BodyBugg vs Heart Rate Monitors: School Is Back In Session

                                      

For the longest time I have sat back & watched as many many people have used the "Heart Rate Monitor" for a calorie counting tool. It sparked an interest in me the day I began my weight loss journey. I thought to myself "What a good idea. Why not know how many calories I burn in a day so I can lose weight & control my calorie intake?" Fabulous idea! So I go out to the nearest Sporting Goods store & purchase a well known name brand Heart Rate Monitor. I spend $60 & walk away with what I THOUGHT was the essential tool to have for CALORIE TRACKING. I started using my Heart rate Monitor that day. I worked out to Turbo Jam for 55 minutes & by the end the Heart Rate Monitor had read I burned 1205 calories......in 55 minutes of Turbo Jam. Mind you Turbo Jam is nothing like INSANITY and since INSANITY was in the making, I couldn't compare burns with both programs. What I did however was take what I had burned & used that in my daily regimen to control my calorie intake. I followed that for about 6 months. Here are a few questions I had to answer for myself after having NO success using the "Heart Rate Monitor" for something it WAS NOT created to do, Count Calories.

Q. Was I losing weight?

A. No. Not the way I could have been had I used a tool that was SPECIFICALLY MADE for counting calories. 

Q. Did I know how many calories I burned ALL DAY?

A. No. This little gadget told me what I burned during a workout & IF I decided to keep it going all day my calorie burn would have read something like 10,000. HUH??? Thats over losing 2 pounds a day! Puh-Lease!

Q. What can I do to solve this problem?

A. RESEARCH!!

Without answering these questions for myself, I would never know. 

I jumped on my computer. I quickly logged onto Chalene Johnson's website turbokick.com because I had seen her sporting this gadget they call the BodyBugg. I was interested since she had been my inspiration to take control of my life & become super healthy & fit. As most of you know, Chalene Johnson is a TOP World Renowned Trainer & we are blessed enough to have her as one of our very own in Beachbody outside of her company Powder Blue Productions (a.k.a. PBP) She had been blogging about this contraption for a while now & knowing Chalene, she DOES NOT promote something that DOESN'T WORK. In fact, she had one of the Biggest Loser contestants live with her for a month, having to wear the BodyBugg and it took the entire month of the contestant wearing it to convince Chalene that it was totally worth it. I finally decided to take the next step in researching the BodyBugg for myself on its website. I read everything about this tool before I purchased it. I found out Jillian Michaels makes her contestants on the Biggest Loser wear them and I also discovered 24 Hour Fitness was behind supporting Body Media, who created the SMARTEST Calorie Counting Tool available. I took the next step in purchasing one.

2 Business days was all it took for me to receive my BodyBugg. Excited?? Oh goodness, you have no idea!!! I was so extremely excited about this tool. I had that feeling inside of me that told me "THIS IS IT. This tool WILL get the job done." Is that true? ABSOLUTELY, 100% without a doubt in my mind, did this tool WORK. For the first time ever, I learned how many calories I was burning minute to minute, whether sitting still, walking, cooking, working out or even sleeping! Yeah, you burn calories 24 hours a day. Your body doesn't stop burning calories after you workout. Its a continual burn. It just depends on how much muscle or fat you have in your body that depicts how many you burn. Another contributing factor is your body height. 100% true. Shorter people burn LESS than taller people. Chalene will gladly back this statement up. How many calories you burn in a day also depends on how active you are. In a ratio of 1:6 (fat burning 1 calorie a minute & muscle burning 6) I was hooked on lifting weights to build my muscles so I would burn more fat. ChaLEAN Extreme was my workout of choice. With the help of the BodyBugg I lost 38 pounds & gained more muscle than I ever imagined I could build. I was eating the proper portions of calories per day BECAUSE I KNEW for a fact how many calories I was burning. I was NOT being under or overfed. 

