Before/After; 10 Ways to take control of your Health

In 2010 & several years leading up to the start of triathlon I had fallen into some very bad weekend habits.  Even though I considered myself a healthy person, I had realized I was spending too many nights at the bar, especially Fridays/Saturdays.  I had lost control in a sense, staying out until 4 a.m. drinking beers, which turned into hard cocktails & then countless shots.   I was having a great time, but I had abused my body some weekend nights so bad to the point that I couldn't come out of my apartment & off the couch until the next night after 6 or 7 p.m.  Being severly dehydrated my body would be shaking terribly & I would feel helpless at times.  Why was I doing this to myself?  At some point I couldn't take it anymore.  I decided that this cycle had to end & luckily stumbled upon something that would turn this problem around.   

The lifestyle that comes with triathlon was that turning point. 

Saturday/Sunday mornings started to be my most active hours in the week!  I transformed from eating pizza at 4:30 a.m. Saturday to getting up at 6:00 a.m. for a 2-5 hour bike ride or if I had a race cerain weekends.  As a result, my body started changing and I became a lot stronger & a lot healthier.  I would take the health & physical activities I was doing on the weekend and build on that going into each week.  This is where I think a lot of young people have a hard time.  They spend a lot of the workweek trying to diet and eat healthy, but their hard work is completely washed away once the weekend comes..  That late Saturday night holds your hangover until sunday night & your recovery really lasts until Tuesday the next week.  You totally erase any health gains you accomplished during the week by your weekend abuse!  Everything is ok in moderation, but I personally couldn't be at a bar for 4 hours and get by having only 2 drinks.  If you have that self control more power to you.

I have to admit I sometimes miss the days of building up a big tolerance for alcohol, staying out late/sleeping in & eating whatever I felt like, but now I can truly value the feeling of a healthy diet/lifestyle because I have been through both scenarios and see the effects of how the body reacts to both. 

When I talk about eating healthy I am not talking about eating less.  I actual eat a substantial amount more now than I ever did (some attributed to increase in activity), but the foods I take in are much more nutrient rich than before; Avocados, Quinao, Soba Noodles, bulgar wheat, sweet potato, Lean chicken/meats, supergreens, krill oil/astaxanthin, coq10, probiotics, adding kale and other vegetables. 

 I can recommend some ideas if you want to start taking control over your health, feeling & looking better:  If you can take a couple points from this list and improve on them I think you will see some very great results in mood, health & appearance:

 1.  Stop counting calories and concentrate on what is actual in the foods you consume.  From there, you can find out what foods you currently eat that are causing weight gain & possibly hurting your energy levels throughout the week.  Fat is actually not bad, you need it, and foods high in fats such as avocado, coconut oil have huge health benefits for you. Also, a low-zero calorie drink could be even worse off than the sugary version.  The artifical ingredients such as aspartame are killers in themselves that you should stay away from.  Try stevia if you need something natural for sugars.

2. Look at your sugars/carbs intake: The first culprit leading to weight gain is consumption of sugar and refined carbohydrates.  If you can cut back on pizzas, pastas, cereals, soft drinks than you automatically will give yourself an advantage.  Find carb alternatives to pastas such as quinao, bulgar wheat, soba noodles, etc.  Cutting diet coke/coke for water is one step that will drop pounds as well. Use whole-grain bread instead of whole wheat bread.  Try a brand called Ezekiel Bread (frozen section), which is organic sprouted whole grain. 

3.  Do some interval training.  Working out is essential, but make sure you fit in some intervals or running/biking that gets your heart rate high for a couple minutes,take a small recovery in between sets and repeat.  This is a very beneficial way to workout as your spending less time, but could easily burn more calories from pushing yourself

4. Always plan ahead your meals: This means a sunday trip to the grocery store, making your lunch for the next day, you save $ too! Maybe get a pound of lean turkey or chicken breast that will last 4-5 days. Add some chopped vine or cherry tomato/Raw spinach,Kale/, 1/2 Avocado spread on multi-grain or (ezekiel) bread, balsamic vinegar/light olive oil.  You got a nutritious lunch for the whole week.


Kale either Juiced, Sauteed,
or eaten raw in sandwich




Supergreens great in BFast Shakes

5. Always eat breakfast.  The first thing you should plan is breakfast.  There's a reason why people say it's the most important meal of the day.  You can't afford to wait until your starving at 12:00 p.m. to go wolf down a chipotle burrito.  Find quick alternatives that are pretty easy to make, ex Greek yogurt, Whole wheat fruit and p &b sandwich, or if you have time a breakfast shake with fruit, milk, p & b.  Adding Coconut oil, supergreens, flax seed, fish oils are a great way to get a boost in the a.m.  Note: Redbull, 5 hr energy, any other energy drink will have the opposite effects on your health, containing enormous amounts of sugar,  supressing your health problems even more.  Everyone should have time to get in a solid breakfast.

6. If you cook dinner make some extra so you can have it the next day for lunch or even the next night for dinner. 

7. Drink a lot of water.  Bring a water bottle to work with you to avoid frequent refills with smaller cups.  Pound a glass of water every morning for hydration.  You always want your body replenishing & cycling foods in/out.  Easily digestable foods/drinks are the most beneficial. 

8.  Have healthy snacks available in between your 3 larger meals.  I find roasted, salted or unsalted almonds are a great snack to have in between meals as they fill you up quickly.  Almonds are packed with vital nutrients including fiber, calcium/magnesium, good mono sat fats, protein & vitamin E.

9.  Try juicing vegetables and fruit. This is the best way to get nutrients fast.  I usually take a couple bunches of kale & mix with apples, carrot, & ginger.  You can make enough to last for 3-4 days. Usually consuming a small cups worth in the a.m.  It looks pretty horrible, but I assure you it tastes great!

10.  After making progress with your diet through self control, make sure you reward yourself from time-to-time.  Sit back and have a couple drinks or some ice cream, but realize that you are not being held hostage by unhealthy foods anymore and you now have more control over what you eat.

Sometimes as people we are quick to avoid what's mysterious to us & stick to what the majority of people do, but unfortunately the majority in Americans these days are unhealthy, & the older they get the slower their metabolism gets & the harder it is to change.  Good advice is to try new things whether it be activities or new food to get a different perspective or appreciation for others. When you do find yourself involved in activites, eating certain foods that are not the norm, the odds are you are moving in the right direction. 
Big thanks to Jesse(brother) who was the first to introduce me to some great supplements and some alternative food options that you don't really see to often on American's dinner tables. 

At first I thought he was crazy/over the top, but I am lucky to finally have had an open mind to try foods/supplements that I knew little about.  I just realize he is smart, in control of his health & loves to spread knowledge to those he cares about so they can live a happier/healthier life.  

Below is a picture of some supplements I take for recovery & overall health:



Krill Oil/Astaxanthin/Probiotics/Ubquinol/Mercola's MultiVitamins