Is the P90X Recovery Drink worth $50/month?

I recently had the pleasure to review the P90X program created by Tony Horton. Many people ask me what is the background of Tony Horton. Well, he is from a small town in Rhode Island (Westerly) and after graduating from URI he moved to Hollywood to pursue a career in acting. From the best of my knowledge, his background in fitness and nutrition is based on personal experience. Keep in mind, I am not putting him down for not having a formal education in the health and fitness arena. The P90X, as of November of 2010, has sold 3 million copies and sold for an estimated $420 million, quite a successful [home based] program.

The biggest problem with any 'MASS MARKETED' program is that it can't evaluate your motor skills or whether your fit enough for the exercises presented in the various DVD's. Granted they have a self assessment to determine if you are capable, but obviously this can't take the place of a qualified professional's assessment. So, in this sense, it can be potentially harmful.

The fitness program is very good and effective. It offers a lot of variety and not just bodybuilding routines.

As far as the nutrition "Recovery Shake", which is what I want to focus on, this is the program's biggest weakness. Joe Cannon reviews supplements that are currently popular.
 His website is www.supplement-geek.com.
 Rather than reinvent the wheel, I've included the link below which is very comprehensive. Enjoy!

http://supplement-geek.com/p90-x-recovery-drink-review/

Statin Drugs: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Check out Dr. Sinatra's take out Statin Drugs. Very good information.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wgpl0zOg2ZY

I love this debate!!!

When I was at U-Mass completing my bachelors of science degree in exercise physiology, I made the BOLD statement that exercise played a minor role in inducing weight loss. Exercise plays a bigger role in maintaining weight loss. Matter of fact, I have a quiz on my "Nutrition link" on my website that goes over this very thing. Recently, Gary Taubes was on the Dr. Oz Show and challenged him on this very subject. I thought it was fascinating. In addition, when I interviewed Dr. Barry Sears a few years ago on my TV show, he was essentially saying the same thing as Mr. Taubes. Check out the link below to hear the debate between Dr. Oz and Gary Taubes.

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/web-exclusive-dr-oz-and-gary-taubes-debate-exercise

Should You Kick the Multivitamin Habit?

Recent research challenges the notion that taking a Multi-Vitamin is beneficial in regards to warding off cancer and heart disease. Matter of fact, it may be harmful in some cases. Listen and watch Michael Sylvester (Exercise Physiologist) clear up the confusion on the multi. Click on the links below to watch Mike on You Tube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrKG0tk_gzE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w4FTgZercA

Best Time To Exercise To Burn Fat: Dr. Oz vs. Heidi Skolnik & Andrea Churnis

Recently, Dr. Oz (my mentor) did a show on the best time to exercise to burn fat. He recommended to exercise in the morning before breakfast, which will encourage fat burning. He is not alone in regards to this recommendation. However, Heidi Skolnik, MS, CDN, FACSM and Andrea Chernus, MS, RD, CDE, authors of the book, "Nutrient Timing for Peak Performance" (2010) disagree. Listen to what they say about this controversial topic.

"Although exercising without eating might seem advantageous, the  intensity of your work-out will most likely suffer. Remember that if you train in the morning, you'll have low liver glycogen (stored carbohydrates), and you can quickly deplete muscle glycogen. A number of studies have shown that training without preexercise fuel leads to decreased performance and early fatigue. In Tokmakidis' (2008) trial, athletes were able to run 12.8 percent longer with pre-exercise fuel as opposed to in a fasted state. What you might gain in fat burning, you lose in increasing your fitenss and your ability to burn fat at higher intensity levels all the time. Additionally, working out a lower intensity to burn more fat actually means you will most likely burn fewer calories, a short-sighted plan at best."        

This was a "game changer" book for me. I highly recommend this gem. Keep in mind, this is a bit technical and may not be suited for everyone. 

