Health benefits of drinking water is probably one of the most overlooked healthy habits of all times.
Drinking water is not complicated, because everybody drinks something. The habit starts from an early age. And if you’re making the change now, it’s simply this: when you drink anything, make it one drink. Water. Always.
What we drink effects our health more than most people realize.
Drinking water isn’t only for hydration purposes. It’s also to keep us healthy and functioning at peak performance.
“Water transports all the foodstuffs to the cells, and the operations within the cells occur in a watery medium. Substances in the body have to be maintained in the solution, and secretions and wastes must be carried out of the cells by water. Water regulates the body temperature, adjusting to the water losses and the changes in the surroundings. Four quarts of water are constantly circulating in the body as part of the blood.” Agatha M. Thrash, M.D. Preventive Medicine.
Health benefits of drinking water start at childhood.
I was raised drinking water.
It was such a habit, that the idea of drinking anything besides water was mind boggling to me as a child.
I saw other kids drinking soda or juice mostly. I preferred water, (still do).
We are all adults now, and guess what? I still drink water, and they still drink soda, juice and other beverages that aren’t water.
What we do as kids, we do as adults.
So keep this in mind, parents, when you’re baby is coming off the bottle and transitioning to other drinks and foods. Introduce water.
Think about what you grew up drinking, and think about your taste preferences now. Does it correlate?
1. Water helps maximize physical performance.
If you are an athlete, dancer, singer, or any sort of performer or work an intensely laborious job, you need water for peak performance.
Weight training, running, or anything that requires some sort of physical performance, water is your ticket.
Water makes up a greater percentage of body mass than any other substance, including muscle, which is about 80% water. Water also helps fill the spaces inside our cells, outside our cells, and in all our major vessels.
With so much of our body being made up of water, it is important to keep it replenished, even when you don’t feel thirsty, in order to keep your body working at its best.
2. Water keeps things moving.
Constipation is a sign of not having enough water to drink.
Stopping health issues before they begin is always a much better choice because it is a lot less painful. Often times, literally.
Things are a lot more dramatic for kids, and when mine were small, I cured a lot of their little aches and pains with water. Still do.
Headache? You must not have had enough water. Can’t go to the bathroom? Drink water. Your eyes are dry? Got cramps? Tummy ache? Getting sick? Let’s start with water.
Most of the times when my kids came to me with these minor issues, it was not because they hadn’t had a cup of water in the past 30 minuets. It was because they forgot their water for the majority of the day. Sometimes even now, they’ll complain about minor aches and pains and I ask, “did you get enough water?” and they usually grin sheepishly and find a plethora of excuses as to why they hadn’t had any water that day.
3. Health benefits of drinking water and weight loss.
Photo by Lina Naas
I am not saying that all you have to do is drink a glass of water and watch pounds fall off.
But . . .
Let’s just do a little fun calculation.
Let’s go with the “typical” known amount of water one should drink in a day to stay hydrated and healthy. (8, 8oz glasses a day.) And let’s change this up with what most people drink instead of water, in a day, and see what we come up with in calories consumed daily.
8, 80z cups of liquid other than water:
One 8oz cup of tea = 2 calories. An 8oz cup of coffee = 1 calorie. A partial can, (8oz) of soda = 150 calories. Orange juice (breakfast perhaps?) 39 calories in just eight ounces.
And, maybe a glass of milk? Add that to your smoothie and you’re just looking at 103 calories without counting all the stuff you put in your smoothie. Now, head off to the gym and drink a large bottle of, let’s say, Gatorade, and you’ve added 50 calories with just 8oz, and nobody drinks just eight ounces of Gatorade during exercise. (At least, not typically).
I haven’t even reached “8 cups” here, and we’re at 345 calories in your drinks for the day.
Photo by Julia Zolotova
If you drink the entire bottle of Gatorade, add cream to your coffee, milk to your tea, include what you added to your smoothie, add Champagne to your orange juice and drink a glass or two of wine at night, you easily consume 1,000 calories in a single day’s worth of drinks.
Drink water and watch your waist shrink without even changing the rest of your diet, your exercise program or anything else. This one single change can jump start your weight loss simply by eliminating 600-1,000+ calories per day.
4. Water helps keep you from getting stoned.
Kidney stones, that is.
“. . . kidney and bladder stones . . . is one of the most common diseases of the urinary system. It currently accounts for approximately one hospitalization in every thousand in the United States.” Agatha M. Thrash, M.D. Preventive Medicine.
Dr. Agatha M. Thrash, M.D. Preventive Medicine.
In her write up about Kidney stone prevention, her number one recommendation was to drink water.
She says that, “Water drinking is not only the safest, but also the best treatment for urinary stones. It should be thought of first as it is imperative that the urine not become concentrated, encouraging stone formation. Patients who are stone formers should drink enough water to produce two to three quarts of urine daily. One quart of water should be taken during the night to maintain good urine flow at all times.”
5. Brain alertness and energy
Health benefits of drinking water even effect your brain’s clarity!
Don’t forget to think before you drink.
Or . . . No, better drink before you think!
Our brains are about 75% water. In order to think fast, be creative, focus and have clarity of thought, your brain needs to be well hydrated.
In order for our brains to function properly, toxic waste has to be removed. This happens with water. Water helps deliver nutrients to the brain that assists in the toxic removal.
Once this happens, our brains will be more alert, and concentration will be much easier.
A little bit of water can go a long way for your brain. It can go so far as to clear away the fog, energize you in the afternoon, ease strong emotions, (depression, anger, stress, etc.) and can also help to keep headaches to a minimum.
Understanding the difference between weight loss versus fat loss could be the solution to a successful weight loss journey.
I recently decided I wanted to take my fitness to the next level. I want to be ripped again. And that includes getting rid of some . . . weight.
Or, perhaps, fat?
Photo by Eugene Chystiakov
The reason I decided that I wanted to take my fitness to the next level is the difference between looking like a regular, “healthy” mom that isn’t overweight but doesn’t necessarily look like she works out, to a ripped and obviously fit mom.
That’s what I used to be.
And I know it ’cause every time I went anywhere, people used to ask me, “are you a trainer?”
Photo by John Fornander
Now, I just don’t get that.
Knowing the difference between weight loss versus fat loss can help when beginning your weight loss journey, even if it is more of a toning or trimming journey.
If you don’t know the difference before you set out on your new goal path, you could be throwing away valuable muscle or simply eliminating water.
It can also be difficult to reach target weight goals when you’re already close. Sometimes it’s even more of a struggle to knock off the last few pounds than it is at the very start of your journey.
It is a little more complex than just getting on the treadmill to burn some fat. Sometimes those last few pounds just don’t want to go away!
If you’re trying to knock off a few extra pounds, wanting to change your physique, or at the beginning of your weight loss journey, it helps to remember that muscle weighs more than fat, and it also helps to know the difference between overall weight, and actual fat.
WEIGHT LOSS DEFINED
Understanding the difference between weight loss vs. fat loss is important when beginning your weight loss journey.
When you are are focused on weight loss, you’re focusing on a decrease in your overall body weight. You’re also focusing on the numbers that stare you in the face when you jump on the scale.
At this point, you are seeing the weight loss of muscle, fat, and water.
If you don’t know the difference between weight and fat loss, the fluctuation in numbers can be very confusing.
FAT LOSS DEFINED
Fat loss is specifically talking about your body fat.
You might not completely understand it yet, and that’s okay. Depending on your diet, workout program, and water intake, depends on how the numbers read on the scale and what it is that you are actually losing.
With a lot of sweating also comes dehydration. Dehydration equals water loss, which isn’t helping you reach your goals. As soon as you hydrate, your “weight” will be right back to where it was.
You have to learn how to target fat for successful fat loss.
Photo by Mor Shani
CALORIE RESTRICTION AND WEIGHT LOSS
When you restrict your overall calorie intake, the misconception is that you are also restricting a needed amount of macronutrients. (Protein is often the biggest concern).
When people get caught up on these technicalities, it is easy to fall into a weight loss yo-yo of fad dieting, not being able to lose weight, or losing too much of the wrong weight too fast, and then gaining it all back.
Yes, your muscles need protein. But it is a myth that working out breaks down muscle tissue that can’t be built back up without large quantities of protein in the diet. You don’t need any more protein than you’d eat in a regular, balanced meal.
Working out simply inhibits the naturally occurring breakdown of muscle tissue.
Restricting caloric intake along with exercising and a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes, is (in a nutshell) all you need for successful weight loss (and muscle gain).
To maintain proper macronutrients to gain muscle and lose weight is as simple as making sure you’re eating until satisfied, but not stuffed.
Photo by Alexander Redl
More information and references:
If you are living a sedentary lifestyle or training moderately, the recommended protein need is: 0.8 to 1.2g/kg body weight.
Calories come from all sorts of foods, healthy and unhealthy, empty and complex. Even from foods labeled healthy that really are not.
Counting calories is not necessary for weight loss or maintaining healthy weight. (The only time I suggest counting calories is for extreme situations, and even in this case, it is best when suggested by a registered dietitian.)
Empty calories don’t have nutritional value and don’t supply good energy for your body to function at peak performance. Foods with empty calories simply have loads of calories with zero nutrients. Since empty calories don’t have any nutrition for your body, they leave you hungrier and less satisfied and you’re more likely to eat more, more frequently, more of them, and put on more weight.
For example, whole wheat bread is high in fiber and is nutrient dense, which makes you feel fuller, so you eat less and get fuller quicker, and will stay full longer, which limits your need to consume more and more frequently.
White breaded foods can contribute to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. The white flour is highly processed and filled with additives that don’t show up in your homemade 100% whole wheat bread.
Calories aren't the issue. It's the type of calories you
need to concern yourself with.
Photo by Drew Hays
Stop and consider where you’re getting your calories from. They should be from this list of foods:
whole grains
nuts
seeds
lagumes
fruits
veggies
I realized that when I moved into the city and began making more money, I options. More options can be a lot to manage and, if you’re not careful, it is easy to start adding unneeded calories.
Back when I was very fit and looked like it, I had very few options. I basically had two. Eat very unhealthy, because it’s cheap. Or, in order to eat very healthy, I had to cook from scratch. I chose the latter.
Recently, as I got to thinking about how I ate then vs. how I eat now, I started to realize that my lack of money and also living in the country, actually prevented me from buying junk. Now, I live 3 minutes from Whole Foods. That means a quick run for a tasty treat (healthy as it may be) is a lot easier than grabbing a can of beans out of the cupboard.
Quality is always better than quantity.
Pre-packaged items and the beautifully labeled boxes of some so-called healthy foods, are most often higher in fat content and calories, than if you cook from scratch.
When you make your own food, and when you start measuring out cups of oil or sugar, you start to realize just how much is actually going in your food. And then, you have the option to substitute!
Cooking from scratch is a glorious opportunity to really take complete control of your health.
Photo by Patricia Tsernoshova
WEIGHT LOSS VERSUS FAT LOSS: WHITE LIES
Just because food labels say low sugar, low carb, low fat, doesn’t mean it’s healthy and good for you.
