Health Benefits of Wine

It may be hard to imagine any alcohol to have health benefits, other than the stereotypical drink after a stressful day at work; but a glass or two of wine has more benefits than you would imagine. Not only does wine offer great taste, but in moderation can help everything from your skin to your heart health:

Antioxidants, Antioxidants, Antioxidants!!!

As we talked about in our juicing series, Dark Berries are filled with Rich in Phytochemicals & Antioxidants. Grapes also contain antioxidant which attack Free Radical which cause nothing but trouble in your body. This concept is the basis for most of the claims that Wine is Heart Healthy!! 

Some other claims of how wine can improve your help are below but I must emphasize the moderations as excessive consumption of alcohol obviously will lead to issues that greatly outweight these benefits.


1. Antioxidants: Proven to help reduce Heart Disease, Strokes and many types of Cancer

2. Resveratrol: Reduces Bad Cholesterol, prevents blood clots, lowers risk of Diabetes

3. Polyphenols: Protects cells improving brain function and helping to prevent Dementia and Alzheimer's disease

4. Longer Life: A Finnish study showed wine drinkers have a 34 percent lower mortality rate than beer or spirits drinkers

5. Healthy Skin: Tartaric Acid can improve the quality of our skin, preventing problems and reducing wrinkles

In addition to the hundreds of other perks of joining the Night Juice Wine Club hopefully this is good reason to make the switch from beer of the boring jack and coke type drinks!! Cheers,

New Year's Goals

Happy New Year 2013!! Hope everyone rang in the new year in grand fashion; Laura & I were at the Burj Khalifa to watch the Epic Fireworks display with some close friends.

First off, resolutions in my opinion seem very immediate, without substance; where goals have lasting effect especially when planned or simplified to easily integrate into your daily routine. For example a resolution or choice to "Eat Healthy" is great but lacks the ability to achieve the end result because the commitment is open ended... a goal on the other hand to "replace potato chips with cucumbers and hummus" or "limit coffee to one cup per day" is defined giving you the opportunity for you to be proud of achieving your target.

I have a lot of things to be proud of and grateful for in 2012. L & I really came into stride when it comes to eating healthy and cooking. Yeah we still have our pizza or thai curry every now and again but for the most part we try to stick to lots of whole foods, fruits, organic veggies, eggs and lean protein mainly fish. We even bought a Juicer!

I have turned a new leaf after watching "Forks Over Knives" practically cutting out red meat and dairy from my diet. Fish is the preferred selection with Pork & Lamb in a close tie for second.

As for working out… I’ve maintained pretty much everything throughout 2012; Weight, Muscle Mass, Body Fat & BMI hasn’t changed over the course of the year. My goal in 2013 however is to increase my muscle mass, I weight about 160 right now and would love to be up to 170 by years end; this won’t be easy especially working a full time job and trying to meet the expectations of my wonderful fiancé (who wants a puppy). Anyways, 2013 Goals: 

1. Spend more time Outdoors with L: Going to the beach, golfing, camping, fishing, hiking, etc anything to get out the apartment; while safely sustaining the Dubai summer heat. 
2. Workout at least 4 times a week focusing on Multi-Muscle Lifts: Power cleans, dead lifts, dips, pullups, squats, and core training with dumbells or kettle bells. 
3. Eat more protein: Eggs for breakfast, tuna or chicken sandwich for lunch with bean salads, nuts and dried fruits for snacks, and looking forward to trying some new recipes for dinner which I’ll be try to be more diligent to post. 
4. Stretch Everyday!! Considering I can barely touch my toes I'd like to start the day stretching.
5. Write More: Weather it’s for The Healthy Press or otherwise, allocate at least 2 hours, 2 days a week and build from there; block out the time and stay focused.
6. Make Pickles: My buddy and I started making pickles a few months back aiming to sell them at the Ripe Farmer’s Market in February; check us out Mr Pickles: Famous Pickles!

We also plan to cut down on the drinking and going out to bars to once a week. A nice night in or with close friends over a decent bottle of wine is the preferred poison now days. I have been trying to learn more about wine and fascinated with the depth of the industry, expect some upcoming posts about Wine and my progression from 2 buck to chuck to hopefully a respectable standard. 

