If you are still doing this you are “old school”. Programme design has changed to training specific movements for proper function. We will get into that a little later in the article. The body is meant to function a certain way, We need mobility in certain areas and stability in others. If the hips do not move properly our low back will hurt. Does anyone out there want to blow a disc in their lower back? I am sure no one will answer yes but every time I walk into a “big box” gym people are always performing crunches, back extension and leg press exercises. Dr. Stuart Mcgill, a low back specialist, states that “any flexion or extension will create a disc to blow.” It might not happen the 1st, 2nd, or 50th time you perform these exercises, but eventually your low back will “hurt”.

This article will cover many old school concepts and methods that you should not be doing anymore. If you are just stop. I will also get into some specific cutting edge theories that you need to implement into your programme design. Remember, you need an open mind when it comes to fitness. If you want to continue to get results you must learn to change your programme.

There is so much education out there for us to learn. Do not do the same thing you were doing 5-20 years ago. Step out of that bubble and step into the new age of fitness training and continue to learn.
 
1. Crunches are old school. Again, if you want a low back disc to blow then continue to perform crunches. The movement of crunching puts the spine into flexion. The spine does not want this load. The function of the spine is meant to be stable.

When we move at the spine we cause low back pain. Read any of Stuart Mcgill’s research. This guy is way smarter than I am and these are the concepts he talks about. Another exercise people need to eliminate from their programme is back extensions. Start thinking stability exercises for the “core”. Examples are plank variations, side plank variations, cable stabilization exercises, core rollouts, medicine ball training and cable chops and lifts. If you want a “6-pack”, change your diet.

If you want to lose weight, change your diet. Doing “abs” at the gym will not get you leaner. It is a mix of a properly designed workout programme, consistent healthy nutritional habits and proper rest and recovery. We need to promote good postural habits and doing crunches puts our body in poor position for good posture. Stabilize the spine, stop doing crunches and you will see the difference in the way you move.

2. Bodybuilding splits are old school. In fact bodybuilding splits are probably close to 20 years old. This is what people did in the 80’s and 90’s. We went to the gym to work our chest for an hour. Then the next day was arms. Good old biceps and triceps for the entire workout. We would leave the gym with a massive pump in our arms. Then the next day we worked back and shoulders. Then we would finish the week with a ridiculous leg routine. Some leg workouts left us unable to walk and we were sore for days after. If you are still working out like this, STOP! This is not an efficient way to get fit. You must incorporate specific movements and interval conditioning (I will get into that one on #4) into your workout routine.

 
Horizontal and vertical pressing and pulling movements, bilateral and unilateral knee dominant and hip dominant movements and core stability exercises. Do not make it too complicated. Add balance to your routine. If you have two pressing exercises (bench press and push-up) you need two pulling exercises (chin-ups and DB row). If you have two knee dominant exercises (split squat and lunge) you need two hip dominant exercises (deadlifts and hip lifts). When you have imbalances it leads to injury. Who wants to get injured? Nobody! If you are trying to get fit, do not lift like a bodybuilder. Structure your workouts with these new concepts to build an ultimate fitness level.

3. Leg press, leg extension and leg curl machines are old school. In fact if you are working out on any machine, unless it is a Keiser cable system, then you are outdated. Machines do not build function. Your movement is constricted on a machine.

Remember the old school Nautilus machines when they first came out. What year was that? 1976. Back then Nautilus was the “cutting edge” of fitness training. But we do not live in the past, we live in the future. Time to step into the new age of training. If your programme is loaded with machine exercises and non-functional training then change your programme.

Implement deadlifts, squat variations, chin-ups, rows, push-ups, presses and core stability work. You will get results. In fact you will get the best results you have ever seen.

4. Long slow distance “cardio” for fat burning is old school. I was a culprit of this when I first started training clients. I would have my clients do cardio on their non-weight training days for at least 45 minutes. I wanted them to stay in the “fat burning zone” the entire time. Sound familiar? With the knowledge of guys like Alwyn Cosgrove, Mike Boyle and Mark Verstegen, I finally figured out that this was not the answer. I started having my clients do intervals. There are many different interval protocols. For deconditioned individuals an interval might be a walk on a treadmill at a 5% incline for 30 seconds and then back down to 1% for 1 minute. For fit athletes I usually choose the Tabata protocol. These are very intense and can be done as a medicine ball circuit or on a treadmill or bike. I do not use the word “cardio” to my clients anymore. We call it conditioning. Cardio is the word people use when they get on a treadmill for an hour at the same pace.

Conditioning is when I have my clients perform 15 intervals of 20 seconds on, 40 seconds off. It sounds better. At the completion of every training session I add conditioning to the workout. It could be a metabolic circuit, treadmill sprints, or bike sprints.

5. The “5 minute walk on a treadmill” warm-up is old school. Do not walk on a treadmill for 5-10 minutes and think you are warmed up. You need to implement a dynamic warm-up to your workout routine. Not just once in awhile. Every time you workout you need to perform a dynamic warm-up. A proper warm-up will prepare you for your workout, increase flexibility, increase mobility, and elevate your heart rate. A walk on a treadmill only covers 1 of those traits. Your workout will be more intense and you will reduce injury.

6. Ok I saved the best for last. If you are still participating in step aerobics you are very old school. This was a fad in the 80’s. All step class is going to do is give you knee pain. Yes, it is good that you are moving and staying active but there are better options than “step class”. If you like group classes choose a strength training or circuit training class. At least now you can get some interval type training.

