The art of looking great naked

Unless you are the treasurer for some hippy nudist colony, a serial-streaker, or a skinny-dipping aficionado, there are only two people in the world that are going to see you naked: you, and the person you trust in the moment to see you naked.

Chances are, if someone is willing to birthday suit-up with you, one of two things has already occurred: 1) They have already sized you up and like what they see 2) They care about you and really aren't focused on your Instagram-appeal.

So then we are left with YOU. Psychologically speaking, happy people don't necessarily like everything about their bodies. In fact, I would argue that almost every single person has at least 2 things they would like to change about themselves. BUT, truly happy people are at peace with what they see when they go full-length and free-bird. So "looking great naked" really comes down to how you see yourself and how happy you are. If you find you are not happy with your reflection, you can't look yourself in the belly-button, and that your 'uglies' are actually ...ugly. Then make a change.

The beauty of being human is that we are not slaves to our instincts and urges and that we have free will. And while some people's will is a few carbon molecules short of iron (#chemjoke), I truly believe that everyone has the ability to change themselves for the better, and for the healthier. To follow are 5 SIMPLE things you can do so that the next time you sachet on by a mirror, au naturale, you check out your own ass (and maybe even give it a slap).

DRINK MORE WATER - I know, I know, EVERYONE and their mother says this, but that's because it really is a game-changer. Dehydration has been identified as a major culprit in maladies such as headaches, muscle-cramping, cholesterol, and strokes.

Here's your strategy: Drink a glass of water as soon as you wakeup, drink a glass of water with every meal and every snack, drink a glass of water right before you go to bed. If you can make it warm water, so much the better for your digestion.

PUT PEPPER ON ALL OF YOUR FOOD - Do you suffer from stress and hypertension (high blood pressure)? Scientific studies show that simply adding black pepper to each meal can lower your blood pressure.

Couple the addition of pepper with consciously and purposefully lowering (or eliminating) the addition of salt to your food, and you will experience a significant decrease in your systolic and diastolic numbers. Add a little exercise to the mix and you just added 10 years to your life! Your call though...

EAT HIGH COCOA DARK CHOCOLATE - Is your "sweet tooth" actually a mouthful of sweet teeth? If you had to choose between cutting out the sweets and cutting off your pinky finger, would you consider life as Franky Four-Fingers? Dark chocolate (lights out dark) could be the answer: 1) The amount of antioxidants a square of 90% cocoa contains can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke by 77% 2) You are extremely unlikely to binge on dark chocolate and it has been shown to help buck the habit.

If there is a certain time of the day that you usually binge, substitute your milk chocolate with a 90%'er. You still get the chocolicious after-taste, but the bitterness will have you putting the bar down for other options.

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR LIFE - If reading this heading made you upset or had you instantly rolling your eyes, then you do NOT take responsibility for the current state of affairs in your life. Playing a victim, in life, is dangerous. Not only do you feel that bad things 'happen to you', but you are far less likely to take credit for good things that 'happen to you' as well. Studies show that those who do not feel in control of their life are more likely to suffer from issues like stress, anxiety, depressive tendencies, and general pessimism. No matter who you are or what your position, you have the ability to make your own life better.

Life Coaches frequently employ the use of the "Wheel of Life". The wheel of life divides your life in to 8 areas. In each area, you will rate your level of satisfaction. After rating each area, go through each one individually and write down the reasons why you are dissatisfied and satisfied with that area. Once you have identified the positives and negatives in each category, write down one way in which you can improve each (there is always room for improvement). Complete this wheel each month for the first 6 months, and then every other month for the next 6. Finally, you can graduate to doing it in each quarter of the year, and then twice per year. It is common for happy, successful people to continue this practice at the beginning of every year.

PRACTICE POSITIVITY - So much of our lives are filled with can'ts, won'ts, and didn'ts. And most of that comes from ourselves. Practicing positivity is actually much harder than it sounds, and you may need to fake it and lie to yourself at first, but eventually, like the sucker you are, you will begin to believe your own lies and propaganda. Positive self-talk is a proven method that you don't even have to believe in for it to work (kind of like Valentines Day).

Try this simple first step: Record your own voice on your phone saying, "Today is going to be a great day" (make sure you are smiling - even faking a smile - as you record this. Believe it or not, you can tell by someone's voice if they are smiling or not smiling when they speak). Set this as your alarm (on loop) so that you wake up to it every day. The last thing you do before you go to bed should be to look in the mirror (fake a) smile, and say "I am strong, I am smart, and I am happy." I know that it sounds hokey, but there is a scientific basis showing that this crap works.