Wishing everyone a Happy & Healthy New Year!! Cheers,

Forks Over Knives - Documentary Review

Our new flatmate recently showed us a documentary called "Forks Over Knives" talking about the world wide studies by a few top nutritionists. Their research proves many wives tales that red meat is bad for you and explains how dairy can be put in the same "harmful" category. They promote a "Plant Based Diet" and urge everyone to eat "Whole Foods" while avoiding anything processed.

The movie does a great job in busting some classic myths our parents told us:

• Drinking Milk is the only way to get your Calcium
• Your diet will be void of Protein if you don't eat Meat
• Juice is good even with High Fructose Corn Syrup

Frankly, most of the thoughts above are byproducts of very successful add campaigns which have now been dispelled by modern research. Even further, there is so much financing that goes to legislators from big food industry that health standards don't change.

One of the main points that I took away was derived from an extreme episode where well-off children in Philippines whose diet was high in Beef & Dairy were dying of Liver Cancer compared to the poverty struck lower class. Dr Colin Campbell flew out to perform a case study and his findings were shocking. The building blocks in their diets, referred to as Casein Protein, was causing the Cancer Growth. When his hypothesis was tested on rats he confirmed his findings; when given 20% Casein Protein, Cancer Growth was exponential compared to only 5%.

Additionally, when the experiment was replicated using Plant Based Proteins there was no Cancer Growth at all regardless of the amount. Fish & Poultry are also Casein Free.

• THP Fit Tip #12: Limit Beef & Dairy to under 5% of your diet

The documentary continues to talk about the benefits of a "Plant Based Diet" including many heartfelt testimonials of overweight and over-perscriptioned patients making the change.

• Lowered Cholesterol
• Reduced Exposure to many Cancers
• Elimination of Type 2 Diabetes in most patients
• Reduction in Heart & Cardiovascular Disease

Hence the title "Forks Over Knives" encouraging everyone to eat healthy in order to avoid operations. Patients exposed or recovering from coronary bypass surgery who changed their diet showed incredible  improvements in the amount of plague buildup in their arteries. The elimination of Casein Protein from their diet was proven to repair the inner lining of arteries subsequently preventing clogs.

I normally try to not press my opinions on others but strongly encourage everyone to watch the film, do research and formulate their own opinion. It honestly has changed my diet; not to the extreme as some but I try to avoid Beef & Dairy. We went to brunch yesterday and ordered Fish Fajitas, amazing!! I substituted Cheese & Sour Cream for Guacamole, Rice & Beans.

So Grow a Garden & Stay Healthy!!

Cauliflower Crusted Pizza

We've been really into Micro-Nutrient dishes after watching Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead. So our new flat mate Ryan made a Delicious Cauliflower Crusted Pizza, mostly vegetarian ingredients with some cheese and eggs. Compared to our standard meat filled meals ie Macro-Nutrients, the Micro-Nutrients still can provide all the vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and essential proteins that you get from meat.

This Awesome Recipe is full of healthy foods when baked make an fantastic alternative to pizza.

 - Cauliflower:      Nuval Score - 100

 - Eggs:                 Nuval Score - 33

 - Mozzarella:       Nuval Score - 23

 - Feta Cheese:     Nuval Score - 28

 - Tomatos:           Nuval Score - 96

 - Garlic:               Nuval Score - 91

 - Jalapeños:         Nuval Score - 99

 - Mushrooms:      Nuval Score - 96

 - Bell Peppers:    Nuval Score - 94

 - Fresh Basil:       Nuval Score - 100

Sprinkle a bit of Olive Oil to brown the crust and add Pink Himalayan Salt to taste. A Healthy Press alternative to a classic Italian Classic I would definitely recommend everyone trying!!

Enjoy!!

The Non-Diet

I have been trolling around with an idea ever since I did an Body Composition Assessment a year ago. My BMR current around 1800 calories not including workouts and I always try to breakdown my meals to get as close to the mark as possible but, as everyone can agree upon, controlling exactly what food you eat is not easy and counting calories is no fun!!

