Author Archives: Boone

Is Diet Soda Worse Than Regular Soda?

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I recently read a study about how diet soda when mixed with alcohol will actually get you drunker than regular soda and alcohol. You can read the article here.

There are several reasons why all soda should be avoided and the most important one is usually overlooked.

To back up for a moment, when i refer to soda i’m talking about your Coca-Colas, Pepsis, Mountain Dews, etc… I’m not talking about mineral water or soda water for the moment.

Here are the obvious reasons why regular soda in general is bad:

  • High in sugar
  • No nutritional value
  • Highly acidic and rots teeth
  • High in calorie

From this list the main focus is sugar, so most people resort to grabbing a diet soda to quench their thirst and avoid the sugar. Still there is a HUGE concern when drinking diet soda and one that is not addressed in most articles that cast stones against regular soda.

For example, i was reading another article from CNN Health talking about how regular soda can cause strokes for those who drink the beverage regularly.

There is no doubt that soda should be avoided but what is the one glaringly obvious reason to avoid all sodas?

Phosphoric Acid.

Phosphoric Acid hiding right there in your soda!!!
Yep, the thing you see and assume is some preservative or what not that doesn’t make a bit of difference in your beverage or body. Well let me tell you these two words are wreaking havoc on your body in one of the worse ways.

Phosphoric acid leeches calcium from your bones when you have too much phosphoric acid…and yes drinking that soda (be it diet or not) is giving you way too much phosphoric acid.

What does that mean, leeching calcium? Think of a building. All buildings have a foundation. Now image that building being a skyscraper and that the foundation is starting to rot away; the foundation is starting to weaken, it’s crumbling little by little.

What is going to happen to that building? IT’S GOING TO COLLAPSE! This is what is going on in your body by having the calcium being leeched out: your bones, which are your body’s foundation is being weakened. Next time you stub your toe you could chip a bone. Maybe when you trip and fall you’ll end up breaking a wrist.

Most people think it is just a sign of getting older, but it could be because your accelerating your calcium depletion and thus weakening all your bones.

Anytime you see phosphoric acid on the ingredients: do not consume. You can easily avoid it as well, drink juices and waters.

If you are progressing from drinking soda regularly to stopping drinking soda, then make sure to continue to progress beyond staying in the “drinking diet soda is healthy” and use diet soda as a crunch until you can progress away and just have fizzy water or regular water.

You can even jazz up your water by getting something as cool as this!

Personally, i slice up lemons and soak them in my water bottles and then eventually eat the lemon slices once they have gone through a couple fills of my water bottle. Since the lemon is so sour tasting it unbalances my tastebuds and will make the next few sips of water taste really sweet ;-)

Also try adding minerals into your water to give it more flavor so you don’t feel the need to reach for that flavorful soda. I add Trace Minerals into my water because majority of us are low in magnesium and that is mainly what this product gives you. It gives the water sort of a weird taste but once you get used to it you will actually crave it. Happened to me.

Please lessen you consumption of soda and diet soda. Think to yourself about why you reach for the soda, what is that you are really craving? More than likely you have associated soda as a reward or a pleasurable drink and you aren’t drinking it because you need soda, but rather because you want to experience a bit of euphoria. In that case grab your water, smile, and go for a walk. Next thing you know you will be feeling better and have stronger bones than ever ;-)

Want to learn even more?

Sugar: How to solve your sweet tooth

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We all enjoy a little sweetness in our life! I recently did the Quantum Wellness Cleanse and one thing to avoid was sugar. I didn’t think i really ate that much sugar at all being vegan and preparing about 80% of all my meals. Now the sugar to avoid was additionaly sugar. For example, apples have sugar and all fruit but the sugar to avoid was added sugar.

