The Healthiest Food in the World

 

The life of a editor isn’t the flashy existence you might expect. Most days I sit around at a computer starting as early as 4:30 a.m. and still find myself in the same position at 11 at night. My days consist of everything from writing and editing articles, to reading journals, writing scripts, interviewing the best experts in the world, and figuring out the type of content you want and need–all while (hopefully) educating and entertaining.

I love my job because I am able to help more people than I ever imagined, and I learn something new every day. But many of those revelations come from the most unexpected places. And that’s exactly what happened with my recent discovery of what I think might be the world’s healthiest food.

I'll be the first to admit that the “eggsperiment” was my idea, and on the surface it appears self-serving and biased. I've been eating many eggs for years, and at times my scrambles have included so many eggs that I if I told you the exact number I'm guessing you wouldn't believe me--or you'd question my sanity. I wanted to assess my dietary habits and see if there was something more to eggs. I thought I knew that they were good for me, but I had no idea just how many “hidden” benefits I’d discover. At the same time, this quest wasn't about me: It was a journey designed to help you understand the prevalence of food "myths" and the flexibility you have with any healthy eating plan.

You see, one of the biggest problems in the health industry is that we over-complicate diets. Food becomes stressful, problematic, and negative. That's the reason so many diets fail: We are victims of extreme measures and manipulated science. We try to boil down solutions into strategic, limited plans that are confusing, difficult to understand, and hard to follow. It's no wonder so many people struggle with eating.

That's why I did the eggsperiment. It's about understanding food, finding what’s healthy, and then doing what’s best for your body. Few have said it better than Dr. Yoni Freedhoff:

“Your real goal? Live the healthiest life you can enjoy, not the healthiest life you can tolerate. Yes, if you have weight to lose, you’ll have to make changes. But if you change so far from who you are and what you enjoy, odds are that it’s not a sustainable plan. Don't aim for your so-called "ideal" weight; instead aim for what I refer to as your "best" weight, which is the weight you reach when living the healthiest life you can actually enjoy.”

Freedhoff's approach is both simple and brilliant--yet I'm guessing most people think that approach isn't enough to get in great shape and feel healthy. But this is exactly what should be done to see the type of results you want.

Better health education was the motivation for the current project. This wasn't as much about eggs as it was simplifying the paralyzing "science" that surrounds most foods. If I could prove that eggs are healthy, it would open more doors and allow you to eat and enjoy another food. And the more doors we can open, the more people who will embrace "healthy" eating and live a better life.

With that in mind, here are 8 things I've learned (so far) about eggs, the evidence of how they are the healthiest food in the world, and why you should enjoy.

1. Eggs Won't Make You Fat
I'm not going to reveal my final numbers until the process is done and all blood work is completed, but I'll tell you this--eating three eggs per day has NOT made my health worse. If anything it's made it better. I've been stronger, have lost body fat (not just pounds), and I feel spectacular. And I must mention, this has all happened despite the fact that I've suffered two back injuries and have backed off training during the process.

2. The Eggs-Cholesterol Relationship is Misleading
Eggs don't raise cholesterol the way you think. And when you combine eggs as part of a low(er) carb diet, it actually raises the good stuff (HDL) without doing any damage to the bad (LDL). Add that to an increasing number of studies that shows the cholesterol benefits of eating eggs, (see here, and here, and here) and it's becoming harder to deny the truth: Eggs are a "health" food and they don't cause heart problems.

3. Eggs are a Super Food
I know that we all become tired of marketing buzzwords like "super foods" and "power foods." (and yes, I take full responsibility to adding to that mess) But sometimes the label fits so well that there's no better way to describe what you're eating. Eggs fall into that category. Research has shown that eggs can do everything from improve your immune system to help your brain function better, as well as build muscle and make your skin look better. And the research continues to grow. Recently, Canadian researchers found that eggs have twice as many antioxidants as apples. Here’s a list of 8 benefits of eggs--backed by science--that make this food so uniquely valuable.

4. Diablo Eggs are Delicious
Part of this process has meant trying out many (many) new egg recipes. While I enjoy eggs, I also have a wife who eats many meals with me and her sophisticated taste buds require variety. She can't dig in on the Born Scramble every day of the week. Enter Diablo Eggs. This new spin on deviled eggs is a culinary treat. I don't include the chorizo, but if I ate pork, I would imagine it would only improve this dish. Check out this quick and easy recipe (it's a video you can follow) and let me know what you think.

5. Eggs aren't Just for Breakfast
I've now made eggs on pizza, on burgers (my new favorite), and even in oatmeal. Don't judge until you try them. In fact, we have a list of 20 ways you can add eggs to your meal. (I've tried 13 of them)

6. Cook Your Eggs to Unlock More Benefits
If you haven't read this smart post by Dr. Mike Roussell, you should check it out. It dissects some of the most common myths about eggs. And that includes the idea that uncooked eggs provide your body with more nutrients. Ever since I watched Rocky, I've been intrigued by the idea of downing a few raw eggs. (and by intrigued, I mean I tried it in my younger days). So are raw eggs more potent? No. In fact, cooking your eggs can ensure that you enjoy more of the nutritional benefits. Oh yeah--and the cooked version taste a lot better, too.

7. Cook your Eggs in (healthy) Fat
I used to coat my pans in butter, olive oil, or some sort of spray when making eggs. And then I discovered coconut oil and it changed how I prepared my meals. From an enjoyment standpoint, coconut oil doesn't make eggs taste different (which can definitely happen with olive oil). Great taste is always preferred, but coconut oil has been linked to dropping body fat, raising good cholesterol, and fighting off viruses (due to lauric acid). I'd recommend giving it a try, and see what it will do for your meals.