Additionally, many fad diets focus on a specific food which doesn't necessarily burn fat as desired. The basics to fat burning is simple:

• THP FIT TIP #11: Burn more calories than you consume if you want to burn fat

So here's the plan... Target to consume 1200 to 1400 calories per day spread over 4 meals equally spaced starting as soon as you wake. My schedule:

• Wake Up 7am: 2 Hardboiled Eggs & 1 Buttered Toast = 330 Calories

• Early Lunch 11am: Roasted Vegetable & Quinoa Salad = 280 Calories

• Midday Snack 3pm: Do it yourself Trailmix: 6g Cashews, 6g Almond, 15g Dried Apricots, 15g Peanut M&M, 10g Raisins & 15g Granola = 300 Calories

• Dinner 7pm: Mushroom, Garlic & Lean Beef Bleu Cheese Burger on a Whole Wheat Bun = 390 Calories

• Go to sleep at 11pm: Drink lots of Water throughout the day, it helps digestion!

Theoretically you can eat anything ie carbs, protein or fats to makeup the calorie count so mix it up. Just be cautious that eating processed foods may change the function of your liver to breakdown Chemicals instead of the natural food used in the all the recipes above!! 

And remember that unused protein flushes out of your system where carbs are stored as fat. On days I lift I'll add a protein shake or two make sure my muscles are not being depleted instead of the desired fat loss... I estimate that for every week you follow the above you'll loose about 1 pound of fat.

• 600 calories burned per day = 75 grams of fat or 0.165 lbs x 6 days = 1 pound of fat

We're going to start blogging some Healthy 300 Calorie recipes especially Ripe Vegetable Salads. Stay Tuned & Stay Healthy!!

Laura's Workout Ways

Laura & I have been pretty good about going to the gym over the past year however we decided to step up our game considering we are in a wedding in Atlanta in less than a month. Motivating her is quite different than motivating myself, trying to offer advise to my wonderful Fiancé can sometimes become emotional.

"Are you going to make me Hot & Skinny?" were her exact words... Trick Question!!

So we decided to document the plan: 4 weeks working out 30 - 45 minutes 5 days a week with limited equipment at the gym. Start simple and work our way up.

Day 1: Legs

• 50 Walking Lunges
• One Legged Squats
• One Legged Calf Raises
• Wall Sits Between Lifts
• 15 Min Run at 5º Incline

Day 2: Cardio

• 45 Minute Interval Treadmill Workout
• Credit to @IowaGirlEats

Day 3: Core

• 2x THP Ab Workout
• Romanian Deadlift
• One Arm Dumbbell Snatch
• Head up to keep your back straight

Day 4: Cardio

• 30 Minute Incline Treadmill Workout 
• Credit to @PBFingers

Day 5: Arms

• Tricep Dips on a Bench
• Incline Seated Bicep Curls
• Dumbbell Military Press on a Bosu Ball
• 50 Girl Pushups :)
• 10 Min High Intensity Run

We will let you know how it goes!! Enjoy...

Healthy Bread

I know, the idea of bread being healthy may seem like an oxymoron and yes I agree that most bread are filled with carbohydrates that if not burned will turn into fat. There is however a happy and healthy medium which includes bread high in fiber and protein while low in sugar.

• THP FIT TIP #10: Always Choose Sprouted Grain or 100% Whole Wheat Breads

• Sprouted Grain Bread is typically more earthy and dense as multiple types of grains and legumes are allowed to sprout prior to being baked, it is also easier to digest.

• 100% Whole Wheat Bread has a smooth hearty texture derived from raw wheat grains being ground into flour prior to baking.

While Sprouted Grain & 100% Whole Wheat Bread will both have similar Nutritional Value the choice really comes down to personal preference and taste.

Some key words to look for in the market are Spelt or Quinoa or Oatmeal or Buckwheat or Ezekiel which will all maintain the natural properties of the grain providing essential vitamins and minerals in addition to the fiber and protein your body needs function efficiently.