Here is a chart i found that breaks down what sugar is what and some info about it as well as it’s glycemic index (the lower the better, but read carefully about possible “side-effects”)

Also, i have more info and next steps at the bottom

 

Sugars & Substitutes with their Glycemic Index
Artificial Sweeteners
N/A
 Never a Healthy Sugar Alternative

All artificial chemical sweeteners are toxic and can indirectly lead to weight gain, the very reason many people consume them. They should be avoided. In fact, given a choice between high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners, we recommend high fructose corn syrup by far (though it’s essentially asking if you should consume poison or worse poison).
Stevia
0
 Best Healthy Sugar Alternative

Though it is 200-300 times sweeter than table sugar, stevia is not a sugar. Unlike other popular sweeteners, it has a glycemic index rating of less than 1 and therefore does not feed candida (yeast) or cause any of the numerous other problems associated with sugar consumption. Read more about stevia at Organic Lifestyle Magazine (OLM). Please note that Stevia and Truvia are not the same thing.
Xylitol
7
 Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol sweetener found in the fibers of fruits and vegetables which can cause bloating, diarrhea, and flatulence with initial consumption. It’s said to be safe for pregnant women, and is said to possibly treat ear infections, osteoposis, respiratory infections, candida, and is it even helps fight cavities. In fact, in Finland, virtually all chewing gum is sweetened with xylitol.
Agave Nectar
15-30
 A sweet syrup made from the Blue Agave plant, Agave Nectar is obtained by the extraction and purification of “sap” from the agave plant, which is broken down by natural enzymes into the monosaccharides (simple sugars): mainly fructose (70-75%) and dextrose (20-26%). Read more about agave nectar at OLM.
Fructose
17
 Though fructose has a low glycemic index rating, fructose consumption should be limited. Fructose is linked to heart disease as it raises triglycerides and cholesterol. It is devoid of nutrition.
Brown Rice Syrup
85
 It is not recommended for diabetics, since its sweetness comes from maltose, which is known to cause spikes in blood sugar.
Raw Honey
30
 A Healthy Sugar Alternative in moderation

With antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, enzymes, carbohydrates, and phytonutrients, raw, unprocessed honey is considered a superfood by many alternative health care practitioners and a remedy for many health ailments. Choose your honey wisely. There is nothing beneficial about processed honey. Read more about honey at OLM.
Coconut Palm Sugar
35
 Originally made from the sugary sap of the Palmyra palm , the date palm or sugar date palm (Phoenix sylvestris). It’s also made from the sap of coconut palms. With a relatively low glycemic index, Cocnut palm sugar is the new rage among health nuts. It’s often called “coconut nectar sugar” or “coconut sugar”.
Apple Juice
40
 Fresh apple juice is good for you, though we recommend eating fresh raw whole apples. Concentrated apple juice (sometimes used as a sweetener) is closer to refined sugar than fresh apple juice.
Barley Malt Syrup
42
 Barley malt syrup is considered to be one of the healthiest sweeteners in the natural food industry. Barley malt is made by soaking and sprouting barley to make malt, then combining it with more barley and cooking this mixture until the starch is converted to sugar. The mash is then strained and cooked down to syrup or dried into powder.
Amasake
43
 This is an ancient, Oriental whole grain sweetener made from cultured brown rice. It has a thick, pudding-like consistency. It’s not easy to find in the U.S., but it is a great alternative to refined table sugar.
Sugar Cane Juice
43
 Healthy Sugar Alternative in moderation

Sugar cane juice has many nutrients and other beneficial properties and is said by some health practitioners to be almost as medicinal as raw honey.
Organic Sugar
47
 Organic sugar comes from sugar cane grown without the use of chemicals or pesticides. It is usually darker than traditional white sugar because it contains some molasses. (It has not been processed to the degree white sugar is processed).
Maple Syrup
54
 Maple syrup is made by boiling sap collected from natural growth maple trees during March & April. It is refined sap and is therefore processed. It has a high glycemic index, and though it is much more nutritious then refined table sugar and high fructose corn syrup, there are better choices.
Evaporated Cane Juice
55
 Evaporated cane juice is often considered unrefined sugar, but juicing is a refining process, and evaporating refines further. Though better than turbinado, cane juice (unevaporated) is a better choice as a sweetener.
Black Strap Molasses
55
 White refined table sugar is sugar cane with all the nutrition taken out. Black strap molasses is all of that nutrition that was taken away. A quality organic (must be organic!) molasses provides iron, calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc, and is alkalizing to the body.
Turbinado
65
 Turbinado sugar is partially processed sugar, also called raw sugar.