So the moral of the story is that things change. What we used to do does not work anymore. And what we know now may change. With the beauty of science and education we as fitness professionals continue to study the body and learn the most efficient ways to get fit. I personally will continue to learn the rest of my life.

If you are looking to get in the best shape of your life through smart training and good nutrition, then please don`t hesitate to contact me, as I can help you with a number of training options that can get you achieving your goals from TODAY! Specifically tailored to YOU as an individual, I have the technology and software for you to access me as your very own Personal Trainer…..no matter where you are in the world….at very affordable prices! Interested? Contact me now.

They flew to Greenland and collected blood samples from 130 Inuit. Back in the lab, they found chemicals in the samples that they had never heard of before — called omega-3 fats.

Today, omega-3 fatty acids have become a multibillion-pound business. Americans alone spend $2.6 billion on nutritional supplements and foods fortified with omega-3 fats. But not all of this is money well spent.

Decades of research back up the claim that the types of omega-3’s found in marine animals such as fish and krill, called EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), can protect your heart. But many of the foods you find at the supermarket are supplemented instead with alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), the type of omega-3 found in nuts and flax seeds.

Cardiologists believe it does not have the same benefits, because your body does a poor job at converting ALA to EPA.

Sources:

  Forbes March 9, 2010     

Are you currently supplementing your diet with a high-quality, animal-based omega-3 fat such as krill oil? If not, what are you waiting for?
 
I’m not a major fan of too many supplements, as I believe your best source for optimal nutrition is typically through whole foods. Krill oil, however, is one of my exceptions as most Western cultures consume far too few omega-3 fats.  

I’ll get into the myriad of reasons why taking omega-3 fat is so important in just a minute, but first it’s very important to understand the differences between the types of omega-3 fats on the market.
 

Which Type of Omega-3 Fat Should You be Taking?

There is a lot of confusion out there when it comes to omega-3 fats, and it’s important to get this sorted out as the type of omega-3 fat you take does make a difference in its health effects.

First and foremost, you want to choose an animal-based — not a plant-based — variety.

Most of the health benefits associated with omega-3 fats are linked to the animal-based omega-3 fats EPA and DHA, not the plant-based omega-3 fat ALA.

ALA, which is the type of omega-3 found in flaxseed and nuts, is converted into EPA and DHA in your body, but only at a very low ratio.

So even if you eat large amounts of ALA, your body can only convert a relatively small amount into EPA and DHA, and only when sufficient enzymes are present.

This does not mean plant-based omega-3 fats are intrinsically harmful or that they should be avoided, only that you ideally want to include an animal-based form as well. Personally, I regularly include omega-3 (ALA) plant-based foods, like flax and hemp, in my diet, but these are always combined with animal-based omega-3 fats.
 

The Best Source of Animal-Based Omega-3 Fat?

When it comes to choosing between the animal-based omega-3 options, the primary options are fish, fish oil, cod liver oil or krill oil. As I’ll explain, I believe krill oil is the far superior choice on this list.

• Fish: In a perfect world, you would be able to get all the omega-3s you need by eating fish. Unfortunately, the vast majority of our fish supply is now so heavily contaminated with industrial pollutants and toxins like mercury, PCBs, heavy metals and radioactive poisons that I just can’t recommend it any longer.
 
• Fish oil: I used to recommend that you take fish oil to enhance your intake of omega-3 fats; and high-quality fish oils are certainly great products with many important health benefits. However, fish oil is weak in antioxidant content.
This is a major drawback for fish oil, because as you increase your intake of omega-3 fats by consuming fish oil, you actually increase your need for even more antioxidant protection.

This happens because fish oil is quite perishable, and oxidation leads to the formation of unhealthy free radicals. Therefore, antioxidants are required to ensure that the fish oil doesn’t oxidize and become rancid inside your body. So, you need to consume additional antioxidants both for your health in general, AND for your increased need for antioxidants when using fish oil.

• Cod liver oil: I no longer recommend cod liver oil because it can have problematic ratios of vitamins A and D.
 
• Krill oil: Last but certainly not least is my preferred choice for animal-based omega-3 fats, krill oil.
The antioxidant potency of krill oil is actually 48 times higher than fish oil, and krill oil also contains astaxanthin — a unique marine-source flavonoid — that creates a special bond with the EPA and DHA, which allows direct metabolism of the antioxidants, making them more bioavailable for you.

Krill is also a completely sustainable and environmentally friendly source of omega-3. Not only is krill the largest biomass in the world, but krill harvesting is one of the best regulated on the planet, using strict international precautionary catch limit regulations that are reviewed regularly to assure sustainability.
  

The Benefits of Omega-3 Fat

Omega-3 is one of the most important essential nutrients out there. Three recent studies even found that omega-3 deficiency can cause or contribute to serious health problems, both mental and physical, and may be a significant underlying factor of up to 96,000 premature deaths each year. 

In 2008, three other studies also highlighted the vital importance of omega-3 fats for optimal health, underscoring the importance of maintaining a high dietary omega-3 intake throughout your life. 

The results showed that low concentrations of EPA and DHA resulted in an increased risk of death from all causes and accelerated cognitive decline. Those suffering from depression have also been found to have lower levels of omega-3 in their blood than nondepressed individuals.

It’s even been found to save the lives of children suffering from short bowel syndrome (SBS), and tests on children with learning disabilities has shown omega-3 to be an effective treatment. 