The 100% aspect means all 3 components of the grains are included; bran, germ and endosperm. Many of the healthy bread imposters will take advantage of this concept and market processed grains as healthy which likely strip nutrients and often add sugar. Try to avoid:

• Refined Grain Bread
• Enriched Grain Bread
• Multi Grain Bread
• Seven Grain Bread
• Simply Brown Bread
• And obviously the super processed bleached white bread with the colorful packaging to attract children

PS I was thinking of calling this post "Grain's Anatomy" but didn't think anyone would get it. Enjoy the fresh bakery smells!!

Water: The Cure for Everything

If you've ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding you know the family cure to many ailments is Windex... I have a similar Magic Cure... Water!!

Water helps to:

• Improve your Immune System...
• Speed up Repair Muscles...
• Flush out Pesky Toxins...
• Facilitate Mineral Transport...
• Increase your Metabolism...
• Lower Blood Pressure...
• BURN FAT!! Trust me...

So what's the problem?

• If you're tired? Drink Water...
• If you're hungry? Drink Water...
• Headache? Drink Water..
• Hungover? Drink Water...
• Grumpy? Drink Bubble Water...
• Suffer from Asthma? Drink Water...
• Chapped Lips, Dry Skin? Drink Water...
• Seasick? Drink Water with Ginger...
• Kidney Stone? UTI? Drink Water with Parsley...
• Cold, Flu, Scurvy? Yep, Drink Water with Lemon...

Add Lemon in your Water to:

• Add natural flavor...
• Sooth a Sore Throat...
• Reduce Sugar Absorption...
• Relieve Heartburn...
• Raise Potassium Levels...
• Assist with Joint Pain by Dissolving Uric Acid...
• Increase Enzymes to Help Liver Function...
• Create a Natural Antibiotic by adding Honey...

How much water should you be drinking per day you ask? Simple rule: take your weight in pounds and divide by 2 = ounces of water to drink per day!

PS. I am addicted to Soda Water aka Bubble Water or "With Gas" if you're in Europe!

Enjoy... and stay hydrated!

Juice Kiwi

For the 10th episode in the Juicing Series I was planning to tell a joke and write about juicing onions or walnuts or something crazy like jalapeño peppers but decided against it... 

So upon special request from 1 of my 20 dedicated followers; I am proud to present the final issue of the Juicing Series... Juice Kiwi!! and heres why:

• Love the Antioxidants & Flavonoids to combat against those Free Radicals

• Protects children with asthma

• 2nd highest concentration of Vitamin C of any fruit; 7th overall, check it out

• Fiber controls blood sugar, lowers cholesterol and risk of heart disease

• Potassium will boost your Metabolism

• Juice the Skin to introduce Prebiotics or Good Bacteria in your body

• Lutein can prevent eye disease

• Contains only 46 Calories!! Have 2...

• Overall promotes Healthy Living...

Juice Recommendation: Some Kiwi Blueberry & Banana Action...

Juice Blueberry

Hope you read my recent Juice Spinach blog post as it give a little background on the superfood concept. Blueberries are another of these so called Superfoods. Quick Hint:

• Dark Colors = Superfuits = Rich in Phytochemicals & Antioxidants

Blueberries are arguably the best disease fighting specifically Cancer prevention and suppression. However I can't overlook the amazing health benefits of the other berries so just to mix up the Juicing Series lets assume that Blueberries are the Best of Everything Ever and you should eat them more often than you are already doing and give a brief overview of the other berries shadowed by the blue ones.

• Blueberries: Proven to reduce the size of tumors

• Strawberries: High quantities of Vitamin C & Folic Acid will boosts your immune system

• Raspberries: Prevents age related mental decline

• Cherries: Melatonin rich to help you sleep, also helps improve your memory with Anthocyanin

• Cranberries: Protects Brain from Free Radicals

• Tomatoes are technically really big Berries 

Keep in mind all the above berries all have amazing antioxidant qualities and disease prevention so feel free to juice and blend them to your liking... Not sure how tomato will mix with tart, hopefully they don't make you turn into something out of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory!!

