Josh Perez Fitness

This is a great article for the support of the Mediterranean diet. Thanks Internal Medicine! Here is a brief summary of the Mediterranean diet before you read this article:

The Mediterranean meal plan incorporates the traditional healthy living habits of people from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. It includes an abundance of vegetables, legumes, dried beans, whole grains, fruits, nuts, seeds, olive oil, as well as moderate consumption of fish, occasional poultry and minimal red meat. The food is fresh, unprocessed and unrefined. It is also low in saturated and trans fats. And if you’d like, you can include a glass of wine with your dinners.
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In older adults at risk for heart disease, a Mediterranean diet plus daily servings of mixed nuts may help manage metabolic syndrome, according to a Spanish study.

Metabolic syndrome describes a group of health problems that includes abdominal obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and high glucose levels — all of which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Previous research suggests that a Mediterranean diet — which includes lots of cereals, vegetables, fruits and olive oil, moderate consumption of fish and alcohol, and low intake of dairy, meats and sweets — lowers the risk of metabolic syndrome.

This new study included 1,224 people, ages 55 to 80, at high risk for cardiovascular disease. They were randomly assigned to one of three groups. The control group received advice on a low-fat diet while the other two groups received quarterly education about the Mediterranean diet. One of the Mediterranean diet groups received one liter per week of virgin olive oil, while the other group received 30 grams per day of mixed nuts.

At the start of the study, 61.4 percent of the participants met criteria for metabolic syndrome. After one year, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome decreased by 13.7 percent in the mixed nut group, by 6.7 percent in the olive oil group, and by 2 percent in the control group.

There were no weight changes in any of the groups over the one-year study period. But the number of people with large waist circumference, high triglycerides or high blood pressure significantly decreased in the Mediterranean diet/mixed nuts group compared with the control group. This suggests that the Mediterranean diet with mixed nuts improves certain features of metabolic syndrome, such as oxygen-related cell damage, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation, the researchers said.

“Traditionally, dietary patterns recommended for health have been low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets, which generally are not palatable. The results of the present study show that a non-energy-restricted traditional Mediterranean diet enriched with nuts, which is high in fat, high in unsaturated fat and palatable, is a useful tool in managing the metabolic syndrome,” concluded Dr. Jordi Salas-Salvado, of the University of Rovira i Virgili, and colleagues.

The study was published Dec. 8 in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

For more information, please visit The Mediterranean Diet Official Website.

I would have never expected the former Ultimate Fighting Championship champion Chuck Liddel to get knocked out by the showboat sugar Rashad Evans. The look in Chuck Liddel’s eyes matched those when he faced off against Wanderlei Silva and took him down by unanimous decision at UFC 79 Nemesis!

Here is the video of sugar Rashad Evans knocking out Chuck Liddel.

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Studies now correlate an increase in certain health risks with soda consumption. For four years, researchers tracked the soda drinking habits of 50,000 women. When women went from drinking one regular soda drink a week to at least one a day, they gained an average of 10 pounds during the four year period.

An increase in body weight was also seen when consuming fruit drinks, but not with diet soft drinks. In another study of 90,000 women, those who drank soda or fruit drinks daily had about twice the risk of developing diabetes compared with those who drank soda less than once a month.

Currently, the federal government is considering its first-ever warning that soft drinks can cause unhealthy weight gain. While soda sales have nearly doubled during the past 20 years, so has the percentage of obesity. Battle lines are being drawn and the debate is heating up.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Should a warning be issued concerning weight gain and soda consumption?
• Should there be a ban on soda commercials during children’s television programs?
• Should soda be eliminated at school? Currently the sale of soda helps fund many school activities.

We often face situations similar to these two. Normally, we choose to think one step ahead. “I am tired, hungry and stressed out. I need to eat something quick. I don’t care what it is!” Unfortunately, those decisions come back to haunt us in the future, only adding to the stress already in our lives.

After a long day with the kids, doing laundry, reading books, and working on night school homework, you might have to decide between exercise and a couch that is screaming your name. Another difficult decision we face on a regular basis, and once again we often choose to think one step ahead. “I need to rest – I’m so drained!”

The difference between one step ahead and two steps ahead can mean the difference between staying on the fitness roller coaster or achieving your goals. Two steps ahead, we are still tired, stressed and cranky, BUT also determined, committed and able to see the big picture.

Having a few thoughts that motivate and inspire you will help fight through step one and see that vision. Here are a few:

1. “My self-confidence is going to be so much higher because I’ve struggled through a difficult situation and found a way to conquer it!”
2. “I’ve had to find a way to deal with things during a very stressful time in my life. I can’t wait to see what I can do without all the stress!”
3. “I’m going to be able to keep up with my kids and be a part of their lives for a long time!”
4. “Why shouldn’t my health be the most important thing in my life – it doesn’t make me selfish, just smart!”
5. “If there is one thing I have complete control over, it’s my health. I am going to do whatever it takes to figure out a way because I have pride in who I am!”