So the benefits of omega-3 fats truly run the gamut, from mental and behavioural health at any age, to preventing premature death from any number of diseases, including:

• Coronary heart disease and stroke
• Essential fatty acid deficiency in infancy (retinal and brain development)
• Autoimmune disorders (e.g., lupus and nephropathy)
• Crohn’s disease
• Cancers of the breast, colon, and prostate
• Mild hypertension
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Parkinson’s disease 
• Preventing premature delivery
 

You May be Deficient in Omega-3 Fats
 
Most people fail to consume sufficient quantities of this essential fat, and as a result omega-3 deficiency is likely the sixth biggest killer of Americans!

Most women have major deficiencies of this fat as well, and given the statistics, it’s very possible you do too.

A study in March, 1991 at the Mayo Clinic of 19 “normal” pregnant women consuming “normal” diets showed that all were deficient in omega-3 fats. Another study of Inuit (Eskimo) women, compared to Canadian women, revealed omega-3 deficiency in the milk of the Canadian nursing mothers.
 

Why is this important?

Because animal cells cannot form omega-3 fats, a feotus must obtain all of its omega-3 fatty acids from its mother’s diet. A mother’s dietary intake and plasma concentrations of DHA directly influence the DHA status of the developing fetus, which can impact your child’s brain and eye health.

Since a feotus is dependent on the omega-3 fat from its mother’s diet, and a baby is also dependent on the omega-3 fat from this source as well (via breast milk), it’s essential that women have adequate supplies. Yet, most women do not get enough from diet alone.

This is why, for men and women alike, adding an animal-based omega-3 supplement to your daily diet is one of the simplest, and most powerful, things you can do for your health.

Researchers have already shown that when older people eat, they cannot make muscle as fast as the young. Now they’ve found that the suppression of muscle breakdown is blunted with age. This may explain the ongoing loss of muscle in older people — when they eat they don’t build enough muscle, and in addition, their insulin fails to shut down the muscle breakdown that rises between meals and overnight.

However, weight training may “rejuvenate” muscle blood flow and help retain muscle for older people.

These findings fall into the category of common sense, along the lines of “use it or lose it.” As you age, physical exercise becomes an ever more important aspect of optimal health and longevity.

How to Prevent and Reverse Muscle Wasting

This study explains the biological processes that cause muscle wasting as you move into your senior years.

As you likely know, protein is essential for proper muscle growth and maintenance, but this study found that as you age, your body becomes increasingly less able to use the protein in your food for building muscle.

In addition, they found that, in seniors, insulin no longer prevented the muscle breakdown between meals and overnight as it normally does in younger subjects.

This double-whammy adds up to significant muscle wasting in sedentary seniors. And poor blood supply, which prevents proper delivery of nutrients and hormones to your muscles, may be an important factor.

Exercise is the natural remedy for poor blood circulation, and the team confirmed that three weight training sessions per week over 20 weeks rejuvenated blood flow in the extremities to the point that they were identical to those in the younger group!

Beware of Drugs That Can Cause Irreversible Damage to Your Muscles

Before going any further, I also want to remind you of one very common cause of excessive muscle wasting, aside from a sedentary lifestyle, namely: statin drugs.

Statins are a class of drugs used to lower your cholesterol, and are among the most commonly prescribed medications in the world.

They have many dangerous side effects, one of which is a serious degenerative muscle tissue condition called rhabdomyolysis, which can be fatal (as your heart is a muscle, and can be affected by these drugs).

Statins such as Lipitor, Zocor, Pavacol and Mevacor lower your cholesterol by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, a key enzyme in cholesterol synthesis. But they can also activate the atrogin-1 gene, which plays a key role in muscle atrophy.

One recent study showed that even low concentrations of these drugs led to atrogin-1 induced muscle damage. And the higher the dosage, the greater the damage.

The Importance of Weight Training for Optimal Health

Unfortunately, many ignore weight training when devising their exercise plan, thinking they don’t want to “bulk up.”

But gaining more muscle through resistance exercises is an integral part of any well rounded fitness programme, especially if you want to lose weight.

However, weight training is not about vanity.

The intensity of your resistance training can achieve a number of beneficial changes on the molecular, enzymatic, hormonal, and chemical level in your body, which will help slow down (and many cases stop) many of the diseases caused by a sedentary lifestyle.

Therefore it’s also an essential element if you want to prevent common diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, or weakening of your bones (osteoporosis), limited range of motion, aches and pains, and yes, prevent excessive muscle wasting as you age.
 

How Weight Lifting Can Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes and Heart Disease

Your body has two types of fat: visceral and subcutaneous.

• Subcutaneous fat is the fat located just below your skin, and is the type that causes dimpling and cellulite.
• Visceral fat, on the other hand, shows up in your abdomen and surrounds your vital organs including your liver, heart and muscles. It is this visceral fat that has been linked to serious health problems such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke, among many other chronic diseases.
 
A key strategy to reduce your risk of heart disease (and a host of other chronic diseases), is to keep your inflammation levels low, and avoiding gaining visceral fat is part of this equation.

Exercise is a critical component for reducing heart disease risk because it both lowers inflammation in your body, and is one of the best weapons against visceral fat. For example, in one study volunteers who did not exercise had an 8.6 percent increase in visceral fat after eight months, while those who exercised the most LOST over 8 percent of their visceral fat during the same amount of time.