Juice Green Apple

The Apple: Commonly identified as the Forbidden Fruit in the Garden of Eden has been linked with knowledge & temptation. Below are 10 quick & simple reasons to grab that Daily Apple:

1. Wake Up!! Simple sugar provide a morning kick start
2. Prevents Heart Disease: Just google Flavonoids...
3. Curbs Cravings: Substitute for the sweet tooth.
4. Natural Tooth Brush: Kills bacteria in your mouth
5. Immune Booster: Rich in Vitamin C
6. Cancer Prevention: Colon & Breast to be specific
7. In with the Good Cholesterol out with the Bad
8. Proven to help prevent Alzheimers & Parkinsons
9. Fiber content improves digestion
10. Actually improves lung capacity & function

Ok just to clarify point #1... there are myths that Green Apples are a better stimulus compared to Coffee. This is false however every once in a while I'll skip the Coffee and opt for crisp, slightly sour substitute and by gosh I think it works just as well. Maybe it'll all mental, maybe my body responds to Fructose better. I would be very interested to know what you think??

Juice Recommendation: Cucumbers, Ginger & Lemon!! 

Juice Spinach

Not sure if you know this but Spinach has a PERFECT 100 Nuval Score!! For those new to the Nuval game it is a great tool to tell what foods are good vs disguised as good but really bad... Example:

• Quaker Steel Oats Oatmeal: Nuval Score 60

• Quaker Chewy Granola Bar: Nuval Score 13

Not to pick on Quaker but this is a prime example of where Junk Food can be advertised as Health Food. Anyways back to Juicing. The point I'm trying to make is that Spinach is what is called a Superfood!! Meaning they are jammed packed with Immune Boosting/Disease Fighting Vitamins, Minerals & Antioxidants... Spinach for example has super amazing health benefits:

• Vitamin K: Strengthens Bones!!

• Beta Carotene: Super Cancer Fighter

• Lipoic Acid: Regulates Blood Sugar

• Potassium: Reduces Risk of Heart Disease

• Vitamin A: Enhances Night Vision

• Fiber: Helps Lose Weight

• Iron: Improves Brain Activity

• Lutein: No One Wants Cataracts

• Niacin: Lowers Bad Cholesterol

• Riboflavin: Processes Fats & Proteins

• Phytoecdysteriods... For Popeye Strength

Now you can't overdose on spinach but just a quick word of warning that a cup full of spinach juice is not the most appealing drink however a handful when mixed with green apples or cucumber will facilitate the above benefits while being quite enjoyable at the same time... 

Juice Tomato

Growing up I've always loathed the taste of V8... But the second I had my first spicy Bloody Mary my opinion changed. Tomatoes just have something about them that I can't put my finger on. I seem to enjoy them more every time I have Tomato & Mozzarella Salad or Naked Pizza!! But we're here to talk about Juice right...

In my 5th installment of the Juicing Series I am not going to list out all the Health Benefits but rather really focus on its amazing role as an antioxidant...

Before I get into the details I just want to note that Tomatoes do not contain the highest percentage of antioxidants compared to say Kale or Spinach but they do have Lycopene; which is technically a carotene, a super carotene which deserves an entire blog post in itself. 

• Cancer Fighter: Powerful Defense against men's most common Prostate Cancer

• Heart Disease: Prevents LDL Cholesterol from depositing in you blood stream

• Potent Antioxidant: More powerful than beta-carotene, great immune boosters

• Cell Strength: Builds strong cell membrane  and repairs damaged cells; anti-aging

• Type 2 Diabetes: Won't prevent diabetes but proven to decrease susceptibility to cardiovascular disease and heart attacks

• Natural Sunscreen: Magically blocks UV rays but only equal to an SPF 3

Lycopene has also been described a Free Radical Scavenger constantly protecting your body's Lipids and cells against germs and infections... 

