Training Widget
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Daily Tip #7
Don't go on facebook while studying. I mean.. don't go on the internet period, because you'll end up posting on your blog about not being on the internet while you should be studying. So now ill leave you with it and go back to studying.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Daily Tip #6
Make Lists!
I feel like Im going through all the obvious tips first, but regardless eventually Ill get to the obscure ones and thats when stuff will get interesting! For now im going to keep spewing out general advice everyone already knows in hopes that a few people learn something new. Here we go: Lists are a great way to stay organized in fact probably a lot more beneficial than originally thought. Studies have shown that making lists can lower stress levels and cure anxiety EVEN WHEN YOU DO NOTHING ON THE LIST. On the flip side if you make a list and then don't do anything on the list you really wont accomplish anything. I recommend lists for as many things as you can. Grocery lists, School lists, General to do lists, Exercise lists, Weekly lists, Monthly lists, Bucket Lists, cleaning lists, friends lists. You get the idea. Lets start simple. Try making a weekly list every sunday. Its not something you need to sit down and do just get out a pad of paper and all day whenever you think of something you want to do for the coming week write it on the list. Even include very do-able things like shower everyday or Go outside. This way you can basically cross things off your list without trying which will lead to positive motivation. Make sure your list is in a place you will see it (for us bloggers I might encourage a list on your desktop). Start with just making your weekly list a habit and you should immediately see yourself becoming more productive. Here are a few proven benefits of listing.
1. Creates Focus
2. Provides opportunity for prioritizing.
3. Allows you to discover common trends and plan trips accordingly.
4. checking something off your list will create an endorphin release and make you happy!
5. Allows for an easy refocus of energy when you find yourself distracted
6. Temporally clears your mind when the list is made relieving anxiety.
7. Decreases stress
8. Stops your worrying about forgetting things
9. And you ACTUALLY wont forget things!
10. allows you to pace yourself.
All of these benefits and more simply by setting aside a bit of time to think about what has to be done.
Try starting with these 3 simple lists
Grocery Lists
Weekly to do lists
*and since this is an athletic blog*
Weekly Exercise lists
Let me know if these things help you feel more organized!
Cheers
I feel like Im going through all the obvious tips first, but regardless eventually Ill get to the obscure ones and thats when stuff will get interesting! For now im going to keep spewing out general advice everyone already knows in hopes that a few people learn something new. Here we go: Lists are a great way to stay organized in fact probably a lot more beneficial than originally thought. Studies have shown that making lists can lower stress levels and cure anxiety EVEN WHEN YOU DO NOTHING ON THE LIST. On the flip side if you make a list and then don't do anything on the list you really wont accomplish anything. I recommend lists for as many things as you can. Grocery lists, School lists, General to do lists, Exercise lists, Weekly lists, Monthly lists, Bucket Lists, cleaning lists, friends lists. You get the idea. Lets start simple. Try making a weekly list every sunday. Its not something you need to sit down and do just get out a pad of paper and all day whenever you think of something you want to do for the coming week write it on the list. Even include very do-able things like shower everyday or Go outside. This way you can basically cross things off your list without trying which will lead to positive motivation. Make sure your list is in a place you will see it (for us bloggers I might encourage a list on your desktop). Start with just making your weekly list a habit and you should immediately see yourself becoming more productive. Here are a few proven benefits of listing.
1. Creates Focus
2. Provides opportunity for prioritizing.
3. Allows you to discover common trends and plan trips accordingly.
4. checking something off your list will create an endorphin release and make you happy!
5. Allows for an easy refocus of energy when you find yourself distracted
6. Temporally clears your mind when the list is made relieving anxiety.
7. Decreases stress
8. Stops your worrying about forgetting things
9. And you ACTUALLY wont forget things!
10. allows you to pace yourself.
All of these benefits and more simply by setting aside a bit of time to think about what has to be done.
Try starting with these 3 simple lists
Grocery Lists
Weekly to do lists
*and since this is an athletic blog*
Weekly Exercise lists
Let me know if these things help you feel more organized!
