Tag: article roundup

Here’s a recap of the best health and fitness articles I’ve read over the past week.

Jim Stoppani’s 12-Week Shortcut To Size: Microcycles Explained

This workout routine sounds really interesting and it makes a lot of sense – I know based on my own experience with these types of routines. I’ve never done both styles of lifting at the same time, so this would be a great experiment. I wish I had a cable machine at home.

Consumers misunderstand ‘cruelty-free’ labeled products

It’s dissapointing that some product manufacturers care only about making the sale and not about the strong beliefs of their customers. I hope that a legal definition of cruelty-free is determined soon and that companies are forced to abide by laws of using that label. I’m really surprised something isn’t already in place to protect consumers from things like this.

Mobility Exercise of the Week: Bowler Squat

This is an exercise you might be familiar with if you’ve done P90X. It’ll really put the burn in your legs. I might have to throw this one back into my routine. The pictures in this article of the tennis player and baseball player are crazy!

More than half of all cancer is preventable, experts say

If Americans would quit smoking and clean up their diets, there wouldn’t be so many people suffering and dying from cancer. The researchers of this study mention that one of the problems they see is that people are skeptical of cancer prevention. Hopefully our doctors can drive that skepticism away in the upcoming years. There are some other interesting points in this article made about the obstacles of implementing cancer prevention strategies.

How to Get Your Broken, Neglected Bike Ready for Spring (and Keep It in Shape for Next Year)

Lucky for me, the bike shop where I purchased my road bike will do maintenance for free for the lifetime of my bike, but these are still some great tips for me to know. I only want to lug my bike to the shop 1-2 times a year, so these are great tips for keeping my bike in tip-top shape in between maintenance visits.

Less than 1 in 6 Americans frequently washes grocery totes increasing risk for food poisoning

I was actually just thinking about this a few days ago. I’ve never washed any of my grocery totes since I’ve owned them. I don’t purchase raw meat, but that doesn’t mean germs can’t exist on my vegetables either. Maybe I’ll make a habit of throwing my totes in the washer at the end of the week.

How I got past my spinach-in-protein-shakes fear (and why you should too)

I still haven’t tried making a green smoothie and I really don’t know why. The author of this article mentions that even two cups of spinach is detectable in their smoothie. I’m not really afraid of the taste, especially after having juiced spinach, kale, cilantro and parsley and drinking it straight. You will taste that by the way 😉 I think I’ll make a green smoothie this weekend.

Super Simple Beginner’s Green Smoothie

Speak of the devil! Right after reading the article above about making green smoothies, this one showed up in my feed reader. Looks like this is the one I’ll be trying this weekend 😀

Skip the Knife Set and Buy A La Carte to Save Money and Get Better Knives

I’ve made the mistake of purchasing a knife set that rarely gets used, mostly because the knives suck! High quality knives are so expensive, but I’m sure they are worth every penny. My current crappy knives will have to do for now, but I plan on buying a really nice butcher knife soon – something that can slice through tomatoes and onions like nothing.

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Zercher Goodmornings

I’ve never been comfortable doing goodmornings because I can tell immediately that if my form isn’t good, injury is very possible. I always hear about how good this exercise is though. I’ve only done goodmornings with the bar on my shoulders, so this style sounds interesting. As soon as I saw this video I thought about the pain of holding a heavy bar on my arms to do this move, but I suppose I can try to deal with the pain 😉

Bake Tortillas Into Hard Taco Shells on Your Oven Rack

This is such a great tip! I always have tortillas but I never feel like buying hard taco shells because I don’t eat them often. There’s always the occasion where I wish I had some though, and now I can simply make my own easily.

100 Greatest Cooking Tips (of all time!)

There are a lot of fun cooking tips and tricks here. I wish they would’ve put all of the tips on one page instead of spreading it out over 10 pages, but it’s still a great resource.

Big Time Bench: Want To Turn Every Head In Your Gym? Give Us 12 Weeks

Another really fun looking workout from Bodybuilding.com. The chest is one of the hardest parts of my body to build, so I’m really considering giving this one a shot. I was seeing some good progress on my strength when I was doing the Stronglifts plan, so I’d kind of like to do some more heavy bench pressing again.

Here’s a recap of the best health and fitness articles I’ve read over the past week.

Exercise is not enough for sedentary workers

Another study showing the dangers of sedentary jobs. These studies worry me because I have a sedentary job. I sit at a computer for 8 hours a day. What am I supposed to do? I do have a fitness ball to sit on, but I haven’t heard any of these studies mention anything other than a standing desk, which isn’t really an option in my workplace. I hope the ball is doing the job.

How to Run Faster – Speed Training Drills to Improve Overall Speed, Sprinting Mechanics, and Form – YouTube

Here are some tips on using proper running form and some great speed training drills to help you become a faster runner. I definitely plan on using these drills in my own routine.

