Max Wettstein Fitness Blog!

Preventing & Treating Skateboarding Injuries

2012-02-21T10:42:00.000-08:00

All athletes are prone to injury. Skateboarders are no different. The irony is, many times skaters do not think of themselves as athletes & the classic sense, yet are sometimes more at risk given the ‘extreme’ nature of what they do. Whether it is airing out of 10’ bowl or ollie-ing a staircase, the penalty for failure at the very least is impacting a very hard surface and coming to an abrupt halt, expressed by Newton’s law of Force = Mass x Acceleration, where the concrete always wins. Yet many skaters, (who tend to have youth & plenty of ego on their side), do not warm-up, stretch, wear protective equipment, or cross-train with other forms of exercise, in order to improve strength, joint-integrity & flexibility. No other elite athlete would train or compete with such personal neglect.

Most of us skate for fun and couldn't care less about competition or elite performance – this is true. However, no matter why you skate, getting injured SUCKS, especially if you can’t skateL

The intent here is not to sound preachy. Skateboarding has always been about non-conforming & expressing individuality, and is certainly not considered a mainstream or conventional sport (though this perspective seems to be rapidly changing in our society). In fact many of us came to love skateboarding because there are no coaches and no rules or because it was an outlet from ‘normal’ team sports. Indeed skating is as much an art form as it is a sport. This is not intended to be a political discussion, or about the obvious protective benefits of wearing helmets and pads – we wouldn’t waste your time!

This is about INCREASING longevity as skater: Taking care of your body & your joints so you can skate longer & pain-free. Injuries are inevitable if you skate long & hard enough, but you can take steps to prevent most of them, minimize their severity and recover more quickly. In fact, skating is an amazing full body, functional exercise, and a path to a fitter, healthier mind, body & soul.

What can you do? Much of it you know already, especially if you ever played other conventional sports. LISTEN to your body. Put in the time. Pay your dues, and your body will love you for it. Your joints, tendons & ligaments will be STRONG when you need them to:

1. Warm-up. Before you start shredding, do some light stretching (minimal discomfort), and go mellow your first few runs. If you have any chronic injuries or lingering issues, give them special attention with some massage, localized stretching and even wrap the area if possible. Again this is where you really must ‘listen’ to your body: What’s feeling tight or sore? Is there any lingering inflammation? Do you feel any knots that need to be worked out? Depending on your age & stage in the game, some will use foam-rollers, massage balls & other methods to ‘release’ knots & trigger-points, and loosen up fascia adhesions. Veteran athletes will all have old-injuries & scar tissue to deal with every time they skate from all the years they’ve been charging.

2. Wear Performance-Enhancing/Protective wraps & sleeves. This is different than pads. Wrapping a joint, muscle group, or inflamed area with compression-wear, a neoprene sleeve, ACE bandage, or whatever else you can come up with, will improve joint-integrity and muscle function. The additional support is actually comfortable, seems minimal but can make big difference. In fact the benefits of compression-wear go beyond protection but actually improve performance. You can invest in wraps & clothing at any Sport’s Authority store, or make your own. And you can wear them underneath your clothing so nobody has to know, if you so choose.

3. Weight/Resistance/Strength Train! Girls especially don’t like to hear this one. Some find exercise boring enough, let alone lifting weights when they are worried they might grow big muscles. YOU WON’T! Bar none, absolutely nothing improves joint integrity, bone-density, ligament & tendon strength, like weight-training. While weight-lifting is the most practical & convenient way to weight/strength train, it is by no means the only way. Running & biking hills, plyometric box-jumps, sprint-training, are all examples of ways to improve your strength & build muscle. You will not get BIG! You have to lift very heavy loads & eat a lot of extra calories to gain mass. You don’t have to join an expensive gym. Home-training can be as simple as buying one 25 lb Kettlebell & a Resistance-band! In the video below, Skater & Athlete Bryce Wettstein, demonstrates a series of full-body strength & cardio training exercises, for all board-sports athletes:

4. Cross-Train with other exercises and/or sports. Skating is so fun that most of us want to skate all day every day, especially if we have school or a day job taking most of our time. That’s great, and it’s also how you progressJ but it’s also how chronic, over-use injuries can creep in and debilitate us with inflammation & tendonitis-type of flare ups. Doing the same sport or movements all the time can also result in some muscle groups being over-developed or stressed, while other antagonist muscles lack or atrophy. Taking a rest day or days is sometimes the only way to recover & heal chronic injuries, but nobody wants to just sit around inactive and why should you? Cross-training with other sports and exercises keeps you active & maintains overall fitness, while emphasizing other muscle groups & different movements. It can also give you a nice mental break, so when you come back to skateboarding you appreciate it that much more.

5. Consider Your Diet. No we’re not talking about weight-loss here or faddish skinny-bitch diets. We’re talking about how you properly fuel your body for performance, recovery and inflammation-control. What you eat directly plays a role & how you shred. Proper diet-analysis would require a separate article for sure, but you can start in the right direction by applying this simple but key philosophy: What you eat is fuel for performance & recovery: Is it helping or hurting your body? Always be aware & give every food choice an extra moment of consideration. Water is your life force & soda is your enemy. Excessive sugar & refined foods promote inflammation and cause spikes in blood-sugar & energy, while whole-foods and natural fruits & veggies & nuts are anti-inflammatory & alkalizing, and provide long-term, sustained energy. Healthy & FRESH oils such as olive, flax & cold-water fish, absolutely CRUSH inflammation head-on. So do raw nuts & nut-butters.

6. Apply the R.I.C.E. protocol to injuries both acute and chronic. Remember SOME muscle-soreness post-workout is actually good as it stimulates recovery & repair and tissue to grow stronger. Know the difference between normal post-workout SORENESS and INJURY. If it’s not getting any better, consider professional medical evaluation treatment. Skaters are as tough as they come. Many don’t have any insurance. There’s a lot you can do to help your own recovery for sure, but when in doubt, go get a professional evaluation, X-ray, MRI, etc. if possible. For most injuries, home therapy protocol hasn’t changed in years if not decades. At first especially in the acute stage, ICE! 20 minutes of ice-pack or ice-bath (even better), at least 3 times a day to reduce swelling & inflammation. Compression, meaning wrap the area with an ACE bandage to further reduce inflammation & to support the area. Elevation, allows more fluid to drain out of the area to reduce swelling & inflammation. (The R is for rest.) Inflammation & pain can also be further treated with OTC Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, (NSAIDs), such as Ibuprofen as directed by the bottle. After 48 hours post-injury, 20 mins of ice/cold can be alternated with 20 minutes of heat, to promote circulation. After all swelling and pain is gone, rehab can usually begin to prevent scar tissue from forming. Massage, foam-rollers, therapeutic exercise, etc. Consult a professional to be sure!

7. Consider a Multi-vitamin Supplement. Taken daily as part of your health & recovery regimen. Vitamins & supplements can be costly, but if you’re not always eating right then taking one quality multi-vitamin from a reputable brand, daily, can go a long way. Skaters & athletes demand more from our bodies than the average human. Nutrient-dense foods and strategic supplements can combine to give us the extra performance edge we require. One more reason to skate outdoors when possible: Produce FREE vitamin-D from natural sunlight while improving your mood! Vitamin-C is still one of the most critical vitamins of all, and is water-soluble so it is non-toxic. There are incredible JOINT-BLEND supplements available now that are actually proven to re-grow cartilage & nurture joints & soft-tissue such as ligaments & tendons, that contain ingredients such as Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM, Hyaluronic-Acid & Tumeric – all of which are very difficult to obtain in ideal amounts & proper ratios from food alone.

Physique Star Radio: (2/16/12): Fitness Model Max Wettstein! Plus: Dr. Connelly gets in depth on Creatine!

2012-02-17T12:57:00.000-08:00

My latest interview on fitness-modeling as a guest on Physique Star Radio
Physique Star Radio: (2/16/12): Fitness Model Max Wettstein! Plus: Dr. Connelly gets in depth on Creatine!

Surviving a Fitness Infomercial (As the Talent!)

2012-02-15T11:01:00.000-08:00

Congratulations! You’ve booked an infomercial…one of the most publicized and well-paying fitness modeling jobs you can land to include national TV exposure and possibly your gateway to hosting and other promotional gigs! While a national magazine cover is about the best you can hope for in print media for prestige and exposure, it is still can’t touch the exposure or showcase your physique like film or TV can, and the pay doesn’t even come close to that of an infomercial. In fact as many of you may have encountered by now a magazine cover may only pay $300! You’ve worked hard for this moment: training, dieting, networking, auditioning against colleagues at the top of their game, and now finally you’ve booked it! It is time to enjoy the reward for all your efforts!

So what then do I mean when I say “SURVIVE” a fitness-infomercial?? I just want to give you a heads-up on what booking an infomercial can encompass: Basically you need to have the entire day blocked out and be prepared for anything and everything the producers want, ESPECIALLY, if you did not book the job through an agency who will negotiate for your rate and limitations, for a fee of 20% of course. So good on you if you were able to get booked without an agency, but now you’re on your own – you need to know what to expect!

On set with Hoist Fitness Systems where I shot video of about 200 exercises this day with actual weight

‘Day-rate’ does mean (all) DAY long – officially for a non-union infomercial ‘day-rate’ means you are booked for TEN HOURS. If you go longer than 10 hours, you are entitled to ask for pro-rated overtime. This is where an agency can really come to bat for you, because as you smile while cordially saying your goodbyes on set (exhausted at midnight), without having to address money issues, your agent is handling your invoice on your behalf. However, in the fitness industry many production companies prefer booking the model directly and blatantly dislike working thru agencies. This is something to consider: An agency will always professionally negotiate the highest rate possible for you and they are well informed of the industry standards, however, many casting directors avoid agencies altogether. It can be really uncomfortable trying to negotiate your own rate especially if you don’t know what the other models are quoting. Also, depending on whether you are booked as an exercise model, lifestyle model, have a speaking role, or are a host, these rates can vary significantly. Do you know what ‘buy-out’ means? How about ‘residuals’ or other media use? Do you understand the ‘talent-release’ you will be required to sign? A licensed agency takes care of all these details and it can be nice knowing you have a trusted expert looking out for your best interest, (for their fee of 15 to 25%).

On set the Photographer is KING, or on a bigger production, the DIRECTOR is GOD. YOU, the Talent, are just a pion!

Like many other colleagues of mine I use all the tools at my disposal, in a professional and ethical manner: I have agencies and an assistant who look out for me in different states in counties, and also rely on my own networking to book jobs. Ethics are important: Whoever submits you for a job first is the one who should get credit for it and get their percentage. And legally, you can only have one entity representing you within each county. It is ultimately your reputation that is on the line so be honest and fair, and if somebody refers you, thank them! If you’re greedy or arrogant you’ll negotiate yourself right out of a booking. Research standard day rates and stay within the ball-park ($600-$1200 is the average range for ‘day-rate’ for non-union, non-speaking fitness models for infomercials.) Keep in mind that you getting national TV exposure for a reputable exercise product can be ‘priceless’. (This same philosophy applies with a magazine cover appearance.)

Sometimes the snacks provided by CRAFT services aren't exactly healthy, but sometimes on a grueling production you just need ENERGY & carbs! Lunch is typically catered & gourmet! On set with Lacie Weddle taking a snack break!

So you have your rate negotiated and you are all set for your 10 hour day on location or in the studio in Los Angeles. There is a entire checklist you need to consider the day prior and I won’t go thru them all, but here are a few important considerations: It all starts with the ‘Call Sheet’. This has all of the critical information to include: location, directions, call-time, wardrobe, and contact info of all the major players for the shoot. Get your directions printed to back up your GPS and plan for rush-hour traffic delays commuting to Los Angeles. More considerations: Are you tan and shaved? If your tan is airbrushed is it going to come off when you sweat? Do you need to carbo-load, or sodium-deplete? Do you need to ‘dry-out’? What wardrobe have you been asked to bring? No matter what the stylist provides ALWAYS bring swimsuits and fitness clothing that fit your body best as a back up – especially you girls. On that note, occasionally some low-budget productions provide NO make-up or stylist, so bring your own skin and hair products too. What kind of work-out should you do the day prior? This is a huge decision actually: Do NOT show up sore, depleted, and fatigued to ANY fitness shoot, especially an infomercial! Most likely you will be doing some form of exercising throughout the day. Just flexing and posing alone over a 10 hour period can be very demanding. As a guy we are fortunate to be able to carbo-load prior to our shoots to fill out our glycogen stores causing our muscles to volumize nicely and provide us good energy at the same time! Some girls are able to do this while other female models I know are so concerned with bloating that they do not eat the night before or the morning of and they end up struggling on set and trying to get thru the day with energy drinks and caffeine which can lead to cramping, spasms, bonking and mood-swings. Personally, I just recommend cardio the day prior for a good sweat and some practice posing to tone the muscles and really assess my conditioning. Pack a cooler of your specialty, must-have foods and supplements. Trust me: You never know what CRAFT services will provide on set, but usually it is junk food or laden with sodium. Remember, you don’t want to eat anything strange on shoot-day, so bring foods you know work well for you and do not cause bloating.

When the catered lunch rolls in, everybody on set breaks and eats. Are you going to eat the 4-course meal being served or remain disciplined? Seriously consider if it will have a negative impact on your physique or energy levels. Bloating and food-induced coma can be bad. Personally I like cinnamon rice cakes with all-natural peanut butter and honey and dark chocolate on fitness shoots, especially if there is a lot of exercise required. Careful if you have been using any diuretics or drinking a lot of coffee, because you can set yourself up for cramping or spasms on set – I have seen this happen to others and this is not professional! Nobody likes a whiny model who is supposed to be FIT, and NEVER be the one to make the camera stop rolling. Potassium is a good electrolyte to replace your depleted sodium levels via banana, prunes, or supplement form.

Multiple takes should be expected. A dozen PAs will be staring at your every move on set, eager to point out any mistake. They have nothing better to do except fetch coffee & bagels.

So you now you’ve made it to the set location on time and are fully prepared for a long, but fun day. You’re excited and you walk into a huge, fancy set in an amazing studio with cameras and lights and Grips and Macs everywhere – and nobody seems to notice you. You’ve just made your grand entrance and everybody is so busy that they barely even say good morning to you…don’t they know who you are?! This is normal and do not take it personally. Not only is everybody very busy, but chances are they are already behind schedule and the stress levels are rising fast! Setting up the lighting alone is a major under taking. Just find the make-up artist and wardrobe first, as they will dial you in and point you in the right direction. There are so many people involved on a major infomercial production including the producers, directors, cameras, editors, lighting, sound, set design, stylists, wardrobe, product-client, talent, craft services, studio-owners, etc. Such extravagant productions are great opportunities to meet interesting industry people and network, so bring plenty of comp cards to hand out. In fact you may show up on time, (which is definitely being noticed by somebody), and then end up waiting around for hours before you even get seen by make-up. During this time you can politely explore the set and slowly get to meet everybody. But just in case, have something to do – most studios have wireless broad band now and it is totally okay to bring your own laptop. I even bring my own camera along to snap some fun behind the scenes shots. Just ask first and you may need to disable your flash so you don’t trigger any lighting devices.

So back to the concept behind a ‘DAY’ booking: Remember once your there the clock starts on your ten hour day, but, you are now their hired talent. You are their employee and be prepared and happy to do whatever they ask of you, whether you are sitting around feeling forgotten about, or standing in for lighting set up, or doing your 20^th set of push-ups while smiling. This is no time to be a ‘prima Donna’ or have ego issues, or ask for a Starbucks run. Again, nobody likes a whiner…ever. Always smile and offer to help and before you know it, you will become one of the client’s go-to, trusted models. It is nice to have a heads-up about when and what you will be shooting, and a good point of contact is the stylist and wardrobe folks – make friends with them early. They probably already have a shot-list you can peek at. You can also find a PA to give you key insight. You’re better off just taking off your watch and stop looking at the clock. Forget about time for the day and just enjoy yourself – you are a star!