Raw Sugar
Raw sugar
65
 Raw sugar is not actually raw sugar. It is processed, though not as refined as common white table sugar. Therefore, given a choice between raw and white, choose raw. There are many different variations of raw sugar with many different names depending on how refined it is.
Cola (and most other sodas)
70
 Though cola has a lower GI ranking then some might expect, there are many other reasons to avoid cola, or any type of soda. There is nothing beneficial to the human body inside a can of soda (not to mention we should avoid drinking out of aluminum cans!).
Corn Syrup
75
 Corn syrup has very little nutrition and should be avoided.
Refined, Pasteurized Honey
75
 The nutrition is gone, and there is often high fructose corn syrup added to processed honey. Refined pasteurized honey is no better than white table sugar.
Refined Table Sugar
80
 Conventionally grown, chemically processed, and striped of all beneficial properties, many health advocates believe that refined sugar is one of the two leading causes (high fructose corn syrup is the other) of nearly every health ailment known to man (or woman or child). Not only does it have a high GI ranking, but it also is extremely acidic to the body causing calcium and other mineral depletion from bones and organs (sugar is alkaline but has a very acidic effect on the body).
High Fructose Corn Syrup
87
 Many health advocates believe that high fructose corn syrup and refined sugar are the two biggest contributors to health ailments in our society. High fructose corn syrup is a combination of sucrose and fructose.
Glucose (AKA Dextrose)
100
 White bread was the benchmark, but for consistency glucose now holds the rating at 100.
Maltodextrin
150
 Foods that have maltodextrin often say “Low Sugar” or “Complex Carbohydrate”, but this sweetener should be avoided!

Well now that was a lot of info huh?

What do i do with all this info? Next steps in your healthy journey…

  1. Read the labels of anything you buy and educate yourself about what you are eating. Read the Ingredients List
  2. Choose sugars that are closest to how they are found in nature. For example, the less processing, science, or ingredients it took to make the sugar then that will be a better sugar. Personally, I favor raw, unfiltered honey and raw agave nectar. I know, i know honey isn’t vegan, well the vegan police can arrest me on that one because honey is delicious and helps with allergies.
  3. Continue to educate yourself and build YOUR purpose for why you want to avoid sugars. Do not do it just because you read something, please educate yourself about the effects of honey and take a moment to determine why it is important to YOU!

Here are two other resources about sugar (same source just two parts to it):

 

POSE running clinic by South Florida Crossfit

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My Friends Laughed When I Said I Was Going To A Running Clinic, But When I Ran Past Them!

“A running clinic? You put one foot in front of the other and do it faster and faster. Next thing you know you beat Usain Bolt,” a friend mockingly said to me.

“With wearing those five-finger toed shoes, he’ll be so sore.”

“He hasn’t even been running for that long, so what can this clinic teach him, hahaha!”

 

My Story…

I haven’t been much of a runner. I started to run recently because I wanted something new to do. I did the Warrior Dash, I did the Turkey Trot, played ultimate frisbee, I’ve ran on the beach and jogged to warm up before a workout. I wouldn’t call myself a runner. Most of my running came from throwing snowballs at cars and dashing into the woods before I was caught.

 

The Running Breakthrough…

“Welcome to the POSE running clinic! We’re going to have you run the 400m 4 times and I’ll videotape you on the last two runs because I want to see how you run when you’re tired.”

As sweat dripped down my face I saw Fernando with his iPad videotaping me from the front; the next time he was videotaping from the side.

We then gathered inside for what I thought would be the video review. Instead we learned about proper running technique and then did simple drills that made everyone humble in their fitness.

Afterwards we did simple running drills from the concepts that Fernando had taught us. Next thing I know it clicked! Running is actually super simple and effortless when you run correctly!

