Thursday, January 30, 2014

Step One


                    “It’s not that we can’t see the solution…it’s that we can’t see the problem”

                                                                                                                  ~G.K Chesterton

Step one is not about food.
Step one is not about exercise.

Step one is about You……yea that’s right……You.

Ironically You are the problem……. and….…You are the solution.
Food has no power…You do.

“We have met the enemy… and he is us” ~Pogo
The first step to change is acknowledgement.

Self-awareness precedes personal transformation.
Read that again… s l o w l y.

Self-awareness….… precedes…… personal transformation.
“You cannot change what You do not acknowledge”

“Get real with yourself about your life and everybody in it. Be truthful about what isn’t working in your life.  Stop making excuses and start making results.  If you’re unwilling to acknowledge a thought, circumstance, problem, condition, behavior, or emotion–if you won’t take ownership of your role in a situation–then you cannot and will not change it.” ~ Dr. Phil
“You do what You do because you get something from it”

What could we possibly be getting from over eating?
Why do we find it almost impossible to stop?

Why do we eat so much that it creates serious medical conditions that often result in death?
Why do we do it?

We do what we do because there’s a payoff……. yes there is J

Think about it…If there wasn’t a payoff You wouldn’t keep doing it…right?
So…What’s Your payoff?

Ok…….I will stop at this point.
There is a secret here…the secret is step one is the most important step. If you can master this step, You can take control of your life!

You might be asking, “Take control of my life?… That’s a big statement… I just want to control my body.”

And I would respond, “Yes… Take control of your life!”
Remember I began this topic with You… it’s about You!

Controlling your body is actually a paradigm shift that occurs in your mind…your body is a reflection of your thoughts/beliefs and actions that follow.  (Beliefs have consequences)
Changing You, changes everything.

Ok…get your pen and paper… (This is your homework…please…write it down)
1. I am responsible for me. (Acknowledgement)

2. What is the thing I would like to change the most? (Describe the behavior)
3. Why do I do it… What is the payoff? (Positive consequences)

4. What are the consequences?  (Negative consequences) 

(Notice the conundrum of 3 and 4…with every choice, a consequence follows. Maximize the positives, minimize the negatives)
See you in a little while for step 2!

“Today is your day, your mountain is waiting. So get on your way.”

                                                                                       ― Dr. Seuss

 

 

Monday, January 27, 2014

Introduction


A few days ago I promised to provide fitness information on my Blog. I was very excited to see the response.  However, due to the comments made pertaining to my post, I've decided to inform some of you that it may be preaching to the choir...and I don't want to preach to the choir.  I want to preach to those who have tried it all.  To those who have "had it", and to those who have almost given up.  I want to reach out to those who are ready, and to those who are sick and tired of being sick and tired.
The thing I'm excited about the most is that these people are at a point of “readiness to change.”  You’re not looking to argue or debate (that will come later), you're here to listen and learn.  You're open enough to understand that it may not be the food...it may not be gluten...it may not be that you have been cursed with bad genes.

You’re open to accept for the first time in a long time that it may just be you.
I've decided to provide you information in 3 steps.  Each of these steps will come in the form of a blog that is under 500 words - do you know how hard that is?  I'm doing it this way so that some of you will not waste your time (you can read it...proceed forward...or discontinue).

Each step will be revisited with a more in-depth discussion that will answer some of the questions that I have left open - this is an easy topic that is very complex...ironic huh?
Let me state up front that all of the information I will provide can be backed up with neural science, psychology, nutrition science, and exercise physiology.

I'm just pulling from all areas of science to paint a picture of the growing epidemic that many are facing living in a world of abundance.
I look forward to being of service and providing you information that will not only change your body, but change your mind.

"The greatest thing I can ever do is not what I can do to my body...but what I can do to my mind"   

 

 

Friday, January 24, 2014

Conditioned Environmental Response

                                                     
                                                 “You will find only what you bring in.” 

                                                                                               ~ Yoda

 
“You cannot change what you do not acknowledge”

This part may be easier to understand…but it may be more difficult to admit?
There is no doubt about the fact that we all come biologically hard wired with an array of genetic tendencies, but most all of our beliefs/actions manifest from our environment. Our family, friends, schools, and geography play a huge role in our behaviors.

Although our environment conditions us, we cannot escape the hard wired structures of our brain.
The Limbic system has an area within it called the Amygdala (AM). The AM plays a key role in the processing of emotions.  In humans and other animals, this mid-brain brain structure is linked to both the fear and pleasure responses.

