Check out Environmental Working Group's 2009 Sunscreen Guide.

"Surprisingly, 3 of 5 brand-name sunscreens either don’t protect skin from sun damage or contain hazardous chemicals — or both. An Environmental Working Group investigation of 1,571 sunscreens rates the season’s best — and worst.

Some companies have responded to EWG’s 3-year campaign for safer, more effective sunscreens. 70% of sunscreen products now contain strong UVA filters, compared to 29% last year. The bad news: much UVA protection is still too thin to save your skin. Don't waste your money or risk your skin on sunscreens that don’t deliver. Use our 2009 Sunscreen Guide to find better products."

 

Enjoy your summer!

 

                             You know that high carb diets cause fat gain, insulin resistance, and disease, but did you know they are linked to heart attacks as well?

 Doctors have known for decades that too much carbohydrate-laden foods like white bread and corn flakes can be detrimental to cardiac health.In a landmark study, new research from Tel Aviv University now shows exactly how these high carb foods increase the risk for heart problems...

...Enormous peaks indicating arterial stress were found in the high glycemic index groups: the cornflakes and sugar group. "We knew high glycemic foods were bad for the heart. Now we have a mechanism that shows how," says Dr. Shechter. "Foods like cornflakes, white bread,french fries, and sweetened soda all put undue stress on our arteries.We've explained for the first time how high glycemic carbs can affect the progression of heart disease." During the consumption of foods high in sugar, there appears to be a temporary and sudden dysfunction in the endothelial walls of the arteries.Endothelial health can be traced back to almost every disorder and disease in the body. It is "the riskiest of the risk factors," says Dr.Shechter, who practices at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center — Tel Hashomer Hospital.

Your best bet is to shop the parameters of your grocery store - those areas where foods are closest to nature and not destroyed processed by man. Foods such as meats, vegetables, fruits, cheese, and dairy products are closest to their original state and maintaining the healthiest portion of vitamins and nutrients our bodies were meant to run on.   

These foods will promote wellness, abundant energy, and even reduce stress.                                             .

          

If you or someone you know craves sugar (anytime of the day!) or seems to have a lack of will power when it comes to eating healthy, then this post is for you.

This article from Mark Sisson is extremely informative and beautifully written. Live it, love it, know it. So, you too, can destroy that urge to splurge - once and for all.

"Today when we eat too many carbohydrates, the pancreas pumps out insulin exactly as the DNA blueprint tell it to (hooray pancreas!), but if the liver and muscle cells are already filled with glycogen, those cells start to become resistant to the call of insulin. The insulin “receptor sites” on the surface of those cells start to decrease in number as well as in efficiency. The term is called “down regulation.” Since the glucose can’t get into the muscle or liver cells, it remains in the bloodstream. Now the pancreas senses there’s still too much toxic glucose in the blood, so it frantically pumps out even more insulin, which causes the insulin receptors on the surface of those cells to become even more resistant, because excess insulin is also toxic! Eventually, the insulin helps the glucose finds it way into your fat cells, where it is stored as fat. Again – because it bears repeating – it’s not fat that gets stored in your fat cells – it’s sugar...

...Over time, as we continue to eat high carbohydrate diets and exercise less, the degree of insulin insensitivity increases. Unless we take dramatic steps to reduce carbohydrate intake and increase exercise, we develop several problems that only get worse over time – and the drugs don’t fix it."

Here's the rundown:

1) The levels of blood glucose stay higher longer because the glucose can’t make it into the muscle cells. This toxic glucose is like sludge in the bloodstream clogging arteries, binding with proteins to form harmful AGEs (advanced glycated end-products) and causing systemic inflammation. Some of this excess glucose contributes to a rise in triglycerides, increasing risk for heart disease.

2) More sugar gets stored as fat. Since the muscle cells are getting less glycogen (because they are resistant), and since insulin inhibits the fat-burning enzyme lipase, now you can’t even burn stored fat as easily. You continue to get fatter until eventually those fat cells become resistant themselves.

3) It just gets better. Levels of insulin stay higher longer because the pancreas thinks “if a little is not working, more would be better.” Wrong. Insulin is itself very toxic at high levels, causing, among many other maladies, plaque build-up in the arteries (which is why diabetics have so much heart disease) and increasing cellular proliferation in cancers.

