Alcohol & Training

The effects of alcohol on training

When I started on my journey, I consumed alcohol on a regular basis.  I would have a few drinks a few nights a week and a little more on the weekends.  When I decided to get serious about my training, (just before marathon training began) I decided to give up the alcohol completely.  I did this back in 1996 when I ran two marathons in the same year and I had great results.  In March of 2012, I went cold turkey as they say and frankly, because of my commitment to my training it was actually very easy.  The hard part was convincing others I was NOT going to have a drink while being with them.  My goal was to give it up while training, I never told myself I would never drink again and I have stayed with that philosophy even now.

I wanted to share this story because there are many implications if you drink alcohol and want to change your health for the better.  There are the obvious one we know about – the alcoholism, sleep deprivation, the expense and the overall control it can have on your life if you let it.  Growing up with parents who were alcoholics taught me firsthand how bad it can be if you let it.  I will not dwell on these issues but rather focus on how I benefited from this change.

First, when I gave up the alcohol, I dropped about 12 lbs. in a month.  This was my fastest weight loss period in my journey to good health!  I did not realize the implications of the drinking until I did more research.  What I learned is alcohol has a seriously negative effect on training.  It does two major things; first, the alcohol prevents your body from oxygenating as efficiently while you are working out, even on the day after having the drinks!  Secondly, if you drink after your workout, your accelerated metabolism goes way down after the first drink, therefore counteracting on the positive benefits for your workout.  Essentially the fat burning machine you fired up is now doused in water and goes out!

The other benefit for me personally is when I drank I made poorer decisions when it came to my eating.  I did not make the best food choices when I drank and I probably ate more than I needed because the drinks hampered my judgment.  I also discovered I could now get up earlier to work out because I felt so much better in the mornings.  I also sleep better and do not snore anymore!

I know there are tons of articles about the positive effects of wine/beer for your health, but I firmly believe my decision has had a more positive impact than having a drink or two could ever have.  As they say, you can make anything look good on paper in a study!

I did not write this to sway you to give up all your alcohol, but instead I just wanted to share with you what I gained by doing it.  I hope that you have gained some tidbits of information that can help your overall progress to good health and active training.

Mile Marker 26.1

This is a copy of my Facebook post in December posted just before my Marathon.

Mile Marker 26.2 (12/07/2012)

Well on Sunday I will have completed my goal of running a full marathon after a 14-year hiatus from the sport I loved so much. During those 14 years I let life happen, I gave up on running, I gave up on proper nutrition, and I let myself become a physically wreck. I focused on the job, the kids and everything else going on around me. I am not sure what changed 18 months ago, but I just got tired of being the way I was. I was on track for an early visit to the grave, or cancer or some other life altering illness. Nothing particular happened, I just wanted something better.

So 18 months ago I began a journey. I started with the little things, some walking/running, making better food choices, etc. As I began to change, I realized I wanted more. I began to learn more about nutrition, revisited my old running habits and so on. I kept things quiet, just making small changes here and there and I began to see a huge difference on the inside, which eventually showed on the outside. I did not even start going to the gym until a year later.

So what did I do over 18 months, well I have logged over 1200 miles of running, changed my diet to vegetarian, quit smoking cigars, gave up the alcohol and now I am working towards a completely plant based diet! By now you may be thinking there is no way I could do all that, well I am here to tell you it does not happened easily and it literally took 18 months to get here. I did not just wake up and change everything at once. There is no diet fad in the world that would support what I have done; it is all about lifestyle changes and doing things that are sustainable over the long run.

If there is one thing I can share with people who also want to change is do something, don’t wait, and don’t live a life that is sickly. You have control, and you can be who you want to be. I have come to realize that too many of us just go around and accept our fate, let life happen to us and fear a future of illness and disease. Well I have realize it does not have to be that way and I hope that in some small way I have inspired a few folks to join the journey at some level.