The Top 3 Reasons I Love My Pressure Cooker

I’ve heard about how fast a pressure cooker can cook foods, but I asked my grandma about it and she said that she was so afraid of her mother’s pressure cooker that she’d never own one. She scared me away from buying one, but after reading this post, I realize that they are probably much safer these days. I’m still not sure if I want to buy one, but at least it’s on my “maybe” list now.

Chipotle Guacamole Recipe

This is the actual Chipotle restaurant guacamole recipe provided by Libby Balsigier, Chipotle’s marketing strategist. If you’re a fan of their guac, print and save this one!

Q & A: Fixing the “Tuck Under” When Squatting – Part II

I’ve learned about the “butt wink” about a year ago when I watched a video on YouTube of a guy showing people how to properly squat. It was a train wreck and all of commenters let him know. I have to admit, that I’m not really certain if I make this mistake because of the couple times that I’ve recorded myself squatting, my biggest mistake is not going deep enough. It’s something I continue to work on though.

The Truth About Meal Frequency: Is Intermittent Fasting for You?

If you still don’t know what intermittent fasting is, it’s time to learn. This article talks about what intermittent fasting is, how it works and if it’s right for you.

Mile High Organics – Home Delivery Organics in Denver Metro, Boulder, Colorado, and Beyond…

This one is only for my Colorado readers, but I really wanted to have a record of this on my website so that I could refer back to it. They deliver fresh organic fruit and veggies right to your home or office door and for a good price. I really want to try this out. I mentioned this site on Facebook and a friend mentioned another similar site called Fooducopia.com. It’s great that more and more of these places are popping up.

Running Barefoot Probably Doesn’t Help Much in Races

I’ve been wearing barefoot shoes, and occasionally running in them, strictly for reasons of promoting better posture and reducing injury, but if you’re running barefoot or in barefoot shoes for efficiency, it turns out that you’re not really saving yourself any amount of time that will make a much of a difference.

Wooden Squat Rack

I posted a link to another DIY squat rack a few months ago, but this rack looks even more heavy duty. I think I would actually trust putting some heavy weight on this one.

Popcorn: The snack with even higher antioxidants levels than fruits and vegetables

Here’s a great reason to eat more popcorn. Of course, it doesn’t do you much good if you’re eating popcorn that’s slathered in unhealthy butter and salt.

PETA Prime: Fun, Easy, and Cheap Snack: Vegan Microwave Popcorn

While already on the subject of popcorn, me and my fiance were watching a movie last weekend and were talking about how much we miss popcorn, since most commercial popcorns contain butter or other animal byproducts, so I decided to look for vegan popcorn and I didn’t realize that making popcorn was as easy as popping plain kernels in a paper bag. This is awesome! No strange chemicals and completely vegan! I bought a bag of organic popcorn kernels from Natural Grocers for about $2.50 and I’ve been eating popcorn every night. No additives. Just straight popcorn. It’s delicious!

EatingWell: 10 Bad Cooking Habits You Should Break

It turns out that I make several of the cooking mistakes mentioned in this article. I make the first mistake all the time – letting oil get hot enough to smoke. I also put my nonstick pans on high heat. I didn’t realize how bad that mistake is. I’ve only made the “hot liquid in a blender” mistake once, and then never again, lol. And lastly, I have a bad habit of over-mixing, although I already knew that I shouldn’t.

Danger of grill brushes identified

This is something that probably almost nobody thinks about when they scrub down the grates on the grill. From now on, I’m gonna keep a rag in my grill’s storage area so that I can wipe it down after using the bristle brush.

Update on Vegetarian Chondroitin

I didn’t even realize that there were no vegetarian/vegan versions of chondroitin. I used to take chondroitin for knee pain a few years ago but stopped because I wasn’t sure it was helping and I didn’t want to pay for something if it wasn’t doing anything. I’m still not sure if it worked or not, but at least I know not to buy chondroitin anymore, at least not until a vegan formula comes out.

The Ultimate Hardgainer Workout

This looks like a really tough program. I’ve read lots of hardgainer articles and this one seems a little different than most. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Sometimes I worry that people give fitness advice based on what they think is right, but it’s not tested or based on real results. That’s sort of the feeling I get from this one, but I do think this is probably a really good workout. I say try it and see what results you get, if you’re a hardgainer and you’re looking for something new to do.

Foldable mountain bike doubles as rucksack for the uphill climb

This bike would be even cooler if it had pedals, but it’s still a cool idea. If you’re the type of person who likes to hike uphill, but hates the walk down, this might be the perfect product for you.

Common Runner Injuries [infographic]

This is a great infographic. I’m lucky to have never suffered any of these injuries, but maybe that just means that I don’t run enough. I especially like the section of this infographic focusing on how to avoid and treat injuries.