Before you know it, the 2 year old you that used to peel down and run around naked will show up. You'll be sleeping naked, eating naked, and yes, looking at your self in the mirror naked...and you won't even need to fake your smile.

@BrendanRolfe


Image Credits: http://images.smh.com.au/2013/07/17/4578714/th-streaker1.jpg 

Ronda Rousey: Who Am I?

We know what kind of fighter Ronda Rousey was, but the world is about to find out who Ronda Rousey, MMA Fighter, really is.

We're about to find out if her toughness is only skin deep.

Rousey has faced a surprisingly fierce backlash in the media-universe, receiving criticism for her comments and posts in the days leading up to the fight. Glass house owners and pundits everywhere who weigh-in on the fight game (but clearly have only an entertainment-level knowledge of the sport and the athlete) are calling her cocky, brash, arrogant, disrespectful, [insert negative character judgement here]. Many are saying she got what she deserved, while her defenders (many equally as green in the fight game) are taking the "she'll be back, better than ever, you just wait and see", line of defence.

Will she?

Those who are some how personally offended by her "arrogance" don't understand the psyche of a fighter. Period. If you are a professional fighter, and you don't honestly believe that you can beat anyone, at any time, anywhere; then you've already lost, and quite honestly you shouldn't be in the ring. Some fighters choose to publically convey their air of superiority (I AM THE GREATEST), while some choose silence, but this grandiose vision is universal in all champions.

A champion's psyche is a fragile thing.

This is Rousey's first taste of real adversity in the ring. Her first loss, and a knockout loss, to boot. To those saying, "no big deal, she will be back", I point to fighters like Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. Both of those boxers were absolutely dominant at the start of their professional careers, knocking out opponents at will, and often in the first and second rounds. In fact, they put together winning streaks that make Rousey's undefeated start look paltry in comparison. But for these fighters, their first losses signified the beginning of the end of their careers. The world had seen that they were beatable, but more importantly, they came to realize they were beatable, and they believed it. Neither fighter would return to form.

For those who say that this is the last we will hear from Rousey, I direct your attention to Ken Shamrock, Georges St. Pierre, and Randy Couture. These fighters all lost their titles (some multiple times) and fought back to win them. Their losses were learning opportunities which clearly never altered their self-belief, rather, inspired adaptation and self-improvement. It is interesting to note that these are three very different fighters, and significantly different from Tyson and Jones Jr.in the way they conducted themselves, both in the time leading up to a fight and within the fight itself.

Which kind of fighter is the new Rousey?

The reality is that retiring undefeated is incredibly rare. At least once in their careers, a fighter is going to lose a fight. From our small case study, it would appear that the fighters with less bravado, fighters that encompass that quite-confidence, are the ones who fight back to become champions once again. These are the fighters that use a loss as motivation to train harder so they never have to feel the sting of defeat again, or the cold, lonely feeling of waking up on a hard mat, staring up at the lights and in to the eyes of the ringside doctor. And so it would appear that the core question in our argument is, who is Ronda Rousey? I mean, who is she really? A fighter's promoter and trainer may sculpt their public image, but only Rousey and those closest to her really know what kind of fighter and person she is. Make no mistake, she will get her rematch. Did she underestimate Holm? Did she slide on her training? Did she just have an off-night?

The truth is, we're about to find out who Ronda Rousey, the fighter, the athlete, the psyche, really is.

@BrendanRolfe


Image Credit: http://www.wvtm13.com/image/view/-/36461046/medRes/2/-/maxh/460/maxw/620/-/bj8mj6/-/Rousey-Holm-fight-gif.jpg 

How to control anxiety: Applications in athletics

Is anxiety a performance enhancer or suppressant? Is it common? Is it even manageable?

The answer is YES.

Anxiety, of varying levels, is extremely common in every day life, and even more so in elite level athletics. The activation of your fight or flight complex can enhance your performance, or it can act as a barrier if it becomes overwhelming. There are a number of tried and true techniques recommended by professionals that you might want try, should you find yourself overcome by nerves.

