Something doesn’t add up with the rate of obesity and the way most Americans eat, or so it would seem. Would you believe that some experts say that we are not getting enough fat in our diets? As a nation, how could we be so overweight and yet be missing fat from our diets? The answer lies in what we eat. We all need a certain level of macronutrients commonly known as carbohydrates, protein, and fat in our diets. Can you guess which macronutrient we consume too much of?

Let’s take a look at what most people eat according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans issued by the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services:

1. Grain-based Desserts

2. Yeast Breads

3. Chicken and Chicken Mixed Dishes

4. Soda/Energy/Sports Drinks

5. Pizza

6. Alcoholic Beverages

7. Pasta and Pasta Dishes

8. Tortillas, Burritos, and Tacos

9. Beef and Beef Mixed Dishes

10. Dairy Desserts

11. Potato/corn/other Chips

12. Burgers

13. Reduced-fat Milk

14. Cheese

15. Ready-to-eat Cereal 

Notice the carb-heavy dishes that are in bold. These are the top sources of calories for Americans. Sure, some of these dishes are high in fat as well, but mostly refined, heavily processed fat – fat that sticks to you.

Why Carbs May Make You Fat

Without giving a lengthy encyclopedia post about carbohydrates, this is how it works:  When we consume carbohydrates the body can do a couple of things – “burn” the carbohydrates via energy exertion (exercise), or store the carbohydrates by converting to fat. When carbohydrates are consumed the liver converts them to glucose, where it is then either used for energy, circulated throughout the body and stored as fat, or built up as fat in the liver (in a nutshell). This is especially true with the consumption of empty carb sources such as soda, candy, and alcohol.

Before we give carbs a pitch fork and call them the ultimate food sin, we need to understand that we absolutely need carbs in our diet. Fruits, veggies, and moderate consumption of grains have been proven to be a part of a healthy diet. The problem is most people over-consume carbs, which leads to fat build up.

If We Eat Too Many Carbs, Then How Can We Replace Those Calories?

So we eat too many carbs. It’s a fact. If we eliminate some of these carbs from our diets then what can we replace these foods with? According to this article from Harvard, we need to get more fat in. This makes sense because (other than bodybuilders), most of us only need a certain amount of protein – about .5 to .7 grams of protein per pound of lean body weight. If we are getting adequate protein, then logical replacement for excess carbs would be fat.

Make no mistake, some of the foods on the list above can just be eliminated altogether (or scaled way back) rather than be replaced – soda, alcohol, and grain-based desserts, for example. As Americans a lot of us consume too many calories, so just plain eliminating some of the carbs (and calories) is a necessity. But to get our macronutrient levels in line we may also need to replace a little bit of our yeast breads and pizza with other foods. Foods that have a supply of the most calorie-dense, hunger-satisfying macronutrient – fat. The USDA recommends that anywhere from 20-35% of our diet come from fat.

How to Get Less Carbs and More Fat

Understand that fat is very energy dense. A little goes a long way. So don’t go on thinking you can go on an all-you-can-eat bacon diet. Here is what I do: couple fat with veggies. This is a pretty simple rule that brings both calories and volume to meals and snacks. Veggies are for the most part low in calories.

1 cup of spinach has about 10 calories.

1 cup of chopped carrots is about 50 calories.

On the other hand 1 tablespoon of olive oil contains about 120 calories.

The calorie profile is similar for other oils, nut butters, nuts, and other sources of fat. A small portion packs a lot of calories. I don’t know about you, but to me a couple tablespoons of olive oil or a ¼ cup of nuts is not going to filled my up like a cup of cooked pasta would. This is where the veggies pair nicely with fat to make a satisfying meal.

Here are a few tips to get more fat and less carbs at each meal:

Breakfast – Bring back the whole egg. Omelets filled with a generous portion of veggies can be a great healthy meal. The eggs yolks provide essentially Omega 3 fatty acids, the veggies bring a little bit of carbs and micronutrients (vitamins), and if you cook the eggs in a little bit of coconut oil you can add a little extra fat in. Another option is to have some scrambled eggs with a side of spinach or other leafy greens. Ditch the toast, pancakes, and waffles.