One of the most irritating things I get messages about is how someone saw another person talking, writing, filming a video clip or posting pictures of their heart rate monitor saying how many calories they burned during a workout. They let me know they have been using a Heart Rate Monitor as well, but have not lost weight, have not built proper muscle, don't know if they are eating too much or too little and don't know how many calories they are burning all day long. They also notice me wearing the Bodybugg Being an EXPERIENCED participant in both tools, I am here to tell you the Heart rate Monitor is ONLY that and a watch/stopwatch. Period. This tool was not created like the BodyBugg. The Heart rate Monitor CANNOT tell you:

Your Skin temperature

Your activity level

Your rate of heat dissipating from your body

Galvanic Skin Response (which tells you water content of the skin, and the constriction or dilation of the vascular periphery)

Steps taken in a day

PROPER Calorie Burn, Minute to Minute

The BodyBugg has ALL of this and more. It comes with a website subscription to input your food for the day & accurately tell you how many calories you've taken in. You can add foods/drinks that are not in the BodyBugg system by inputting the nutrition from the back of the label & it will tell you how many calories you consumed by how many grams/ounces/fluid ounces is in a serving & the nutrition. THIS TOOL IS A CALORIE COUNTING DEVICE & MORE. I will not advertise the Heart rate Monitor for being an ACCURATE Calorie Counter because it is NOT. People are being either over or underfed & not knowing everything listed above by following what their Heart rate Monitor is telling them. They aren't losing weight & its the most frustrating thing to have to go through especially when you "feel" like you're doing enough. Its not enough to just have one part of the solution. It needs to be a whole. Here below you can see how the website for the BodyBugg is set up:

I really hope this blog reaches people on a Learning Experience level. This is not something I came up with, its something I genuinely was a part of, researched & GOT RESULTS from. I used this until I was able to finally know how many calories I was burning on a day to day basis, keeping me from over eating, under eating, working out harder, lifting heavier or moving more. Your calorie burn is much lower during weight training than on days you do cardio. However, after weight training, you burn 2.5 - 4 calories more per minute for hours afterwards as opposed to burning 600 calories during a 45 minute cardio workout & immediately slow down back to a resting calorie burn if of course you aren't active after the cardio workout. There are so many things you can learn if you just research and not take someones word for it. We are ALL DIFFERENT & our bodies require different nutrition workouts and supplements to get us to reach our goals. Knowing your calories is a very important factor in losing weight. I'm not here to tell you to go buy a Bodybugg, I'm just letting you know what the difference is between the 2 devices as I was a participant in using both. Do not speak from inexperience. If you haven't actually tried the BodyBugg & you're so negative right now I could put you in a dark room & you would develop, you cannot say I am wrong because I have thousands of people who have my back in letting you know that the BodyBugg is a Calorie Counting Device & it does just that. 

http://www.bodybugg.com 

From Carnivore to Herbivore

I never saw this day coming. Not one bit. I've been a chicken, steak, fish, shell fish, bison, venison, you name it, eating girl since I was able to start chewing. No surprise however. In America, we are raised on the basis that the "All-American" way of living is meat and dairy. "Make sure you get your daily glass of milk. Eat your steak and potatoes, and lastly, have a bit of vegetables on the side!" A "bit" of vegetables?! Ever notice how the last thing we were ever concerned about was eating vegetables? Yet the prominent role of meat and dairy weren't a question? This blog isn't meant to force you to make the choice I did in becoming vegan or vegetarian. This blog is to help open your eyes to how animal protein and dairy are sole initiators of cancer growth, MS, diabetes, and more. And for you moms and dads out there, YOU'RE THE PARENT! Allowing your kids to give you sad faces and throw temper tantrums because they have to eat something that is extremely healthy for them daily that will increase their life instead of decrease is poor parenting. So save the b.s. about "I just have such a hard time making my child eat healthy so it's easier if I just shove junk down his/her throat so he/she shuts up." Lame. Ass. Excuse. If you really care about your child's health in the future, start NOW.