There are a lot of vegan foods that are still processed, fattening and unhealthy!
Back when I was ripped, I made all my own food from scratch. I also had a garden, and we ate a lot of homegrown, fresh foods.
Eat the basics and you can't go wrong.
When you eat whole foods, which equals quality caloric intake, you don’t have to look for the lies. There are none.
When you are buying pre-packaged foods, things can sneak into your diet
Photo by Dan Gold
without you even knowing. And how clever packaging can be, to help you sneak the bad into your diet.
Labels tell white lies. Vegan and vegetarian foods can be real fattening, just like any other foods.
When you make your own food, the devil is in the details, and it is in your control to take the devil (errr, the sugar & fat) out, when you’re the one making the food.
Vegan means no animal products. Vegan can still be white, fried, full of sugar, and absolutely fiber free, and full of empty calories. So read labels and watch for the lies!
Keep it real. Keep it basic.
THE RIGHT FITNESS
When you are building muscle and losing weight while building muscle, the numbers on the scale can be very tricky and quite frankly, frustrating.
It is not only important to be aware of how you are eating, but it is also a good idea to make sure that your workout routine is matched to help you achieve your weight loss, or gain, goals.
When you are building muscle while also losing weight, you may see that your weight doesn’t decline as quickly as you would like, and that can be frustrating.
Keep in mind that muscle weighs more, and is more dense therefore, if you are losing fat and gaining muscle, your weight loss may be a little slower, simply because your fat (weight) is being replaced by muscle (weight).
SIDE NOTE:
Use measurements instead of a scale, to monitor your weight growth and loss. You can gain weight and lose inches at the same time. When you see you’ve not lost the pounds you wish, but also see you’re an inch smaller in your waist, it is easier to swallow the slower weight loss.
Weight loss versus fat loss can be “seen” in measurements. You can actually see the inches lost, yet see that your weight hasn’t dropped too much, indicating that you are gaining muscle, not losing it!
WEIGHT LOSS VERSUS FAT LOSS DOESN’T MEAN MONEY LOSS
It is not true that you have to have more money to eat healthy to maintain healthy weight.
In fact, the more money you have, the more you visit specialty grocery stores and boutique restaurants.
Whole Foods and True Foods Kitchen aren’t even that special but they’re special enough that their prices are especially high. You can’t go there when you’re low on money! When you’ve got dough in the pocket, you simply get lazy, cause it’s easy to do.
And, it’s easily disguised as healthy with these fabulous organic, “low calorie, low fat” labels on your . . . already made, pre-packaged foods you can afford to buy!
WEIGHT LOSS VERSUS FAT LOSS: THE BASICS TO WEIGHT CONTROL IS BASICALLY BASIC.
Photo by Markus Spiske
Learn how to simplify your taste preferences, and your grocery shopping. Keep in mind the difference between needs and wants. And keep it whole! 🙂
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How to overcome late night cravings, the topic of the day. For days.
But, ohhh the cravings though! The need for a yummy snack at ten PM and then . . . the disappointment the next morning when you step on the scale.
And the vow that last night was the last night.
Again.
Photo by Edward Franklin
Why on earth do you keep going around and around, and around . . . ?
Because, emotional eating and stress eating are all about weakness, not logic or strength.
So let’s figure out how to build the foundation to a strong fortress of saying no.
I CAN TELL YOU HOW TO OVERCOME LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS BUT YOU HAVE TO DO IT YOURSELF.
RECOGNIZE YOUR EMOTIONS
Once you understand that late night cravings really are just emotions nagging at you, not true hunger, recognizing this is step one.
Emotional eating is using food to make yourself feel better. You are eating to placate emotional needs rather than to satisfy actual real hunger.
Photo by Ash Goldsbrough
Emotional hunger can’t be filled with food. It feels good to eat in the moment, but the feelings that triggered your need to feed your face are still there. The worst part is, you make yourself feel even worse later, because you now feel guilty. It’s a vicious, vicious cycle that only you can stop.
There is a difference in using food occasionally as a reward, or to celebrate. That isn’t bad. When my kids get good grades, sometimes I take them out for vegan ice cream or a rare treat as a reward.
When eating becomes an emotional coping mechanism this is when it is a problem.
Once you recognize that you are eating simply to cope with stress, you can then take step two.
I recommend talking with your doctor and finding a good counselor to help sort out your emotions, if you are unable to do it alone.
Photo by Sage Friedman
DIG DEEP AND DEAL WITH IT
Journaling is somewhat of an old fashioned hobby I suppose. I used to keep a diary when I was younger. Now, with voice text and even with typing, slowing down with a pen and paper gets a little annoying. Buuuutttt . . .
When you slow down, it forces you to process what you are thinking, and in the process of slowing down, you can really start to assess your feelings and figure out the why behind what you are doing.
It also takes up time you would otherwise be eating.
Face your emotions, sort them out, decide what you want to do with them, and confront them.
Once you have done this, you can go about doing other things to fill the void.
A nutrition coach can also help. A nutrition coach is someone that can hold you accountable, as well as help you start new, healthy habits.
Photo by Mae Mu
MAYBE IT’S NOT EMOTIONS
There are also cravings that can be linked to bad food choices, food sensitivities and lifestyle habits.
“Some foods promote indefinite cravings. Unfulfilled longings or unrest cause cravings.” Agatha M. Thrash, M.D. Preventive Medicine
Doctor Agatha M. Thrash also goes on to say that, “Many individuals who are sensitive to various foods taken even in small quantities get their cravings aroused.
“Sugar is a very common offender in this regard. One innocent appearing teaspoonful can do much damage in the sensitive person.
“Milk and all dairy products represent a common source of cravings.
“Salty foods irritate the stomach lining and produce thirst. Much of the mechanism of cravings is related to unrecognized thirst, causing the individual to try to satisfy his thirst by indulging his craving. If the thirst is eliminated, the craving can be handled with much greater ease.”
Now, I realize this sounds a bit trite and boring.
At night when I want something to snack on, and when I am trying to break a habit of grabbing something to nibble on during a show or while doing something before bed, I make tea.
When you fill the void with something it makes it easier to overcome the craving.
The options for flavors are endless when it comes to tea. Which makes it so fun!
Just be sure your tea is white or red, not black or green. Black and green tea have caffeine in them and aren’t good for late nights.
Rooibos is a South African red tea, and it is full of antioxidants and naturally a bit sweet.
Chamomile tea is also a bit sweet and floral, and a great calming, night time tea.
Explore herbal, white and red teas and share with me in the comments below. Tell me what your fave herbal tea is!
When you’re making tea at night, leave out the sugar and milk. Learn to appreciate the pure flavor of the herb. Your waist will thank you later and your guilt will be set free.
WHAT BETTER WAY TO OVERCOME LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS THAN TO READ A GOOD BOOK!
Nope. Snacking during reading can’t be a thing anymore . . . but make you some tea and find a book that draws you in sooo deeply that you can’t even think about food.
Escape from your stress, drown your emotions in far, far away, and allow yourself to fall asleep dreaming in another world.
I would recommend a list of books here, but I write more than read, so I am going to let you list a few for me below in the comments! 🙂
If you prefer to write, like I do, it keeps your hands too busy to eat, and it works as well as reading for those who love to write.
Photo by Dan Gold
OVERCOME LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS WITH CHORES
I doubt there is a person in the world who does not have a tub that could use a scrub, a carpet that couldn’t use a vacuum or some laundry that needs to be folded or ironed.
Evenings are great times to get some small house chores done and curb the appetite at the same time.
Plus, you’re getting yourself off the couch, burning a few calories, and let’s face it, you can get your heart rate up if you’re vacuuming stairs, and also, who doesn’t love a clean house when you go to fix a bowl of granola at breakfast time? Clean dishes anyone?
Photo by Debby Hudson
OVERCOME LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS WITH BREAKFAST
If you’re truly in it for the long haul, ready to lose weight, gain self control, eat healthy and feel amazing. . .
Begin with breakfast.
With the right foods, you will notice less cravings.
Typical breakfast foods aren’t actually good for you. (Bacon, grits, white biscuits, donuts, pastries, etc.)
Photo Kawin Harasai
Breakfast needs to be filled with unrefined foods and should equal to a third to a half of your food and take for the entire day.
This results in a sense of well being, which will help with emotional eating!
A good breakfast filled with unrefined, low to no added sugar, and complex carbs, also equals better work performance. This “feeds” your emotions positively by fulfilling the need to feel accomplished.
When I say no added sugar I mean it literally. For example, grapefruit, don’t add sugar to it! Cereal, don’t add honey, sugar or any other sweetener. Add banana or fruit if you want more sweetener. Dried fruit is another way to add sweetness without adding extra sugar.
When your morning starts with a fantastic breakfast, you have less desire to over eat later on in the day and less need to eat between your meals. Which of course leads to better weight control, which results in less emotional eating as well.
OVERCOME LATE NIGHT CRAVINGS WITH SLEEP
It’s evening or night time. Go to bed.
As I have mentioned before when talking about weight management and losing weight/belly fat, eating at night adds fuel to your “car” just as you’re about to “park it in the garage.”
These are bad habits that put weight on fast.
I’ve used this scenario before, and I’ll use it again. When you’re about to go on vacation, you pull the car out of the garage and before you leave, what do you do?
You take it to the gas station and fill it up! ALL the way to the top.
Why? Because you don’t want to have to stop any time soon! It is a waste of time. You don’t drive it to the gas station, put $5.00 of gas in, then carry on down the road and do this your entire trip.
Imagine doing this, then arrive at your destination, purely exhausted. Then filing up and parking your car at the hotel.
What kind of logic is this!?
This is what most people do to their bodies. They start off in a hurry, grab a cup of coffee and maybe a pastry or a granola bar and go to work. An hour later, you’re starving but it’s not lunch time. So what do you do? You eat a snack.
This happens all day long until dinner. Then you consume the majority of your calories (or over half of what you should have your entire day) right before bed.
On top of consuming a too big dinner, an hour or two later, late night cravings set in.
This is a very bad habit that adds so much weight to your waist for no good reason.
No matter how much you want to just sit and snack, if it is too tempting, and you know that you’re tired, just go to bed. A good night of sleep on an empty stomach is the best night of sleep you’ll ever have.
Balance8life is actively engaging 8 expressions of health to our daily routines for true completion. It will always be in motion, and you will never stay in one place for too long, or the balance will slip away. So don’t get discouraged when you can’t maintain for one day. It is the overall daily routine that makes the balancing act go ’round!
For more on where to start begin your health journey, visit my blog!
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There are several ways we can stay healthy naturally, and do our best to keep sickness from entering our homes and bodies. Waiting until you think you might be getting sick is not the time to figure out how to keep from getting sick though.
6 in 10 adults in the US have chronic disease. 4 in 10 adults have 2 or more chronic illnesses.
Heart disease, cancer, lung disease, diabetes, kidney disease, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease, are some of the top diseases that are the most common.
The biggest cause of these diseases are lifestyle. Lifestyles that regularly use tobacco, excessive alcohol, poor nutrition and are sedentary, are the lifestyles that can cause the above mentioned diseases.