Lunch – Salads! Leafy greens are inexpensive, packed with nutrients and low in calories. Also add your favorite veggie toppings such as carrots, cabbage, sprouts, celery, etc. Add a 3 ot 6 oz. portion of chicken, salmon, tuna, sirloin steak, or other source of protein. Dress it with a salad dressing made from olive oil or just vinegar and olive oil to get a little extra healthy fat.

Dinner – Ditch the bun, the tortilla, the taco shell, the noodles. Try stir fry dishes loaded with veggies using coconut oil or sesame seed oil to cook. Try a fajita salad. Kabobs with a side salad. Load up on the veggies and you’ll have a plate just as big as any carb-heavy meal.

Snacks – Fruit. Remember you do need carbs, so don’t be so scared of fat storage that you deplete your body of an important food source. Look for in-season fresh fruit to get some natural sugar and fiber in your diet. Nuts go along nicely with fruit, and nut butters (almond, cashew, sunflower seed to mix it up) make a great dip for sliced apples or even carrot sticks and celery.

Be Careful

Remember to not go on a fat binge. Remember the USDA recommended 20-35%. Over consumption of any macronutrient is not cool.

Also certain fats such as “Vegetable Oil”, canola oil, soybean oil, partially-hydrogenated oil, and trans fat are not the most desirable items due to the processing practices and possible genetically modified ingredients they may contain.

My favorite fats to use are the following:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (dressings)

Sesame Oil (dressings and stir fry)

Coconut Oil (for cooking)

Organic Sunflower Oil (for high-heat cooking)

Organic Butter (occasionally for cooking and in sauces)

Why trust only me in this issue? Read further. Here are a couple articles and resources to check out:

From a major university

From a popular health website

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans

So, you want to burn a bunch of calories with your workouts, right? I am guessing “Yes”! I have yet to hear anyone say “I like doing all this exercise, if only I could burn less calories.” So, how can you burn more calories with your fitness routine?

Option 1: Double your workout time. Two times the time investment, two times the calories burned.

Option 2: Keep your same workout time, and burn way more calories. Use a simple concept to maximize your fat burning efforts.

Option 3: Cut your workout time in half, and still burn more calories than most workouts.

Personally I would opt for Options 2 or 3. If Option 1, doubling your workout time, sounds good then read no further. Otherwise read on and found out how Interval Training can bring you added benefits such as burning more calories, working different muscle fibers, and shedding more fat.

What is Interval Training?

Interval Training simply involves bursts of intensity in your workout followed by active rest or less-intense activity. Certain activity such as High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is said to burn more fat compared to steady-pace activity such as running at the same speed on a treadmill for 30 minutes.

Interval Training can be applied to just about any traditional cardio workout: running, cycling, swimming, rowing, or even playing a sport such as basketball. Just take what you normally do and add a bit (or a lot) of intensity at certain intervals.

How to Do It

There are no real laws or rules to Interval Training, but here are a few ways to incorporate the interval concept.

1 minute of moderately intense effort followed by 3 minutes of less intense effort. For example: A fast-paced jog followed by a slow-paced jog on a trail or treadmill. Try it next time you are at the gym or on the trail and watch how much sweat flies.

An all-out sprint followed by active rest. For example: Sprint the length of a soccer field as fast as you can, jog slowly or walk back to your starting point, keep moving (don’t sit down), sprint again, and repeat the process.

Untimed and unmeasured bursts of intensity. For example: Start with your normal 30 minute jog at your normal pace, then step it up and run faster for as long as you can, return to a slower speed until you catch your breath, then pick up the pace again. Keep this going for the duration of your run. Another Example: “Shoot around” with a basketball for a few minutes, do two sets of “suicide sprints”, continue to shoot around, do more suicide sprints, and so on.

