Time stops, its a surreal moment actually, and you are given a choice. I mean this very literally — your body actually asks your mind if it wants it to go further even though it may hurt, even though our bodies think we are spent and have nothing left to give. Those of us with the courage to take the harder path will say no, I want you to keep on going; whatever happens after that, I will deal with when the dust has settled.

I mean it is true isn’t it? Stop when your body says to and you will go home a little sore  with the sweat on your brow dried, and with a little rest you will be fine. You are no warrior because you can lay claim to conquering no great feat. When I say great feat I mean personal accomplishment, you only did what you knew you could. You did not try to push yourself past what you believe are your limits. But you say, who wants to go home beat and dead. This is who.

Be your own warrior. When your body is asking you to go home, take the reigns and fight back. This is where the pain begins. The burn becomes intense and you can actually feel the fibers in your muscles twitching from the continued stress but they are now slaves to your mind. This ship is not going to stop until you tell it to. It really is an amazing state of being. Our bodies begin producing endorphin in higher quantities, a substance similar to opiates to quell the pain to some degree because it now recognizes that you are not going to let it stop and so it must adapt.

When all is said and done you will likely be in pain but who told you pain does not go away. It is a temporary thing, but what you accomplished is forever. Nothing can take away what you did and you can revel in the fact that you did something that you might have thought was impossible and this is the greater point here.  Do not hold yourself to any set limitation, if you have the will power you can overcome just about anything.

So next time you are running, biking, repping weight, swimming laps or whatever, and your body asks you which road you are going to take, do not even hesitate and forge the unpaved path. Trust me, it will not kill you but it WILL show you who YOU really are.

Be strong, everyday.
Be your own warrior.

As Lance Armstrong said, Live Strong.

An amazing example of someone taking complete command of their body.

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.