Cheers
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Daily Tip #5
Another helpful health hint. This time aimed at a demographic, Vegetarians. Although I am not one myself I have a ton of friends who are, I also have a ton of friends who are vegetarians and trying to compete in long distance running races or to just get into better shape period. One of the big problems I have with vegetarian lifestyle is that It is so hard to get proper proteins and b12 without meats. Therefore my tip today is going to be a list of vegetarian foods that can be eaten to increase protein consumption!
#1 : Dairy Products (Sorry Vegans): Milk in general is just loaded with nutrients. Milk products like Cheese, Yogurt and Cream are important to everyday diet. Try avoiding yogurts with extra additives and don't be afraid of the calories in *whole* yogurts. There is no such thing as a fat free dairy product, enjoy the nutrient rich whole fat and then burn off the extra calories at the gym!
#2: Nuts!: Nuts are a great snack, try and find unsalted or lightly salted for snacking purposes. One handful a day will go a long way to increasing your protein consumption. mm peanut butter.
#3: EGGS!: Eggs are a huge source of protein and they are so easy to prepare, Try and have an egg every morning for breakfast. Not only will it be this source of protein but they help your brain function properly and are great for keeping energy levels high all day.
#4: Fruit: All kinds all the time, its like eating candy for a healthy snack.
#5: Seitan: You'll have to google recipes yourself but the basic principle is that you make it from Whole Wheat flower and water. The water removes Bran and starches leaving a protein rich high gluten substance which can be used for many things. The difference between Tofu and Seitan is what they are made out of.
#6: Soy Beans!: Possibly the best substitute for meat for vegetarians. Through my very limited research on the subject I would say Soy is an absolute HAVE TO HAVE for anyone trying to live vegetarian. Its one of the few non-meat substances which includes B vitamins. Try Soya milk if you haven't even for you omnivores like me, its delicious.
#7: Vegetables: Imagine if I missed this 1 right heh. Just like fruit, you can't really go wrong. Mineral rich and low in calories vegetables should be eaten
#8: Legumes: aka died beans, are an excellent source of all kinds of nutrients, in fact they have been historically the staple of many diets around the world for thousands of years due to their ease of growth and high nutritional value. They can be added to just about any dish.
#9: Ill end this short list with whole grains and other cereal products. Although you have to be careful with high carbohydrate consumption eating tons of pasta and grains is great for people who need lots of energy.
Although I will mention no names I have a story to share to spread some light on a misunderstanding related to protein intake. The thing most people do is they start by counting calories or counting proteins in food. Then they will check how much they need to burn in order to do certain things. Although this method can be used to guide what you need to eat I never recommend making a decision about your health based on the numbers. My story starts with a friend of mine who wanted to start working out and get bigger. Although he did not work out he believed from the get go he would need to supplement his diet in order to grow. In fact he only believed he would get the results he wanted by following a protein powder plan and drinking 3-5 glasses of it a day! Regardless he gave up before he even started. He hardly even lifted a weight on his trek to getting bigger before he gave up. The secret here is not to ever rely on one source. Rather to create a diet which is not only sustainable but also full of many different foods which are all high in protein (similar to my running workouts post eh?) The other thing is that you need to start heading towards your goals before diet will help at all. Another problem he had was that he said he could not eat enough to even put on any mass. He completely forgot the part about how when you workout your body demands MORE and therefore you eat MORE. So my second tip for today is for athletes or those with calorie goals. Start doing the physical process and then add diet on top. Everything will work out more smoothly once you start becoming more self aware of your needs, THEN do the research on how you can achieve your goals using diet!
Cheers guys
#1 : Dairy Products (Sorry Vegans): Milk in general is just loaded with nutrients. Milk products like Cheese, Yogurt and Cream are important to everyday diet. Try avoiding yogurts with extra additives and don't be afraid of the calories in *whole* yogurts. There is no such thing as a fat free dairy product, enjoy the nutrient rich whole fat and then burn off the extra calories at the gym!
#2: Nuts!: Nuts are a great snack, try and find unsalted or lightly salted for snacking purposes. One handful a day will go a long way to increasing your protein consumption. mm peanut butter.