Get creative. Maybe in reading this you are thinking about your favorite activity and thinking, “I can do that during (the elliptical machine, my bike ride, playtime at the park, the Stairmaster, my heavy bag session, [insert your sport/activity here]).”

Why It Works

Interval training essentially causes your body to work in a different way than doing a steady pace of any activity. The bursts of intensity cause your body to call on different muscles with anaerobic activity (sprinting) and aerobic activity (jogging). You are also working your cardiorespiratory system and oxygen consumption in different levels with the anaerobic/aerobic combination resulting in a longer lasting elevated heart rate. These methods are said to burn more calories during the activity and after the activity as well.

A Small Investment

Hopefully I didn’t lose you with the words “intense” or “high-intensity”. Interval training does not necessarily involve a brutal cardio session. Take this example of a 30 minute workout with running.

Warm Up and Stretch – 5 minutes

Slow-pace Jog – 3 minutes

Faster-pace Run – 1 minute

Slow-pace Jog – 3 minutes

Faster-pace Run – 1 minute

Slow-pace Jog – 3 minutes

Faster-pace Run – 1 minute

Slow-pace Jog – 3 minutes

Faster-pace Run - 1 minute

Slow-pace Jog – 3 minutes

Faster-pace Run – 1 minute

Cool Down and Stretch – 5 minutes

So, we are looking at taking 5 minutes of a 30 minute session and kicking it up a notch in just a series of short intervals. A 5 minute investment. Nothing too crazy, right? This can tailored to your fitness level too. You may want to start with just 20 or 30 second bursts of intensity and work your way up. No big deal.

Give It a Try

Next time you head into your cardio routine, try the Interval Training concept. Watch how much you sweat and see how you feel compared to the last time you went for a run, walk, bike ride, etc. Give it a try and let me know how it goes.

First let’s talk a little about strength training, building muscle, and toning. It is important for everyone to do some sort of strength training based on each person’s goals. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Heart Association both recommend dedicating at least two workouts to strength training each week. Why? Wouldn’t the American HEART Association be more concerned with cardio exercise? The truth is that strength training is not just for building muscle. It can also improve bone health, be good for your cardiorespiratory system, improve posture, among other benefits.

I know everyone’s goals can vary, but let me make a generic and somewhat sexist statement here: Most men want to add muscle size with a workout regimen, and most women want to “tone” or build lean muscle. If you read my posts enough you will know that I am in favor of just about everything in fitness. Bodybuilding to marathon running to general fitness – it all beats sitting on the couch! For the purpose of this article I will focus on general fitness, which for most men means packing on a little bit of muscle, and for most women means “toning” through building a little bit of lean muscle.

Most men and women seeking the benefits of a general fitness routine can do a very similar workout routine and achieve different results based on gender. Men (testosterone producers) will build muscle with general strength training routines, and with men the muscle growth tends to “pop”. Women (estrogen producers) will build muscle with general strength training, and with women we see more of a toned look rather than bulging biceps. This is due to our genetic traits and hormones. Men get a little bulkier than women with a similar workout routine. Sure, there are exceptions to the rule, but this holds true for most people. Yes ladies, you can lift weights without looking like a female bodybuilder.

So, back to the question now: What is a good routine for toning?

Here is a circuit training routine that I do and most anyone can do with very little equipment and no free weights:

Warm up and stretch 5 minutes

Circuit (No rest between sets)

Push ups  (or modified push ups)

Pull ups (or modified pull ups)

Dips (using a dip bar, a chair, or the floor)

Squats (body weight, high reps)

Lunges (alternate legs)

Abs (crunches, in and outs, leg lifts, etc. – pick one)

Rest (water break, about 1 minute)

Repeat Circuit 2 more times for a total 3 progressions

Cool down and stretch 5 minutes

This is a basic routine that I follow. It can be modified to be easier (assisted pull ups, modified push ups, etc.) or be modified to be more difficult (slow motion push ups, incline push ups, straight leg pull ups, etc.) This circuit training style with few breaks gets your heart rate up too and gives you a good sweat.