The Angry Coach: 5 Reasons Why Your Internet Fitness Guru is Full of Shit

There are a lot of great points here. Just like I mentioned in my comment beneath the hardgainer link I posted above – I’m not saying the writer of the hardgainer article doesn’t know what he’s talking about, but being a personal trainer isn’t proof enough for me. That’s why I questioned if his workout is really tested to work on hardgainers. Read the advice here and think hard about who you listen to for fitness advice.

Here’s a recap of the best health and fitness articles I’ve read over the past week.

21 Tips For Building the Body of Legend Bruce Lee

These are all very simple tips, and it’s all you really need to know to get in shape. Skip the “hottest” new exercise fad in the magazine and stick to the basics.

Why Creatine Benefits Vegetarians

Creatine isn’t necessary for vegetarians/vegans, but this article points out some excellent reasons why you should consider supplementing with it. I’ve been using creatine for years, and I’ll probably continue to use as long as studies continue to show how beneficial it is.

How I Gained 19LBS of Muscle in 8 Weeks with Visual Impact

This is one those success stories that makes me want to drop my current program and start doing this one. I won’t, but in about 3 months, I would really like to give this one a shot.

Blend a Whole Lemon Into Lemonade

I can’t wait to try this. I’m definitely making it this weekend. I think it’s worth noting that she is using a Vitamix blender in the video, which is capable of emulsifying the lemon rinds. I would suggest removing the rinds if you don’t have a blender like the Vitamix. I have a Ninja, which is strong, but I’ll still be removing the rinds.

Review of the Ninja Blender

Here’s a review I did on my Ninja Blender for one of my other, somewhat neglected, websites. I like being able to provide useful reviews, I just never seem to make the time. I’m gonna try to change that.

Why Getting Your Nutrition Only from Your Food is a Bad Idea

There are lots of interesting facts about what’s in our foods, what our foods are lacking and why you should use supplements. This one is very well researched and is a must-read.

Pressing Considerations for the Older Lifter – Part 1

I plan to lift well into my older years and this is probably some good information who already is. This is actually good stuff for any lifter to know.

Quinoa Burgers: Pizza Style

Just thinking about these makes my stomach growl. I can’t wait to try this. I’ve recently reduced my calorie intake and I’m eating boring, plain foods so I’m getting some crazy cravings lately. Saturdays are my cheat day though, so that’s when I get to make things like this.

SuperGreens

I’ve been trying to include more supergreens into my diet lately for all of the reasons in this articles. Brendan Brazier is also very big on algaes such as spirulina and chlorella.

First Starbucks Juice Bar Opens

It would be so awesome if these juice bars started to pop up all around the country. The first location is now in Bellevue, WA. I really hope it tests well and they build one here in the Denver, CO area.

Use a Banana to Quickly Ripen an Avocado

I knew that apples are supposed to ripen fruits faster, but I didn’t know that bananas do it too. Now I know that I should keep my bananas away from foods that I don’t want to ripen.

DIY Foam Roller

I mentioned last week that I was going to put a foam roller on my shopping list and I almost didn’t buy one when I saw that they cost $30, but I broke down and bought one anyway. I know, it’s not a whole lot of money, but it’s also not something I really need. I wanted it bad enough though. If you don’t want to buy one, follow the directions in this article and make your own!

Nutrient Timing – When to Eat Carbs for the Best Fat Loss

I’ve been meaning to manage my carb intake more wisely, so this advice comes at a good time. Since I workout in the mornings, the only time I should be eating carbs is right after my workout. That’s going to be difficult.

10 Stubborn Exercise Myths that Won’t Die, Debunked by Science

I’ve heard the lactic acid myth so many times before that I actually believed it. It’s always nice to learn something new.

Here’s a recap of the best health and fitness articles I’ve read over the past week.

TRX Suspension Training Basics for Beginners – YouTube

If you built your own TRX suspension straps instead of buying the official straps, you don’t get the training documents and DVD that come with them, so instead check out some videos on YouTube like this one.

Easiest (cleanest) way to open an Orange

I hate peeling oranges. Once I get this method down, maybe I won’t hate it as much.

Quinoa Kale Apple Salad

This salad looks really good. I already had all of my meals prepared for this week, so I haven’t had the chance to make it, but I plan on making it next week. I can’t wait to try it.

50 Renegade Nutrition Rules

There are a lot of good quick tips here, all of them very helpful. Some are pretty funny too 😀

Vegan Protein Powders – The 5 Best

I wish this article was around when I first became vegan. I went through a lot of terrible protein powders and at one point I even used soy protein isolate, which is one of the worst proteins you can consume. I’m much more knowledgeable these days and now I use Manitoba Harvest’s Hemp protein powder. Super healthy stuff!