First of all, it should be noted that your feeling of anxiety is how YOU interpret your state of arousal. Some athletes refer to this state as being "pumped up". It is when "pumped up" meets "self doubt" that arousal becomes anxiety. Techniques including visualization, establishing cue-words, and routine implementation, have all been proven to increase an athlete's performance, and decrease their anxiety levels. Here is a brief synopsis of what each method entails, they are simple, yet require absolute commitment and repetition:

Visualization - This method is one of the most well-known and incorrectly performed techniques in Sports Psychology. Rather than just sitting cross-legged in the middle of a quiet room with their eyes closed, the athlete actually needs to immerse themselves in the sounds, smells, and feelings of a game situation. For example, if you are a basketball player, take 10 minutes out of your day to sneak into the gym and turn up a recording of game sounds in your headphones. Hold a basketball in your hands, close your eyes, and start by just breathing deep, and inhaling the smells of the gym. From there, play a game in your mind, from start to finish. Imagine yourself succeeding in every facet of the game, over and over again. Enjoy your imagined successes and think about how it feels to perform at your peak. If negative thoughts creep in to your mind (and don't worry, at first, they often do), open your eyes, take a deep breath, and start again. Be conscious of your body and maintain relaxed muscles and a calm mind. It is always best to perform these visualizations on your field of play, and with the potential game sounds playing. Because you have practiced visualizing so much, you can do this mid-game, right before you perform a certain skill, and you can likely do it with your eyes open, as you are performing the visualization in your mind's eye.

Cue Words - DOMINATE. That is the word that was written on the palm of my baseball glove. Before every single pitch, I had to look in to my glove to get the grip for my pitch. I would see DOMINATE, and it would give me a mind-set to focus on. DOMINATE was the word I selected, because it made me pitch aggressively to hitters. Rather than chipping away for the perfect pitch in perfect spot, I challenged hitters. Consequently, I had my best season as a college baseball player. When selecting your word, make sure it is one that triggers an emotional rise within you. It should illicit a positive response, and should immediately snap you in to a "zone". If you are going to use cue-words, ensure that you put it in a place that you are certain to look. If you have to search for the word, chances are you are going to forget about it, and it will not be useful.

Routine - Two-time NBA MVP, Steve Nash, is a career 90.4% free throw shooter. This is good. This is VERY good. In fact, this is the best of all-time. And when he gets to the free-throw line, he performs the exact same physical routine, every time: He ghosts the motion of shooting a free throw, (with no ball) twice, he licks his fingers (gross), he bounces it three times, and then shoots without a pause. He made 3054 out of 3378 free-throws in his career...that is incredible. Nash's phantom free-throw shots (performed with no ball) are referred to as motor-imagery. You can incorporate this in to any sport where there is a stop in play, and you have a moment to visualize the next skill that is to take place. 

It is important to keep in mind that these techniques are not a one-off, fix-all, guarantee. To the contrary, you must practice them with regularity to achieve optimal results (sound familiar Mr. and Ms. Athlete? I'm talkin' bout PRACTICE). Remember, while emotions like stress and anxiety have physical manifestations, they are still emotionally controlled. Control your mind and you will control your body.

@BrendanRolfe

Anatomy of a Beast - Analyzing the bodies & minds of the world's best MMA fighters

"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." - Mark Twain

I would argue that not all minds are equal in professional sport. Not every athlete in the upper echelon of their craft believes that they are the best at what they do. And at some point, doubt creeps in to the mind of every champion. Whether just a flash, or for weeks on end, no mind is an island and no ego impenetrable...except for fighters.

Recent news in the arena of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has been focused on Women's Bantamweight Champion, Ronda Rousey, after her 14 second dismantling of the latest fodder to step in the ring with her. Following the fight, discussion swayed to how Rousey felt she would do competing against men in her weight class, to which she replied, "I would have to say if you're just talking about what's in the realm of possibility of what's possible of who I could beat, well I could beat 100 percent of them." This response raised some eyebrows, and ridiculously, drew the ire of some of the more insecure carriers of the "Y" chromosome. But the reality is, in a fighting sport of any kind, if you don't believe you are the best at what you do, you've already lost.

Anderson Silva, before he broke his tibia, was widely regarded as the best fighter, pound for pound, in Mixed Martial Arts. Silva, while outwardly more humble than some of his counterparts, carries an air of superiority and an unflappable confidence. Accepting the vocal bravado of pre-fight interviews as fact; that every fighter believes they are the best at what they do, let's examine the bodies of Rousey and Silva, and the moethods that makes them the GOATs that they have become today.

