come up with grandiose ideas of what the New Year is going to look like. We tend to set new goals with aligned action steps, mustering the motivation to change, but does it usually work? In years past were you able to fully accomplish what you set out to do when it began? Being in the health and fitness industry I have seen the stereotypical resolutions come in full force by January and gone by late February. I can predict this fairly accurately by now. So why the major drop off? Why aren't these people living the lifestyle of greater amounts of health, fitness and vitality? Were their intentions wrong or bad? Of course not. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to look, feel or think better.  Where did they go wrong?

Simple- not knowing their limits and/or working to or beyond them.

Why have an all or nothing mentality? It's either 7 days in the gym for an hour and a half getting beat down, or nothing. There is no mention of listening to the body. The more soreness and pain, the better. Fortunately we now know this is not the best way to either start a new habit and develop something we actually enjoy doing. A huge part of movement is the enjoyment factor. Why does a healthy body have to slave away on the treadmill, elliptical (or insert movement here______)? Well.. you don't have to. You simply have to find something you enjoy doing, work within your limits and repeat. It's honestly that simple.

If you would like to learn the best way to determine your limits go here... 

If you would like to learn what it looks like to work within them, go here...


As the masterful Lao Tzu once said-

"Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt."+++__

Remember, better is better and better is actually more. The idea is to progress every single day in any direction possible. Patience, consistency and specificity will get you there faster than ever before... it has to!


I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS BELOW!!!

peace-

Empower yourself.

Empower yourself... empower your physiology...

Empower your movement - incorporate quality, tested movement based on your specific goals and design. If your movement tests well, the far-reaching implications of that are mind blowing. Everything effects everything. Test all things, all the time. Your feedback will continue to get better and better.

Empower your nutrition - incorporate the highest quality, local and organic foods you can find. In today's fast paced world, it's impossible to source these foods always. Do the best you can, and don't sweat it when you have to resort to something else. Continue to ask yourself better questions. If you need help, look here.

Empower your thoughts - recognize dis-empowering states and beliefs. If something no longer works for you, change it.

peace-

Kombucha Who?

Looks can be deceiving!


I LOVE fermentation! I consider myself a scientist, and it's a very predictable and easy way for me to create my very own superfoods. It's extremely inexpensive, and provided you have the proper starting tools can continue to give through the life of the culture.

With the huge craze in Kombucha tea peaking just a few years back, and the high price of purchase, I decided to start brewing my own about a year ago. It's allowed me to save tons (it cost's me about 10 cents/bottle) and with the recent pull from the shelves, a way for me to continue with my very own stock.

So what is it? Many people call it a mushroom, but technically speaking, it's not. It's a culture of symbiotic yeast and bacteria that ferment in the presence of sugar to create a wonderfully refreshing and detoxifying beverage. Much like the well known cultured dairy products yogurt, kefir etc., kombucha is well known for is high 'good' bacteria content. Other benefits include enzymes, essential amino acids and a plethora of b vitamins. There have been MANY claims with this tea, including a cure-all for degenerative illness and cancer, but I would base it all on your own personal experience. I include it in my diet partially because of the amazing fizzy taste and flavor, and because it contains small levels of glucuronic acid (an organic acid produced in the liver to help detoxify the body).

How to brew your own? Easy- (instructions based on 1 gal. tea brew)
1- Find a 'mother'. They can be purchased online here...

2- Fill a stainless pot with 1/2 gallon water and bring to a boil

3- Add 1 cup organic sugar and allow it to dissolve. (you can try other sweetners such as rapadura, local raw honey etc. I have had the best luck with organic cane.)

4- Add 8-10 organic black tea bags, turn off heat, and let steep for 10 minutes. (you can experiment with other teas, leaves or roots, but there is a reason why all companies use black tea)

5- Allow mixture to cool to room temperature (mothers don't like temp. changes), and add this, the remaining water to fill one gallon and your mushroom to a 1.5 gallon glass jar, which I recommend. Plastic and stainless are no good for the cultures.