Finally it is your time to shine in front of the camera, center stage on set. Whatever it is they have you doing, the important thing is to realize that this is your moment – your chance – in the spot light, literally. This will be on national TV: Time to do what you do best! ALWAYS smile and project good energy. You can never have too much energy…ever. And if you do get a little hyper they’d rather rein you in a bit than keep asking you to step it up. If the director asks you to adlib or get creative, you’d better have some poses ready to go that work best for your physique and have a solid knowledge exercises and muscle-anatomy. If a director ever needs to talk you thru poses or expressions, than you need more practice at home in front of the mirror. Don’t just stand there like a robot. When he says “action”, perform non-stop until your hear “cut”. Never stop until you hear cut, ever. Sometimes the stress levels build when it gets late and time is crunched. The crew can get grumpy and of course don’t mean anything personal with off the cuff remarks. The director, whether he is behind the monitor or behind the camera, is the boss. I almost dare say the director is God-like while on set. Just do what he asks and don’t take anything personally. He has to be direct in his communication after all! Which means you should also know your place as the talent, and not attempt to direct the shot. If the director wants any input from you he will ask you for it. Seriously, not to sound militant, but really while in front of the camera you should be completely silent and simply follow directions with great attention to detail, unless spoken too. You will know when it is okay to be more proactive and helpful with suggestions but you need to build up a certain level of trust first. Even the product client goes thru the director on set. It should be your goal to connect with the director and make him love you, especially if you want to be booked again and again – it is small world in fitness. Put aside any aches, fatigue or personal issues and overwhelm the entire set with positive energy and a spectacular performance. If you’re just there for a paycheck, you are not really an artist displaying your talent and should find another line of work.

Even more co-directors, co-producers & grips will be checking you out on the monitors. Everybody is watching your every move AND noticing your attitude & energy level. Never stop sucking in your gut!

That is what your release says and what your title is on set: ‘Talent’. Fitness and your physique is your artistic craft and in front of the camera is where you unveil your hard work. Take pride in yourself and maintain the highest level of professionalism all day long - except nothing less from yourself. You are being paid to not only look good, but also to perform well too. What is your level of physical conditioning? Be FIT: Be prepared to shoot a 10 hour day, get 4 hours of sleep, and come back and do it again with another 7 AM call-time. In my mind I’m not just a fitness-talent, I’m a well-conditioned athlete and nobody is going to outlast me on set, or we’ll at least have fun trying! If you do not love fitness and exercising, perhaps you should reconsider your chosen area of talent. Soap Operas might be a better place for youJ

Lastly, when the production is done, say your “thank-yous” and goodbyes, pass out your comp cards, collect their business cards, and then when you get home, send another ‘thank-you’ note via email. Also, if you booked the job directly, you will need to officially invoice the production company based on the agreed rate. You will also need to fill out a W-9 for tax purposes. They will have 30 days to pay upon receipt of your invoice. If they don’t pay, without an agency you are on your own! (My agency once went to small-claims court on my behalf to get us paid!) This should go without saying, but if it is your agency that is not paying you, (within 60 days), fire them! Network with the other talent as they can be a great referral source – again the fitness industry is not that big. If you bumping egos with the other talent on set, something is wrong…is it you?? The production company is in no way obligated to supply you with tear-sheets or any other media with your image, or even tell you when or where the infomercial will air. However if you were professional and likeable and you politely keep in touch, then they will be more likely to share this information with you or send you any images, candid or commercial, not to mention book you again or even refer you!

But ENJOY your moment in the spotlight! If you show up prepared, remain professional & do the job you were booked to do, by the end of the 12 hour day you will be a true STAR and might get direct-booked next time!

How I Landed My First Cover: 'Men's Fitness' Magazine April 2004 Issue

2012-02-07T09:49:00.000-08:00

My very fist cover-try resulted in landing the cover of the April 2004 domestic issue of Men’s Fitness magazine. I guess I didn’t realize it at the time, but that was kind of unique & remarkable, especially now that Men’s Fitness typically only puts celebrities on their covers. More commonly, fitness models tend to work their way up to landing a national fitness-magazine cover by appearing on several e-magazine or catalog covers first before they’re even considered for a national magazine cover-try. Yet there I was, inexperienced and naïve somehow landing Men’s Fitness as my first cover! Was it because I was a genetic Adonis? Was I simply lucky? Was it because I was persistent & a proactive self-promoter? The answer to all these questions was NO! Obviously I had the ‘look’ necessary to appear on a fit-mag cover, but so did several thousand other guys. So what set me apart from all of them?

'Men's Fitness' Magazine (Domestic) April 2004 Issue with Max on the cover shot in a studio in mid-town Manhattan

Early 2004 was a time before the mainstream acceptance of social media tools such as Facebook for digital media, e-networking & promoting, before I had my own website and even before the i-phone! It was during a time, when you actually maintained a hard copy portfolio that you had to carry to castings along with a solid comp-card, and a time, at least from my experience, when having good agency representation meant EVERYTHING.

In fact, when I was sent for sent for my cover-casting at the Men’s Fitness mag headquarters in uptown Manhattan back in January of 2004, arranged solely by my agent, not only was I a new-hire pilot at JetBlue Airways, but my wife had just given birth to our first child 2 weeks earlier. So the last thing I had time to do, was to promote my self by submitting any media or networking in any capacity. Heck I didn’t even know how too! This goes against the proactive, do-it-yourself strategy that is taught in Clark Bartram’s book, ‘You Too Can be a Fitness Model’ (which I did not own until 2007) and that most Fitness Models employ today. Just look on Facebook on any given day, and everybody is marketing & self-promoting, posting their latest self-snapshot flexing in the mirror, while simultaneously twittering, blogging & vlogging!

To be clear social media is effective, FREE and here to stay, and I’ve personally booked many gigs via Facebook & YouTube. I am fan of exploiting social media! But if you truly view yourself as an elite, professional model & talent who is worthy of the BEST gigs, then NOTHING beats having solid agency representation even to this day. In fact in hindsight I can clearly state that without the reputable agent I had back in 2004 (and still work with to this day), not only would I NOT have landed my initial covers with Men’s Fitness & subsequent Men’s Health magazines, but I would not have even gotten inside their front doors to meet them! Why do I say this? Because this agent had already built up a 10 year relationship of trust with these magazines before I even came on the scene. And when my agent believed in me, thereby endorsing me, consequently all his clients were willing to meet me. And while my agent was doing all this networking and promoting on my behalf I was able to focus on my new family & new airline career while still making inroads into premier magazine circles. Even now, while social networking is fun and can be lucrative too, knowing that I still have a reputable, credible agent always looking out for my best interest working for me, allows me to focus my priorities on other areas, whether it be family, flying, coaching or training.

So back to my first cover-try with Men’s Fitness magazine; it was surprisingly low-key and anti-climatic. After the cover-casting interview at their headquarters I received a call from my agent in NY saying congratulations on booking my first coverJ The cover-shoot was set for 2 weeks later but I was sort of in disbelief about a how quick & easy it all seemed to be falling into place. I flew to NY (on JetBlue) where they put me up in a very nice hotel in mid-town Manhattan near the studio. At that point reality started to set in and I started to feel very VIP – almost rock star! The next morning I arrived at my call time to an amazing studio to find out some unexpected, grounding news: There was another model there too also shooting for the cover and the shoot technically became a ‘cover-TRY’ instead of a definite cover. The plan was to shoot both of us and see what image worked best and that there was a chance they might run both covers. I wouldn’t find out until 2 months later that I had indeed got my first cover until when walking through the airport terminal on my way to the jet, I saw my cheesy mug on the magazine stand. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t super stoked! I went and immediately bought 2 copies and departed on my airline trip, not sharing the news with my copilot or any of the passengers. I didn’t want to feel weird bragging. There was no Facebook yet to post it on either. However for the next month every magazine stand I passed, there was my mug staring back at me, and I could feel proud about that. I didn’t need social media because the mag was avail everywhere! I still find it ironic that not only was I unaware of that cover until I saw it on display, but I only ever owned 2 issues which I had to buy them myself at full retail price! That cover paid me $500, and since it was my first I thought that was absurdly low and demanded to know why it didn’t pay more from my agent. Little did I know, it was actually a GOOD rate for a fitness mag cover, and how many other models actually get paid zero to be on a magazine cover, or some will even pay the photographer out of their own pocket they’re so desperate!

That Men’s Fitness cover and my worthy agent went on to open up many doors for me, including my amazing relationship with Men’s Health magazine that still continues to this day. In fact I’m still on stands right now, appearing in at least 4 books published by either Men’s Health or Rodale. Because of this and in hindsight after over ten years of modeling I think it is only fitting to share with you the name of the agent who first ‘discovered’ me and first truly believed in me. Many of you already know his name: Mike Lyons, originally with The Lyons’ Group, and now on board with Silver Models, still based in NYC. Thank you for everything Mike!

Mike & I still work together occasionally via Silver Models NY but my main agency is Sports Unlimited based out here in Los Angeles. And no matter how much posting I do on Facebook or how many videos I produce on YouTube, Karen of Sports Unlimited still gets me the biggest & best jobs & negotiates the highest rate of pay, and then makes sure I get paid! Sure there are many models out there who have not only independently arranged their own covers, but whom have even shot their own cover! But I have a full-time airline career and a family, so it serves me better to have a diligent, reputable agent making things happen on my behalf. I’ve come full circle and I no longer take my agent or agency for granted! And nobody is paying me to say this – I’m simply trying to pass along some honest advice to you after 10 years in this business.

So…who is looking out for your best interest? Who’s negotiating your rate of pay, and making sure you get paid? Or are you still paying scamming photographers? How are all those Facebook posts working out for you? Consider building a relationship with a reputable, credible agent!

PS: Just had to mention that over 25 covers later, my latest one was published in DEC of 2011...over 7 years later! Still having fun with it too!

I Sk8

2012-02-01T12:10:00.000-08:00

What? A grown-man and father...an airline Captain who skateboards? A bit juvenile you say? Not around these parts. Not around SoCal, especially Encinitas California, perhaps known as the epicenter of vert & transition skating. Did I mention my neighbors are Tony Hawk, Andy Macdonald & Cara-Beth Burnside? Did I mention the 2003 X-Games half-pipe sk8 event was held 5 minutes from my house, the same park where Shaun White learned how to skate? My daughter goes to school with Mike McGill's daughter. My CPA neighbor gets his mail everyday, barefoot on his skateboard. When we're not surfing (or working), we're skating. Did I mention we built a wooden skate-bowl in our backyard? Yeah, I have a really cool wife, and she skates too. Skateboarding is pretty much a family affair and a way of life around here. It certainly doesn't soley define us and we're not that good, but its become a passion that bonds our family together. Actually I should speak for my self - my daughter is that good, considering her age, and I am her coach. In fact she is ranked top 12 in the world in women's bowl-skating. But enough about her...

...Why am I so ADDICTED to skating?...and yes I meant addicted: Skating is FUN and it is full-body, functional fitness that involves the 'FLOW' psychological factor, meaning it keeps one completely immersed in the 'present moment' as it challenges just enough to heighten one's awareness & focus while still preserving fun-factor and triggering a massive surge of reward neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine is the same neurotransmitter released when one indulges in chocolate or to be more explicit & literal, when cocaine is snorted, which triggers an instant flood of dopamine...lasting for about 30 minutes.

Skating is a direct land-based crossover from its ocean-based cousin, surfing...where skateboarding first got it's inception. I surf too (Encinitas also has amazing surf), but surfing takes a lot more effort & patience to score, when you factor in swell, wind, tide, moon-phase, crowds, equipment etc. Surfers who sk8 often will exclaim right before they drop into a concrete bowl, that "It's always 6 feet & glassy with no crowd!" - a bit cliche but very true nonetheless. And skating a concrete pool or bowl, truly is an endless land-based, metaphorical wave: You literally can pump and carve until your legs are on fire with lactic-acid accumulation, (Did I mention it is functonal-fitness?!) But even on flat-land, skating will make you a better surfer without a doubt and skating is so accessible: you don't even need an ocean...just some hardscape!

Carving at the local YMCA Encinitas Sk8park where we sk8 with many legends daily.

I grew up playing all conventional sports but rode my first skateboard sometime in 1978 and it was all plastic and we never wore helmets or any pads as we bombed hills. In 1985 I bought a Vision 'Gator' Ragoswki pro-model with Tracker Trucks and that was the first board I ever road transition & ramps with. While attending college in the late 80s I was on the varsity track team for pole vault, club-wrestling & flag-football but I still had my trusy Vision skateboard even though skateboarding was slowly fading out. I still have that board today, hanging in my garage. In the 90s when skateboarding allegedly 'died' for a decade or so, I still skated but I was also in the Navy and skating on base as an officer was seriously frowned upon, so I mostly surfed and played beach volleyball during those glory days. But in '95 I bought my first longboard made by Gravity while stationed in Norfolk, VA and I used to carve & pump the boardwalks along Virginia Beach while my wife Donna roller-bladed. The surf was decent at VA Beach and so was the flying as a Naval Aviator. Life was good, and yes I still have that longboard today!

Above photo by RayRaePix.com shot at Venice Beach, CA 2011

In 2005 I was out of the Navy and flying for JetBlue Airways and that's when I rented a historical skate documentary by Stacey Peralta and narrated by Sean Penn titled 'Dogtown and Z-Boys'. I was so moved by it and so inspired that the next day I went to my local Encinitas sk8shop, McGill's, and bought a new skateboard, a proper bowl set-up, put together for me by none other than Mike McGill him self. I hadn't ridden transition or a ramp in almost 20 years an had no idea what to ride at the time and he graciously helped me build a board that made sense for me. It was the first time I had ever met Mike and I won't forget his humble kindness that day as I was totally clueless and a sk8-KOOK in every sense of the word! Within 6 months I had built two quarterpipes in my backyard and placed them on a slab to make a ghetto mini-ramp. Within a year I had Jim Bell from Aura over to build a proper mini-ramp - Mike McGill had recommended him as we discussed how to build ramps while our daughters were in swim lessons together at the local YMCA. Jim had built Mike's backyard ramp.

My slice of backyard paradise: The Iguana Bowl, Encinitas

In 2009 I brought Jim Bell back on board to transform the Iguana mini-ramp into the Iguana BOWL (did I mention how cool my wife is?!). The Iguana Bowl is my backyard paradise. It's a labor of love, kind of like a boat or a giant tree-house, and when we skate it, I truly feel like I'm living the dream...The SoCal dream. It's also the primary training ground for my daughter Bryce, and host-venue to many epic sessions with friends and awesome crews like Silly Girl Design, Original Betty and Girls Riders Org.

The Iguana Bowl, Encinitas California built by Jim Bell of Aura. Photo by Z-Studios

with Silly Girl Design co-founder & co-owner Matt Gaudio & friend Mike Ross. Silly deck.

with my daughter Bryce at her contest. Not only am I her coach but we're also sk8 buddies:) Photo by Z-Studios

So using my own random history of skateboarding, I can truly say that it is never too late to get back into it or to even start skating! And it is a great way to spend quality active time with your kids! Doesn't matter if you skated all the way through the nineties & air 5 feet out above coping, simply street-carve, or if you took a hiatus to go serve on board the USS Carl Vinson: skateboarding welcomes all types, from all walks of life on all different shapes of boards & urethane durometer!

Holistic Health 101: 12 Holistic Health Tips

2012-01-21T12:12:00.000-08:00

Holistic does not imply religion. It simply means treating your body as a whole physical, spiritual, psychological entity and approaching your health from all these aspects with equal attention and nurturing. I certainly did not invent the holistic ideology, but my family & I have been making an effort to incorporate holistic concepts into our lifestyle and we have noticed a positive difference, from less illness to how we manage stress! And it turns out that a holistic-health lifestyle will also promote longevity & ideal body composition – optimal leanness and therefore an aesthetically appealing physique!

