"STOP WORKING OUT!" Blog

Human Food Harmful to the Health of Animals

I found this sign on a picnic table in Yosemite National Park.  It may be difficult to read in the picture, it reads:

Why is it bad to feed the animals?  Eating human food is not healthy for wildlife as their bodies don't adjust well to the salt, fat, and preservatives often found in our food.  They gain weight, lose hair and become dependent on human food.  In addition, predators, such as mountain lions, are attracted to areas with a concentration of well-fed squirrels and raccoons.

These words kind of smacked me right between the eyes....   

Makes me ask the question;  Does the human body really adjust well to the salt, fat and preservatives often found in human food?   

Take a look at the people around you, it's likely you'll notice that many of them are gaining weight, losing their hair and becoming more dependent on larger amounts of "human" food. 

Interesting to note: There has been a significant increase of mountain lion attacks on humans in recent years as well.  (that may just be a coincidence) 

Perhaps just as disturbing, this sign was paid for by a "donation" from the Coca-Cola Company which, of course, is prominently displayed on the sign. One of the world's largest purveyors of processed "human" food donates to save the animals, with money raised by selling products that destroy the health of those that can actually pay for their products.  (now that's just good marketing)    
 
This one reads:

Please do not feed the animals. Human food ruins their health and encourages unnatural behavior.  Though seemingly tame, wild animals may bite or scratch and can inflict serious injuries. 

Perhaps we should take a lesson from those interested in preserving wildlife and make an effort to preserve our own healthy life.

Choose to eat foods that are closer to the way they would appear in the wild; lean meats, fish, fresh vegetables, fruits, berries and nuts and avoid the processed "human" foods. 

Eating more like nature intended will certainly help you avoid weight gain, hair loss, unnatural behavior and a number of other unexplainable ailments... it might even save you from being attacked by a mountain lion. 

If you need help understanding exactly which foods will improve your well-being, check out my new eBook.

Enough Already! - Athletic coaching

One of my staff members came in yesterday, for the third day in a row, looking absolutely exhausted. She runs on a cross country team at a local college and had just completed another of her coach's daily, 2 hour workouts.

Competitive cross country races at this level are a total of about three miles and typically take between 16 and 25 minutes to complete depending on the course.

Simple question... Why would you train athletes to run for 2 hours if the performance you're looking to improve takes less than 30 minutes?

Unfortunately, this is typical of current athletic coaching... even at a fairly elite level of athletics.

This is something that makes my blood just boil. We are trusting our young athletes to a community of coaches that either doesn't understand or doesn't care about how the human body actually works.

Here's my lesson for all of you today: The governing principle by which the body makes changes is known as the S-A-I-D principle. (Specific-Adaptation to-Imposed Demand) The body Adapts to exactly what you Demand of it very Specifically... and it's adapting all the time.

Your body gets better at whatever your doing, EXACTLY. If you try to create too great an adaptation too quickly, you get injured.

This is a simple concept, but coaches still don't seem to understand how to apply it.

If I run, grueling, 2 hour workouts, my athletes will become better at performing grueling 2 hour workouts.

Does that improve race performance? Not necessarily.

Does the excessive volume create increased chance of injury? DEFINITELY!

Bottom line... the type, volume and frequency of training should be directly related to increasing the performance of the event. THE PURPOSE OF ALL TRAINING SHOULD BE TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE EVENT WHILE MINIMIZING POTENTIAL FOR INJURIES.

Be aware of what's happening to your own body. Pain is one indicator that something's not right. Training should remain pain free. Other indicators of overtraining include: irregular appetite, poor sleep, lethargy, chronic illness (may seem like allergies), depression, declining athletic performance.

If you think your coach's workout program is excessive or inappropriate, talk to him about it. If that doesn't work, find another coach or look for other places to compete.

Regardless of your sport or level of competition, you are ultimately responsible for keeping your body healthy. A healthy, properly trained athlete is the only one capable of performing at the true peak of her potential.

Why did you say that?

In case I haven't said it enough, the words you use will effect the outcome of almost any situation. 

Seth Godin illustrates this very well on todays blog post :

"Two things you can say" "...and one of them is wrong. (More from JFK).

"You must be feeling really frustrated."

What a great thing for a gate agent to say to a frustrated traveler. I saw it used three times in ten minutes, and it worked every time. It enabled the agent to get on the same side of the conversation, it allowed the customer to let off some steam and got both sides moving.