8. Eat the Yolk
Just in case this was lost in translation, I'm eating three whole eggs per day. Not just the whites. And the reason is simple: The yolk is the best part. Both in taste and nutrition. The yolk is where you find all of the fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) as well as the majority of zinc, calcium, folate, and memory boosting lecithin. And you can’t forget Vitamin B12, which has been shown to help with fat breakdown. And while the whites still offer protein, it's only slightly more than 50 percent of the total amount. The yolks are part of what give eggs the highest possible biological value, which is a measure of how well a food suits your body’s protein needs. So if you're looking for the healthiest way to eat your eggs, your best bet is to keep the yolk.

Bonus tip:
I'll admit that sometimes I can be a little absent-minded. I enjoy making hard-boiled eggs, but I frequently forget if the egg is boiled or raw. This is not a good thing. (I may or may not have accidentally tried to bite into an egg before) Your solution: Spin the egg on the counter. If it spins, it's been cooked. If it wobbles or doesn't spin so well, it's raw.

In the end, I'm not here to convince you to eat eggs. And for those who don’t like eggs or are allergic, you can still be completely healthy without ever enjoying scrambles, omelets, or hard-boiled variety. The point is to question and research what many people assume to be true, and blaze your own path. If I can help you merely consider a personalized approach to your own health and avoid dogma, then I’ll have done my job. My greatest hope is that you’ll discover you have many more good food options than you might have realized, and that healthy living doesn't have to be a bland and difficult process.

-Adam Bornstein

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/blog/the-healthiest-food-in-the-world

8 Health Benefits of Eggs

“Super Food” is a word that food marketers love to use to sell their products. But few options live up to the hype as well as eggs. In fact, when we asked our panel of nutrition advisors for the healthiest foods, one choice repeatedly made the list: Eggs. But don’t take our word for it. Here are 8 potential health benefits that you could enjoy by adding eggs to your diet.

Better Vision
Here’s a quick science lesson that you have to see to appreciate. According to the Journal of Nutrition, eating just one egg per day significantly boosts the levels of lutein and zeaxanthin in your blood. While this might not mean much to you, these two nutrients protect your eyes from free radicals and sunlight exposure. The benefit: Better vision and healthier eyes. And recent research shows that eating at least one egg per day may also lower your risk of developing cataracts.

Strengthened Immune System
Each large egg provides you with 15.3 mcg of selenium, a considerable portion of the 55 mcg that your body requires daily. Selenium boosts immune system function, which can help you ward off skin infections. What’s more, the selenium in eggs may also decrease your risk of skin cancer, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.

Healthier Skin
While some cosmetic companies try to add eggs to their products, eating eggs can also help maintain your youthful appearance. That’s because eggs are filled with Vitamin A and copper—both of which help with tissue regeneration. Vitamin A can help prevent acne, while copper boosts the production of elastin, a compound in your body that keeps your skin strong and healthy.

Reduced Inflammation
Your body has a tremendous ability to heal itself, but sometimes that process can break down and you’re left feeling weak, tired, and with a mysterious number of ailments. One potential cause: Inflammation—which among its many detriments is linked to heart disease and cancer. The choline in eggs can reduce inflammation by more than 20 percent by helping you produce new cell membranes and improving your neural connections, according to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Muscle Growth
Most people know that protein plays a vital part in building muscle. That’s because your muscles are 25 percent protein, while the rest is primarily water. But what makes eggs so special is their high concentration of leucine—an amino acid that helps turn the protein in your meals into bulging biceps, a strong chest, or lean legs and a sexy back. In fact, research conducted at McMaster University found that even a small dose of egg protein after a workout (as little as 5 grams) improves recovery and growth. But for ideal results, the scientists found that your body responds best to at least 20 grams (which is the equivalent of 3 eggs).

Better Hair
While you can’t stop the aging process, you can fight against it. Eggs offer a vitamin cocktail to keep your healthy mane with a mix of vitamin D (which prevents hair loss, according to research at the University of Cal-Davis), vitamin A (scalp health), biotin (improves hair thickness), and B vitamins (prevents graying).

Improved Brain Functioning
Scrambled eggs might help unscrambled your brain. After all, according to research at Tufts University, the choline and lecithin in eggs might improve brain functioning. Choline helps regulate brain activity, your nervous system and cardiovascular health by maintaining the structure of brain cell membranes, which helps relay messages from the brain to your nerves and muscles. What’s more, many eggs are now include healthy amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to help memory, enhance mood, and fight off cognitive disease.

Faster Weight Loss
When starting a diet plan, one of the easiest ways to jumpstart weight loss is to replace your morning carbs for eggs. In fact, a study in the International Journal of Obesity found that swapping your morning bagel with two eggs led to 65 percent more weight loss. Simple, right? That’s because eggs are an efficient source of protein that provides energy and keeps you full—while also helping you maintain your muscle as you work to burn away your unwanted fat.

- Adam Bornstein

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/blog/blog/the-8-health-benefits-eggs

9 Running Tips From A Professional

This is an interesting article that I (accidentally) read in the HealthToday magazine that I receive for free. Usually I just throw the magazine away in the bin without even browsing through it but today I decided to flip through the pages. Lo and behold, I found this article, the content of which are not new but rather refreshing perspective. Just let's say I've been bitten by the running bug. I am seriously thinking of signing up on an upcoming night race in Putrajaya but maybe after I come back from performing Umrah next month. Right now I have to concentrate on my divine worship and duties. May Allah give me the strength and will to do so. This may be the last blog post before the divine hiatus. I hope this blog will still motivate people to live a fit and healthy lifestyle.Keep up the good work guys and gals!

Whether you are a newbie or a seasoned marathoner, it can be difficult to stay motivated to run on a regular basis. Loss of motivation can come from boredom, muscle soreness or even lack of time. It may start out slowly, with you skipping one or two runs here and there, but it may gradually progress to the point where you are rarely running if you do not find ways to stay motivated. Here are some tips to keep your spirits high.