"Rowdy"Ronda Rousey
5'7     135 lbs
Reach: 68"
Style: Judo, Boxing

Anderson "The Spider" Silva
6'2     185 lbs
Reach: 77.5"
Style: Boxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian
Jiu-jitsue, wrestling, judo, taekwando,
Capoeira
 



Rowdy Ronda's Body
Rousey is a mesomorph with wide shoulders, powerful arms, and dense muscle bellies. She is 67" tall and has a 68" reach. Her arms are long, but not abnormally so (like Jon Jones). While her opponents enter fights at roughly the same measurements, it is clear that she overwhelms them with not only her skills, but her superior strength.

Spider Silva's Body
At 6'2, 185 lbs, Silva is a meso-endomorph. He has long limbs and lean muscle. A height of 74" and a reach of 77.5" gives him a significant advantage to strike at distance. Because he is so diverse in his attack, and uses his length extremely well, Anderson Silva is widely regarded is one of the best, if not THE best pound for pound fighter of all time.

The Skinny
For their respective weight-classes, both Rousey and Silva's height and reach are pretty average. Their spirit and confidence is indomitable, but most fighter's have these same traits...so what makes them so good? It's the size of the fight in the dog...or rather, the ability of the dog to recognize their strengths and to make their opponents fight their fight. Rousey has not lost in the UFC, and 9 of her 11 wins are by Arm-bar submission. You think she has a plan going in to her fights? You bet she does, and part of that plan is centred on how to get her opponent onto the ground, and in a position where she can apply that arm-bar. Silva finishes fights, often by knockout. Out of his 40 fights, he has 34 wins, 20 by knockout and only 6 by submission. Silva is known for his Muay Thai style which harnesses the power of knees, kicks and elbows. He strikes at a distance but finishes in close. While Silva has submission skills, he prefers to keep the fight on its feet.

The Anatomy of a Beast
So with two of the top fighters in the world weighing in with average bodies, and adopting the typical fighter mentality of "unbeatable", it would appear that a true beast is someone who can make others play in to their strengths. You wouldn't fight a snake in the grass or a shark in the water, just like you shouldn't fight Rousey on the ground or Silva in the clinch. If you want to be a beast in every day life, bring the "fight" in on your terms...where is your advantage?

@BrendanRolfe

Image credits
[1]http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/405149/file-2323911186-png/Ronda-Rousey_241883_right70-3.png?t=1429706674717
[2]http://media.ufc.tv/generated_images_sorted/Fighter/Anderson-Silva/Anderson-Silva_753_LeftFullBodyImage.png

If you're in pain, it's probably your own fault

...you just have to know how to listen...

No, I'm not talking about your last failed relationship. Your body is smarter than you, it will tell you when it's happy or unhappy, and you best be listening.

Tell your stupid ranch tooth to shut up

[1]

First, I want to address exercising. When you are exercising, there is body talk, and there is brain talk. More often than not, your brain gets in the way of a good workout. When you are 9 reps deep in to a 12 set, or 15 seconds from a minute interval sprint, there is a moment where you question whether you can reach your target. I don't care whether you are wet behind the ears or a power-lifter of 25 years, "can I do 1 more rep" encroaches your mind on every set. This is when your brain pipes up first and says, "better not, we could hurt ourselves, there's no shame in 9 reps." But guess what? Your brain can and will lie to you. It does it all day, every day. Your brain is responsible for the cant's and dont's in your life, and more often than not, it gets in the way of success. Your body can, and it will, as long as you bring focus and real effort to the last reps of each set.

So, the "can I's" come from your brain and stem from fatigue. I hope I have been clear in establishing that this voice is of no use to you and should be ignored. What you need to listen to is pain signals. Pain signals are different from discomfort signals and are easily recognizable. For instance, that burning feeling you get in your muscles is discomfort, that stinging sensation in your knee is pain. And in fact, the goal of working out is to achieve discomfort and keep pushing through it. Enduring discomfort will make you stronger (physically and mentally), but working through pain can cripple you. The answer is not to avoid anything potentially painful and to park your rear-end on the couch with a cool beverage. Try modifying the depth, execution or the exercise itself so that you can exercise without pain. Remember, the human body is built to move and thrives of adversity; use it or lose it.

