The last couple of weeks, I’ve been eating lots of edamame. It seems like an amazingly healthy food. It’s low in fat, low in net carbohydrates, high in protein, and high in fiber. It’s also very cheap and very portable. I like the taste so much that I made it my meal a couple of times last week while I was on the road.
Last night’s news might have changed all that. I had known that soy has had ties to the estrogen levels in men. I somewhat conveniently forgot this fact for all the other good reasons to eat edamame. I was reminded by the evening news last night when they highlighted a report from Harvard University that soy may lower sperm count. The researchers concluded by saying, “It’s way too early to say stop eating soy foods. It’s not time to worry about whether you’re eating too much soy. There’s not enough information to conclusively say that. ”
That puts me a pickle. Should I stop eating soy to be safe? What if helps me be more healthy in a way that would increases sperm count? Sometimes it seems like research just brings us more questions and fewer answers.
This post deals with:
... and focuses on:
Posted by Lazy Man on July 25, 2008
in Nutrition.
The Official Anti-Aging Revolution: Stopping the Clock by Dr. Ronald Klatz and Dr. Robert Goldman
Ever since man figured out that aging wasn’t all that hot, we’ve been trying to figure out how to stay young. From Ponce de Leon to the snake oil salesman of yore, people have hungrily searched for the fountain of life. You’ll find a million theories out there, but so far, no one has really discovered how to stop the aging process entirely. The Official Anti-Aging Revolution
by Drs. Klatz and Goldman is the latest in a long line of books that promise to help you at least slow the aging process, but is it any good? Let’s find out!
The first section starts off well, with theories on aging and a discussion on the parts of our bodies that stop functioning properly as we age. This was a very interesting section and had a lot to share. While it’s hard to enjoy reading about how your body is slowly going into decline, the authors did a good job of laying out their information here.
The next section was a little disappointing, and covered the newer hormones that are in use to help delay aging. This is an area where there is still not enough research to prove anything. As major league sports move to ban human growth hormone, more attention is being given to these supposed wonder drugs. We would have liked to have seen more of a discussion on their side effects and less touting of these hormones as the answer to all of our problems. Until long term studies are done, they are just not reliable.
The third section redeemed the book a little and went into a discussion on the various supplements that can assist your body in keeping healthy and fit. We appreciated the mention of amino acids and overall, this was very interesting reading. They covered a lot of vitamins and minerals that are very important in keeping our bodily functions operating as they should and a lot of people should be able to benefit from this.
Longevity through Lifestyle was also very useful and covered different changes you can make in the way that you live your life to ensure that you’re around to enjoy it longer. Again, there was verifiable information in there that everyone can put to good use. The book closes with a section on putting everything together as well as the author’s personal thoughts on the aging process. The included longevity test was fun to take and very interesting.
Overall, if you skip the third section, this is a great book. You’ll be able to take away a lot of good information, but it is important to note that aging is something we all have to go through. Whether we do it gracefully is up to us and the way we keep up our bodies. There is no miracle cure for aging, but you can get through it a lot easier when you’ve got the right diet, supplements and outlook.
This post deals with:
... and focuses on:
Posted by Lazy Man on July 23, 2008
in Book Review, Review.
Last week I had a little difficulty fitting in my 100 pushups. Friday, I simply got busy trying to take care of business for the weekend. When you are traveling 350 miles, switching hotel rooms, going to weddings, etc. it’s hard to find a half hour of contiguous time to get the pushups in. Yesterday was my first chance in days to get them in, but I decided to swim before the pool got crowded with kids. After the swim, I didn’t think I’d have the strength to do the pushups. Rather than give it a half-hearted effort, I decided to just look at finishing Week 4 today.
Interestingly, I think this actually lines up with the program better than the original schedule. I’ve had trouble figuring out how do three days, rest, get the exhaustion test in, and rest for the next week. If I get the exhaustion test in on Thursday, I can do a light workout on Saturday, and be rested for Week 5.