I have compiled a short list of 12 things you can do daily to incorporate a holistic method into your life. Some will seem very simple & even common sense. In fact you may already be doing many of these little acts, but all combined they are powerful! This list is by no means all inclusive and this is not an exact science, but rather an ideology. Remember too, that this list spans all holistic-lifestyle aspects to include physical, psychological & spiritual. Feel free to add to this list and tailor it to your needs – it is a process of constant evolution and awareness for all of us. It’s a journey.

In no particular order:

Brush your teeth, gums & tongue and floss daily. Mouth bacteria enters directly into the bloodstream when you have gum disease. Flossing disrupts bacteria colonies.
Supplement with probiotic bacteria (healthy bacteria) to support colon health and help fight against yeast-overrun & colon-based pathogens. Natural yogurts & cottage-cheeses & Kombucha tea will also contain live cultures of beneficial bacteria. Pathogens & disease can also enter through an unhealthy ‘leaky’ colon if ‘good’ bacteria are not thriving & regular bowel movements aren’t occurring.
Alkalanize/Alkalize daily with GREEN & RAW veggies & nuts and chlorophyll-containing drinks throughout the day. The goal here is to consume foods with base-pH or greater than 7.0 pH to offset all the acid-forming, refined foods & animal-based foods we eat. As a general rule of thumb, if it is GREEN or plant-based then it is alkaline and raw is usually best. There are many fantastic supplement greens’ powders out there for those on the go! I also drink a morning alkalizing drink first thing on an empty stomach!
Eat multiple Super-Foods daily. By ‘super’ I mean foods that possess powerful healing, energizing or cancer-fighting power. Foods such as olive oil, garlic, honey, lemon, Green-Tea, coconut, eggs, apples, raw nuts, wild cold-water fish and many more. See my complete list of 20 Super-Foods! Feel free to supplement with extracts from these super-foods or other vitamins & supplements as needed! We’re not perfect eaters and never will be!
Cleanse & detox daily. This is very simple: Eat clean, whole-foods, organic when possible, plenty of raw fruits & green veggies and drink pure water! Our bodies do a thorough job of detoxing on their own via our liver, lymphatic, sweat glands, lungs, mucus, kidneys & colon, etc. All we have to do is provide toxin-free foods and water, perhaps along with some teas & herbs. Our bodies will do the rest! Here is a list of 12 easy ways to help daily detox!
Exercise or be ACTIVE every day! At least 20 minutes of moderate-to-high intensity exercise daily to focus mainly on cardio fitness but also to include strength training at least 2 days per week to prevent natural atrophy, protect bone-density and boost resting-metabolism. The benefits of consistent exercise are literally equivalent to the fountain-of-youth and are too many to list. Plus, it is proven that exercise is the only anti-thesis to combat a sedentary lifestyle. Sedentary lifestyle contributes to early-death, insulin-resistance and slow-metabolism. Plus exercise triggers dopamine & Growth Hormone! When possible try and exercise OUTDOORS for cleaner air and exposure to sunlight which boosts serotonin (the pleasure-neurotransmitter), vitamin-D and helps us sleep better at night by establishing better Circadian Rhythm.
Be productive & creative every day. It makes us feel good to be productive, contribute and be creative. It gives us a chance to express our selves and totally engage mentally in the precious present moment. Creating gets the reward-neurotransmitter dopamine firing and anytime we can do that naturally, THAT is health & happiness at its most organic!
Build & nurture social relationships within your life. Facebook & Twitter don’t really count! Skype might! Spending quality time with family & friends does. Whether it’s a club or a team or just hanging out, it is human nature to nurture relationships with others – the forum doesn’t matter. Try to work in some hugs too – hugs heal! Love is all-powerful & healing. Nurturing your libido is good too. Do not under estimate the healing effects of bonding with a pet. Having an animal companion can add years to your life! Karma cannot be ignored either: Part of the holistic ideology is cause and effect. We reap what we sow.
There is a ‘higher-power’. ‘Holistic’ does not evoke religion but it does require spirituality and belief in an infinite-power or higher-intelligence, or whatever you desire to call it. At least acknowledging that the universe is much greater than us and that we are accountable to & humbled by it and all there is an infinite amount available to learn and incredible energy that surrounds us. When one brings children into this world there is incredible love experienced and a spiritual awakening occurs. Again karma exists in holistic ideology.
Quality sleep is absolutely essential. Sleep is the basis for holistic health. I don’t believe there is an exact quantity that is requisite for everyone, but what sleep you do get needs to be uninterrupted & quality. Deep-Sleep Phase is when we humans get our greatest Growth Hormone secretion, which heals, restores and makes us LEAN. Obviously in the real world, our sleep window is compressed and interrupted, but that’s why we all can benefit from learning the art of the power-nap and being able to sneak one in whenever possible! Seriously, if you’re chronically sleep-deprived EVERYTHING else in your life & health is suffering too. Trust me on this one.
Manage STRESS effectively. In the real world there will always be stress. Some stress actually improves our performance and is beneficial. But chronic stress will lead to premature death. There are many ‘tools’ out there to help us deal & vent, so find what works for you: Exercise, relaxation breathing, massage, a friend who is a good listener, a glass of wine & a hot-shower, making priority lists, delegating, whatever works for you. Or how about simply 'unplugging'? It’s okay to ask for help!
We’re responsible for our own happiness. Lower your expectations of others and raise them for your self. You’ll be less disappointed. We all have our problems and we can blame all we want, but at the end of the day, nobody is responsible for making you happy but you. If you don’t want to be victimized than choose not to be a victim. I realize it is not always this simple or easy, but examine the relationships you’re in and be prepared to make significant changes if somebody is holding you back, has nothing positive to offer or is unwilling to compromise.

Learn Something From Your Kids: Get Outside & PLAY!

2012-01-12T11:52:00.000-08:00

...Learn how to be active and PLAY again! Learn how to get out of your chair, get off the sidelines and truly move your body for sport and FUN again. Get out there and join your kids and get more involved at their level. What's the alternative?...Continue to stiffen up, atrophy and LOSE what you're not using. Bond with your kids. Maybe its a bit much to ask you to actually play their respective sport with them, so how about getting more involved by coaching or assisting their practices? Or helping them build a tree house or a BMX track in the backyard? Teach them how to plant a garden or do yard work together - chores rock! What's that?...You bond with your children by playing VIDEO GAMES??

Are you kidding me right now?! Shame on you! We don't own that crap - never have and never will. Video games are actually a factor in elevated childhood obesity rates. If you consider Wii exercise, you seriously need to re-evaluate the sendentary lifestyle that is penetrating your home. Think about it - you sit all day at the office and your children spend a lot of their day sitting at school. Studies show that longterm, chronic sitting basically shortens your lifespan. What about indoor pollutants? Seriously get outside and go for a hike or a bike ride.
It's no secret that lately I've become obsessed with coaching my daughter in surfing, skateboarding & volleyball and that we've had not only major fun, but she has inspired me to actually focus on my health & longevity so I can live longer, and continue to participate in these activities with her for years to come. I mean, coaching is only so fun - I want to be shredding on my board too! Now get out there and be a kid again!

All this play time has paid off too. My daughter is now a world-ranked & sponsored athlete at age 8 in both surfing & skateboarding, and, she loves to exercise & train with me! World Class ATHLETE Bryce Wettstein!

Beach Lifestyle: Inherently Healthy:)

2012-01-06T10:59:00.000-08:00

Taking a break this week from PURELY FITNESS...

I owe the beach a lot. My family & I have built a lifestyle around it and it is a part of who we are, whether we're surfing, looking for shells, enjoying a sunset, tossing a frisbee or bumping the volleyball. The waves we surf in the ocean inspire us when we 'surf' on land. The beach is inherently holistic-healthy and is Mother Nature at her finest. And now my daughter Bryce & I have formed a very special bond as I coach her in surfing - she now loves the beach and ocean experience - where the dolphins play among us! Enjoy these photos that really share a lot about my love of the ocean, my life & my fitness-style:)

Out for 2012: FAD Diets. IN for 2012: HEALTHY Eating!

2012-01-02T10:37:00.000-08:00

     Welcome to 2012 and if you made a resolution for this new year, all the best to sticking with it! The good folks often ask me about the latest brand-'X' diet they're thinking about trying - Atkins, Zone, Paleo, SouthBeach, BiggestLoser, etc - and I wonder what new, trendy diet 2012 will bring. While many have had lasting weight-loss success with these commercial, mass-marketed diets, hopefully what they also end up taking away is how to simply eat HEALTHY and make independent smart food choices. Once you discover the concept of healthy eating and to think for your self, you realize that it becomes a lifestyle and that becoming leaner & healthier is not an exact science or one-size-fits-all plan.

     Learning to eat HEALTHY is an ever-evolving journey. No single person or 'diet' can possibly have all the answers or 'secrets' as there is nearly an infinite amount of food choices on our planet. More than likely somebody is selling you a diet and trying to capitalize on the weight-loss market. Instead of always seeking out the next gimmicky, trendy diet use your resources to educate your self. When eating healthy becomes your lifestyle it is enjoyable and not rigid with extreme rules and forbidden foods. And perhaps most importantly, eating HEALTHY is not complicated. In fact using whatever nutritional knowledge base you have right now, simply applying an extra 10 seconds of consideration when making your next meal choice combined with a little discipline could be as effective as any store bought diet. After all you're probably not a caveman, a skinnybitch, a clinically-obese person, a type-2 diabetic, a Vegan, a Hollywood celebrity, a bodybuilder, or a nutritionist, so why follow some diet plan that is trying to categorize you into some tiny box? Nobody knows YOU like you, so educate your self and discover all the delicious & healthy whole-foods out there! Eating healthy should be simple and enjoyable! Any diet that claims you need to totally eliminate certain foods or entire food-groups should immediately raise a red flag.
     Lastly, be wary of all the extreme cleansing & detox plans out there. Our bodies do a fantastic job of detoxing on their own all day long, every day. All we have to do is provide clean, whole-foods, pure water, maybe some herbs & teas and our bodies will take care of the rest. Most of these so-called cleanses are really fasting, weight-loss efforts in disguise. Perhaps the most effective detox technique of all is high-intensity exercise that produces a good sweat, circulates the lymphatic & moves blood & oxygen, followed by pure water. Guess what?...its FREE too:)

Sitting: A Lethal Occupational Hazard

2011-12-22T11:55:00.000-08:00

I originally wrote this for my fellow pilots but it applies to all who have jobs where they sit excessively or who otherwise lead sedentary lifestyles:

Most of us of pilots are familiar with the most common health risks associated with long-term sitting such as back strain & pain, disc bulge & herniation, forward-head posture, blood pooling & clotting in our lower legs, constipation, hemorrhoids, and abdominal distention & bloating. But now a recent clinical study published by the American Cancer Society states that long-term sitting even contributes to early-death & colon cancer.

Their recently published study of 120,000 Americans between 1992 & 2006 specifically stated that men who (cumulatively) sit for more than 6 hours per day had a 20% higher overall death rate than those who sat for 3 hours or less per day. For women the overall death rate was 40% greater. Dr. Levine from the Mayo Clinic further adds that “excessive sitting is a lethal activity…of an independent pathology”, meaning that in and of itself the act of long-term sitting directly, negatively affects your health, regardless & independent of other lifestyle factors. The critical span of time seemed to be cumulatively sitting for 6 hours or more each day – which most of us pilots regularly do on a typical day of flying the line, especially if you factor in additional sitting while commuting to work.

These additional health risks of long-term sitting discovered by the American Cancer Society and the Mayo Clinic are more complicated than simply being sedentary & potential weight gain. Obviously our muscles become inactive and our metabolism immediately slows down, but it appears once we’re stagnant for several hours a cascade of harmful, metabolic effects sets off, largely driven by rapid onset of ‘insulin-resistance’, or the body’s inability to efficiently uptake glucose (blood-sugar) into the liver and muscles for energy, thus requiring more insulin secretion. This results in chronic, elevated insulin and sugar levels in the bloodstream, and turbo-charges internal, Omentum-fat. Insulin-resistance normally is a precursor to type-2 or Adult-Onset Diabetes, and is bio-marker for obesity, Metabolic-Syndrome and systemic inflammation. Long-term sitting also seems to shut down the enzymes responsible for breaking down lipids & triglycerides – for vacuuming up fat out of the bloodstream, and our leg muscles lose more than 75% of their ability to remove harmful lipo-proteins from the blood. Simply put a single day of flying the line, and our insulin-effectiveness drops by 40% or more. We become insulin-resistant and glucose inefficient.

So enough bad news, what can we do save our health? Plenty! And once you’re armed with education and awareness, half the battle is won: Stand up more in the flight deck. Fidget more – yes adjusting your seating position many times not only aides your lumbar spine and gets blood circulating, but it also seems to rev up your metabolism a notch, keeping it out of total hibernation. Take those lavatory breaks when they’re offered, every time. Modify your diet to go low-carbohydrate during your trips. At home you can resume your well-balanced, carb-abundant diet, but on the road, just assume you’re ‘insulin-resistant’ and stick to proteins, healthy fats and high-fiber complex carbs like vegetables. Whole-fruit is still welcome but absolutely no juices and if you must drink soda, make it ‘diet’. Lastly, exercise once you get to the layover hotel! As little as 30 minutes of intense of exercise, especially cardio, can potentially fire up your metabolism for up to 12 hours post-exercise! Take advantage of this before meeting the crew for happy-hour, and you will be literally adding years to your life!

For more travel fitness tips go to my full 'Travel Fitness' web page. I am the resident fitness advisor to over 2500 JetBlue Airways pilots.

Alcohol & it's Affect on Insulin & Dieting: Myths-BUSTED!

2011-12-16T12:31:00.000-08:00

**NOT medical advice**

All these diet & holiday NAZI folks are chiming in telling you alcohol is going to make you FAT. Guess what?? I'm here to tell you they're all full of CRAP!! Tis the season to be MERRY!!

I'm going to discuss how alcohol is absorbed and metabolized, and used for energy in the body, (and why it does not make you fat!) I’m going to dispel a few myths or common misbelieves, mostly pertaining to diet and weight loss, and our health. I have no intention to discuss the many adverse effects on one’s motor skills from an aviation aspect or otherwise, or get into BAC levels or any kind of legal or ethical discussion. I don’t want to bore you with such repetitiveness or present you with yet even more information bashing alcohol. In fact much to the contrary, this article will cast a positive light on including moderate amounts of alcohol in your diet. But this isn’t a result of me just presenting information from selective sources that you want to hear. This is based on a broad review of many studies and resources, with no spin on my part.

Myth: Alcohol makes you fatter. Excess calories make you fatter, period. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram and can be used as an energy source by the body just like carbs, protein, and fat can, (4, 4, and 9 calories per gram respectively). The only catch is that the body must burn the alcohol calories first, before it can move on to the other food you’ve eaten. However, don’t forget to consider your mixer, or how dark your beer is, as this will add carbs/sugars and additional calories to your alcoholic beverage. When you order that Margarita or Bloody Mary, you’re drinking a lot more than just alcohol.

Beverage Table	Serving Size in Ounces (Standard)	% Alcohol by Volume (About 10 to 15 grams)	Approx. Calories/Carbs
Wine	5 ounces	12.5 %	115 cals/4 g
Beer	12 ounces	4 to 5 %	130 cals/13 g
Liquor/Whiskey	1.5 ounce (shot glass)	40 % (80-proof)	75 cals/0 g

** Some of the calories accounted for in this chart for beer and wine are from the additional carbs/sugars they contain. This is a standard serving, but most of us usually drink more per serving. Darker beers and micro-brews are higher in calories, from both higher alcohol and carb content. Dry wine will have as little as 2 grams of sugar per serving**

Myth: Alcohol is really a form of sugar/digests into sugar/the body treats alcohol like sugar. Negative, negative, and negative. Alcohol is not sugar, nor a form of sugar, and does not digest/break down into sugar. Alcohol is alcohol! Therefore alcohol does not raise insulin levels. Simply described, once consumed alcohol absorbs through the stomach lining and small-intestine directly into your blood stream as alcohol – it does not digest at all. If food is consumed while drinking alcohol, its absorption rate will be slowed. Also remember, if your mixer contains sugar or other carbs, then an insulin release will occur. More on this later, but once in the blood stream alcohol is oxidized, (metabolized), by the liver into an energy source known as acetic acid for the body.