#3: EGGS!: Eggs are a huge source of protein and they are so easy to prepare, Try and have an egg every morning for breakfast. Not only will it be this source of protein but they help your brain function properly and are great for keeping energy levels high all day.
#4: Fruit: All kinds all the time, its like eating candy for a healthy snack.
#5: Seitan: You'll have to google recipes yourself but the basic principle is that you make it from Whole Wheat flower and water. The water removes Bran and starches leaving a protein rich high gluten substance which can be used for many things. The difference between Tofu and Seitan is what they are made out of.
#6: Soy Beans!: Possibly the best substitute for meat for vegetarians. Through my very limited research on the subject I would say Soy is an absolute HAVE TO HAVE for anyone trying to live vegetarian. Its one of the few non-meat substances which includes B vitamins. Try Soya milk if you haven't even for you omnivores like me, its delicious.
#7: Vegetables: Imagine if I missed this 1 right heh. Just like fruit, you can't really go wrong. Mineral rich and low in calories vegetables should be eaten
#8: Legumes: aka died beans, are an excellent source of all kinds of nutrients, in fact they have been historically the staple of many diets around the world for thousands of years due to their ease of growth and high nutritional value. They can be added to just about any dish.
#9: Ill end this short list with whole grains and other cereal products. Although you have to be careful with high carbohydrate consumption eating tons of pasta and grains is great for people who need lots of energy.
Although I will mention no names I have a story to share to spread some light on a misunderstanding related to protein intake. The thing most people do is they start by counting calories or counting proteins in food. Then they will check how much they need to burn in order to do certain things. Although this method can be used to guide what you need to eat I never recommend making a decision about your health based on the numbers. My story starts with a friend of mine who wanted to start working out and get bigger. Although he did not work out he believed from the get go he would need to supplement his diet in order to grow. In fact he only believed he would get the results he wanted by following a protein powder plan and drinking 3-5 glasses of it a day! Regardless he gave up before he even started. He hardly even lifted a weight on his trek to getting bigger before he gave up. The secret here is not to ever rely on one source. Rather to create a diet which is not only sustainable but also full of many different foods which are all high in protein (similar to my running workouts post eh?) The other thing is that you need to start heading towards your goals before diet will help at all. Another problem he had was that he said he could not eat enough to even put on any mass. He completely forgot the part about how when you workout your body demands MORE and therefore you eat MORE. So my second tip for today is for athletes or those with calorie goals. Start doing the physical process and then add diet on top. Everything will work out more smoothly once you start becoming more self aware of your needs, THEN do the research on how you can achieve your goals using diet!
Cheers guys
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Daily Tip #4
A training tip this time. Something every new athlete needs to learn as fast as possible to get the best results quickly. Be sure to do lots of different kinds of training. I know lots of people who will do the same runs over and over again and expect to get better. You're body is very good at getting used to consistency. The only way to get over hurdles is to switch up and keep your body on edge and make sure to push yourself every time. Honestly this is something I need to do more of. Lets take my run training for example. I have plans to run a half marathon on May 1st. Most of my training has consisted of tri training and 5km -10km standard runs. Now that I am training just running I need to switch up my workouts. I will be including Endurance runs (1 hour or more usually at least 10-15km) Tempo Runs (5miles at varying tempos (used to improve speed over distance) Fartlek Runs (pace changing every few minutes from walking slow to really fast), Threshold runs (starting slow and raising speed until you max out heart rate) Sprints (just for technique and speed and lastly casual recovery (can't make running not fun!)
All in all: Mix up your training!
All in all: Mix up your training!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Hobbys and Downtime
Ive been on reading week for a little bit now and all the downtime has given me more time to think about my hobbys away from Training and School and I've decided to talk about some of the stuff I have going on in my life at the moment. For most of you who don't know me I am a huge space / scifi lover. I honestly cannot get enough of the future in any way shape or form. My need for more science fiction has led me to playing Eve recently and watching a lot of Starwars the Clonewars series. Because of this I got to thinking how cool would it be to have a stormtrooper costume. (Nerding it up hard.. i realize) Since Im poor and have so much free time i've decided to make my own, a project which is going to take me ALONG TIME. I must admit Im having a lot of fun attempting different things and making helmets. I may even make this into something I blog about regularly and post pictures of my progress incase anyone else is interested in doing the same. Above picture is related. Hopefully I too will look like Rex eventually. Besides that my reading week has been filled with guitar playing and much igloo building, another story for another time complete with many pictures I hope! As much as I would love to keep writing its 1am and I have a lot to do tomorrow, including writing a full post here on my progress with this costume making procedures! Meh.
cheers guys and gals!