Doesn't it alarm you that with ALL the money we have invested and continue to invest into cancer, autism, diabetes, MS, arthritis, heart disease (by the way more women die from heart disease than from breast cancer but NO ONE EVER TALKS ABOUT IT!), etc. research over the years, that NO ONE HAS FOUND AN ACTUAL CURE??? It is complete garbage and it should piss you off! How many loved ones could have been around longer with a change of lifestyle and diet? How many people would stop "Relay for Life" walks and more? I know damn well I'm not the only one who questions it, but not enough people VOICE it in fear of being bashed and discriminated against. My friend Mark Gingrich started a company called HTFU. I've hyperlinked his company for you to research on your own. He has a sticker that I have in front of me everyday that says:

I know I don't stand alone here, but we are certainly few among the heard.

"Everyone in the field of nutrition science stands on the shoulders of Dr. Campbell, who is one of the GIANTS in the field. This is one of the most important books about nutrition ever written - reading it may save your life." -Dean Ornish, MD

Now I question EVERY SINGLE THEORY of the "American Way". This started a good 3 months back when I first embarked on retaining my Continuing Education Credits for Personal training and Nutrition with a very intricate and carefully researched book called The China Study. This book is the most comprehensive study of nutrition EVER conducted. And I'm not talking about 5-10 years of puny research. I'm talking 40+ years of seriously dissected scientific studies, tests and procedures from groups of countries, counties, indigenous and rural people and beyond. Studying groups of people who have left their homeland to move to another country and comparing their newly adopted lifestyle to that of their homeland. This book will blow you away!

The minute I opened this book, I was intrigued to learn that this could actually be something I would consider. Not only that, but something I decided I would immediately change. I didn't wait to read the entire book. I simply put into practice what was unfolding before my eyes, and believe it or not, I truly don't miss meat or dairy. Period. The first study done in this book is the effects of animal protein and cancer. T. Colin Campbell, PHD, author of The China Study and Professor Emeritus at Cornell University, details the connection between nutrition and heart disease, cancer in general, diabetes, prostate, colon and breast cancer, MS, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and more. To elaborate, one study in connection of animal protein and cancer was done among 2 separate groups of rats, one group fed 20% protein with a low dose of aflatoxin and the other fed 5% protein with a high dose of aflatoxin. The following is an excerpt from The China Study:

"After initiation with aflatoxin, foci grew (were promoted) far more with the 20% protein diet than the 5% protein diet. Up to this point, all of the animals were exposed to the same amount of aflatoxin. But what if the initial aflatoxin exposure is varied? Would protein still have an effect? We investigated this question by giving 2 groups of rats either a high-aflatoxin dose or low-aflatoxin dose, along with a standard baseline diet. Because of this, these 2 groups of rats were starting the cancer process with different amounts of initiated, cancerous "seeds". Then, during the promotion phase, we fed a low-protein diet to the high-aflatoxin dose groups, and a high-protein diet to the low-aflatoxin dose group. We wondered whether the animals that start with lots of cancerous seeds are able to overcome their predicament by eating a low-protein diet. Again, the results were remarkable. Animals starting with the most cancer initiation (high-aflatoxin dose) developed substantially less foci when fed the 5% protein diet. In contrast, animals initiated with a low-aflatoxin dose actually produced substantially more foci when subsequently fed the 20% protein diet."          ...............................

"All animals were dosed with the same amount of carcinogen exposure then alternately fed either 5% or 20% dietary protein during the 12-week promotion stage. We divided this promotion stage into 4 periods of 3 weeks each..... when animals were fed 20% protein diets during periods 1 and 2, (20-20), foci continued to enlarge, as expected. But when animals were switched to the low-protein diet at the beginning of period 3 (20-20), there was a SHARP DECREASE in foci development. And when animals were subsequently switched back to the 20% protein diet during period 4, (20-20-5-20), foci development was turned ON once again."

How does that resonate with you? For me it was a no brainer. I've been in the nutrition field since 2008 and although that may not seem like very long to most, compared to majors in the field, I can certainly tell you I have applied what I've learned first hand and am able to say the results speak for themselves. People want to argue that they would have a hard time switching up their diet due to the accustomed ways they've developed, and a majority of people would rather undergo a $100,000 heart bypass than change their diets to vegetarianism or vegan. My opinion may not be yours, but I think those people need a serious dose of reality. A huge wake up call is desperately needed in this nation and there is not one second that goes by that I am not willing to share the information I myself have applied, investigated and drown myself in! I have paid for my courses, I have applied myself to everything I've wanted to learn from physical training, sleep, whole foods and whole food vitamins, digestive and metabolic enzymes to hydration and more. The list is endless and I will never stop applying myself to knowing and learning more.

