It’s happening.  It’s the day after Thanksgiving.  By the time the clock hit 8 AM, two beautiful women, each about ready for the cover of a magazine, had expressed their dissatisfaction.  They told me they were fat.  I know, that happens . . . but . . . that wasn’t an isolated incident.  The parking lot at the mall was packed when I hit the gym at 7 AM.  People will stand in line ready to trample each other to save $50 on an X-Box or get a king-sized mattress complete with comforter set for only $299.

In the gym, people of all ages, shapes, and sizes examined the cardio equipment revealing their lack of familiarity.  To top it off, I had 1200 emails go into my Junk folder offering everything from Viagra to weight loss cookies at a “Black Friday discount.”

What does it all mean?  The Holiday season is upon us.  Tents are springing up in empty lots for Christmas tree sales.  The stress of “what should I buy her” will begin to take hold.  The dread of spending days with family members people manage to avoid all year will grow like a plague.  And . . . people will have lots of fun, they’ll experience love, they’ll connect and disconnect, and when it’s all said and done, they’ll land at that place of regret and hopefulness, the New Year’s Resolution.

I’ve stated in several recent articles, the landscape has changed radically.

In 2012, apples are not apples, and I mean that literally.

In 2012, wheat is not wheat.

In 2012 men are not men (at least not as medical history records them).

In 2012, meat is not meat.

Have I just accidentally created a tragic poem?  I think I have.  Apples aren’t apples, wheat isn’t wheat, men aren’t men, and meat isn’t meat.

And that’s only the beginning!

Over the next few months, I’ll share some of the realities that are guaranteed to shock you, some that will infuriate you, and some that will force you to change your course of action if the outcome you seek is long term health.  I’ll help you understand why the apples you buy in the grocery store have as much resemblance to the apples you ate as a child as Sid the Science Kid has to Charlie Sheen (you have to have a child under 9 to appreciate the reference).  The key to the degradation lies in man’s flawed fondness for making things better through science and technology . . . and his willingness to mess with nature’s perfection, usually in quest of dollars and more dollars.

When I say wheat is not wheat,  that too is literal.  What we eat in our “healthy bran muffins” and “whole wheat” cereals has been so genetically altered our body’s fail to recognize it as what was once nature’s gift.  Dr. Blweiss shared this and other insights in a recent interview I did with him.  If you haven’t heard him speak, download the presentation and listen.

Men are not men . . . in a nutshell . . . suggests that our environment and the stuffs we ingest via touching, eating, and breathing so alter our hormonal systems that reduced testosterone levels are epidemic, and worse yet, many of the chemical compounds released into our environment mimic estrogen to blur the lines between the genetic codes of the sexes.

Don’t get me started on meat.  You can get a sense of the problem by reading my article, “What’s up on the Dairy Farm,” or my previous blog entry “Why did Our Grandparents Eat Steak and Thrive?”  When you understand how livestock are raised, treated, and prepared, whether you’re eating animal meat or dairy that comes from commercially raised livestock, you’re consuming toxins, drugs, and a host of inflammatory compounds that move you closer and closer to what we’d recognize as disease.

The years from 2005 – 2011 were tremendous learning years for me.  I’ve gained new insights, new knowledge, and new recognition of both the problems we’ve never faced before, and the solutions that allow us to successfully pursue health and longevity in an age where the odds are quickly stacking against us.

Stay tuned.  Lot’s of information to come.  Stay connected with me on Facebook, through my blogs, and in 2012 I’ll return to the radio and TV spreading a refined message of empowerment.  For now, hold on to your sensibility as you enjoy the Holiday Season, and while others give in to temptation, abandon, and just plain bad decisions, you can use the better part of the next 6 weeks to arrive at 2012 in outstanding condition!

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Weight Loss Hopefuls – I know how the pharmaceutical promises toy with your emotions, but to date, there hasn’t been even a single pharmaceutical release that brought the weight loss population the long term result they hope for. In  my future e-book “fat loss secrets”  I’ll share a pretty in depth review of how the pharmaceutical industry has continually capitalized by bringing products to the market that were not effective and put a great many at risk. The pattern of a new drug being released, people becoming ill or worse, and the drug being pulled and replaced by a new offering has been going on since dexadrine made its big splash in the 60′s and 70′s. It’s time to summon up some common sense.

If the promises have been made for over 50 years, and you still haven’t found the solution in a pill, you have to realize that just because a new pill is now being offered on the internet with the same old promises, doesn’t mean the solution will ever arrive in a bottle. Dexadrine starved people and created speed freaks who flocked into the Betty Ford clinic to get clean. Phen-Fen brought a disease called PPH to the attention of the general public. PPH is pretty close to a death sentence. Redux toyed with heart valves, Meridia proved an overhyped Phen-Fen knock off, and the newest offerings such as Xenical result in excessive bouts of expensive diarrhea.

Remember The leptin drugs? Well doctors cash in, drug company stocks soar, millions bought it on the gray market via the internet, people screwed up their insulin production, blood sugar, circulation, some die, and very few if any find the weight loss they’d hoped for.