Sounds like sort of a Nutritional Superhero if you ask me :)

Juice Beetroot

Welcome to the 2nd Edition of Juice Stuff!! Today we'll talk about the Amazing Beetroot!! Now before I jump right into it there is a disclaimer... Beetroot Stains!! Not only teeth and clothing but just be warned what goes in red may leave a similar color. Now that I've successfully grossed out all 17 of my dedicated readers here's why you should Juice Beetroot!!

• Juice with the greens for Fiber, Magnesium & Copper

• Amino Acids can prevent Colon & Stomach Cancer

• Beets are packed with Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, & C

• Loosens calcium deposits and cleans Arteries

• Great Liver Detox plus an Efficient Laxative

• Anemic?? The Iron strengthens Red Bloods Cells 

• Mix with Carrot Juice to cleanse the Kidneys

• Like Celery, Beets normalize Blood Pressure

• Lubricates Skin, Arteries & Prevents Varicose Veins

• Ancient Romans thought Beets an Aphrodisiac

Beets were supposedly grown in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon almost 3000 years ago so you know they are doing something right!! Obviously these fantastic powers also translate to cooking and use in salads... But don't overcook as they can loose their essential nutrients. 

So Turn Up the Music & Enjoy the Beet!! hehe

Juice Celery

Juice Celery is the first of many installments about the wide spectrum of ingredient options for juice mainly outlining the health benefits behind each. Celery, for example, was always considered in my book as quite a useless vegetable with minimal to no taste... I guess the whole "you burn more calories chewing celery than you consume" concept clouded the reality that "celery is full of vitamins and minerals" some of which outlined below with the amazing health benefits:

• Refreshing drink on a hot day or for fever as it lowers body temperature

• Filled with Potassium, Iron, Calcium & Muscle building Amino Acids

• Organic Sodium great to replenish electrolytes post workout

• High in essential antioxidant Vitamin A as well as B6 & C

• Balances your body's pH levels to regulate body functions

• Proven to lower LDL Cholesterol; the Bad Cholesterol

• Research shows Celery helps prevent 8 types of Cancer

• Phthalides help relax muscles and Lower Blood Pressure

• Natural appetite suppressant & low calorie snack substitute

• Celery is an Anti-Inflammatory providing relief for arthritis

• Great Detox & Diuretic; ideal body cleanse after a night out

Go Celery... Get Those Free Radicals & Toxins!!

Our Incredible Juicer

It was a Big Day in the lives of L & E... We bought a Juicer!! So we raided the produce section to start experimenting!! Our first concoction consisted of the following... I call it The Ginger Hulk!!

 - Fresh Spinach: Nuval Score 100

 - Green Apples: Nuval Score 96

 - Cucumbers: Nuval Score 93

 - Parsley: Nuval Score 99

 - Ginger: Nuval Score 87

We even made a homemade Tomato Soup from roasted Garlic, Onion & Tomatoes... Fresh Juice is a quick, easy and surprisingly filling snack or breakfast idea jam packed with all sorts of essential vitamins and nutrients!! Super excited about the possibilities mixing Fruits & Vegetables!! Some great ingredients I am looking play with:

 - Beetroot: Nuval Score 99

 - Blueberries: Nuval Score 100

 - Pomegranate: Nuval Score 91

 - Celery: Nuval Score 100

 - Lemon & Mint: Nuval Score 99

 - Red Peppers: Nuval Score 99

 - Jalepeno Peppers: Nuval Score 99

 - Bananas: Nuval Score 91

 - Grapefruit: Nuval Score 99

 - Kale: Nuval Score 100

 - Kiwi: Nuval Score 100

 - Carrots: Nuval Score 99

Check out the links to learn more about the Health Benefits of each Ingredient!! I strongly recommend for anyone interested in Healthy Living or Mixology to get one...

Happy Blending!!

Coconut Water

As I mentioned in my Last Blog, we just returned from sun-filled-holiday in the Maldives!! But what I failed to mention is both L & I have Northern European skin ie Pale with Freckles so the UV Rays seam to go out of its way to find us?!