Daily Tip #3
SMILE!
At this point most people are thinking.. wait what... but this is probably one of the greatest pieces of advice I can give to anyone. Smiling is the number 1 simplest way to make people like you. A simple smile to anyone you interact with during the day will usually be returned with a smile and this leads to a positive encounter. I hear people complaining all the time about Oh so and so cashier at such and such store was such a bitch. This .. is the cure for that.. at least most of the time. It creates and instant positive perception that it makes it hard for people to not lighten and treat you a little bit better. Enthusiasm is contagious. There are a few other strange benefits of smiling that most people don't know. Smiling uses many muscles and their use releases endorphins which make you happy. This means that simply smiling can *trick* your body and improve your mood. According to many studies smiles are a key facial feature linked to positive attraction.. people will think you look better if you smile.
Smiling also:
Reduces Stress
Improves mood
Boosts your immune system
Lowers Blood Pressure
Try it out this next week. Try and wear a smile as much as you can and report back to me on if you noticed the world smiling back :)
At this point most people are thinking.. wait what... but this is probably one of the greatest pieces of advice I can give to anyone. Smiling is the number 1 simplest way to make people like you. A simple smile to anyone you interact with during the day will usually be returned with a smile and this leads to a positive encounter. I hear people complaining all the time about Oh so and so cashier at such and such store was such a bitch. This .. is the cure for that.. at least most of the time. It creates and instant positive perception that it makes it hard for people to not lighten and treat you a little bit better. Enthusiasm is contagious. There are a few other strange benefits of smiling that most people don't know. Smiling uses many muscles and their use releases endorphins which make you happy. This means that simply smiling can *trick* your body and improve your mood. According to many studies smiles are a key facial feature linked to positive attraction.. people will think you look better if you smile.
Smiling also:
Reduces Stress
Improves mood
Boosts your immune system
Lowers Blood Pressure
Try it out this next week. Try and wear a smile as much as you can and report back to me on if you noticed the world smiling back :)
Monday, February 21, 2011
Green Water
A follow up to something S Brought to my attention! I was reading a comment in my blog about how boring water tasted and Although I don't share the opinion I have found an interesting solution!
http://www.recipenet.org/health/articles/green_water.htm
This interesting recipe is for Chlorophyll water. Apparently adding Chlorophyll to your water has many health benefits... it also makes your drink green! Also many companies are coming out with flavored versions, this recipe is for mint. It is something I am going to try in the near future and then will blog further about!
http://www.recipenet.org/health/articles/green_water.htm
This interesting recipe is for Chlorophyll water. Apparently adding Chlorophyll to your water has many health benefits... it also makes your drink green! Also many companies are coming out with flavored versions, this recipe is for mint. It is something I am going to try in the near future and then will blog further about!
Daily Tip
Drink Water! No seriously Its better for you than you think. Im not going to give this 8 glasses a day lecture but I will give you a list of benefits of drinking water.
Water has many functions in our body including it Transports nutrients and oxygen into cells, moisturizes the air in the lungs, helps with metabolism, protects our vital organs, helps our organs absorb nutrients better, regulates body temperature, detoxifies and protects and moisturizes our joints. When we have it in proper supply there are many health benefits.
Water effectively flushes toxins from the body which contributes to weight loss.
Hydration keeps your skin healthy by moisturizing and increasing elasticity.
Drinking water helps to regulate body temperature, this can be a great benefit during hard exercise.
Water raises your metabolism and helps reduce constipation ( up to a 3% increase in calorie burning)
Are you sick? Probably not enough water.. a study by Dr. F. Batmanghelidj MD shows that we can avoid literally hundreds of diseases by changing your water and salt intake.