Sign up for a race
Nothing gets you off your behind than knowing you have got a race coming up. No one wants to look bad on a race day. So find an achievable race that takes place in the near future, and be sure to sign up.


Set realistic goals
If you are a newbie, having a marathon as your goal may set you up for disappointment and you may feel demotivated when your training doesn't go according to plan. Break down those big goals into smaller, more manageable ones.


Create a blog or training log
Blog about your running experiences and you'll be surprised at the number of people rallying behind you. Post up your training schedule and the distance you've been chalking up. Talk about how you feel after every run. All it takes after that are a few 'likes' and comments from friends to keep you going.


Find a running buddy
This is a powerful motivator - the chances of you fulfilling your obligations are higher when you know someone else is counting on you. Sometimes, just knowing someone is waiting to run with you can motivate you to complete your work-out.


Listen to music
Music is a great way to keep you focused on your running. Songs with an up-tempo arrangement, feisty lyrics and speedy beats per minute not only help reduce the feeling of tiredness, but also increase performance levels by up to 20%.


Blaze a new trail
Every now and then, change your running route. There are plenty of routes around the city just waiting to be checked out. Varying your routes helps keep things fresh.


Vary your running regime
Don't just focus on long runs. Try out different terrains, eg hills, beaches and grass. Incorporate sprint intervals in your routine and keep running interesting. Variations in your running regime also help different muscle groups, resulting in you becoming a better runner.


Take a break
Incorporate rest days into your training programme. On rest days, you can either cross train to stay in shape or go for a massage to relax those muscles.


Celebrate your success
Every now and then, celebrate your achievements by giving yourself a treat. Go buy that pair of new sneakers you've been wanting for so long. Or meet up with your buddies for a couple of drinks. Go ahead and do it, because you deserve it. The treat will energise you and and reinforce your commitment to your training.

by Suren Haris Anwar founder of www.runfool.com in HealthToday April 2012

Feel Good Factor

I am definitely hitting a weight loss plateau. My weight is hovering around 86kg. I would lose a kilogram one day only to gain the next few days. I can't blame anything but myself. I am not strictly adhering to strict calorie intake. I am just enjoying life as in "live to eat". I was in Kuantan for 4 days for the MSA Annual Scientific Meeting 2012. Staying in the new Zenith Hotel, it's very difficult not to limit my calorie intake. How to turn down Chinese course dinner for 2 consecutive nights? However, it was not just eat eat eat. For the first time ever in the history of my life, I fully utilize the complimentary hotel gym. Running on the treadmill. Core strength and weight training. It was quite revealing when I don't feel complete without my alternate day exercise. So I sneaked in 2 sessions one after the pre-congress workshop on the 1st day and another just before breakfast on the 3rd day. Next time I am definitely packing my sneakers whenever I travel.

I am officially into running. Thanks largely to friends and acquaintances in the Facebook group, Gaited Community, who really are a big influence in my new-found hobby. I found out running is definitely harder than exercising on the elliptical cross-trainer but it is a better workout. To further motivate me I have joined the hi-tech bandwagon. I consider all these as investment towards a better health. I bought a Nordictrack treadmill so that I can run even on rainy days or on my on-call days (if I were not in the hospital, that is). My wife sponsored my new Sir Isaac Newton running shoes as my birthday present. My Newtons will train me running forefoot, which will not only prevent injury but also make my running more efficient. Then the Mio Quest to keep track of my workouts, to optimize my training routine and to stay motivated. The only thing left to buy is a Pinarello road bike to complete the whole picture. From now on, I will take exercise seriously because I have gained so much ever since I started exercising regularly namely fitness, vitality and, dare say, virility . I FEEL GOOD!  Nothing's gonna stop me now for future duathlon event. That'd be my ultimate challenge.

5 Secrets To A Better Workout

Some people assume that I just love to work out. Wrong! I’ll be the first to admit it, working out really sucks sometimes. But it’s a necessary evil — and one I’ve come to appreciate to get the physical and emotional results it brings. Whether it’s playing with the settings on the treadmill to keep me entertained or switching things up with a boot camp class, I have my own tricks for staying motivated to get through my workout. Next time you are bored with your routine or want to rev things up, give them a shot.

1. Kick Up Your Cardio

The key to consistently challenging your body is to keep it guessing. When it comes to cardio, this is incredibly easy to do. You can create interval sets like walking on a steep incline for two minutes, then run on a flat level for one minute. Or jog for two minutes, sprint for one minute. You can also try running and jogging in quarter-mile bursts. Depending on your fitness level, any of these interval workouts will help you bump your calorie burn.

Just be sure that you’re always keeping your heart rate at 85 percent of your maximum. To calculate your maximum heart rate, if you’re a woman, subtract your age from 220. If you’re a man, subtract your age from 226. That number is your maximum heart rate in beats per minute.

2. Switch It Up

If you don’t know by now, I HATE the treadmill. It’s torture — I can only play with intervals and inclines for so many days a week. On the other days, I get my cardio fix by mixing things up. Adding variety into your routine forces your body to progress because you're physically requiring it to adapt to new stimulus. So take a boxing, Cross Fit, barre method, Zumba® or dance, yoga, kettlebells or spinning class. Better yet, try a different one every week if you can. By training in different ways, your body becomes more efficient, well rounded, and less prone to injury. So break out of your comfort zone and try something new. Bring a friend with you if you’re intimidated!

3. Sweat In Style

I’m all about the laid-back look, like jeans and cute tees, but when it comes to gym gear — nothing gets me pumped up like a cool new pair of kicks. Investing in stylish, comfortable clothes and killer kicks can really amp up the enthusiasm for dragging yourself to the gym. So what if you’re there to show off your hot, new gear. You’re still working it on the elliptical, and that’s all I care about.