This occurs because muscle burns more calories, and it consumes calories around the clock, even when you’re resting and sleeping. So, as you gain more muscle, your body naturally increases the amount of calories burned each day, which reduces fat stores.

As for lowering inflammation, physical exercise accomplishes this naturally by lowering levels of a C-reactive protein (CRP) that is linked to inflammation.

High levels of CRP in your body is associated with a higher than average risk of cardiovascular disease, and has even been suggested as a better indicator of possible heart attack than high cholesterol.
 

How Strength Training Reduces Osteoporosis

Weight-bearing exercise is one of the most effective remedies against osteoporosis.

The last thing you want to consider is to take a drug to improve your bone density, as without question, that is more likely to cause long-term harm than benefit.

Your bones are actually very porous and soft, and as you get older, your bones can easily become less dense and hence, more brittle. Especially if you are inactive.

Resistance training can combat this effect because as you put more tension on your muscles it puts more pressure on your bones, which then respond by continuously creating fresh, new bone.

In addition, as you build more muscle, and make the muscle that you already have stronger, you also put more constant pressure on your bones.

A good weight bearing exercise to incorporate into your routine (depending on your current level of fitness, of course) is a walking lunge, as it helps build bone density in your hips, even without any additional weights.
 

Keep Yourself in Motion!

Optimal health is dependent on an active lifestyle; eating fresh, whole foods, avoiding as many processed foods as possible, and addressing the stress in your life.

Ignoring any of these basic tenets of health will eventually lead to a decline in health and any number of diseases. So start moving, and don’t stop no matter what your age.

And do include strength training into your fitness routine. It is the number one way for you to remain strong, young, and independent well into old age.

Sources:

  Eurekalert September 11, 2009
  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition September 9, 2009 [Epub Ahead of Print]

Statins such as Lipitor, Zocor, Pavacol and Mevacor lower cholesterol by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, a key enzyme in cholesterol synthesis. But they may also activate the gene atrogin-1 gene, which plays a key role in muscle atrophy – muscle wastage.

Three separate tests showed that even at low concentrations, statin drugs led to atrogin-1 induced muscle damage. As the concentration was increased, the damage increased as well.

 
Sources:

  The Journal of Clinical Investigation December 2007; 117(12):3940-51

  Newswise November 27, 2007
    
Statins, which are a class of drugs used to lower your cholesterol, are among the most commonly prescribed medications in the world, and I believe, one of the most unnecessary drugs there is.

With at least 12 million Americans taking statins, and experts’ recommendations that another 23 million “should” be taking them, it’s important to remain educated on this issue. Especially since statin drugs are linked to many, many dangerous side effects.

 
Are the Benefits Worth the Risks?

There are several different statin drugs currently available on the market. If you, or anyone you love takes any of these drugs, I highly recommend you review their prescribing information by clicking on the drug brand below. These “package inserts” will also tell you some (but surely not all) of the most common side effects associated with them.

• Lipitor (atorvastatin) – Pfizer
• Zocor (simvastatin) – Merck
• Pravachol (pravastatin) – Bristol-Myers Squibb
• Mevacor (lovastatin) – Merck
• Crestor (rosuvastatin) – AstraZeneca

Statins have been known to cause muscle weakness and pain, but no one knew exactly why. This latest study sheds some valuable information on the subject and adds to your arsenal when discussing whether or not you really need to be taking a statin drug with your doctor.

One thing is for sure. You should NOT ignore these symptoms, as they can deteriorate into even more dangerous conditions, including death. For example, Bayer’s statin, Baycol, was pulled from the market in 2001 after 31 people died from rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which muscle tissue breaks down resulting in kidney failure.

Other serious and potentially life threatening side effects include, but are not limited to:

• An increase in cancer risk
• Immune system suppression
• Serious degenerative muscle tissue condition (rhabdomyolysis)
• Potential increase in liver enzymes so patients must be monitored for normal liver function

 
Why Statins are One of the Most Unnecessary Drugs in Medicine?

Statin drugs work by preventing the formation of cholesterol, and reduce LDL cholesterol, which is considered the “bad” cholesterol.

There is no argument that these drugs do work very well at lowering your cholesterol levels. However, they in no way, shape or form, treat the cause of your problem. They are nothing more than a potentially toxic band-aid.

So just what is the problem with statins, and why don’t you need them to manage your cholesterol levels?

Well, first of all, you need to understand that there is no such thing as “good” or “bad” cholesterol. Both HDL and LDL cholesterol perform vital functions in your body, which is why it’s actually dangerous to bring your LDL levels down too low.

HDL (high density lipoprotein) and LDL (low density lipoprotein) are actually proteins that transport the cholesterol to and from your tissues. Cholesterol in turn is a precursor to steroid hormones. For example, you can’t make testosterone or estrogen, cortisol, DHEA or pregnenolone, or a multitude of other steroid hormones that are necessary for health, without cholesterol. Even more importantly, you can’t make new cell membranes without cholesterol. 

So, the major reasons your body makes cholesterol in the first place, and why you have LDL, is to take the cholesterol to the tissue so you can make new cells or repair old damaged ones. 

However, there are different sizes of LDL particles and it’s the LDL particle size that is relevant. Unfortunately, most people don’t hear about that part, and very rarely, if ever, get it tested. Naturally, the drug companies really don’t want you to know that part of the science, because it would severely limit the number of people going on cholesterol-lowering drugs, since statins do not modulate the size of the particles. 