[2]

Silence is golden
Eating: this is where my ass gets so chapped with both people's complaints, and niche-market products, that a bowl of Vaseline would not provide any relief. If you can't get through the day without products like Gaviscon, Beano, Tums, Rolaids, Pepsid AC, etc, you need to give your head a shake. The reason your body gets bloated, heart-burn, nausea, etc, is because it doesn't want you to ingest that crap! When was the last time anyone got heart-burn from cucumbers, brown rice, and baked salmon?!? Nevruary, that's when.

Instead of masking the symptoms of a pissed-off body, try listening to it instead. Further, every body is different; some people can get bloated from healthy food like apples, beans, yoghurt, etc. Listen to your body in this capacity as well. If these healthy foods bloat you, it is probably because there is something in them that does not agree with your chemistry. If everyone made it their goal to eat only foods that did not make them burp, fart, bloat, burn or drowsy, the developed world would not be facing the health epidemic in which we currently find ourselves.  

Home body
You may like to party HARD, but you will pay for your transgressions. I won't go too in depth on this one. I think most of us can say that we have felt the icy, steel toed boot of tough love in our ribs from a night (or 10) of partying. Just know that your body keeps a tab. Scarring on your liver, clouding of your lungs, clogging of your veins and intestines, etc, all result from the nights out that you don't remember. I'm not saying don't party, in fact, you will be relived to know that your body is a beast when it comes to repair and recovery, but you should know that if you don't treat it like a temple in between keg-stands, the effects can be cumulative. Around the 30 years mark, I have now been introduced to the magical 2-day hangover, which makes me carefully weigh the value of a night out to get loose, and necessity to be a grown up the next day and get stuff done.


[3]

The point is, your body talks to you and it doesn't lie. The sooner you are hearing it, and truly listening, the sooner you are happier and healthier. Like anything else in this world, you get out what you put in.

@BrendanRolfe

Image Credits
[1]http://drronhillchiropractic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/depositphotos_10772870_m.jpg
[2]http://cdn.istoresinc.com/prankplace/images/fullsize/8311.jpg
[3]http://www.gifsforum.com/images/gif/party%20hard/grand/party-hard-eccbc87e4b5ce2fe28308fd9f2a7baf3-293.gif

Curvy is(n't) the new black

"Your size is not an indicator of health. It's a fact." - Tess Munster (LA based plus size model and blogger)

                                          http://theplussizelife.blogspot.ca/

                                          

I recently came across a blog by a plus size model, making a few claims about health, and needless to say I was shocked. Tess Munster may use her plus size to earn her living, and making these claims may help her build a following of similarly confused minds, but I beg you, Tess, to please refrain from passing off your own opinion as "fact", especially when people's lives are at risk. 

Here is a fact that you can share - between 2000 and 2008 the annual economic costs of obesity in Canada increased by $735 million, from $3.9 to $4.6 billion in direct and indirect costs (PHAC, 2011b)[1]. Americans have the right to be obese. Privatized healthcare gives you that right because it affects no one but you, your family, your friends, your heart, your longevity, and not to mention, your wallet. If you want to kill yourself with food, that's your choice. But in Canada and other countries that practice universal healthcare, your health is everyone's business.  

Suggesting that the body featured above is healthy, is unhealthy, and downright dangerous. Tess has 900 followers of her blog (theplussizelife.blogspot.ca), many of whom are themselves overweight. The last thing someone struggling with weight issues, or health issues related to their weight, needs to hear is the "fact" that being obese doesn't correlate to health problems. Make no mistake, it does. Visceral fat in particular (the fat that surrounds your organs -- or more commonly called a gut, a pouch, a spare tire, or a keg) can lead to cancer, stroke, heart attack, and type 2 diabetes, among other things. Any one of these can kill you, never mind the fact that you will likely end up with two or more. So, size IS an indicator of health[2]. Notice the citation? 

As a personal trainer and nutrition specialist, I am loathed to use the term "fat" as I strongly dislike the connotation towards a lazy, slovenly nature and would never call any of my clients, or anyone making efforts to improve their physical health, "fat". But by coddling a dangerous disease with euphemisms like curvy and voluptuous, the dire circumstances present are completely brushed aside. Obesity is an epidemic. We would never tell a drug-addict to love their habits and reference them as "narcotically-inclined." So let's call it what it is, people!