4. Trick Your Bod

Your body quickly adapts to the number of repetitions you perform. This is why changing your repetitions on a weekly basis will help you improve the effectiveness of your workouts. First you need to calculate your one-rep maximum, or the maximum amount of weight you can lift once, and still do it properly. With that number, use this quick four-week plan as a guide:

Week 1: Do 3 sets of 20 repetitions at 40 percent of your maximum repetition.
Week 2: Do 3 sets of 15 repetitions at 55 percent of your maximum repetition.
Week 3: Do 4 sets of 10 repetitions at 70 percent of your maximum repetition.
Week 4: Do 2 sets of 5 repetitions at 90 percent of your maximum repetition.

By the end of four weeks, your maximum repetition may have changed and you can continue to work off of this pyramid method to continue to challenge your muscles.

5. Get Techie

These days, there are a lot of new products that make working out more fun. Here are a few of my favorites.

Sennheiser CX680 Adidas Sport Headphones

I need music to work out, but sometimes when I run, the smaller earbuds easily fall out of my ears, which annoys the crap out of me. The solution? These headphones — they’re waterproof AND they hook into your ears so they stay put. They’re also designed for intense, active workouts — so they can handle some serious wear and tear.

Kinect

X-Box Kinect is a camera that picks up your entire body — so you don’t have to worry about controllers. It fully monitors your form and everything you’re doing. If you’re going to invest in a video-game fitness console, this takes the cake. It’s a great way to exercise with your kids as well. They get to play their games, but you’re getting them to work out at the same time. A little bit deceptive, but 100 percent effective.

The Ultimate Watch

This website is awesome: ActiveWatches.com. It helps you find the perfect watch, specific to the sport that you’re playing, and it also takes into consideration all of the features you’re looking for.

BodyMedia FIT Armband Device

The BodyMedia FIT armband is an amazing weight-loss tool. It is an armband that gives you highly accurate information on the number of calories you burn throughout the day, and it also tracks the quality of your sleep — which is an important factor in weight loss — and nutrition and workout data. I love the easy-to-use food log that this device offers.

So you get the drill. When it comes to working out, try to keep things new and fresh. If you’re consistently doing the same workout, your routine will start to feel stale —fast. So switch it up and style it up. After all that, you might actually want to go to the gym.

Newsletter by Jillian Michaels

7 Tips for Controlling Your Appetite

If you suffer from constant food cravings, there are some steps you can take to remedy the situation. The first step is to make sure you're eating correctly for your metabolic type. This will help a lot. If you're certain that you are eating as you should for your metabolic type and you still feel hungry all the time, consider these tips to curb your appetite:

Don't skip meals. You should be eating three square meals a day, plus one snack, and spacing your meals throughout the day so that you don't go longer than four hours without eating. This will keep your blood sugar levels and hunger hormones stable.

Drink tons of water. When you feel as if you're starving, pour yourself a huge glass of water or grab a bottle of seltzer — it will help quell the urge to snack.

Sleep! Two hormones, leptin and ghrelin, regulate our appetite, and both are directly affected by how much sleep we get. These hormones work in a kind of "checks and balances" system to control feelings of hunger and fullness. Getting eight hours of shut-eye each night helps the hormones work properly, which in turn will help curb your appetite.

Examine your hunger. The next time you feel hungry between meals, consider the last time you ate. If it was less than three to four hours earlier, your stomach isn't growling, and you're not weak or tired, you're probably emotionally unsatisfied in some way rather than genuinely physically hungry.

Think about what, besides eating, soothes you. Steer yourself toward positive feelings of self-worth and you'll choose activities and behaviors that inherently contradict self-loathing and self-destructiveness.

Don't panic. You can and will lose weight. Even if you're eating a little more than the meal plan calorie allowance, you can still lose — it just might take a little longer. Exercise is also crucial. Working out harder and more often will help burn the extra calories you might take in if you have a bad day.

Do not beat yourself up! Sometimes we slip up, and that's okay — healthy living is not an all-or-nothing proposition. I'm here for you, and I know you can do this. Believe in yourself and try to incorporate my suggestions into your life, and let's see how you do.

Newsletter by Jillian Michaels

Progress Update: Plateau Again

There is nothing more discouraging than stepping on the scale and not seeing a drop in the number. The worst has to be seeing the number go up instead. For the past few weeks I have been seeing the number go up and down like a yo-yo sometimes in a span of a few days. Have I hit the weight loss plateau? What's reassuring to know is that the plateau is a common problem among those who are trying to lose weight despite diligent dieting and grueling workout. However, I know EXACTLY what my problem is. Although I am not slacking off in my workouts, I am definitely slipping up on my diet. I am guilty for not following as strict a diet as when I first begun this quest.

Although I am still drinking plenty of water and exercise on alternate days (2 of the 3 components of my master plan), I am not particularly strict with my caloric intake. I eat more fruits and vegetables now than ever.  I follow 6 meals a day regime. I never miss breakfast. I snack on healthy foods like fruits and nuts. I still practice portion control. I still manage to resist liquid calories and most unhealthy snacks that I used to love e.g sweets, crisps, milk chocolates etc. My mistake is that I am not watching what I am eating during the three main meals. I am not so worried about breakfast because it is supposed to be the main meal of the day. Like they say "breakfast like a king". The other 2 main meals, especially dinner, that are causing the slip up. It has been quite busy on-call lately, doing cases till late at night like till 2 am! The money is good but at the expense of rest and sleeping time. Getting enough sleep is also part of any weight management plan.

