"The first wealth is health." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Racehorses

You bought an expensive racehorse, one that cost $500,000. If you owned an expensive racehorse, what kinds of foods would you feed it? If you had invested all that money in a horse, would you feed it junk food, potato chips, soda, donuts, bagels, candy bars, and jugs of coffee? Of course not!

How much more valuable are you than a racehorse? Just as you would feed an expensive racehorse with the most nutritious foods you could possibly find, you must feed yourself with the very best foods as well. Treat yourself like the most expensive and most important person in the whole world, because you are.

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High Fructose Corn Syrup

HFCS is a man-made sweetener that’s cheaper and sweeter than sugar. Food manufacturers love it because it enhances their profits, so they add it into an unbelievable number of foods. Cereal. Ketchup. Soda. Pasta sauce. Cookies. Even some meal replacement bars, which are supposed to be good for you, list HFCS way up high on the ingredients list. If “High Fructose Corn Syrup” shows up anywhere on the ingredients, do not eat it!

We’re talking about a processed sweetener that didn’t even exist in he food chain until the 1970s. And HFCS is really, really, really bad for you. That’s because it’s packed with calories, but your body doesn’t recognize these calories. In fact, HFCS shuts off your body’s natural appetite control switches, so you can eat and eat and eat far beyond what your body would normally be able to handle. You probably know guys who can down a 2-liter bottle of Coke in a single sitting. Well, guess what? Before HFCS was invented, humans couldn’t do that. Our natural appetite control switches would kick in, detect the sugar we’re consuming, and say “¡No más!” But by shutting off the switches that control appetite, HFCS - a true junk food - is making America fat. In 1970, Americans ate about a half a pound of HFCS per person per year. By the late 1990s, every person was consuming about 62 pounds every year.

When you eat any carbohydrate - whether it contains glucose or starch - your body releases insulin to regulate your body weight. First, it tries to push the carbs into your muscle cells to be used as energy and facilitates carb storage in the liver for later use. Then it suppresses your appetite, telling your body that you’ve had enough. Finally, it stimulates production of another protein, leptin, which is manufactured in your fat cells. In essence, leptin helps regulate how much fat you store and helps increase your metabolism to keep your weight in check. Fructose screws up a system that was working perfectly fine without it. Fructose doesn’t stimulate insulin and therefore doesn’t increase the production of leptin - and that’s the most important argument against fructose and HFCS: Without insulin and leptin, your body has no shut-off mechanism. You can drink 4 liters of Coke or down a half a gallon of frozen yogurt, and your body thinks you haven’t eaten since the last time Bill Gates borrowed money from his dad.

Unlike glucose, your body doesn’t use fructose as an immediate source of energy; it metabolizes it into fat. While the small amount of fructose you get naturally through fruit and honey won’t make you fat, eating HFCS is sort of like setting up an IV that pumps fat directly to your gut. One of the worst offenders is soft drinks: Soda consumption has doubled from 25 to 50 gallons per person per year in the last few decades. So the amount of HFCS we’re getting is unprecedented - and many researchers think there’s a direct link between the huge amount of HFCS we’re consuming and the huge numbers we’re seeing on the scale.

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90-95% of your 60-100 trillion cells are replaced each year. Every year is a new you! Happy New Years!

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—	Don Colbert, MD. The Seven Pillars of Health

The wall of a Souplantation. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Sauna Sweat

Using the sauna at the gym for a “sweat bath” has many health benefits, and has a profound effect on the human body. Your skin temperature soars to 104° F, and your internal body temperature rises to 100° F within minutes. Your metabolism increases. Your pulse rate jumps by 50% or more, allowing the heart to nearly double the amount of blood it pumps each minute. This increased cardiac load is the equivalent to a brisk walk. 2 million sweat glands are activated and you will pour out a pint of sweat during a short stint in the sauna, and it will leave your body soothed and your mind serene.

As the temperature of the body rises, the body’s ability to prevent diseases and promote health increases. Exposure to this high heat creates an artificial fever state. This state stimulates the immune system and increases the production of:

1.) White blood cells: cell that defends the body against infectious diseases and foreign materials
2.) Antibodies: protein that neutralizes foreign objects such as bacteria and viruses
3.) Interferon: protein that fights viruses, bacteria, parasites, tumors, and cancer

Many viruses and bacteria cannot live in temperatures above 98.6° F, so in many cases sweating literally burns away illness. In the old days, priests and healers relied on saunas to treat illnesses and chase away evil spirits. If you are a cancer patient, it is almost guaranteed you’ll have better chances of surviving cancer if you complement your therapy with sauna sessions.