4) Just as insulin resistance prevents sugar from entering muscle cells, it also prevents amino acids from entering. So now you can’t build or maintain your muscles. To make matters worse, other parts of your body think there’s not enough stored sugar in the cells, so they send signals to start to cannibalizing your precious muscle tissue to make more – you guessed it – sugar! You get fatter and you lose muscle. Woo hoo!

5) Your energy level drops, which makes you hungry for more carbohydrates and less willing to exercise. You actually crave more of the poison that is killing you.

6) When your liver becomes insulin resistant, it can’t convert thyroid hormone T4 into the T3, so you get those mysterious and stubborn “thyroid problems”, which further slow your metabolism.

7) You can develop neuropathies (nerve damage) and pain in the extremities, as the damage from the excess sugar destroys nerve tissue, and you can develop retinopathy and begin to lose your eyesight. Fun.

Now, to reverse this horrifying dilemma:

"Muscles that have been exercised desperately want that glucose inside and will “up regulate” insulin receptors to speed the process. That’s one reason exercise is so critical for type 2 diabetics in regaining insulin sensitivity. It’s also the reason why endurance athletes can eat 400 or 600 grams of carbs a day and stay lean – they burn it all off and make room for more...

Second, cutting back on carbohydrates, especially the obvious sugars and refined stuff is absolutely essential. Make fresh vegetables the base of your food pyramid. I get rip-roaring furious when I see our government suggesting that we get 60% of our calories from carbohydrates. That’s ridiculous, bordering on criminal...

The evidence is nothing short of overwhelming: carbohydrate intake of the refined, sugary sort is enormously stressful to the body.

Not only should diabetics limit carbohydrate intake – everyone should. We are all, in an evolutionary sense, predisposed to becoming diabetic."

There you have it. You've got the tools to turn around, lick this diet in the bud and be healthy for a lifetime. For isn't this the lifetime your spending with loved ones? Happy, healthy, fun, fun, fun, ...that's what life is all about.

Great stuff! Here's a totally hilarious video for you to enjoy. You know, laughter is the best medicine.

Laugh on!

Over at "Fitness Spotlight" is a great little article to sum up a healthy eating plan, bringing the basics back home.

Just remember to eat foods that are closest to nature and you should be fine. Eggs, meats, nuts, berries, fruits, and vegetables should be your staples. Shoot for 90% success each week or (3 cheat meals) and you're well on your way to a healthy, happy body

Oh, and ditch the sugars, breads, pastas and cereals, that's a no-brainer!

There is a gentleman in my gym who's also around that age, tough as nails, funny, inspiring, and...if I must say...pretty hot for an old dude. As a matter of fact, my friend even rides a Harley, loves to dance, and loves the ladies - and they love him back!

Now there's is a winner!

Seems that play is the "hot topic" these days and Mark Sisson has an excellent post here. 

Besides its stress-reducing, social qualities, play has other quantifiable benefits. A New Zealand study showed that workers were 82% more productive following a vacation, and their sleep habits were better. Australian researchers suggested that frequent breaks for sedentary workers results in better weight control and improved triglyceride and blood glucose numbers. The New York Times recently covered a study showing that increasing leisure activities improves immune function faster than stress can suppress it. It seems like the more you reduce stress, the more easily everything else falls into place – no more stress eating, better focus at work, nothing weighing on your mind before bed. Then there’s the fact that playing is simply fun and enjoyable. Isn’t quality of life about health and happiness?

Anyone for a hot game of tag?

Do you experience shin splints, knee, ankle, or foot troubles? If so, why not give your natural gait a whirl?

When you walk or run as your body was designed, you will naturally strengthen the supporting muscles of your feet, lower and upper legs, and even your back properly. Leaving less injury and muscle imbalances in the dust.

Remember; it's not nice to fool mother nature.

More great information and the best shoes for your healthy buck at iamgeekfit.

                

"A man's health can be judged by which he takes two of at a time - pills or stairs." John Welsh

I will take the latter of the two!

Through my journey of health and fitness, I've enjoyed self-experimentation with nutrition and workouts, life style changes, and countless challenges. I've also attended numerous seminars and lectures by fitness experts such as Paul Chek, Charles Staley, John Berardi PhD, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I would like to share with you 10 simple steps to follow that will allow your body to express it's optimal health, so you can enjoy a lifetime of wellness and happiness. Live it, love it, and let me know what you think:

1.    Eat like your great - grandmother. Don't eat anything she wouldn't recognize as food. Enjoy plentiful plants and animals, fruit, nuts, seeds, and berries. Limit your intake of man-made, processed, or chemically engineered food-like substances. These render your body starving for nutrients and craving more simple sugar as energy, promoting excessive insulin production, fat storage, and insulin resistance - the precursor to type 2 diabetes.