From now on, I need to fine tune my plan.
1. Reduce caloric intake. Watch what I am eating especially for dinner.
2. Reduce my salt intake below 2000 mg per day. How I am going to calculate that, I am not sure.
3. Drink more water.
4. No processed carbs like sugar, white flour, chips.
5. Hit the gym hard! Yeah! To get my motivation up high, I am waiting for the arrival of my new Nordictrack treadmill - the most expensive investment for fitness ever.

Today I weigh 85.2kg. Hopefully, I will break the 85 kg barrier in the next progress update. I know there will be highs and lows. I just have to be patient and know that it will be all worth it.

Exercise: Running 101

Another excellent article on how to start running - a guide for beginning runners.



Running 101
With our simple 10-week program for beginning runners, you're sure to get off on the right foot and reach the finish line with high marks. So don't wait another day. Get started now.

By Joe Henderson

Think of these lessons as Cliff Notes for "Running 101." Learn them, and you can make it through your beginning-running efforts with an "A" grade.

1. Welcome to the starting line. This might be your first try at running, or a return visit, or an attempt to improve on what you already do. The less running you've done recently, the more you can expect to improve your distances and speeds in the next 10 weeks. On the other hand, the less you've run lately, the more likely you are to hurt yourself by doing too much running, too soon. That's why it's so important to set two related goals as you start or restart your running program: maximize improvements and minimize injuries. You win by improving. You lose by getting hurt.

2. Buy the right shoes. They are the biggest equipment expense for runners, so it's important to get it right. Spend wisely by buying well-made shoes from a major brand. Search out a model that fits you properly, and is designed for the surface you'll run on most often-roads, tracks, or trails. If you're not sure which shoe will work best for you, shop at a running-specialty store staffed by veteran runners and shoe experts. After you buy your shoes, remember that even the best have a limited lifespan. Plan to replace them after about 350 to 500 miles of wear.

3. Make a plan. The two basic raw materials of a running routine are time and space. And the two main reasons given by those who don't run? "I don't have time for it," and "I don't have anywhere to do it." Let's dissect those excuses. You can run well and get in great shape with as little as a 30-minute session every other day. Think of it as the time you won't waste by watching a sitcom rerun. As for finding places to run: Anywhere that's safe for walking is also fine for running. Off-road routes (parks, bike paths, high school tracks) are better than high-traffic streets, and soft surfaces (grass, dirt) are better than paved ones, but any choice is better than staying home. Major suggestion: Map out the best courses in your immediate neighborhood. That saves time, solves the "place" issue, and makes it much more likely that you'll actually do your planned runs.

4. Take the mile trial. Friends who hear that you've begun running will soon ask, "What's your best mile time?" so you might as well get used to it. Before long, you'll be calculating your pace-per-mile on longer runs, but you should begin with a simple 1-mile test run (four laps on a standard track) to determine your starting point. Think of this run as a low-key test, not a race. Run at a pace a little beyond easy but less than a struggle, and count on improving your mile time in later tests as your fitness improves.

5. Get F-I-T. Kenneth Cooper, M.D., a giant in the fitness field, long ago devised a simple formula for improving as a runner: Run 2 to 3 miles, 3 to 5 days a week at a comfortable pace. It's easier to remember as the F-I-T formula: frequency (at least every other day); intensity (comfortable pace); and time (about 30 minutes). Even with walking breaks, you can cover 2 miles in 30 minutes, and you might soon be running 3 miles in that time. It's important to run these efforts at an easy, comfortable pace. Think of yourself as the Tortoise, not the Hare. Make haste slowly.

6. Find your pace. Okay, so I've told you to make it comfortable. Sounds simple. The problem is that most beginning runners don't know what a comfortable pace feels like, so they push too hard. Result: They get overly fatigued and discouraged, or even injured. Here are some more guidelines. A comfortable pace is 1 to 2 minutes per mile slower than your mile trial time. Or you can use a heart-rate monitor and run at 65 to 75 percent of your maximum heart rate. (Note: Max heart rate is 205 minus half your age). Or, my favorite because it's so simple: Listen to your breathing. If you aren't gasping for air, and you can talk while you're running, your pace is just right.

7. Remember to warm up and cool down. Don't confuse a little stretching with a good warmup. Stretching exercises generally don't make you sweat or raise your heart rate, which is what you really want from a warmup. A proper warmup begins with walking or running very slowly to ease your body into the session.

My recommendation: Walk briskly for 5 minutes (about a quarter-mile), then break into your comfortable running pace. (Don't count the warmup as part of your workout time or distance.) When you finish your run, resist the urge to stop suddenly. Instead, walk another 5 minutes to cool down more gradually. Then comes the best time for stretching--after your run when your muscles are warm and ready to be stretched a little.

8. Don't hesitate to walk. Walk is not a four-letter word for runners. Pausing to walk during a run is not a form of cheating, but a common practice among experienced runners. It is a form of interval training that breaks a big piece of work into smaller pieces, making it more doable. Mix running and walking in these ways: when you're starting to run for the first time; to regain fitness after a long layoff, injury, or illness; to warm up before a run, and to cool down afterward; to make your fast running faster, which is the classic use of interval training; to make long runs longer; and to make easy runs easier. You'll find that walk breaks work best when you walk for at least 1 minute but no longer than 5 minutes.

9. Run safely at all times. The biggest threat you'll face as a runner on the road, by far, is the car. Traffic zips past you at just about a yard away. A moment's attention lapse from either you or the driver can bring disaster, and you'll be the one to suffer, not the well-protected driver.

The best way to lower this risk is to avoid running on roads. But for many of us, this is a near-impossibility. Or it's an approach that adds time and complexity to our routine (if we have to drive to a park, for example). So most of us just learn to be extremely cautious when we run on the roads. We try to find low-traffic roads with wide shoulders; we run on the left side of the road, facing traffic; we obey traffic signs and signals; and we follow every road rule our parents taught us by the time we were 7. Every runner should run as if every car is a lethal weapon. Because it is.

