Like most things in life we pass a judgement or place a value on something based upon what we are used to. When it comes to food I would argue you can’t afford not to buy the best quality food available to you. Let me try to demonstrate. In recent years young developing girls often begin their menstrual cycles far sooner than they did only 25 or 50 years ago. This early menstruation has been linked to the increased use of hormones and antibiotics in domestic farming. In addition the continual consumption of trace amounts of antibiotics within our food puts our immune system to work. Unfortunately not in the way we want, rather than the antibiotic working to reinforce our immune system as we would hope it would in a time of illness, our body now becomes desensitized so we either need to consume a lot more or they are just ineffective altogether. It’s my belief that examples like the above are strong contributors to health outbreaks like the recent H1N1 pandemic. Sit down for a moment and think about how many sick days you’ve taken in the last year that either caused you to miss work or pass up on something personally that held high value to you. Consider the lost wages and assign a value to the missed experiences, in this example alone I bet you will find the dollars needed to improve the quality of your next filled grocery cart.

A quick google search indentifies: Heart Disease, Cancer, Lung Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease and Diabetes as Canada’s 5 deadliest diseases. Cumulatively these diseases currently do or will effect the majority of the population. Let me describe that in a way that might be more meaningful. If you have a family containing three people (mom, dad and a single child) it’s expected that mom and dad WILL develop one or more of the above diseases and the child has a 50% chance to also develop one of the above diseases. In all cases Canada’s five deadliest disease’s share another thing in common, regular exercise and quality nutrition are recommendations for reducing the risk of developing these diseases.

The next time you’re at the grocery store contemplating how expensive high quality food is consider the cost of consuming anything else, truly none of us can afford not to consume the best foods available.

One-to-1 trainer Trevor Day get's his workout in between clients.

I purposely never watch or listen to the news, it’s always so negative, they should just call it the six o’clock edition of bad news. When it comes to people and health it’s always how bad people are feeling, how many more trips they make to the doctor, how this disease or that disease is increasing or causing more deaths. I bet you workout and eat healthy because you know that it drastically reduces many of the risk factors associated with these illnesses. Improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol, cardiovascular health all lead to many extra and more enjoyable years with family, friends, and loved ones. I am certain that’s probably why you workout.

As high school or university ends it seems for most of us so does our forced activity. From this point physical ability begins to decline and extra weight appears in places that are unexpected and unflattering. Fears of injury from participation in various activities increases, aches pains, arthritis all begin to occur. It seems to be normal early in life to live with, or expect to live with, pain of some sort. I bet that is why you workout and eat healthy because you’ve heard a reputable personal trainer explain that it’s not normal to live with pain. You have seen firsthand that with proper, targeted exercise, many  common pains such as arthritis or otherwise can be reduced or eliminated altogether. You realize that living pain free allows you to participate in all the things you have always loved for the majority of your life and I bet that is why you workout.

You are probably aware of recent studies by our federal government that indicate thanks to technology and our fast paced dynamic culture that even our children are presented with so many new ways to communicate and entertain themselves that they are becoming far less active. This decline in activity in the youth is so bad that you may outlive your children. Because these are findings of a formal government study in recent years I am certain you workout and eat healthy to be a role model to your fellow family members and children. You realize that setting positive habits makes it easier for them to adopt those same habits long term ensuring that your family is protected from these horrible statistics. That must be why you workout.

I bet you workout because you’ve heard that the number one medication prescribed by doctors is antidepressants as our society deals with greater amounts of stress than they ever have before leaving them feeling inadequate or unsuccessful. You realize that exercise relieves stress and promotes hormone release that works to counter these effects. I am sure you workout and eat healthy because you know that statistically those that exercise on a regular basis are far less likely to be depressed and many times more likely to achieve the success they desire. I am certain you workout because the stress of an economic recession seems far less frightening when you feel good and confident about yourself.

Or maybe you simply exercise and eat healthy because you enjoy the feeling of accomplishment you get from mastering each challenge. Or perhaps it’s just the simple desire to stay in the “skinny jeans” or continue to look great for each trip to the beach this summer. For whatever reason you workout and eat healthy it’s a good one, exercise saves lives you should introduce a friend.

Red Deer Personal Trainer says, "water is critical catalyst for lasting health and weight loss."

Today’s post is a reminder from Red Deer Personal Trainer Cabel McElerry that water is a key element to weight loss. You haven’t had enough water today or yesterday but you can start correcting it for tomorrow. Our body is comprised of seventy percent water it is the single most important element to sustain life. The difference proper hydration makes on a day to day basis is enormous. Previously I’ve talked about the importance of total calories, balanced nutrition even the important role of starchy carbohydrates. Consider water to be the catalyst most recommended by Red Deer Personal trainers that brings all those other things together when trying to initiate healthy, permenant weight loss.

