As I have tried to emphasize before, fitness is all encompassing, it must be an ever present part of our lives. If your goal or definition of fitness then is yourself 15lbs lighter and more toned, then you must eat, sleep, and live in a way the progresses you towards that self-made definition.

Eating smarter is step number 1. Sure everyone says, oh but I am eating better and adhering to a more rigorous nutrition schedule but if I asked you to document your every intake, what would be the true story. Weight loss is simply taking in less calories than you expend, and maximizing the quality of those that you decide to ingest. That means low GI foods, with higher ratios of protein and good fats than carbs. Take care of your diet and bust your ass (excuse the vernacular) in the gym, and trust me, you WILL see results. Sure some people have more stubborn fat deposits than others or are prone to retain fat in key areas, but that is something again that can be targeted and eradicated. I just get so fed up with people that complain about not being able to be who they want to be and I know they are the kind of person that barely breaks a sweat or reads a magazine on the treadmill. Put up or shut up.

So to take away from this, remind yourself every day that if you have a weight goal in mind, do not simply rely on your one hour in the gym; accomplish your goal through a combined effort of excellent nutritional techniques, hard work, and a constant reminder that the quality time you put in, will produce results.

It’s what pushing for implosion means: You are who you are, if you want to change, even if only slightly do so by releasing your image of who you are currently and rewrite yourself.

Defy your Limits.

Everyone wants to be the best, be at the pinnacle of whatever sport or activity they may be participating in. We get it in our heads that to beat everyone else, we have to give ourselves a one up and this is where steroids and other performance enhancing drugs (PEDS) enter into the equation. Sure there are side effects to their use, but they can be mitigated by incredibly careful, doctor assisted monitoring. What I mean is frequent blood work and hormone panels. 98% of PEDS users do not fit into this category of careful use. So why even decide to go that route? You are short changing yourself, determining that you will fail at achieving your goal without even trying.

Some will say, oh but I have peaked after one year of training. To that I say, it has been a damn year you idiot. Even two or three still leaves you in the relative area of newness to training. You might know how to train better but as far as packing mass, you have not been doing it for all that long. If you are 6 foot 200 pounds, you have not peaked. Genetics will limit us to some degree but different training method, can and have been proven to overcome a weak genetic predisposition to being a hard-gainer.

Be brave for once in your life, please. Accomplishing anything is not easy, and getting bigger or changing your body is no small feat. It takes time and dedication, a steadfast mindset. Create who you want to be, do not accept an image. You are who you want to be, and that is the final word on that. A majority of you all out there WILL have to work harder. A lot harder. This challenge is what we call living your life. You see something you want and so you do everything in your power to achieve it; you sweat you bleed, wake up at 6 o’clock in the morning just to get a meal in or to run 3 miles before work because you know you will not have time later.

Do not settle to simply exist, squander the life you have been given. You do not know your limits as we mentioned before… No one does for that matter and with this in mind go out and DO because you can. Because you want to, because somewhere down the line someone said you couldn’t. Make this testimony to yourself now, today, not tomorrow or the day after. This is the trap of simply existing on this Earth. Recognize that now if you are the kind of person who tries to take shortcuts every step of their lives.

There is a distinct reward to accomplishing your goals naturally. You know that every pound, every striation, every line of muscle that clings to your body was created by you and the struggle you have endured. And guess what you have ENDURED and you are that much stronger now. Both mentally and physically. Never think that just because something might be hard that you should take the cheap way out, this attitude will get you nowhere.

You are your own weapon. What will you do with yourself tomorrow?

For all those out there busting ass the natural way
The AITank Crew recognizes you

Cholesterol is a sterol, which basically is a steroid with a hydroxyl group added to it. More simply, it is a steroid alcohol if you will. It is not, as many people assume, a form of fat. It is though found in all fats and oils.