10. Use pain as your guide. Runners get hurt. Of course, we rarely hurt ourselves as seriously as skiers and linebackers, but injuries do happen. Most are musculoskeletal, meaning that we recover rapidly when we take days off or other appropriate action (like ice treatment). And most are self-inflicted. We bring them on by running too far, too fast, too soon, or too often. Prevention is often as simple as a change of routine. Use pain as your guide. If you can't run steadily without pain, mix walking and running. If you can't run-walk, simply walk. If you can't walk, bicycle. If you can't bike, swim. As you recover, climb back up this fitness ladder.

11. Pay attention to your form. Running form is as individual as a fingerprint and is too inborn to change very much. But, with practice, you can make minor modifications to become a more efficient runner. Run "tall" and upright, not with a pronounced forward lean. Look toward the horizon, not at your feet. Run faster by increasing your stride turnover, not by overreaching with each stride. On uphills, shorten your stride, and drive more with the arms. Try to maintain even effort, not pace. When running downhill, let gravity work for you by leaning slightly forward.

12. Eat and drink the right foods. Sports nutrition is too big of a topic to cover thoroughly here. But, in general, the rules for good nutrition and fluid consumption are the same for runners as everyone else. Three areas of special interest to runners: (1) control your weight, as extra pounds will slow you down; (2) eat lightly an hour before training and 2 hours before racing; (3) drink 8 to 16 ounces of water or sports drink an hour before running, as dehydration can be dangerous.

13. Add a little stretching and strengthening. Running is a specialized activity, working mainly the legs. If you're seeking more complete, total-body fitness, you need to supplement your running workouts with other exercises. These should aim to strengthen the muscles that running neglects, and stretch those that running tightens, which means strengthening the upper body and stretching the legs. Add a few minutes of strengthening and stretching after your running workouts, because that's when these exercises tend to do the most good.

14. Follow the hard-day/easy-day training system. Most runs need to be easy. This is true whether you're a beginning runner or an elite athlete. (Of course, the definition of "easy" varies hugely for these groups; an easy mile for an elite runner would probably be impossible for many beginners or even veteran runners.) As a new runner, make sure you limit yourself to one big day a week. Run longer and slower than normal, or shorter and faster than normal, or go to the starting line in a race where you'll try to maintain your best appropriate pace for the entire race distance.

15. Congratulations: You're a winner. One of the great beauties of running is that it gives everyone a chance to win. Winning isn't automatic; you still have to work for success and risk failure. But in running, unlike in other sports, there's no need to beat an opponent or an arbitrary standard (such as "par" in golf). Runners measure themselves against their own standards. When you improve a time, or increase a distance, or set a personal record in a race, you win--no matter what anyone else has done on the same day.

You can win even bigger simply by keeping at it for the long haul, for years and decades. You don't have to run very far or fast to outrun people who have dropped out. It's the Tortoise and the Hare story all over again. Slow and steady always wins the race.

First Steps
While Joe Henderson encourages his students to move for 30 minutes at a time, the experts at the American College of Sports Medicine say you need only 20 minutes of continuous running, three or four times a week, to begin accumulating the important benefits of an exercise program. Pace is not important. The key is continuous movement.

Here's the official Runner's World beginning-running program. It will get you to 20 minutes of easy running in just 10 weeks. Remember: You must repeat the basic workout three to four times per week.

If you're starting from a low fitness level, we recommend you begin with several weeks of walking for 20 to 30 minutes at a time before attempting Week 1. Also, if you have not exercised for a long time, are overweight, or have existing or family health problems, see your physician before you begin this program.

Week	Run	Walk	Repeat	Total Time
1	1 min	2 min	7x	21 min
2	1 min	1 min	10x	20 min
3	2 min	1 min	7x	21 min
4	3 min	1 min	5x	20 min
5	4 min	1 min	4x	20 min
6	6 min	1 min	3x	21 min
7	9 min	1 min	2x	20 min
8	12 min	1 min	Then run 7 min	20 min
9	15 min	1 min	Then run 4 min	20 min
10	20 min	Leap for joy		20 min

Note: Always warm up for your workout with a couple minutes of walking and/or slow jogging, and cool down afterward with the same. If you cannot reach 20 minutes of continuous running, try to run 8 or 9 minutes, walk 1 or 2 minutes, and repeat. When you succeed at reaching the 20-minute goal-and you will-gradually increase your distance to whatever level you choose.

The Big-Day Workout

In my classes, I keep beginning runners motivated by giving them one "Big-Day" workout per week. This workout focuses on speed, distance, or pace-judgement. It's not a race, but it's a workout that helps beginning runners measure their progress.

Here's a list of the Big-Day workouts over a 10-week period. (I encourage my students to run easy on their 2 to 4 additional workout days per week.) -JH

Week 1:	1-mile run for time
Week 2:	30-minute run for distance
Week 3:	Two-person, 2-mile relay. Runners alternate laps, running 4 total laps each
Week 4:	2-mile predicted-time run
Week 5:	1-mile run for time
Week 6:	30-minute run for distance
Week 7:	Two-person, 2-mile relay
Week 8:	2-mile, predicted-time run
Week 9:	1-mile run for time
Week 10:	30-minute run for distance

http://www.runnersworld.com/

Exercise: Core Strengthening Workout

The best core exercises may surprise you. It's not enough to just do ab crunches and sit ups. To build a strong core you need to exercise a variety of muscles from your hips to your shoulders. Most people think of the core as a nice six-pack, or strong, toned abs, but the truth is that the abdominal muscles are a very small part of the core. The abs have very limited and specific action, and what experts refer to as the "core" actually consists of many different muscles that stabilize the spine and pelvis, and run the entire length of the torso. When these muscles contract, they stabilize the spine, pelvis and shoulder girdle and create a solid base of support. When this happens, we are able to generate powerful movements of the extremities.