Lifestyle choices effect our health for good and for bad. To try to avoid getting the common cold, the flu, or even more life threatening diseases it is good to follow a healthy lifestyle of wellness.
This is not to say you will never get sick, but the healthier you live your life, the less likely you will be to catch something, or for it to hang around long, if you do!
“Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness.” Center for Disease and Control and Prevention.
If we take care of our bodies and keep them in great shape, we are living a lifestyle of health, strength and wellness.
Photo by Bara Buri
HEALTH BEGINS FROM CHILDHOOD
Mental, physical and spiritual health all starts when we’re kids. How we are raised shapes our future.
When we take control of our own health as adults, or even as teens, we can alter our health destiny by changing how we live our lives, and the lifestyle choices that we make.
One of the top lifestyle choices that can alter our wellness and health is our nutrition.
SET YOUR CHILDREN UP FOR SUCCESS
If you have kids, what are you doing to set your own children up for success with a healthy lifestyle?
Are they eating fruits and vegetables or mostly sweet, fast or fried foods? What are they drinking? Have you been able to get them on an eating schedule loaded with a rainbow of colorful fresh foods?
As a server, I have personally witnessed parents sitting down to eat with their children. I’ve seen these parents order junk for their kids, while they sit there and have a salad.
Children can eat salad, too. If their taste buds are used to good, wholesome food from the very beginning, they will love healthy foods.
I’ve got 5 of my own children, and from the first time they ate food until they were in their pre-teens, they never tasted a soda, any kind of meat, any sort of pastry or pre-packaged food. I made everything from scratch, whole grain and vegan, and that is what they ate, and still prefer. (Mostly).
What is the future of your children? As an adult, what habits will they have developed from childhood?
BREAK THE CYCLE
Parents raise their children the way their parents raise them. It is a cycle that goes on for generations and it can be a set up for success or failure, depending on the habits taught and developed from childhood.
I am extremely blessed. I was raised a vegan and I am 40 now and have never once had meat.
I’m very grateful for how my parents raised me. And I remember as a kid, them catching a lot of flak for it, too. It wasn’t easy! Especially in the 80’s. I had juice on my granola because soy milk wasn’t readily available.
I feel lucky though, because I never had to give up anything on my plate or change my diet to lose weight or combat years of health problems.
My mom set me up for success, and because of her and how I was raised, I have never had to deal with excessive weight or health problems.
This is what we do for our children when we set them up with healthy habits starting at babyhood.
As adults, if we were not raised with good habits, and want to be healthy, we have to change ourlifestyle habits and it will not be easy.
I know that not everybody knows what to do or where to start to make lifestyle changes. And that is why I am here. I want to be there for you as you start your healthy lifestyle journey!
(See below for beginners guides on how to start your healthy adventure!)
Photo by Debbie Ducic
1. STAY HEALTHY NATURALLY WITH WATER
Water cleans us out on the inside. If you leave the inside “unwashed”, the likelihood of getting sick is higher. For best results, drink at least 8-12 glasses of water a day. Not fluids. There is a difference. This needs to be actual water.
Let me just give you a quick example of a few health problems that can be turned around with just 96oz of water in your day: Kidney stones, fatigue, lack of energy, bad breath, poor sleep, urinary tract infection, dry splotchy skin, lackluster hair, sore muscles, muscle cramps, elongated sickness, digestive problems, weight gain, and so many more pain in the butt problems, can be kept at bay simply by drinking plenty of water.
If you think drinking 96oz of water a day is impossible, I’ve got a few tricks for you right here! How to Drink 96oz of Water a Day. And if you don’t like water and can’t stand the taste, here’s a little help with that, too. Five Ways to Yummy-Up Your Water.
I am not a doctor, and of course, as always, if you’re not sure, it never hurts to ask your doctor what he/she advises for your daily water recommendations.
Photo by Brooke Lark
2. STAY HEALTHY NATURALLY WITH HERBS
“Herbs such as milk thistle, bilberry, hawthorn, evening primrose oil, garlic, Siberian ginseng and ginkgo are some of the most powerful food grade items medicine has ever seen. These herbs and others are entirely safe and very effective.” Dr. Agatha Thrash M.D. Preventive Medicine.
When I was in high school, I lived in a dorm, and for some reason this one particular year, I remember getting sick. A lot. Unusually often. One thing that the dean always made for us girls when we got sick was the shot of death. I hated it, but now, I use it for my kids.
It is a combo of grapefruit juice, fresh cloves of garlic, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, honey, and ginger. You blend this up into a shot, and literally shoot it. It burns, but it will take away a sore throat fast.
I grew up on herbs, they do actually work, and a lot of times, in my past experience, are a lot less invasive than going to a doctor and work even better.
It is important to be well educated when using herbs. I suggest doing a lot more reading on the use of herbs if it is something you want to use more of.
3. STAY HEALTHY NATURALLY WITH NUTRITION
One of the best ways to stay healthy is to eat a lot of fresh foods. Not just when you’re feeling yucky, and not just here and there. This needs to be a daily habit.
The saying prevention is better than cure is one I take seriously. And nutrition is the best way to put that saying into action.
Green, leafy veggies are on the top of my list, which is why I have “Green Drink Sunday” almost every Sunday! Habits like this make green things easy, fun and tasty. Even when my kids have friends over, they all get green smoothies or juice. It’s just how we roll!
Stay away from sugary foods like pastries, candy, ice cream, sodas, sweet tea, etc. (This doesn’t include fruit).
Sugar kills white blood cells which are our disease fighters. Increase fresh foods like citrus fruits, red and green bell peppers, kale, broccoli, kiwi, pineapple, spinach, etc. because they are high in vitamin C and they also help to increase production of white blood cells.
Photo by Logan Nolin
5. STAY HEALTHY NATURALLY WITH SLEEP
Proper sleep is essential to keeping your immune system strong and healthy. As soon as you start having late nights, disrupted sleep schedules, and then over sleeping, you’re creating the perfect playground for viruses to grow.
Getting too much sleep and not enough sleep are equally bad for your body. An adult should get at least 7-9 hours of rest per night.
I realize this is no quick or easy fix, but it has to be done for healths sake.
Weight control goes hand in hand with exercise, nutrition, and wellness. People that are overweight are more likely to have heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancer, and depression. These are some of the very same diseases I listed in the beginning of this article.
Excessive weight causes so many problems. Aside from disease, it is hard on your joints, your mental health, and your ability to enjoy life.
Sometimes weight loss is just something you need a little extra help with, alongside your nutrition and exercise program. I highly recommend the PhysIQ System, in combination with the Nrf2. I am a vegan so I myself won’t use the whey protein in the PhysIQ System package, but you can purchase the Fat Burn and Prebiotic separately and replace the protein with the Nrf2 for a complete package!
7. STAY HEALTHY NATURALLY WITH EXERCISE
Getting exercise has to happen. Exercise keeps us younger longer, keeps our weight in check and presents aches and pain. It can also help keeps us healthy from disease, depression, and many other things that nobody should ever have to deal with.
“As exercise is increased, degenerative diseases of all kinds are decreased, life span is extended, various minor infections such as colds are reduced . . .” Agatha M. Thrash, M.D. Preventive Medicine
When you exercise, you’re breathing deeper and this helps to flush out your lungs and helps make you more resistant to respiratory infections. Do this outside and it is a win-win!
Exercise also increases white blood cells. Remember earlier how I said white blood cells are our disease fighters?
Exercise balances out our hormones. Including stress hormones. Stress makes us more susceptible to disease. So exercising brings us to a better, balanced state.
Photo by Kayla Duhon
Below are some resources for beginners on how to change your lifestyle to one of wellness and health.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclaimer for more info.
There are a lot of things that ruin your sleep. The older we get, the more difficult it is to sleep, but have you ever wondered why? I am sure you wonder every day, unless you’re a rare one that actually sleeps like a baby still.
Photo by Bruce Mars
Sleep is so underrated until you can’t sleep. Then it becomes one of the most valuable things in your life!
How come some people sleep like babies and others just cannot seem to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake up when it’s time to get up, and actually feel rested?
She also says that, “sleep before midnight is twice as beneficial as sleep after midnight, because growth hormone (useful in adults for repair and healing, cheerfulness and a strong mind) is produced mainly during the hours before midnight, and only when one is sleeping.”
She goes on to say that, “REM sleep is important for learning, memory, and adaptation. Irritability, anxiety, and mental disturbance follow REM deprivation.”
She further stated that, “sleep loss is associated with retention of nitrogen, sodium, and water; more protein is required to compensate for excessive losses which occur on the second day of sleep deprivation.”
So obviously, lack of sleep is bad but, we kind of know that. At least some of us do. If nothing else, we know it makes us grumpy. And nobody likes grumpy people.
You may not appreciate what I’m about to say, but take it or leave it. If you’re missing out on good ol’ Mr. Z’s, you might at least consider eliminating one (or two) or at best, seven, of these sleep robbers. You might actually begin sleeping better and sounder again!
Photo by Gaelle Marcel
ELECTRONICS RUIN YOUR SLEEP
I will be the first to tell you that the TV sometimes sends me to dreamland. But I don’t fall asleep to a TV on purpose.
Truth is, it is not actually the TV that puts you to sleep, but the relaxation, the zoning out, and the fact that you were previously tired before you started watching TV. And it is true, if I am not tired I don’t generally fall asleep watching TV.
Electronics emit a blue light that triggers your brain to stop making melatonin. The blue light exposure can delay the onset of REM sleep and lead to morning drowsiness.
I have five kids and I’ve got one that is particularly addicted to her phone. Not only her phone, but she has to have the TV on while she’s on her phone. And out of all five of my children, she is the one that struggles the most with a good night’s rest. Hmmm . . .
Alternatives to TV at night? Well, get the old board game out, a puzzle, a coloring book, some music and candles, and hang out with the family old fashion style. Read a paper book. Read a magazine. Work on a project or an art form. Do something that is not TV related.
Photo by Kelen Emsley
A SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE RUINS YOUR SLEEP
When kids play hard outside, moms always say, “at least they’ll sleep good tonight!” But did you know this goes for grown ups, too?
Folks, find a way to break a sweat. Every. Day. Exercise and wear yourselves out. Get out in the dirt, the snow, the water, the gym. Somewhere away from the chair, the couch or the bed.
A study was done on young adult “weekend athletes” who played tennis or golf two or three times a week, and was published in Sports Medicine. They found that these “athletes” physical condition was onlyslightly better than completely sedentary individuals.
A little bit of exercise doesn't cut it.
It’s important to make vigorous exercise a daily habit. For ultimate health and great sleep, spend two hours a day exercising. One hour outside, another hour inside, either weight training or something equally active that forces you to use your muscles. For example, cleaning the garage, or something where you’re lifting pulling and pushing. If done right house cleaning can be this. I break a sweat sometimes when I’m cleaning.
Going to the gym is a thing, I go every morning (except on the weekend; that I leave for outdoor activities). But, studies have shown that exercising outside, particularly when the sun is shining, results in greater and steadier muscle growth. Plus, the benefits of fresh air work in your favor for a better night’s rest.