"P.S. Don't assume fat people don't work out. Don't assume that we eat junk food." - Tess Munster

You don't get fat from eating too much vegetables and going for a bike ride every day. FYI, "junk food" doesn't just refer to cupcakes and candy bars, it includes alcohol consumption, fast food (almost all), and eating out at most restaurants (butter and salt are the chef's go-to for taste). Many factors come into play that can make people overweight: stress, time constraints, or general lack of knowledge about what foods to eat/avoid or how to exercise, which is why Tess' "facts" are so upsetting. She is in a position to be a role model and is purveying deadly misinformation. You should be getting 60 minutes per day minimum of intentional exercise (ie. a bike ride, a brisk walk, calisthenics, etc) and the majority of each meal plate (50-60%) should consist of greens (a potato doesn't count -- it's more starch than vegetable and is not green) in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle and stay optimally healthy.

"Love thyself as thy neighbour" - God

Tess does have one thing right though, the path to a healthy self image and a healthy body is through loving yourself. Not loving the self you see in the mirror, but loving the self that can't be seen. So good God, yes! Love yourself! Love everything about who you are, but don't look at yourself and say, my body image is who I identify with and who I am. Associating self-worth with body image is unhealthy on any level. The first step in loving yourself is loving who you are (not what you look like). A great start is going to see a psychologist or a counsellor. I would recommend this to everyone, healthy or not. Being able to unload a world of stress and hurt, or just your thoughts on a stranger without any risk of judgement is extremely cathartic. In my experience, weight gain can often be associated with emotional trauma (not just misinformation about food), so getting emotional support (particularly from a professional) is a great first step for anyone looking to make a change. 

Love yourself enough to make a change

So the message here is, love yourself! Love yourself enough to want to be alive for your friends, your kids, your significant other, etc.  Love yourself enough to care for yourself and to be able to do anything you want to do, go anywhere you want to go, and not allow physicality to be a limiting factor. If your weight is stopping you from doing the things you want to do, being comfortable in places you want to be, or it is negatively impacting your life in any way, then love yourself enough to become a healthier you! 70% of North America's population is overweight or obese. That number has doubled in the last 30 years[3]. So, unfortunately, Tess is right again, the "majority of women [and men]" look similar to her. The question is, do we accept that as the new norm, stating that overweight and obesity is a healthy body image for kids to look up to? We blame media and "society"-- such a loose copout term-- for skewing children's image of what is healthy (physically and psychologically), but as a sharp rise in childhood obesity will allude to, we are our children's role models. By pointing the finger at the fashion models, the toys (leave Barbie alone), the fitness and the airbrush industry, we shamefully shirk the responsibility of being a role-model ourselves. 

This is not healthy [4]

But neither is this [5]

'Healthy' does not only look one way, but I will tell you right now that it certainly does not look like Tess Munster. And being paid as a model to look glutinous is equally as concerning as being paid to look anorexic.  

My message is not for anyone to feel shame, it is not for anyone to feel sorry for themselves, and it is certainly not that anyone has the right to judge others for their outward appearance. Rather, it is that we should look inside ourselves, as outward appearance can often be a manifestation of inward turmoil. Like it or not, we are ALL role models for the younger generation and we need to judge ourselves as such. Is the legacy we want to leave the next generation one of obesity and cardiac problems? Because that is the direction we are headed. By saying curvy is the new black, we are dooming the human race to dependancy on prescription drugs, liposuction and premature cardiovascular decline. 

I really do care for everyone's health and wellness and many changes need to be made at a legislative level in our band-aid style of healthcare (a shift to preventative is critical). If you love yourself enough to make a change today, I've put together a few tips that might just help. Try doing 3 rounds of this basic at home workout and take a look at these helpful tips when it comes to meal time.

It is never too late to get healthy, inside and out.  

~Brendan
brendan_rolfe@hotmail.com

PS. If you are struggling with your weight please don't hesitate to email me for help. I would be happy to give you free advice to get you going in the right direction. Obesity is everyone's problem, not just your own :)


At home circuit workout

Brisk 5 minute walk outside, on treadmill, or even just around the house
60 second rest
20 air squats or using a chair (sit and stand)
60 second rest
20 straight leg toe touches then reach for the sky
60 second rest
20 pushups from your knees (or use stand and use the wall)
60 second rest
20 bird-dog (start on hands and knees, lift opposite limbs as high as possible)


Food Tips

-Want to lose 5lbs and be noticeably healthier within a month? Switch all of your drinks to water. No soft drinks, no alcohol, no specialty coffee (black coffee or plain tea if you need it), and no juice. All of these drinks contain mass amounts of sugar, among other things.