The only way to make sure your LDL particles are large enough to not get stuck and cause inflammation and damage is through diet. In fact, it’s one of the major things that insulin does. If you eat properly, which is really the only known good way to regulate LDL particle size, then it does the right thing; it takes the cholesterol to your tissues, the HDL takes it back to your liver, and nothing gets stuck causing damage.

The second thing you need to know is that statins work by reducing the enzyme that causes your liver to make cholesterol when it is stimulated by high insulin levels. Again, you can achieve the same, or better, result by simply reducing your insulin levels by eliminating sugar and most grains.

Additionally, statins are non-specific inhibitors of not just one, but a number of very important liver enzymes. For example, not only do they block HMG coenzyme A reductase, they also block Coenzyme Q10.

CoQ10 is a vital enzyme that your body needs for energy and cardiovascular health. It is widely recommended to repair heart damage, boost the function of the heart and acts as a protectant against heart attacks and valve damage. Additionally, CoQ10 has been shown to be beneficial in heart and lung cancer, as well as maintain cognitive function. Thus, when you take statins your production of this enzyme is dramatically depleted and you do not reap the health benefits associated with it.
 

What’s the Best Way to Normalize Your Cholesterol?

If you truly want to normalize your cholesterol levels, following these simple lifestyle changes can get you there:

• First, normalize your insulin levels by eliminating sugar and grains.
• Second, you can take a high-quality krill oil or fish oil that is chock full of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.
• Additionally, if you are a man, or a woman who is in menopause, you should check your iron levels, as elevated levels of iron can cause major oxidative damage in the blood vessels, heart and other organs. Excess iron is also one of the major contributing factors of cancer risk.
• Regular exercise is another important tool that can help.
• Doctors Use New Acupressure Technique to Lower Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels: Medications Unnecessary
• Stick to the Healthy Dietary Advice You Read On This Website!
 

The pen is mightier than the sword, it’s said, and one of my goals is to send out the message that statin drugs are clearly not the weapon of choice for high cholesterol. I urge you to share this information as well, by forwarding this article to your friends and family.

According to Dr. Russell Blaylock MD, high sugar content and starchy carbohydrates lead to excessive insulin release, which in turn leads to falling blood sugar levels, or hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia causes the brain to secrete glutamate in levels that can cause agitation, depression, anger, anxiety, panic attacks and an increase in suicide risk.

The glutamate that causes this is identical to the flavour-enhancing monosodium glutamate (MSG) and its chemical cousins, which are found in thousands of food products, further exacerbating the problem.

Repeated hypoglycemic episodes increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer‘s disease, Parkinson‘s and ALS (Lou Gehrig‘s). In children, hypoglycemia often leads to hyperactivity. In both children and adults, it can cause violent and aggressive behaviour. In older people, there can be mental confusion.

An anti-hypoglycemic diet would consist of lean meat and lots of fresh vegetables. Another key is limiting sugars and starches.

Sources:

  CBN News July 1, 2008
   

Food Dyes and Preservatives That Make You See Red

The issue of whether or not food additives such as artificial colours contribute to behavioural problems in children has been disputed for many years. However, the tide is finally turning.

A carefully designed, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the journal The Lancet last year concluded that a variety of common food dyes, and the preservative sodium benzoate – found in many soft drinks, fruit juices and salad dressings – do cause some children to become measurably more hyperactive and distractible.

The study also found that the E-numbered food dyes do as much damage to children’s brains as lead in petrol, resulting in a significant reduction in IQ.

The results of this study have prompted the British Food Standards Agency (FSA) to issue an immediate advisory to parents, warning them to limit their children’s intake of additives if they notice an effect on behaviour. They’re also advising the food industry to voluntarily remove the six food dyes named in the study by the end of 2009, and replace them with natural alternatives if possible.

 
Beware of Banned Food Additives in Children’s Medicines Too!

Another thing you need to be aware of, as a parent, is that when an ingredient is banned for use in food, it is not automatically banned for use in other areas such as medicine. According to an expose’ by the British Food Commission last year, food additives that have already been banned for use in food and beverages are still used in a majority of pediatric over-the-counter medicines.

Their survey found that ALL BUT ONE medicine out of 41 contained an additive that had been banned.

The additives found in these drugs included:

• Synthetic azo dyes
• Maltitol and sorbitol
• Benzoate and sulphite preservatives
• Chloroform

This is just one more reason why it’s so important to question what your doctor or any other health professional may prescribe or recommend for your child, no matter what side of the counter it comes from, as many pediatric drugs can certainly be harmful, if not downright toxic to your child’s health.
 

Sugar Does Nothing to Sweeten Your Demeanor

One study that measured the visible effects of sugar consumption gave kids the amount of sugar equal to one soda. As a result, their test scores went down. In fact, one hour after consuming the sugar, they made twice as many mistakes. The sugar-loaded students also showed more “inappropriate behaviour” during free play.

As Dr. Blaylock explains, sugar has a profound influence on your brain function, and hence your psychological function. When you consume excess amounts of sugar, your body releases excess amounts of insulin, which in turn causes a drop in your blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia.

Hypoglycemia in turn causes your brain to secrete glutamate.

Glutamate is a “messenger molecule” that serves an important function in your body. However, when excess amounts of glutamate are excreted it can wreak havoc with your brain and nervous system, causing a variety of side effects such as agitation, depression, anger, anxiety and panic attacks.