For continued strength training, here is a basic few “rules” to follow with free weights, bands, or resistance machines:

Building more size and strength

Moderate to heavy load weights or resistance

8 – 10 reps on most exercises

Don’t be afraid to go with slightly heavier weights and getting only 5 – 7 reps. Also If you find yourself getting stronger, don’t be afraid to do 11 – 13 reps, then pick up some heavier weights next time around.

Building strength and lean muscle, or “toning”

Light to moderate load weights or resistance

12-15 reps on most exercises

Don’t be afraid to lift slightly heavier weights and do 10 reps while working up to 12 reps with the heavier load. Don’t be afraid to do 16 or 17 reps if you find your lighter weights getting easier.

Article summary: Body weight, free weights, and other resistance exercises are great for both men and women, whether your goal is to tone-up or build some lean muscle mass. If you need somewhere to start, try the circuit training workout above.

I often get asked, “Can I do Insanity® (60 days of hardcore training) back to back?” And the same thing can be asked of P90X®, CrossFit®, TapOut®, lifting weights, your local bootcamp, or any exercise program. My answer is always “Yes, you can. If your body can take it. Don’t be afraid of taking a week or two off.” The way I see it is pro athletes do several months in a row of hardcore training. There is a flip-side though. At the end of 6 months or so of exerting all that energy (a typical football or basketball season) look how many injuries are stacked up on a pro team. Look how worn out they are. The body can only take so much.

I remember seeing a video segment on Jerome Bettis (long-time NFL running back) several years ago. It showed the process he went through to get out of bed in the morning: spending 10-15 minutes just getting out of bed, putting on knee braces, hot/cold therapy, a 5 minute trek down the stairs, all to get ready to meet team trainers for more therapy to get ready for practice. Now a NFL running back endures a lot more physically then most anyone, but still… think of chronic pain that runners or even golfers experience – hip replacements and the like. While your program might not be as intense as a pro athlete, just remember that all of these athletes have an off season. It makes one think of doing any type of exercise back to back to back to back for years on end.

So don’t be afraid, my fellow exercise nuts, to take an off season every now and then. Don’t sit on your butt for any length of time - or do if you have already overdone it - but let your muscles, joints, and ligaments rest every now and then – sometimes even longer than one “recovery week”. Switch things up to avoid any chronicness (that’s a word in my dictionary) of any activity. I know the benefits of exercise greatly outweigh any negative repercussions so I am not saying by any means to avoid exercise. Just take a break every so often.

“You don’t pay the price of good health; you enjoy the price of good health. You pay the price of poor health” – Zig Zigar

“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” – Michael Jordan

“The only way you can hurt your body is if you don’t use it” – Jack LaLanne

“If the bottom is broken, work the top. If the top is broken, work the bottom. If the top and bottom are broken, work the middle!” – Tony Horton

“You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself.” – Jim Rohn

What is your favorite quote? Share it below, or better yet, share it with your friends!

Even with the known benefits of strength training that is taught to us and promoted by government agencies, health teachers in school, fitness magazines, and Internet sites, still many fear strength routines due to misconceptions. “Lifting weights will make me bulky,” or “I want to lose weight, not gain weight,” are a couple of misguided statements that reflect the way some view strength training. Training to improve muscle strength is not just for bodybuilders looking to build biceps as big as bowling balls and legs the size of small children. Strength training, which is in no way limited to weightlifting (i.e. push ups, pull ups, resistance bands, resistance machines, etc.), is an important part of fitness for men and women of all ages that can fulfill a wide range of goals relating to health and body composition.

To put myths to rest, strength training will not make you bulky – unless you want it to. Someone following a bodybuilding workout plan and eating a very large amount of calories can and will add bulk. On the other hand, someone that uses a combination of strength training exercises 2 or 3 times per week using relatively low-load weights, resistance tools, and bodyweight exercises with high repetitions will build strength and muscle tone without massive muscle gains. There are several other ways to go about strength training as well. Different styles of different resistance exercises produce different results. If you are someone that is missing strength training from your routine, try starting with a 20 or 30 minute circuit training session next time you go to the gym.