The Amygdala is also an area where most of our memory is stored.  A neurologist once said, “The mind sees what it remembers.” The AM is the area remembering. The Neo-Cortex NC (good wolf) and AM (bad wolf) are in constant negotiations. Together they develop a consensus regarding an appropriate compromise between emotional memories and reason and logic.
However, recent studies show that NC (specifically the frontal lobe) isn't completely developed until we’re in our mid-20s. This is why it is so important for parents to act as the “executive director” for their kid’s development to become healthy critical thinkers.  This also explains why teenagers (and sometimes adults) often seem so self-centered.

Kids may post inappropriate things on twitter, partake in risky behavior, and seem very selfish. All of these things are a reflection of their developmental stage.  They aren't yet at that place where they're thinking about (or capable of thinking about) the consequences of their behavior toward other people. That requires insight……insight that comes from a “maturely” developed frontal lobe.
Neural scientist Joe LeDoux said, “As things now stand, the amygdala has a greater influence on the NC than the NC has on the amygdala, allowing emotional arousal to dominate and control thinking.” (DeLoux, 1996, p. 303)

This confirms the prior Aristotle quote regarding The Blind Drives of Biology…
"The lives of many humans are governed by nothing more than the pleasure and pain that comes from the satisfaction and frustration of appetites. Appetites and reason are part of every human, but his or her character is revealed by which of the two dominates”

Is this true for you?
If so, let’s take a look at the conditioned responses we all have…

~ Walk into any house with bread baking in the oven and it will take you back to those early years at home and invoke emotions of comfort and safety.
~ Hearing a song, “More than a feeling” and it will take you back to your high school or college years and invoke feelings of dating, parties, and staying up late studying for tests.

The amygdala does this without any conscious effort on our part.

For many this is a blessing… remembering the simple times in life provides a sense of youth, innocence, and autonomy.  
But for many it can be a curse… reminding one of uncomfortable times paired with associations that lead to destructive behaviors.

These associations are unique for each individual depending on our experiences.
For instance…

~ If you grew up in a dysfunctional home where neglect was involved, the smell of baked bread could cause extreme anxiety.
~ If you had a horrible fight with your boyfriend when the song, “more than a feeling” was playing… Boston songs may create an adverse reaction.

It’s all perspective, “You will find only what you bring in.” 
The neurological narrative of the AM is one of emotional memories and the pairing of attachments. (I.e. food, drugs, alcohol, sex, etc.).

If a person is having a negative experience, the drive to resolve the conflict is usually strong. Freud referred to this resolution as, “seeking pleasure to avoid pain.”
In today’s society, food does the job of resolving pain…..it’s cheap, abundant, legal, and socially acceptable.

Win a game… go out to eat.
After church… go out to eat.

Straight A’s on a report card… go out to eat
Boyfriend/girlfriend break up… go out to eat.

Stressed at work… go out to eat (or have a drink).

The pairing of food in these emotional situations is known as the classical conditioned response…. also known as learned reflexive response. On the surface these moments seem benign… below the surface is a complex neural netting that creates the habits that define most of our lives. “At first we create our habits and then our habits create us.”
“To learn we must unlearn”  

                             ~ Yoda
Before we can rehabilitate our behaviors we must learn to identify the antecedents. (Antecedent… A thing or event that existed before or logically precedes another)

“If you don’t like the crop…don’t sow the seed” 
If you’re an adult reading this, your seed has been sown. It will be hard to change, but change is always possible. The steps I recommend will be a guideline for you and me… and a great start in life for our kids.

“For every complex problem there is an easy answer….and it is wrong”

                                                                                    ~ H. L. Mencken
For a habit to be broke there must first be an awareness of the underlining issues (antecedents).

The goal, as Freud explained is “To make the un-conscious conscious.”
Many psychological studies have found that the “ABC’s of Behavioral Modification” provide the best structure for consciousness–raising and behavioral modification.                                                                         

The ABC’s of Behavioral Modification
A  Refers to the antecedent, or the event or activity that immediately precedes a problem behavior. (Memories, associations, stressors)

B  Refers to observed behavior. (Eating, drinking, drugs)
C  Refers to the consequence, or the event that immediately follows a response. (Health problems, family problems, law problems)

 We must also change the way we use food.
1. Food is not love… its nourishment.

2. Food is not the reward… the reward is the work done well…. A sense of accomplishment.
3. Food is not comfort… comfort is overcoming uncomfortable moments with logic and reason.