2.    Move your body. Stay upright, stay on your (bare) feet, and become locomotive.

3.    Get plenty of sleep. Listen to your body, nap once in a while, and get up at the same time every day. Avoid the alarm clock, it's stressful and induces a stress response of cortisol and adrenaline, your body's fight or flight mechanism, not a pleasant way to start your day.

4.    Play like a kid. Play releases endorphins, promotes health and happiness, acts as exercise, and creates lasting relationships. "Those who play together, stay together."

5.    Get some sun. Your body converts sunshine into Vitamin D. Vitamin D is a mother-hormone involved in the production of other vital hormones, it helps prevent cancers, encourages cellular function, and promotes strong healthy bones and muscles.

6.    Lift heavy things. Push, pull, squat; challenge yourself periodically. Strength train two or three times a week. This can be done at home, at a gym, or anyplace suitable such as a park.

7.    Go "all out" once in a while. Do something simple, intense, and brief once a week. Try to run or sprint, enjoy an elliptical machine, bike, or jumping.
 
8.    Use your brain. Read, challenge yourself to a crossword puzzle, jigsaw puzzle, or learn a new hobby. This will increase your cognitive abilities, improve your memory, and keep you sharp as a tack.

9.    Beware of poisonous things. Artificial sweeteners, nitrites, high fructose corn syrup, and other chemically engineered food-like substances are dangerous. They may build up in your body and, over time, damage cells, organ systems, and inhibit normal body functions.

10.    Don't sweat the small stuff. Simply be the best YOU that you can be. Accept yourself for who you are and what you do. Enjoy life, love your food, and focus on 90% success.

For, in the end, it's the journey you are going to remember and be remembered for!

If you can't find time to play, then what's it all worth?



Playing is a fundamental part of adult life. It releases endorphins, promotes health and happiness, acts as exercise, and creates lasting relationships.

"Those who play together, stay together." 

Anyone up for a game of "tag?"

Sometimes it's hard to keep chugging forward. Sometimes it's seems part of you just wants to give up, to give in, to stop and sit down to eat "bumpy cake."



Well, I'm here to tell you that giving up is NOT an option. If you've set your mind on losing fat and gaining shape, muscularity, and a healthy fit body, then it's going to take some hard work. Now is the time to "just do it!"

We've all been there. But it's those who choose not to listen to the voices that get the results. 

Quitting is just not an option for me - or you! 

Do you or anyone you know want to register for bone marrow? Check this out:

Help Emru Heal Someone sez,

Beginning June 8, the first 46000 people to sign up to the National Marrow Donor Program in the United States can do so for free. While there are ways to register for free or at a lower price during the year, you often have to know the ins and outs, and it is uncommon to be able to register online and get a kit sent directly to your home at no charge. For those who are eligible, the most daunting part of considering becoming a donor are the unanswered questions and misconceptions of the registration, matching, and donation process (which is why I have linked to the NMDP's FAQ).

Here are some things you may or may not know:

-Over 70% of people will not match someone in their family and will search for a registered stranger to be found as a match.

-In most of North America, you can register using a simple cheek swab test to determine your profile.

-Most people will never donate, because it is very hard to find a match, but the procedure is low-risk and not lengthy.

-Your ethnicity plays a large role in determining a match. Many people are in underrepresented donor pools, but no one is guaranteed a match.

-2 in 10 patients with active requests will find an unrelated match.

Thanks BoingBoing.

When we realize the body is capable of greater tasks when used as a whole, instead of broken down into single joint movements that are so common in the gym, we unleash the potential of movement mastery.



More information here. 

If I could do it all over again, I would do it like this!

This is the most amazing display of parkour, freerunning, gymnastics, bboying, and tricking I've ever seen. Video gets better by the moment. Jaw-dropping, wicked chills up my spine video - totally cool. 

Wow, I've got to go to the gym now...

HealthCastle has a great article on cooking your favorite meats on a grill. Here you'll see the respected fat content and what degree of doneness is most palatable.

Grilled meats contain two substances that are considered carcinogenic - HCA and PAH. To minimize your exposure to them, grill smaller cuts of meat (to shorten cooking time), and marinate your steaks (which has multiple benefits: it flavors the meat, tenderizes it, and reduces the build-up of HCA). And of course, common sense will tell you to cut and discard any charred bits.