We watched the videos and Fernando, Bryan, and Tom (3 crossfit coaches) analyzed our running technique and very specifically told us several things were doing wrong and exactly how to fix it with trainings we could do as well as what to think to get the outcome.

With our minds filled with several things to correct, we headed out to run again and get videoed again.

“Just focus on one thing we told you and do it 100%,” Fernando said before we ran.

This time do the 400m two times and on the last one sprint the last 200m.

As we were catching our breath Fernando started the video up again and gave us another analysis and showed us how we improved. For myself I focused on not breaking at the hips and from that corrected another area of my running as well. Not only that the sprinting seemed much easier than normal.

 

The class ended with each of us walking away with the precise knowledge in how to become an OUTSTANDING runner.

…so I wanted to test that.

“Hey wanna hit the gym? Maybe do a run warm up on the treadmill when we get there?” I asked my roommate.

Putting the POSE technique to the test!

We headed to the gym. I wanted to see how fast I could do a mile. I started the treadmill and started walking as I got my iPod on some music. Two minutes passed and I found the song and turned the speed up to 6; seemed like I was still walking. Turned the speed up to 9; still seemed rather slow. Turned the speed up to 10 and ran for half a mile. I had a quarter of a mile left and thought, “what the hell, let’s see how fast I can run!” Turned the machine up to 12 and was sprinting but I felt like I was just floating and barely falling forward. Quarter mile was up and I felt great!

It isn’t a matter of IF you should go to a POSE running clinic, it is a question will you go before you get injured from your poor running technique. POSE technique was the best use of a Saturday morning! Fernando, Bryan, and Tom are PHENOMENAL coaches and you will learn how to run like Usain Bolt in a few hours, but it is up to you to practice and use the knowledge they gave you.

Knowledge is potential, action is power. Sign up for a class today and visit South Florida Crossfit!

That’s Not Trash, That’s Dinner – NYTimes.com

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That’s Not Trash, That’s Dinner – NYTimes.com

Quite an interesting article about how various items people commonly toss into the trash are actually quite good for you. The next time you look at your grocery bill think about how much more bang for your buck you could get if you realized that a lot of what you cut away and throw out is actually nutritious foods.

That’s Not Trash, That’s Dinner – NYTimes.com

Marketing of food to be ‘healthy’

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Recently i see more and more of companies positioning their products as healthy. At my work today i went to put away my salad dressing and noticed another dressing bottle in the frig touting to be healthy in several ways.

Unhealthy Salad Dressing

Unhealthy Salad Dressing

Now this salad dressing is claiming to be:

  • Fat Free
  • Zero grams of high fructose corn syrup
  • Zero grams of cholesterol
  • Zero grams of trans fats
  • Zero grams of gluten

Also notice how the company is called Golden Farms. Sounds like a place with a happy farm family where they love their vegetables.

Sounds pretty sweet huh? …Nope.

Now when you flip the bottle over and read the ingredients the first thing you see is SUGAR! Ingredient lists put the #1 ingredient as the first ingredient, meaning that whatever ingredient is most prevalent in the product will be #1. The nutrional facts validate this because the sugar in 2 tablespoons is 16 grams of sugar! Your brain needs sugar to function, but it only needs 32 grams, so in your “healthy” salad you have already hit HALF of what you probably need. Not a good sign.

What is the take-away from all of this?

You must be a smart consumer. Read labels, the labels that count: ingredients list and then nutritional facts. I have never heard of someone who was sugar deficient nor someone who did not have enough xanthan gum, red 40, or the various other un-essential ingredients this product contains.