I want to thank my family and friends for your support, especially my wife Amy, because without her support I would not have been able to make the changes to become an athlete again and make as much progress as I have!

I can’t wait for mile marker 26.2 on Sunday!

P.S.: Post Race Update – I successfully completed the race in 4:43.  I accomplished my goal of beating my first Marathon time from 1995!

My Foods

I am asked what DO YOU eat these days?  While I am still adding new foods to the routine and getting more consistent about plant based foods I thought I would give a high-level overview of where I am today.  Many of you may think, “How can he run a marathon and train everyday eating so little of “these” food?”  Well the answer is very very simple, when you eat the right foods you provide your body the nutrition it needs then you do not have to eat as much to satisfy your hunger.  Believe me I do not go hungry, count calories or any of that, I have learned to listen to my body, feed it when it is hungry, drink when I am thirsty and take note when I am not a 100% and look at my most recent food choices to consider what is not making me feel more energized!

Keep in mind I did NOT make all of these changes overnight.  It has been a journey, as I learn more about food, then I make changes along the way.  I will admit that I do still have a weakness for sweets, whether it is peanut butter M&M’s, sugar in my coffee, the occasional ice cream, or other deserts, it is all about consistency over the long haul!

Water, Water Water!  Nothing will quench your thirst like pure water will.  I do drink coffee in the morning (working on cutting this one out) but I avoid any other drinks throughout the day except water (sometimes with lemon), coconut water or fresh squeezed juice.  No concentrates for me, the juices that are packaged have been cooked and devoid of their natural benefits.  Packaged juices normally contain added sugar/fructose and are very acidic due to the pasteurization process.  I also avoid sports drinks, even while I am training.  I never had a Gatorade or similar drink while training or running my marathon.  As a side note, the whole 8 glasses of water a day theory is a result of our diet.  If we eat foods that are plant based then we can listen to our bodies and drink when we are thirsty.  When we are told to drink this much water no matter what, it is because we eat foods devoid of natural water, i.e. eat more fruits and veggies to stay hydrated! 

Breakfast:  I always eat fruit in the morning – period!  I will have a cup of coffee, especially if I am headed to the gym or going for a run, I find the caffeine helps to get me going.  My fruit choices include apples, bananas, grapes, melons, strawberries and oranges.  Fruit is God’s perfect food, it contains many of the nutrients our body needs, it is very high in water so it helps the body cleanses itself and it takes very little energy to digest it.  Many of the fruits out there are zero calories to our bodies, meaning it takes as many calories to digest the fruit as it contains.  Be aware, fruit should really only be eaten by itself.  Mixing fruit with other foods, especially cooked or packaged foods create a toxic environment in our stomachs.  The fruit, which is readily digestible, becomes acidic and ferments in our gut if it is slowed down by our bodies digesting other foods at the same time.  Just look at how quickly an apple turns brown – now just imagine mixing an apple with scrambled eggs and letting it sit for an hour…….YIKES right?  Fruit should also be avoided as a desert after dinner for the same reasons above.

Lunch: Well this one really depends on my day.  If I am out with customers or eating out then I normally eat cooked veggies, salads and potatoes.  I avoid all meats, including fish.  Look at it this way, if it poops then it is meat and that includes fish!  You may think this is hard to do, but I have yet to find a restaurant (not counting fast food) that does not have grilled/steamed veggies, potatoes and salads.  Your best bet is to eat the greenest salad on the menu, i.e. mixed greens or spinach over iceberg.  Choose vinaigrettes over creamy dressings; have them hold the eggs, cheese, and bacon.  If possible, choose grilled veggies over smothered or creamy ones.  Limit the butter and other toppings on potatoes.  Try salsa on potatoes, it is an excellent topping.

If I am not eating out, then I usually stick with more fruit, nuts, or cliff bar for lunch.  If you need more than this, then add some beans, rice or pasta to help fill you up.