6- Place a cloth over the opening and secure with rubber band. Mushroom will eventually float to the surface and create another as the ferment happens. You can use this for other cultures or donate to a friend. It truly keeps on giving-

Allow at least 7 days to ferment before testing. Using a wooden spoon or by pouring, taste. I usually allow mine at least 15 days or so, to complete allow all the sugar to be eaten up and give more of a vinegar taste. Please be aware, the longer it sits, the more alcohol it accumulates Transfer to glass mason jars or specific brew bottles. At this point you can add fruit, herbs, roots etc. and place them on the counter for an additional 2-3 days. Once finished, you can store in the fridge and consume as needed. Recommendations are to drink 2-4 oz with a meal, or as tested by what works best for you.


Drink up!

Dietary Perfection- Paralysis by Analysis

"PARALYSIS BY ANALYSIS"

This topic has been churning in my brain for some time now. Finally, after reading some bs dietary dogma it was time to get it out of my head.

Is there a perfect diet? Yes and no. Confusing isn't it? This is how most people direct their nutritional endeavors and it's extremely confusing and misleading. We are told to believe that there is one perfect way for everything, including food/eating/nutrition/diets. Simply pick a side and stick to it! Don't question, eat and repeat. Just 'know' that good things will happen. If they don't, it's because you are broken and couldn't maintain your will power enough to see it through. Bullshit! ALL diets are based on FLAWED science that has no place in the real world. Stop the cycle! Put down the diet book and listen.

There is an innate way to give the body what it wants...

STEP 1 -LISTENING AND ASKING APPROPRIATE QUESTIONS -

-Am I hungry?
-Is it food that my body is truly asking for?
-What sounds best?
-How would I feel after eating this?
-How much do I 'need'?
-Do I need more? Less?

These are very basic questions that can at least start the process. They will allow you to fine tune your feedback and prune as you move along.

Now, what about food? What about macro or micro nutrients? How much fat/protein/carbs should each of us consume? I don't know, because I am not you. I am not in your body asking those questions. But I can start with a simple suggestion based on experience....

STEP 2 - GETTING BACK TO A MORE TRADITIONAL DIET COMPOSED OF HIGH QUALITY, NOURISHING ORGANIC FRUITS AND VEGETABLES THAT ARE PREFERABLY LOCAL, AND CONSUMING MEATS RAISED ON PASTURE, IS A GREAT PLACE TO START

If you're not there yet, no worries. Life is a journey... let's start now-
-what small changes can you make today that would be better? ex. adding fruit? adding vegetables? going organic? eliminating processed foods? fast food? etc.

-If you ask this question daily, you will be amazed how not only your nutrition/eating changes, but many other things-

Most diet books are based around strict guidelines eliminating huge portions of a traditional diet, whether that's meat, carbs or fat. I have tried many of the various diets out there and I am here to say none of them where built specifically for me. They did give me tools to ask better questions, and I did learn some interesting tidbits along the way. Many are based on the focus of quantity and pay very little respect to quality. What I have found, is that when we stick to foods that are closer to how they have thrived in nature, the potential for a food to be better for me goes way up!

It's not about a complete shift tomorrow, or the next day... but a gradual answer to the question... Is this better? Isn't that what it's ALL about? Being better today, than we were yesterday? It's really not rocket science, but it does take quality, tested practice and some patience. Ultimately what you come up with is a sustainable way to look and feel how you've always wanted.

Here's to the the journey ahead! Please post/comment as you start incorporating these ideas-

July 12 - 2010

Summer is in full swing - the TX peaches are amazing and the dairy is fully loaded and peaked with goodness -

630-
Enfusia tea

830-
homemade cottage cheese and yogurt
dried buckwheat groats
chia seed
apples and peaches

1145-
Enfusia tea

12-
salad (green leaf and kale with seaweed)
sprouted lentil and mung bean
carrot, tomato
tahini, miso and ginger dressing
pork sausage

315-
few bites of raw milk smoothie previously frozen (pb, banana, chocolate)
manna bread with peanut butter/honey
few slices of peach

4-
ginseng and ginger tea

730-
Kale salad with lentils and seaweed
roasted chicken thigh (courtesy of TMD Real Food Cooking)
squash and carrot medley (TMD Real Food)
AMAZING butter beans (TMD Real Food)

815-
Chamomile tea

Day 80 - June 29 - 2010

tested movement-

flat barbell bench - 135, 185, 205, 235 X 3 (new PR)
handstand pushup - 15
tricep pushup - 20,15,15

Short session approx 20 minutes. Looking to get two in today with a stint outside at the local 'play' gym.

peace-

The Importance of Quality-

Why do we always have a tendency to focus on 'HOW MUCH' when it comes to 'attaining' health? Quantity... it seems to be the driver of most things in our lives.