The glutamate produced in your body is identical to the flavour-enhancing monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is added to thousands of food products that boost your body’s glutamate load even higher.

The Bitter Impact of Added MSG

MSG is used in countless foods in your supermarket, local restaurants, school cafeterias, and more. Everything from soup to crackers to meats may contain it because MSG, as dangerous as it is, makes food taste good and it is dirt cheap, just like sugar.

There are a couple of main reasons why MSG is one of the worst food additives on the market. First, as Dr. Blaylock explains in his book Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills, MSG is an excitotoxin, which means that it acts as a poison that overexcites your cells to the point of serious damage. MSG is non-discriminatory in its destructive path and can cause serious side effects throughout your bodily systems, including:

• Cardiac
• Circulatory
• Gastrointestinal
• Muscular
• Neurological
• Visual
• Respiratory
• Urological/genital
• Skin

 
Other studies have confirmed that early exposure to MSG and other excitotoxins can destroy neurons in a crucial part of your brain, which can lead to gross obesity.

The second part of the equation is that MSG can be literally hidden in food labels, under names like broth, casein, hydrolyzed, autolyzed, natural flavours, and more, making it extremely difficult to identify. 

MSGMyth.com has done a good job trying to uncover the many hidden references that MSG can hide beneath.

Incredibly, even infant formulas and baby food contain this poison, even though babies and infants, who are four times more sensitive than adults to the toxic effects of this chemical, are the most at risk. 

In the 1970’s, food processors “voluntarily” took processed free glutamic acid (MSG) out of baby food. But that didn’t mean it was entirely removed. It was merely hidden deeper. 

According to Dr. Blaylock’s Wellness Report, a 1995 review of MSG toxicity by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) concluded that infant formula contained a dose of glutamate (the toxic ingredient in MSG) in the form of caseinate (cow’s milk protein) that can produce the very same brain injury seen in experimental animals. 

MSG also finds its way into baby food in the form of fertilizers called “Omega Protein Refined/Hydrolyzed Fish Emulsion” or “Steam Hydrolyzed Feather Meal,” both of which contain hydrolyzed proteins.
 

Battle Against MSG Goes Sour as Fresh Produce May be Tainted as Well

The use of MSG in food manufacturing and processing is so pervasive, they’ve even found a way to use it on fresh produce. A product called AuxiGro WP Plant Metabolic Primer (AuxiGro), produced by Emerald BioAgriculture (previously Auxein Corporation) and widely used in many countries – including Great Britain, contains both hydrolyzed protein(s) and about 29 percent monosodium glutamate. 

AuxiGro is used as a desiccant, disinfectant, fertilizer, fungicide, and growth regulator to increase yield and prevent powdery mildew in various crops. It’s a “Metabolic Primer” that increases plant productivity by priming plant metabolic pathways associated with growth, plant disease resistance, flowering, and “quality characteristics” of the produce. 

Despite a fervent online search, finding in-depth information on this product proved to be profoundly aggravating, as virtually all official links related to it were mysteriously broken… However, it wasn’t entirely fruitless. According to TruthInLabeling.org, AuxiGro has been sprayed on fruits, vegetables and nuts for at least a decade. 

On September 12, 2000, the Auxein Corporation Web site gave the following information about its use:

Crops registered include: Celery; Fresh Market Cucumbers; Edible Navy and Pinto Beans; Grapes; Bulb Onions; Bell, Green and Jalapeno Peppers; Iceberg Head Lettuce; Romaine and Butter Leaf Lettuce; Peanuts; Potatoes; Snap Beans; Strawberries; Processing Tomatoes; Fresh Tomatoes; and Watermelons.

As of 2002, AuxiGro was registered for use in California on tomatoes, almonds, apricots, cherries, plums, nectarines, peaches, prunes, grapes (including grapes to be used in wine), and onions. And in 2004 they requested approval to add cole crops (including broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, collards, turnips, rutabaga, mustard, watercress, and kohlrabi) to the list of crops approved for AuxiGro use.

Today, there is no known commercial crop that has not been approved for treatment with MSG by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Emerald BioAgriculture have also requested approval to use AuxiGro on ORGANIC CROPS, in all states. It does not appear as though their request for use on organic crops has ever been approved, per se. However, MSG-containing ingredients are not specified on the National Organic Programme’s list of prohibited substances either, so it’s difficult to discern whether or not it’s being used in some organic farming as well.

 
Behaviour Modification Through Diet

Just as Dr. Blaylock recommends, an anti-hypoglycemic diet is your best bet when dealing with behavioural problems in children, as well as for the prevention of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

 Here are my best recommendations:

• Eat a healthy diet that includes lots of fresh, locally-grown organic vegetables and fruits, based on your  nutritional type
• Take a high quality omega-3 supplement such as krill oil or fish oil
• Avoid sugar and grains, including fruit juices, breads, white rice, pasta and potatoes
• Avoid anything with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
• Avoid ALL artificial sweeteners
• Limit MSG intake by avoiding most processed foods

Supplements of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) may protect or retard the development of fatty liver related to obesity, suggest findings from an animal study.

Mice fed a high fat and fructose diet and supplemented with CoQ10 had decreased levels of inflammatory and metabolic stress markers in their livers than mice fed just the high-fat diet, according to findings published in Biochemical Pharmacology.