I'm sure you're wondering "how do I get my protein? How do I feel? Don't I miss meat and dairy? My answer: Plants. I feel awesome. I don't miss a bit of meat or dairy. If you're super cool and were privileged enough to witness the awesomeness that is Popeye the one eyed sailor man, you know instantaneously that he was ALWAYS downing spinach. Faster than I could blink, that character was known for spinach. Why plants? Why spinach? What is so special about it? Protein.Vitamins. Enzymes. Minerals. Out of all the vegetables, spinach is one of the most nutritious dense, leafy greens you can consume and there is more protein brought out of spinach when it's cooked than you know. Plants have a diverse amount of micro and macronutrients that people tend to miss. Not only that, but meat and dairy sources have almost ZERO nutrients that your body can utilize because we first have to cook it. Once that takes place, we kill anything that was present in the food source leaving nothing but waste in the body and utilization of only 16% of the food. Crazy? Maybe to you. But with what I know and what I've personally learned and applied, I know a ton. One thing truly resonates with me: How did I NOT know ANY of this before? The reason? Media, Government and corporations large enough to create billion dollar industries that will go great lengths to fill their pockets by sharing with the world false information about meats, dairy, sugar, etc. by making sure people like us, and those scientists who do truly care, keep their mouths shut. Because if this information was to get out among every single person in the world, those large corporations ran by government and banks, would be completely bankrupt!

We can end a majority of the "necessary" surgical procedures when it comes to our internal and external health simply by adopting a healthier lifestyle. So you tell me, what is so damn hard about changing to a healthier you? Why does it take a doctor telling you you're on the verge of dying because of your unhealthy lifestyle to change something or opt for a very UNNECESSARY surgical procedure? All of these thing CAN BE PREVENTED simply with a change of diet and lifestyle. It's YOUR call. What is your life to you?

I'll end with a very prominent statement written in this book, with the hopes of my effort to get the point across to you, how important truly clean eating, minimal animal food, is for you!

"There is enough evidence now that doctors should be discussing the option of pursuing dietary change as a potential path to cancer prevention and treatment. There is enough evidence now that the U.S. government should be discussing the idea that the toxicity of our diet is THE SINGLE BIGGEST CAUSE OF CANCER. There is enough evidence now that local breast cancer alliances, and prostate and colon cancer institutions should be discussing the possibility of providing information to Americans everywhere on how a whole food, plant based diet may an incredibly effective anti-cancer medicine."

Add Cold Conditions to Your Fitness Routine

Cold conditions aren't necessarily fun when we think about it. All we want to do is bundle up and stay warm. Its our first protective instinct as a human being. However, I'm here to introduce to you, considering you aren't aware, of how cold conditions can actually be good for you. I decided to write about this since I'm asked all the time why I take my morning fasted cardio or interval sessions outside when its cold, or what a contrast shower is and why do I add them to my lifestyle. I research and apply everything I learn before sharing it with others. I love and believe in credible research and application because it gives me the ability to use it long enough to see if it works. It's after I've done it that I can pass it along. Knowledge is power but only when you apply it.

Here's my reason for cold condition training:

Taking your workout outside can be extremely beneficial to you when its cold and here is why; we have 2 different fat tissues. Adipose tissue (better known as the white or outer layer of fat), which contains a single lipid droplet and then there is brown fat. Brown fat is located deeper in the adult body in the chest and neck area and uses calories from adipose tissue (white fat) to burn it. The reason it’s brown due to the increased fat cells and number of iron containing mitochondria. Its primary function is to generate body heat in animals or newborns that do not shiver, but works in adults as well when its cold. The brown fat is activated and is burned off to help keep us warm which increases the fat we burn in total. Want more fat burn? Take your workouts to the cold outdoors!