Some sources of it in our diets can include eggs, fish oils, chicken,  coconut, cream cheese, some seafood, and organ meats. Basically, the chances are that if it comes from an animal then it likely has cholesterol, most fruits and vegetables are cholesterol free. Before you run off and buy all cholesterol free foods or better yet, become vegetarian, let’s go over a few things.

Cholesterol is absolutely essential to the healthy function of your body. The myelin sheaths of our nerves are composed primarily of cholesterol, as is our brain. It is also a critical component of our cell walls as it helps to make them permeable allowing nutrients and substances in and out of them. Low cholesterol diets have been linked with stunted brain growth and a plethora of other diseases. Thus we cannot simply cut it out of our diets.

One thing you need to understand is that there are four types of cholesterol:

• VLDL or very-low-density lipoprotein
• IDL or intermediate-density-lipoprotein
• LDL or low-density-lipoprotein
• HDL or high-density-lipoprotein

The first three are related and forms of each other in various stages which we will not go into detail about. All you need to know is that they are what we call “bad cholesterol”. The reason for this is because these LDL variants can bind to arterial walls causing swelling and blockage. This swelling and blockage of an artery is called an atheroma.

LDL levels are at their highest when we eat processed and refined foods high in trans fats and saturated fats. Dietary sources of cholesterol like eggs and chicken do not have as direct a link with heart related disease, but processed and refined foods are unquestionably linked with it! It is because our livers are not designed to process these refined foods, and when it tries to metabolize the trans and saturated fats, it produces large amounts of LDL cholesterol.

Let me make sure that you understand this clearly. It is not the cholesterol in refined/processed foods that is bad for you, it is the saturated and trans fats. Your body converts these fats in your liver, into LDL, and large amounts of it! So even if a food label says it is cholesterol free, take note of how much trans and saturated fats it is serving you.

HDL on the other hand is considered “good cholesterol” as it can remove cholesterol from cells and prevent the buildup which leads to atheroma.  You can help raise your HDL levels by eating at least two servings of foods high in soluble fiber, using cooking oils high in monounsaturated fats (like olive oil). Soy has been proven to be very effective in raising HDL levels as have omega-3 fatty acids which are found in flaxseed, safflower, dark green vegetables and fish. A healthy regimen of cardiovascular activity has also been shown to lower LDL levels and increase HDL levels.

What should these levels be? For LDL you want to fall into the optimal range listed below:

• Less than 100 mg/dL       Optimal
• 100 to 129 mg/dL              Near Optimal/Above Optimal
• 130 to 159 mg/dL               Borderline High
• 160 to 189 mg/dL               High
• 190 mg/dL and above       Very High

With HDL on the other hand, the higher the better! 60 mg/dL or higher has been proven to give protection against coronary diseases. You should check your cholesterol levels at least once a year to ensure that you are staying within healthy range and to do this most outpatient clinics and now even pharmacies are offering cheap tests that give you instant results.

So, coming away from this article it is important to remember a few things. Avoid processed/refined foods if you can! Avoid trans fats and saturated fats like the devil. Try to eat dark green vegetables, flax and soy products, and healthy non-processed foods.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me via the comment form.

What is fighting what you ask? Antioxidants are trying to rid your body of excessive amounts of free radicals before they start a chain reaction. This chain reaction, if unchecked, could cause a buildup of free radicals, leaving your healthy cells and tissue at the risk of being prematurely oxidized.

Oxidation is cell death or in a worst case scenario a mutation. It occurs when a molecule in our body splits, leaving an atom with an unpaired electron. Bah I hate chemistry you say, well this is easy stuff to understand, and the effect is what we are seeking to understand. So now we have this rogue molecule wanting to steal electrons from other compounds… and well, it does. This electron stealing mayhem is oxidation, and the compound that was robbed then itself becomes a free radical. Now we see how this may be a problem so how do we stop it?