Last but not least, your skin plays a major role in the detoxification process. It is the largest organ in the body, and it is exposed to hundreds of chemicals during the course of your life. They are affected by shampoos, shower gels, lotions, sunscreens, soaps, deodorants, detergent residue on clothing, and chemicals from the bath and shower water. Sweating removes these toxic chemicals from the body. The kidneys can take up to 24 hours to remove harmful toxins like lead and mercury out of the body, while sweating removes these metals much faster. If you don’t sweat regularly, you will accumulate toxins that prevent cells from regenerating efficiently, which will rapidly age your body. (Another reason to exercise) Sweating bathes skin cells with a liquid rich in nutrients. The nutrients and minerals in sweat are essential to maintaining the collagen structure of the skin. Sweating on a regular basis staves off the collagen breakdown that results in wrinkles and sags.

Using the sauna is a great habit that pays many health dividends:

· Revives muscles after physical exertion
· Reduces muscle soreness after physical exertion
· Reduces fatigue
· Flushes out toxins
· Burns calories
· Strengthens immune system
· Fights illness
· Slows the aging process
· Reduces the incidence of the common cold
· Relieves symptoms of the common cold
· Relieves joint pain
· Improves muscle performance
· Improves cardiovascular peroformance
· Improves blood circulation
· Improves exercise tolerance
· Improves flexibility
· Increases peak respiratory oxygen uptake
· Replaces dead skin cells
· Clears skin complexion
· Improves skin elasticity
· Sharpens senses
· Induces a deeper sleep
· Oxygenates cells, tissues & organs
· Eliminates lactic acid after exercise
· Fights depression
· Fights anxiety
· Releases endorphins
· Improves mood
· Reduces stress
· Reduces levels of lead, copper, zinc, nickel, & mercury
· Reduces discomfort due to cramping & menopause
· Unclogs skin pores, reducing incidences of acne, pimples & blackheads
· Improves a myriad of conditions including: obesity, insomnia, diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure, smoking induced symptoms, recuperation after childbirth, chest congestion, bronchitis, laryngitis, sinusitis, rheumatoid arthritis, anorexia nervosa, vasodilation, heart arrhythmia, glaucoma, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, obstructive lung disease, arteriosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis, gout, neuralgia, lyme disease

In conclusion, #letssweat

You got it, Mom! And yes, “Brain” is a nickname. My mom has been calling me “Brain” ever since I was little. =)

Brown Rice > White Rice

The difference between brown rice and white rice is not just the color! The difference lies in the way it is processed and its nutritional content. If the outermost layer of a grain of rice (otherwise known as the husk) is removed, the result is brown rice, and it is a “whole grain.” If the bran layer underneath is also removed, the result is white rice, and it is just a “white grain.” Several vitamins and dietary minerals are lost by removing the bran.

Missing nutrients, such as vitamin B1, B3, and iron are sometimes added back into the white rice making it “enriched,” as food suppliers in the U.S. are required to do by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This is called fortified white rice or enriched white rice. This form of processed rice is not the same as the original unprocessed version, and a plethora of nutrients are not replaced even with rice “enrichment.” Generally speaking, eating a food that contains its original vitamins and minerals in tact is much better for you than eating an “enriched” food that has been stripped of its nutrients and had chemically processed nutrients artificially added.

Brown rice is not only better for you, but it’s better for the environment too! It’s basically down to the way the rice is processed; the less processing of a food, the less energy required. And white rice needs a lot more energy to process than brown rice, because the bran is also removed along with the husk. There is also the issue of the synthetic vitamins added back in the enriched white rice. They are produced in laboratories and factories from a variety of chemicals; and these kinds of processes are well known for their negative impact on the environment. So do yourself and the environment a favor!