I'll take mine rare, please

                    

I've written on this before here and here, but feel it's important enough to warrant a reminder.

The consumption of 12 or more hot dogs in one month has been linked to an increased risk of cancer, leukemia, and brain tumors.

You are what you eat. Exercise caution and only buy nitrite free hot dogs if you can. Here is ConsumerReports on the best dogs.

World Health News, Harvard School of Public Health, is boasting a couple of exciting reports on vitamin D here and here.

In the first report, Vitamin D is slashing colon and breast cancer by a whopping 25%! These cancers are two of the most deadly malignancies and they may be prevented with the help of 2,000 IU of Vitamin D a day.

Researchers have determined that the vitamin is involved in everything from telling cells when to die, a process known as apoptosis, to the production of proteins that suppress tumours.One theory is that vitamin D may be able to prevent cancers, or slow down their development, because it is important in producing E-cadherins, a kind of biological mortar that binds cells tightly together and limits their ability to grow out of control.

Researchers are focusing on this aspect of vitamin D because normal cells are supposed to be tightly packed together, much like the bricks in a wall, a configuration that limits their ability to subdivide and proliferate. If there isn't enough E-cadherins, cells aren't as tightly packed in together...
 
...Advocates for vitamin D as a therapy say that at any point in the development of cancer at its initial site, or after it spreads in a process known as metastasis, the nutrient is able to coax cells into proper behaviour. Those who are recommending vitamin D say it may stop cells from proliferating into full-blown tumours, or keep tumours under better control.

The second report demonstrates the high prevalence of disease in pregnant women as a result of (all too common) vitamin D deficiency.

"Bacterial vaginosis affects nearly one in three reproductive-aged women, so there is great need to understand how it can be prevented," said Lisa M. Bodnar, the Pitt assistant professor of epidemiology obstetrics and gynecology. The infection "is not only associated with a number of gynecologic conditions, but also may contribute to premature delivery -- the leading cause of neonatal mortality -- making it of particular concern to pregnant women..."

They conclude that African-Americans' dark skin inhibits the conversion of sunlight to vitamin D and that "poor diet and obesity also contribute to a vitamin D deficiency."

Hooray for sunshine; it's free, it's fabulous, and you simply can not live without it.

This is awesome! Gary is inspiring, motivational, and encouraging. You'll be moving forward after this one for sure.

Here is very promising evidence of how a low carb diet slows tumor growth. In his article, Chris sites two amazing studies, the first, from Time.com:

...unlike healthy cells, which generate energy by metabolizing sugar in their mitochondria, cancer cells appeared to fuel themselves exclusively through glycolysis, a less-efficient means of creating energy through the fermentation of sugar in the cytoplasm. The theory is simple: If most aggressive cancers rely on the fermentation of sugar for growing and dividing, then take away the sugar and they should stop spreading. Meanwhile, normal body and brain cells should be able to handle the sugar starvation; they can switch to generating energy from fatty molecules called ketone bodies — the body's main source of energy on a fat-rich diet — an ability that some or most fast-growing and invasive cancers seem to lack.

And this one:

"The mice that were fed a no-carbohydrate diet experienced a 40 to 50 percent prolonged survival over the other mice," Freedland said.

Mice on the no-carbohydrate diet consumed more calories in order to keep body weights consistent with mice on the other study arms.

"We found that carbohydrate restriction without energy restriction – or weight loss – does indeed result in tumor growth delay," he said.

The researchers plan to begin recruiting patients at two sites – Duke and the University of California – Los Angeles – for a clinical trial to determine if restricting carbohydrate intake in patients with prostate cancer can similarly slow tumor growth. The trial should begin within a few weeks.

"It's very exciting – this is a potential new mechanism to fight prostate cancer growth and help patients live longer with their disease," Freedland said.

Great information! I remember much of Gary Taubes' work supported this as well. Enough to make you put down the pizza, pop, and bread sticks and save them for special occasions only.

Studies confirm that night shift workers have more prevalent diabetes, heart disease, and obesity due to abnormal hormone disturbances. But, the question remains, does the body "reset" itself after a time? More studies are required to answer that, but for now, the best advice Frank Scheer of Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School ,“It’s probably better to have a stable night shift schedule (rather than an) erratic, changing schedule.” Which means that for those who work the late shift, they should also play on a late shift, and keep the same schedule on weekends.

                    

More to come...

Thanks ScienceCentral