4. Food does not overcome adversity… logic and reason overcomes adversity.               
(Handling adversity with logic and reason becomes very addictive!)

If you’ll notice, each of the food issues is emotional manifestations of the limbic system.
Each of my opposing suggestions regarding food is logical directions of the neo-cortex.

I guess the Indian grandfather had it right… when it comes to the bad wolf verses the good wolf, the one who wins is the one you feed.

 "Self-knowledge entails an understanding of our fears and other emotions, habits, and personal relationships. It implies an understanding of the possibilities that are open to us, as well as a realistic sense of our limitations. And it implies an understanding of our strengths, weaknesses, and faults.”                                  

 

Monday, January 20, 2014

The Blind Drives of Biology


"Men are conscious of their own desire, but are ignorant of the causes whereby that desire has been determined."                                                                             ~ Spinoza

 A famous neural scientist once said, “You are your brain… your brain is you.” And how true could this be!
Neural scientists know this through studying traumatic brain injuries…specifically in the frontal lobe region (FL).

(See Phineas Gage, frontal lobe damage)
John Hodges (2001). "Book review: An odd kind of fame. Stories of Phineas Gage". Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry 71 (1). doi:10.1136/jnnp.71.1.136c.
Before beginning our brain journey, I would like to start with a metaphorical story (I love metaphorical stories) to help put our cognitive battle in perspective.

An American Indian grandfather was talking to his beloved grandson about his feelings:
Grandfather: I have two wolves fighting in my heart. One wolf is the vengeful, angry, violent one.

The other wolf is the loving, compassionate one.
Grandson: Which wolf will win the fight in your heart grandfather?

Grandfather: The one that I feed.
This great story of two wolves represents the cognitive dilemma that we all face.

The “bad wolf” represents an area of the brain known as the Limbic System (LS). The type of food the bad wolf (LS) might consume presents a conundrum for humans. On one hand it brings joy in life… but left unchecked… it can provide the most pain.
The reality is that if it wasn’t for the LS none of us would be here. The LS’s circuits were selected to generate behavior that was appropriate for our survival in a barren world. There were no restaurants, or gardens… when our ancestors came across nuts, roots, or a dead carcass, it was in our best interest to eat it….all of it!

Their next meal was not a given. In fact, it could be up to a week before they might eat again.
Those ancestors, who were successful at finding food, shelter, killing rivals, and procreating, now preside within each and every person that inhabits the earth today.

The rewards for finding those “visible” essentials were just the tip of the Iceberg.”  The true “reward” for finding these essentials lay beneath the surface…..Dopamine… and it’s still true today.
Dopamine is a neural transmitter that is central to our brain’s reward circuitry. Dopamine provides feelings of pleasure and provides reinforcement to motivate a person to proactively perform certain activities (See Conditioned Response).  Regardless of what we find pleasure/enjoyment in… dopamine is the payoff.  (http://psychology.about.com/od/cindex/g/condresp.htm)

Consider the irony….the successful evolutionary drives that were selected for in a barren world are now the very drives that appear to be killing us living in a world of abundance. 
Within the LB lies the brain’s “pleasure center”, the Nucleus Accumbens (NA).  Whenever we experience pleasure, the NA becomes flooded with dopamine.

The good wolf represents the Neo-Cortex (NC). This area is the “executive director” of our behavior (impulse control, decision making, reason, and logic). The NC is fully aware of our consequences.
The type of food (information) the good wolf consumes stimulates the intellect.

This represents the grandfather’s response… “The one that I feed.”
Aristotle observed this behavior of seeking pleasure and finding pain in a 322 B.C quote…

“The lives of many humans are governed by nothing more than the pleasure and pain that comes from the satisfaction and frustration of appetites. Appetites and reason are part of every human, but his or her character is revealed by which of the two dominates.”
We are governed by the pleasure and pain that comes from the satisfaction and frustrations of our evolutionary drives.  We are a species that doesn’t fully comprehend the biological consequences of surviving our harsh past.  So we continue to partake in things that biologically provide the most satisfaction (dopamine) in spite of the negative effects of living a life un-controlled.

If humanity is to survive, we must transcend our biological desires shaped by the evolutionary pressures of our past through awareness and reason.
From struggling in a harsh barren world…… to struggling in a world of abundance…… how ironic.