Long story short, brown rice is much healthier than white rice. Brown rice has less calories, more fiber, more protein, more antioxidants, increases bone health and provides more long-term energy. The oil found in brown rice even reduces cholesterol and triglyceride levels. It reduces the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, stroke, gallstones, breast cancer, colon cancer, and obesity. If you need something to sustain you for a long workout, (or long periods without food) I know from first hand experience that brown rice is the way to go. In retrospect, I started seeing my six-pack after I switched from white rice to brown rice a long time ago. The slightest tweaks in your health can make the most difference.The healthiest bodies are built by whole grains!

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Guess where illness is in your life right now? Testing the outer edges of your health plan, looking for a weak spot. And if illness can find a weak spot, it will muscle in and take the territory. Unless you have enough discipline and power to say, ‘I’m not going to let that happen, I’m going to fight illness like an enemy. I’ll do enough push-ups to destroy illness.’ And if you don’t do the push-ups and you don’t get a book on nutrition and you don’t take care of your good health, illness says, ‘We’ll soon have this clown.’ Do battle with your enemy.

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—	Jim Rohn

Physical fitness is the basis for all other forms of excellence.

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—	John F. Kennedy

You become healthier only after you push yourself beyond your limits, and fail physically. The same is true with becoming wealthier.

You do not become healthier by staying within your reality of how strong you are. If you want to become healthier and wealthier, you need to go beyond your reality. You need to live your life in the realm of new possibilities.

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—	*Robert Kiyosaki*

The Meatrix

To large corporations, maximizing profits is the name of the game. In fact, the goal of modern industrial agriculture is to grow it faster, fatter, bigger, and cheaper. Which leads to antibiotics, pesticides, steroids, and hormones, all of which end up in the meat we eat. And it’s not very good for our health.

The sad reality is our meat no longer comes from happy farms. They now come from factory slaughterhouses operating at lightning speeds, some killing one animal every 3 seconds. Most animals are ankle deep in their own urine, feces, and vomit and most never even see sunlight. I don’t want to be a “party pooper,” but there’s probably a little manure in the meat you’re eating right now. It is a sad fact of life, but the truth is, we all have to eat a little shit from time to time.

Watch the videos below for shits and giggles. Pun intended. Okay I’ll stop.

I ate vegan for an entire week. I have to admit, it does feel good.

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Dropping Some Wisdom (Teeth)

So I got all my wisdom teeth taken out a few days ago - all 4 of them. I must say I was terrified of getting put to sleep, since I’ve never been put under with anesthesia before. I don’t even remember knocking out. #scarythought. All I remember was feeling delirious momentarily, and then knocking out again. lol. Anyways, knowing that I couldn’t eat my usual diet afterwards, I didn’t exercise for a couple days before the operation because I knew I couldn’t completely nourish myself and recover from it. And post op completely forbade exercise to prevent dislodging the blood clots. So that gave me two weeks of a sedentary lifestyle. And it drove me absolutely crazy…

I couldn’t eat what I wanted, I couldn’t workout, and my sleeping patterns were wacked as a result. My unstoppable “Triangle Offense” was temporarily devastated. I couldn’t even play rockband drums. Some people are total badasses and had steak dinners and Conchings after their wisdoms got pulled (Atienza & Gacutan) haha. But I chose to follow docs orders and had the recommended “soft” diet. Some chicken noodle soup, tinola, oatmeal and gatorade. The diet of champions. I did have fun with the Vicodin though. lol. No wonder Dr. House loves it.

But after a long hiatus I’m finally back in the gym, and it feels oh so good. Endorphins how I’ve missed you. Vicodin can give you the euphoria, that sense of well being, and make you look 10 times cooler, but it can only take you so far. There really is no substitute for the natural endorphins you get from a great workout. It’s like magic - and it felt 20 times better than any Vicodin pill. And I like being sore, it means I can eat more. But that’s just me. Remember, if there ever comes a point in your life when you just don’t feel alive and energetic, than you’re just not exercising enough.

Ever since I came back to my usual exercise habits, I started to eat better, eat a lot more often, and crave the healthy foods that I needed to recover from the workout. I even started to eat less garbage foods. (Not that I eat a lot of those anyways) Some studies have shown that if you’re sick and you need a certain vitamin or mineral to help alleviate the symptoms, your body will naturally crave for it. Pretty cool.

The following night after my first workout I noticed the dreams I had were much longer and much more lucid. And it’s not because I just watched Inception. You get more deep sleep (REM) with exercise because the body craves it and needs it for recovery. Actually, the entire 2 weeks that I didn’t have exercise I don’t even remember dreaming at all! Interesting. During my sedentary 2 weeks, I also found that I had excess energy at night. I would stay up until 4am just reading without even feeling tired. Nerd alert.