Water is really cheap! Why the hell would anyone buy a plastic water bottle when water from your tap costs next to nothing.
When your dehydrated (even losing 1-2% of your body weight in water can cause this) there are many negative side effects including
Fatigue
Headache
Dry mouth
Little or no urination
Muscle weakness
Dizziness
Lightheadedness
Lemon water can reduce the pain from toothaches,
Lemon water has many medical benefits ranging from helping relieve a sore throat to purifying blood.
Water honestly is one of the easiest ways to improve your overall health yet its so easily ignored. A tip I would like everyone who is like me and trying to avoid overly sugary drinks to try would be to drink 1 glass of water before you grab that coke. Chances are you'll eliminate your thirst and kill your craving for the other beverage.
Have a good day everyone!
Water has many functions in our body including it Transports nutrients and oxygen into cells, moisturizes the air in the lungs, helps with metabolism, protects our vital organs, helps our organs absorb nutrients better, regulates body temperature, detoxifies and protects and moisturizes our joints. When we have it in proper supply there are many health benefits.
Water effectively flushes toxins from the body which contributes to weight loss.
Hydration keeps your skin healthy by moisturizing and increasing elasticity.
Drinking water helps to regulate body temperature, this can be a great benefit during hard exercise.
Water raises your metabolism and helps reduce constipation ( up to a 3% increase in calorie burning)
Are you sick? Probably not enough water.. a study by Dr. F. Batmanghelidj MD shows that we can avoid literally hundreds of diseases by changing your water and salt intake.
Water is really cheap! Why the hell would anyone buy a plastic water bottle when water from your tap costs next to nothing.
When your dehydrated (even losing 1-2% of your body weight in water can cause this) there are many negative side effects including
Fatigue
Headache
Dry mouth
Little or no urination
Muscle weakness
Dizziness
Lightheadedness
Lemon water can reduce the pain from toothaches,
Lemon water has many medical benefits ranging from helping relieve a sore throat to purifying blood.
Water honestly is one of the easiest ways to improve your overall health yet its so easily ignored. A tip I would like everyone who is like me and trying to avoid overly sugary drinks to try would be to drink 1 glass of water before you grab that coke. Chances are you'll eliminate your thirst and kill your craving for the other beverage.
Have a good day everyone!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Daily Tips
Recently I've been reading a lot of self improvement books. Its fascinating stuff because we hear the same old things over and over again about how we can improve ourselves but we overlook some of the simplest things. The first thing to self improvement is to know that its not going to be easy. Sorry guys and gals, there is no easy solution and that is because even doing the little things is hard. For me the thing im trying to do right now is to give up soft drinks. It should be so easy, just don't drink them, yet I find myself opening cans of coke simply out of habit. And thus something as easy as this stands in my way to a slightly healthier life style. These books are crammed full of little tidbits that ACTUALLY WORK if you have the will to try. So Im starting a new segment of my blog. Its going to be called as above "Daily Tips". Each day I'm going to post a little tidbit that if applied could help you to see many slight improvements in your life. I've also decided to make this blog more open ended we will see where that leads. Anyways enough rambling heres the tip of the day.
TIP OF THE DAY!!!
When you go grocery shopping be sure to do it after you have eaten. Shopping on a full stomach allows you to focus more on what you need and less on what food cravings you have at the time. Prior to trying out this idea I would find myself hungry at the grocery store and buying all kinds of crap I didn't really need. It cost me more money and had a huge impact on my attempts at a healthier lifestyle. I also recommend making sure you never go grocery shopping without a list. Having a list of essentials will often get you in and out faster and you will be less likely to buy unhealthy alternatives while your out!
TIP OF THE DAY!!!
When you go grocery shopping be sure to do it after you have eaten. Shopping on a full stomach allows you to focus more on what you need and less on what food cravings you have at the time. Prior to trying out this idea I would find myself hungry at the grocery store and buying all kinds of crap I didn't really need. It cost me more money and had a huge impact on my attempts at a healthier lifestyle. I also recommend making sure you never go grocery shopping without a list. Having a list of essentials will often get you in and out faster and you will be less likely to buy unhealthy alternatives while your out!
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