BEWARE OF DOG

Ok humor me... don't ask how you got in this situation, just trust me that you are:

So you're standing there, and you hear a dog barking; you turn, and see a huge, mangy, foul breathed, brennal colored, behemoth of a junkyard dog layed out at a sprint headed toward you. Now...depending on what type of exercises you do, there may be a couple of outcomes to this scenario...

#1: You turn to run...the dog catches up with you, and bad things happen until a Good Samaritan happens by and pulls it off.

#2: You turn to run...and you actually make it across the yard to a tall wooden fence...you try to jump to catch the top and hoist yourself up...but you don't get high enough and the dog gets you.

#3: You turn to run...and you actually make it across the yard to a tall wooden fence...you try to jump to catch the top and hoist yourself up...you successfully grasp the top of the fence with both hands...but you can't pull yourself up and the dog gets you.

#4: You turn to run...and you actually make it across the yard to a tall wooden fence...you try to jump to catch the top and hoist yourself up...you successfully grasp the top of the fence with both hands...and pull yourself to safety. Standing atop the fence, you taunt the dog for a moment, then jump down on the other side and carry on about your merry way.

#5: You're exercising your God given right of self defense and were carrying a handgun... you square up to the dog ...and open fire...the end.
 (for the purpose of this post though, we'll pretend you were unarmed)

Now obviously, any of us would want to be "#4." Being in excellent physical condition can possibly turn a potential tragedy into nothing more that a funny story which you tell friends after the fact.
So how do you exercise in such a way that you could up your chances of a successful getaway in a scenario like this?

1. Do sprints. Walking is great, but God made our bodies to move quickly. Something simple like a few 50 yards sprints a couple times a week will do wonders for your workouts, but also keep your body from forgetting how to move in this very natural way.

2. Do box jumps. Practice jumping onto things. Steps, tires, curbs, etc. In this society, we never have to use this valuable explosive movement, and our bodies forget how to do it. Jump!

3. Do pull-ups. If you can already do pull-ups, keep it up! If you can't, practice until you can. God made men and women to be able to pull up their body weight. Anyone who's ever said that women are not capable of developing the upper body strength to do pull-ups... is full it. Don't listen to them. If you're too heavy right now, lose the weight until you can pull up... you're body is capable of SO much more than you think it is. Practice, practice, practice. Grab a trainer and ask for help... but by all means, get to where you can pull yourself up. It's so good for you.

So...get creative. Imagine an uncomfortable scenario, think of what you'd have to do to get out of it, then tailor a workout to where you are forced to work on those things.
It's fun!

Oh, and, "beware of dog"!

A Diet that Works

When someone says "diet," most people think of some ridiculous plan of managed starvation which is both unhealthy and unsustainable; meaning that not only are your nutrient requirements for good health left unmet, but any weight you do lose (which may be substantial) is basically due to starvation and will be gained right back when you inevitably resume your previous eating habits.

According to Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary, a diet is: to eat according to a prescribed set of rules.Nothing too crazy, just some general guidelines. Now, wouldn't it be better to have a "diet" that could become more of a lifestyle change where you would improve your health? Of course it would!

Ok so here are some tried and true guidelines that will help you get to, or maintain a healthy weight:

Here are some foods to make sure that you're getting:

1. Veggies: eat as much as you want at any time of day (white potatoes are not included in this, although sweet potatoes can be eaten in moderation as long as they're free of butter and sugar)

2. Fresh Fruit: keep intake to earlier in the day since there are alot of natural sugars in most fruit. Canned fruit is packed in sugar in and should be avoided altogether.

3. Meats & Eggs: grass fed beef and free range poultry and eggs are best. Wild game like deer is great, as well as beef, chicken, fish, turkey, and even pork in reasonable amounts. These should be grilled, baked, or pan seared, not fried.

4. Nuts & Seeds: just about anything in this group is good, like flaxseed, almonds, peanuts, cashews, walnuts. etc. Products like almond butter, and flour, and coconut oil are excellent choices. Nuts and seeds, although healthy, should be eaten in limited amounts due to their high caloric density.

5. Fats: Get your fats from nuts, olives, and animals for the most part. Your body needs both saturated and unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats have incomplete molecular bonds and remain in a liquid state at room temperature. Molecules of saturated fat lock together much more efficiently and takes on a solid texture at room temperature (more like butter). Your body needs both in reasonable amounts. Coconut, walnut, hazelnut, macadamia, and olive oils are great unsaturated fat sources, while products like milk, beef, and pork are good for saturated fat.

Some other things that are fine in moderation and that make living life more fun are:
Coffee, dark chocolate, and tea (unsweet, or with minimal sweetener).

As far as things to avoid:

1. Sugar: this is important to limit. And it's in almost everything so you have to be on the lookout for it! It spikes your insulin and makes it store all kinds of things, which you don't want. Honey is a good sweetener, but the less it's refined, the better. If it's the color of urine it's too refined...the darker the better.