Conclusion: The human body was never meant for a sedentary lifestyle. Rather, it thrives on an active one. God designed us to move, and since we don’t farm and hunt like we used to, we just have to find another way to do so. You’ve heard this from me before, but I’ll say again: diet, sleep and exercise - It’s all connected =)

Dendrites

The human brain is an amazing organ. Our brains are made of 50-100 billion neurons that process information at lightning speed. The world’s fastest supercomputer doesn’t even come close. We have been given a gift. Each of those neurons are connected to each other by dendrites, which send and receive information between neurons. I presented this in a Samahan meeting back in ‘08, trying to promote Intramural sports. lol. Props to those of you who still remember this and joke around with me and my dendrites. You know who you are =)

When we study in the library or learn new things, we build dendrites. When we study the same material again and again whether by doing problem sets or using flashcards, the dendrites we build between neurons becomes thicker and thicker, and we reinforce those memories by building even more dendrites. Hence, recalling that information for the upcoming test becomes easier and easier. If we barely study for a test, it is difficult to recall information because we are only using a few dendrites for a given question. It is scientifically proven that doing our homework does make a difference. More studying = more dendrites.

Think of it this way. If you were hanging on to a rope for dear life, would you rather be hanging on to a thin string, or a thick rope? The same applies to your dendrites! In the classroom, the ones who ace the test have constructed a very thick rope to save themselves from falling into an F (and maybe even save a friend or two). Now what happens when we drink alcohol and get drunk? Those same dendrites that we built in the library become damaged, or even destroyed.

Two Neurons joined together by dendrites Photobucket

Showing this on an animated Powerpoint was much easier
So much for that all-nighter in the library. That last party may have undone a couple hours of studying. Getting drunk actually does shrinks your brain, microscopically. So what can be done to alleviate this problem? The answer is… Exercise! Exercise rebuilds damaged dendrites, and even restores them to its original state. It also helps keep future damage to dendrites to a minimum. However, it does not restore dendrites that are already completely destroyed. Partying like a rockstar does have its consequences.

So that is the life of a dendrite. Built in the library, damaged at parties, and rebuilt in the gym. haha. Study hard, party harder, but exercise hardest. =)

Source: My Calc III professor, Ray Menegus, in his attempt to make us do our homework. Listening to all of his mumbo jumbo before class started was worth it.

No Brain, No Gain

Nappy time in EE 490, taken by Jared. Fucker.
So I’ve been staying up late in senior design lab recently, and I haven’t been getting as much sleep as I need. When I walked in the gym the next day, guess what - I didn’t feel like doing shit! And I’m usually a pretty energetic guy. This goes to show that the amount of sleep you get directly affects the quality of your workouts. And vice versa - the intensity of your workouts directly affect the quality of sleep you get! It’s a viscious cycle.

If you get both the exercise and sleep you need, then hats off to you! If you get neither, then you’re certainly not reaching your mental and physical potential. Take heed, this cycle can also work negatively - little sleep leads to less exercise, which leads to less energy, which leads to energy drinks, and energy pills, which leads to even more insomnia. Ahh to be a college student. This is just one part of the bigger picture I painted with the triangle on my first blog. It’s all beautifully connected. But how beautifully connected you make your triangle, is up to you.

When you exercise with little sleep, you force your mind to go through the motions - when it really doesn’t want to. With little sleep, your mind is mentally unprepared for the physical stress of a workout. When you do sleep, your brain cleans up and repairs itself, rearranges and builds memories, and prepares itself for the next day. “Sleeping on it” seems to provide the clarity we need to piece together life’s puzzles.

When you sleep without exercise, you will find that the quality of sleep just isn’t as satisfying because you get less rapid eye movement (REM). Exercise helps our bodies transition between the phases of sleep more regularly and more smoothly. When you exercise and put physical stress on the body, the brain increases the amount of time you spend in deep sleep, the phase of sleep during which your body repairs itself.

Listen to your body when it gets groggy and tells you it needs rest, or when it gets antsy and tells you it needs to move. A lot of people don’t, and that’s how we get sick. So listen up! I sure do =)

Nappy Time Part Deuce