There are several ways that circuit training can be applied, but a general rule is to switch between muscle groups with each successive exercise in the circuit. Beyond that a circuit can involve a total body routine or focus on one area of the body. You might do an upper body circuit one day and a lower body circuit another day, for example. Another way to do it would be to focus on chest, shoulders, and triceps one day; on another workout day focus on back and biceps; for another workout day focus on legs and abs.

A way to do a total body circuit might look like this:

Push-ups (upper body)

Squats (lower body)

Crunches (abs)

Military Shoulder Press (upper body)

Leg Extensions (lower body)

Continue a sequence of working different muscles with different exercises

An upper body routine might look like this:

Push-ups (chest)

Pull-ups (back)

Dips (chest and triceps)

Rows (back)

Continue a sequence of working different muscles with different exercises

A way to not do a circuit might look like this:

Push-ups (chest)

Bench Press (chest)

Incline Press (chest)

Chest Fly (chest)

(Working the same muscle repeatedly without rest may be counterproductive)

Remember, this model applies to circuit training methods. Other weightlifting routines might involve working the same muscle groups with periods of rest in between. A bonus of the circuit training element is that it brings an elevated heart rate from the little or no rest between exercises. In this case we should switch between muscle groups or specific muscles to allow specific muscles to rest. So you are giving your chest a break while working your back, for example, but the body is continually moving allowing for heart to pump, muscles to work, sweat to break, and calories to burn.

I started this blog about a year ago because, well, I like blogging. I also like fitness, sports, eating healthy, and all things related – so became the birth of this site. It just so happened that when I started this site I was a Team Beachbody® Coach (a distributor of the network marketing portion of Beachbody®). As of now I am moving on from Beachbody®) to pursue other avenues in fitness. This site will remain the same, just my affiliation with Beachbody® is over.

Several of the posts written since the beginning of this site were geared toward Beachbody® products. I thought about how I should handle this transition of moving away from Beachbody®. Should I go back and delete all posts that have anything to do with the company? Nah. I’m leaving them up. The time I spent as a Team Beachbody® Coach was an important time in my life. I have a great respect for the members of the community, the trainers in the workout videos, and Carl Daikeler, CEO of the company. I feel like I have grown as a person during my time with the company – I just feel God taking me in a new direction now.

What’s next for Glen Gosch Fitness?

For now it will be much of the same – sharing tips, ideas, recipes, videos, etc.

I have a few new concepts I am working on as well; stay tuned to find out what they are…

1. Controlling YOUR supply of food. In the previous post I wrote about the food supply in America contributing to our epidemic of being overweight. We have more fast food restaurants, more junk food in our stores, and more junk in our food altogether than ever before. I don’t think that McDonald’s and Burger King are closing up shop anytime soon and I doubt that when you walk in your grocery store tomorrow that the soda section of the store will be taken out to make room for the expanding produce section. The good news is you have the power to control your own supply of food.

The most simple piece of advice I can give here is to not buy junk food. Duh, right? Follow me here. When it comes to ice cream, cake, cookies, and candy, it does not need be something that we give up for life. These things can be once-in-awhile treats. That said, don’t bargain shop and buy these items in bulk. Say you go to the grocery store and you see ice cream on sale: 2 gallon-size tubs for $7. What a deal! Or you can get the single-serving specialty brand for $3. More bang for your buck with the first deal, right? Sure, if having a ready supply of extra sugar, extra calories, and body fat is a good deal. The same thing goes for soda, alcohol, cake, or anything else. Don’t keep it in your house! You will be tempted to cheat on your diet many places, don’t make your home one of them. The better “deal” is to not have junk food in your house.

2. Control your influences. I had previously mentioned how much advertising we take in each day that is geared toward us purchasing food that is not very good for us. We are bombarded with ads on TV, radio, the Internet – everywhere.

