ChaChaChaChaChia !!

Feeling a little giddy after last nights workout, Focus T25 Alpha Total Body Circuit.

I nailed that workout 95%. I only paused 3 times to see what move we were actually doing, and paused 2 times during plank pike ups. 

I will nail this workout next time we do it, 100% 

It felt incredible to do this without stopping or giving up.

 Such a feeling of accomplishment. 

Alright, since i have talked about this workout previously, i want to talk about something else today.

Chia Seeds

Yeah, these things.

I discovered chia seeds a year or so ago, when a recipe called for them. I thought, nah, they dont mean those chia seeds, do they? Yep, they sure did. Me, being a total geek and information junkie,  hit up Google for some information. What an amazing little seed chia turns out to be. Here is a little information from Bobs Red Mill, which is the brand I use.

Thousands of years ago, chia seed was a staple in the diets of ancient Mayans and Aztecs. The word chia is derived from the Mayan language, meaning “strength,” and Aztec warriors relied on chia seed to boost energy and increase stamina. Today this tiny seed is a favorite of athletes, especially distance runners, who tout it as an endurance enhancing superfood.

Chia seed contains a wealth of fiber—5 grams in just one tablespoon. It is the fiber in chia that causes chia seed to swell when combined with water, creating chia gel. Whether you eat chia gel or just the raw seeds, the hydrophilic action of chia seed will keep you full longer than many other seeds. Amazingly, chia gel can also be used as a substitute for eggs in many baked goods. Use a proportion of 1 to 6 ratio of Chia Seeds to Water to make chia gel. Use approximately one tablespoon of chia gel to replace one large egg in your baked goods. 

The mild, nutty flavor of chia seed goes well with both sweet and savory dishes. Use chia seed in puddings and smoothies, sprinkle on top of porridge and salads, and add to baked goods in place of flaxseed meal or poppy seeds. Try our recipe for chia fresca, a refreshing drink perfect for a hot summer day in place of lemonade or use it as pre- or post-workout fuel. Looking for a fool-proof way to get chia into your diet? Make our blueberry refrigerator jam! The gelling nature of chia makes it an ideal (and nutritious) substitute for pectin in jam. No matter the dish, you can increase the nutritional value of any meal with a sprinkle of chia seed.

We sprinkle these little buggers on almost every dish we prepare. they dont add much in the way of flavor, that i can tell, but they certainly do pack a punch. What most companies wont tell you, but fellow users of the chia seed certainly will, is that they, uh, they make you, uh, how do i put this gently, 

i will explain it so that everyone understands.

EXPLANATION

Yeah, that about sums it up. You're welcome. Got that issue? 

Eat some chia seeds. It does a body goooood !!

I think i have talked enough.

Well, I hope everyone has a great day and let go of the negativity, you will feel better.

Peace.

Diet Soda = The Devil in liquid form. And a few other things......

Are Diet Sodas Bad For You?

Everyone knows, yeah,you know it, that regular soda is bad for you. That is a no-brainer. Between the high fructose corn syrup and chemicals, a whole host of health problems have resulted! Just by drinking regular soda, you’re saying, “I don’t care if I get fat! I don’t care about my health.”  Trust me, you will one day. All this crap has a cumulative effect. Meaning that it accumulates in your body and one day your body will simply stop functioning one way or another. 

But… is diet soda, which is still laden with a whole myriad of chemicals, really any better?

I’m sure that you really do care about your body… otherwise; you wouldn’t be spending your time reading my health articles… In fact, you may be one of those people who are proud of the healthy way they are eating. You may be one who is so excited that they don’t drink sugar laden pop, but stick with “diet” soda instead. Is that you?

Bad, Bad Diet Soda Pop!

Diet soda is marketed as a healthy, guilt-free drink that will help you lose weight! The truth is that there is absolutely not one single thing healthy about this drink, which I endearingly refer to as “Sewer Water”. Not only does it deplete your body of essential vitamins and minerals, but it has been proven through an eight-year study that it actually makes you fatter faster than drinking the normal stuff, upping your chances of being overweight by 41% for every bottle of diet soda you drink each day!