- This is what a healthy plate looks like                                                    [6]

If your first thought is "where is the rest of it?" then you are probably eating too much. Portion size is one of the most common mistakes of those who are overweight and obese. Your plate should be 50% (or more) vegetables and fruit, 25% grains or starch like potato, and 25% protein (meat -- if you eat meat). There is no portion size limit to veggies, although a minimum small bowl full is a good size. Your protein should be just under the size of your fist, and your grain or starch should be about a cup for men or 1/2 cup for women (cooked).

Veggies - The greener the better   Meats - The leaner the better    Starch & Grains - The browner the better

- Restaurants are tricky and can be calorie traps. The problem is that you just don' t know what is in your food. Chef's love to cook with butter (fat - which is good, but not in excess) and salts because they make things taste good. Even salads, which seem like a great option, can have way more calories than you think because of the dressings. So, here is a few general rules for eating out: 

1) If it has a drive-thru, don't eat there 

2) If the menu doesn't denote healthy options, don't eat there 

3) Get your dressings and sauces on the side and use sparingly 

4) Always opt for lean meats like turkey or chicken, or go for fish. If you are dying for a steak, get a small portion.

5) Don't be afraid to leave a little food on your plate...restaurants often give way too much food that is well-beyond proper portion sizes.

Finally, try not to eat out more than twice per week (for any meal, not just dinner). Try your best to eat at home as much as possible, and always opt for fresh foods over processed or pre-packaged.

References  

1 http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.3483991/k.34A8/Statistics.htm#references
2 http://ajpendo.physiology.org/content/303/5/E635.full-text.pdf+html
3 http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-trends/obesity-rates-worldwide/
4 http://blogs.longwood.edu/strongisskinny/2013/05/30/whats-wrong-with-being-twiggy/
5 http://theplussizelife.blogspot.ca/
6 http://www.healthykidsplate.com/2011/12/dinner-on-plate/

The Shermanation of Sport

                                          Image courtesy Richard Sherman/Instagram

In case you have been under a rock for the last week or are unfamiliar with the NFL world, Seattle Seahawks Pro-Bowl cornerback, Richard Sherman, had a post-game rant for the ages. In a nutshell, he questioned the talent of Michael Crabtree (a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, whom he was covering) and called himself the best in the game. In fairness, this rant is in response to a feud between the two players, likely in-game trash talking, and post game antics which featured a stiff-arm to the face of Sherman when he attempted to shake hands with Crabtree following the final whistle of the game where Sherman's Seahawks defeated the 49ers to advance to the Superbowl.

It is distracting, sends out negative vibes in the clubhouse, it is damaging to team moral, and worst of all...it sells tickets

My knee-jerk reaction, like most of North America, was to condemn the actions of an athlete who was clearly an egotistical, self-centred pre-madonna. Having played elite level sports of various kinds, I have had the pleasure (?) of playing with athletes who thought they were the second coming of Jesus, and let me tell you, it's not fun. It is distracting, sends out negative vibes in the clubhouse, it is damaging to team moral, and worst of all...it sells tickets. Who wants to see a self-rightous, cocky bully get smashed in the mouth with Karma? I do. And very likely, so do you.

Sport is war

Before delving deeper into what I will call the Shermanation of sport (for current relevance - though others of much greater stature have come before; Muhammed Ali, Gary Peyton, even Ty Cobb), I want to illustrate what kind of people both Michael Crabtree and Richard Sherman are: they are both educated, hard-working (you can't be a top athlete at the professional ranks without hard work), well-liked by teammates, active in their communities (both have charities in their names), and both give 100% on the field. By all accounts, they are stand-up human-beings, phenomenal athletes, and role-model material. But nobody wants to see nice-guys be nice. Sport is war. More specifically, football is war; quite literally. Two sides, wearing different uniforms, generals on the sidelines, plans of attack, hell, there's even trenches (the offensive and defensive lines). As an observer, it is not only incumbent upon you to pick a side, it's engrained in you. We are, in the end, pack animals that want to win, because our survival depends on it; thus, we follow the strongest leaders - who we hope is our home team! And if there is anything we have learned from being animals (or more likely from watching the nature channel, now that we are all soft and dulled of sense from centuries of loafing), it is that the biggest, baddest, loudest and most robust alpha usually wins.