So control what you watch and listen to! Instead of watching TV, read a book – a motivating and inspiring one, if possible. If you’re on the internet, follow, like, and subscribe to sites and businesses that promote healthy eating, fitness, and a healthy lifestyle. The more healthy influences that are around you, the better chance you have of sticking with a diet or exercise program and experiencing weight loss for the long-term.

3. Work on you. One of my favorite quotes of all time is from Jim Rohn. He says:

“Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better”

That is a reality that we all have to face. A diet or nutrition plan is not going to get any better or easier. A workout routine will not magically improve over time. The variable in the equation of you losing weight is YOU. You have to work on yourself; you have to become better if you want to be better.

Another thing I learned from Jim Rohn is this: The power of the word “Until”. How much time do you give a baby to learn to walk? Do you let him or her have a few shots at it, then give up? No! You let them keep trying UNTIL they learn. How many books, how many nutrition books, how many exercise books, how many magazine subscriptions, how many email newsletters subscriptions will you read? How many months or years will you commit to exercise and healthy eating? One? Two? Three? Or UNTIL? Until you can lose 50 pounds, until you can do 50 push ups, until you can wear a swimsuit in public and not feel ashamed – that is where the power is.

Have an area that you struggle with? Leave a comment below…

]]> http://glengoschfitness.com/3-ways-to-overcome-being-overweight/feed/ 1 http://glengoschfitness.com/is-it-your-fault-3-reasons-why-you-might-be-overweight/ http://glengoschfitness.com/is-it-your-fault-3-reasons-why-you-might-be-overweight/#comments Tue, 16 Apr 2013 06:17:02 +0000 Glen http://glengoschfitness.com/?p=929

Read More…]]> I met this young woman the other day and she told me about how her plan to gain 50 pounds after high school had finally paid its dividends. She was actually surprised at the little amount of effort that it took to reach her dream. YEAH, RIGHT! I have yet to meet anyone – male, female, young, old, black, white, or from any walk of life – that has said, “I had this plan to gain weight. I had to learn how to do it, and once I did, it worked!” Nobody says that, it’s not what people set out to do, and yet it happens. Why? Is it your fault? Here are 3 reasons why you (or someone you know) might be overweight.

1. The food supply. The truth is, our food supply has undergone a drastic change in the last couple of decades – and with that change the incidence of obesity has skyrocketed. We now eat more man-made processed foods than ever before, and they are more available to us. Take high-fructose corn syrup (a man-made sugar derivative of corn) for example. This relatively new “food” product has made its way into everything from soda to cereal to ketchup. Look in your cupboards and refrigerator right now and look how many products contain HFCS among dozens of other man-made ingredients you can’t pronounce.

We are told to stay away from all this junk food, but it is everywhere. How much of your grocery store is produce and fresh meat? How big is the soda isle?  How big is the alcohol isle? How much of every part of the store is processed food (cookies, sugary cereal, ice cream, candy, processed meat, etc.)? How much is real food (wild rice, oats, vegetables, fruit – all with no additives)? Of course all the junk food outnumbers the real food by a large margin. Then we are told, “Don’t eat it.” It all tastes good, looks good, and it’s right there in front of us, but do not eat it! It’s like telling someone that is trying to quit smoking to just sit in a room full of cigarettes and “Don’t touch.”  In situations like this, Right and Wrong seem to find their way to the exit. Enter Temptation – a culprit as old as Adam and Eve.  That is where we are at with a lot of the “food” in our grocery stores. It tempts us. We indulge.

2. Advertising. How many soda advertisements did you see this week? What about beer, chips, fast food, pizza, and snacks? How many did you see for an apple? What about grass fed beef, wild salmon, leafy greens, broccoli, and carrots? Junk food triumphs again with millions of dollars spent in advertising to persuade us to buy the products in fancy labeling. Last I checked, it’s working.