So, now, not only is regular soda bad for us, but our favorite sweet drink… our healthy alternative… is bad for us too?! (Insert a groan right here.)

The Whys behind the Madness

How can diet soda make you fat?! I don’t want to give you the “thou shalt not” without the “whys”, so here are the reasons behind this crazy dilemma!

First of all, let’s look at the most obvious reason. I am sure there are other people out there who think like I used to! I used to think that if something was half the calories that I could eat twice as much. Some people falsely believe that if they drink diet soda that they can eat more as a result! This leads to the consumption of more calories and, of course, weight gain!

Secondly, artificial sweeteners, which are packed full of empty nutrition and chemicals that we are not meant to consume, actually “fool” our bodies into thinking we are really getting sugar. When your taste buds think you are getting something sweet, they automatically send a signal to your brain to initialize your insulin response. This makes your body store fat. Also, because the extra insulin makes your blood sugar drop, it makes your body need actual sugar to bring your levels back up again, resulting in a craving for real sweets and refined carbohydrates.

The reason that diet sodas result in gained weight may be due to one or the other, or a combination of these depending on how well you do at saying “no” to sugar and carbs throughout a craving. This does not make it okay to drink regular pop, but it also makes it not okay to drink diet drinks. If you are serious about having a fit and healthy body, then you must avoid all soda pops, diet or not.

You may also really, really, really, want to watch a few documentaries about how the food industry (the FDA in particular is a bad offender ) isnt there for your benefit !! They are there to make as much profit as possible and keep you coming back for more and more. They have the consumer ADDICTED. And that is due to the chemicals they put in our food. You think that these additives are "approved" by the FDA so they must be good for you right?  Or at the absolute least, not bad for you. The FDA is actually funded by the food manufacturers that they are supposed to be reporting on. Who do you think THAT report is going to favor? Not us, the consumer. It NEVER has !! Do the research people.

One documentary in particular that i love is Hungry for Change. I have included a YouTube preview link HERE. Go ahead, watch it and have your eyes opened. It opened mine even more than they already are. Another documentary that is amazing is called "Forks Over Knives"  I have included a preview link for their YouTube Channel HERE. One last thing before i go.....Look at this Jamie Oliver TED Award clip before you close this blog.

Jamie Oliver's TED Award Speech

Shopping Day

Today, as usual for me on Sundays, was my grocery shopping trip to Wegmans  I love this damn store. I am there so often, a few of the cashiers even know my name ! I'm the guy always shopping with a  Nutrition Guide, and usually wearing either my P90X shirt or my Insanity shirt. Anyway, back on topic. Sylvia and I plan our weekly meals out ahead of time so there is no question about what we are eating and it just makes everything so much easier in the morning to grab our lunches, throw them in the lunchbox and go. We get all of daily needs to perform at our maximum without having to think about it. Another benefit to doing this is that we get to spend Sunday afternoon in the kitchen cooking together, getting in each others way, making a mess, and then cleaning up together. Teamwork, that's what it is all about.

This week we are diving into the Focus T25 nutrition guide by following the included 5 Day Fast Track Nutritional guide. This guide is designed to help get us motivated (like we need that) by jump starting our results. This is a 1,100 calorie a day meal plan that contains a healthy balance of protein, carbs, and fats. This might be a little rough for me at first, since i will be backing down my daily intake from 1,900 calories a day. The meal guide that is included with Focus T25 has some really delicious recipes in it and we cannot wait to try them ALL. After we do the 5 Day fast track for, uh, 5 days, we will be increasing our intake up to a modest 1,600 calories, when we begin the Alpha phase of the workout.

We plan on posting our reviews of each workout, the meals, and the results we have gotten. This workout is a guaranteed game changer. Anyone and everyone has the time and fitness level to get this done. Alright there may be some exceptions to that statement, but they are few and far between. If you are not happy with the way you look, the way you feel, or you just want to push yourself to the next level, this is your ticket. You WILL see results with Foucus T25 and if you don't you're not pressing play.