Anyone interested in this book, click on the link below:
http://www.amazon.com/Nutrient-Timing-Peak-Performance/dp/0736087648/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1296575529&sr=8-2                   

Revisiting Omega 3: Dr. Oz &. Dr. Sears

Back in 2008, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Barry Sears (author of the book, " Omega  Rx Zone:", as well as the groundbreaking book, "Enter the Zone"). His interview, although at times, was a bit technical, was very informative. At the time, he talked about a blood test that measures the Omega 3 in your blood.
To see the interview I conducted with Dr. Sears, click on the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-VOrzN6QLc

Fast forward to 2011. I was watching the Dr. Oz Show and he was mentioning the blood test one can take to measure the Omega 3 in your blood. Finally the health care industry is recognizing the influence that Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio has on our health. Great segment. To see this show, please click on the link below:
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/know-your-omega-fatty-acids-pt-1

PAIN: SITE VERSUS SOURCE

http://www.amazon.com/Assessment-Treatment-Muscle-Imbalance-Approach/dp/0736074007

I am reading a book right now that is based on the work of Vladimir Janda, (I'm sure all my peers know who that is) . All those that are interested in Gray Cook's work will love this book. Anyone interested in finding out more about this book, please click on the link below the book.
 I've included an excerpt below:

"In patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain, the source of pain is rarely the actual cause of pain. In fact, Czech physician Karel Lewit noted, "He who treats the site of pain is often lost." Lewit's colleague Vladimir Janda conceptualized of musculoskeletal pathology as a chain reaction. He was a strong proponent of looking elsewhere for the source of pain syndromes, often finding symptoms distant from the site of the primary complaint."

Source: Page, P., Frank C., & Lardner, R. Assessment and Treatment of Muscle Imbalance--The Janda Approach, 2010, Human Kinetics, page 27.

Jack LaLanne dies at 96 years old

Jack LaLanne truly was the epitomy of health and fitness. Believe it or not, I remember his show and his dog. When he met his wife, she was eating a lot of junk food, particularly donuts. He said to her, "The only good thing about a donut is the hole in the middle."

Watch this video which celebrates his 95th birthday. Jack LaLanne, A TRUE FITNESS ICON!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkdYrAQJu6g&NR=1&feature=fvwp

Buyer Beware

You’ve seen plenty of products advertised on late-night TV, but do they really work? Dr. Oz puts these infomercial products to the test. See which ones work and which don’t.



http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/tv-gadgets-tested

New iPad?

Anyone that knows me, knows that I have a passion for high tech. Here is an article that was posted on Engadget on the iPad.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/ipad-2-mockup-teases-128gb-storage-exhibits-speaker-grille-wev/

http://products.mercola.com/coq10-ubiquinol/

http://products.mercola.com/coq10-ubiquinol/

Find out why taking CoQ10 supplements may not be effective after the age 35. Most physicians recommend taking CoQ10 when on a Statin drug (Lipitor). The above link sheds some insight on this supplement.

Abdominal Draw-In vs. Bracing

I was talking to a friend of mine who is a Physical Therapist and recommended me to to a website. The website pertains to strength and conditioning/physical therapy and updated by Charlie Weingroff, a Physical Therapist with a Doctorate degree in physical therapy. When I browsed his website, I noticed a good article he had posted: Draw-In vs. Bracing. To all those out there who are in the industry, you know what I am referring to. Here is the link to his take on this matter.
http://charlieweingroff.com/2010/07/draw-in-vs-brace/

Should I Take A Multi-Vitamin?

The question to take a multi-vitamin has "flip flopped" to yes and no over the years. Check out the link below that appeared in Prevention magazine November 2010.  I'm still a firm believer that Vitamin D3, Omega 3, and calcium are very important nutrients (as the article concurs).
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39616169/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/

Whitehead: John Lennon and the cult of personality - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News

Whitehead: John Lennon and the cult of personality - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News

WeIght Watchers changes their tune

www.usatoday.com/yourlife/food/diet-nutrition/2010-12-03-weightwatchersfollo09_ST_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

Strength Training for Weight Loss

In 1993, I was at U-Mass/Boston finishing my bachelors of science in Exercise Physiology. In one of my classes, I was required to write a review of literature on a topic of my choice. I was passionate about strength training and it's effect on weight loss. My professor at the time believed cardiovascular (aerobic) exercise (in conjunction with a sound diet) was superior. I proceeded to write the paper and even submitted it to William Kraemer, editor-in-chief of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research journal. Unfortunately, it didn't get published (although I do have it on my website, see article link).