Myth: If you drink a lot of beer you will grow a beer belly. Again, false. There appears to be no correlation between beer consumption, or any type of alcohol for that matter, and a bulging belly. A ‘beer belly’ develops from a combination of excess calories, inactivity, and having a genetic predisposition to store fat around your midsection. Recent studies suggest chronic elevated levels of the hormone Cortisol may also contribute to belly fat.

Myth: Alcohol consumption sabotages diet and weight-loss efforts. Alcohol in itself plays a neutral role in dieting. There are two things physiologically that matter when considering alcohol while dieting: The additional calories, and the fact that when you consume alcohol with food, your body will metabolize the alcohol for energy first. Studies of dieters who drink alcohol have shown that those who replace some of their normal carbohydrate intake with the caloric equivalent of alcohol gained no additional weight, and some even lost more weight. However you must consider that while alcohol is an energy source for the body, it is void of nutrients, has a mild diuretic effect, (dehydrating), and the oxidation byproduct, acetaldehyde, can interfere with the activation of vitamins. Also, a little alcohol can boost appetite, and psychologically it can loosen inhibitions and discipline causing dieters to give in to temptation and possible junk food binges. Lastly, don’t forget to consider your mixer, which could be loaded with sugar!

Myth: Alcohol is a toxic drug that is harmful to your health. This will always be subject to controversy because alcohol is a drug and is toxic when abused, particularly to the liver which is the sole organ that provides the enzymes to oxidize alcohol. However, such a generalization is incorrect because in moderate amounts, alcohol is becoming widely recognized as beneficial to heart health and preventing heart disease, red wine in particular. The key is moderation, meaning 1 drink per day for women and 1 to 2 drinks per day for men. Any more then this and the benefits are negated and the potential for harm exists. Numerous clinical studies now back up this heart health claim, long known by some cultures as seen in Mediterranean fare, so you can do your own research to verify. What is not widely known and is beginning to show promise is that alcohol may also protect against adult-onset/type-II diabetes.

Myth: Mixing different types of alcohol makes you sick or will cause hangover. Simply not true. The body and more specifically the liver, treats the alcohol content the same in all beverages. It is primarily the toxic byproduct acetaldehyde and dehydration that cause hangover effects if alcohol is abused. Sulfites found in wine may adversely affect some people, while few others may not produce the liver enzymes necessary to oxidize alcohol.

Myth: Alcohol enhances libido. We certainly wish this one were true. While a few drinks will loosen one’s inhibitions and ease stress, more than this and testosterone levels will rapidly decline, while estrogen/estradiol levels increase. Testosterone is the one and only hormone in both men and women that drives libido.

More on the health benefits of alcohol in moderation: Alcohol is a double-edged sword to be sure. For those who abuse the risks far outweigh any benefits, and we’re all familiar with the negatives. But for those of us who care about our health and can drink in moderation, the heart-disease protection associated with a glass a day is just about equal to what the latest generation of cholesterol-lowering drugs offers, lowering risk of heart disease by about 32% when compared to those who abstain. Specifically, alcohol does this by boosting levels of HDL, (good), cholesterol, which keeps the bad LDL cholesterol in check. Several studies suggest that alcoholic beverages may even protect against certain forms of cancer. All these benefits are associated with any type of alcoholic beverage, but the grapes used to make red wine contain even more anti-oxidant benefits in the form of phyto-chemicals called Polyphenols and Flavonoids, which are believed to protect the lining of arteries from damage. Incidentally, wine drinkers are less likely to be alcoholics than beer or liquor drinkers, and are less likely to be overweight. This is mostly because wine is typically consumed with meals and it’s usually sipped slowly. Alcohol also contains a micronutrient called Resveratrol that helps prevent blood clots that might otherwise block blood supply to cardiac muscles, the cause of most heart attacks, and keep blood vessels healthier by combating hardening plaque. Lastly, several small clinical trials have shown that moderate alcohol consumption improves insulin sensitivity, meaning your cells uptake glucose for energy more efficiently and require less insulin. This by definition lowers risk of type-II diabetes. Exercise has this same effect, to a much larger degree. Again, always keep in mind that all of these health benefits are completely negated as soon as you drink more than one drink a day for a woman and two drinks a day for a man.

Alcohol metabolism, (oxidation): Once we drink alcohol it is absorbed easily through the stomach lining and the small intestine. Alcohol then enters the blood stream where it cannot be stored in our bodies and eventually makes its way to the liver where the oxidation process starts, to get rid of it and convert into an energy source. In general after the consumption of one standard drink, a person’s blood alcohol concentration, (BAC), will peak within 30 to 45 minutes. Consuming food, especially fat, along with alcohol will slow absorption rate. Alcohol is metabolized more slowly than it is absorbed. Approximately 90% of the alcohol we drink is oxidized by the liver while the other 10% is excreted through our lungs and in our urine unaltered, (which is why BAC can be measured through breath.) Only the liver possesses the enzyme required to metabolize alcohol, known as dehydrogenase, (ADH), enzyme. How much of this ADH enzyme we make in our liver is primarily genetically determined, but an average healthy liver will completely metabolize 1 standard drink in 2 hours, (BAC equal to zero). Gender, age, lean-body mass, and health all affect BAC levels, but not so much oxidation rate. Also if one is taking other drugs, this will place an additional load on the liver. The liver first converts alcohol, (by ADH enzyme), to acetaldehyde, which plays the central role in toxicity once the liver reaches its saturation point and some of the acetaldehyde escapes into the blood stream before oxidation is complete. Acetaldehyde exerts its toxic effects by inhibiting the mitochondria reactions and functions in cells, (and along with dehydration is the main cause of hangover). However as long as alcohol is consumed at a moderate pace and quantity, a normal, healthy liver easily keeps up and further oxidizes the acetaldehyde into acetic acid a common energy source for cells. CO2 and water is the final byproduct when oxidation is complete. Over time a moderate drinker will produce more ADH enzyme in their liver, causing them to oxidize alcohol more efficiently and build up an increase in tolerance.

Back to Basics: Assessing your Fitness Plan During the Holiday Season

2011-12-08T09:58:00.000-08:00

It can be brutal on your fitness or weightloss plan this time of year with all the holiday social engagements, decadant treats being brought into the work place & placed right in front of your face, cold & flu season, and being limited on outdoor physical activities due to inclement weather. During times like these losing weight or training for a race or becoming leaner may be far-reaching, but you can at least hold steady ground on your progress so far. Do this by auditing your self & your daily lifestyle routine right now! Revisit & re-establish some basic, sensible guidelines as a reality check today!

Just think about what your common sense and intuition tell you about the ideal habits of a healthy lifestyle. If you were to jot down some of these ideals, they might read something like this, (In no particular order):

- Don’t skip breakfast, and include oats often.

- Instead of eating 2 to 3 big meals, eat 5 to 6 smaller meals/snacks throughout the day. Don’t ever starve, and don’t ever be full. Keep the metabolism stoked and revved-up all day.

- Don’t eat any later than 2 hours before bed time.

- Minimize sugar and simple, refined carbs, and strive for whole-grain, complex carbs, and vegetables. Simultaneously you will minimize and manage insulin, by avoiding such high-glycemic foods.

- If you must eat sugar, have it during your pre or post-workout meal, to burn it for energy, or for muscle recovery respectively.

- Balance your meals, by including protein foods and healthy, unsaturated fats along with carbohydrate portions.

- Eat at least 20 to 30 grams of fiber each day. Eating fresh, whole fruit, and trail mix is a tasty way to accomplish this.

- Eat cold-water fish, such as salmon and tuna a few times per week, and use olive oil in abundance to get plenty of Omega-3 fats.

- Don’t drink soda, but if you must, it better be ‘diet’.

- Drink abundant amounts of water.

- Limit coffee to two servings a day, and replace the rest with Green Tea. In fact, 3 servings of Green Tea a day for all of us will enhance health and fat-burning.

- Limit alcohol on average, to one drink a day per woman, and 2 drinks a day per man, and make red wine your beverage of choice.

- Exercise at least 30 minutes per day, 5 to 6 days each week.

- Cardio/Aerobic exercise is most important for a healthy heart and calorie-burning, but at least one day per week include strength/resistance training, essential for maintaining muscle mass, bone density, and boosting resting metabolic rate.

- Go to bed the same time each night, allowing ideally an 8 hour sleep window, (when not flying a redeye of course). Don’t stay up watching stupid, useless TV, snacking on junk. A good night’s sleep establishes your baseline of health and is vital to every aspect of good health for sure.

Now imagine if you gave your best effort to incorporate these habits into your daily lifestyle. (There are many more.) Each tactic is simple and easy by itself, but yet combine together to yield a far greater synergistic effect that is ideal for both fat-loss and muscle-building, and optimal health in general. Especially when traveling, you won’t be able to incorporate all of them everyday, but just making a reasonable attempt will make a difference over time. Most of know this stuff by now and so it really comes down to self-discipline. If you can’t even accomplish these basics then you’re not ready for performance-enhancing or diet supplements, and it should be no great mystery as to why you’re not getting any results. You know you know this stuff, so trust your instincts and let your self-conscious act as your guide. A personal trainer or celebrity can do a lot for our motivation, but most of the time we only have our self to rely on.

We travel a lot and don’t always have the best options available to us, but we always have the power of choice: “Grilled fish with brown rice, or a cheeseburger and fries?” “Trail mix or a bag of chips?” “Water or soda?” “30 minutes on the treadmill first, or straight to the hotel bar?” For the most part it doesn’t take a PHD in Health to decide which option is best. No matter how limited our options seem to be in any given situation, there will always be a best one. If you’re not sure, just take the extra moment to read the food label and you’ll figure it out.

So take a step back for a moment and assess your fitness plan if you have one. Take a look at it from a big picture perspective and make sure that it serves its purpose and has not become so confusing and complicated that it yields no direction or progress at all. Perhaps you don’t even have a fitness plan, but just take it day to day depending on your mood. If you’re healthy and don’t have any real fitness goals then this no-plan approach is probably fine. But if you have some real health issues to address, a lot of fat you would like to lose, or are training for a race or other event, then you’ll need a lot more forethought and a timeline with progress checks. A training log or journal can really help keep track and plan ahead. An optimal fitness plan does not necessarily need to be written, directed and tracked by an exercise physiologist or Personal Trainer, and certainly should not blindly follow some random celebrity or other fad diet. However in depth you decide to go or not, just remember if all else seems to be failing and resources seem scare, know you can trust your instincts, stay disciplined and make the best choice in any given situation.

Every now and then I even have to audit myself and make sure I’m still following these basic, but essential traits of a healthy lifestyle, and I usually find that if I tighten back up and reign myself in, my health and physique improves immediately. It happens to the best of us with the best intentions: We are living a clean and healthy lifestyle looking good and feeling good, and next thing you know we’re partying 3 nights a week, staying up late, dining out and pigging out, binging on sugary junk food, and skipping workouts, and it eventually takes a toll on appearance and our health. Winter, the holidays, football season, and cold & flu season can really make for a tough combo for even the most fitness-obsessed to contend with.

New Interview with DirectlyFitness.com: My Fitness Background & Philosophy!

2011-12-03T08:50:00.000-08:00

I was very candid & true to my values in this outstanding interview with DirectlyFitness.com! If you have a moment check it out by clicking on the link below:

Fitness Professional Max Wettstein Talks with Directly Fitness!

Go Ahead & INDULGE this Thanksgiving!

2011-11-22T07:05:00.000-08:00

It's ONE day out of the entire year. You've waited 364 days for it. You've had time to phsyically prep for it (be creating a calorie deficit on Wednesday)...so enjoy it! Indulge & ENJOY your Thanksgiving holiday with your family & friends for goodness sake! This is a day to relax your normal diet standards and indulge. You deserve it! There is no need to attempt to watch what you eat or moderate your calories in my opinion. Your holiday eating strategy should only be not to eat too much bread or appetizers early-on because you might get too full to enjoy the good stuff like turkey & gravy, and pie afterwards! Listen, one day of over-indulgence is going to have ZERO net impact on your weight-loss or fitness goals. Any weight gain will be temporary in nature, mostly due to carbohydrate-loading & water-retention. Your body will automatically seek its normal homeostasis weight within 1 day. If nothing else you'll be stronger during Friday's workout due to your 'carb-loading', so capitalize on this. You may weigh your self Friday morning for FUN & CURIOSITY only - NO GUILT is allowed!! One good bout of cardio on Friday and your weight & waistline will rebound for sure. Check out this video blog where I tell you & the diet-Nazis to CHILL OUT...

Your #1 WEB-based Exercise TRAINER!

2011-11-16T10:16:00.000-08:00

First Exercise.com & now for the iPhone App 'Fitness Buddy' , I have been hired as the production exercise subject matter expert & trainer to properly demonstrate over 1500 exercises to include photos, .gif animations & HD video. This is no coincidence: I've been playing sports, training clients & fitness modeling for over 20 years. I'm also a published author in the field of holistic health, and the resident fitness advisor to my pilot peers over at JetBlue and there are over 2500 of us! I was also chosen to be the exercise & cover model for Men's Health Big Book of Exercises & The ABS Diet books 1 & 2. In fact I've probably demonstrated over 5000 exercises, including inventing a few of my own! Does your trainer still have you trying to max out your benchpress, or wobbling on some sketchy bosu or balance ball while doing isolation curls? When in doubt you can look to web-based training with me! Lastly be sure to check out my website Current Events page for all my latest antics! Sincerely, Max Wettstein Note: Fitness Buddy App won't be fully live & updated until early 2012.

INTENSITY!...What your training plan is missing!

2011-11-04T10:14:00.000-07:00

…Intensity! This is most likely why you’re getting the same results, or getting no results. So many of us just plop on the stationary bike, elliptical trainer, or treadmill and simply plod along in our comfort zone, (sometimes called the ‘fat-burning zone’ to make ourselves feel better), barely even breaking a sweat or raising our heart rate. Yes, we’ll chug along, reading a magazine, watching TV, or even talk to a buddy, all the while feeling good about ourselves because we’re at least doing something for our fitness. But because we're only reaching light to moderate intensity levels, we’re lucky if we even burn 300 calories in an hour, or cause ourselves to go into oxygen debt even once. Burning your fat stores? Yeah right! Think again: You may have been working out at 60% of your maximum heart rate, but you’ll be lucky to even touch any fat stores/adipose tissue in an hour’s time at such a low heart rate.

You know, in today’s politically correct, everybody’s-a-winner, easy-button, society, there is still some truth to the old adage, “No Pain, No Gain.” While there will always be a place for ‘LSD’ endurance training, (long-slow-distance), we all need to incorporate some intense and even anaerobic training into our exercise plan. Get out of your comfort zone. Move your cheese. Unfortunately intense training usually goes hand in hand with some level of physical discomfort – not injury pain, but you know what I’m talking about – the “I’m actually working here” kind of pain!

Intense aerobic training usually means you’re training at a heart rate level close to your VO2 maximum, (maximum oxygen carrying capacity), and above your lactic acid threshold. In simple terms, this means your working close to entering oxygen debt and building up lactic acid. Intense anaerobic training usually means your muscles are hitting physical failure in 30 seconds or less, meaning you can’t do another repetition, due to lactic acid build-up and/or your muscle cell ATP stores deplete. When the latter occurs, your ATP will replenish within a minute or so of rest, and any lactic acid, if produced, will completely recycle within 30 minutes or less.