 
“Some pleasures are not worth having because they lead to greater pains, and some pains are worthwhile when they lead to greater pleasures. The best strategy for attaining a maximal amount of pleasure overall is not to seek instant gratification but to work out a sensible long term policy”                                                                                        ~ Epicurus

 

Thursday, January 16, 2014

YOU...part two


                             “Know thy self… The unexamined life is not worth living” 

                                                                                                               ~ Socrates

 

 “We need more understanding of human nature, because the only real danger that exists is man himself. He is the great danger. And we are pitifully unaware of it. We know nothing of man ... far too little. His psyche should be studied — because we are the origin of all coming evil”                                          

   ~ C.G. Jung

 

 “What you’re aware of is a decision, but you’re not aware of what makes you do the decision”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                                        ~ Francis Crick

 
If you like what I've said and you’re still with me, great!

From this point on one thing is for sure..... I can't promise you each blog will be 500 words or less. Each section from here on out will require us to dive a little deeper beneath the surface in search of the answer to, "why we do what we do?".... And the specifics of nutrition and exercise.
Before we begin I must first thank my wife Kim. I've attempted to write many blogs and books about health and fitness before and she has always been there to edit my mess.

(I know what I think... that is until I read what I write. She has always been there to help make sense of my ADD mind)
But the one thing I want to thank her about the most (besides marring me and raising the most incredible kids) is a brilliant question she asked me after another failed attempt to put my thoughts on paper regarding fitness.

She stated, in a very sensitive tone... "Kelly, this is great, but people know what to do.....a great question to address is why don't they do it?"
If it had not been for Kim's simple question, I would still be like most of you.... focusing on the solution...rather than trying to understand the problem.

Newton said, "If I have seen further than most it’s because I've stood on the shoulders of giants."
In my case those shoulders belong to my wife....thanks Kim.

So now let’s sit back, kick your feet up, and get back to YOU...
In my first blog about YOU, I stated "You cannot change what you do not acknowledge." This of course is only one part of change.....of course the most important part...but still only one part.

Most times the "acknowledgement" leaves us focusing on the manifestations (i.e. behaviors...eating, drinking, drugs, sex, etc.), rather than understanding the complexity of the origins of human desires.
For a moment...I want you to envision an Iceberg.

(Visualize the tip above the surface...now...visualize the large mass beneath the surface)
Because the density of fresh water ice is less than that of sea water, typically only one-tenth of the volume of an iceberg is above water. The shape of the underwater portion can be difficult to judge by looking at the portion above the surface. This has led to the expression, "tip of the iceberg"... when only a small portion of the entire (and usually larger) problem or situation is visible.

Let me rephrase this in human terms...
We are all individuals floating on the surface in the sea of life.

Each individual is a unique combination of genetically coded biology and environmental conditioning, which makes it very difficult to judge what lies beneath the surface.
This diverse and unique combination of genetics and environment is what makes each of us "believe what we believe", and therefore "do what we do."

Although we are different, we all struggle - it has been well documented throughout human history.
Take a look...

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do”

                                                                                                                  ~ Roman 7:15

 “I yearn to be free of pain but rush straight into it; I long for happiness, but foolishly crush it like an enemy”                                                                                               ~ Shantideva

 
"No matter how sincerely and passionately I choose to do good, I keep doing the opposite. I make a declaration of my most deeply held values, only to find myself furtively betraying them. I take a vow to dedicate myself to the welfare of others, but remain resolutely committed to my own well-being. I desire truth and find nothing but uncertainty. Even when a calm, authoritative voice whispers that I am contradicting myself by indulging a compulsion, why do I find it so hard to resist? It’s as if a part of me feels hypnotized, as if it is sleepwalking, under a spell, addicted to a sensation it cannot renounce. I know why I shouldn’t be doing what I am, but I can’t seem to help it. The struggle to resist temptation is like the struggle to resist the pull of a tide. And these longings seem but pale shadows of that deeper and darker drift of our own existence, which is known as the devil”                                              

                                                                                                                 ~ Stephen Batchlor

YOU are not alone.
One of my statements in my first blog was,

"You do what you do because you get something from it."

So what do we get?
Consequences....you get consequences.

The consequences from eating in moderation are most times health and limited trips to the doctor’s office.  The consequences you get from over eating are weight gain and most times health issues.
But looking at the consequences is like looking at the “tip of the iceberg.”  What we see is just a manifestation of what’s happening beneath the surface.  What’s happening below the surface is ironically located at the top of our head.

The next couple of sections will focus on the two main determining factors as to-
"Why we do what we do”

The next sections will cover the blind drives of biology and the learned behaviors from our environment.