Whiskey Marinated Tofu Steak {Recipe} – Better With Veggies

It’s getting closer and closer to summer and with summer comes barbecues. BBQ’ing with friends is one of my most favorite things to do and I can’t find a good vegan BBQ cookbook, so I need to start collecting recipes like this one so that I’m not stuck eating plain Boca burgers all the time. I do like Boca burgers quite a bit though 😀

Ethan Brown’s Vegan Chicken

This is awesome! The chicken looks kinda funny coming out of the machine, but the texture actually looks a lot like real chicken. Mark Bittman tasted the chicken the first time and said that it tasted a little bland, but when he tried it again later in cooked meals, not knowing which dishes used real or fake chicken, he was actually fooled both times he ate the fake chicken. This is great!

7 Remarkably Simple Ways to Become a Stronger Runner (and Maybe Even Enjoy It)

Everyone’s gearing up for the 5k season, myself included, so this is a great article on how to get in excellent running shape. There are some good tips and reminders for runners of most levels here. Advanced runners probably already know this stuff, but I learned some things. 😉

How to Grow Sprouts with Water or in Soil Any Time of the Year at Got Sprouts – YouTube

I’ve grown a few different types of sprouts in a couple of jars that I have, but I’d really like to grow in trays. I’d love to buy a rack and grow one tray every single day. How cool would it be to grown your own, and eat, 1lb of sprouts every day?! This is an excellent video from my favorite raw foods guy, John Kohler.

Bake Bread in a Coffee Can for Perfectly Round, Evenly Baked Loaves with Little Crust

With all the hoopla lately about the dangers of wheat, I was hesitant to post this, but I’m still not sold on the whole “wheat belly” idea going around the fitness industry right now. So if you’re looking for a cool and easy way to bake more bread, learn how to do it in a coffee can!

“Power Soak” Your Beans Before Cooking by Giving them a Two Minute Boiling Water Bath

Oooh, I really like this tip. I eat a lot of beans and there have been many occasions where I’ve gone to the store to buy canned beans because I didn’t want to wait until the next day to cook them while they soak in water.

The Biggest Posture Correction Mistake I See (and the correction that works immediately!)

I was actually making the mistake he mentioned in the video as I was watching, lol. I been straightening my back wrong this whole time. 🙁

Zombies, Run! Turns Your Exercise Routine into a Game of Survival

This is one of the coolest iPhone app ideas I’ve ever seen. The game actually tracks your speed and distance via GPS to determine how far away you can get from the zombies. Go too slow, and you’re zombie food. The price is a little high, but it sounds like a lot of fun and the reviews look good.

5 Must Have Appliances for the Bodybuilder

I can’t disagree with any of these. I own them all and love them all. I don’t use the Foreman grill or the slow cooker much anymore, now that I’m vegan, but there are still some recipes I come across where I still some use out of them.

Highly Effective Chest Building Superset

This really makes me want to buy some nice bands. I have a few of the common resistance bands you can find at any typical sporting goods store, but I’d really like to get some tough bands like the pros use. Watch the video here and tell me you can’t imagine the pain happening in that chest!

Reinventing the Office: How to Lose Fat and Increase Productivity at Work

Now this is an office I would love to work in. With all of these fun, experimental and healthy ideas, I would fit right in! I already sit on an exercise ball while working and I wear those wacky Vibram Five Fingers. 😀

What Is Ketosis And Ketogenic Diet

This is definitely something I need to learn more about. This article isn’t scientific, but it’s a great basic explanation of ketosis.

Shamrock Breakfast Sandwich. Kale. Pepitas. Jalapeno Sauce

Wow, this looks delicious. When I first visited the page, I just about closed it because I thought it wasn’t vegan. I wish I could make this sandwich this weekend, but I don’t have the ingredients and I’m too busy to go shopping for them. Maybe next weekend though 😀

SANDWICH RECIPES! HEALTHY RAW VEGAN SANDWICHES – YouTube

These are the “Dan the Man” LifeRegenerator videos I love. He’s been doing a lot of coaching lately, which I find extremely boring, so it’s great to see him doing more raw foods recipes. I’m really craving one of those lettuce wraps right now.

You Want A Big Chest? Read This And Make It Happen!

This is a really simple and basic article but with good tips. It reminded me that I need to buy some bigger dumbbells for my home gym so that I can start doing some dumbbell presses again. You gotta love Play it Again Sports and Craigslist for stuff like that!

How To Go Gluten Free In 7 Days

The author of this article talks about how everyone talks about how we should go gluten free, but nobody ever tells you how. I’ve found the same problem with the articles I read. There are some good basic tips here if you’re looking to go gluten free. I’m interested in the gluten free pizza recipe mentioned here too 😉

Evidence builds that meditation strengthens the brain

Meditation is one of those things that seems sort of silly to me, but I think it’s just because I’ve never done it. I’m sure if I gave it a shot, I’d actually like it. I’m going to look for some guides online to see what I can find to get started. I need to do it for my brain!