Water is a key element in digestion and absorption. Many vitamins and minerals cannot be absorbed without sufficient water present, the range of vitamin Bs and vitamin C are two examples of water soluble vitamins. Proper hydration can have a dramatic effect on the way we feel in terms of mood and energy levels. Chances are you may be among the seventy-five percent of North America that is chronically dehydrated. According to Robert O. Young, PhD in his book The pH Miracle it’s not unusual to lose two percent of your body water in an hour of exercise. He continues to explain; that two percent drop can result in a measurable decrease in performance. A further drop in body water can lead to physical and mental fatigue and a dramatic decrease in muscle strength and the capacity for work. By the five percent mark you will likely experience dizziness, drowsiness, impatience and headaches. Too drop further your heart can begin to race and you may collapse. All this may occur with as little as a seven percent drop in body water.

If you haven’t already interrupted your reading to get a glass of water you should do so now. Proper hydration begins with the minimum recommendation of eight glasses of water per day. Remember this is a minimum to sustain reasonable hydration, if you are already dehydrated you will need much more than this for a few consecutive days to attain a level of proper hydration. As a personal trainer my recommendations are for the average individual who exercises on average three to four days per week to try to consume one litre of water for every eighteen kilos of bodyweight. Its best, if possible to try to consume quality water such as water processed by reverse osmosis or that has been filtered by some means to remove a number of the impurities we may be faced with in normal tap water.

I challenge you for the next week to consume water based on these recommendations and see if you feel better. Be forewarned the first few days you may just make a few extra trips to the washroom as your body adjusts but you will appreciate it later. Until next time.

Lazy North Americans

Recent exposure to another part of the world left me with a feeling of disappointment. We in North America are horribly inactive and the by-product of our industrialized society has really created the modern day health problems known as stress related illness.

A few weeks ago all forms of local media graciously reported that myself and fellow Red Deerian Glenn Moore were heading to Tanzania, Africa to climb the great Mount Kilimanjaro for charity. (www.thewaterschool.org) The fundraiser and the climb were very successful and our determined group persevered with 23 of 24 individuals reaching the 5895m summit, far higher than the typical summit success average. Personally it was the greatest challenge I have faced in my life so far, the effects of altitude and the limitations in your ability to work it creates is an incredible and very individual experience. At times I would walk no more than 30m before collapsing for 2-3 minutes of rest with a heart rate of likely 150+ bpm. The anxiety and frustration of an inability to perform or maintain my heart rate I am sure only made it worse. In just shy of six hours, but truly what felt like an eternity, I reached Uhuru (the Swahii word for Freedom) Peak under the careful and watchful eye of Odell, one of our porters who had become my personal guide for those last few kilometres. It’s a funny thing when you get there, you sort of can’t believe you made it, you quickly hurry to take your photos and videos as though you might forget altogether and just as quickly begin to head back down simply because inside you are so exhausted that you are afraid if you don’t get going right now you’re not sure if you will make it back to camp.

Now not to belittle the personal sense of achievement that myself and the others share for having conquered the world’s highest free standing mountain but this story is about how we in North America have created a lot of excuses to be inactive and the modern day illness called stress. I make my living in the fitness industry. I trained for this climb for about four and half months. Growing up a strength athlete I was way outside of my comfort zone but after losing 18lbs in preparation I felt I was in pretty good shape for the coming adventure. Spending time in Tanzania you suddenly realize in that part of the world being active is simply a way of life. It was unusual for me to see hand drawn carts of goods for sale, supplies and everything else in the cities. It was more unusual to see people walking, carrying many items miles from any city or town. However the best example of amazing fitness as a result of a lifestyle requiring a great deal of activity came on the mountain from our guides and porters. We were only carrying our 20-30lb day packs walking pole, pole (pronounce poleE poleE, Swahili for slowly, slowly) while our team of porters is carrying about 30-50lbs of their own gear and camp supplies and another 30-50lbs of your additional supplies, food, etc, usually balanced on their heads; walking quickly up the mountain and often in simple running shoes. Each day they would reach camp long before us, often with our tents fully setup and prepared and busy boiling drinking water and preparing the evening meal. On summit day Odell needed no rest but he would patiently rest and wait with me as I struggled to persevere onward. Our lead guide Godfrey travelled to the summit three times total assisting climbers to reach their destination. Another of our guides aptly nicknamed Masai (the Masai are Tanzania’s tribal herder/warrior people) ran a full marathon the day prior to our trek leaving the city of Moshi. It was by far the most amazing example of fitness, conditioning, commitment and hard work that I have ever seen.