It works the same with taking straight cold or contrast showers after training! Just be careful with contrast showers because when you begin, your lymph system is not used to it, and is affected negatively if you don't slowly introduce yourself to them by alternating warm first, then cool and once you can handle that, you can go into very cold and very hot. A contrast shower works best when you use the extremes of both temperatures, so be careful both when starting out and once you're advanced. The intervals of a contrast shower are usually 4-6, thirty second intervals (you can find articles all over the internet about different timing and intervals). I'm a sucker for a contrast shower sometimes after my fasted morning LISS (Low Intensity Steady State) cardio sessions, but especially after my intense workout later in the day.

With a contrast shower, there is an increase in blood circulation, which helps in the detox process by increasing the excretion of metabolic and cellular waste from the body. It can also help in transporting the nutrients and oxygen to the damaged tissues and activate the brown fat I discussed above. Contrast showers also increase the number of white blood cells. It is part of a skin cleansing process. There are also recovery benefits from contrast showers. It helps speed up the process of healing the muscles in the body after they've been broken down from training. There are tons of reasons for cold conditioning or a contrast shower but I'm sure you get the picture.

It’s not recommended for everyone. If you're asthmatic (I am but its not severe enough to affect me anymore), have active autoimmune disease, inflammation, cardiovascular issues, pregnant, temperature insensitive, weak feeling or otherwise feel awful after doing so, do not take a contrast shower! You can always ask a specialist if you would like to introduce them to your routine. Just be sure its safe for you and enjoy the cold conditions!

The Body Loves Muscle

Picture big enough? Good. It should be. That's the point of hard work. That you can see it. Anyone who has to work hard to keep fat off their body deserves blown up photos of themselves. Why? Because it's a constant reminder of how bad you wanted it and how hard you worked your ass off to get it. 

One of the most annoying phrases to me? "The body LOVES muscle." I'm sorry; it does? Interesting. Now I'm not sugar coating any of this so if you're sensitive to foul language, close this out now. If the body loves muscle so much, why does it store fat over muscle when we eat whatever we want? Why does the body eat the muscle when one is in starvation mode or eat muscle in marathon runners or chronic cardio idiots for fuel during a session because they don't have guidance to fuel properly? Is 'idiot' too brutal? Oh well. I can speak on that. I've been there. I've been the chronic cardio idiot. Don't get me wrong, if there is a goal for endurance, heart health or you're training for something that requires long drawn out cardio sessions, by all means; proceed. But when it comes to fat loss; Hell No!! 

If the body loved muscle so much, I highly doubt there would be an obesity epidemic. I'm pretty sure there would be a muscle bulking epidemic and because the human eye LOVES the look of a toned body, it would be encouraged. If bullshit fast food increased muscle mass without working out or counting macros and calories, you can bet gyms would never exist. There is a genius for whoever coined the name 'Fast Food'. Remove the 'S' and you have 'Fat Food'. 

There are many people out there who were born "lucky" or "blessed" you could say. And instead of calling them mean names because of their great physique, one can simply use the more common name; ectomorph or "hard gainer" as more universally known. These people cannot gain a damn thing and seem to get away with anything they want in as much quantities as they want. That sure as shit doesn't mean they're healthy inside. Do you ever wonder how they smell when they sweat? Do you know how many toxins are pouring out of their pores because of what they consume? Yeah, it's disgusting. Now not ALL of them do this. There are a lot of ectomorphic people who care about their health and take care of it by eating healthy, so don't get all Dr. Phil on me and start reprimanding me if you're a healthy hard gainer. Kudos!

Here is my point. I have worked very hard to lose fat, and still do. I have also worked very hard to gain muscle in my body, and still do. I can't stop. Why? I'm a "blessed" mesomorph. I was never a skinny or lean child. I wasn't born with those lean blessings. A mesomorph means I lose and gain weight easily so I have to pay attention to what I eat, how much of it I eat and make sure my macros are split they way they need to be for my body to shed fat. The body doesn't LOVE muscle. The body NEEDS muscle. There's a difference. We need it because it's the protective tissue for the skeletal structure, organs and joints. We need it because we need strength to be able to function and move on a daily basis. The body LOVES fat because body fat is essential for the healthy functioning of our body. Fat is important to the body because it transports fat-soluable vitamins A, D, E, and K which are imperative to our health. Fat is also a great shock absorber. Many athletes don't want extremely low percentages of fat levels because the fat helps protect their body during competition, but there are those who go to extremes to keep it low for whatever their goal is or have to for a career that requires it. Fat also serves as "human insulation" and helps regulate body temperature. It's what's stored when you don't pay attention to excessive amounts of what you're eating and drinking. It's what is stored after the body eats your muscle in starvation mode, a chronic cardio routine or even during sleep. 