The core muscles also make it possible to stand upright and move on two feet. These muscles help control movements, transfer energy, shift body weight and move in any direction. A strong core distributes the stresses of weight-bearing and protects the back. Core conditioning exercise programs need to target all these muscle groups to be effective.

What Are the Core Muscles?

Different experts include different muscles in this list, but in general the muscles of the core run the length of the trunk and torso. The following list includes the most commonly identified core muscles as well as the lesser known groups.

• Rectus Abdominis - located along the front of the abdomen, this is the most well-known abdominal muscle and is often referred to as the "six-pack" due to it's appearance in fit and thin individuals.
• Erector Spinae- This group of three muscles runs along your neck to your lower back.
• Multifidus - located under the erector spinae along the vertebral column, these muscles extend and rotate the spine.
• External Obliques - located on the side and front of the abdomen.
• Internal Obliques - located under the external obliques, running in the opposite direction.
• Transverse Abdominis (TVA) - located under the obliques, it is the deepest of the abdominal muscles (muscles of your waist) and wraps around your spine for protection and stability.
• Hip Flexors - located in front of the pelvis and upper thigh. The muscles that make up the hip flexors include: psoas major, illiacus, rectus femoris, pectineus, sartorius
• Gluteus medius and minimus - located at the side of the hip
• Gluteus maximus, hamstring group, piriformis - located in the back of the hip and upper thigh leg.
• Hip adductors - located at medial thigh.

Benefits of Good Core Strength
1. Reduces Back Pain
Abdominals get all the credit for protecting the back and being the foundation of strength, but they are only a small part of what makes up the core. In fact, it is weak and unbalanced core muscles that are linked to low back pain. Weak core muscles result in a loss of the appropriate lumbar curve and a swayback posture. Stronger, balanced core muscles help maintain appropriate posture and reduce strain on the spine.

2. Improves Athletic Performance
Because the muscles of the trunk and torso stabilize the spine from the pelvis to the neck and shoulder, they allow the transfer of power to the arms and legs. All powerful movements originate from the center of the body out, and never from the limbs alone. Before any powerful, rapid muscle contractions can occur in the extremities, the spine must be solid and stable and the more stable the core, the most powerful the extremities can contract.

3. Improves Postural Imbalances
Training the muscles of the core helps correct postural imbalances that can lead to injuries. The biggest benefit of core training is to develop functional fitness; the type of fitness that is essential to daily living and regular activities.

Exercises that Build Core Strength
Core strengthening exercises are most effective when the torso works as a solid unit and both front and back muscles contract at the same time, multi joint movements are performed and stabilization of the spine is monitored. Abdominal bracing is a basic technique used during core exercise training. To correctly brace, you should attempt to pull your navel back in toward your spine. This action primarily recruits transverse abdominus. You should be able to breathe evenly while bracing and do not hold your breath.

There are many exercises that will strengthen the core. A large number of core strengthening exercises can be done at home with no equipment while some require the use of equipment and gadgets.

What Are the Best Core Exercises?

Core exercises are most effective when they engage many muscles throughout the torso that cross several joints and work together to coordinate stability. Core muscles need to work as a unit, contract at the same time, across joints in order to stabilize the spine. Some of the best core exercises are simple bodyweight exercises, including the following.

The Quick Core Workout
If you want a simple, effect core workout, this routine doesn't take mush time or equipment but covers all the basic core muscles.
Plank
Side Plank
The Basic Push Up
V-sits
Push Ups
Squats
Back Bridge
Hip Lift
Oblique Twist
Plank on a Balance Ball
Lunge with Twist
Supermans

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/

[LBF 2.0] Rock Hard Abs

Michel,

Don't do crunches....I'm serious, don't do them...They don't work, they may even be damaging your spine. I know everyone still does them...but if you look at the research, its a bad idea. A guy who has done the research is Dr. Stuart McGill. http://www.ahs.uwaterloo.ca/kin/people/StuMcGill.html

The secret to great abs is of course losing the fat (what LBF is all about), but its also about abdominal muscle endurance. You will notice in LBF we use an exercise called the plank. Its one of the great endurance exercises for your abs. Greater abdominal endurance = less chance of lower back issues. A fit and strong core should be able to hold the plank for 2 minutes. Perhaps test yourself once a week and see how you do.

OK, onto how to get rock hard abs. Two things...
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Firstly - every exercise you do is an ab exercise
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Before you start the activity, tense up your core. How to do this? This means tightening your abdominal muscles by gently pulling your belly button inwards, like you have a corset of muscle around your waist. Remember not to hold your breath - you must be able to talk and breathe normally. So if for example you're doing press ups, as you're about to push up, tighten your stomach muscles. This gives your arms a solid base to work from. Not sure if that makes sense to you but try it out, all of a sudden you'll find yourself 20% stronger than you thought you were. And your abs are getting a fantastic workout...
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Secondly - Killer Ab Routines.
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I've attached a PDF with an ab workout that's better than anything you may have done before. And it doesn't have any crunches in it:) This is great to add onto the end of your resistance training workouts.

chat later

Greg Mac

Rock Hard Abs Routine

Rock hard abs is an ideal add on to the Lose Belly Fat Workout. At this point you are already doing Plank at every resistance training session. Replace the Plank with the exercises below.

As we discussed in the mail abs are used for stabilization so the best exercises are those that improve their endurance. These four exercises certainly do that.

Start with the beginner routine until you feel strong enough to try the Prone Jacknife. Remember form is important.

Rock Hard abs Routine – beginner routine

1. Plank – Try for 60 seconds

2. Side Plank – 45 Seconds for each side

3. Bird Dog – 5 Per side

Rest for a minute.

Repeat this twice.