CoQ10 has properties similar to vitamins, but since it is naturally synthesized in the body it is not classed as such. With chemical structure 2,3-dimethoxy-5-methyl-6-decaprenyl-1,4-benzoquinone, it is also known as ubiquinone because of its ‘ubiquitous’ distribution throughout the human body.

There is an ever-growing body of scientific data that shows substantial health benefits of CoQ10 supplementation for people suffering from angina, heart attack and hypertension. Other studies have reported CoQ10 may play a role in the prevention of, or benefit people already suffering from, neurodegenerative diseases.

The nutrient is also recommended to people on statins to off-set the CoQ-depleting effects of the medication.

Sources:
 
Biochemical Pharmacology December 1, 2009;78(11):1391-400  

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is important for your body’s daily functions that it is also known as “ubiquinone” because it’s ‘ubiquitous’ in the human body — CoQ10 is actually used by every cell in your body.

For instance, CoQ10 is required for your cells to produce energy, and is an integral part of helping cells take fat and other substances and convert them into usable energy.

CoQ10 can also help protect your body from free radical damage. Free radicals are oxygen atoms deficient in electrons that become highly reactive. This in turn causes potential damage to your tissues and DNA.

It is because of its powerful antioxidant protection that CoQ10 is often recommended for a wide variety of heart-related conditions, such as heart attack, high blood pressure and congestive heart failure, which require extra protection from free radical damage.

CoQ10 has actually been the subject of thousands of research studies, and in addition to the new finding above that CoQ10 may help reduce the risk of fatty liver in people with obesity, CoQ10 may also:

 
• Help you produce more energy for your cells

• Boost your heart health

• Act as an antioxidant to protect you from free radicals

• Help you reduce the signs of normal aging

• Help you maintain blood pressure levels within the normal range

• Provide a boost to your immune system

• Support your nervous system

What You Need to Know About CoQ10 as You Get Older:

 
Your body requires the reduced form of CoQ10 (ubiquinol) to help you limit free radical production.

If you’re under 25 years old your body is capable of converting CoQ10 from the oxidized to the reduced form. However, if you’re older, your body becomes more and more challenged to convert the oxidized CoQ10 to ubiquinol.

It becomes more and more difficult for you to produce the ubiquinol you need due to:

 
• Increased metabolic demand

• Oxidative stress

• Insufficient dietary Co Q10 intake

• Deficiency of factors required for biosynthesis and ubiquinol conversion

• Potential effects from illness and disease

• Age-related changes in your genes

• And any combination of these factors
 

Further, as you get older your body levels of CoQ10 continue to diminish, making it even more difficult to maintain adequate levels.

So, if you’re over 40, I would highly recommend taking a reduced form of coenzyme Q10 called ubiquinol, because it’s far more effectively absorbed by your body.

This is one of the few supplements I consider highly beneficial for nearly all adults.

CoQ10 is Essential if You Take Statin Drugs

Anytime I write about CoQ10 I absolutely have to share this fact with you, because so many people are taking statin drugs and are completely unaware of this important information.

Statin drugs used to lower cholesterol typically work by reducing an enzyme in your liver, which not only reduces the production of cholesterol, but it also reduces the production of coenzyme Q10. When you lower the production of CoQ10, you increase your risk of a variety of different health problems.

Premature aging is one primary side effect of having too little CoQ10 because this essential vitamin recycles other antioxidants, such as vitamin C and E.

CoQ10 deficiency also accelerates DNA damage, and because CoQ10 is beneficial to heart health and muscle function this depletion leads to fatigue, muscle weakness, soreness and eventually heart failure. Therefore, it is absolutely vital to supplement with CoQ10 if you’re taking a statin drug.

In my view it is medical malpractice to prescribe a statin drug without recommending one take CoQ10, or better yet ubiquinol.

Unfortunately, many doctors fail to inform their patients of this fact.

What to Do if You’re Struggling With Obesity

As I said, a reduced form of coenzyme Q10 called ubiquinol is one of the few supplements I consider highly beneficial for nearly all adults.

But simply taking this supplement alone will not be enough to help you achieve a healthy body weight.

If you need to lose weight, it will take a multi-faceted approach and I highly recommend you start by reducing, with the plan of eliminating, sugars and most grains from your diet. Eating foods that are suitable for your nutritional type is also an important aspect of shedding excess pounds, as you will then give your body the fuel it needs to run optimally.

Regular exercise and addressing any emotional blocks are also very important, and I suggest you work with a knowledgeable natural health care practitioner who can give you the support you need during your weight-loss process.

For years people have associated strength training exercise with athletes and bodybuilders, believing that it is all about building big muscles. Yet only a very small percentage of men and women possess the genetic ability to develop the sort of muscular development that we associate with bodybuilders.

It is strange that many people worry about developing large muscles when on the contrary, those who do not do enough strength building and maintaining activity should be concerned about losing their muscle.

After we get to our mid 20’s and reach maturity, our body begins a long and gradual degenerative process. One of the effects of this is the loss of about one-half pound per year of muscle tissue until around age 50, then this rate doubles. Our muscle fibres simply become smaller and weaker – a phenomenon called disuse atrophy (waste away). If you`ve ever, had an arm or a leg immobilized in a cast, then exactly the same thing would happen.

When challenged by weight bearing activity, muscles and the bones they are attached to continually renew themselves. Old worn out degenerated cells and tissue are swept away and in their place new tissue is rebuilt that is younger, stronger and healthier.