You should get the picture by now. So the next time someone tells you "the body LOVES muscle" call bullshit. They have no idea what they're talking about. 

Ashley McTucker AFPA Certified Personal Trainer and Nutritional Consultant

Take Your Loss to the Gym

There is nothing more difficult than the loss of someone, something or loss of self. Whether its a relationship, a job, a pet, self worth, dignity or the physical death of a person you love. It doesn't matter what the loss is; a loss is a loss and its painful. They all come in different forms of pain and grief. We all experience different emotions when we endure one of these life's many trials, but it's how we decide to push through that makes us stronger and keeps our "chin up" through the coming days.

I recently took a great loss. My Grandma, Gloria Baker, was someone in my life I was very close to. Not one of those average "oh I HAVE to go see my grandma" scenario's where most people; kids, teenagers and even adults, take for granted who they HAVE to go see.  It was a privilege for me to be able to pick up the phone and call her weekly. It was a privilege when I got the chance to see her on Holiday's or whenever I drove up from Vegas to visit my family and friends. See my Grandma wasn't a chore. She was a blessing and an amazing one at that. I could talk to her about absolutely anything I wanted; she never lied or misguided me. She was the Grandma I could always count on to make any situation lighter with her laughter, her humor, her ability to scream louder than a drill sergeant when the 49ers were losing a football game or even making a touchdown. She was the LIFE of the party at every family gathering. For me, it wasn't "I HAVE to" it was "I GET to". Something I believe and know that people take for granted. Are you getting the picture?

When we take a loss, as I said above; its not how we experience the pain, its how we make it through. I'm a health and fitness fanatic. Everyone knows that. So for me, there is nothing more satisfying to my daily routine than getting into the gym. No matter what I'm going through, I ALWAYS want to be there. And I'm not talking about your average hamster wheel spinner, your chronic cardio buff or whatever name you call it. I'm not interested in getting nowhere on a cardio machine. 

For me, its the iron I want. There is something to be said about that cold weight room when you walk in, emotion after emotion rolling through your body like an electrical current, waiting to be ignited. Its the feeling of being put in check when I step to those plates; knowing I will walk out of there a defeated happy mess. Defeated? Yep. I said: defeated. The iron ALWAYS wins. I can take any aggression out on it any time I want. I can push, press, pull, lift, curl and throw myself into the iron and no matter what, I still cannot defeat what just gets heavier and heavier with each exhausting repetition, each set that goes by; I am being defeated. The iron doesn't lie to me, it doesn't give into my problems, it doesn't care about my fears or sorrows. Its just there to release upon it the force of emotions I have inside when I'm ready. It doesn't move without me, but it always wins. 

Since before and after losing my Grandma- and many many others in between, this is my 2nd home. This is where I know I can SHUT UP AND LIFT! If I want to be left alone? Gym. If I wanna be aggressive? Gym. If I wanna beat the crap out of someone? Gym. If I took a loss? Gym. Whatever the reason may be, you can find me in the gym. I am there; giving it my ALL and fighting myself until I can't be fought anymore. I am there to leave every emotion on the ground and walk out defeated. There isn't a comfort food in the world that can leave you feeling defeated and happy at the same time.  If you have yet to experience what I'm talking about, GET YOUR ASS TO THE GYM. If you do it right, you'll walk out defeated; happy.

DO YOU EVEN LIFT???