On the other hand,

"Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part..."

This is true, of course, unless your goal is to make the person happy, or, at the very least, get rid of them. There were all sorts of clueless people at the airport today, cutting lines, yelling, getting angry just because they didn't leave enough time. Not the airline's fault, that's for sure.

Yet the best way to handle the situation is not to persuade, convince or bully the person into admitting that they were wrong. No reason to teach these people a lesson, because they're not going to learn a lesson anyway."

This is great example....There are a number of ways to address any communication process.  Pay attention to what you say and use words that support the outcome you want.  With a little attention you will find a path of much less resistance. 

Stop "Working Out".... It really does make a difference.

Overuse Injuries in Teen Athletes

An article in the San Jose Mercury News this morning caught my attention "No pain, no gain taken literally by teen athletes as injuries rise"

As young athletes are being pushed harder to perform better in specialized sporting events, the prevalence of potentially debilitating overuse injuries is increasing at a near epidemic rate.

This is a significant problem that requires intervention from all parties involved, coaches, athletes, physicians and parents.

Most coaches think the only way to improve an athletes performance is to do more repetitions, more work... The attitude "practice makes perfect" still prevails. 

Parents blindly let the coaches control the child's training, as that was likely the way they were coached.  Physicians prescribe treatment for the injury, but rarely help the athlete address the cause of the injury.

This all leaves the athlete in fear of losing ground in the competitive landscape, perpetuating the cycle.

The attitude needs to change. Replacing the outdated methodology of "hard work and repetition" to one of "healthy individualized development" will result in athletes that perform better and more consistently over the long term.

Coaches need to utilize methods for developing athletic skill with attention on; correct biomechanics, nervous system development, strength development and adequate recovery as pertaining to the sport, integrated with outside lifestyle demands of the athlete.

It's not an easy shift, but we have trusted the development, health and competitive success of our youth to coaches that haven't had the opportunity to build the skills necessary to perform efficiently in today's environment.

If we expect more of our coaches and encourage the use of new tools and techniques that may contradict our old world "common knowledge" beliefs, we can influence a rapid, significant improvement in the overall quality of youth athletics.

Young athletes are capable of performing at an elite level, with fewer incidents of injury when provided a truly integrated approach to training.

Information Overload

I just received an email from a client telling me that he's again changed his mind about the objective of his training. 

He's been reading more from the MMA (mixed martial art) community about the qualities required to be an effective competitor.  A week ago he wanted to gain more muscle mass.  Three weeks ago he had read an article about cardiovascular health and aerobic exercise and wanted to improve those qualities.

It's great that individuals have access to so many opportunities to educate themselves on virtually any subject imaginable.  But at what point does more information just get in the way? 

In terms of physical fitness, being properly informed is essential.  However, in order to make any significant changes in one's physiology it's also necessary to stick with a consistent program for some period of time. 

The unfortunate part of all the information available is that it's difficult to know what's actually true and what will be of productive use to the reader.  Honestly when it comes to fitness research and information, it's very likely that you can find supporting information for almost any theory you're looking to prove. 

As coaches, this presents us with the challenge of personally deciphering the information to advise a client in the most appropriate manner.

As a client, you have hired a coach and asked for professional advice to achieve your fitness objectives.  Realize that your coach knows you personally and has taken into account your individual circumstances prior to suggesting anything. No magazine article or research study can say the same. 

If you need help understanding why your coach has you doing something, ask her to provide you with supporting sources or explanations. 

Trusting your coach and following the training prescription is your most direct path to the results you really want. 

Just Do Something

I was recently referred to this site published by a woman with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. 

I am inspired by the ways in which she actively addresses the problems looks at what can be done rather than what can't. 

The site is entitled CFS or Fibromyalgia, and Exercise? You have got to be kidding!

Take a few minutes to read about her personal experience... While I may have different suggestions for ways to deal with the same problems, the fact that she has done something and shares the experience is remarkable.

Eat Whatever You Want.

Learn to want foods that nourish your body and provide clean sources of energy.

Think about why you really eat all of those high calorie, non-nutritious foods.... Is it because you want to have unstable energy levels?  Do you want to continue gaining unhealthy amounts of body fat?  Do you want to encourage the growth of disease within your body?

In reality, more of the poor food choices people make are because of habits rather than conscious thought about what they really want.

Learn to want nutrient dense, healthier foods and then Eat What You Want.