Leptin is a hormonal protein that affects appetite. It is manufactured in fat cells and it seems to be an indirect trigger to appetite. As leptin production goes up, appetite goes down. Leptin signals the hypothalmus in the brain that it’s time to stop eating and thus appetite is reduced. In the mid-90′s, scientists and drug companies grew very excited by a research study where mice with a genetic disorder that prevented them from making leptin received leptin injections. The study brought amazing results . . . in genetically flawed mice! So far the research on humans has proved disappointing, but that hasn’t stopped the pharmaceutical giants. They’re exploring “leptin resistance” and looking into other endocrine signals that might interplay in the chain between leptin and appetite. They’re not going to change their direction. History dictates that if they can get a product to market, and get FDA approval, whether or not the product “works” they stand to reap massive financial reward! History proves that repeatedly. And if some people die in the process . . . so be it. It’s simply a cost of doing business.

For those desperately in search of weight loss, please, before you attempt making some chemical change by swallowing pills, before you enter into gray market business by buying weight loss drugs on the internet, try eating! For near 10 years now I’ve been teaching people to take control of their metabolisms, not by starving, not by chemical alteration, but by finally opening up to the importance of food as fuel. I won’t go into depth here as nutrtional infomation is available all through this blog, but if you can simply adopt the mindset that food, at some level equals fuel, you’ll understand that in order to fuel the metabolic machine (your body), you have to eat! So many drug offerings are concentrating on appetite, or on depriving the body of food, which is an absolute guarantee that failure will result. My mission is to help hundreds of thousands to find their way through the maze of confusing information, and to live in bodies that becomes “compliment-magnet.” I am determined to help people walk away from the victimization that makes them feel like failures and turn their bodies over to medicine, chemically or surgically, while they’re still alive!

Are you a starbucks fan? I have two words for you.

“Legal crack!”   (LOL)

That’s what my business partner refers to coffee as.

Of course, he’s exaggerating, but let me explain why.

We were sitting at Barnes and noble conducting business (gym gets boring sometimes) and I mentioned how much I enjoy the atmosphere that is created in Starbucks coffee shops.

He agreed that Starbucks has been successful at creating a certain ambiance, then he added “It’s not hard to be successful when you are selling ‘legal crack’,” referring to the addictiveness of caffeine.

And he has a point.

Now it seems like everyone has an opinion on caffeine. And because I’ve used caffeine so much personally, whether to stay up in college or get ready for a workout, I’ve read a lot of about caffeine, as well as its affects on cortisol, adrenaline, dopamine, etc.

And maybe it just depends person to person, but I know I get addicted to caffeine pretty easily.

And when you are addicted to caffeine, you want the best ‘fix’ you can get, right?

Well, interestingly, it turns out that per ounce, Starbucks coffee is considerably higher in caffeine than other common coffees on the market.

According to research conducted by Bruce Goldberger published in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 16 ounces of Starbucks coffee contained 100 mg more of caffeine than the same size coffee at Dunkin Donuts. 100 mg is more than the caffeine found in one serving of the popular Red Bull energy drink… a measurable amount. And remember, the 100 mg wasn’t the total, it was just the difference between the two.

Goldberger also found that caffeine content varied from day to day. One day the 16 oz. breakfast coffee blend in a Starbucks store contained 259 mg of caffeine. On another day, the same size drink contained 564 mg (approx. the same as 4-5 cups of home-brewedcoffee).

The health effects?

The research on coffee is mixed. But it is well-known that dosages above 400 mg or so will begin to increase anxiety levels in a dose dependant response. And people seem to vary from one person to another in terms of their ability to metabolize the drug, as well as their individual responses to caffeine withdrawal.

Best bet? I think you’ll find that it’s preferable to eliminate caffeine from your daily diet and maintain more stable energy levels. Although, if you are able to just drink a cup in the morning and don’t find yourself craving more and more, that’sprobably fine too.

It’s probably not a good idea to use the decaffeinated versions too often as there is quite a bit of controversy about the chemical solvents that are used in the decaffeination process.

If you need a little caffeine kick without the negatives, try green tea. Green tea is filled with powerful antioxidants, as well as L-theanine, which helps moderate the effects of caffeine by promoting the development of alpha brain waves, being a precursor to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and interacting with dopamine and serotonin. In short, it’s good stuff.

Either way, now you might have an idea why Starbucks has become so popular over the last few years.

As always I welcome your feedback What have you experience with caffeine?

 I have an arm of my business that consults with Fitness Professionals to help them understand what’s “really” going on in this field. A question recently came in from a trainer asking about Weight Watchers. Since I receive so many questions about the Weight Watchers program, I thought posting the Q&A would help provide clarity, not only for trainers, but for anyone seeking a sound weight loss program.

QUESTION: I frequently run into clients who are willing to exercise with me and who want to “do” weight watchers because “it has worked for them in the past.” I know very little about Weight Watchers except that the members regularly weigh in (encouraging the use of the scale as THE measurement of success) and they use some sort of point system within which it seems the member can eat ANYTHING, including sugar. As a result, I never know how to respond. Can you clarify the Weight Watchers technology for me; i.e., on what are the points based, how do they account for appropriate amounts of carbs, protein, fat, etc.