The Diversity of Fitmark Bags

     Have you ever gone on a trip, stayed in a hotel/motel and realized you forgot your shampoo & conditioner at home? I have. Many times! Then it clicks... "I get to look forward to using one of the same old boring, nasty scented shampoo & conditioner the hotel offers". FANTASTIC! You know what I'm talking about. The ONLY 3 options you're given: 

•Dead Sea Air

•Citrus

•Melted Plastic

The only difference? The label. That's it. Not a damn thing to look forward to and no diversity in scent at all. That screams cheap to me. Of course considering how many different people they cater to, the budget does't necessarily allow for so many options at every hotel.

     So now you're wondering, what in the world do shampoo and conditioner have to do with a backpack? Its simple. Every single backpack that's been created has had the same boring theme, along with the same uncomfortable material and backing:

A few compartments, plain stitching, plain colors, oversized or too small, and treated like a punching bag; abused, thrashed and tattered. Not only are those traits a turn off but just looking at one stabs me in the back. I remember  all of Junior High through the end of High School carrying those uncomfortable backpacks where when you put your books in it and threw it on, you're guaranteed to be stabbed by the corner of the books through the bag. Eww. 

     So why did I choose the Fitmark Black Velocity and why do I talk about Fitmark bags ALL THE TIME?? To make it simple: quality, diversity, class; originality. I will only use products the creators themselves use. Why? Because I know that if the creator uses it, its without question good and its not just someone looking to make another dollar. This person believes in what they've created and if it works for them, there would be no reason they wouldn't want it to work for anyone else.

     I saw in Fitmark the same dedication to making the BEST products possible with the highest quality everything, that I saw in previous ventures my current boss, had previously embarked on. I knew that what he had created would be classy, stylish and diverse. 

     From the many different compartments, clean and precise stitching, original colors, advanced materials, the comfort of the backing of the backpacks down to the insulated water bottle holder and choice of 1 or 2 straps, I saw in Fitmark what other companies don't put into theirs; effort. Effort to make something that can suit anyone who carries any form of luggage, even when you're dressing up to go out. Effort to make sure the bag represents the lifestyle of anyone. Effort to be sure that with everything these bags represent, they would make a difference in the gym luggage and backpacking community by being diverse and breaking from the boring, expected bags that every single company creates. 

     That is why I choose Fitmark. 

Importance of Whole Foods

As a nutritional guide & someone who both studies and teaches about foods in their whole state often, there are many questions, speculations and opinions upon us about the entire food industry. The standards met for quality, what good it does for you, what's harmful about the foods, how much is enough or too much & so on. I'm writing this blog in order to set some things straight with people about the true role of whole foods & how the body can actually utilize them. 

Conventional wisdom, something I'm not a fan of, tells us the simplicity of something but doesn't break it down enough to teach us what we need to know. People are inclined to reach for a vitamin bottle in the store believing they will reap the so called benefits of what the bottle says those vitamins can do to increase the health of the body. Believing labels with no research for personal health is problematic for anyone who actually does want better health. There are way too many fads presented to us daily; i.e. drink me thin shakes, juice bars, sugar laden energy drinks, artificial sweeteners that are really just shit storm causing chemicals, weight loss pills, powders, boxed diet meals and so forth, in stores today than there are whole, unaltered & non processed foods. Its something we won't ever escape but there is a way to avoid all the hype and get the low down on what the body needs to reach a personal health goal. Its called research and yes, it requires work on your behalf.

Whole foods are the source of live & digestive enzymes, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants & more the body needs for many things including:

 1. remove free radicals/toxins

2. help restore optimal health through necessary nutrients the body can recognize

 3. replenish lost natural vitamins/minerals/enzymes in the body 

4. providing energy we need on a daily basis 

5. digestion of foods we consume

6. metabolic health 

7. cellular function

8. optimal CNS & respiratory function

9. brain, cardiovascular and eye health

The body was not built to recognize processed or altered foods mankind has created. If it didn't grow naturally or wasn't farmed, the body cannot recognize what to do with it and causes waste of the food opposed to utilization. Basically, when we eat food out of its natural state, we're consuming dead food. There is no life to it. Changing the form of a food (heating it over 118* (cooking, baking), cold pressing, dehydrating, etc.) to change the state it was naturally in does nothing but kill everything alive about the foods. It will satisfy the mind by believing what you consumed, although altered & dead, will benefit your health. 

