Abscence of Fitness is an Economic Threat to our Nation

At the current rate, the cost of healthcare will exceed the USA's gross domestic product in our children's lifetime.



The solution isn't within reducing the cost of a medical procedure and pharmaceuticals. The solution lies within every one of us taking care of our fitness so to reduce the number of procedures and pharmaceuticals that burden the medical system.

Charles Eugster, age 93 at the time of the presentation, delivers a powerful point of view at TEDxZurich.

Question Everything

* Cardiac disease has risen 45% since 1940

* Diagnosed diabetes has risen 72% since 1980

Understanding Your Body Type and Condition of Insulin Sensitivity/Resistance is Vital to Body Composition Management

Choosing an effective nutrition approach, in order to manage one's body composition, significantly depends on a persons "somatotype" (body type). Understanding a persons body type then allows for appropriate adjustment of protein, carbohydrates and fat in the dietary mix which will be compatible with that body type.

     (credit: Precision Nutrition)

Noting that the Endomorph body type is insulin dominant, there is another whole spectrum of individuals where insulin or the body's response to insulin plays a major factor in body composition management. "Insulin Resistance" is the condition where the body's cells lack sensitivity to the hormone insulin who's purpose is to signal the cells to take in blood sugar, amongst other nutrients. This lack of sensitivity can be a result of lifestyle where the cells are constantly saturated with insulin as a function of a carbohydrate laden diet or there is some evidence that it may be genetic. Which either the cause, the pancreas, responsible for the production of insulin, continually escalates its production over a period of years until it can no longer keep up potentially damaging its Beta cells and the ability to produce adequate amounts of insulin. These are the conditions leading up to Type II Diabetes.

About 25% of the population in the United States have insulin resistance. 1.

The following slide illustrates the effect of carbohydrate consumption for individuals of different levels of insulin resistance and the consequential effect on body composition. For example, an individual who is "severely insulin resistance" who consumes over 150 gms of carbohydrates per day will likely find their body responding with a BMI over 30 and be in the Obese Class I. But as you can see, this condition can be managed with the reduction in carbohydrate intake of less than 25 gms which would allow them to achieve an ideal weight.

I will note that a reduction of carbohydrate intake below 100 gms a day can only be accommodated by a ketogenic diet where the body's fuel comes from fats.

(credit: Prof. Tim Noakes)

For those who have been diligently exercising and trying different weight loss programs with little to no success, the above points may be playing a role in your progress.

1. Right Diagnosis: http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/i/insulin_resistance/prevalence.htm Accesed om 9/24/2015

The Ketogenic Diet Could be a Theraputic Strategy for Cancer - Dr. D'Agostino

Research suggests that the mitochondria of cancer cells are metabolically compromised in their ability to metabolize fats, they thrive on glucose and can't derive energy from ketones. A ketogenic diet reduces carbohydrates that produce glucose, adds increases to dietary fats and produces ketones from triglycerides derived from fat cells.

This link from the National Cancer Institute discusses current thinking on how the High-Fat Diet May Enhance Cancer Patients’ Response to Treatments.

Nutritional Ketosis - The "Real Facts"

The following videos are by "key opinion leaders" in the area of nutritional ketosis. They dispel some of the myths and miss-truths on the subject.

Ketosis is a normal and natural state of our biology and metabolism. Before the agricultural age and our ability to store foods that were only seasonally available, we entered in and out of ketosis based on the availability of food sources each season.

Individuals using this nutritional approach have achieved long lasting weight loss, reduction in inflammation, remission of type II diabetes and a host of other positive benefits often experienced with the removal of high glucose producing carbohydrates and the associated high insulin levels. This is not just  a nutritional strategy for weight loss, but is a life long healthy approach to nutrition.

Dr Caryn Zinn - 'Low Carb, High Fat in practice'

Dr. Stephen Phinney - 'Achieving and Maintaining Nutritional Ketosis'

Jeff Volek: The Many Facets of Keto-Adaptation: Health, Performance, and Beyond

The Beauty of Self Actualization

Being physically fit is a worthy thing for more than just the clinical level of health.

“The Beauty of Self Actualization: Linking Physical Attractiveness and Self-Fulfillment” describes statistically significant results between physical attractiveness and self-actualization. One definition of "self actualization" is that of "achievement of one's full potential through creativity, independence, spontaneity, and a grasp of the real world".

The measurement of self-actualization used in the study was the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI) questionnaire (Shostrom, 1962). The POI was created to measure 12 specific characteristics deemed to be most important for achieving higher levels of self-actualization.

The study results revealed the high attractiveness group scored higher on all 12 POI scales, with 7 of them reaching statistical significance at the p < 0.05 level (one – tailed): Inner Directedness, Self Actualizing Value, Feeling Reactivity, Spontaneity, Self Regard, Self Acceptance and Capacity for Intimate Contact.

The 12 characteristics are:


Time Ratio - measures the degree to which one lives in the present, not the past or future. Self-actualized individuals are Time-competent (Tc) therefore they focus on their present experience without unnecessarily ruminating on past events or future fantasies. They are less burdened by guilt or regrets from the past, and their future is mainly tied to achieving present goals, therefore they live in the present with achievable goals and full awareness;

Support Ratio - measures whether one is inner-directed or other-directed. If a person is Inner-directed (I), their own beliefs and self-motivations are the driving force for any decisions or actions that they make in life. Other-directed persons, however, are to a great extent guided by external circumstances or surrounding peer groups rather than their own internal states. This could lead to over-sensitization and fear of others’ opinions. Self-actualized individuals tend to be more inner-directed, meaning they are self-supportive and free from others’ judgments;

Self Actualizing Values (SAV) – measuring affirmation of primary values characterized by self actualizing individuals (e.g., autonomy and independence, self sufficiency and self efficacy);

Existentiality (Ex) – measures ability to react to each situation without rigid adherence to principles;

Feeling Reactivity (FR) – measures sensitivity of responsiveness to one’s needs and feelings;
Spontaneity (S) – measures freedom to act and be oneself;

Self Regard (SR) – measures affirmation of self worth and strengths;

Self Acceptance (SA) – measures acceptance of oneself in spite of weaknesses;

Nature of Man (Na) – measures extent of constructive view of the nature of man;

Synergy (Sy) – measures ability to resolve dichotomies;

Acceptance of Aggression (A) – measures ability to accept one’s aggression as natural;

Capacity for Intimate Contact (C) – measures ability to develop intimate relations with others, unencumbered by expectation and obligation.

The Beauty of Self Actualization: Linking Physical Attractiveness and Self-Fulfillment, Europe’s Journal of Psychology, Vol. 4, No. 4 (2008)

High Intensity Weight Training - Osteoporosis and Seniors

Once again, the basic fundamental free weight training demonstrates health benefits - this time in preventing and reversing osteoporosis. Dead lifts and Presses.

Queensland Research Helping Osteoporosis Sufferers with Weight Training