2. Refined Flours: If it's white, avoid it! Everything that we know and love seems to fall into this category. White bread, pasta, etc, as long as just about every snack that comes in a crackly bag.

3. Highly Processed Oils: anything that says "hydrogenated," "partially hydrogenated," "fractionated," or "refined" should be avoided as well. You can look under the "Ingredients" list on the label to find it if you're not sure.

Now remember, these are just ideas (that work!), but if you can start implementing them here and there (or all at once!) you will start to see results in both your appearance and in overall health. Also, remember that "cheat meals" are ok every once in awhile... so take heart that you won't be saying goodbye to that juicy cheeseburger or chocolate covered donut for the rest of your life!

So here's what I encourage you to do...make your own "guidelines" for a set period of time. A week, a month, a year, the rest of your life, whatever. But whatever you decide, stick to it and good luck!

A Word on Weighing Yourself

Don't.

People live and die by the number on that silly scale. We've all seen the whole spectrum...everything from the guy that fancies himself a bodybuilder and thinks that the bigger the number is on the scale, the more muscle he must have; to gals that get a little discouraged because the number on the scale isn't dropping as fast as they'd like it too....even though they themselves are toning up and dropping pant sizes.

Muscle is heavier than fat, but takes up less space. It's possible to be getting smaller, tighter, and stronger without losing a dramatic amount of weight.

Do you feel good? Are you exercising and eating the nutrients that you need? Is your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and resting heart rate within a healthy range? Is your performance improving? Are you getting faster/stronger/running further/jumping higher, etc etc etc?

Then does it matter how much you weigh? Nah. Not really.

Some Side Effects of Exercise..

...that you should certainly be aware of.


We are, for the most part, creatures of habit; and exercise introduces a lot of changes which may or may not be acceptable.
You may start spending less time watching hilarious or otherwise entertaining television shows, and instead, engage in activities that cause you to perspire profusely, your skin to flush, and even emit unpleasant body odors. Do you really want that? You'll may spend less time visiting with the doctors and nurses in your local medical facility since your blood pressure drops, bad cholesterol levels lower, body fat storage plummets, joints lubricate themselves better, muscles elongate and strengthen, and all kinds of other weird side effects that enable your body to care for itself. Also, it forces you to become more disciplined, a quality that many try to discourage in others. They find it annoying. Another big side effect that I've noticed is the clothing expense. Over time it makes your clothes baggy, forcing you to buy new ones; a terrible inconvenience. As this begins to manifest itself, you'll also become more picky with your food choices, further compounding the "baggy clothing" side effect.
 Also, at picnics, potlucks, family reunions and other social gatherings, people will try to pick you in the first round to help set up and take down tables and chairs simply because you can. Very annoying.

When you really sit down and think about some of the side effects of exercise... is it really worth it?

Sports Drinks

Sports drinks are just fine to guzzle, especially during the summer time when you're sweating a lot.
They are loaded with electrolytes that can replace the ones you lose during a bout of profuse sweating, plus they taste great. However, most are loaded with sugar.... which releases insulin, signaling your body to store, store, store! Of course you don't want that.
It would be better to start burning calories from the glycogen or fat reserves already in your body, rather than having to start off by burning off what you just drank simply because you were thirsty.

A better choice of hydration would be a sugar-free workout beverage (Gatorade and Powerade both make good low calorie, high electrolyte drinks that are sold at most gas stations around here), or....wait for it.... plain ole water.

Body Image

As a descendent of Adam and Eve, you are the Creator's crowning achievement; a marvel of precision design and engineering and fashioned "in His image."
God spoke the heavens and the earth into existence, along with the animals on land, birds of the air, and fish of the sea. For humans however, He "formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul." He put some time and effort into us. Of all His creation, we're the only being that are made "in His image," and we're the one's that He died for on the cross.

So don't let people, tv, magazines, etc shape (pun!) the way that you see yourself. The fact is, you're a masterpiece. Need to lose some weight? Go for it! Eat less junk food and more stuff that's healthy for you. Want to tighten it up a little? Have at it! Eat less junk food and more stuff that's healthy for you.
Want to build muscle? Eat less junk food and more stuff that's healthy for you (and lift heavier objects more often).

Eat what God gave us for sustenance and move the way He biomechanically designed you to move...Just don't get all bent around the axle about what you look like... you're awesome.


References:
Genesis 2:7
1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Hard-core Dieting

 I met a guy from Vietnam yesterday and we talked about eating habits. He said that he's gained some weight over the last few years since he's been inactive doing so much researching and studying for his doctorate....and his wife  has put him on.... wait for it....an 800 calorie a day diet.  After 10 days into it he's lost several pounds... but is hating his life and doesn't see himself hanging in there much longer.
Wow...just.....wow.