The following link is an article that appeared in USA Weekend on 11/14/10. The article promotes strength training NOT CARDIO for weight loss. Although I believe this to be true, dietary intervention is the  key to inducing weight loss. 

http://www.usaweekend.com/article/20101112/HEALTH03/11140304/0/HEALTH02/Is-your-exercise-routine-in-a-cardio-trap

Dr. Arthur P. Ciaramicoli

A good friend of mine (who is a psychologist) is in the process of publishing his new book, "The Curse of the Capable". I have included a brief synopsis below:

"The story you created about yourself early in life, which is part fiction, is having a dramatic impact on your present lifestyle—how you think and live.
The assumption that all capable people in our culture have peace of mind and are satisfied with their life course is commonplace. Is this notion true? Not always. In fact millions have fallen prey to a belief system that says appearance and status provide the golden road to love and respect. In an attempt to perfect themselves, they are hiding their self doubt through constant achievement at the cost of losing balance and well-being.
Suffering from being overwhelmed emotionally and physically, exhausted and fatigued, often with the health complications of being overweight; they have been felt deeply disappointed.
The Curse of the Capable describes how a biased view of you can lead to a fragile sense of self, addictive thinking and behavior, and a seemingly mysterious downward spiral that the majority of people can’t see or untangle."


Anyone interested in finding out more about this insightful book, click on the link below:
http://www.thecurseofthecapable.com/events

Professor takes extreme measures to prove a point--The Twinkie Diet

A professor at Kansas State University took a very extreme position to prove a very simple point--if you restrict the amount of calories you consume you will lose weight. He contends that it doesn't matter what the food is, in this case he was consuming a twinkie every 3 hours, you will lose weight if calorie output exceeds input. He did not exceed 1800 calories/day.

Although he lost 27 pounds in 2 months, is this extreme approach healthy? The most obvious answer is no. But there are some caveats people should be aware of. His blood lipid levels improved (cholesterol went down), although this is not the 'end all be all' to health, in my opinion. Most of the studies that were done on "The Atkins Diet" demonstrated favorable effects on blood lipids, his diet actually decreased LDL (the bad cholesterol). His subjects were taken fish oil supplements as welll, which may have contributed to the favorable results.

This professor was taken a multi-vitamin in conjunction with his 'Twinkie Diet".

My take is this: Restricting your calories (regardless of the food you consume) will ultimately induce weight loss in the short term. Most individuals want this quick fix. The problem is that there is a 90% recidivism rate, meaning 90% of dieters regain the weight over a two-year period.

This type of diet, in my opinion, is no different than an "Opti-Fast" type diet, where the dieter drinks shakes throughout the day. This is called 'Provision Eating'. Put simply, provision eating is providing portioned controlled meals (or meal replacements) so the dieter doesn't have to THINK! The more choices an obese person is confronted with (in regards to food)  the more likely they will fail on a weight loss plan, according to many experts. This is the basis of Jenny Craig, HMR (Health Management Resources) and of course, the "Opti-Fast' diet that Oprah popularized. Again, the long term effectiveness of these type programs are questionable. Kudo's to Valerie Bertinelli (spokeswoman for Jenny Craig) who has lost ~50 pounds and kept it off. She obviously has done a lot of inner work which is key for long term success.

Back to the "Twinkie Diet". This type of diet is probably a safe way to induce weight loss in the short term, but I would NOT recommend this for the long haul, for obvious reasons. A Twinkie is not food. It doesn't contain nutrients conducive to long term health. To see the video that was aired on Fox, click on the link below:

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4412751/can-twinkies-make-you-skinny/

Prevent rotation before you create it!

I am reading Mike Boyle's new book, "Advances in Functional training". In regards to "Rotational Training", he says this on page 97, and I quote "The ability to resist or to prevent rotation is more important than the ability to create it."
"Clients should be able to prevent rotation before we should allow them to produce it."
I highly recommend this book to all Personsl Trainers, Strength Coaches, Physical Therapists, Athletic Trainers,Chiropractors or anyone else involved in physical fitness and rehab.

Study: Obesity is contagious

Friday, November 5, 2010, In the USA TODAY, they cited a study conducted by HARVARD researchers stating that obesity is contagious among friends.
Basically, the more friends you have that are obese (the article stated 4)the likelihood of you becoming obese doubles compared to people with no obese friends.

Does that mean if I hang out with rich people, I will be rich?