Dinner: this one changes depending on what is going on.  At home, I will eat some of the following choices:  Beans, rice, grilled veggies, potatoes, pasta with marinara, homemade veggie pizza, fresh breads, and salads.

Snacks: My snacks include fruit, cliff bars (or other similar options that are not processed with lots of sugar and flour), nuts, popcorn, dried fruit etc.

What to avoid:  While this could be a long list, I will just say this, if it is packaged then be cautious.  Your focus should be on fresh foods, those given to us by God naturally.  Our government has allowed the food industry in to tricking us – if you doubt me then consider ketchup is now be considered a vegetable and french fries are counted as a potatoes meeting some dietary requirements.  If you can focus on a plant based diets, no meats or animal products, several things will happen.  You will lose weight, feel better, lower your cholesterol and blood pressure and reduce your chances of chronic illness such as heart diseases, cancer, arthritis, diabetes, etc.!!!  

Our medical community is just now making the correlation to diet and many chronic diseases.  Consider for a moment who funds the training, journals and the massive advertisements?  Drug and food companies……and do drug companies make money by telling you to eat better?  Do they benefit from you being healthy?  I am not trying to be paranoid but just think about it and make your own conclusions.

Healthy Resolutions

As we approach the New Year and many of us make resolutions to change something, I thought I would provide some helpful suggestions for those wanting to take better care of their own health!

First, I suggest you start with small changes!  The reason resolutions fail (usually within the first few weeks) is we take on too much change at one time.  People ask me all the time “there is no way I could do what you have done” and I agree with them to a point, you cannot do it all at once!  My journey began with small changes.  As I saw how the changes where helping me live better then I made more changes.

Small changes could be as simple as drinking mostly water and given up the sodas, tea or milk.  You could start with walking 2 miles several days a week and maybe adding some light running into that walk.  How about eating less, force yourself not to finish everything on your plate, especially at restaurants.  DON”T supersize!  Maybe you could make one meal a week without meat, eliminate fried foods, and start taking your lunch to the office.  Any one of these small changes can make a huge difference over time.

Second suggestion – read books about natural health and healing.  I have really enjoyed inspiration stories about people who have overcome huge challenges and changing their lifestyle.  Note I did not say diet books!  Diets do not work, lifestyle changes do.  My other post has suggestions about reading material and websites.  If you are not a reader then try podcast or audio books.  I am a terrible reader so most of the books I have are audiobooks.

Third suggestion is to be patient.  When I started my journey 18 months ago, I could not run a single mile, I was 60lbs overweight and I eat horribly.  It took almost 4 months for others to notice the changes in my appearance; however, I could tell the difference in how I felt within a few weeks.  Remember it may have taken you years or your lifetime to become unhealthy; you will not fix it overnight.  Your persistence will pay off and do not get discouraged.  Even if you break down and blow off all your changes on a binge just go back to them, 1 week of the old habits will not undo months of good ones.

Finally do not use the scale to judge your progress, it will only discourage you.  Listen to your body and use your clothes as a guideline.  Your body is an amazing machine and you know when you eat bad food, get indigestion, and become tired after an unhealthy meal.  Take on your challenge as a way of living, not fixing a problem.  Make your changes permanent and take them slowly.

Fad diets can work because they shock the body, deprive you of calories in the short run, but you are in it for the long haul.  Do not join a program that counts calories or has some point system, your body will tell you when you are hungry and will tell you when it is full IF you will take the time to listen to it.  In addition, any diet that restricts natural foods is a sign that it is unhealthy.  Fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts in their natural state cannot be bad for you because God gave them to us to eat!  When people say stay away from starchy foods or carbohydrates, they are wrong!  What they should be saying is saying is stay away from processed or refined foods.

What I have noticed most about my own change is I eat a whole lot less when I eat the right foods.  I do not ever starve myself and I eat what I want; I just changed what I want to eat for the better.