Without the challenge of strength building and maintaining exercise the human body has no stimulus for the ‘growth and repair’ mechanism to be activated. Cells and tissues weaken and degenerate and become prone to injury and disease. The old expression ‘use it or lose it’ is never more apt than in this instance. If you don’t use it often and coax your body into doing some physical ‘work’ you will certainly lose it.

If you haven’t heard about strength training exercise, it is the process or exercising the muscular system with weighted resistance to strengthen, condition and to keep it strong and healthy. As we no longer get enough of the natural activity in our modern sedentary and largely inactive world, we can only stay well and healthy when we take the time to put intentional exercise back into our busy lives.

Strength training helps develop a leaner, stronger body boosting the metabolism (the body’s engine) increasing available energy, endurance and stamina. Mental and emotional health is improved as well by increasing self-esteem, confidence and self worth. These improvements have a great influence on our metabolic efficiency (the way our body uses food to create energy) physical appearance, performance and reducing risk of injury and illness.

Nothing can match strength training exercise for producing these benefits. Low intensity recreational activities like walking, jogging or cycling work the muscles only in limited ranges of movement and cannot strengthen the muscular system, combat declines in strength, bone density and muscle mass that accompany disuse.

If you don’t look after your muscles through the years you will lose up to 50 percent of them when you reach you senior years. This will leave you in a poor condition for the rigors of aging. Get yourself started on a proper strength training programme and keep yourself strong so you will never need someone to help you get up from a chair or dress or feed you. It is in each of our hands, it is our responsibility….so don’t delay.

You can find out more about Nick and his life by visiting:

http://lifewithoutlimbs.org

Have you ever marvelled at those great people who seemed to attract adulation, respect and almost a cult like following through efforts that were solely for the benefit of others? We all remember Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa, Ghandi etc. People who faced great adversities in life yet never gave up hope in realising their dreams. The dream to help others!

You see, many people make the mistake of thinking that to be “hugely popular”, they have to be “hugely successful”. Akin to this they need to possess copious amounts of money, a million pound house, numerous flashy cars…..be a movie star, pop star….or even be Simon Cowell!!! Not true. Well I suppose it`s true in one sense….Don`t get me wrong, Simon Cowell is an extremely successful man and deserves all the rewards that have come to him. He isn`t where he is today without some damn hard work and it wasn`t an immediate rise to the top. He`s earned his spurs so to speak.

However, on the other side of the coin, have you noticed the pattern that distinguishes the people I mentioned earlier and how ”attractive” they became to others? None of these people were music moguls, successful business people or intent on self promotion and acquiring fabricated friendships. It was a basic need, a deeply ingrained characteristic of the human psyche, to help others.

It is this simple desire to give that has a powerful impact on ”The Law of Attraction”. Everybody has something to give, no matter what status we are at……be it rich or poor! But again, it`s not all about being able to give significant amounts. If you`re thinking to yourself how lonely you are right now, or things aren`t quite going your way…..open up your heart and find something to give.

We can all achieve huge success in some form or another with the right mindset. We are capable of doing great things. So if you have a dream….live it! If your fears are holding you back…..meet those fears head on!

Success comes with confidence, and this will in turn, inspire others! With this success comes the rewards, and it is merely down to the individual to identify what the true value of those rewards actually means to them personally. Remember a spiritual reward has been proven to be equally satisfying, if not more so than a financial one.    

A large part of being successful is to be prepared to give more than you get back. This increases the “Law of Attraction”, and the more you give, the more successful you become. It`s an unwritten rule which has stood the test of time for thousands of years.

Simply by just offering your advice or opinion could be worth a tremendous amount to somebody. Try to apply your attributes, think of others, help somebody everyday, and you might find yourself attracting more people into your life than you ever thought possible. What side of the coin are you on? 

Below is a great inspirational video. If you know of someone who is going through a difficult time right now, make sure you forward it to them. It will brighten their day.

They say a picture speaks a thousand words, well I`ll let the story unfold……….

“Oh I`m far too old to run” or “I`m too old to lift weights” Blah blah blah……

Well, below is a short video of a man who would have otherwise…..a recent track and field record breaker in fact! Records are nothing new to Frank Levine though…oh no, this amazing man currently holds TWO world records. What makes these achievements even more remarkable isn`t the fact that he can sprint 100 metres in under ten seconds or that he`s in such superb physical condition to complete back to back disciplines such as a decathlon. No, what hits home is the fact that this man is 95 years old, and he`s still going strong.

He recently broke the 5000 metre world record for his age group (95-99), now I know that there are countless men and women out there who are a THIRD of his age who can`t run 800 metres let alone 5000 metres. He religiously gets up and runs every other day, trains with weights and gets on the punch bag.

Frank did not begin competing in running until he was 65 years old. Since then he`s ran 18 marathons. Now I`d say that`s pretty damn cool for a senior citizen wouldn`t you? Like I said earlier…..So many people THINK they are too old to exercise, and a large proportion of these people are only in their FORTIES!!! This man began a completely new sport at 65.

In Frank`s own words,

“The easiest person to fool in the world, mislead, is yourself because you can talk yourself into anything.”

Now Frank`s advice can be taken in two ways. You can talk yourself into just sitting down, taking it real easy and let life just pass you by, or you can talk yourself into getting up, being strong and make things happen! It really is never too late.

Here`s a man with the benefit of life experience, and if there`s anybody you`re looking for to give you that lift, then I`d take Frank`s advice any day……He`s a true inspiration to us all!