So why train with such intensity? Couldn’t you possibly pull a muscle or have an aneurism or something else bad? Perhaps, so warm-up, cool-down, and stretch! Here are a few reasons why, with proper warm-up and your physician’s blessing, you should train intensely at least one day per week:

You’ll burn up to 3 times as many calories in a given period of time compared to low-intensity exercise. (Roughly speaking, intense exercise is performed at least at 80% max heart rate or greater, or, purely anaerobic/strength training.)
The ‘fat-burning-zone’ training philosophy only works for very long work-out sessions lasting 1.5 hours or longer. At low intensities it takes at least 30 minutes of exercise to use up bloodstream and liver energy stores before you can access stored adipose tissue fat.
You’ll raise your lactic acid threshold, meaning you will be able to train at higher heart rates without lactic acid build-up failure.
**Lactic acid build up in the muscles directly triggers a consequential Growth Hormone release...essential for lean-body mass and tissue regeneration.
You’ll involve your fast-twitch/type 2 muscle fibers, building your strength and power.
You’ll actually sweat and detox.
You’ll preserve and build muscle mass.
You’ll maintain bone density.
Short, but very intense work-outs, (45 minutes or less), promote testosterone and growth hormone release. Long term endurance training can lower these two anabolic hormone levels and elevate Cortisol levels.
You’ll build up your muscle-neurological connection and mapping; develop quicker synapses, increasing your quickness and propreoception.
You’ll increase cell mitochondria function, (your cells’ energy powerhouses), and grow more oxygen delivering capillaries.
You’ll feel alive and focused as you stimulate dopamine production and enjoy your body’s natural opium – endorphins. You’ll be motivated for the rest of the day.
You'll improve insulin function and sensitivity and 'teach' your muscles how to uptake glucose and store it as glycogen for energy instead of storing as fat.
You’ll be able to vent all your angst and channel any aggression you have in a positive outlet instead of kicking the dog or snapping at your First Officer.
You’ll stimulate your adrenal glands in the way in which Mother Nature intended.
You’ll circulate lymphatic fluid.
When your kid challenges you to a race, or your buddy challenges you to a tennis match, you’ll actually be able to do it without collapsing in oxygen debt, or straining something. You’ll be in shapeJ

There’s enough reasons to validate my point, but if you’re not feeling compelled to step up your training drive yet then e-mail me and I’ll give you 10 more reasons, including stop your whining! I can’t emphasize the mental and psychological aspect of training with intensity enough. When you give something your mental and physical all, you really can experience a mental and dare I say, spiritual awakening. The hormones and neurotransmitters that become triggered in the brain and body including but not limited to dopamine, serotonin, adrenaline, testosterone, and pain-eliminating endorphins, can really combine to empower you to feel confident, strong, happy, motivated, and alive in general. An intense workout may be just what you needed to get you out of your rut, or salvage your day, or open your mind up to let an idea in.

Physiologically speaking, if all you do is slow, aerobic type of exercising, then you are really ignoring 50% of your fitness. An ideal training program incorporates aerobic/endurance training, strength/anaerobic training, and core/flexibility training, equally. Perhaps you think you don’t know how to strength train. Of course you do! Just do some sprints, or run a steep hill or stairs, or do some push-ups or pull-ups. Go mountain-biking on an actual off-road trail. Play a game of touch-football and don’t be all-time quarterback. Go snow-skiing this season. Be a kid again. Again, with intensity comes greater risk of injury, making it imperative that you do a proper warm-up first, and start slowly with light weight, and always proper technique.

Live Your Life like an Athlete, if you want to LOOK like an ATHLETE! (An Athlete's Philosophy)

2011-10-11T09:25:00.000-07:00

Imagine if you lived your life as if you were an ATHLETE: You would probably make your work-out the center of your day, consult with a coach or trainer, and spend the rest of the day eating nutrient-dense foods for refueling and repair, and sleep 7 to 9 hours each night. You would take the time to warm up and stretch, would pay attention to pain and other signals from your body and treat them before they became chronic or debilitating injuries. You would not abuse your body with alcohol or drugs.

Such a lifestyle isn't realistic for most of us who have to work for a living, rather than get paid to work-out and compete. There simply isn't enough time, nor desire. What is also unrealistic however, is expecting to look like pro athletes do when you don't live and train like they do, or are much older. Sadly and according to much of the false-marketing in the weight-loss industry, we are under the impression that we only need to work out for 10 minutes per day with some device we saw on an infomercial and/or pop a magic diet pill, and alas we will have our ripped, beach-body we've always been dreaming of. Come on now - you don't need me to tell you it just doesn't work that way. You have to pay your dues with discipline, exercise, and eat clean.

So hypothetically for now, just try living your life as if you are an athlete. There are plenty of us that live this way, believing we are athletes though we work full time, and it works. Almost every fitness-model or bodybuilder for instance, has a 'real' day-job to pay the bills, or spend most of their day navigating thru Hollywood traffic going to various castings and auditions, yet we still manage to maintain our chiseled physiques. Most tri-athletes and 'Iron Men' are weekend-warriors, training only for an hour at most each weekday before or after their 9-to-5, and then cramming in all their long training on the weekends.

An athlete - in this case YOU - views food only as raw materials for energy and tissue repair, and uses supplements strategically. Of course athletes indulge and enjoy (quality) food, which YOU can do even more so because the metabolism of an athlete is virtually on FIRE, but an athlete makes sure he gets his nutrients and protein requirements each day, and drinks plenty of water. An athlete - YOU - condition and 'teach' your muscles to suck up sugar and carbs from your blood and store it as glycogen for energy, with minimal insulin. An athlete eats according to his energy needs: If you take a recovery day you intuitively cut your food intake down; if you have a huge training event or game the next day then you eat more and even consider carbo-loading; you always have protein powder on hand to mix up quick for your post work-out meal and have healthy snacks available so you don't have to skip a meal or stop for 'fast-food'.

An athlete - YOU - opens up his planner each night and finds the best time to schedule his work-out, and even coordinates with his family's plans if he has to. An athlete can work-out any time, any where, with any thing, if the timing or location calls for it.

An athlete intuitively listens to signals from his body and assesses pain: Is it 'good' pain or bad? An athlete takes whatever actions are necessary to stay healthy and in the training game for life: Stretching, supplements, massage, ICE, cross-training, training with a cold...whatever it takes to keep going because an athlete lives to train and keep PLAYING his sport. An athlete is more in tune with his 5 senses and moves with precision and centeredness in every thing he does.

An athlete sees his body as an artistic masterpiece and his greatest asset besides his mind.

Being an athlete IS simply a state of mind. Once you choose to consider yourself an athlete, your ideal physique will slowly transform to its full potential.

Max's Morning ALKALIZING Tonic Recipe with Video!

2011-10-07T10:23:00.000-07:00

     Every morning I try to kickstart my energy & health, when I have a truly EMPTY stomach, by ALKALIZING or Alkalinizing my body and (to a very slight degree) my systemic pH through drinking a traditional, holistic 'tonic' comprised of mostly pure warm water mixed with the juice of half a fresh lemon. This is the basis for my morning tonic recipe, which I did NOT invent and has been consumed by thousands of alkalizing-health enthusiasts for hundreds of years before me! However, I've tweaked it and made it more powerful in my opinion by adding a few more super ingredients such as: a tsp of raw apple-cider vinegar; a tsp of liquid chlorophyll, and finally a heaping tsp of essential amino-acid L-Glutamine (the most abundantly used amino acid by the body which it cannot make!) Glutamine is a powerful healer and immune-booster!

     The GREEN liquid chlorophyll is a natural, mild cleanse is very alkaline of course since it is raw and comes straight from green plants (mint leaves). The raw apple-cider vinegar's health effects are anecdotal to be perfectly honest, but thousands have sworn by it's invigorating & alkalizing effects for years! It also has a mild laxative-effect in the G.I. tract.

     More on pH (from my website) Video attached showing how I prepare it!:

Max shares his morning 'tonic' recipe for what has been a common morning ritual for hundreds of years among natural health enthusiasts and alternative medicine practitioners. Max's morning drink kick-starts your day by alkalizing your body, balancing your stomach pH, stimulating your G.I. tract and promoting detox. So simple & quick to make, yet so powerful!

All illness thrives in a systemic acidic environment. Our blood is tightly regulated to maintain a slight-alkaline pH of 7.35 to 7.45. However, all animal-based foods and all processed, refined foods are acidic in nature. Wouldn't it be nice to give your body a helping hand every morning upon waking?

Watch how Max makes his version of this longstanding holistic health tradition:

Metabolism & Your Daily Caloric Requirement: What is it; Factors affecting it; & How to boost it!

2011-09-29T11:05:00.000-07:00

“I have the metabolism of a hibernating bear.” This is how one of my fellow pilots describes himself, as he psyches up for another round of cardio on the hotel elliptical-trainer. Does this sound like a fitting description for you? Perhaps you’ve been genetically blessed with a fast metabolism, more like that of a hummingbird, and your only issue with calories is consuming enough of them. Our metabolism is the single biggest factor in determining our daily caloric requirement. Our caloric requirement does vary day to day depending on our activity level, but our ‘resting’ caloric requirement can only be changed by altering our metabolism. Genetics play a huge role in determining metabolism, but there are many other factors that affect metabolism that you can take advantage of.

Metabolism is defined as the sum of all physical and chemical changes involving energy and material transformations that occur within all our living cells. Each cell has its own energy production center known as the mitochondria, and it is this collective energy production of all cell mitochondria that determines metabolic rate. Along with energy production, two fundamental processes of metabolism are anabolism and catabolism: building up tissue and breaking it down, respectively.

When discussing metabolism, it makes sense to begin with our resting metabolism for simplification. Our metabolism while at complete rest is known as our Basal metabolic rate, or BMR. Our BMR is affected by many factors, many of which we can influence. These factors in no particular order include but are not limited to: genetics, gender, age, body-type, diet, body temperature, environment, hormones, and body-fat percentage/lean-body mass. More discussion on this later, but you’ll see why your lean-body mass has the greatest effect of all, aside from genetics, in determining your BMR. Muscle burns calories at rest, while fat does not.

For simplification, we’re focusing on ways to increase BMR, or resting metabolic rate, so we can burn more calories while sitting around playing Solitaire. But let’s take a moment to discuss exercise as a factor in increasing BMR. Although we’re clearly not at rest during exercise, a long-lasting effect on our BMR occurs after we finish our session. Exercise provides a 3-fold, lasting benefit to boost metabolism. First you burn calories during the exercise session itself. Secondly, your metabolism stays slightly elevated for several hours after your session depending on the intensity and duration. Thirdly, after a nutritious recovery meal and a good night’s sleep, you build muscle tissue while your body repairs itself, further increasing your lean-body mass. Once again we see the fundamental role of exercise in our overall health and fitness.

Factors affecting BMR:

Genetics. Genetics have the greatest role in determining our BMR, however, we can not change our genetics, so nothing to discuss there.
Gender. Because men generally have a less body fat and a greater lean-body mass, men generally have a higher BMR than women.
Age. As we age our BMR tends to decrease about 2% per decade after age 20. This slowing primarily occurs due to loss of muscle mass and lower hormone levels. Unfortunately, if we change nothing as we age, we get fat. What a deal, huh?!
Body Type. This refers to the Ecto-, Meso-, and Endomorph classification. For simplification, it is theorized that taller, thinner body-types have a higher BMR than shorter, heavier body-types.
Body Temp. For every increase of 0.5 degree C in internal temp. BMR increases by about 7%. The chemical reactions in your body actually occur more quickly at higher temps. When you have a fever, your caloric requirements go up considerably, but nobody wants the flu!
Environment. Exposure to cold temperatures causes an increase in BMR as the body creates extra heat to maintain its core temp. Prolonged exposure to heat can also raise BMR.
Hormones. Many of the body’s hormones influence BMR, but by far the Thyroid gland plays the biggest role in regulating metabolism. Thyroxin secreted by the thyroid, can alter BMR by 50%, faster or slower. If you experience rapid weight loss or gain without a concurrent change diet or exercise, you should have your thyroid levels checked. Likewise, if your temperature seems to chronically run low or high and you are not ill, it could be a sign of improper thyroid regulation. The adrenal glands which secrete epinephrine, (adrenalin), among other hormones, can significantly alter BMR as well.
Exercise. See earlier discussion.
Diet. Eating frequent, smaller meals is an excellent way to boost your metabolism. Careful though, because this does not mean eat additional calories. Divide up your daily caloric requirement into 5 to 6 smaller meals/snacks each day to keep your furnace stoked. This really works. None of your meals should be large enough to make you feel ‘stuffed’, yet you should never have to feel hungry either. Furthermore, fasting or serious abrupt calorie-reduction will dramatically slow your BMR by up to 30%, as your body prepares for potential starvation. Thanks to our ancient hunter-gatherer ancestors, our bodies are evolved to efficiently store surplus calories as fat and slow the metabolism whenever starvation is perceived.
Lean-body Mass. This is essentially the combined mass of all the tissue in your body minus the fat tissue. It is determined by obtaining your percentage of body fat through hydrostatic weight measurement or through special measurements with calipers by a Personal Trainer. The greater your lean-body mass, (muscle-to-fat ratio), the higher your BMR will be. Again, it is the muscle cells that have the mitochondria energy production centers that continuously burn calories, 24-7, not your fat cells. This is good news since you can easily use this to your advantage, simply by adding strength/resistance exercise to your lifestyle. This is especially important as we age to offset the natural loss of muscle tissue that occurs, not to mention strength training increases bone density. As a general reference, men should strive for 15% body-fat or less, while estrogen-challenged women should strive for 25% body-fat or less. (No offense girls. Estrogen promotes fat storage.)

Determining your BMR and total daily caloric requirement:

‘Harris Benedict’ Formula. Calculates BMR, (daily resting caloric requirement), using age, gender, height and weight:

Women: BMR = 655 + (9.6 X weight in kg) + (1.8 X height in cm) – (4.7 X age in years).

Men: BMR = 66 + (13.7 X weight in kg) + (5 X height in cm) – (6.8 X age in years)

*1 inch = 2.54 cm *1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds

‘Katch-McArdie’ Formula. Calculates BMR using lean-body mass, (obtained through body composition analysis using hydrostatic weighing or calipers). This formula is more accurate:

Men and Women: BMR = 370 + (21.6 X lean mass in kg)

Total Daily Caloric Requirement. The above two formulas give you your resting caloric requirement (BMR), factoring in NO activity. To calculate total daily caloric requirement, using BMR from above:

For both men and women, Total Daily Caloric Requirement = BMR multiplied by …

1.2 if you’re sedentary, 1.375 lightly active, 1.55 moderately active, 1.725 very active, and 1.9 if you’re extra active.

*Sedentary = little or no exercise. Lightly active = light exercise/sports 1-3 days per week. Moderately active = moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days per week. Very active = hard exercise/sports 6-7 days per week. Extra active = very hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training.

So you may have been born an ‘Endomorph/Neanderthal-type’ with the metabolism of a hibernating bear, but there is still hope for you even if you can’t change your genetics. The moral of the story is, exercise to maintain your muscle mass so you will burn more calories at rest, and divide your total daily caloric intake into smaller more frequent meals. Careful that you’re not just eating more food in the process though! Keep the furnace stoked but not stuffed, with quality food choices. As we age, keeping our body-fat down gets more and more challenging, but it really is a matter of maintaining your lean-body mass that ultimately determines your metabolic rate.

Ideal Body Fat Percentage: Weightloss Vs. Improving Body Composition

2011-09-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

You always hear diet books, infomercials, antiquated trainers and even doctors talking about weight-loss. Perhaps it is your parents, spouse or even you saying they need to lose weight. It can be convenient to use the term weight-loss, but what really matters most – for both our health and our appearance - is FAT-loss! This isn’t just as simple as semantics here either: Unfortunately most overweight or out of shape folks only care about what the scale says and if they’re losing any weight…especially women who tend to have only one physique goal in mind – to be skinny!

I’ve got some bad news for you, which any athlete or fitness-savvy individual already knows: You just might be losing weight without losing any fat at all, due to glycogen-depletion, fluid-loss and muscle catabolism. Personally, I’ve lost 4 pounds overnight before, and I can tell you that none of that weight was fat-loss. Starvation-type, dehydrating dieting without exercise, is a sure way to lose mostly muscle tissue and little-to-no fat!