“Step Two” reminds us how important consistency is in reaching our goals and helps us envision that beautiful feeling you get when you work hard to achieve something.

Step One – “Oh, what a great idea. I should try that sometime, but I really have to go clean my oven.” Step Two – “What a great idea. I’m going to come up with three things that will motivate and inspire me each time I have to choose between a healthy and unhealthy decision, and I’m going to write them down so I see them on a regular basis! Now, I’m going to go clean my oven!”

Hopefully this help out with planning ahead and making the right decisions

Combine Exercise With Other Goals:

Most exercise programs fail because they work against instead of with your current goals. Instead of competing for time, perhaps your goals could share it.

IDEAS

• Read while on the exercise bike, but maintain your target heart rate
• Play with your kids or pets
• Hold a work meeting at the gym or while jogging or walking outside
• Work out or play sports with friends and become a weekend warrior
• Do a home workout while watching a basketball game or movie you want to see

Take Exercise Out of The Gym

Which is easier to reschedule, a two-hour meeting or a series of five-minute chats? Take advantage of all those chances throughout the day to stay on your feet and stay active.

ON THE JOB

• Find a few sturdy, thick phone books and do some step aerobics or plyometrics
• Close your door and shadow box for a few minutes
• Lift 1-3 packs of printer paper in each hand. Curl them like weights or press them over your head
• Jumping jacks or pushups its simple, quick, and pumps you up

AT HOME

• Get out the rake and shovel
• Try some gardening
• Walk to your neighbor’s house to visit instead of calling
• If you must watch TV, do some crunches commercials or core work
• Sprint – don’t walk – to the mailbox
• Walk up and down the stairs while on the phone

Create an In-Home Workout

Smaller workouts can take the pressure off of those more intense visits to the gym – and without all that expensive equipment. Just 20 minutes a day is all it takes, which just happens to be the same amount of drive time you’d probably save.

Going to the gym is supposed to be good for your health, but if you don’t take the proper precautions, it may have the opposite effect. Germs can lurk on any surface, from exercise equipment to the spigot on the water fountain, and locker rooms are ideal places for bacteria and fungi to thrive. But you can lower your risk of catching other fellow member’s germs—and with them the risk of catching a cold, athlete’s foot, or even the potentially deadly staph infection methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (or MRSA). Here are some tips:

• Cover any breaks in the skin. Normal, unbroken skin can’t be invaded. But when a skin break—even one as minor as a small scratch or the raw skin characteristic of psoriasis— comes in contact with an infected surface, MRSA and other bacteria can worm their way in. The earliest danger signs:
  • Pimple Red Bumps
  • Boils

  To protect yourself, put a band-aid on any cuts, abrasions or blisters. And don’t shave immediately before a workout to avoid being in the locker room with cuts and scratches.

• Don’t go barefoot. Along with the human traffic and the absence of sunlight in locker rooms, the heat in showers, saunas, hot tubs and steam rooms all conspire to create a perfect growing environment for germs. Wear flip-flops or water shoes to avoid athlete’s foot, a fungus condition that usually starts with itchy scales and blisters between the toes (a blister counts as a skin break, another reason to protect your feet from the floor). Shoes will also keep you from slipping on wet tiles.
• Use disinfectant. Clean exercise equipment before and after you use it, with paper towels and disinfectant or with disposable wipes. Do the same with communal yoga mats.
• Change your towels and clothes. If you can, use a fresh towel provided by the club on each visit. If you’ll be bringing your own, be sure to bring a new one daily. A damp towel left in a locker or gym bag is a germ magnet. Besides, chances are your towel has hit the floor at some point. The same goes for socks and gym clothes. Wearing the same sweaty items over and over isn’t just smelly, it’s unhealthy. Wash everything in hot water and use the full dryer cycle.
• Don’t share. When it comes to goggles, sweatbands, razors, and towels, neither a borrower nor a lender be. Don’t even share soap—use liquid soap rather than a communal bar.

This is one of the most common bad habits of gym enthusiasts! You finally committed yourself to a fitness routine, and you don’t want to waste any valuable time. Often individuals jump right into exercising without considering warming up or stretching because it seems meaningless and a waste of time.

Warming up and stretching should be the foundation of your exercise. They should be viewed as a transition into exercise, allowing your body and mind to prepare for strength training, running, endurance, etc. This is your reward from a proper warm-up/stretch and cool-down/stretch:

• Improved coordination
• Your muscles and connective tissue loosen to prepare for the stress of exercise
• Oxygen and blood flow to your muscles and connective tissue increases, providing fuel for better muscular performance
• Tension in your body decreases
• Breathing patterns establish, helping relax the body during exercise
• Joints are lubricated to allow for better performance
• Muscle soreness is prevented and/or reduced during and after your workout
• Quicker reaction time
• Improved posture

You’ve probably exercised without warming up, your stretching is non-existent, and maybe nothing horrible happened. It may seem unnecessary, but consistently skipping it will limit your results and put yourself at risk for injury. You could even be injured without even knowing it since you may not feel any pain right away.