Nutrition & More
| Healthy Foods | ||
| Carbohydrates | Protein | Fat |
| 100% Whole Grains
Wheat Bread, Oatmeal, Stone Ground Bread, Quinoa, Barley, Spelt, Brown Rice, Kamut, Millet, Amaranth, etc… |
Fish
Wild Salmon, Roe, Mackerel, Sardines, Shad, Whitefish, Anchovy, Tuna, Herring, etc… |
Omega 3’s
Flax Seeds/Oil, Salmon, Chia Seeds, Butternuts, Fresh Barley, Walnuts, Oregano, Radish Seeds, Spinach, etc…
|
| Ground Vegetables
Sweet Potato, Yam, Yucca, Cassava, Pumpkin, Squash, Plantain, etc… |
Protein Powders
Whey Protein Isolate Soy Protein Isolate Hemp Protein |
Omega 6
Walnuts, Brazils, Almonds and Cashews, Flax, Hemp, Sunflower Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Evening Primrose Oil, Borage Oil, Black Currant Seed Oil, Sunflower Oil. |
| Vegetables
Spinach, Broccoli, Kale, Swiss Chard, Red Peppers, Onions, Cabbage, Celery, Capers, etc… |
Eggs and Chicken
Cage Free, Organically Fed |
Omega 7
Buckthorn Oil, Macadamia Nuts |
| Fruit
Pomegranates, Blueberries, Apples, Tomatoes, Red Berries, Grapes, Bananas, Figs, Dried Apricots, Prunes, etc… |
Soy
Tofu, Tempeh, Natto, Miso Soup, Soybeans (Dry Roasted), Soy Milk, etc… |
Omega 9
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Almonds, 70% Dark Chocolate, Avocado, Olives, Pecans, Cashews, Pistachios, Hazelnuts, etc… |
| Legumes
Red and Green Lentils, Black, Red, Lima, Pinto, and Kidney Beans, Peas etc… |
Red Meat
Beef, North American Bison, (Extra Lean, Grass Fed or Organic) |
|
Whenever possible, select naturally grown and organic fruit, vegetable, soy, and dairy products.
| Beverages | ||
| Cold/Room Temperature | Hot | Energy |
| Water
100% Pomegranate, Blueberry, Acai Berry, Concord Grape, Cranberry Juice Red Wine |
White Tea Green Tea Black Tea Oolong or Wulong Tea Pu-Erh or Puer Tea (lowest caffeine level) |
It’s very difficult to buy an energy drink that is “healthy”. These drinks contain high quantities of exotic ingredients that may or may not benefit you. Stick to WATER. |
October
The Squat
Squats are one of the best exercises you can do. Here’s why…
Benefits of The Squat
Nearly every muscle works when you Squat: legs move the weight, abs & lower back stabilize, upper-back stays tight, arms squeeze the bar, etc. The Squat is a whole body exercise.
- Builds Muscle
- Leg Strength
- Hip Flexibility
- Knee Stability
Squat Setup
- Chest Up/Out. Keeping your chest up and out makes lower back rounding nearly impossible & tightening of your upper-back much easier.
- Forward Look. Looking down will cause your back to bend. Looking at the ceiling will cause your neck to hyper-extend. Keep you eyes on the horizon.
- Bar/Arm Position. Put the barbell low, on the muscles of your back shoulders OR Hold a set of dumbbells at your side OR Secure a resistance band at your shoulders with the band anchored by your feet.
- Straight Wrists. Your back supports the weight, not your hands. Keep your wrists inline with your forearm, never bend them.
- Elbows Back. Don’t let them come forward during the Squat. Pushing your elbows back prevents elbows injuries.
- Upper-back. Bring your shoulder-blades together. Tightening the upper-back gives the bar a solid base to rest on.
- Foot Stance. A narrow stance doesn’t work for the low bar Squat. Heels should be shoulder-width apart.
- Toes Out. Point your toes out at about 30 degrees. Your toes must always follow your knees.
- Weight on The Heels. Curl your toes up if needed. Never get on your toes. Push from the heels.
Squatting Down
- Hips Back. Think sitting on a chair. Hips go back first, way back. If you can’t, you probably have tight hamstrings.
- Knees Over Toes. Don’t let your knees travel forward in the bottom Squat position. Knees over the toes, not further.
- Knees Out. Never allow your knees to buckle in. It can cause knee injury. Push your knees out.
- Hit Parallel. Your hip joint must come lower than your knee joint. Ask someone to judge your depth or tape yourself. Do not Partial Squat.
Squatting Up
Your hip muscles are stretched when you hit parallel. Use that stretch to bounce from the bottom. DO NOT relax your hip muscles & DO NOT bounce off your knees. Keep your hip muscles tensed.
- Hips Up. If your hips come forward, your knees will also come forward. Drive your hips up straight out of the bottom.
- Squeeze Your Glutes. Power comes from the glutes. Squeeze your glutes as hard as you can while driving your hips up.
- Push From The Heels. Curl your toes up if needed. Don’t let your heels come off the floor. Push from the heels.
- Knees Out. Same as for the way down: don’t let your knees buckle in. Push your knees out.