                                                       Image courtesy twinking.net
My initial reaction to Richard Sherman was dislike. I didn't know much about the man, other than he was a good cornerback in the NFL (the greatest, actually, so he tells me) and that he played for as close to a home team as we can get in the NFL, living in Vancouver, Canada . I was even cheering for his team to win, so one would think my first reaction would be to defend his actions. After thinking before writing (this blog is 5 days after the fact), I have come to the conclusion that Richard Sherman is not to blame. He is a victim of emotion and circumstance, and while he makes no apologies for his actions, I have since forgiven him (I'm sure that will come as a great relief to Richard). The truth is that I am Richard Sherman and so are you. As fans, we have shaped these players over decades of competition to entertain us. Sure, they entertain us with astonishing feats of physicality, but also entertain us with character and the antics that are sure to follow. Boxers and mixed martial artists often get paid a percentage of gate (attendance) sales as part of their compensation, thus, it has always been a prerogative to "sell the fight", ie. create speculative interest in the event with the intent of driving ticket sales. Muhammed Ali was one of the pioneers (and the most poetic and impressive on this writers list). At the time, he was the target of ample amounts of ire; not only was he a black athlete in a time of serious racial tension, but he was confident, strong, good-looking, and eloquent. He was everything white America feared and easy to dislike if you weren't in his corner. He refused to back down and refused to apologize for who he was (sound familiar?). In the beginning, while Ali had fans who bought tickets to support him, even more people bought tickets to root against him. It didn't even matter who he was fighting, he was the rival and it was worth the price of admission if one got the chance to see him lose.

Rivalries permeate today's games as well. But how does a rivalry form? They say familiarity breeds contempt. I would argue that familiarity builds fondness and that contempt is manufactured.

All the world's a stage,

       And all the men and women merely players;         

They have their exits and their entrances,

And one man in his time plays many parts

                              - William Shakespeare

To source past "trash talkers"of recent memory, one need not look outside the scope of NFL football. Receivers Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco would both be described by most fans (who aren't Dallas Cowboys fans) as entertaining and talented. Both are known for extravagant touchdown celebrations that are fun to watch, fine worthy, and, if you are cheering for the team opposing theirs, infuriating. Let's be perfectly honest, if the NFL wanted to stop this excessive celebrating, they would have given him more than a $7,500 fine and a 15 yard penalty (0.09% of his $8,000,000 salary for the year), but they didn't. Why? Because it is entertaining and it sells tickets. So does Richard Sherman. So when these athletes present a larger than life on-field persona, it is all too easy to get caught up in the hype of professional sports and cast judgement in the hopes of making your enemy a pariah.

If you don't like the man he is on the field and in interviews, that's too bad, because it is your fault that he is that guy

There have been reports of public and social media name calling, a myriad of judgement being passed and overt racism in reference to Sherman (let's be honest, the racists will always find an excuse). My initial response was to jump on the judgement jeep and criticize Sherman like I was appalled at the person he is, or thought he was. But in truth, Richard Sherman isn't even Richard Sherman. Richard Sherman the Seahawk is a brash, cocky, antagonist. He's good and he knows it. Moreover, he knows that you know it, and if you don't, he'll tell you. The reality is that only his friends and family know the real Richard Sherman, and it is only those who know him best who can be the real judge of his character. If you don't like the man he is on the field and in interviews, that's too bad, because it is your fault that he is that guy. You buy the tickets to yell at him, to see him lose and watch him fail, but you are still buying the ticket that is the foundation of his paycheque. 

Society needs to understand that everything presented to them is to be taken with a grain of salt. Medical advice, TV news, the radio, advertising, sports are all there for three things 1) To entertain you, 2) To get your money, and 3) To get your money. Sports is entertainment. The reason professional athletes get away with taking performance enhancing drugs (and they do on a mass scale), the reason trash talking goes unpunished, and the reason they are paid millions of dollars to play a game is because you support them by watching games on TV, buying tickets and buying merchandise. So before you judge the next athlete who goes on a rant about being the greatest, know that you made them that way. And before you send a hate-tweet or slam them at the office water cooler, ask yourself if you have been entertained. If the answer is yes (and it is yes, because you are still talking about it), then know that he has done his job and that it doesn't concern him one bit what you think...because it's your problem, not his.