The Inclined Benchpress Without A Bench

I thought this was kinda funny, but not a bad tip. Depending on your weight and the amount of weight you’re lifting, you’ll need to make sure you have a board that can support you. If you’re small and just looking to stay fit, it’s probably fine, but if you’re taking your fitness serious and want to get stronger, invest in a bench. You can get one from Craigslist for cheap.

Best Tools for Soft Tissue Work

I like to think that I give a lot of fitness-related methods a try, but I’ve never invested in anything for soft-tissue work, and I really think I should. You know what, I’m gonna add a foam roller to my shopping list finally. I’m really interested in other tools this post mentions too. I don’t know anything about the Tiger Tail or the There Cane.

5 Ways to Improve or Maintain Your Athleticism

I like to think I’m athletic, but when I compete against other athletes, I realize that I’ve been spending too much time lifting weights and not enough time doing athletic and explosive training. I really want to change that. There are also two things mentioned in this article that I really want to look into – knee stability work and deloading.

Ten Ways Your Local Grocery Store Hijacks Your Brain

Articles like this are always interesting. I’ve read several other similar articles over the years, but most of these tactics are new to me. I think I really love hearing about psychological tricks like the ones in this article because I work in marketing.

Eating berries benefits the brain

The benefits of berries amazing. You can reduce the risks of age-related memory loss and other issues by including more berries in your diet. Who doesn’t love strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries anyway? Mmmmm, delicious.

Pre-Marathon Checklist: What I Am Packing

It’s interesting to see what someone packs for a marathon race. I have no idea what I would pack. I’d probably pack some of those Vega gels, that’s for sure. I don’t think I’d pack marmite and nutritional yeast though. Ack!

V e g a n D a d: Pizza Dough

I’ve had such a craving for pizza lately for some odd reason, and I’ve been thinking about seeking out some new pizza recipes, so this one came at a great time. I sure do wish I had a nice stand mixer. My arm feels tired just thinking about mixing this dough.

How to Create a Happy Mood

This is a great method to elevate your mood. It’s healthy to be happy! I’ve worked out with a trainer who tries to drive out anger and frustrations to squeeze more out of a workout, but that never works for me. It might for some people, but I work out better when I’m in a good mood.

How To Get Fit With 3 Minutes Of Exercise A Week: BBC Doc Tries “HIT”

Ahhh, the powers of HIT training. The article titles doesn’t mention the additional 6 minutes of gentle cycling, but still, 9 minutes total of training per week?! Good stuff. I’m going to try doing this as a warmup before a workout. Or maybe I should do it after a workout. Maybe I’ll try both. 😀

How To Make a Home Suspension Training System Under $25 – YouTube

To hell with the $250.00 TRX training system. I’m going to Lowes to buy what I need for less than $30!

Vegetarian cutlet: New method to prepare a meat substitute

It was big news last week when it was announced that scientists may be close to perfecting the replication of real meat. Now there might be another replica, but this one is made entirely of vegetables and is more likely to be in our supermarkets soon. This vegetable meat will be presented at the Anuga FoodTec trade fair from March 27 through March 30. I can’t wait to hear how it goes.

How Much Fiber Should I Have Per Day?

Fiber is a very important part of our diets, especially for people who eat meat. I think this also something important for people who are doing juice fasts. Fasting can be great for your health, but can’t be sustained forever. No matter who you are, eat more fruits and veggies!

Separate Bananas to Slow Down Their Ripening

Oh the humanity! Just think of all the bananas I could have saved if I had known this simple trick. I actually ate a bunch of brownish bananas last week as everyone at work looked at me in horror. Hey, I don’t like to waste food! 🙂

Reminder from Italy: Get B12!

This is such a scary story and an experience that could have been entirely avoided simply by taking a B12 supplement. If you’re vegan, make sure you’re getting enough B12 in your diet! Jack Norris also updated his article about B12 in vegans, and is a must read for any vegan not currently supplementing with B12.

Video: What Happens In Your Body When You Eat Ramen And Gatorade

Watch this video and you’ll learn why you should stop eating processed food. The human body is not designed to ingest it and it’s just not healthy for you.

Here’s a recap of the best health and fitness articles I’ve read over the past week.

Simple Squat Progression

If you’re a beginner lifter or if feel like your squat form could be better, read through this guide and consider following the program. I think My squat form could probably use some work so I’m going to try this out.

Rising Food Prices – Grow Your Own Organic Garden

There are some great recipes for organic and non-toxic pesticides here that you can use for your own garden. I’m gonna try the Tobasco concoction.

Nutritional Profiling: 6 Unhealthy Food Ingredients To Avoid

I really like this article because it gets straight to the point and explains exactly why you should avoid these foods, in an easy to understand way.