I left that mountain with a true sense of respect for a people and culture that was previously foreign to me, but I also left with an awareness of how our complex lives have made us lazy and allowed us to create excuses for being ill and overweight. Day to day in North America revolves around our careers and this word stress is constantly applied to all the difficult decisions we must make every day. On paper it seems crazy that this could make us inactive, overweight, and sick but as I sit here in front of my computer I am reminded it’s very real. March 1-6, 2010 myself and 23 others trekked over 100kms through four distinct climates and faced numerous physical obstacles for the pursuit of clean water worldwide. And yet that exhausting task now seems easy compared to the tiredness I feel after spending a day in my office or dealing with the day to day tasks of life in North America. If you don’t like exercise, or on the days you simply don’t feel like it remind yourself that obesity is now labelled as an epidemic in North America. Try to find ways to set aside the “stress” of each day for a couple an hour or two and go and do something active. I bet if we all did this we would relieve major “stress” off of our health care system and some major illness would drastically decline. Just a thought.

If you search “Red Deer Personal Trainer” on YouTube you will find I have posted a morning and evening video from each day of our trek explaining what it was like and how I felt, it’s amazing to hear my voice change on summit day and how foggy my thinking was at times.

You’ve probably already heard of Coenzyme Q10. You may have seen it on vitamin shelves or heard it mentioned in ads for one of the popular make up companies. Beyond hearing the name you may not even know what it is, let me enlighten you. Two important things about your body: 1) many facets of our metabolism are all based on chemical

CoEnzyme Q10 a powerful antioxidant

reactions that are triggered by enzymes. Enzymes are made up of a protein and a vitamin or mineral. 2) free radicals are the greatest destructive force in our body and are attributed to the development of many diseases and conditions.

CoQ10 is an enzyme with a vitamin structure similar to vitamin K. It is also an extremely powerful anti-oxidant.CoQ10’s enzymatic function is related to cellular energy, particularly the production of ATP. ATP is the main energy source used by your muscles during any activity, and particularly the first few minutes of strenuous activity (ie. Exercise). Right now there is a great deal of speculation as to whether this relationship to cellular energy may also have a direct impact on fatty acid mobilization to the mitochondria and ultimately fat loss.  

CoQ10 is a serious powerhouse as an anti-oxidant. Free radicals roam around in our body leading the charge in the process of destructive oxidation. We all know oxidation as the cancer that is rust that appears on our vehicles. This is an accurate description of the same process that is occurring inside our bodies as well. Controlling the metabolic rust is a sure fire way to improving our health and how we feel. A free radical is an unbalanced charged cell hunting for loose electrons to attract. It has the ability to pull the electrons from healthy cells in all our tissues. Once the healthy cell loses some electrons it degrades becoming a new free radical. This can be the starting point for sickness or disease in many forms. Anti-oxidants are elements that freely give up electrons to electron starved free-radicals balancing both cells and thus destroying the free-radical and slowing the oxidative process.  

The list of positive health benefits is long and growing but here are a few of interest:

• Increased energy and metabolism, I have personally noticed soon after beginning supplementation.
• Coenzyme Q10 strengthens the cardiovascular system and has actually been used to treat congestive heart failure. 
• Coenzyme Q10 also helps athletes with stamina
• CoQ10 improves and even reverses periodontal disease.
• CoQ10 improves efficacy of weight loss programs.
• Daily intake of Coenzyme Q10 has shown to aid in reducing blood pressure.
• CoQ10 facilitates the elimination of Candida albicans.
• CoQ10 alleviates allergies.
• Diabetes sufferers are deficient in CoQ10. CoQ10 reduces blood sugar levels.

To change directions for a moment; I think we can all agree that our world is a little more fast paced than it was 100 years ago, and that’s not likely to change. In today’s world just finding the time to do anything is becoming increasingly difficult. On that statement alone this column could easily shift back to time management or goal setting once again but the time management problem I am referring to this time is one of even greater importance. Finding time to eat, as silly as it sounds this has become a tremendously huge issue. Look at the line ups for drive-thrus, it has to be frustrating waiting so long for sub-standard food during your busy day. Or it will be tough to attend an evening function when you work late and have to stop for groceries before you embark on the hour long process to prepare a well rounded evening meal.

Simply, most people are not making the time to eat balanced meals regularly throughout the day. In fact we do a carful approximation for every individual that visits our facility of the number of calories the consume day to day. This number is evaluated by the standardized caloric intake equation pertaining to resting metabolic rate and activity. As of now more than 90% of everyone who has visited us for consultation has came in eating less than the standardized acceptable healthy amount, and often far less. If you hear any of the following:  too many carbs, too much fat, portion control, suppress appetite, you should immediately run to the nearest mirror and repeat, “what this really means is I may need to eat more protein, carbs, or fat to balance out what I am already eating. That eating too much isn’t as likely as eating out of balance and too little for my body to function at its best.”