Well you will never and do not want to eliminate all free radicals from your body, actually your body makes its own to help it break down complex bonds within certain nutrients. These are ok, it is the unchecked radicals we seek to destroy and for this we need Antioxidants. Among the most prolific are:

• Vitamin A (sweet potato, carrot, kal, mango, spinach, papaya, milk)
• Carotenes (broccoli, carrots, spinach, squash, apricots)
• Vitamin C (red and green peppers, broccoli, strawberries, tomato, cabbage)
• Vitamin E (wheat germ, almonds, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, broccoli)
• Glutathione aka GSH
• Alpha-Lipoic-Acid
• Coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10 (oily fish like mackare, chicken, whole grains)

Glutathione does not have any sources listed as it rapidly synthesized in the liver and kidneys and oral supplementation has been shown to have no increase on blood glutathione levels. What we can do though is help our bodies to produce GSH by providing nutritional compounds required for its synthesis. Vitamin C supplementation has been shown to increase blood GSH levels by nearly 50% and R-Alpha Lipoic Acid has also been shown as a powerful precursor to GSH synthesis. What is so special about Glutathione? It detoxifies poisons in the body that can destroy white blood cells and in turn damage our liver. Research has shown that when people get sick, and their GSH levels drop, they get sicker, so we want to do what we can to keep Glutatione levels at their peak.

Alpha Lipoic Acid is one of the most powerful antioxidants we know of. It increases the rate of almost all nutrient absorbtion in our bodies and destroys free radicals like nobody’s business. The R isomer version is the one that is biologically available and found in our bodies. Research at the University of Wyoming shows that R-ALA supplementation has a very positive effect on weight loss by modulating the bodies fat deposition processes. It also strongly mimics insulin, making our bodies much more effective at dealing with fluctuating blood glucose levels. Simply, its bad ass. 100 to 300 mg a day is great as a supplement. It does nothing but keep you healthy and has no known side effects or toxic levels. But like anything else, over supplementing will not do you any good so stay in the range specified above. Before starting to take anything, consult with your physician just to be sure you will not have any specific interactions.

So we have learned that antioxidants eat free radicals for lunch, and work to keep us as healthy as can be. Optimizing our bodies function and efficiency as well, so until next time, stack the fruits and veggies and stay healthy. Avoid overpriced antioxidant drinks like xangosteen (they do not have any secret antioxidants)… Just eat dark fruits and veggies.

What makes breakfast important is that it provides our bodies with fuel for the rest of the day, if the meal is balanced in protein, carbs and fat, curbs our appetite reducing the risk of overeating later and improves our concentration and focus. Some people tend to think that they do not have the time to eat breakfast. Just like those that believe that they cannot workout without a gym membership, this is nonsense.

You can make a quick breakfast in under five minutes with the most basic of food items. For example, you can buy a bottle of egg whites, some bell peppers, pre-sliced mushrooms and turkey or chicken slices all for under 10 dollars and it should last about a week for making egg white omelets every day. All you have to do is heat a skillet add  the egg whites and throw in the ingredients. Finish it off with Soy Milk, grapefruit juice (not from concentrate), orange juice, or good ole milk. That would make for an excellent breakfast in under 8 minutes.

Avoid the pop tarts, frozen meals with obscene amounts of sodium and ultra sugary cereals (cereals like Special K, Wheaties, Cheerios, Fiber One etc) are all fine when paired with something like a banana and juice. And again, avoid at all costs, not eating breakfast at all!

If you skip on breakfast, there is a very likely chance that later in the day you are going to be starved and thus binge eat. This might satisfy your hunger but it will likely involve eating a more unhealthy array of foods unless you had prepared before hand and brought something from home or selected a healthy food alternative. Also you will likely feel tired and run down throughout the day, having to resort to energy supplements such as caffeinated products or energy drinks like Red Bull to keep you going.

Future posts will include links to recipes but for now fitbuff has 7 simple selections to try tomorrow! The video below is my latest find, and let me say it is absolutely delicious, simple and fast.

Breakfast: It Gives You Wings