Rock Hard abs Routine – intermediate routine

1. Plank – Try for 60 seconds

2. Side Plank – 45 Seconds for each side

3. Bird Dog – 5 Per side

4. Prone Jacknife – Do 10 slow reps

Rest for a minute.

Repeat this twice.

Exercise: Squats

Consider this your wakeup call: A good workout program must include some type of squat. This isn’t just about your legs, even though squats are the best way to build stronger quads, hamstrings and glutes. From a functional training standpoint, you can’t do better.

Squatting is a fundamental pattern that’s basic to human movement. Regularly performing squats keeps your body moving the way it was designed to, while helping to protect you from injuries related to a sedentary lifestyle. Squats are also heart healthy. Forget the butt-numbing stationary bike or elipitical machine; sets of higher rep squats will jack up your heart rate to near sprint-like levels. Finally, squatting is just plain fun. It’s good old-fashioned hard work that requires every ounce of focus you got, and almost makes you feel like an athlete at the same time. What’s not to love?

Some people assume that squatting is beyond their current capabilities. But guess what: If you’ve picked something up off the ground, sat in a chair, or straddled a toilet seat today, congrats. You’ve performed a squat. But the real magic happens when you begin loading the basic squat with weight. This is what improves performance, increases muscle mass, burns fat, and helps offset postural imbalances.

Improved Performance
Whether your goal is to finally dunk a basketball in your rec league, look great for the beach, or simply be able to bound up stairs two at a time, squats can help you get from point A to point B fast. Squats target the “go” muscles of the legs -- namely the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings -- which all play an important role in serious athletic endeavors like sprinting, jumping, landing, and change of direction.

Specifically, squats improve your power. Power is the ability to apply a lot of force in a minimum amount of time, making it important in both athletics and many everyday activities. Squats also build strength, which is the foundation for everything. You can’t swing a baseball bat, or even zip past crowds of zombie-eyed shoppers on Black Friday, without having a pool of strength to tap in to. The beauty of squats versus say, the leg extension or leg curl, is that squats force a lot of big muscles to work together to perform the movement. Because of this, it’s common for trainees to see serious improvements in strength very quickly.

Improved Muscle Gains
Since squats make you stronger and more powerful, it’s not surprising that they can also increase muscle size. This is due in part to the squat recruiting so many muscles simultaneously, but there may also be a hormonal explanation. According to Dr. Jeff Volek, author of The TNT Diet, squats are so demanding that they trigger the release of hormones like testosterone. Once those hormones enter the bloodstream, they support the growth of your whole body. And because squats are truly a full-body exercise, you burn a ton of calories when you perform them.

How can a “leg exercise” be a full body? When you place a loaded barbell on your back, every muscle in the body has to fire.
• Your upper back muscles hold the weight and help keep the body upright throughout the set.
• Your core must fire to prevent the body from tipping over.
• And of course, every muscle group in the lower body plays a part in the movement.

So, even if your goal isn’t to add a lot of muscle mass -- although, to be fair, the more lean mass you have, the more calories you burn at rest -- squats will help burn body-fat by the mere fact that hundreds of muscles are pitching in to get the job done.

Posture, Movement, Bone Density, and More
Finally, and arguably most important of all, squats help offset many of the muscular imbalances and weaknesses that we accumulate in our daily lives. We move so little as a society, spending most of our days sitting and staring at computers and televisions like zombies, that we've seemingly forgotten how to move as well. We didn’t start out this way. Ever watch a two-year old bend down to pick something up off the floor? It’s a picture perfect squat every time.

Squatting helps “relearn” this essential pattern and alleviate many of the issues related to being sedentary. When you strengthen the glutes, the hip flexors (muscles in the front of your thighs and hips), which are normally stiff or short, will become less tonic or active. Also, by forcing you to engage your upper back, squatting helps reinforce proper posture, something your 9 to 5 desk job can slowly rob from you. A movement that will help you stand taller, feel stronger, and stay lean? It’s no wonder that no workout plan is complete without squats, nature’s perfect full-body exercise.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/556240-the-worlds-greatest-exercise

Progress Update: Birthday

Today is my 43rd birthday. Another year has come and gone. A lot has happened in the last one year. A friend said one needs to experience one life-changing event to change the course of one's life. How so true! My 42ndth year of life had been one hell of a ride, figuratively speaking.

Although mentally I do not feel my age, physically the four decades have taken its toll. I suffered ailment after ailment. First, I had renal colic which required an operation in November 2011. Then I had a really chest infection in February 2012. Moreover, following recovery from the pneumonia, I found out that my blood pressure was higher than normal. Then reality struck me right in the face. I need to do something and change my lifestyle.

I realized that I have been leading a sedentary lifestyle. I have not been doing the recommended three-times-a-week 20-30 minutes exercise. I am not participating in any active sports apart from swinging at the golf range. The only time I break into sweats is when I do some gardening. Furthermore, I am not eating the right kind of food. My love of food does not help at all. I live life to eat. Actually I knew that I may have hypertriglyceridaemia and borderline hypercholesterolaemia way back in 2010 when I did a blood test for insurance purposes. I started taking medication because I want to reduce it without any effort.  Since I am a doctor, I can self-prescribe and self-treat. Something I would not recommend anyone to follow. But I should know better that a lifestyle change is a more appropriate course of action: exercise and diet modification.

And so this blog was created to motivate myself in my journey or quest to lead a fit and healthy lifestyle. Now I have started exercising regularly. I am thinking of taking up golf and cycling to add variety to my exercise routine. Cross-training is the keyword. I have also made changes to my dietary habits (with occasional treats like today). Now I am watching what I eat, trying to stay true to the motto "eat to live". I hope I can make this lifestyle change to last my whole lifetime for the better of me.

Indeed, a Happy Birthday to a new healthy lifestyle!