A little analogy I use to demonstrate this is:

Most people eat too little, the body being an incredibly adaptive machine adapts to everything, just like we do. Imagine for a moment if your dining room and bathroom light in your home were burnt out and you could not replace them. It would be a major inconvenience, but if we knew they could not be repaired for some time we would quickly find a way to work around it and it would not be as big of a deal. My point is that your body is the same, if your nutrition is out of balance or you are not meeting minimum requirements it will simply adapt the best it can and you may never know it isn’t working well until you are sick, or injured, or both.

To achieve nutritional balance you need to understand some very basic rules:

1)      Understand what nutrients your core foods provide. (mostly protein, mostly carbs, mostly fat.)

2)      Combine foods at every meal so you have comparable portions of proteins and carbs and about half the amount of something providing fats. Essentially avoid oils, creams, and gravies and your balance will be in the ball park.

3)      Eat frequently, digestion is our most efficient calorie burner, it requires no extra time on your part. The more often you eat the more calories your metabolism burns in a day.

In our fast paced world, time is our most valuable commodity. That is not likely to change but by taking the necessary steps to eat frequently and focusing on balancing nutrients within every meal I can guarantee you will be more successful reaching your fitness goals and as an added bonus you are going to look, feel and perform better. Don’t be fooled by the big promises of low calorie diets, you and your body will thank me later.

Oatmeal
Start your day with a steaming bowl of oats, which are full of omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium. This fiber-rich superfood can lower levels of LDL (or bad) cholesterol and help keep arteries clear.

Opt for coarse or steel-cut oats over instant varieties — the coarse and steel-cut contain more fiber — and top your bowl off with a banana for another four grams of fiber.

Salmon
Super-rich in omega-3 fatty acids, salmon can effectively reduce blood pressure and keep clotting at bay. Aim for two servings per week, which may reduce your risk of dying of a heart attack by up to one-third.

“Salmon contains the carotenoid astaxanthin, which is a very powerful antioxidant,” says cardiologist Stephen T. Sinatra, MD, the author of “Lower Your Blood Pressure In Eight Weeks.” But be sure to choose wild salmon over farm-raised fish, which can be packed with insecticides, pesticides, and heavy metals.

Not a fan of salmon? Other oily fish like mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines will give your heart the same boost.

Avocado
Add a bit of avocado to a sandwich or spinach salad to increase the amount of heart-healthy fats in your diet. Packed with monounsaturated fat, avocados can help lower LDL levels while raising the amount of HDL cholesterol in your body. Health.com: What puts you at risk for high cholesterol?

“Avocados are awesome,” says Dr. Sinatra. “They allow for the absorption of other carotenoids — especially beta-carotene and lycopene — which are essential for heart health.”

Olive oil
Full of monounsaturated fats, olive oil lowers bad LDL cholesterol and reduces your risk of developing heart disease.

Results from the Seven Countries Study, which looked at cardiovascular disease incidences across the globe, showed that while men in Crete had a predisposition for high cholesterol levels, relatively few died of heart disease because their diet focused on heart-healthy fats found in olive oil. Look for extra-virgin or virgin varieties — they’re the least processed — and use them instead of butter when cooking. Health.com: Good fats vs. bad fats — what to eat

Nuts
Almonds, walnuts, and macadamia nuts are all full of omega-3 fatty acids and mono- and polyunsaturated fats.

Almonds are rich in omega-3s, plus nuts increase fiber in the diet, says Dr. Sinatra. “And like olive oil, they are a great source of healthy fat.”

Berries
Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries — whatever berry you like best — are full of anti-inflammatories, which reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.

“Blackberries and blueberries are especially great,” says Sinatra. “But all berries are great for your vascular health.” Health.com: How I survived a heart attack at 43

Legumes
Fill up on fiber with lentils, chickpeas, and black and kidney beans. They’re packed with omega-3 fatty acids, calcium and soluble fiber.

Spinach
Spinach can help keep your ticker in top shape thanks to its stores of lutein, folate, potassium, and fiber.

But upping your servings of any veggies is sure to give your heart a boost. The Physicians’ Health Study examined more than 15,000 men without heart disease for a period of 12 years. Those who ate at least 2½ servings of vegetables each day cut their risk of heart disease by about 25 percent, compared with those who didn’t eat the veggies. Each additional serving reduced risk by another 17 percent.

Flaxseed
Full of fiber and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, a little sprinkling of flaxseed can go a long way for your heart. Top a bowl of oatmeal or whole-grain cereal with a smidgen of ground flaxseed for the ultimate heart-healthy breakfast.

Soy
Soy may lower cholesterol, and since it is low in saturated fat, it’s still a great source of lean protein in a heart-healthy diet.

Look for natural sources of soy, like edamame, tempeh, or organic silken tofu. And soy milk is a great addition to a bowl of oatmeal or whole-grain cereal. But watch the amount of salt in your soy: Some processed varieties like soy dogs can contain added sodium, which boosts blood pressure.

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