Now for the good news: You can become leaner – actually lower your body fat percentage – without losing ANY fat. All you have to do is gain muscle mass! Think about it. You gain muscle, so you now weigh more, but still with the same amount of body fat you always had. Therefore you have effectively increased your lean-body mass. And it is based on this principle that typical body-mass index, BMI, charts and simple weighing-scales are not particularly useful for fitness progress. They only provide you with part of the picture…partial, non-specific data.

Body fat percentage is calculated simply by dividing the weight of your total amount of body fat by your total body weight and multiplying by 100. So you can see if you add lean (fat-free) mass to your body, i.e. muscle, your percentage of body fat decreases. Now of course many people don’t desire to add a bunch of muscle mass to their physiques, and while this is understandable you can not ignore this physiological fact: Lean muscle mass IS primarily what drives your resting metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories while at rest. And some folks who dread cardio training will find relief in knowing that building quality muscle only requires strength training and ‘clean’ eating. It is muscle that is the basis for a tone, tight appearance…Stop your obsession with being skinny NOW!

Now that you understand the principles behind lean-body mass and body fat percentage, and how it is fat-loss and muscle mass that matter most and NOT weight-loss, we can now acknowledge that of course the most ideal physique transformation scenario is to not only gain or preserve muscle mass, but to simultaneously lose fat as well. This where you have to add in cardio training and fine tune your diet, and for now is beyond the scope of this article. More importantly the cardiovascular benefits of aerobic training are necessary for optimum health.

It is much simpler to track progress by stepping on a scale at home and much more difficult to track body fat percentage. Perhaps this is why so many folks seem to forget about fat-loss and only concern themselves with weight-loss. Well I’m here to help you out and get you started and I am including the ‘American Council on Exercise’ body fat percentage recommendations based on your age and fitness level. This is a much more useful chart than the more common body mass index, BMI, chart. Also, at most sports’ stores now, you can purchase a home scale for under $100 that not only measures body weight but also provides a fairly accurate body fat percentage analysis using technology called bioelectrical impedance. Perhaps more important than the initial accuracy of your fat-analysis is the ability you will now have to track trends. The accuracy is mostly affected by hydration levels as water is the medium for B.I.A. conduction: If you are well-hydrated you will consequently have a slightly lower body fat percentage read-out than if you are dehydrated at the time of analysis.

'American Council on Exercise' Chart:

Max's TOP 12 WAYS to LOSE FAT NOT MUSCLE!!

2011-09-19T11:54:00.000-07:00

Burn more calories each day than you consume. Common sense, I know. This doesn’t mean starve yourself. In fact, one of the benefits of exercise is being able to eat more food, without gaining fat. Make sure plenty of the calories you eat come from complex carbohydrates and protein so that you do not lose muscle mass, have sustained energy, and avoid blood-sugar spikes. Muscle mass boosts your basal metabolic rate, allowing you to burn more calories at rest. It is possible to gain weight and still lose fat at the same time, but only if you’re adding muscle mass primarily through weight training, and closely monitoring your diet.

Divide your daily caloric intake into smaller, more frequent meals/snacks, ideally up to 5 meal times per day. By doing this, again, you keep your metabolism a little more elevated all throughout the day. Also, you will be more likely to use those calories for immediate energy and less likely to store them as fat. Each meal should primarily consist of complex carbs, lean protein and some fat. I know all you Atkins-dieters out there are now disagreeing with me, regarding carb consumption, but diets such as Atkins are very extreme and limit your food choices so much so that you may find that your diet is lacking in variety and consequently, nutrition much of the time. Also, it is a medical fact that putting your body in a state of ketosis is unhealthy and hard on your kidneys. All that being said, if you can be described as being obese, ‘insulin-resistant’, or a borderline type II diabetic, (adult-onset), then Atkins is a perfect diet for you to lose fat fast. No matter what current fad diet you may be trying whether it be ‘Atkins’ or ‘South Beach’, always strive for lean protein sources and ‘good’ fats, (unsaturated and essential fatty acids), found in fish oils, nuts, and avocados. The 3 most important meals of the day for all of us are breakfast, your post-workout meal, and your pre-workout meal, but the bottom line is to eat consistently all throughout the day: don’t starve yourself, and don’t binge. Lastly, don’t eat within two hours of your bed time, as these calories will likely be stored as fat while you sleep.

Establish yourself on an exercise program that includes both strength and cardio/aerobic training. Strength training maintains your muscle mass during times of calorie reduction, and your muscle mass is responsible for keeping your resting metabolic rate higher. Strength training also maintains bone density. Strength training does not necessarily mean weight-lifting, but can be any form of resistance training. Cardiovascular and aerobic training burn more calories during the period of exercise, condition your heart and blood vessels, and boosts your metabolism for several hours afterwards (EPOC-effect). If doing both strength and cardio training in the same workout, do your strength training first, (after a proper warm-up), followed by your cardio. This is because weight-lifting requires fresh muscle-glycogen stores, (carbs), for maximum ATP/energy production with each repetition, while cardio training can draw energy from fat as well. This will also help you enter into a ‘fat-burning zone’ sooner during your cardio session. However when performing your cardio emphasize High-Intensity over low-intensity, for the greatest exercise VALUE: more metabolism-bang for your buck. The alleged low-intensity 'fat-burning' zone is all but mythical if you can't devote at least an hour or longer of training time. The Lactic Acid produced during high-intensity ANAEROBIC exercise also directly triggers Growth Hormone secretion, which improves lean-body mass & body composition.

Limit your sugar intake, to your post-workout meal if you can. Sugars, once consumed cause a rapid release of insulin from the pancreas into the bloodstream. Insulin is a glucose, (blood-sugar), transport hormone that shuttles glucose from the bloodstream into muscle cells and liver cells, and maintains balance in your blood-sugar levels. After you workout, be it strength or cardio training, your muscle cells and your liver more readily uptake blood-sugar, and store it in the form of glycogen. In fact, consuming sugar post-workout is actually scientifically proven to speed muscle recovery. What this also means is that it is almost impossible for you to store any of this blood-sugar as fat, post-workout. For the rest of your daily meals you should strive for low-sugar, complex carbohydrates and protein, in order to keep your insulin levels lower. If you just can’t resist a sugary snack during other meal times, try to eat it pre-workout, or for breakfast, where again, your body will uptake this sugar to use for immediate energy more readily. Unfortunately, the worst time to eat a sugary desert, (or any heavy meal for that matter), is in the late evening, when your metabolism has slowed, and you soon will be sleeping, requiring fewer calories.

Perform your cardio/aerobic training on an ‘empty stomach’. Without immediate energy available from a recent meal, your body will be more likely to start accessing fat stores sooner for energy. The intent is not to make you feel light-headed, or weak, so if this is too hard on you, then perhaps a small meal is necessary. This is not ideal for weight lifting, as your strength will improve with a high-carb meal consumed 1.5 hours prior to training. Cardio/aerobic training accesses energy from both carb/glycogen stores, and fat stores. While it is true that cardio/aerobic training tends to draw more energy from fat stores when performed in a lower heart rate zone, (less than 75% MHR), you should consider that you may be burning less calories overall. Again, weight-lifting does not use fat for energy, only muscle-glycogen and ATP stores. High-Intensity cardio also burns mostly glycogen for fuel (stored-sugar) Vs. fat, BUT, the Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) effect boosts your metabolism for several hours afterwards. Since it is difficult to maintain VERY high-intensity cardio efforts (that push you into 'oxygen-debt' and the anaerobic (without O2) training zone), it can work better to perform it using the interval strategy in a 1:3 working interval Vs. resting interval ratio. Thus all the buzz surrounding HIIT, (High-Intensity Interval Training for improving lean-body mass lately.

Eliminate sodas and juices from your diet. They are full of insulin-stimulating sugar. One can of Coke has 35 grams of sugar, (7 teaspoons!). Fruit is very healthy, so eat whole fruit instead of drinking juice. Diet soda is okay as long as you’re not sensitive to artificial sweeteners. Have you ever really examined what’s in your fancy Starbuck’s Frappacino/Machiato concoction? Gatorade, PowerAde, Lemonade? I don’t think so…not unless you just worked out or are in the middle of some serious cardio training. Unwanted, hidden sugar lurks everywhere.

Drink plenty of water. Everything in the body functions better when you’re hydrated. ‘Nuff said.

Lower your cholesterol, (LDLs), by eating your oats and nuts. Oatmeal is a great complex carbohydrate for sustained energy, and it is has loads of soluble fiber that floats through your bloodstream and whisks away bad cholesterol, (LDLs). RAW, UNSALTED nuts such as almonds and walnuts, and, avocados, fish fats, olive oil, and flax oil, all provide excellent sources of healthy fats and essential fatty acids that actually lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol, (HDLs).

Increase your fiber intake, both insoluble and soluble, by including more whole fruits, vegetables, whole-grain breads, brown-rice, and salads. Fiber is not only essential for colon health, but it is also great for making you feel full, without a lot of calories. Adding these whole-grain foods and veggies to your diet is a great way to add bulk to your diet without adding extra calories. Lastly, whole-grain foods are typically more nutrient-rich then their, processed and bleached counterparts. Fiber 'volumizes' your food making you feel fuller without adding additional calories!

If you are a coffee or tea drinker and consume caffeine, you might be happy to know that it has been scientifically proven that consuming caffeine prior to a workout can enhance your performance and endurance, both by stimulating Dopamine in the brain, (a neurotransmitter that makes you feel alert), and by unlocking the body’s fat stores for increased fat burning potential. A cup -a-joejust prior to a cardio/aerobic workout, especially on an empty stomach will put the body into the fat burning zone within 20 minutes or less. It is also worth noting that Green Tea has fat-buring/thermogenic properties beyond that of just the caffeine. Green Tea contains two key micro-nutrients known as Catechins and Polyphenols that have cancer-fighting properties, and a synergistic thermogenic effect when combined with caffeine.

Find a way to reduce daily stress. Find a way to vent and relax everyday, whether it is working out, taking a ‘power’ nap, doing yoga, playing with your kids, or meditating. Lowering stress lowers the stress-hormone known as Cortisol. Cortisol may be of some use in a survival, fight-or-flight situation, and to help mobilize energy reserves, but high levels of it present on a daily basis, tears down your body, catabolizes muscle tissue, and causes your body to store internal, visceral fat by turbo-charging Omentum-based fat storage (the fatty-apron of tissue that drapes behind your abdominal muscles but in front of your internal). Although for the most part you do not spot-gain, or spot-reduce fat, Cortisol is thought to increase fat within the mid-section of the body… visceral belly fat.

Build in one ‘cheat day’ in your week to eat whatever you crave, and as much of it if you want. You need to be able to have access to the foods you love, or you’ll go crazy. It would also be okay to have a small, reasonable portion of your favorite cheat foods on a daily basis, but only if you’re disciplined enough to have just a reasonable portion and not binge. That is why sometimes it is better to have a cheat day, or a reward day, after eating with discipline the entire 6 days prior. Binging on your favorite junk foods for one day out of 7 will NOT affect your overall progress towards your fitness goals. That being said, don’t take this to mean you are required to binge on junk foods one day of the week! If you happen to not fall of the wagon too badly on your cheat day, well then you can feel that much better about yourself.

**BONUS!! 13. Emphasize quality sleep!...to maximize your Growth Hormone secretion window which is greatest during your first deep-sleep phase cycle, usually right after you first fall asleep. Growth Hormone not only promotes healing & restoration of the tissues in our body, BUT is also a the greatest lean-body-mass-promoting hormone in the body! No Deep-Sleep-Phase = No Growth Hormone secretion!!

There are many more things you can do to lose fat, but I do not want to overwhelm you. Keeping it simple is key. Following these 12 steps should not feel or seem extreme. This is not the intent. Anything extreme when it comes to fitness and nutrition is bad, and usually means it will not last long. Following these 12 steps should easily be able to become a healthy way of life, rather than a temporary, fad diet for short term fat loss only. You should be able to see results, as in fat loss and possibly muscle gain, without ever feeling starved or deprived. The key is to incorporate regular exercise and focus on moderation. If you think you can lose fat without losing muscle, without incorporating exercise, you’re kidding yourself.

Treating Andropause NATURALLY: Male-'Menopause', or Age-related Decrease in Testosterone

2011-09-12T12:51:00.000-07:00

No doubt by now you’ve already heard me speak of what I call the ‘fountain-of-youth’ hormone, Growth hormone, simply known as GH or hGH. This hormone is primarily secreted during our deepest phase of sleep and is responsible for things like tissue repair and growth, and promotes lean body mass. It literally heals your body, and combats aging. There is also another hormone that promotes muscle repair and growth, lean body mass, enhances physical performance, and increases libido. If you haven’t guessed already, I’m talking about testosterone. Primarily produced in the testes, of course we men have significantly higher levels than women, but, women also make testosterone by way of their adrenal glands, (Just like men also produce estrogen). And, testosterone is in fact, what causes increased sexual desire in both men and women, so both can benefit from testosterone production. But testosterone is very much a part of why we are so different from women, physically and psychologically. Not only do men produce much higher levels of testosterone, but we have many more T-receptor sites in our bodies as well, whereas women have many more estrogen receptor sites.

There are many other hormones produced by the body that play a role in physical performance and musculature, such as DHEA, Luteinizing hormone, Insulin and Insulin-like Growth Factors (IGF-1), and Adrenaline (epinephrine), but in order to limit the scope of this article, I will focus on Growth Hormone, and Testosterone, which are by far the most significant players, having the most direct positive effects on musculature, performance, and libido.

As we age, especially after age 30, unfortunately all of our hormone levels decline. We are all aware of menopause in women, when estrogen levels drop off significantly and women are no longer fertile. Well men take note! Did you know that we can experience the same type of rapid drop-off in our testosterone levels as we approach middle age? Some doctors are even calling this down turn of testosterone, ‘male-menopause’, with symptoms including decrease in stamina, loss of libido, muscle atrophy, decrease in lean body mass, and enlarged prostate, among a myriad of other symptoms – rather vague I know, and sounds like the way most of us feel after flying a redeye and then commuting home - “Sorry honey, not tonight”.

Combine the physiological effects of decrease in GH and testosterone, compounded with chronic elevated levels of stress hormones, and you’ve got yourself the makings of a ‘body-by-Budweiser’, without even factoring in diet and exercise! But read on, because I will provide you with the knowledge you need to know in order to boost GH and testosterone levels naturally. These simple tips really work, and while they require some effort, they are much better than the alternatives, such as injecting prescription cadaver hGH at $1000 per shot, or taking black market mystery steroids from Mexico. By the way, just in case you were considering the latter, repeated anabolic steroid use side-effects include liver damage, testicle shrinkage, elevated estrogen levels and gynecomastia (male breast tissue), decreased libido, irritability (‘roid-rage’), baldness, acne, and higher blood pressure.

Growth hormone is secreted by the pituitary gland in short spurts primarily at night during our deepest phase of sleep, but also during intense physical activity. GH is directly involved in all tissue repair, muscle growth, protein synthesis, fat burning (lipolysis) and decreased adipose tissue, among many other restorative physiological processes. Testosterone as we all know is primarily produced in the testicles, but also by our adrenal glands and various other mechanisms, and our levels naturally peak about 5 AM each morning. Testosterone greatly enhances physical performance, causes protein synthesis by muscles, promotes lean body mass, and, is the primary hormone behind sex drive. (Luteinizing hormone, which stimulates sperm production also drives libido). Contrary to what you may have heard, testosterone is NOT the cause of male-pattern baldness, acne, or enlarged prostate. These are related to a different metabolite of testosterone known as Di-Hydro-Testosterone, DHT. Also, elevated levels of estrogen in men have been associated with enlarged prostate, (More on estrogen later). Testosterone when created naturally by the body’s own processes is a good thing and we should encourage it.