Photo by Ariel Pilotto
YOUR SHOES RUIN YOUR SLEEP
“Emerging scientific research has revealed a surprisingly positive and overlooked environmental factor on health: direct physical contact with the vast supply of electrons on the surface of the Earth.”
“Earthing (or grounding) refers to the discovery of benefits—including better sleep and reduced pain—from walking barefoot outside or sitting, working, or sleeping indoors connected to conductive systems that transfer the Earth’s electrons from the ground into the body.”
“Omnipresent throughout the environment is a surprisingly beneficial, yet overlooked global resource for health maintenance, disease prevention, and clinical therapy: the surface of the Earth itself.” G. Chevalier, S. T. Sinatra, and J. L. Oschman
Get outside and play in the dirt! 🙂
YOUR DRINK RUINS YOUR SLEEP
In 8 Steps to Improve Your Quality of SleepI mention this, but I’m going to say it again . . . Coffee and alcohol . . . These two things can really mess with your night.
It takes 4-6 hours for the body to metabolize caffeine, which is a stimulant that can disturb a good nights rest. Just 1 cup of coffee (even early in the day) can still effect quality sleep.
If you’ve decided to quit drinking caffeine altogether, it can take 2 weeks and up to 2 months of being off of caffeine, before the detox process is complete. During this phase, you may find it very difficult to rest, even though you’re not consuming caffeine at all.
Initially, a glass of wine helps a lot of people fall into blissful dreams. But did you know that, even though you fall asleep quicker and sleep sounder right away, it actually reduces rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. And the more you drink before bed, the more pronounced these effects. REM sleep happens about 90 minutes after we fall asleep. REM sleep is when you dream. It is also the part of your rest that strengthens your immune system. Deep sleep is “for your body” and REM sleep is “for your brain”.
Because alcohol messes up the natural sleep patterns in our bodies, the quality of shuteye is compromised.
Photo by Derek Thomson
AGING CAN RUIN YOUR SLEEP
As people age, they often develop more medical problems, if they don’t take care of themselves. Snoring and other sleep related breathing disorders tend to be more prevalent. Also, insomnia increases as you age, which again, is mostly because of health problems.
The underlying problem -with most problems- is your health.
But, health (most of the time) can be turned around. (Here’s your beginner’s guide to healthy living if you don’t know where to start!) You can add years to your life, literally, and you can also change how you feel.
Exercising isthemost important healthy habit you should develop, in order to live longer, sleep better and feel better!
Aging doesn’t have to change your ability to exercise. If you exercise in your teens, twenties and on into your thirties and forties when it really counts, you’re going to be less susceptible to disease and other health issues, as well as insomnia.
PREVENT AGING AND INSOMNIA
Prevent the onset of aging by learning how to balance8life. Your mindset is going to be your power. Don’t give into the need to follow the masses and blame everything on age. Take your health by the b**ls. There are a lot of people that feel great at 30-90 who take care of themselves.
Take care of yourself! No excuses!
Wikipedia says that: The causes of aging are uncertain; current theories are assigned to the damage concept, whereby the accumulation of damage (such as DNA oxidation) may cause biological systems to fail, or to the programmed aging concept, whereby internal processes (such as DNA methylation) may cause aging.
Wikipedia isn’t the only place you can find this information. Scientists have actually put a lot of thought and time into the study of aging.
“Some of the most studied and best understood theories of aging involve what is happening on a cellular level. From exposure to damaging oxidants and free radicals, the “Free Radical Theory of Aging,” to declines in certain cellular systems like energy production, the “Mitochondrial Theory of Aging,” to another theory that is . . . , the “Sirtuin Theory of Aging.'” ~ Greg Fox.
7 months ago I started taking Nrf2, a natural supplement that is clinically proven to reduce oxidative stress. It is essentially an anti-aging supplement that works at the cellular level. I feel it. I am only 40, but I feel the difference! (Putting “only” in front of 40 really feels wrong, just being honest). Not only is Nrf2 “anti-aging”, but after taking it for 3 months, I started sleeping through the night for the first time after my frozen shoulders, for 4 long years.
YOUR NAP IS RUINING YOUR SLEEP
Afternoon naps are a glory hallelujah type of thing – in the moment. But then you wake up groggy, irritable or . . . you might feel great. However it is that you wake up, it wakes you up too much.
Naps ruin your night because they prevent you from being tired at bedtime. As a result, your good night sleep has just been sabotaged.
Skip out on the nap. Get up, move around, go outside, make some Axio, do something to wake up.
Regular Axio only has 100mg of natural caffeine in it. There are also decaf options. Axio also has the ingredients of the Nrf2, and it’s a brain wake up as well as an energizer.
IRREGULARITY RUINS YOUR SLEEP
If you struggle with sleep, and sleeping all night long, it’s time to get on a regular routine.
You’ve got to have a bed time and a get up time. And this has to happen on the daily.
I know – I don’t even do this that strictly. But I am pretty regular on my bed time being an approximate time every day. My morning alarm is more difficult to get up to though, when I change it, and I always feel it. But generally speaking, if you sleep at a regular time and get up at a regular time, not only does your body know what to expect, but it is easier to be tired at bedtime and awake when it’s time to be up.
regularity is everything when it comes to sleep.
“Week-long irregular sleep schedules are significantly associated with lower self-reported morning and evening happiness, healthiness, and calmness during the week,” Akane Sano, PhD
Photo by Logan Nolin
IN CONCLUSION
Our bodies thrive when we take care of ourselves. For more on how to take care of your body, go to “blog” and discover everything you need to know about how to start your health journey. I show you how balance8life works on a daily basis. I teach you what balance8life is, and how to live a balance of these 8 methods to have a healthy, balanced life! (That’s a lot of balancing, but I think you get the idea!)
If you have any questions, I would be glad to answer to the best of my ability! And if I don’t have the answer, I’ll either find the answer or someone else that can give you an answer. So please don’t hesitate to ask! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclaimer for more info.
Fat burning techniques go deeper than dieting or cardio. Fat burning comes from a balanced lifestyle; it is essentially a lifestyle that should be lived daily, even when you’re not trying to burn fat.
A healthy, balanced lifestyle sets you up for an amazing future of health for your mind, body and soul as well as emotions.
When one part of our health gets off kilter, the rest will spin out. Eventually we’ll have to start over. But that’s okay, starting over is better than abandoning ship completely.
Losing weight can often feel like an uphill battle. I have many friends that have struggled with weight for years and come to me for help.
The number one thing that I have witnessed as a downfall to success, has always been the lack of true commitment.
The decision has
to be made.
Once you make the decision to lose weight and commit to it, that’s when things happen. Until then, talking and wishing and doing temporary diets and partial exercise programs for a week, (yes I say a week because I’ve witnessed this over and over) nothing will change. Weight comes off 5-10 pounds in, then the commitment somehow goes away and the pounds come piling back on. I have had many texts and phone calls from friends, crying about the fact that the weight went back on and ask what to do to fix it.
Nobody can help you if you do not help yourself first.
Making the commitment and a solid decision, is the number one and most important thing to tap into, for true fat burning results.
FAT BURNING WITH WATER
Over half of our bodies are made up of water. To stay hydrated, we need to drink 8-12 eight ounce glasses of water per day.
If you grab a bottle of water instead of tea, coffee, juice, coke, etc., you’re saving yourself (about) 2.6 tablespoons (39 grams) of sugar per can. 8 cans of coke = 1 cup of sugar. This is double the amount of sugar in 1 slice of angel food cake. This in turn is a lot of calories and “fat” that drinking water will completely eliminate from your daily diet.
For a little more in depth on why sugar makes you fat, there’s a good article written by Dr. Jason Fung, a Canadian nephrologist. He’s a world-leading expert on intermittent fasting and low carb, especially for treating people with type 2 diabetes. He has written three best-selling health books and he co-founded the Intensive Dietary Management program. Check out his article about sugar here.
FAT BURNING WITH NUTRITION
I talk a lot about how amazing the vegan diet is. The number one reason I recommend the vegan diet is because it is a balanced diet that does several things all at once. If done right, it can help you maintain healthy weight, while keeping your heart healthy, giving you energy, making you feel less tired, foggy and groggy, as well as the obvious; you’re saving animals. There are many reasons why a vegan diet is the bomb diggity.
You can maintain healthy weight a lot easier on a vegan diet, plus, it is a “diet” that you can continue to maintain after your “dieting” process is over. Since this diet is not a temporary fix, it is a permanent, healthy, lifestyle that can be maintained form birth to old age.
FAT BURNING WITH EXERCISE
Just 30-60 minutes of exercise a day can take off roughly about 8-10 pounds in a 3 month time frame. The more you sweat, the more rigorous your exercise, and the longer you do your cardio, will determine how much weight
comes off and how quickly.
When exercising to lose weight, the best thing to remember is that muscle weighs more than fat. So, if you are weight training while losing weight, you may not lose as quickly, simply because you are gaining muscle while losing fat.
FAT BURNING WITH SUNSHINE
There are new studies that show that sunlight may actually burn fat. It was accidentally discovered and is still being studied. It’s speculated that this could partly be a reason why we pile on extra weight in the winter months when there is less sun exposure.
Sweating on the other hand, is not a calorie burner. Sitting in the sunlight sweating away is only dehydrating you. Once you drink water after sweating, you rehydrate, your weight is right back to where you started. So don’t confuse sweating in the sun with calorie burning.
Sunlight also tends to suppress our appetites making us less likely to eat as much.
And then there’s always the vitamin D factor we get form being in the sun, which is a plus, so don’t skip out on your time in the sun!
FAT BURNING WITH REST
Sleep before midnight is twice as beneficial as sleep after midnight, as growth hormone (useful in adults for repair and healing, cheerfulness and a strong mind) is produced mainly during the hours before midnight, and only when one is sleeping. . . It is better to sleep between 6 and 9 hours daily, as persons who sleep less than 6 or more than 9 hours tend to live shorter lives than those sleeping 7-8 hours. Weight gain increases sleep needs. Weight loss decreases sleep needs.
With good sleep comes good energy and positive thinking which is a fantastic for an energetic exercise routine. When I wasn’t sleeping well, I really struggled to get the energy up to work out regularly. I did it, but it was so painful. It was 75% pure will power. Even then, I felt like my workouts were lacking. It was one of those, “any workout is better than no workout” days, but 3 times a week!
When I started taking Nrf2 my afternoon fatigue vanished and 3 months in, I was sleeping through the night every night! My workouts, my recovery, and my energy has just been through the roof, which has resulted in gains I haven’t seen in years.
I highly recommend this nutritional supplement if you’re having trouble sleeping! It’s anti-aging, gluten-free, natural, and vegan!
FAT BURNING WITH MEDITATION
Often times we don’t really give downtime the credit it deserves. Whether you meditate on a higher power or on the sound of your own voice, or repeat a weird mantra, it is important to find time to be grateful. When you stop to be grateful for your life, the people in it, and love yourself, it helps put your mind in a positive place. Positive thinking removes the need for emotional feeding, and makes it easier for you to say no.