Most people that do diets like this lose a lot of weight until they just can't take it anymore....but since it is a completely unsustainable way of living they soon burn out, go back to their former eating habits, then gain back their lost weight with a vengeance.
It would be a much better idea to change one's eating habits in such a way that could be sustained for the rest of someone's life. That's not to say that you eat junk food ever again or anything like that... but they definitely should become a rare treat as opposed to a normal meal.

We should be eating a lot of protein, some fat, and few carbohydrates.
Good protein sources are chicken, fish, red meat, eggs, milk, and even pork in small amounts.
Good fat sources include nuts, seeds, milk, and meat in modest amounts.
Good places to get carbs are from small amounts of whole grains like wheat, oatmeal, hempseed, and of course fruit (especially if the name of the fruit ends in "berry"....)

If you eat in such a way that is healthy and yet sustainable... you'll be setting yourself up for success in the long run.

(P.S. Great snack idea: instead of a snack like chips or cookies, try some almonds and fresh blueberries together. It's a cool mix of salty and sweet...the almonds tend to your hunger cravings and the blueberries deal with that sweet tooth.)

The Art of the "Cheat" Meal

"Cheat meal: a clever way of elevating your metabolism to burn body fat, replenish glycogen stores; making food taste better, and motivating you to get after it in the gym."

If you think that eating healthy means you can't eat anything delicious ever again... you're dead wrong. I take that back...if you can do that, go for it. I can't, so I'll tell you one way I know that works...

Now, I love cheeseburgers, pizza, Mexican food (anything from Taco Bell on up), Captain D's, donuts, ice cream, etc... and frankly, the thought of never eating those things again is depressing. So, I eat one meal once a week where I choose my food strictly by taste and not by nutritional value. (Mary Elizabeth and I usually go to Mugshots, or somewhere equally as nutritious)

Now some folks do a "cheat weekend" (every weekend!), others a whole "cheat day" once a week, and still others like my good friend Branden Mann will go 3 or 4 weeks before having a cheat meal. You can do it anyway you want, but I recommend one meal, once a week where you "let yourself go" a bit. If you've been eating a healthy diet (high protein, some fat, few carbs), a cheat meal can be just what you need to get your body's fat burning capabilities stoked...meaning you can actually torch more fat by having a bad meal every once in a while than you could if you didn't. How fun!
Not only that, but it makes junk food SO GOOD! Junk food is not even a treat to a lot of people anymore... so when you cut it down to once a week, it really starts to get tasty!

 Now you can do it all scientific and organized like this guy, or you can wing it like I just recommended. Either way, start with something, and of course you can always tighten up later if you want.

For those of you that are already eating healthy... hopefully this is something that you might think about implementing into your eating plan to help you stay lean.
For those that have never tightened up on their eating because they're afraid that they'll never eat the foods they love again... there's hope! Start eating right today!

4th of July Diet Tip

Eat healthy on the 5th.

In 1776 John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail that what we now know as Independence Day should be "celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more."

Today is a day of "feasting and gladness," )to borrow a quote relating to a Jewish Independence Day from the book of Esther.)

Relax, enjoy the day, thank God for His blessings, and enjoy the cookout!

P.S. And in honor of John Adams....please blow something up...it's what he would have wanted.

Running...

What is so cool about running is that it is a supremely functional movement. Since Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden, running has been used in real life preservation scenarios like fleeing danger, chasing down supper with a spear, or closing with an enemy. We rarely use it for those things in the society that we live in now, yet it's usefulness to our health remains unchanged since the day that God created Adam "in His Own image." Running helps raise your metabolism to burn fat, helps with cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, increases circulation, increases the stroke volume of your heart and the efficiency with which your body uses oxygen, strengthens and tones your legs, lower back, and abdominals, and it releases endorphins which cause relaxation and euphoria...and that's just to name a few. God engineered our bodies to do all of that when we move it in this way that He designed for it to move.

So if you have even the slightest interest in losing weight or in being competitive at all... why not train for a 5K?
A 5K is 5 kilometers, or 3.1 miles. Very do-able!

So what would a training program look like? Here's a sample that I wrote for my friend Tim who is a beginner who is looking to compete. It's broken down into just 4 workouts per week.

Workout #1: Speed work. Usually 4 laps around a track, or 440 yards on a road, with about 3 minutes rest in between is a great rule of thumb for a speed workout.

Workout #2: Medium distance at a comfortable pace (if you were running with someone, you should be able to carry on a conversation). 

Workout #3: Medium distance at a comfortable pace.

Workout #4: Long run. The goal for this is at least twice as far as the race, or at least 6 miles.

Now if you're not up to this yet, that's fine. But I'd say go for these distances even if you have to walk some. As for breathing...I think people try to make way too big a deal out of it. To me, I get it in any way I can....usually in by the nose and mouth, out by the nose and mouth. As long as you get into a rhythm that works for you you'll be good.. 


And remember, I'm can always be reached at jakephillips116@gmail.com, or on Facebook if you have any questions. Get up with me and we can personalize you a schedule.