ANSWER: Weight Watchers may very well have been the first effectively marketed diet program aimed at the masses. The popularity of Weight Watchers about 40 years ago actually introduced most Americans to a word they never knew, and most still don’t understand. The calorie. The reason it received such high public acclaim, aside from the number of pounds lost without drastic deprivation as in previous diets, is because Weight Watchers presents the premise of “a lifestyle change.”

The founder of Weight Watchers, Jean Nidetch, started the program in her home in Brooklyn back in 1963 where she instituted a real world sensible eating program that focuses on cutting back on calories. She didn’t however distinguish between the different effects sugar calories, fat calories, quality protein calories, and complex carb calories bring about in the human body. She also failed to incorporate the “thermic effect” of eating supportively.

Weight Watchers has modified its recommendations since its first inception, and while far more lifestyle information is now disseminated by the organization, the overall effectiveness of calorie deprivation remains unchanged. As I’m sure you recognize, if “it worked for them in the past,” yet they’re seeking out a NEW solution, it didn’t work for them in the long term.

Originally Weight Watchers developed an “exchange” system, where you were allotted a certain number of “bread exchanges,” “fruit exchanges,” etc. every day, a concept later re-invented by Richard Simmons’ “Deal a Meal.” The exchanges were based upon portion control limiting the amount of calories being ingested while still encouraging eating of real food. As their exposure brought greater profits, they decided to implement “weight watchers foods,” further increasing their profit margins by now having their followers buy meals as well as support. The exchange system allowed for snacking, as long as you limited your daily intake to the food exchanges suggested. Their new approach brings with it some modifications. They’ve replaced the exchanges with “points.” Now, every food is assigned a number of points based on its fat, fiber, and calorie content. There are various categories so you can choose a “point system” that works for you.

Conceptually this sounds great, but the reality is, you’re still changing your lifestyle to one that cuts calories, you are ingesting, if you prefer, some sugar laden foods (while limiting points in other areas), and cravings and metabolic slowdown are a given.

If something positive is to be said for any diet, Weight Watchers is one that I can actually find some kind words for. I don’t believe their entry into the marketplace was based upon a fraudulent attempt to collect money from weight loss hopefuls without delivering value. While the diet is flawed, I believe it’s developers and operators believe they are involved in an ethical and beneficial pursuit.

Of course, what they fail to answer is why, if their diet is so “successful,” so many people “return” to Weight Watchers. I’ve attended Weight Watchers meetings. They’re almost comical. 14 or 15 women sit around in a room, lending each other support, and some make the journey to . . . the scale! They take off their jewelry, remove their shoes, peel off a sweater, and exhale, then they step up. A facilitator examines the measurement, refers to a chart, and announces, “Mary lost 1.25 pounds” and the room erupts in applause. Interestingly, nobody’s there for the first time. They’ve all “come back” after regaining the weight. Weight Watchers, although they can document substantial pounds being shed, maintains the same abysmal failure rate as the other commercial diet programs.

The new Weight Watchers has also integrated lots of psychology into their attempts at initiating adherence. They offer such pearls as, “Start thinking of food in terms of nutritional and economical value. If you’re tempted to get a second serving of Chinese just because it’s free, think ahead to the high costs in health bills and low self-esteem that an unhealthy diet results in.” Again, with good intentions being recognized, I see an instant flaw in telling people to stop thinking of food as enjoyment. We live in a society where every social outing, every celebratory event, is focused around food. I’ve found it’s far better to teach people to eat and exercise in a manner that speeds metabolism, allowing you to enjoy a good amount of food, and even the less supportive food on occasion without consequence.

They also address the theory that people gain weight because they overeat, and they overeat because they feel as if the foods offer reward. In that vain, they suggest you find other ways to reward yourself. These include renting comedy videos, having coffee with a friend, singing, or taking a bath. Let’s get real. If you’re craving cheesecake, you can sit in the tub with the TV blasting a comedy video while you drink coffee and you’re still wanting that cheesecake!

Their appeal is vast, and their promise is legitimate. “Stick with your Daily Points and you will lose weight.” If, however, a diet is based on long term deprivation, calorie restriction, and inclusion for frequent sugar allowances, you can rest assured very few will “stick” with their Daily Points for the duration. This brings about that all too familiar self-blame, where people feel guilt for their perceived lack of willpower. The fact that the program is marketed as “easy” further stimulates self indictment when people inevitably “fall off.” Once your clients begin to understand precisely why calorie deprivation failed them in the long term, and come to appreciate the metabolic advantages you can offer them, they should open up to eating supportively. As a final note, Weight Watchers presently “sees” about 600,000 people per week! There’s a vast market out there, all failing, all blaming themselves, and all in desperate need of your help! If you begin by introducing Weight Watchers followers to supportive exercise, and then, a little at a time, provide education as to how they can modify their nutritional approach, given a bit of time you should win them over.

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