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Step Three... Exercise


                                                  “Everything is hard before it’s easy”

 
Exercise and nutrition are the easiest parts of this whole series. In fact… exercise and nutrition are just the “Tip of the Iceberg.”
You might be thinking, “How could exercise and nutrition be the easiest parts?”

Let me explain. Exercise and nutrition are objective….they are measurable via the scientific method. We can test what happens when you stress the body in a specific way… and predict the outcome.
Pseudo fitness experts can argue, give their opinions, make outlandish claims, and provide their own “scientific” findings, but in the end, science gives us the real answers.

Exercise:
Before we begin, I need to start with the physiology of exercise. These terms will be of great value when I recommend a training regimen. I don’t want to tell you what to do…I want you to understand the reason for your new success… and to appreciate the power of scientific knowledge.

I once heard a coach say, “Oh the redundancy of specificity.”

What he was referring to was a specific type of training that successful elite athletes participate in.
Athletes utilize what’s known as the SAID Principle.

Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand
The body becomes what you do… if you run, you maximize your cardio vascular fitness… If you lift weights (in the 1-6 rep range), you build strength… if you sit on the couch……… I’ll let you figure that one out.

Within the SAID Principle there are two main components; Specificity and Overload.
~ SPECIFICITY

Training effects are very specific to the type of exercise performed and to the muscle fiber types involved.
Let’s start with Muscle Fiber Types:

~ Slow Twitch fibers (ST)… (Fatigue resistant, endurance high, prefer fat for fuel at moderate intensity, small in size, and large mitochondria and capillaries) Used during aerobic training.
~ Fast Twitch a fibers (FTa)… (Greatest potential for hypertrophy (growth), glycogen and fat preference for fuel, moderate endurance) Used during bodybuilding/fitness type training.   

~ Fast Twitch b fibers (FTb)… (Greatest contractile force, glycolytic preference for fuel, fatigues quickly) Used during power type training.
~ Types of resistance training: (Weight training)

~ High Reps (13-20+ reps): When you lift with high repetitions, you get little strength, but more endurance. Each repetition doesn't require that much strength, so your body doesn't require increased neurological efficiency or increased muscular size. It does require more endurance, because you are asking it to work over and over again. This type of training stimulates the Fast Twitch a fibers (FTa) and the Slow twitch Fibers. The FTa fibers can begin to take on the characteristic of the ST (i.e. reduction in size to become more efficient).  
(Note: Strength training greatly enhances aerobic performance by preventing injuries and providing a “Kick” at the end of a run. However… aerobic training compromises strength training and decreases the size of hypertrophied muscle. I’m not suggesting “no cardio”… I am suggesting if your goal is a lean tone body and increasing resting metabolic rate, do cardio training in moderation.)

~ Medium Reps (6-12 reps): When you lift with medium reps, you get some strength, but not as much. Your body responds by increasing muscular size (hypertrophy). Due to the amount of weight being used and the number of repetitions, this type of training does more damage to the muscle fibers, therefore increasing size via adaptation. This type of training stimulates the Fast Twitch a fibers (FTa).
~ Low Reps (1-5 reps): Generally, exercising for low reps emphasizes muscular strength and neurological improvements. That is, your body gets physically stronger, and learns to activate your muscle fibers more efficiently to let you lift more. This type of lifting stimulates the Fast Twitch a fibers (FTb).

 ~ Cardiovascular Fitness: (Cardio/Aerobics)
Aerobic literally means "with oxygen", and refers to the use of oxygen in muscles' energy-generating process.  Aerobic exercise includes any type of exercise, typically those performed at moderate levels of intensity (70% of max. heart rate) for extended periods of time… to an intense program which maintains an increased heart rate.  In such exercise, oxygen is used to "burn" fats and glucose in order to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the basic energy carrier for all cells.  Initially during aerobic exercise, glycogen is broken down to produce glucose, but in its absence, fat metabolism is initiated instead. (This is one reason I suggest doing cardio after weight training for 20 min) 

There are various types of aerobic exercise (walking, running, biking, elliptical, swimming, aerobic classes etc.).

There are many benefits to cardiovascular training… Strengthen your heart and cardiovascular system… Improve your circulation and help your body use oxygen better… Increase energy levels so you can do more activities without becoming tired or short of breath… Increase endurance…Lower blood pressure… Improve balance and joint flexibility… Strengthen bones… Help reduce body fat and help you reach and stay at a healthy weight… Help reduce stress, tension, anxiety, and depression… And boost self-image and self-esteem

 ~ OVERLOAD
For Neuromuscular adaptation to occur and improve your performance, continual overload of the energy systems (strength, hypertrophy, and cardio) must be utilized.