We’re talking about testosterone here, the ‘manliest’ of all hormones, so why the need to talk about T’s antagonistic and feminizing hormone – estrogen? I’ll tell you why. A big secret to boosting your own testosterone levels is by minimizing your estrogen levels. Yes – all men make some level of estrogen, via the adrenal glands, and, for some sad reason, our own liver will convert some of our precious testosterone into estrogen, via an enzyme known as Aromatase. I guess Mother Nature thought we men needed some estrogen so that we didn’t kill each other off, or blow up the earth. Anyway, it is not just low testosterone levels that cause symptoms of male-menopause, but higher estrogen levels as we age past 40. Estrogen abounds in obese men because extra body fat/adipose tissue seems to promote more of the aromatase enzyme, converting much of your T into estrogen. This is why many obese men look like the have ‘man-boobs’…they have actually developed breast tissue. High estrogen levels also promotes higher body fat, so it is a vicious cycle, not to mention estrogen is now being linked to enlarged prostate along with DHT.

Okay, enough hormone physiology. Let’s get to the crux and figure out how we can boost testosterone and growth hormone naturally, as promised. Coincidentally, many of the things you can do to boost T will also boost GH. Like I said some effort is required, but it is not complicated:

Intense exercise, but especially weight lifting, causes both a testosterone and growth hormone release. I told you some effort is required! Keep your weight lifting and more intense work-outs to an hour or less. Lifting much longer than this and your hormone levels start to drop off. The key here is intensity – this is what triggers these muscle building, anabolic hormones to be released. Obviously, use good technique and don’t go so heavy to injure yourself, but strive for a rep. range where your muscles ‘fail’ around your tenth rep, and poundage that is 85% of your one rep. maximum. Ideally, rest periods between sets should be less than a minute for this method of working out. If the weight room just isn’t your thing, you can achieve the same effect through any means of intense strength training, such as sprint work or plyometrics.

Strength train in such a manner as described above, consistently for two years or longer and you can actually reestablish a higher testosterone level baseline.

Avoid ‘low-fat’ diets. This is good news, right?! But before you go over board, I better quantify this amount. 25 to 40% of your daily calories should come from healthy fats, as in fish, nuts, avocado, and fresh unsaturated oils. The biggest reason for this is that testosterone is created from cholesterol. A low fat diet may equal lower than normal testosterone levels.

Eat a steak occasionally. I realize that steak has saturated fat in it, but eating red meat and beef in moderation has been associated with higher testosterone levels, and higher Creatine levels. There are plenty of lean cuts to choose from.

Get a good night of sleep. The major release of growth hormone is at night during deep sleep. If you’re not sleeping deep and soundly, you’re not maximizing your growth hormone.

During your post work-out, recovery meal, consume a shake that is ¾ simple-carbs (sugar or juice), and ¼ whey protein. Shoot for about 20 grams of whey protein. This will not only expedite muscle repair, and glycogen replenishment, but the whey will help maximize growth hormone levels.

Shed some body fat/adipose tissue. This helps increase your free testosterone levels in your blood by lowering estrogen levels. The cold, hard, reality is that excess body fat promotes excess aromatase enzyme and consequently will convert valuable T into unwanted, body-softening estrogen. That is the main reason why obese men look like they have breasts instead of pecs.

8. Limit your alcohol intake to no more than two drinks per day. More than this and your testosterone levels will rapidly decline. Incidentally 1 to 2 standard size drinks per day helps prevent heart disease by boosting HDL, (good), cholesterol levels.

Now I will mention several OTC supplements you can purchase from any vitamin store, that serve as natural testosterone boosters, and two that are Prohormones that were not reclassified as steroids by the FDA. Speaking of the latter, don’t expect any dramatic results from any of these. After all, they are legal and OTC…not steroids! If you genuinely suspect you have low testosterone and you’re over age 40, your primary care physician or FAA doctor should be able to give you a blood or saliva test to check you, and if you’re low he can prescribe some testosterone creams or patches that absorb through the skin, making you feel like the young stud you once were.

Tribulus Terresteris. This is a natural plant extract that stimulates that production of Luteinizing Hormone increasing sperm production. It also stimulates the interstial cells in the testes to produce testosterone. It is primarily used as a libido enhancer, but also for all around increased stamina. Bodybuilders often use this post-steroid cycle, to help revive their natural testosterone production.

Zinc. 25 mg of Zinc before bed is not only good for your immune system, but it plays a major role in testosterone production, and prostate health. There is also a more expensive supplement available called ‘ZMA’, which is a blend of zinc and magnesium. Lab results have shown that this significantly boosts testosterone levels when taken before bed.

Yomibe/yohimbine. This plant extract has been linked to testosterone production.

Soy products contain ‘weak’ plant-based, phyto-estrogens and isoflavones that will bind to your body’s estrogen sites, in effect blocking stronger more harmful estrogen. Soy isoflavones have also been shown to block aromatase hormone, and promote prostate health. In other words, if you have gynecomastia, supplementing with soy isoflavones will help shrink them, and at the same time increase your free testosterone levels. Note: Take in moderation with less than 40 mg daily of isoflavone. Whole soy foods are better utilized by the body than isoflavone supplements.

Saw Palmetto. Is not directly linked to increasing T, but is very beneficial for prostate health by blocking the enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT.

6. Pumpkin Seeds. Eat them raw!

7. Prohormone: DHEA. DHEA is known as the ‘Mother hormone’ because it converts into so many others in the body. Produced naturally in the adrenal glands, when taken in supplement form your liver will convert into whatever adrenal hormones you seem to need at the time, but some will convert into testosterone. It can be purchase OTC at any vitamin store, but I recommend you do your own thorough research on it before you start taking it. Again, some pro bodybuilders use DHEA as part of their post-steroid recovery cycle.

Prohormone: Pregnenalone. Pregnenalone works in supplement form in much the same way as DHEA does, converting into many different hormones, but a big boost in testosterone.

Note: All Prohormones need to be cycled in their use, because over time, you can suppress your body’s own hormone production. Also, they require some metabolizing by the liver, so liver health needs to be a consideration. Additionally, most Prohormones will partially convert into estrogen as well.

Hopefully you now feel empowered to master your own testosterone production and feel young and manly again. As always your own genetics play a major role. If nothing else gained, at least you’re now aware of the symptoms of ‘male menopause’ and can use this to get some sympathy from your wife.

Cortisol: The Stress COPING Hormone

2011-09-06T10:50:00.000-07:00

There has been much buzz about the hormone Cortisol lately, mostly seen on infomercials selling supplements claiming to block Cortisol. Whether or not these supplements block Cortisol or help support fat loss around our midsections is not the intent of this article. What I will discuss here are the essential functions of Cortisol and when and why it is secreted by our adrenal glands, and, how you can keep your levels normal by better managing your stress and your diet. Just to be clear early on, your goal should not be to block Cortisol but rather to normalize levels.

The adrenal glands are sometimes known as the ‘stress’ glands, and Cortisol is one of several stress response hormones produced by the adrenal glands. It is true that chronic, elevated levels of Cortisol can cause fat storage around the midsection and the sides of the face, among many other negative health effects, but in normal levels Cortisol is actually beneficial for inflammation control, energy production, preventing an overactive immune system (keeping allergic reactions in check), and increasing mental focus factor, and extremely low levels of it are more dangerous than slightly elevated levels. In fact without the hormone Cortisol, we would be unable to adequately cope with physical or emotional stress, and we would eventually die. Consider how many anti-inflammatory, Cortisol-mimicking drugs are in use these days, such as corticoid steroids, (Prednisone), cortisone shots, and hydrocortisone creams. Cortisol is also an essential hormone in setting the sleep/wake cycle, along with melatonin, also known as your circadian rhythm

As usual, some background physiology is in order here. The adrenal glands are located on top of the kidneys and are automatically controlled by the Autonomic, (involuntary), nervous system. The adrenal glands manufacture many hormones, including sex hormones, DHEA, Cortisol, Adrenalin (Epinephrine), and Noradrenalin (Norepinephrine), among others. Both physical or emotional stress of any degree, activate the sympathetic nervous system, sometimes described as the “fight-or-flight” stress response, via the Hypothalamus and the Pituitary gland to activate production in the adrenal glands of adrenalin, noradrenalin, Cortisol, and Aldosterone. Adrenalin and Noradrenalin are what cause most of the physical symptoms of stress, such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, shallower breathing, increased perspiration, etc. Cortisol in this stress-response scenario, mobilizes energy reserves and increases glucose, (blood sugar), by releasing fatty acids and glycogen stores from the liver into the blood stream. Glycogen, fatty acids and even amino acids are all converted into glucose through a process known as glucogenesis. In sequence of events, insulin is also released from the pancreas to move all of this glucose from the blood stream into the cells for energy production. Glucose is also what fuels our brains. Cortisol also suppresses inflammation and boosts the immune system in short term stress response scenarios. This stress response occurs in varying degrees, in a matter of seconds to prepare you for fight or flight, so to speak, whether you’re at the gym, handling an emergency in the cockpit, or watching a good football game. Our adrenal glands unfortunately can not tell the difference between physical stress and emotional stress, and respond the same physiologically to both. However, overtime the body handles physical stress much better than emotional stress, as the latter tends to keep cortisol levels elevated for too long. Furthermore, in an emotional stress situation, you simply do not need all of the glucose that cortisol has mobilized and dumped into your bloodstream, and as a result, this excess glucose may be stored as fat if not utilized for energy.

So we know Cortisol plays an essential role on stress response. But Cortisol also has many other positive functions not related to stress. Cortisol is secreted diurnally, almost opposite in cycle to melatonin, and is what wakes us up in the morning, and helps us to feel alert in the morning hours. There are many of us who need that first cup of coffee right away, before we can feel fully awake and alert. This is because the caffeine in the coffee is activating you sympathetic nervous system – your adrenal glands – increasing your Cortisol and Adrenalin levels. At normal levels, in an average healthy person, Cortisol levels slower taper off throughout the afternoon and evening, with spikes in levels after eating and with exercise, or with a caffeinated beverage. These peaks are normal and help regulate your blood sugar levels, working in tandem with insulin to transport glucose into the cells. Cortisol continues to act as an anti-inflammatory all day long, preventing and removing redness and swelling in nearly all tissues, and acting as an antihistamine to allergens. Cortisol also regulates sodium and potassium levels, keeps white blood cells and lymphocytes in check, (prevents overreaction by the immune system), and helps us maintain mental clarity and focus. These are some of the many essential benefits of Cortisol when secreted in normal levels.

What can develop over extended periods of time, due to sleep deprivation, caffeine/stimulant abuse, chronic exposure to stressful situations, a poor and imbalanced diet, lack of exercise, illness, toxins, or a combination of any of these, is chronic elevated levels of Cortisol, which ironically has an opposite and harmful effect, such as suppressed immune system, inflammation, and fatigue. Basically whenever your sympathetic nervous system is constantly triggered – you are constantly activating your fight-or-flight stress response – you are a being exposed to chronically elevated levels of the adrenal hormones, including Cortisol. Again, elevated Cortisol is good when you are in the gym, or dealing with a dire crisis, but not when you’re trying to commute across country during winter IROPs for example. If you think you may be living a lifestyle that is too stressful, you can do plenty to take corrective action. If you don’t change anything, over long periods of time, say a few years, you could progress into a much more serious condition known as Adrenal Fatigue, or worst case, Addison’s disease, which is the name for severe adrenal insufficiency, or failure. All of these mean severe low levels of adrenal hormones, to the point where you are almost unable to function normally.

What you can do to support your adrenal glands and maintain healthy levels of Cortisol: Obviously avoid stressful situations as much as you can, which is practically impossible, so change the way you deal with stress. Exercise regularly, to normalize levels of Cortisol, insulin, glucose, growth hormone, and thyroid, among many other countless benefits. Get a good night’s sleep, or take a nap. Strive for balanced eating, meaning complex carbs, protein, and healthy fats, eaten in smaller portions more frequently throughout the day, to help normalize insulin levels. All of these suggestions are starting to sound real familiar, aren’t they? There a few specific vitamins which especially support adrenal function, such as vitamin C, all B vitamins known collectively as B Complex, but especially Pantothenic Acid, Niacin, B6 and B12. Mineral support is crucial, especially Calcium, Magnesium, and Zinc.

Prohormones are also available non-prescription, such as DHEA and Pregnenalone. DHEA is normally produced by the adrenal glands and can do wonders in helping to restore a fatigued adrenal system. In fact, many of the “Cortisol-Blocking” supplements on the market today contain DHEA. Both these prohormone supplements can be converted by the liver into many other hormones such as testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone. This should serve as a warning to you. You should not consider taking any prohormone supplement; even it is over-the-counter without doing your own research or discussing it with a doctor. All Prohormone supplements need to be cycled off of after a few weeks, so that your own body’s production is not suppressed. Lastly, the body's most abundant amino acid, Glutamine, can be taken in the form of L-Glutamine to help regulate, or "block" cortisol and it's receptors.

Remember, Cortisol is not the enemy, no matter what all of those infomercials are telling you, and it is going to take a lot more than a magic pill to get rid of that ‘spare tire’. In fact most belly fat or visceral fat is related to a combination of aging and lifestyle factors collectively known as 'Metabolic Syndrome' or 'Syndrome-X', and also to lower levels of Growth Hormone which is a major player in maintaining lean-body mass and tissue regeneration.

Central Obesity part 1: Fighting Internal Belly Fat!

2011-09-02T10:10:00.000-07:00

Belly fat…Pot belly...Beer belly…Spare tire…Love handles…Buddha belly. There are many nick names for that adipose tissue, or visceral fat, accumulating around and more importantly within your mid-section mainly in a connective tissue organ draped around your stomach called the Omentum. And as you age it may become more difficult to stop the accumulation, never mind reduce it. And while for men in particular, who tend to store more fat around their mid-section rather than their hips and butts, it is mostly just aesthetically unappealing, the harsh reality is that doctors, dieticians, and scientists alike now agree that your bulging belly may be a physical characteristic or even the cause of many serious health problems such as type-2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Raising Awareness - ‘Central Obesity’ Can be an Indicator of Serious Health Risks:

I started writing this topic with the intent of making it the second of a two part summer series for simply looking good in a swim suit. For most of us, we just care about what we see in the mirror, and would love to see a 6-pack set of abs reflecting back at us. This can be great for motivation, but after extensive research on the relentless belly or gut afflicting so many people, (63% of Americans are overweight, and 35% are obese), what I found was that this area of fat storage is mysteriously linked to many health problems, and perhaps even the cause of them. The ‘apple shaped’ body type. Belly fat, or visceral fat is a strange animal, producing inflammatory and immune triggers, converting precious testosterone to estrogen, and is directly linked to insulin resistance/glucose intolerance.

So what should motivate you to lose your belly even more than the mirror or beach vacation might instead come from clinical lab tests from your doctor. Poor lab test results from tests such as fasting-glucose test, cholesterol and triglyceride tests, and ‘C-Reactive Protein’ tests, could indicate that you are on your way to becoming insulin resistant or even diabetic, have heart-disease or clogged blood vessels, hypertensive, or have systemic/body-wide inflammation. And medical and physiology research now has confirmed that there is a direct correlation between how large your mid-section is, termed ‘central obesity’, and major epidemics such as type-2 diabetes and heart disease. There are several new buzz labels for this disorder affecting so many Americans, such as ‘Metabolic Syndrome’ and ‘Syndrome-X’, characterized by central obesity/visceral fat, and insulin-resistance or poor glucose tolerance – (unable to store and metabolize sugar properly.) Even the commercial diet market has jumped on board to capitalize from the American belly-fat syndrome, largely blaming it solely on chronic, elevated Cortisol levels. However this mass marketing is incorrectly skewed, as Cortisol is only partly to blame. Excess sugar, refined foods, lack of dietary fiber, and lack of exercise are the real underlying culprits of America’s bulging belly and sugar-metabolism problems…sound familiar…it is not rocket science!

