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“Healthy” Cold Cereals
Many people have fallen under the misconception that dry cereals can be healthy as long as they contain grains such as wheat, barley or oats. Such grains are subjected to processing which deranges the nutrients that they contain, which is in part why dry cereals are commonly fortified with vitamins and minerals. It seems counterproductive to strip grains of their nutrients, then add them back in, but this is a very common practice.
Many cereals also contain highly processed flours which also have been stripped of nutrients, and some even contain genetically modified grains which can have questionable effects on the body when absorbed by the body. Such flours can sit in the digestive tract for prolonged periods, interfering with absorption of nutrients and creating an environment which invites overgrowth of pathogens.
I must mention something here about instant oatmeal. It never ceases to amaze me how many people turn to instant oatmeal, believing that because it is oatmeal, it is healthy. Patients will tell me that they like the convenience of having the instant variety around. However, instant oatmeal has a plethora of ingredients other than oats, such as oat bran, oat flour, salt, caramel color, and guar gum. Vitamins and minerals are added to instant oatmeal to fortify it since the processing method strips some nutrients away. Guar gum is used as a thickening agent and will bind liquids in the digestive tract. Yet people think instant oatmeal is healthy!
A healthier cereal choice is to either find dry cereals which contain buckwheat, millet, quinoa or amaranth. Another very healthy cereal choice is to cook old-fashioned dry oats.
Here is #4 in The Top Ten Glute Exercises: Stiff-Legged Deadlift
“Healthy” Foods – Don’t Be Fooled!
When my patients and clients insist that they eat healthy foods, I am always curious to find out what they consider to be healthy. Usually I hear them list off restaurant salads, sushi, turkey sandwiches, whole grain cold cereals and cereal bars as their healthy foods. Others will mention low fat versions of many foods, such as crackers, chips, frozen dinners, yogurts, cheese, cold cuts, cereals, etc. and state that they are proud of the fact that they have such foods nestled in their cupboards and refrigerator shelves.
I have news for you who think these are supremely healthy choices: they are not as healthy as you think they are! In an effort to educate readers on what the nutritional breakdown is for these foods, I am dedicating a separate blog post for each food item which is in bold and italicized in this post. In addition, whenever possible, I will provide a healthy option for each dish. By no means do I expect everyone to make healthy choices all the time, but I hope to equip them with the tools to make the healthiest and most informed decisions on what foods to eat whenever possible.
STAY TUNED TOMORROW FOR MY FIRST MEAL BREAKDOWN TOMORROW!
Commit To That Date!
I may upset a lot of people by saying this, but I cannot stand hearing a competitor talk about an upcoming contest they plan to do, only to back out at the very last minute. I can understand how a significant family emergency, significant illness or a significant injury can undermine plans to compete at a specific event, but I have heard everything from a lack of financial preparedness, to going on a vacation in which all self-control is abandoned, to failing to follow a contest prep plan faithfully, etc., as reasons for pulling out of an event. It is just one excuse after another. Yes, that’s right, I said excuse.
I lead a very busy lifestyle which has me switching roles from physician to model to writer to contest prep coach to trainer. My mother is in a skilled nursing facility and since I am her only child, the burden of monitoring her care falls upon me. I train intensely and regularly five to seven days a week. I pack my food daily. Yet when I select a competition to participate in, I never, ever allow myself to back down from that goal. I commit to it entirely.
What is involved in this commitment to compete in a specific contest?
- I research the show schedule thoroughly beforehand and determine which contests I plan to do.
- I establish a detailed budget for each contest.
- I coordinate financial resources, both my own and those of my sponsors so that I know how expenses are being covered.
- I compile a to-do list for each event which includes a timeline so that I am sure to stay on track with when show registration is due, deposits are due, and when flight reservations should be made.
- I follow my contest prep plan faithfully and do not sabotage my own efforts to be contest ready by the time of the event.
I honestly believe that fear and self-doubt are what jeopardize a competitor’s focus and generate the feeling that contest plans should be postponed. By pushing plans back repeatedly, a competitor develops a cop-out attitude which flies in the face of the determination and fortitude that characterizes the world of competitive bodybuilding. Let’s face it, life always throws challenges at us. But there is no reason whatsoever to allow those challenges to discourage us from continuing to pursue that goal of stepping onstage and showing of the efforts of our determination and hard work.
Pick a contest date, commit to it and just DO IT!
Fun Image Taken Backstage, All Tanned and Ripped!
Yes, we do clown around backstage at contests!
B-House Booty Image from December 15, 2012
This is an off-season booty…no reason to get out of shape ever!
Delicious Delts!
If you look at women who have shapely shoulders with envy, don’t despair. If you consistently work them once a week with this routine, you will have enviable delts in no time. When you perform this workout, make sure to move quickly from one exercise to the next, and when you are finished with a set, rest for only 30 seconds, then begin your next set. For those of you who are unfamiliar with exercise notations, 5 x 15 means you will do 5 sets of 15 repetitions in each set. When doing supersets, you will do one set of the first exercise, then move immediately to the next exercise without rest until a complete superset is completed. Rest 30 seconds, then start your next superset.
Dr. Naito’s Delicious Delts Routine:
5 x 15 barbell military press
superset this with:
5 x 15 dumbbell side lateral raise
5 x 20 clockwise rotations with arms out to sides and palms facing down
superset this with:
5 x 20 counter-clockwise rotations with arms out to sides and palms facing down
5 x 20 front dumbbell raises
superset with:
5 x 12 bent over rear lateral flyes
Body As Sculpture…A Photographer’s Eye
To say I love this image is an understatement…George Kontaxis is arguably the most gifted photographer when it comes to photographing the human form as art or sculpture…
http://www.GeorgeKontaxis.com
http://www.BodyofArtGallery.com