Fresh air technically doesn’t burn fat. If you were to go outside and breathe in some fresh air, you can’t expect to drop 10 pounds. But, getting outside to work in the yard, walk, meditate, sunbathe, and play with the dog or the kids, is something that takes your mind away from eating for no reason. And a lot of weight is gained simply from eating out of boredom.
FAT BURNING WITH MODERATION
Be mindful of the amounts you eat, and how often you eat.
Fasting – or not snacking – between your meals is a huge weight loss trick that is so simple it’s hard to believe. 5-6 hours should go between your meals with nothing in between but water! Not even a single cracker or grape.
Eating backwards does amazing things for weight loss! Switch your meals around. If you want to eat 3 meals, have your typical dinner for your breakfast, and your breakfast for dinner. Most Americans tend to eat their heaviest and highest calorie meal at night. It should never be this way.
FAT BURNING WITH TWO MEALS A DAY
Vegan powerlifting champion, Jim Gurtner, says that eating or skipping dinner determined his weight gain and/or loss, depending on what competition he was going to be in and what his goals were.
For me, when I want to lose my extra little tummy quick or shed a few pounds fast, I always skip dinner. My last meal will be around 3 or 4pm and that’ll be it. This isn’t bad for your body and it doesn’t slow your metabolism. Fasting and giving your digestive system a break actually helps you lose weight and also increases your chances of having better health.
GET RID OF EXCUSES
Nothing kills goals, puts on weight, prolongs bad habits and keeps you from moving forward more than excuses.
Identify them. Get rid of them.
FAT BURN AND NEVER DIETING
Dieting is temporary and once your diet has run it’s course of 4-6 weeks (give or take) your bad habits step in to take the lead again. Dieting is a ticket for a rollercoaster ride of weight loss and gain and loss and gain. If you’re wanting to ride a rollercoaster, you’d do better going to 6-Flags.
For more on weight loss, read Principles of Weight Control here.
I would love to answer any questions you may have or hear about your weight loss journey! Please stop by and follow me on my social media so we can be friends! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life, so wherever you like to hang out best, you can find me!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclaimer for more info.
If you’re wondering how to eat healthy and never diet again, you’re in the right spot.
If you want to eat healthy, you’re probably thinking about food. Eating healthy is not just the food you eat though, it also includes how you eat.
EAT HEALTHY LIKE YOUR CAR
Let’s pretend you’re going on vacation, and your car is your body. If you’re planning to leave at 9am, and you know that your car’s gas light is on, do you get up at 8:55? Of course not. You need to make time to fill the gas tank. But, let’s say you’re in a hurry, so you whip into the gas station and put 5 bucks of gas in the tank. How far would that get you? You’re in a hurry to get through your day, or to your destination, so every few miles, you’re stopping to put a gallon or two in your car, and that is it. Once you arrive at your destination, does it make sense to then stop, fill up, and park for the week while you’re on vacation?
This is how people often treat their bodies. They get up late in the morning, don’t have time to eat a meal, so they have a snack, or nothing at all. With no time to eat because of not getting up in time to allow for a large breakfast, you will either starve or end up snacking throughout the day because you are hungry. You’re hungry ’cause you didn’t “fill the tank” with quality fuel for the day. So you’re constantly feed your body with . . . snacks. Not enough to actually fill your tank and fuel your day. But when the day is over, most American’s sit down for a large dinner, then shortly thereafter go to bed.
You’ve just filled your “gas tank” and then “parked your car” in the garage, or gone to bed.
EAT HEALTHY BY EATING BACKWARDS
I don’t care if you like it or not, breakfast is important. This doesn’t mean you
have to eat breakfast food! In fact, your first meal should be your largest. Meaning, the highest protein, and the most calories. Dense, complex carbohydrates need to be on your plate and in your belly!
I grew up eating this way. I grew up eating chili, cornbread and collards for breakfast.
This is how you need to eat: dinner, lunch, and if you eat a third meal, breakfast.
Breakfast should be dinner, lunch should be lunch, and dinner should be breakfast.
It looks like this: Breakfast, your “meat (beans) and potatoes” type of meal. Lunch, your usual lunch in size; your granola, salad, sandwich, etc. and then, breakfast for dinner. Your green drink, smoothie, yogurt or “quick, light snack”. And this is IF you eat at all. I typically don’t.
EAT HEALTHY BY NOT EATING
The new thing is intermittent fasting. Guess what? This ain’t new folks! I was fasting at a year old. Yup. My mom brought me up on a 2-3 meal a day kind of day. I never had a single snack, not even juice, milk, apples or crackers. It was water between a 5-6 hour “fasting” period.
Now you might think this is crazy, but it is not. Neither is it bad for kids. Kids brought up like this will have less health issues and weight problems.
Here are a few reasons why it’s good not to eat all day long, whether that is a snack (literally a singular celery stick) or 6 tiny meals a day.
“Allergies are more common among people who snack between meals [or eat frequent small meals]. Not only is the variety of possible allergens greatly multiplied, but the likelihood of producing toxic chemicals in the digestive tract by inefficient digestion is also increased by eating between meals.”
“The more frequent the between-meal snacking, the greater the number of cavities that one has at each new visit to the dentist.”
“Snacks are usually of poor quality food. Those who eat snacks are more likely to use fried foods (the poorest way to prepare foods), to use food of inferior quality, sweets and “empty calories.’”
“Eating between meals, even nibbling a few peanuts, causes stagnation of food in the stomach. X-ray studies done years ago using contrast media showed that a little eating between meals delays stomach emptying by many hours, even up to 14 hours or more.” ~ Dr. Agatha Thrash, M.D. Preventive Medicine, “Snacks and Eating Between Meals”
EAT HEALTHY EAT CLEAN
Clean eating doesn’t necessarily mean clean meat. Eating clean and lean simply put, is eating whole foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and healthy fats. Limit or omit, highly processed snack foods, sweets and other packaged foods. Raw food is the cleanest and purest way to eat clean.
Sugary, oily foods can be vegan. They are also fattening and simply not nutritious. When one eats nutritious meals with complex carbs and whole grains, it is easy to wait 5 to 6 hours between each meal, because you’re consuming dense foods that take longer to digest, which keep you full longer.
EAT HEALTHY AND NEVER DIET AGAIN
Many times I have said before that dieting is temporary. A diet is specifically designed to get fast results, whether for competing, for losing weight fast, or gaining weight fast. But after dieting, you should be able to maintain your weight without having to continue to ride the up and down scale of weight gain and loss from dieting, returning to old habits, and dieting again.
Changing eating habits as a lifestyle is a way to maintain healthy weight and never again having to diet. A vegan diet is the best diet for optimum health and weight control. You can actually diet by changing your regular eating habits to a vegan lifestyle, gradually, and then maintain the lifestyle forever afterwords. It is one of the only “diets” that you can healthfully maintain after reaching your targeted weight loss or gains!
Bodybuilders and powerlifters have amazing results on a vegan diet as well, and people have been able to compete and win championships on the diet.
EAT HEALTHY AGE BACKWARDS
The fountain of youth is actually legit. Well, I’d call it the “raw foods fountain of
youth”, because eating a mostly raw and vegan diet has shown to add years, energy and youthfulness to your life.
I have had several people tell me they don’t want to live a long life. The reason is because they just don’t feel good. If one feels lethargic, low on energy, achy, slow and in a brain fog all day every day, why would someone want to live longer?
The best part of being a vegan is that you age backwards, or slower. It takes away the brain fog, the drowsiness, fatigue and provides more energy and alertness. Also, your skin will be clearer, your hair shiner, your body will smell better and you’re all around just more happy, and who doesn’t want that?
EAT HEALTHY FEEL HEALTHY
At the end of the day, if you eat healthy, you will feel healthy. Feeling healthy is worth the extra celery sticks, trust me.
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If you’re not sure how to get better results in the gym, it could simply be because you’re working out too much, too long, or too hard. But how is that possible, you ask?
Let’s talk about how to work out smarter not harder.
You don’t have to spend 2-3 hours in the gym to reach some pretty impressive goals. 1-2 hours really is all you need. And this should include a 10 minute warm up and cool down, plus a 10 minute stretch.
This article is inspired by many, many people I have seen in the gym. People who are trying their hardest to get a good pump and reach new goals. Sadly, there is a very simple and yet huge component, that a lot of people miss. As a result, there are a lot of truly dedicated people who just aren’t getting their goals met, and don’t know why.
This article is directly written for beginners as well as all my pals who have been in the gym for . . . centuries. Because, as a newb, I remember observing the more seasoned gym rats and thinking they knew what they were doing. Looking back, I see that these poor guys were also missing out on something very important.
So let’s jump right in.
GET BETTER RESULTS IN THE GYM WITH FULL RANGE OF MOTION
First we are going to talk about some basics. Range of motion. This is one phrase you need to become aware of if you aren’t already.
There are very few times when youshouldn’tuse full range of motion. So we will just focus on using full range of motion always. For now. There are exceptions to this rule, but generally speaking, one should always use full range of motion.
Full range of motion helps you build better balanced muscles. In other words, full ROM helps your muscles grow fully, filling out proportionately. When you don’t use full range of motion, you inhibit your movements and can stunt your muscle growth. Also, full ROM helps with balance and stability, and developing overall strength.
If you are not sure what full range of motion looks like, go on YouTube and search whatever move you’re trying to do, (i.e. bicep curl) and search “how to do a bicep curl using full range of motion.”
GET RESULTS IN THE GYM BY SLOWING DOWN
When you rush through your moves, you’re doing a lot of things, and none are for your good. One very specific thing that is not good is you’re increasing your chances of injury.
When I began my gym life as a newb, I really thought the faster I curled the stronger I’d become. It made sense to me. It wears you out faster, you get your heart rate up, you sweat . . .
When you slow down, you’re allowing yourself to focus on the muscle you’re working. Mind to muscle literally focuses all of your energy to the exact muscle you’re working, therefore maximizing the value of your move.
When you slow down, it allows you to fully extend your movement so that you are using full range of motion properly. In this way, you’re also able to utilize the entire flexing and extending capacity of the movement, maximizing every inch of the move to build your muscle proportionately, and increasing size and strength.
Slowing down your movements also helps you work those tiny stabilizer muscles which supports the larger muscle groups. Also, by slowing it down you have a longer time under tension which result in better muscle hypertrophy (growth).
GET RESULTS IN THE GYM BY MAKING EVERY MINUTE COUNT
When you are in the gym every move you make should count, and so should every moment.
When you are catching your breath between sets, do something.
One thing you can be doing is drinking water. Staying properly hydrated during your workouts is extremely important. If you’re not hydrated, your joints will hurt, and your muscles will cramp. Water also helps to regulate your body temp, and we all know it can get a little hot up in the gym!
Another thing that helps you maximize your time in the gym is to use a timer. It’s easy to sit down and scroll through IG. I know, I’ve had my “meh” gym days where I probably have spent equal amount of time scrolling as lifting. Time your breaks. If you’re lifting “light”, give yourself 30 second breaks. When you’re pushing heavier weights, give yourself 1.5 minute breaks. And, if you’re doing power and lifting extra heavy, you may need up to 3+ minute breaks. But don’t ever fully cool down between sets.