(I don’t want to get too deep into the physiology of energy systems, but I will list them here for later discussion)
1. ATP-PCr system (Strength)

2. Glycolytic system (Hypertrophy)
3. Oxidative system (Cardio)

So … How do we get started?
The first step is this question … What’s your goal?

After defining your goal, have a fitness professional prescribe a program that is specific to help you reach it in the safest, quickest way possible.  If you’re not sure what your goal is, maybe this will help…
Let’s look at the 4 components of fitness:

~ Body composition
~ Cardiovascular Fitness

~ Muscular Strength
~ Muscular Endurance

A complete fitness program should include each of these four components. Depending on your goals, you may spend more time in one component to maximize your efforts. (I.e. goal strength… spend more time lifting weights)
~ Body composition is the relative proportion of fat to fat-free tissue in the body. The most common reason to test body composition is to assist in tracking the amount of weight, or percent of fat an individual loses over the course of the exercise program to achieve a desirable goal or target weight. Body composition can be assessed in many ways including by taking skin fold or circumference measurements at different sites of the body.

(Body fat is more a reflection of your diet than any specific type of exercise)
~ Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) reflects the functional capabilities of the heart, lungs and muscles relative to the demands of the specific exercise such as in running or cycling. True measures of CRF require maximal exertion along with collection of expired gases. If this is a test you’re interested in, I would contact the UT Tyler Kinesiology department.

~ Flexibility refers to the degree to which a joint moves through a normal, pain-free range of motion.  This can be a determining factor in the performance of Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) as we age. A reduction in tissue elasticity and deterioration of joint anatomy with age has been shown to decrease flexibility and may lower the performance in ADLs, which can decrease quality of life.
~ Muscular strength and Muscular endurance training can elicit benefits in increased strength, lean tissue mass, increased metabolism, injury prevention, and bone density. Muscular strength can be assessed by using a Repetition Maximum (1-RM, 5-RM or 10-RM) test on a variety of different exercises that involve major muscles groups.

Muscular endurance testing might include timed tests, where the exerciser has to perform as many repetitions of a given movement as possible in a specific time period (i.e., 1 minute of curl-ups or push-ups). Results from both muscular strength and endurance tests can assist in recommending proper intensities and loads for strength training exercises.
Ok….these are the basics that will be discussed as we work together to develop a program to reach our goals!

Stay tuned!

 

Monday, January 13, 2014

Step Two... Nutrition


“You did what you knew how to do, but when you knew better, you did better”

                                                                                          ~ Maya Angelou

“The reason you don't change for long is because you have a set of beliefs that support the person you are, not the person you want to be”

 Nutrition is a fascinating and controversial subject.
I mean think about it…There are people who genuinely want to know how food affects their body because they love food and care about their health… and… there are people who seek out “special plans” to confirm information based on their desired food/diet of choice. (I.e. such as people who prefer meat usually seek out high protein diets)  

This conundrum of people wanting to know, versus people seeking affirmation, creates a serious dilemma within the health industry.
(Do we give them the science? Or do we give them what they want?)

How is one to know the truth about nutrition when magazine advertisements, self-proclaim fitness gurus, and television commercials bombard us with diet programs all claiming to be the “best” method to incinerate fat with minimal effort?
To complicate matters, these “health” books and commercials are followed by ads of tempting foods… pizza, burgers, chips, sweet drinks, and alcoholic beverages that increase our temptations.

So here we are…..
Several times a day, you get hungry and you have to eat.  And if you are like most people, you wonder, “Is this food good for me? How much should I eat?”  Or you berate yourself, “I probably shouldn’t be eating this…I’ll never lose weight.”

Let me be totally honest with you… there is a correct way to eat and science has most of the answers.  
Science can tell us the best way to choose foods, plan our meals, and design our diet wisely to enhance our health and improve our performance. I will be guiding you through the next couple of blogs to explain the science of nutrition.

I’m going to take on the daunting task of making the complex subject of nutrition as simple as possible. As I said in my first blog…the first step in change is acknowledgement (you)…the second step is increasing knowledge (diet and exercise).   
As I begin, I will mainly focus on the three macronutrients…Protein, Carbohydrates, and Fat. I will explain what each of these 3 macronutrients provide for our bodies…I will also explain the many misconceptions and lies told to us by the fitness industry.

Remember, I have nothing to gain from this…no money…no agenda…just the truth.    

                              “That which can be destroyed by the truth should be”
                                                                                           ~  P.C. Hodgell