LES MILLS PUMP – Sneak Peek! – YouTube

I hate when programs like this show tons of super-fit people who claim that their program is the best in the world to get in shape and to lose fat, and they say it as if this is the program that got them in shape. The reason I’m linking to it though is because the program actually does look fun, much like it’s Beachbody cousin, P90X. They aren’t efficient programs, but I think keeping things interesting is a good way to make sure you stay on track with your fitness goals.

Fasting can help protect against brain diseases, scientists say

Just a few months ago, I would have been amazed by this news, but I’ve read so much about fasting recently, that I totally believe this is true. I haven’t fasted myself, but I would really like to give it a try sometime. When I do decide to fast, I’ll probably start with a 7-day juice fast, and perhaps a 3 to 7 day water fast sometime further down the road. The juice fast will likely come soon, because I found a cheap Juiceman II juicer at the flea market for only $5 just the other day. I have a nice expensive Breville at home, but I don’t want to take that one back and forth from work.

YouTube Trends: Don’t Try This at Home: First-Person Perspective Puts You in the Extreme Action

This is a great set of first-person perspective sport videos. I don’t have the nerve to do any of these things, so it’s fun to at least watch what it might look like if I did. 😉

How to Use Tech to Plan and Optimize Your Garden

I hope you read the article I posted earlier this week on getting your garden started by planting seeds indoors. If not, read it, then check out this great article from Lifehacker on getting a garden plan in order and figuring out how you to maintain it this gardening season.

Chin-Up Progressions for Women (The One Rep Hump)

Pull-ups aren’t only difficult to women. Overweight men and men who are just getting started in working out might have issues too. Don’t be ashamed. We all have to start somewhere. This is a great guide to getting started. Here’s part II of the series.

Surprisingly Effective Workouts You Can Do with a Towel in 20 Minutes or Less

Need a fun change to your workout? Throw one of these routines into your week. Judging by the faces of the people in the first video, it looks like you can get a pretty good workout using a towel.

Zen to Fitness – Raw Foods for Athletes

Everyone can benefit from these fruits and veggies. Read about the 10 most important foods athletes should be eating (according to the author) and why these foods are beneficial to our bodies.

The Real Way to Lose Weight Fast – With Pen and Paper

If you’re trying to lose weight and get in shape, you need to record it. I completely agree everything said in this article. I don’t keep a journal, but I can see how it could help someone who may have psychological issues in regards to their weight.

RotatoReliever: An Effective New Option For Repairing Shoulder Injuries

I’ve had many shoulder injuries over the years due to lifting weights. Nothing ever serious, but it really sucks not being able to get a full upper body workout due to a strained muscle in the shoulder. The RotatoReliever sounds like an interesting alternative to expensive therapy or rehab, and it’s only $130. There’s a great review of the product in this article and an interview with doctor who created it.

How To Train For a Marathon | Six Week Workout Program

Here’s a really simple schedule to train for a marathon. I’ve never run a marathon before. Even this schedule looks daunting to me. More than 40 miles in the first week makes my feet hurt just thinking about it. 6 weeks of training would probably fly by though. I might try this just to see how it goes.

10 Foods to Make Your Intestines Happy

Having digestion problems? Here are plenty of foods you should consider adding to your diet to get better gut health. I hated sauerkraut as a kid, but it’s been so long that I might like it now. I’m going to have to remember to pick some up next time I’m at the store. I don’t know how to eat it though. Do I eat it plain? Do I season it? Does it go well with other foods?

Sneaky Sources of Omega-3s

Omega 3 fatty acids are important to have in our diets. I used to eat fish to get my omega-3’s, but since going vegan, obviously I don’t consume fish anymore. Now I get my Omega 3 from avocados and flax, which I consume daily in my large salad. I just purchased a bag of chia seeds too, so I guess I’m covered.

Vegan Nutrition 101 with Jack Norris – YouTube

This video covers the basics of vegan nutrition and just a small portion of what Jack Norris, a vegan RD, covers in his book. The video is basic, but I actually learned about the importance of iodine in vegan diets.

Buy it now: Cold weather running gear

Here’s a good list of things you should buy while they’re cheap. The link they added to the Runner’s World “what to wear” tool is really cool too.

Here’s a recap of the best health and fitness articles I’ve read over the past week.

Q&A: Is Static Stretching Good?

Here’s a very detailed post about the different types of stretching and when you should do them. I almost always do dynamic stretches, but I think I’ll start trying to work in static and even some EQI’s, which I’ve actually never heard of before.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Vegan Dieting

Here’s a great follow-up to the interview that FitBodyHype did with Channa Serenity a couple of weeks ago. Channa makes two claims that I’ve never heard before, and I read a lot when it comes to nutrition. She says that you should never eat fruit with other foods and you shouldn’t drink water during meals. Interesting.