A third thing I like doing is throwing in a 10-rep set of crunches or a 30 second plank. It takes minimal effort, minimal time, and you don’t have to have an “ab day” when you’re doing abs between every set you do in the gym.
GET BETTER RESULTS IN THE GYM WITH VARIETY
Change can be a scary word and action, for anybody. It takes you away from your comfort zone, or your auto-pilot go-to. But it also throws you for a loop enough that it can jolt your muscles to wake up and grow.
Your body gets used to patterns of movement, lifting a set weight, and repetition without change doesn’t produce any sort of better results.
Every 5-8 weeks you should completely change up your workout. Go from light weight, high reps to heavy weight low reps. You can change from a balance and stability workout to a more cardio based workout. You can switch from using mostly machines to using bands, dumbbells and balance-inducing equipment like a Bosu ball or stability ball. Take a break from the gym on weekends and go kayaking and hiking. Something that changes up your routine not only confuses your muscles but also helps you psychologically as well. Change is inspiring. Getting “uncomfortable” and going out of familiar territory helps us grow.
When you’re doing cardio, jump off the treadmill and do 30 seconds of jumping jacks or squat jumps, etc. Changing it up like this helps to break up your time and keeps you focused.
GET BETTER RESULTS IN THE GYM WITH TRACKING YOUR PROGRESS
Write down how much weight you do when lifting, pushing, pulling, etc. Every time you work out, keep track of how much weight you did, then up your weight. Try to up your weight every week. Some times it takes 2 weeks, and sometimes the “up” is only a pound increase. Whatever it is, write it down. This gives you a visual track record of your progress.
GET BETTER RESULTS IN THE GYM WITH THE RIGHT SUPPLEMENTS
Say no to energy drinks, say hello to Nootropics. AXIO takes a different approach to energy—specially formulated to give energy to your mind, not just your body.
I have never been a supplement girl. Ever. Until about 4 months ago. But these supplements are different. This is not a multivitamin.
Let me explain.
Protandim® NAD Synergizer was specifically formulated to target NAD, and has been shown to double sirtuin activity in 24 hours. Supporting increased health, focus, energy, mental clarity, and mood.
These supplements go cell-deep. Have you ever wished to – feel young again? Well, these supplements basically help you begin your journey to aging backwards.
You won’t find a huge burst of jittery energy, and you also won’t watch your hair turn from white back to brown.
What you will feel (or, I should say, what I feel) is that energy from the teen years. That rarely-ever-tired, go-all-day, sort of energy.
Time to evolve from just taking supplements to biohacking. Clinically proven to reduce oxidative stress by 40% in 30 days.
With this kind of energy, I have not had a bad gym-day yet. Which is a lot for me to say, because I always had at least 1-3 bad gym days a week. Just the low-energy ones, the days when no matter what, I couldn’t do a 20 pound concentration curl like usual.
Also, my nights are so much better, which in turn makes for less tiring days. I also very rarely experience afternoon lack of energy. My recovery timein the gym is also much quicker, making it much easier for me to advance and progress.
Let me warn you, this supplement is one that sort of sneaks up on you (slowly). I took it for 10 days before I felt anything, and even then I wasn’t sure it was the Nrf2. I thought maybe it was just because I had a good night’s sleep. It was 3 months before I started having better nights, and that also didn’t just hit me one day. But trust me, be patient, it’s so worth it! It’s not even expensive, which is a huge win!
FINAL NOTE ON MY FAVE TWO PRODUCTS
I take AXIO in the mornings on my way to the gym. It is my “energy” drink, but again, don’t mistaken “energy” for the same thing as a cup of coffee. This energy is an awake-ness, from the brain out. 🙂
The Nrf2 is what I have consistently been taking for 4 months now which has helped improve my lack of energy and recovery time.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclaimer for more info.
Vegan Powerlifting
An Interview with Jim Gurtner Part 2
Welcome back to VeganPowerlifting!
Jim Gurtner, professional powerlifter and bodybuilder became a vegan and has competed off and on for 30 years. He won championships on this diet when the plant-based lifestyle wasn’t at all popular or cool. In fact, in the fitness world, it was thought that one could not build muscle on plants, because, after all, where would someone get protein if not from meat?
At the moment, Jim is not competing, but this doesn’t mean he won’t again. He even told me that, “When I was not training for a meet, I would be training with someone who was getting ready for one.” His career as a powerlifter hasn’t necessarily been the only thing he has done. It has been more of an off and on hobby over the past 30 year span.
Now, he says that in the past 5 years, though he may not be competing right now, he has done personal training for vegans and non-vegans alike.
Jim has just recently released a book for amateurs and professionals alike, Vegan Health & Strength.In his book, you will discover how a properly designed vegan diet can be superior to all others for building a strong, healthy, and muscular body. He teaches you how to plan and easily prepare vegan meals, as well as muscle-building workouts with energy and stamina you wouldn’t think possible.
Below, I continue talking with Jim about his life as a fitness professional, powerlifter and bodybuilder. We also talk some about his personal life and even mention some of the famous people he got to meet along the way!
When I was beginning my fitness goals, the idea of bodybuilding didn’t cross my mind. Not really anyway. Maybe briefly, but I’d say it was more of a distant thought. For Jim on the other hand, it was a passion. I asked Jim what made him decided he wanted to be a bodybuilder, and he told me his story:
“I was 16 and a junior in high school. One day in the cafeteria while eating, someone said, ‘you have to check out this freshman and the size of his biceps.’ His name was Ben Lew. When I asked him to show me his arm, his bicep flexed into a ball the size I couldn’t believe! Amazed I asked him, ‘how did you get those arms?’ He said, ‘through bodybuilding.’ I replied, ‘You mean to tell me that there’s a systematic way of going about getting muscles, and I could do the same?’ He said, ‘Certainly!’
“Well, the iron bug bit hard! That whole year at lunchtime I would pick Ben’s brain about bodybuilding. His hero was Bruce Lee, and was working out to emulate him, but he knew quite a bit about bodybuilding and taught me a lot. I am still in touch with him and he is still in fantastic shape!”
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
“It was in 1978 when my best friend, Joel, picked me up to go to the my very first gym: Health & Strength, in Highland Park, New Jersey. I had just turned 17 and had been training for about a year in my home gym that I put together. It included a Joe Weider Multi Bench and a small beginner, 110-pound barbell and dumbbell set. I saw in a magazine article that Joe Spooner, Mr. America at the time, worked out at this gym. My buddy Joel and I decided to check it out.
“Well, we walked into the gym, and as providence would have it, there he was, doing wide-grip chin-ups, as big as day! I could not believe how big and strong he was! We asked for his autograph, and asked a few questions. After that, Joel and I had our very first workout in this fantastic gym.
“In the late 70s and 80s when I first started working out, there was no such thing as personal trainers. With no internet, and only a handful of bodybuilding magazines, most everyone in the gym was doing very similar workouts.
“I learned how to train and gain muscle by working with and around champion bodybuilders. One was Richard Gaspari, the number 2 bodybuilder in the world at the time. I also learned by attending local bodybuilding seminars. They were held by notable champions and the time. I also poured over any and all books and magazines on bodybuilding I could get my hands on.
“I was even able to attend a training seminar with Arnold Schwarzenegger and his long-time training partner, Franco Columbu. What I learned in that seminar was life changing!”
CHAMPIONSHIPS, COMPETING AND PERSONAL LIFE
I heard through other people that Jim had won championships on a plant-based diet.
When I first met Jim, I was a total noob. I had never really worked out before, and I was so enthralled with the thought of bodybuilding. I was a vegan, and I have to be honest, I didn’t think vegans could actually bodybuilder or compete. When I found out that not only could one bodybuilding, but it was possible on a vegan diet, I was so excited. When I finally got the chance to interview Jim nearly 8 years later, I had to ask him to tell me about how and what he did as a competitor.
“Championships that I have won have all been in the sport of powerlifting, where you are judged by the total amount of weight lifted in the bench press, squat, and deadlift.
“I won three state level championships, two in 1998, and one in 2003, all in the over 40-year-old, 242 pound class, and drug free.
Often when I think about competing or someone else competing, I know it requires a lot of time, and I wondered how that effected Jim’s personal life. I asked him if his wife ever hits the gym with him, but he said no. “Hours in the gym is time away from my family, but they understand . . . My workouts are far too intense for my wife’s liking. . . our workouts are not compatible with each other.”
When I asked if he is still competing, he said that he is not, “at the moment,” but, “I never train just to maintain. I always push myself to the limit with the intent of a possible future meet. . .”
When I asked him if he thinks he’ll ever compete again, he said that he is definitely thinking about it!
I was curious what the main difference was between his regular fitness and diet regime and when competing. He said that it depends on if it’s bodybuilding or powerlifting.
“. . . In powerlifting, calories are increased to push my bodyweight up to compete in the 242 pound class, where I feel the strongest. Bodybuilding is much more involved and includes cutting calories to slowly loose all body fat, tanning, practicing posing which makes the muscles look harder, longer higher volume training sessions. For both powerlifting and bodybuilding completion, I will travel to a gym several times a week and work with a training partner to push me to the limit!”
BODYBUILDING AND NOT YET VEGAN
“In 1988, after training for 10 years, I competed in my first bodybuilding contest, the Mr. Natural New Jersey, which a good friend of mine, Mike Rieker, had won the year before. I got too heavy in the offseason, and ended up having to loose 40 pounds of bodyweight in three months to get defined enough for the show.
“My diet at the time was low fat, low carbs, and high protein. Lots of tuna fish and salads. I trained hard and fast 1.5-2 hours a day, and the last few weeks did an hour of cardio a day. On top of that, I even did 1-hr aerobic ab classes. It was exhausting!
“By contest time, bodyfat testing showed that I had lost 25 pound of fat, but unfortunately, lost 15 pounds of precious muscle. I ended up coming in too flat for the prejudging, and after eating, my muscles filled out nicely for the night show, but it was too late! I ended up not placing.
“After the show, I hit the gym hard again, and helped someone I met in the gym prepare for the Mr. Natural New York City. In about 4 months he was ready for his first show, where he ended up winning 1st place in this class.”
"At the end of the same year, I went to Brazil for a
wedding, met the girl of my dreams, and got married
6 months later. This is when the vegan
adventure began!"
STEAK, CHICKEN, EGGS AND A QUART OF MILK
At this point I was curious what Jim’s diet was like. All of the people I knew that competed, came into the gym all puffed up, talking about how much protein they had to have in a day. They were beasts! (Smelly – beasts).
But it was just how they did things, not just when they were competing! These regular gym-bro’s always bragged about the amount of protein they were consuming in a day. I had to ask Jim, “What was your diet like?”
He said, “before I came up vegan, in my mid 20’s, I would eat 70 jumbo eggs a week, two roast beef sandwiches or two cheese sandwiches for mid-afternoon and mid-morning snack. A whole rotisserie chicken for lunch. About an hour before working out, a pound of fruit. After working out I would drink a quart of milk with frozen banana and four raw eggs. After working out I would go with my friends to Arthur’s Steakhouse and have a salad, baked potato, and a 24-ounce steak.”