This might not be the most ideal way to accomplish my 100 pushup plan. I’ve wanted to focus on my overall health first. The best way to do that might not necessarily be to stick to a rigid plan, but mixing it up and getting a variety of exercises in. I’ll concede a 10 or 12 program getting the pushups in if it means that I can get my swimming in.
This post deals with:
... and focuses on:
Posted by Lazy Man on July 22, 2008
in Exercise.
Circuit training is a great exercise that combines the benefits of lifting with cardio. If you are completely unfamiliar with how circuit training works, here is a brief guide to get you started. I’ll cover most the basics and provide some exercises and tips you can use at home. If you want to really get into circuit training, I found that most local gyms have at least one class.
The reason that circuit training gets its name is because you will do two circuits of each type of exercise. For example, you’ll do one circuit of cardio, before moving immediately into one circuit of strength training. By keeping your heart rate up and not stopping, you’ll be able to get a much better workout and you’ll see results a lot faster. I find that the benefits of a cardio workout and circuit training is one way to get the best of both worlds.
When I was first starting out with circuit training, I found it best to use six exercises for each circuit. Each exercise will have a different time frame, from thirty seconds to more than five minutes. You may need to adjust these times when you are first starting out. As always, before starting your exercises, you might want want to warm up - get the blood flowing. I’ve found that 5 minutes of brisk movement and stretching really helps loosen me up. Your final routine should include stretching to minimize any post workout pain.
With the warm up out of the way, it’s time to look at the techniques. One way to start is with the cardio portion of the training. First, often times, I like to start with some simple squats - using no resistance or weight. I focus on proper form and making sure that I’m not bouncing on the way down or up. I try to do these for about minute. Next, I may jump rope for a minute or move into lunges.
When doing lunges, you still want to focus on using the right form. The knee should never cross the plane of your foot. Hold each lunge for thirty seconds and then switch sides. I then switch from lunging to walking, jogging, or running (depending how Lazy I am currently feeling) for the next five minutes. You’ll want to build up your intensity and then slow it back down at the end of those five minutes.
For my last two exercises in this circuit, I would recommend doing pushups for about a minute. You don’t need to do 100 pushups like I’m trying to do. I then finish off with some jumping jacks. Congratulations - you’ve just completed one circuit!
Your options for circuit two will depend on how experienced you are with strength training. If you’re just starting out, you can repeat the same exercises above, but add a few light weights. The plank is also a great exercise for this circuit as is the back extension. Remember, each circuit should be identical in the amount of time spent.
This post deals with:
... and focuses on:
Posted by Lazy Man on July 21, 2008
in Exercise.
As usual, I’m giving an account of my weekly health progress. I usually cover three phases, my body stats (weight, body fat), how I ate for the week, and how I exercised for the week. Be warned this was a tough week.
Body Stats
I’m going to have to fill out an incomplete on this one. While I’m on the road, I don’t have my scales with me. I’m not sure I want to weight myself anyway.
Nutrition
I didn’t eat as well as I hoped this week. I brought a lot of healthy snacks with me on the trip, but since I’m out of the hotel and into the time-share I have access to a better kitchen. You’d think this would be a good thing. In some ways it was, but in others it allowed me access to convenience foods like Easy Mac.
Exercise
I had been swimming everyday. However, this time-share’s pool is packed with kids at all hours of the day. There’s a fitness center, but I hadn’t been wanting to go since it’s getting tougher to do my 100 pushups program. I missed Day 2 of Week 4 on Wednesday and did it on Thursday. I’ll try to do day 3 tomorrow and hopefully do the next exhaustion test on Monday of next week.
With the progress I had been making this was a disappointing week. It is still better than the average week I had six months ago - at least that’s a good thing.
This post deals with:
... and focuses on:
Posted by Lazy Man on July 18, 2008
in Weekly Review.
StumbleUpon
Reddit
Digg
Del.icio.us
Propeller