If you decide to go the gym that is great, but remember that aerobic exercise is the key.  Lifting weights is fine, but you must include 30-45 minutes of sweating, either by running, elliptical or cycling.  Lifting a few weights will not change your overall appearance and does little to make you healthier.

Good luck and I hope to see a better you in 2013!!!!

Disease is not normal!

Disease is not normal!

Unless you live under a rock, you see illness and disease everywhere.  I think it is so prevalent today that our society accepts it as normal; well I will rock the boat and claim it is far from normal.  As a society, we should be very concerned about the rampant rise of chronic illness and disease.

Now I am not a doctor and have no formal medical training, I will just take the approach of common sense and the results I have seen in my own life.  I believe that almost all disease (especially chronic) can be traced back to our diet and lifestyle.  We have become a society of the pill, the cure or a fix in a bottle.  Well the cure in a bottle is a deception, it is not a cure, and it is just a clever assembly of chemicals to mask, hide or trick the body.  Why do you thinking there do are so many side effects, when we change one thing with chemicals we then have other side effects.

Here are some basics – high cholesterol has the largest impact to our heart and arteries.  Bad cholesterol comes from animal products – period!  The less animal products you eat the better your cholesterol will be.  This is meat of any kind (including eggs) and dairy products like milk and cheese.  Many people do not know this – we mask these products as being good for us but it is a lie.  Anything you think you need to get from animal products can be found by eating the right mix of fruits, vegetables and seeds. 

Protein - the big challenge!  You can get all the protein you need from nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables and so many other things.  Over eating protein is actually a bad thing, it takes the body a tremendous amount of energy and resources to expel all the excess protein many people eat.

Our food is like fuel for our cars.  If your car breaks down from bad gas or putting water it the tank, do we blame the engine (our bodies) or do we look at what we are putting in our cars like the fuel, i.e. our food!

Our bodies are very resilient and can make miraculous improvements if given the right food.  Why not look at only eating the foods God gave us in nature, like fruit, vegetables, nuts & seeds? 

When we accept cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, headaches, or whatever as a part of life or normal then we will not seek the truth.  The truth can be found by looking at non-western cultures, their diets and much lower disease rates.  They live much healthier lives than we do!

We are bombarded with messages of how meat and dairy are required to sustain us and are good for us.  This is a lie – we do not have to consume these products to be healthy.  Look at the source of those messages and their advertising, it comes from the industries that produce these products and give millions of dollars to Washington to help their cause.

If we can make the correlation of smoking to lung cancer then why do we refuse to see that other illness like cancers, heart disease, arthritis etc. comes from our diets!

If you want to see the facts, review the data and become a much healthier you then I encourage you to check it out for yourself.  I have and I am living proof that you can change who you are and how you feel!

Resources:

The China Study - http://www.thechinastudy.com/

Forks over Knives - http://www.forksoverknives.com/

Dr. John McDougall - http://www.drmcdougall.com/

John Robbins - http://www.johnrobbins.info/

Dr. Michael Greger M.D - http://nutritionfacts.org/

Why we are sick all the time

Health and Diet

As Americans, we have lost the connection between our bodies and our health.  We eat what we were told to eat growing up, we see the tempting foods on the commercials, we believe the ads, etc!  When it comes to eating, we are the only species on the planet that is confused!  Then to top it all off, we feed our pets the same type of food that we eat and wonder why they have the same diseases we have!

I firmly believe that many of the diseases we have today can be tied back to our food.  We eat foods that are so unhealthy, processed and full of chemicals and then years later we wonder why we have cancer or other chronic diseases.  Our healthcare system is great at fixing our injuries, making us prettier, and providing drugs to make us live longer.  However the health profession does not really help us be healthy!  I am not slamming the industry as a whole, but Dr.’s are taught to treat disease, and they spend very little time helping us prevent it.

Over the last 50 years chronic illness in the west has exploded – ever stop to wonder why?  Sure we live longer (that trend may change soon with the rampant obesity) but do we live better lives?  Just look around you, look at the kids today; our nation is full of fat people!  It is not due to a gene, it is not because we are wealthier, it is because of what we put into our bodies!