Okay guys, there you have it. I honestly don’t know how he ate like that. I’d be 250lbs in two weeks, I’m sure!
“Do you eat differently when you’re competing than when you’re just working out on a daily basis, and how?” I asked. Jim replied, “To get to [desired] weight meant eating three large meals a day. Now that I’ve retired from powerlifting, my diet consists of a large breakfast and lunch, and a light dinner so I can keep my bodyweight close to competition weight.
“I look at the third meal as a thermostat: eat more at this meal to gain weight, eat less or nothing to loose weight.”
I asked Jim what his number one diet/fitness tip would be for someone like myself (or you!) who’d like to get into bodybuilding. His advice was pretty simple:
"Consistency with your workouts - no long layoffs."
STRUGGLES WITH GAINS, NOT DRUGS
Jim Gurtner 26 Years-old
I got close to being able to compete – once. But I remember when I was training, one of the hardest things for me was gains, so I asked Jim how it was for him. He said, “gains never came easy for me. Being tall with long legs and arms, I found it difficult to put on mass. But I was persistent, and year after year I worked to increase my muscle mass and strength. It has taken a lot of patience.” Now he says that he doesn’t have any difficulties maintaining his weight. “I enjoy eating very much, so weight gain is no problem.”
The big question we’ve all been waiting for – did Jim take steroids? Or at least for me, it was a question I was waiting for! Because even the regular ol’ gym-bro at my gym seemed to think steroids was a good idea. I figured competing would add the temptation. But when I asked if he ever took them, he replied with a solid, NO.
"All of my gains in size and strength
have been without the use of drugs.
“After competing in the Mr. Natural New Jersey, I decided to try a 10-week steroid cycle, but did not see much change except for a little more definition. I discovered that if I was going to be the mass monster like those bodybuilders I emulated, I would have to take a lot higher dosages than what I had taken, and for a much longer period of time. Not wanting to put my health at risk, I decided not to go that route!”
IN THE GYM TODAY
I asked Jim what his regular fitness regime is now, and he told me that he works out about 4 times per week for about an hour to an hour and a half a day. He said, “I divide my body in 4 parts: Chest day, back day, shoulder, arms day, and leg day. So all body parts are worked 1 time per week, while calves, abs, and forearms I will do 2 times per week.”
He says even when he was competing, he followed the same basic routine he follows now.
“4 times per week is about all that I have ever trained,” he says. “When training light and fast, for a week or two, I may train 6 times per week.”
Do you have a partner or somebody that keeps you accountable?
“Although I highly recommend a training partner, I am currently training alone,” Jim stated, “However, during this past year I was highly motivated to push myself hard to be ready for a reunion workout with my first training partner in New Jersey this past July. The recorded “Reunion Workout” will be posted on my online training course.”
INSPIRATION AND ROLE MODELS
I really enjoy finding out who inspires great people and who they look up to. I asked Jim who his role model is, and he said, “Arnold Schwarzenegger, whom I have had the privilege of meeting on three different occasions.”
When I asked Jim if he listens to or watches any motivational speakers, podcasts, YouTube channels, or has any particular reading material he would like to share, he again mentioned Arnold Schwarzenegger. “The movie Pumping Iron, Arnold’s book, Education of a Bodybuilder, and Franco Columbu’s book, Coming on Strong, have all been extremely inspirational for me. Nick’s Strength and Power, and Dr. Michael Greger’s NutritionFacts, are two YouTube channels I watch regularly.”
Obviously, the previous question sort of answered my next questions, “have you ever met anyone famous?” but I asked him if he still talks to the people he has met, and who else he’s met besides Arnold.
“I have met a number of famous people: Dr. Atkins founder of the Atkins diet. I actually sat in his office. . . Richard Gaspari, the number 2 bodybuilder in the work for 3 consecutive years in the late 1980s, I knew since he was was 14 years old. Trained with Steve Goggins, ranked by Powerlifting USA, the number 1 powerlifter of all time. Casey Viator, the youngest Mr. America ever, who I met at Coffee’s Gym in Marietta, GA. . . I never stayed in regular contact with any of them, except Rich Gaspari, who I talk to on a regular basis since we trained at the same gym for so many years in the 1980s.”
HABITS UNRELATED TO DIET AND FITNESS
Every successful man and woman I have met have always had some sort of good habit that they swear by. Sometimes it’s an early 3am jump in a cold lake, or a two hour meditation process. At times, it’s pretty ordinary while other habits are quite odd.
I wanted to know what type of habits Jim might have to share that he does regularly. He told me that one of the things that keeps him motivated and on track is, “Being a Christian, daily prayer and Bible study in the morning before eating breakfast.”
While Jim may not be competing right now, he still lives the life of one working towards a goal. He doesn’t just train to compete. For Jim, health and fitness is a lifestyle. His daily regime is a routine of always moving forward with health and fitness his primary focus.
“On a typical work day, I get up about 6:30am, drink 3-4 cups of warm water, feed my 2 cats, eat breakfast and take a 10-20min walk. Work starts at 8:00am from my home office and I set a timer to get up, stretch and squat 10-20 reps every 45 minutes since my job entails sitting the whole day. Lunch is around noon and I go for another 10-20 min walk, then I get off of work at 5pm. At that time, I have a light dinner and walk again. About 7:30pm I will start my workout at my home gym and finish about 9:00pm. Shower, drink some cold water, and in bed by 10:00pm.”
NO EXCUSES
Too busy? Never. Jim says, “I can always find time to squeeze in a 1-hour workout, especially now that I have build a gym at home. There are times when I will have to workout as late as 9-10 pm, but I feel so much better than if I would have missed it!”
In a rut? No excuses there either. Jim says that, “sometimes I will take as much as a week off from training, and come back using lighter weights with higher reps and short rest periods between sets. Then over the period of 2-3 weeks gradually increasing the weight used until I am lifting the same or more before the “rut” hit!
THE TEAM, THE FAMILY
When I asked Jim about his family and how they support him, he said, “My family and I have always been very close. My son, now 28, and daughter, 25, have been vegan from birth, so together we have shared the joys and challenges of living in a meat-eating world. The latest addition to our family is my daughter-in-law, who adopted a vegan diet shortly before getting married to my son. We all live on the same property in the country and all enjoy preparing and eating vegan meals together, especially for celebrations and the holidays. It is a lifestyle that we all relish!”
IN CONCLUSION
What is your core drive to stay healthy in general?
“I want to live a long life, enjoying plenty of health and strength at the same time. In the future, I want my grandchildren to say when they are trying to move something heavy like a piano “We can’t move it. It’s just too heavy. We will have to call Grandpa’!”
SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS
One last thing, Jim Gurtner is an award winning author of Vegan Health & Strength, a book on How to Build a Strong, Healthy, and Muscular Body on a Plant-Based Diet. I’ve included the link so you can get your hands on it and make it your own (above). Enjoy!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclaimer for more info.
Vegan Powerlifting
An Interview with Jim Gurtner
Have you ever thought about the fact that vegan powerlifting could actually be a real thing?
Welcome to the plant-based, power-loaded life of Jim Gurtner! He has won championships as a powerlifter. Jim has also competed as a bodybuilder, and accomplished this all on a vegan diet. This man impressed me from the moment I first met him.
I was intrigued by the fact that Jim was able to be so successful with bodybuilding and powerlifting on a plant-based diet.
As some of you may know by now, I am a vegan. I promote a healthy vegan diet for weight loss and weight (muscle) gain. And as a result of this lifestyle, I have caught a lot of flack for it. I am not the only one though. Jim has as well. You’re about to see how he maneuvered around all of this and still accomplished his goals. He did this on a vegan diet, invalidated pretty much every vegan-muscle building myth, and beat the stigma that goes along with it.
It has become apparent in recent times that bodybuilding, muscle gains and powerlifting are very attainable on a plant-based diet. Jim proved this fact way before it was cool.
After I started my blog, I contacted Jim and asked him if we could chat. I asked way too many questions and got a ton of amazing answers. As a result, I will be continuing this interview in Part 2 next week. (I was going to shorten it, but there’s just too much awesomeness to cut out).
Jim has taught me so much. If you are new, or advanced, there are a lot of great tips in here that I promise you, you have never heard of in your life!
Read below to discover how you can build muscle and take your regime to the next level and accomplish this on a plant-based diet!
THE BEGINNING
I was raised a vegan. For me, it was a way of life. I almost half-way expected Jim to be the same way. (I’m not exactly sure why, cause let’s face it, that’s not exactly normal.)
When Jim and I first started chatting, I asked him if he was raised eating healthy and living in the gym. To my surprise, Jim said that was not the case. In fact, when I asked him if he was raised vegan, his answer was, “No! My brother, sister and I were raised on the 4-food groups taught in almost all schools in the 60s and 70s: The meat, dairy, vegetable, and fruit groups were our mainstay.
“My father, was a smoker and a beer drinker had no interest in nutrition at all. He was furious with me when I started bodybuilding at age sixteen. He did everything he could to make me quit. My mother on the other hand instilled in me an interest in nutrition and health from an early age.”
THE SHIFT FROM MEAT TO PLANT-BASED
I asked Jim what the one thing was that made him decide to change his eating habits. He said, “When I got married at 27 I had been bodybuilding for over 10 years on a heavy meat, egg, and milk diet. My wife’s diet, before we got married, was primarily vegetarian. After we got married, she started eating more like me.
Shortly thereafter, she started to complain about a severe stabbing pain in her abdomen. We visited many doctors, and I eventually took her to see the now famous Dr. Atkins in New York City, but even with the supplements he prescribed, she got no relief. It was at this time she started to suspect that the problem may be caused by her recent change in diet.
At first, we cut out all beef, chicken, and fish. With this change alone, her health problems were completely resolved in a few short weeks! After about a year later, I cut out all dairy, including cheese.”
For me, personally, I have never had the challenge of having to change my diet. I grew up vegan, so it was my lifestyle. For most people, and for Jim, it was a developed habit, and not exactly an easy change.
Interestingly enough, Jim states that the most
difficult part of the change in diet wasn't the food.
It was the lack of support from his family.
His mother was seriously against it, especially after his son was born. “She said that he would not develop properly without meat. Ironically, after my father passed away in his sleep from a heart attack at 62, my mother shortly thereafter adopted a vegan diet, and has been mostly for nearly 20 years now.”
THE PROCESS OF LETTING GO
I asked Jim how long it took to embrace veganism. He said going vegetarian was easy. “However,” he went on, “we started to eat a ton of cheese, especially mozzarella to make sure, I thought, we were getting enough calcium and protein. I remember having up to 20 blocks of cheese in the freezer.” Later, he says, “I became very good friends with my chiropractor who was vegan. He and his wife inspired me to do the same. It has been nearly 30 years now that I have been on a vegan, or plant-based diet.”