We might not think that about advertising when it comes to being overweight, but like it or not, we are influenced by the things we see, read, and listen to. If you happen to watch TV, listen to the radio, read magazines, or view anything on the internet then you are being lured, persuaded, enticed – advertised to. I’m all for advertising, capitalism, and freedom of choice in making purchases. With that, though, comes a barrage of words, sounds, and images that entices our senses and makes us steer toward the Center of the Grocery Store a.k.a. The Processed Food Section a.k.a. The Foods We Shouldn’t Eat that Make Us Fat Section.

3. You. Yes, there are outside influences. Yes, there are hidden sugars, additives, and preservatives in foods you may have thought were healthy. Yes, there are treats and junk food that tempt you. There are friends that will invite you out for beer and pizza, 17 fast food joints between your house and work, candy at every gas station, and so on. Even with all of these things that influence and tempt you, you are still part of the equation. This doesn’t mean that you intentionally gained weight. I know that when I was 50 pounds heavier I didn’t set out to get that way. But ultimately it was I that went out for a few beers multiple times per week, it was I that bought the Hamburger Helper, it was I that brought home the cases of soda (4 for $9.99, how could I pass up that deal?!). It was I making the choices. Was I influenced? Sure. But it was my choices that got me from a fit, weightlifting athlete to an out of shape, fat construction worker.

If you are someone that is overweight and reading this, I feel that it is important to realize that you have played a role in getting to your current condition. I say that not to point a finger, place blame, and attack. I say that to point out that you also have the power to change. The power to take control of your health. The power to live how you want to live and make the choices you need to make. I don’t think that we can change Coke and Pepsi and have them produce less soda tomorrow. I am pretty sure that McDonald’s and Burger King are not shutting down this week. I hypothesize that the majority of your grocery store will be stocked with processed food items next week. I am willing to bet cash money that one or more of these things will be advertised to you in the near future. None of those things will change anytime soon. The one thing that can change is you!

I am always looking to learn new things about nutrition, food, and lifestyles related to health. My website is not only a reflection of what I know and can pass on, but also a reflection of my own growth and learning. With The Primal Blueprint (PB) by Mark Sisson, I can say that I have grown a little and learned a little too – this book is already influencing some lifestyle changes of my own.

PB is a book that – along with the author’s website Mark’s Daily Apple – has spawned a sub-culture within the Paleo way of life:  The Primal lifestyle. For those that don’t know, Paleo is short for Paleolithic – the term scientists use to describe the era 10,000 years ago. The neo Paleo lifestyle tries to mimic life imagined back then and apply it to the 21^st century. This book suggests that if you follow 10 Primal Laws you will be on your way to effortless weight loss – which I think is a little off-base because it involves some effort, but I get where Sisson is going with it. The Primal Laws don’t involve marathon workout sessions, timed meals, calculating calories, and other traditional fitness and diet have-to’s. The Primal Laws are as follows:

Eat Plants and Animals

Avoid Poisonous Things

Move Frequently at a Slow Pace

Lift Heavy Things

Sprint Once in a While

Get Adequate Sleep

Play

Get Adequate Sunlight

Avoid Stupid Mistakes

Use Your Brain

So, a pretty basic plan to achieve a healthy you. Throughout the book Sisson explores each law in-depth.

PB is filled with a lot of information, scientific research, and blueprint strategies that can be applied to your life. What makes this book a good read beyond the informative concepts within the content is the story of Grok, a fictional representative of man from 10,000 years ago. The book tells Grok’s story of living off the land, traveling, escaping wild beasts, and what not, all while teaching the reader how to live like Grok in modern times. Conversely, the book also tells the story of the Korgs (Grok spelled backward)- a modern day family that are regular consumers of junk food, traffic, Ambien, and other American staples. The creativity (or reality) of Sisson’s storytelling make The Primal Blueprint strike not only a utilitarian, but also a humorous chord.

Overall, PB is a pretty good book. I don’t agree with everything in it, but nonetheless it brings up a lot of interesting points. It has intrigued me enough to want to try Mark Sisson’s Primal eating plan and see how my body reacts. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes…