Mar
7
Premeal Fat, It’s Good For You!
Filed Under Eating Healthy, Nutrition | 2 Comments
A decade or two ago, fat was evil! Everyone was into low fat diets and trying to eliminate all fats from their food. A decade later, and it was carbs. Carbs were the root of all that was bad in life and fats were great. I’d like to think that we’ve swung back into balance these days. At least I hope that most people realize that neither carbs nor fats are evil and both are necessary parts of our diet. That said, there are good fats and there are bad fats, just like there are good carbs and there are bad carbs. There are also good and bad times to eat these nutrients.
The Positive Benefit of Fat
Fat is necessary for a variety of bodily functions, you probably knew that already. However, what you may not have known is that fat is also a trigger for hormones that signal your brain and stomach when you’re full. That’s right, consuming fat will cause you to feel full and stop eating.
How Can We Use This?
If you’re like me, and your body tells you you’re full two hours after your chow down on a whole buffet, this trick might help you out. Before a meal, eat a little bit of healthy fat. That could mean 5 or 6 almonds, or perhaps a little bit of avocado. Whatever it is, don’t overdo it which means keep it under 100 calories. Make sure to do this 30 minutes or so before you eat your meal.
The fat you just consumed will trigger hormone production which should be hitting your brain right about the time you sit down to eat your meal. End result, you feel full and eat less.
Don’t Overdo It
Be careful not to turn this little trick into a trap. You want just a little bit of healthy fat. So a bit of olive oil and cheese might be good but a big piece of bread with butter and olive oil is too much. A few peanuts is ok, a whole bag of cashews is too much.
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Your body is a wonderfully constructed system for processing food. Get to know it this system and how it communicates. Listen to those signals and start generating them yourself. The body is a great ally to have in the struggle for good health.
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Mar
5
3 Reasons Why You Should Get A Brita Filter (and how to get a free one)
Filed Under Eating Healthy, Healthy Habits, Product Recommendation | 7 Comments
If you’ve read 60 in 3 for any length of time longer than a month, you’ve probably seen me ranting about sodas and other unhealthy drinks. In a nutshell, I think these are one of our worst habits. They’re usually filled with calories that we don’t pay attention to, they cost money and they generate a tremendous amount of waste. In short, you’re paying money to harm yourself and the environment. Well, rather than complain some more, I decided to try something different and suggest an alternative.
The cheapest and healthiest drink out there is still water. Unfortunately, water to many people still means paying good money for bottled water which then fill up the garbage can. So you might have solved the health issue, but you’re still wasting money and generating waste. Tap water, although I personally like it, seems to have developed a bad reputation as impure. Nevermind the fact that most bottled water is just tap water, but ok, if that’s what people want to believe, I have a solution. Introducing, the Brita Filter!
What The Heck Is It?
Brita makes two types of water filters. The first is a device that attaches to your tap and filters water as it comes out. The second is a decanter that you fill with water, which is then filtered. They also make a refrigerator tap filter that operates very much like their faucet tap one. In other words, Brita takes your tap water and cleans it up.
So Why Should I Use It?
Number 1 - Water is healthy. That soda you just drank? 140 empty calories that won’t even make you feel full. That Starbucks Latte? As much fat as two McDonald’s Cheeseburgers. That fruit smoothie? 500 to 600 calories of mostly sugar. Water is better than any of these alternatives.
Number 2 - You’ll save money. Want an extra million dollars when you retire? Take a look at the Latte factor. And this is only assuming you pay $5 a day for your drinks. I know people (including myself a few years ago) who paid a lot more than that for their daily drinks. Add in the extra health care costs from all those calories and it seems like your drinks are costing you quite a bit, aren’t they?
Number 3 - Reduce Waste. Even if you’re not a die hard environmentalist, you can’t argue the fact that cans and bottles generate a huge amount of waste. Every time I go hiking, I try to pick up the trash I see on the trail. You know what I find most often? Water bottles. You know what I found when I went canoing? Cans and bottles. Millions of tons of waste generated every day because we like to spend money on poisoning ourselves.
So What Am I Going To Do About It?
Well, not only am I posting this article, but I’m also going to give away three Brita faucet filters for your tap to the first three people who post comments on this thread. I wish I could afford to give away more but hey, it’s a start. If you want one of these, just post a comment on this thread. They’re brand new and in the box. I’ll even pay the shipping cost 
If you do comment, please make sure to include your email so I can contact you and get your address. You do not need to include your email in the body of the comment, there’s an email field just for that in the comment form.
And for those of you who might read this a bit too late, why not go to the Brita site and check out their products? Filters are in the $20 to $40 range. Think about how much you spent last month on drinks and then compare that cost. Now throw in the fact that you’re trying to be healthy. How much is that clean tap water worth to you now? Toss in a few cleaner trails and it’s a no brainer.
DISCLAIMER
I am not affiliated with Brita. I do not make any money on their products or on anything you purchase from their website. Nor does Brita pay me to endorse or recommend them. I’m doing this because I believe it’s the right thing to do.
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Mar
3
March Goals - 215lbs, Marathon Training, Higher Weights, Better Eating
Filed Under Eating Healthy, Exercise, Monthly Update | 4 Comments
Back at the beginning of February, I laid out a few goals for myself. I like to do this sort of thing on a regular basis since it helps me focus on what I need to do. Those goals were:
- Get to 215 lbs
- Up my running speed to 6.4 mph when on the treadmill
- Stop eating candy on weekdays
215lbs Goal
I came close but did not quite achieve this one. I am currently hovering around 216lbs. However, I saw a steady decline in weight over the past month, which is encouraging. Remember, weight should not be the sole indicator of your health. However, if you combine it with a few other goals and measurements, it can give you a good idea of how you’re doing.
6.4 mph Running Speed
This one went well. I slowly increased my running speed and I can now run at a steady 6.4mph for 40 minutes.
No Candy On Weekdays
This one also went pretty well although I wasn’t 100% perfect. Still, I managed to cut down my candy consumption by a rather large amount, which makes me quite happy.
GOALS FOR MARCH
This month, I would like to accomplish the following:
- 215lbs - I didn’t quite make it last month, so I’m hoping to do it this month. I want to see a whole week in which my morning weigh in is under 215lbs.
- Marathon Training - I am starting my training for the Maui marathon on the 8th. I have a detailed training plan that a friend worked up for me and I want to make sure I follow it.
- Higher Weights - I also want to improve my weight training this month by increasing the weight I use on at least 4 different exercises. That means I’m going to pick one exercise a week and increase the weight.
- Better Eating - Along with the no candy on weekdays rule, I want to make an effort to avoid buffets. These are my weakness as I love food so much that I usually keep eating it even if I’m full. I want to see if I can go a whole month without buffets.
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What are your health goals for the month of March? If you only have some nebulous goal such as “I want to get healthier” you may find yourself at a loss on how to take that first step. Take a few minutes to write up some specific goals you want to accomplish this month and then write down exactly how you plan to accomplish them. It’s a quick little productivity exercise that will make your life a lot easier.
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Mar
2
I got some great news last week. Looks like I’ve been accepted to the Berkeley - Columbia Graduate School of Business. I’ve been hoping for this for over two years now and knowing I’m in is like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.
And while I celebrate, here are a few articles I thought you would find useful:
From the Tampa Bay Online we have this article about a family who is getting in shape together. There are no exercise or fitness secrets here, only a great story about motivating ourselves and our loved ones. Remember, the people around you can be the greatest obstacle on the way to a healthy life, but they can also be your greatest support. Why not talk to them and see if they’re interested in getting healthy together?
@Tampa Bay Online
From the University of Tulsa’s Collegian we have this article about focusing on fitness instead of weight loss. I’ve written a number of articles about this before. We focus too much on weight loss and not enough on exercise and fitness. Weight loss is meaningless. You can lose a few lbs of muscle and be worse off. Weight is important as one indicator of health but it’s by no means the only one and it shouldn’t be our only measure for how healthy we are.
@The Collegian
From the BBC we have this fascinating article about how our surroundings shape our health. It argues that cities and neighborhoods can be built in such a way so as to promote fitness and health. I agree 100%. I know that, since my wife and I moved into our new apartment, I’ve been walking and biking more simply because there are more options within easy walking distance. Read the article and think about it next time you’re looking for a place to live; it might influence your decision.
@The BBC
Fish oil has been touted as a miracle cure that will improve your heart health while lowering your cholesterol. Well, here’s an article from US News and World Report that shows fish oil may not be as effective as previously thought in preventing strokes. Have no fear though, the article goes on to discuss the effects of fiber on stroke incidence so if you’re eating a healthy diet with plenty of fiber, you’re fine.
@US News and World Report
And on a related note, here’s an article from Mark’s Daily Apple about Omega Fats, the type of fats that fish oil contains. It’s a fascinating read filled with useful information. While fish oil may not prevent strokes, it’s still a very good source of nutrients.
@Mark’s Daily Apple
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