Plant-Based Diet For Athletes

This article provides a lot of information a vegan athlete should think about when it comes to their diet and what they should and should not be consuming. I’ve been a huge fan of Ben Greenfield for a while, but some of my respect has been lost after reading one of his comments in this article. He says one of his reasons for not going vegan is that he “likes meat.” What a fucking terrible and selfish excuse.

Weight Training Program – Why It Should Be Part Of Your Routine

This one will cater more to the ladies. I can’t even count how many times I’ve heard a woman tell me that they don’t want to lift weights because they don’t want to get huge and muscular. Well, it doesn’t work that way. Building muscle burns more calories and can get a female body into great shape, without causing bulk. There are plenty of other benefits too, as you’ll find out from reading this article.

The 50 Best Free Health & Fitness Courses on the Web (Voting Open!)

This is one of the coolest curated resources I’ve ever seen online. I wish there was a way for me to print out every single program with one click. There are so many great programs here, it’s not likely you’ll ever get bored in the gym. I can’t believe Stronglifts isn’t in this list though!

Ways To Burn Fat: 1 Insanely Powerful Dietary Change

It took a looooong time for this article to get to the point that we should cut wheat and gluten from our diets, but once the “secret” is finally revealed, there really is a lot of good information here about the negative effects that gluten has in our bodies and why we should remove it from our diets. With all of the research coming out about gluten and wheat these days, I’m thinking about cutting it out of my diet too.

Easy Ways to Give Any Meal a Powerful Nutritional Boost

This is great stuff, because these are foods that most people don’t even know about. What’s funny is that when I went vegan, these highly nutritional foods seemed to be in just about every vegan cookbook I own. If you want to take your nutrition to an even higher level, check out Thrive Foods from Brendan Brazier.

Pullovers: Bodybuilding’s Most Controversial Exercise

I’ve seen lots of articles for and against the pullover. I don’t currently do pullovers, but not for any reason specifically. I really like this move. If you need to be coerced into adding it into your routine, read this article.

Highly Effective Old School Back Training

Here’s another article talking about a classic exercise that we should be including in our weight lifting routines. I wish I had a better bar to do this one, but a straight bar will have to do. I can feel this exercise just by looking at the photos.

How To Breathe When Working Out

This is one of those things that a lot of us forget – breathe out when pushing or pulling the weight and breathe in when releasing. Even if you forget when to breathe in and out, it’s better than holding your breath. Don’t hold your breath when lifting! Read this article to learn why.

Vegan Diets, Critical Thinking, and 9 Blogs You Need to Read

If you haven’t heard of “The Vegan R.D” blog by Ginny Messina, you’re missing out and should definitely subscribe. She promotes an evidence-based approach to vegan advocacy and this great post links to nine other blogs which take a similar approach. I’ve subscribed to all of them!

The myth of the eight-hour sleep

There are lots of articles on the internet about hacking sleeping patterns, many of which I’ve read, but I’ve never come across something that explains this part of our history and sleeping. This is great stuff! I have problems with sleep myself, often waking up in the middle of the night, laying in bed and then falling asleep again. Maybe it’s not a problem after all, and it’s just the way my body is meant to work. I don’t know how much I believe that though, because it seems like it would be difficult to reach REM sleep within only four hours.

Antibiotic Use Causes Superbugs

It’s been long argued that antibiotic use could result in drug-resistant infections, yet farmers continued to use antibiotics anyway. Now a drug-resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus is in nearly half of all meat in the U.S. Nice…

Here’s a recap of the best health and fitness articles I’ve read over the past week.

Wellness Symposium | Learn It Live

This is going to be huge! Register for free to get access to watch the top experts and authors in the health industry speak all next week, from Feb. 20-26. I can’t wait for this. I’ve registered to watch all of the featured speakers and then a few presentations from some of the others.

Drug quickly reverses Alzheimer’s symptoms in mice

Wow, this is amazing! A possible cure for Alzheimer’s would be one of the biggest breakthroughs ever to happen in science. Just think of all of the families that could be reunited with a cure.

How Do You Know If You’re Gluten Intolerant?

I don’t have any of these symptoms, except for possibly fatigue. I keep reading articles about gluten and they always make me want to try giving it up. One of these days, I’ll try to put together a simple 7-day gluten free meal plan so that I can see if I notice any differences.

How to Be a Vegetarian Bodybuilder

I’m not usually a fan of posts like this when they are written by someone who is not a vegan and doesn’t have actual personal experience being vegan, because they often don’t understand the whole story. I get that feeling from this article too, but I think many of the points made are generally correct.

Bill DeSimone on Congruent Exercise – YouTube

This is an hour and a half, but is a must watch. You’ll learn about being aware of how your body moves and operates. There are some very interesting things about common workouts most of us do, such as the barbell squat, and how they cause damage to our bodies. This will definitely help me think more about my form while lifting weights and which exercises are forcing me into unnatural states.