When you take store bought vitamins, you're throwing your money away. The moment the vitamin breaks down, all your body does is waste it through your urine and pores/glands. This may be a little brash for some, but if you pay attention, a while after you've taken that vitamin & go use the restroom, there is a certain smell that comes from the urine & you can't ignore it- its potent! That smell is the unrecognized vitamin the body didn't process & utilize. You thought you were making an investment didn't you?! 

So now you wonder "ok, so what can I do to get the nutrients I need?" My answer is relevant to this blog title; eat whole, unaltered foods. Raw veggies, raw nuts, healthy fat oils, fresh fruit, legumes & so on. Include whole food vitamins and I am an avid user of my good friend Shan Stratton's Core Health Products. I use the Core Health Pack, Heart Health, Joint Health & Digestive Health. The Core Greens are amazing too! Anything you can get at the grocery store that hasn't been changed from its natural state (i.e. canned vs. fresh/frozen) will help you get everything you need for enzymes/vitamins/minerals as long as it is also consumed in that natural state. 

For example, above is a picture of mulberries. Growing up, my neighbors had a mulberry tree and I had no idea the benefits of the berries that grew from it. I did however know that silk worms eat the leaves of those trees as while I was in school, we all got the task to take silk worms home and learn how to care for them. I have since then learned that mulberries are great source of nutrient dense antioxidants, just as black/rasp/& blueberries are. They have an antioxidant a lot of people know to increase heart health called resveratrol. Its more often associated with the same cardiovascular health benefits of red wine. They are not only rich in antioxidants, a good source of iron, calcium, vitamin c & fiber, but are also one of the few fruits that contain protein. 3 grams of protein per ounce, these can actually be a great addition to any fruit mix, a side dish, blended in drinks or just a snack. Had I known this as a kid and had I known the benefits of whole foods, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have hesitated to pick the mulberries & eat them as I picked the fruit in my own backyard (blackberries, grapes, cherries & pomegranate's) to eat.  

Another compound I've mentioned are enzymes. Live- metabolic and digestive enzymes are the 2 enzymes present in the body. The digestive enzymes are responsible for breaking down all the food we consume so the body can absorb/utilize it. The metabolic enzymes help the systems of the body's (CNS & respiratory) work flow. There are 7 categories of digestive enzymes and each one works on different macronutrients.

 1. Amylase- responsible for breaking down starches

 2. Cellulase- responsible for breaking down fibers

 3. Lactase- responsible for breaking down dairy

 4. Lipase- responsible for breaking down fats

 5. Maltase- responsible for breaking down grains

 6. Protease- responsible for breaking down protein

 7. Sucrase- responsible for breaking down sugars

 They play a HUGE role in us. Without enzymes (and of course a few other things) we couldn't survive. To answer your question, "what are enzymes?": 

Enzymes are biological molecules that catalyze to increase the rates of a chemical reaction. They lower the activation energy for a reaction which in turn dramatically increases the rate of the reaction. As a result, products are formed faster and reactions reach their equilibrium state more rapidly. 

So in short, enzymes are the key to life. We destroy (as I said above) all enzymes in our foods by altering them leaving the body no choice but to draw the necessary enzymes to digest this dead food from the organs that in turn become unbalanced. All cooked, baked & processed/altered foods are completely void of enzymes. These foods cause inside the body degenerative diseases. The restoration comes in the form of whole foods consumed in its natural state. 

By this point I'm hoping I've opened a window of opportunity for people to use this knowledge next time they hit the grocery store or juice bar. While you may be thinking to yourself everything you've done up to this point is fine and you don't feel the need to change anything, remember one thing: In order to fix the damage the toxic foods you've been consuming have done to your body, you have to try foods in their natural state for a time being before you slate your official opinion. In order to achieve optimal health, you have to be ingesting whole foods. Don't be misguided by the labels in the grocery store, the televised advertisement or anything someone tells you. If you haven't researched it and haven't been hands on with it, you won't truly reap the benefits of what whole foods do for your health. 

Here is to change, better health and a new outlook on foods!