Movement-
How long was your workout?
How many sets/reps did you accomplish?
How many different exercises did you do?
Was is hard? Killer? Painful?

Nutrition-
How many fat grams, carbs, protein or calories are in that?
How much can I get for X amount $? Wow.. a buffet! What a bargain!
I need X amount of 'this' to be healthy!
How little did you eat?
How much did you eat?
What did you portion look like?

What if we looked at it through a different lens? What if we are asking the wrong questions?(I assure you, we are). All of the above questions/statements are quantifiable... we can measure them. But at The Movement Dallas, we truly believe that quantity is dictated by the QUALITY of any given thing. Let me say it again... quantity is dictated by quality! This post could go on forever, but let me re-frame some of the above questions.

Movement -
Were all of your movements tested eliminating the Elements of Effort?
Were all of your reps/sets tested eliminating the Elements of Effort?
Did you do X amount of exercise because it tested well? Were they specific to the goals you are looking to achieve?
What are we teaching the body if we are moving through pain, excess tension and if it's hard? THE BODY IS ALWAYS LEARNING!

Nutrition-
What is your food SOURCE? Is it of quality?
What is your food SOURCE? Is is of quality?
How do you know the X amount you need? Did you test that? Or is that someone else belief?

It's so simple-
Movement- Do quality tested exercise with varying degrees of specificity. Test... re-test and test again. If you don't test you are guessing. If you want to learn testing contact me at The Movement Dallas.

Nutrition- Eat quality tested foods with varying degrees of specificity. Is your goal fat loss? Eat high quality foods tested for your body. Is your goal muscle gain? Eat high quality food tested for your body. Simple.

Of course there are other details that can make you better, but this is where most need to start. Begin testing, and eliminate what no longer works... and along the way if you need someone to help guide your feedback don't be afraid to reach out-

peace-

Day 65 - June 15 2010

Great session today- 2 PR's!

Day 64 - June 14 2010

Quality tested exercise -

Day 60 - June 9- 2010

GREAT movement day! I can say I PR'd on everything, being that I haven't done these movements in so long. Craig Keaton, my friend, business partner and amazing trainer at The Movement Dallas coached me in exercise today really cleaning up much of the feedback I was unaware of. It was a fantastic workout, and one of great, tested quality movement-

BB Push - 155 X 42 reps total vol.
Loaded FS - 88 X 51 reps total vol.
Bodyweight Row (supinated) X 40 reps total vol.

workout time - 4:47p - 5:22

Day 55 - June 4 -2010

Day 120 is almost half-way here and while I haven't been absent, it's been a few since the last post. Movement is testing well, but the priority of updating my movement had temporarily taken a back seat. Thought I would post a video shot in one of my favorite settings - outside. This one is based around novel exercise and a couple of specific athletic goals I am working towards. Handstand pushups (almost reached my goal of 5) and human flag (proving to be the most challenging right now).

Day 43 - May 24 2010

Really interesting past few weeks in terms of motivation. I just have not been motivated to 'move' as I was when I started the 120 day transformation. I know this is the ebb and flow of what my body is asking/wanting, but today I wanted to experiment a bit with changing my state. I 0ften forget how powerful music can be in changing our physiology, good or bad. I ran across some old school stuff that I used to lift to and it really sparked me. Pantera, Tool, Rage - all the hard, heavy rhythms that got me through my bodybuilding days. It definitely took me back, but this time I had a new school twist. Testing...

KB Circular snatch - 20kg/12, 12, 12, 10, 10
KB 1 arm row with rotation - 20kg/12, 12, 12, 10, 10
Barbell Curl - 50/10,10,8 (added pronated press), 8(press)

5-7 minutes KB juggling and handstands

Total time - 50 minutes

Next time you need a state change, try switching up the tunes-

Day 36 - May 17 - 2010

Really motivated to step up on some of my athletic goals as I realize they will hugely transfer into what I am wanting to achieve aesthetically.

Tested handstand wall press -
KB handstand - PR time held (intensity) -
Ground to standing sit up -
KB leg swing -

35 minutes -

Felt great! Diet is a bit off these days. Food quality is spot on but volume is not. I almost ALWAYS test food, just never the amount. More on that in the future-