Why Running Drills are Bad for You

As soon as I saw this title, I thought “Damn! and I was just going to start trying out running drills,” but after listening to the interview, I learned that they are only bad if you’re using bad form. Check out this interview to learn running drills that will teach you to run without putting strain on your joints.

The 21 Most Innovative Gyms in the U.S.

All of these gyms look amazing. It would be awesome to travel the country and visit each one. Too bad there aren’t any in Colorado. Well, there are some Curves, but since I’m a guy, I’m not welcome there 😉

Figure Out Which Oils to Use for Your Cooking Needs with The Cooking Oil Comparison Chart

I think most people tend to stick with canola, corn and olive oil, but if you like to cook, you’ve probably got many more. I’m a good example. In addition to the three I just mentioned, I also have hemp, flax, coconut, and grapeseed oils in my cabinet. I didn’t realize there were so many others though. Download the PDF chart to learn more about each oil and how they should be used.

Top 17 Dietitians You Can Count On in Social Media

Excellent list. Too bad there are only two vegans though. I still decided to follow them all on Twitter, but I also subscribed to the blogs of the vegans. The vegans get more love from me 😉

Weightlifting Academy

I haven’t listened to this podcast yet, but the description sounds good and it’s put together by some really smart people in the industry. If you want to learn more about olympic lifting, this looks like the place. I’ll probably listen to this over the weekend. Should be good! I hope they put the podcast on iTunes soon.

20 Minutes of Exercise a Day Is Enough to Get You Fit

According to a study from the Journal of Physiology, 20 minutes a day might be all the time you need to get into shape. 20 minutes per day? Count me in! Actually, I like to train for a lot longer than that, but this is good news for people who find it difficult to find time to workout. There’s no reason you can’t carve out 20 minutes of your day for a simple, but strenuous, workout.

Vegan Girl Scout Cookies

I didn’t think I would be able to eat any Girl Scout cookies, but as it turns out, as longs as they don’t carry tagalongs, they are selling from one of the two commercial bakeries that doesn’t put whey into the Thanks-A-Lot and Thin Mints cookies. If they do carry the Tagalongs, you’re out of luck.

Food PH Chart – Most Alkaline and Acidic Foods

A lot of the foods that we grow up thinking are healthy are actually acidic in the body, for example chicken, grains, rice and peanuts. This handy chart will help you modify your diet to include more alkaline foods.

At the gym: who is looking at whom

A hilarious comic strip about what everyone at the gym is thinking about each other.

Denny’s Vegan Burger – Pretty Darn Good

I didn’t know Denny’s had a vegan burger. Another restaurant I can eat at with my friends.

Deadlifting From Blocks

I don’t currently have the need for deadlift blocks, because I’m still seeing good progress from the floor, but this is definitely good stuff to know. Check out the comments too. Paul gives some great answers to his readers.

The Five Kings Of Intermittent Fasting

I thought there was only one king of intermittent fasting, Martin Berkham, but it turns out there are several other gurus in the IM field that I should be following. I haven’t tried intermittent fasting personally, but I hope to find time to put together a meal plan one day.

Losing Weight with Wolfram|Alpha

I think it’s really cool that Wolfram|Alpha put together an entire post on using their super-nerdy tools to help you lose weight. I’m a nerd myself, so I have a great appreciation for amazing research tools like what these guys have built.

The 6-Week Sprinting Solution

I keep coming across sprinting articles lately and I think it’s a sign that I should give it a try. This program is perfectly laid out and I think I’m going to give it a try sometime soon. I don’t have access to a treadmill right now (but I’m thinking about buying one), so I’m going to have to wait a month or so until the weather gets a little nicer.

How To Stoop And Reach Without Hurting Yourself

Bending and lifting properly seems so simple, but this instructional video is a great reminder of how we should all be doing it to prevent damage to our bodies over our lifetime.

5 Steps I Used to Take 104 Minutes Off My Marathon

It’s getting closer to the season of marathons, and if you’re planning on doing one yourself, you should consider downloading this 15 page report from Matt Frazier, the No Meat Athlete.

5 Myths About Intermittent Fasting, And Why They’re Not True

Intermittent fasting doesn’t seem to be a topic that many traditional health advocates understand, because once they hear about it, they’re shocked that anyone would do something like this to their bodies. There’s a science at work here. It just needs to be understood. By the way, I only counted 3 myths here, but maybe the other two were accidentally edited out.

Exercises Saved From the Dumpster

It’s not often that a health professional will admit to being wrong about something. Many are hard-headed and stick to their guns, even when evidence has been provided. It’s awesome to hear that Michael Boyle has changed his mind about not teaching his athletes the “get up,” loaded carries and the deadlift. Read the article to find out why.

Knee Joint Stretches with Kevin Cornell of California Strength – YouTube

Great stretches for improving your position in the lower part of the squat exercise.