We were OK for the first and second day bathing in sunscreen before we went out however the third day was a shocker!! A morning lather followed by a Quick Swim then a walk from island to island, topped off with an afternoon of snorkeling... needless to say our back and legs were a little beat up. Luckily for us though the Beach Guru showed up at our back porch offering Fresh Coconuts... We got 2!! The water was refreshing and the meat was addictive!!

Livestong says the best cure for a sunburn is Aloe Vera but personally I prefer Simple & Excessive Hydration!! This will naturally lubricate skin and help Prevent Pealing. Furthermore, Coconut Water hydrates much better than water as it contains Electrolytes just like Gatorade but without the added sugar.

Other great health benefits of Coconut Water: the High Potassium / Low Sodium Content helps Lower Blood Pressure, Raises Metabolism, it's a Natural Detox, Heightens Immune System, plus Many More...

So if you see the Beach Guru; just ask for a Fresh Chopped Coconut with a Natural Spoon!!

NY Resolution Fail

I am ashamed to admit but after a month of my New Year Resolution I am giving up... Not because I can't handle it or too busy or one of the other thousands of excuses. I am giving up on my goal to run 1000k in 2012 because I lost 6 pounds in a month: Yep 164 pounds to 158... 

Now some of the weight was fat, more was muscle which was is not my goal... L says I look too skinny but the tipping point for me is my arms look small!!

I do enjoy the Cardiovascular component to running however prefer to focus on maintaining muscle mass so Sunday I got back to my normal Chest routine. The new Polar Heart Rate Monitor I got for my birthday :) beeped at 165bpm after my first set. Then it hit me... I can keep my Heart Rate in the Cardio Zone while Lifting!!

My New New Year's Resolution: Log an equivalent amount of time in the Cardio Zone as I would by running 1000k... Swimming, lifting, biking, playing soccer, abs... the skys the limit!!

With some simple Algebra I extrapolated a constant from my past runs I refer to as The Multiplier. A ratio of pace over my average heart rate. The beauty of this is I can now compare ANY workout taking my average heart rate and time to equate the equivalent distance!! Example:

Using this same multiplier and working backwards from 1000k I would have to log 93 hours of exercise keeping my heart rate at 140bpm.

Let the games begin!! I've already logged 6:45...

The Grapefruit Catalyst

I don't want to sound like your mother but its true... Breakfast is the Most Important Meal!! Imagine starting a log fire without any fuel, it will work eventually but would be much easier if you just added a dash of lighter fluid to speed up the process. Well your body works the same way.

During sleep your metabolism slows to solely Maintain Body Functions however when you wake this decreased metabolic rate will be prolonged unless you inject fuel into the equation ie Food!! If this source of fuel is not received your blood sugar levels will eventually drop putting your body in a state of Hypoglycemia... 

Obviously this is in extreme conditions however lack of food is the main reason people are tired in the morning. Many people counteract this fatigue with nature's caffeine ie Coffee!! This will only provide a temporary jolt and leave you dehydrated.

THP Fit Tip #8: Drink Grapefruit Juice instead of Coffee...

Grapefruit Juice on the other hand provides much needed Vitamin C which kick starts your Metabolism better than any other citrus fruits as well as contains much needed Fiber & naturally reduces insulin levels...

Now I enjoy a cup a coffee just as much as the rest however recently I replaced my fix with a large glass of Grapefruit Juice complimented with 2 Hardboiled Eggs & Greek Yogurt. This quick breakfast consisting of about 350 Calories usually keeps me Awake & Satisfied until a late lunch.

Try it, you have nothing to lose but sleep...

The Resolution

New Year... New Opportunities!!

Last year my goal was to get in the best shape of my life and I did it: 1 Marathon, 1 Half, a 10k & countless hours in the gym destressing from the long work weeks. But as the memory of 2011 slowly permeates in the back of my mind the outlook for 2012 is optimistic!!

I thought this year I would choose something a little more tangible... 1000k over 365 days!! An idea stolen from L which I adopted because I like the concept as well as to offer support.

I am definitely faster than her; trying to get 5k down to 22 min, however L is the Slow&Steady type with the persistence of a Turtle, I just need to be sure not to fall asleep under a tree!!

January:       E - 5k & L - 6k