Of course, you’re probably thinking the same thing I’m thinking, do you miss meat? But he adamantly stated, “No, never! Believe it or not, even though I ate a ton of meat before I became vegan, I never really liked it. I just ate it because I thought I needed to to get big!”
Jim suggested a book that was (and is still) a strong motivator for him, written by Dr. Agatha Thrash. It is called, “The Animal Connection: The Proven Link Between Cancer and Other Diseases from Animals, and Man”. He stated that, “even if it means going hungry and missing a meal or two,” he’d rather skip out than eat meat.
ADD THIS TO YOUR DIET
I was curious what two foods Jim would recommend cutting out and/or adding first, when deciding to switch to a plant-based diet. His answer was pretty simple:
"Cut out meat and add nuts to your diet."
I asked Jim, “what should a vegan bodybuilder eat a lot of?” He again stated pretty straight forward, “Fruits, grains, nuts and vegetables.”
As you can see, and to my surprise, even as a vegan advocate, that taking your body to the next level (bodybuilding and powerlifting) doesn’t require some extra special, weird foods! So far, he hadn’t said a word about how many shakes he was making, or anything unusual.
COUNTING CALORIES AND CHEAT (“TREAT”) MEALS
When someone is trying go make a huge change in physique, one often envisions a lot of diet . . . pains. One of these dreaded changes is counting calories.
So I asked Jim if he counts calories, and his answer will shock you.
“I never count calories. I weigh myself every day at the same time to see the effect reducing or increasing the amount of food consumed at
dinner. The hungrier I go to bed, the more weight I loose.”
I went further and asked him if he cheats on his diet. And I loved his answer. “I have never looked at eating food that is not entirely healthful as cheating, but as a treat. Whenever there are family celebrations or Thanksgiving, I will eat more food than I usually do, and that may include some white bread.” He went on to say that, “I never have an entire cheat (or treat) day. It will only be for one meal of the day.”
As Jim went on to describe what a “treat” meal looked like, it was still ” —all vegan, of course!” He said, “We also enjoy Papa John’s veggie pizza with no cheese and extra sauce.”
ON THE DAILY MENU
I asked Jim what the number one thing was that he made sure to eat on a daily basis. His answer was a solid . . .
"Pressure cooked beans, every day! Right up there with beans is nuts every day, an ounce or two,
2-3 times perday."
SUPPLEMENTS
As a bodybuilder, powerlifter and someone that competes, I assumed supplements would be a huge thing.
As I prepared to make a $500. list of supplements for you, he stated that, “In my first 10 years of training in the 1980’s, I took every supplement, protein powder, and weight-gain imaginable, but never really noticed any great gains from any of them. For nearly 30 years as a vegan, I have not taken any supplements, until recently. I go into detail on this topic in my online course.
I asked him if one can actually get body-builder-big without any supplements on a vegan diet, and he said, “Absolutely! I took my body from 200 to 242 pounds in one year with no supplements on a vegan diet.” See his results here.
HOW MANY MEALS A DAY
As a personal trainer, I have worked in small gyms, large gyms and also have private trained. There is a very common number of things that most trainers teach their clients. Number 1, eat frequently. Preferably 6 meals a day. And if you are trying to gain, you have to eat a lot. Number2, I often heard trainers tell their clients not to eat fruit. Personally, I cringed inside at both of these pieces of crazy advice.
Vegan Thanksgiving at the Gurtner’s. Jim at the head of the table, his wife, daughter, son, and his son’s wife.
I wanted to know from Jim how exactly he maneuvered these total myths. Since he’s got a little more experienced than I, and actually competed on a vegan diet, he’d have some great advice.
When I said, “A lot of trainers tell their clients to stay away from fruit, what do you think?” He replied with: “I think this advice is absurd!”
My next question was, “how many meals do you recommend eating per day, and is it the same for a regular gym-rat as it is for a bodybuilder?” Jim said to eat, “2-3 times a day max. Serge Nubret, who came in second place to Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1975 Mr. Olympia, followed this meal plan and was far ahead of his time in terms of muscularity and definition.”
VEGAN MUSCLE BUILDING AND CARBS
“How do you feel about carbs?” I asked Jim. He said, “Complex, low-glycemic carbs are essential for the energy needed for intense workouts to suppress myostatin!”
So there you have it my friends. To be big, you don’t have to eat, “70 jumbo eggs a week, a whole rotisserie chicken for lunch, and a 24 ounce steaks for dinner,” which was Jim’s usual before he made the change to vegetarian and then a plant-based diet.
POPULAR FAD DIETS
When I asked Jim how he felt about all these popular diets that pop up, he said that, “The Keto and Paleo diets are so bad for your health. Vegan is the way to go. The majority of longest lived people on the planet are on mostly a plant-based diet.”
I asked him if he was gluten free or recommended it, and he said that he is not gluten-free, and that he does not recommend a GF diet, “unless of course a person has celiac disease.” He went on to say that he feel like, “there are a lot of excellent whole-grain products, rich in fiber, B vitamins, and well as carbohydrates and protein, that you would be missing out on when cutting gluten from the diet.”
I assume you’re probably wondering the same thing I wondered right off the top, and that is . . . protein!
LET’S TALK PROTEIN
The very first question that comes to mind for all fitness enthusiasts is:
Where do you get your protein as a vegan?
He answered by quoting his recently released book: Vegan Health & Strength – How to Build a Strong, Healthy, and Muscular Body on a Plant-Based Diet.
“Our education system has taught that true, high-quality, and complete sources of protein can only be obtained from meat and dairy products. Any plant-based proteins are mostly low-quality, inferior, and incomplete, . . .”
He said a lot more, but for the sake of shortening things a bit I’ve cut a lot out. Sorry. Please go buy his book! You will not regret it! But carrying on, he says that, “A lack of protein in the diet can only occur when there are not enough calories being consumed. If you are getting enough calories to function normally on a daily basis, you are getting enough protein.” He continues to quote: “. . . all foods have complete proteins and contain the nine essential amino acids needed for health and strength. But how can this be confirmed? By using the readily available USDA Food Composition Database tables on the Internet, to look up the amount of each of the nine essential amino acids that various foods contain.”
“The argument that is most frequently put forth is that protein from most plant sources are incomplete (and therefore, inferior), because they are either deficient or very low in the nine essential amino acids. . .these claims are absolutely false!
By graphing and comparing the relative amounts of each of the nine essential amino acids for various foods using the USDA Food Composition Databases, it can be clearly seen that no plant food is deficient in any of the nine essential amino acids. While certain plant foods, like nuts and beans, have more protein than carrots and apples, but both contain all nine essential amino acids in relatively the same ratios. I have graphed the nine essential amino acids of many foods, including beef, chicken, fish, milk, and eggs, and have compared them to plant-based foods such as nuts, beans, fruits, and vegetables. Many are shocked to see no apparent difference in the relative amounts of amino acids that these foods contain. A table of these graphs is available as a free download from my book’s website.”
ARE YOU GETTING ENOUGH PROTEIN?
I asked Jim if there was ever a point when he just really felt like he was not getting enough protein. Wow, he really feels confident when he answers with a very strong, “NEVER!” He said, “The reason for the concern about getting enough protein, especially for bodybuilding, is that it is widely believed that muscle is being broken down by exercise, and rebuilt by the protein we consume. However, surprisingly enough, this is not the case!”
Jim sent me another excerpt from his book on this subject.
“Search results on Google, for “how do muscles grow,” basically say that muscle is broken down, or even damaged during training, and is rebuilt stronger than before. This idea of rebuilding muscle that has been broken down has given rise to a multi-billion dollar protein supplement industry that promises to rebuild all that muscle that is being broken down out there. But . . .
As far back as 1981, Joe Weider, who is considered by many to be the father of modern bodybuilding, in his book, Bodybuilding: A Weider Approach, stated the following:
“For decades it was thought that muscle cells were broken down by exercise, and then during periods of rest, built up larger and stronger than they were before being trained. Recent scientific research has tended to disprove this theory, however. Physiologists now support a theory that involves inhibition of catabolism [muscle breakdown]… Your body is in a constant state of building up cells (anabolism) and tearing down cells (catabolism). In most individuals, the rates of anabolism and catabolism are balanced, so the body is in an equilibrium. In other words, it is maintaining its size and bodyweight at a constant level… Research now suggests that this [adding muscle mass] is not done by increasing anabolism, but actually by decreasing the catabolism, which makes the net anabolic rate essentially higher.’
In other words, working out does not break down muscle tissue to be built up later by eating large quantities of protein. Working out simply inhibits the naturally occurring breakdown of muscle tissue. Recent research supports this theory and explains the mechanism behind this.” And Jim fast forwards to 2012, but again, buy his book for all this amazing and new info!
“Doing a search for myostatin will reveal dogs, mice, and cattle with enormous muscles from blocking myostatin production with drugs. But fortunately, there are ways to block myostatin naturally without their use. . . “
"It can be done with intense exercise, intermittent
fasting, and an alkaline diet."
Jim went on to say that, “My goal in the gym is to workout intensely enough to block myostatin. My goal in the kitchen is to prepare and eat foods that will give me enough energy to do so.”
TOO MUCH PROTEIN
From my own experience, these huge guys walking around in the gym would stand around talking about their diet, and I personally remember being blown away at the high amount of protein they would make sure to consume. It was way beyond healthy . . . From what I, as a new personal trainer at the time, had recently learned. So I asked Jim . . .
“Do you believe there’s such thing as too much protein?”
And he said, “Absolutely! It is believed that if on a high protein diet, low carb diet, that the protein will be applied to building muscle, and with low carbs, the body will be forced to burn fat. But what actually happens with low carbs is that the body will end up using protein for energy, which can put a strain on the kidneys.”
So there goes the that whole loads of protein myth.
HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO WE NEED?
I asked Jim, so . . . “How much protein do you recommend to be healthy? And does it differ for someone who doesn’t weight train vs. someone who goes to the gym regularly?
His answer: “If you are getting enough calories, you are getting enough protein. This goes for everyone. Again, muscle growth comes from suppressing myostatin, not from rebuilding muscles damaged from working out.”
Of course, I did take it just a little further, though I kind of already knew what he was going to say, but it never hurts to ask, right?
“Do you recommend a protein shake?” I was a little surprised, that he said yes, but in the context, not so much. He said, “If you are trying to gain weight, like I was to compete in the 242 pound class in powerlifting, I added a protein shake for dinner to increase my calorie intake.”
SHAKE RECIPE:
In a blender put 2 cups of soy, almond, or similar milk. Add two or three frozen bananas and a small amount of some other fruit, frozen if available. I prefer strawberries, or half a cup of blueberries or similar fruit. Avoid adding too many strawberries or blueberries. This will water down the smoothie, and it will start to lose its rich, creamy taste. Blend until smooth.
SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS
One last thing, Jim Gurtner is an award winning author of Vegan Health & Strength, a book on How to Build a Strong, Healthy, and Muscular Body on a Plant-Based Diet. I’ve included the link so you can get your hands on it and make it your own (above). Enjoy!
That’s it for today folks. Next week we’re going to continue talking with Jim Gurtner about his gym life, inspiration, fitness goals and how he attained them.