If you look at the traditional Eastern cultures, they do not have the same chronic illness we have, their cancer rates are very low, and they are skinnier!  Why?  Because they eat the way they have eaten for centuries!  Only when these cultures take on a more western lifestyle do these diseases start to show up and become common.

I hear people all the time say – I cannot run a mile, I can’t be skinny, I cannot do…well the fact is you can, BUT you must go back to nature.  It won’t happen overnight but it can happen.

The government is also to blame, our food charts keep changing, we subsidize crappy food, and we allow marketers to tell us anything can be healthy.  Well I do not see how our risk of disease will be decreasing anytime soon.

Chronic illness can be traced back to lifestyle in most cases, whether we choose to believe it or not.  Take smoking for example, most cases of lung cancer is tied back to smoking right?  Well can’t we assume that most intestinal cancer could be tied back to food, or breast cancer or prostrate cancer?  If we feed our bodies in an unhealthy manner then it cannot take care of itself and it will eventually start to break down.

There are countless studies to back up my points but I will limit this post to my own summary.  Our bodies are powerful and amazing machines that adapt well to our environment; we just have to give it a chance to adapt to a healthy environment.

Our society is all about the quick fix, the magic pill or the almighty cure – well in the long run the only way to live a healthy productive life and stay away from the Doctors office is to make the changes now and live a long healthy life the natural way!

The Mind

The Mind

Part of any journey includes your outlook on that journey.  For me, changing my lifestyle has also forced me change my attitude and beliefs about my lifestyle choices.  As an overweight ex-marathon runner (pre lifestyle change), I would eat almost anything, drink as much as I wanted and just lived in the moment not thinking of the long term damage I was doing to myself.  So one day I realized I was making very unhealthy choices, I was always lethargic and tired.  I am supposed to be the outgoing salesman but all I wanted to do after lunch was take a nap!

As a part of my journey, I had to change how I looked at food.  We eat to live, not live to eat!  I will say it again – we eat to live, to sustain our bodies and to be healthy.  We have to look at food in a different way if we want to change.  I am not proposing you eat a diet of rice cakes and water, but there are plenty of choices to choose from.  We must believe every day that the choices we make will impact how we look, live and feel.

Once you start to change the choices you make it becomes a lot easier.  I did not make all of my changes overnight, it was a gradual process.  I started with fruit in the morning, then went to eliminating most fried foods, then left the meat off the plate, and so on.  Water is key; you should drink 90% or more of water!

We are conditioned to believe the commercials and listen to our current cravings.  The challenge is to change the cravings by changing your daily choices.  I do not miss french fries, I do not miss hamburgers, and I do not miss a lot of sweets every day.  My belief system tells me I do not have to give up these foods entirely; I just choose not to eat them today!

Our bodies will adapt to the food we eat, once you quit sodas for example, after a week or so you loose the craving for them.  If you go back and have one it mostly likely will not taste the same or as good as it used to.

The other challenge we have is we are inundated with mixed messages – drink milk, don’t drink milk – eat meat for protein, don’t eat meat cause we cannot digest it and so on.  My suggestion is to research and consider the best options for you!  Remember advertisers spend millions of dollars trying to convince us their foods are best.  In the end – think of it this way – was that food given to use by nature?  Is that food minimally processed, is it natural?  Also consider how you feel after you eat, if you eat a big steak dinner with all the fixings’ are you ready to go out and run – or just stay on the coach and take a nap.  But if you eat a lite meal of veggies how do you feel?

We must train ourselves to listen to our bodies, eat what nature gave us and quit being so confused and frustrated.

At the end of the day, just make gradual positive changes.  I did not lose 60 lbs in a month, or even 6 months, it took a year!  It was gradual, it was fuel by healthy food, running, workouts the gym and lots of water!

Good luck and I hope to see you on the trail somewhere!