Enormous book recommendations and a few DVDs

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Books:
China Study: http://amzn.to/qOSkZV
Toxic Food Syndrome (Kindle Version): http://amzn.to/qRmcmE
The Yeast Connection: http://amzn.to/qv7wDS
Omnivore’s Dilemma: http://amzn.to/q8KvLY
You: Staying Young: http://amzn.to/pGmnhh
Veganomicon: http://amzn.to/p4bbrg
Superfood RX: http://amzn.to/r6Vvbt
Men’s Health Muscle Chow: http://amzn.to/q8e0jK
Strength Training Anatomy: http://amzn.to/qC0kIc
The End of Overeating: http://amzn.to/qKGsSA
The Vitamin D Revolution: http://amzn.to/qY28md
Good Calories, Bad Calories: http://amzn.to/nA4lSV
Gourmet Nutrition: The Cookbook for the Fit Food Lover: http://amzn.to/p9hNnw
The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: http://amzn.to/qIVBnx
Healthiest Meals on Earth: http://amzn.to/oxQ4AB
Living Low Carb: http://amzn.to/qedIFy
Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: http://amzn.to/oszltO
The 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy: http://amzn.to/noND2D
In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto: http://amzn.to/pvcXQw
Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual: http://amzn.to/psVlvI
Clean: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body’s Natural Ability to Heal Itself: http://amzn.to/rtsBfs

DVDs:
Food, Inc.: http://amzn.to/pNmsry
Super Size Me: http://amzn.to/pz2FsM
King Corn: http://amzn.to/qpDDYb


Food As Your Medicine

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The Overwhelming Evidence of the Healing Power of Food

Dr. Mark Hyman is a phenomenal doctor who believes in a simple truth: “All medicine comes down to this: Find out what’s bugging you; get rid of it. Find out what you need; get it. The body does the rest.” I thoroughly enjoy his philosophy on how the human body can heal itself when given the proper assistance. In this article Dr. Hyman elaborates on the evidence of how food can heal you. He cites from the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” and talks about the findings presented in their like how researchers in Finland took two groups of people with pre-diabetes and gave them different diets. The result was a 100% for those who had the diet that was supposed to fight against diabetes.

Additionally, in this article Dr. Hyman does a juxtaposition of other medical journals and their “sponsorships” as well as advertising in general for pharmaceuticals.

The Overwhelming Evidence of the Healing Power of Food

Is Your Food Aging You?

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Is Your Food Aging You?

Excellent article from Ori Hofmekler, author of The Warrior Diet, Maximum Muscle, Minimum Fat, and The Anti-Estrogenic Diet. In this article he provides a more in depth view to your hunger for food and how to eat the best foods and the regularity of eating versus just grabbing that comfort food and pigging out.

My favorite part is when he gets into “Train Your Body to Endure Hunger” love that heading!

Is Your Food Aging You?

1 TBSP a day to keep the cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, etc. away!

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Is Spirulina the New Superfood that Can Boost Your Longevity?

I was just reading this article from Dr. Mercola. It gives you a lot of information about spirulina and all of the health benefits of it.

I am not too sure about the research in regards to protecting you from HIV, seems as though it is still preliminary in what it found out. Not sure if i read it right, but it appeared to say that the spirulina inactivated HIV-1 when it was put with the virus BEFORE adding it to human T-cell lines. I’m not doctor, but my interpretation is that spirulina stopped the HIV-1 but did so outside of the human body condition.

Anyways, the big takeaway for me about this article is about how important greens are in your daily food intake. Regardless if spirulina can defeat HIV-1 or not, you have to realize all of the health benefits as well as remember how you never hear about how beef is doing anyone groundbreaking benefit.

Enjoy the article and get some greens!

Is Spirulina the New Superfood that Can Boost Your Longevity?

Glute Workout: How to pop that booty!

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Bret Contreras » A Strong Butt is a Beautiful Butt: One Woman’s Journey to Gluteus Magnificus.

I have read and seen a few workouts and articles from Bret Contreras from my friend over at FitFinity. This article in particular i really enjoyed because instead of being one of those “Do this workout because i am a trainer and say it works.” The article is a story about how a reader took Bret’s advice and got the results they wanted.

Perfect Butt

Aside from just wanting that good sexy ba-dunk-a-dunk, the article also goes into how important the strength of your butt is. For example, Marianna talks about how these exercises got her to a whole new level that squats, deadlifts, lunges, or kettlebell exercises could not get her to.

Bret Contreras » A Strong Butt is a Beautiful Butt: One Woman’s Journey to Gluteus Magnificus.