Don’t Panic – Let This Serve as a Gut Check:

Quite often I realize I can come across as a ‘doomsday guy’, when really it is only my intent to raise your awareness. So let me reassure you that you can be over weight and still be perfectly healthy…perhaps just not look like a cover model. Obesity is when all the major health risks and increased mortality rates typically become a reality, (Obesity is clinically defined as having a body mass index BMI of greater than 30.) I may be OCD about fitness, but I do realize and accept that there will be some decrease in lean body mass as we all age, especially past age 40. It is not inevitable that we get fatter, and you need not accept such a fate. Certainly as we age it is more difficult to maintain muscle mass, but there is no physiological reason to gain fat. Major hormonal shifts are mostly to blame, as testosterone and growth hormone levels drop off, and DHT and estrogen levels rise, (in men). However, don’t ever give up the fitness battle and keep your gut in check, because regular exercise and eating right delays and minimizes all the negative aging effects. Exercise is the number one way to keep insulin under control and make it function normally to fuel muscles, vs. just storing fat and causing inflammation. Even if you only gain 5 pounds a year, (50 excess calories per day), that adds up very quickly and next thing you know you’re a fat guy with high triglycerides, high cholesterol, hypertension, pre-diabetic, enlarged prostate, elevated C-reactive protein levels and no energy for exercise. You see when you’re excessively overweight you get handed all these health issues in one nasty package.

Basic Body Fat Physiology and Contributing Factors to Belly Fat:

I’m talking about body fat here, as an organ, not dietary, macro-nutrient fat that you eat. By all means is this not all-inclusive, and these statements are generalizations that I feel are noteworthy and could make an impact on your fat-fighting strategies and get-fit lifestyle. There may be exceptions! This should also serve to bust a few fat myths:

You do not spot-store and cannot spot-reduce fat. I.E., crunches will not cause you to lose the subcutaneous fat covering your abs. Creating a calorie deficit each day through diet and exercise will slowly melt away your fat stores.
Excess daily calories can either be used to build muscle, store as glycogen in muscle in liver cells for energy, or store as fat in adipose tissue, sometimes all of the above.
The body stores fat in adipose tissue, either subcutaneously under the skin, or viscerally, (internally), in the abdomen mostly on a large piece of connective tissue/organ called the OMENTUM. Fat can also be stored within our muscles and as fatty acids in our livers, for more immediate energy.
Insulin is a transport hormone that shuttles glucose and nutrients to the cells for energy and for growth and repair. Insulin will store excess glucose as fat. In insulin-resistant, pre-diabetic folks, the cells do not respond well to insulin and blood sugar stays elevated.
When extra energy is needed your body accesses fatty acids from your liver first, then from visceral/Omentum, (internal belly), fat through the portal vein. Then subcutaneous fat and intra-muscular fat is accessed.
Reducing visceral/Omentum fat is how you reduce belly size. Reducing subcutaneous fat is how you look more defined, tone, and vascular.
You cannot burn purely fat for fuel, ever, even when you are in an emergency energy metabolism state called ketosis, because even in this condition you are also breaking down muscle tissue for protein as an energy source. In normal aerobic energy production, the body always requires some form of carbohydrate from glucose or stored glycogen to burn fat, known as the Krebs cycle.
Fat cells, called adipocytes, enlarge as you store more fat, but they never divide into more fat cells. Your set number of fat cells is established during adolescence, so if you were overweight as a kid then you probably carry more fat cells.
Men generally store more fat in their upper body adipose tissue while women store more in their lower body adipose tissue. The adipocyte cells located in the mid-torso have the potential to super-enlarge.
Adipose tissue produces the satiety, (fullness), hormone known as Leptin in proportion to how much body fat you have. Obese people become insensitive to Leptin hormone.
Fat/adipose tissue is not an inert storage organ, but rather an important metabolically active endocrine organ that is vital for good health and releases a long list of hormones, enzymes, cytokines, molecules, and other factors involved in body metabolism.
Adipose tissue produces in enzyme known as Aromatase that converts testosterone into estrogen. The more body fat you have, the higher your estrogen levels will be and consequently the lower your testosterone levels. This is why obese men can develop gynecomastia, (man-boobs). This is also why some women become ‘estrogen dominant’. Don’t forget that testosterone builds muscle, drives libido, and increases lean-body mass.
Visceral/internal belly fat secretes large quantities of pro-inflammatory chemicals known as interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, as well as free-radicals. These molecules directly cause systemic inflammation, oxidation, and can damage blood vessel walls, causing lesions where oxidized cholesterol can attach. In addition, they trigger immune response. Also the Omentum can pump toxic fat and inflammatory chemicals directly into your liver via the Portal vein.
Growth Hormone is a major player in maintaining lean body mass, and especially reducing visceral fat. To maximize Growth Hormone levels, get a good night's sleep, and incorporate more intense, lactic acid producing exercise into your training plan.

**Note: Elevated C-reactive protein levels, CRP, are now recognized as a clinical marker of heart disease/atherosclerosis, more accurate than Cholesterol testing. Elevated CRP levels are associated with 4.5 greater risk of having heart attack, and elevated CRP is both a marker and a cause of heart disease.**

Visceral/Omentum/internal belly fat interferes with insulin function and promotes glucose intolerance, and may increase levels of Resistin hormone which further causes cells to resist insulin and not uptake glucose – a viscous cycle develops.
Visceral/Omentum/internal belly fat can become ‘sick’ or dysfunctional and this has been termed adiposopathy and is pathological adipose tissue dysfunction.
Chronic, elevated Cortisol levels are linked to excess visceral/Omentum/belly fat, but scientists aren’t sure exactly why. This fight-or-flight, stress response hormone mobilizes energy by increasing blood-glucose and releasing fatty-acids into the blood stream, and consequently, insulin increases as well. So if you’re just sitting around and not “fighting or flighting”, you’re just causing more fat storage and blood-sugar fluctuations. It is thought that the Omentum organ simply has a many cortisol receptor sites. Therefore, belly size is a good indicator of your stress levels.
Insufficient sleep causes an increase in the hunger hormone known as Ghrelin which is produced by the stomach. Sleep deprivation promotes increased appetite.
Human metabolism was biologically evolved thousands of years ago for times of famine and starvation, so we’re very efficient at storing fat. Nothing puts your metabolism into efficient fat-storing mode more, then skipping breakfast, fasting all day and then eating a huge dinner late at night.
BEER DOES NOT CAUSE a ‘BEER BELLY’! Excess calories, lack of exercise, poor diet, and other lifestyle factors cause a fat, large Omentum, which gives the look of a beer/pot belly – so by all means enjoy your beer…in moderation!

What You Can Do to Combat Visceral, Omentum, Belly Fat:

Referencing the fat-fact list above should give you a general overview of what lifestyle factors contribute to obesity, and visceral fat, and how to mitigate it. In a nutshell a healthy lifestyle is healthy in all ways and no special diet is needed for this, that, or the other latest marketing buzz. A truly healthy lifestyle consists of eating whole foods, avoiding/minimizing refined foods – especially white flours and sugars. Your meals should be divided up into many smaller snacks throughout the day vs. fasting all day and then having a large meal late at night. You need regular exercise, incorporating aerobic and strength training. You need to get a good night of sleep. You need to take action to minimize stress. Please reference my pilot-portal library archive for extensive details on eating properly, exercising, dealing with stress and Cortisol, and even detoxing. Specifically:

Minimize sugar and refined carbohydrates.
Exercise, exercise, exercise!..especially intense workouts which produces lactic acid and consequently stimualtes Growth Hormone.
Eat a high-fiber diet, at least 30 grams per day.
Get adequate, quality sleep.
Find ways to minimize and deal with your stress and lower your cortisol.
Consume caffeine and other stimulants in moderation.
Ingest healthy essential omega fats from nuts, olive and flax oil, and cold-water fish.
Eat soy products. Soy isoflavones block unhealthy estrogens and synthetic xeno-estrogens.
Try adding these supplements regularly:

- Vitamin C, all doses safe. (Anti-inflammatory, balances Cortisol, anti-oxidant)

- Vitamin E, up to 1000 IUs daily, (Anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant)

- Fish Oil (Anti-inflammatory)

- DHEA, 25 mg per day, after discussing it with your doctor. (Regulates Cortisol and balances all adrenal hormones.)

- Zinc. (Blocks estrogen/promotes testosterone)

- Cinnamon extract improves insulin efficiency and glucose uptake by muscle cells.

- Green Tea increases thermogenesis and fat burning.

- Amino acid L-Arginine taken before bed time on an empty stomach, 1 teaspoon, or up to 3 grams, will trigger a great GH release.

Remember fat is an actual endocrine organ that serves many necessary functions for living. We need it! And the Omentum serves many beneficial purposes, including securing our organs in place with connective tissue, immune function and fighting off abdominal cavity infections. We just need to keep our guts in check so we don’t end up like approx 25% of the adult population who has now been labeled with ‘Metabolic Syndrome X’. If you suspect your pot-belly is taking control of you, it is never too late to fight back. Insulin resistance, hypertension, heart disease, and man-boobs do not need to be an accepted way of life. Take charge of your belly now!

Combat OMENTUM-FAT...AKA, BELLY-FAT!!

2011-09-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

As I stated in part 1 of this series, many times the case is a bulging belly while all other areas of your body appear to be relatively lean, (especially in men who are approaching age 40 or over). The general rule is that we don't spot-gain fat, and this is still the case where subcutaneous (under the skin) is concerned. There is a place however where our body will spot-gain fat and rapidly at that, and that is within the abdomen beneath our muscles and over & around our organs, on the Omentum. The Omentum (Greater & Lesser) is a layer of adipose (fat) tissue that drapes off the stomach and hangs down underneath the muscles and partly attaches to your transverse colon. It serves many useful functions to include supporting your organs, storing visceral fat supplied directly from the small intestine, secreting immune-response factors to protect from peritoneal infection, binding cortisol, it possesses regenerating stem cells, and supplying immediate fat to the liver via the Portal Vein for quick energy. Perhaps most remarkable in its attributes, surgeons even use the omentum to patch & wrap around injuries and incisions inside peritoneal cavity.

The omentum is yellow in color (from fat) and looks like thin, permeable webbing draped off the stomach but can fluctuate in thickness greatly depending on how much fat you're storing. It has the potential to expand enormously with fat globules swelling up to maximum capacity, squishing your organs and pushing against your abdominal wall, making your belly bulge yet perhaps still be quite firm to the touch since all the fat lies beneath the Abs-muscles. (Many happy-go-lucky, middle-aged men often almost affectionately refer to this localized phenomenon as their 'beer-belly', incorrectly giving beer a bad rap!)

The Omentum could be considered our 'Abdominal Fat Depot' as Dr. Oz characterizes it, and the liver has direct and immediate access to this omental-fat via the Portal vein. This can be good in times of need for immediate energy, but other times it is bad because the liver is bombarded with fat, cholesterol and inflammatory chemicals, stressing and contributing to 'fatty-liver disease' where the liver becomes engorged and inflamed with excess fat and its metabolic functions are impaired (damage may be reversible). (Excessive alcohol consumption further contributes to Fatty-Liver Disease.)

The Omentum also has many cortisol receptors. Remember, cortisol is a stress-response hormone secreted from the adrenal glands and is also beneficial in the short term during times of real fight-or-flight stress, or strenuous physical activity. Cortisol also balances melatonin to set our sleep-wake cycle or Circadian rhythm. But during chronic stress cortisol remains elevated and the omentum helps to clear this excess cortisol by binding to it and this uptake of the cortisol (steroid) hormone turbo-charges the omentum's ability to store fat. Now we see the direct link between chronic stress and increased belly-size, and a legitimate case of spot-gaining fat!

As if this wasn't enough to cause your belly to swell internally, the omentum also sucks large amounts of insulin out of circulation so that the pancreas has to continue to over-produce more to help muscle cells absorb glucose out of the blood for fuel. An over-fat omentum feeds on insulin and is a significant, direct causal factor to insulin-resistance and eventually (adult-onset) Type-2 diabetes because it pulls so much insulin from the blood stream impairing its ability to transport glucose and nutrients out of the blood and into cells for energy and glycogen storage. (Exercise directly and immediately fixes this dangerous scenario: At once making your body more insulin-sensitive/efficient and more glucose-tolerant, more readily up-taking glucose - sugar - for energy.)

**(IFBB pro-bodybuilders take note: This is the primary cause of your distorted When you inject (abuse) insulin, not only are you endangering your life, your muscles are not the only tissue becoming hyper-anabolic...your omentum is being turbo-charged to grow and store fat. Growth hormone abuse is also causing your organs to hyper-grow in size - these combined factors causing your belly to swell internally while yet you still possess a lean 6-pack set of ABS. Meanwhile your health has been compromised for vanity. Your drug-engineered image does not belong in any 'Fitness' or health publication.)'roid-gut:

Finally, an unhealthy, swollen omentum squishes your organs causing discomfort and secretes inflammatory chemicals throughout the abdomen and directly into the liver via the portal vein. So it is a contributor to systemic inflammation which we now know is a factor in almost all disease as well as 'Metabolic-Syndrome'. And it appears an over-fat omentum literally secretes the appetite INCREASING hormone LEPTIN and decreases levels of the fat-regulating chemical adiponectin.

So while a normal healthy omentum serves many important physiological functions, a fatty-omentum clearly sets off a chain reaction of health-problems that can quickly cycle out of our control. The most important and first step is become AWARE of this silent, and invisible layer of adipose tissue, which I have hopefully accomplished for you with this analysis. By now you can clearly understand that not all adipose or fat tissue is created equal: While both internal, omental-fat and subcutaneous fat both provide stored energy - subcutaneous fat, while it may not look good if obscuring your abs, is relatively harmless, inactive and does not directly contribute to and elevate obesity-related health risks. Internal, visceral omental-fat is a marker of heart-disease, diabetes, syndrome-X, fatty-liver, and functions as an active organ.

Putting it all together: Lets over simplify and point out direct lifestyle causal factors that will cause your belly-fat to grow:

1. A SEDENTARY lifestyle (Causing insulin-resistance & Glucose-intolerance.)

2. A diet high in sugar and refined-foods (High-Glycemic Index foods, triggering insulin excess.)

3. A diet high in caffeine and other adrenal stressors (Triggering cortisol.)

4. Exposure to chronic stress (Elevating levels of cortisol & turbo-charging omental fat-storing.)

5. One or two giant meals per day, versus 5 to 6 smaller more frequent meals (Bombarding your omentum with too much fat & calories at one sitting - the immediate storage depot for fat.)

6. Not getting a good night's sleep - 7 to 9 hours in normal circadian cycle (Disrupting your optimal Growth Hormone secretion window, which is the ultimate lean-body & restoration hormone.)

So there it is: Address these lifestyle causal factors FIRST, and see if this starts to slim your belly - and maybe allow you to live longer as well! Liposuction is not even an option for INTERNAL omental-fat - in fact there is no cosmetic surgical option. There is no diet pill that directly addresses it. Stimulant, thermogenic diet supplements will most likely serve only to further aggravate omental-fat by stressing adrenals (even if you are able to reduce subcutaneous fat.)

There is good news: Since omental-fat is the first and most easily stored early in the digestion process, and is directly available to the liver for energy via the portal vein, that means it is the first accessed for energy after immediate blood-based fatty acids and liver fatty-acids begin to deplete. Ironically the less dangerous subcutaneous fat deposited on top of your abs or on the back of your thighs weaved into cellulite takes much longer to access.

Remember though, during any kind of intense exercise you are primarily burning glycogen (carbohydrates) for fuel so fat is a little slower to come off and is a less efficient fuel source during exercise. But as long as you consistently exercise, limit sugar and refined foods, and create a small net-calorie deficit each day, you will eventually access all your hard-to-reach stored fat or adipose tissue in due time. You may think that doing low-intensity exercise would best serve you if you intend to burn primarily fat as your fuel source, but this strategy has proven ineffective: You simply don't burn enough over all calories during low-intensity training unless you can exercise for 2 hours or longer. Also, shorter duration, high-intensity exercise leaves your metabolism elevated for much longer due to the after-effects of EPOC: Excessive Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption.

You are now AWARE and ARMED with knowledge to prevent and combat internal, omental, belly FAT! Good luck in your conquest! And remember this is more than about vanity - this is about living longer and healthier.

Now watch MY above video on reducing omental/belly-fat: