http://www.westonaprice.org/basics/the-usdas-pyramid-scheme

For over 20 years the USDA has been blindly recommending dietary guidelines for Americans to follow.  Take a look at the statement in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines document: ” The [USDA] food patterns were developed to meet nutrient needs…while not exceeding calorie requirements.  Though they have not been specifically tested for health benefits they are similar to the DASH research diet and consistent with most of the measures of adherence to Mediterranean-type eating patterns.”

Since 1980 (the first release of the USDA Dietary Guidelines) obesity among U.S. adults has risen by 20%.  This is the largest increase on record.  Many so-called experts suggest that this increase is a product of poor eating habits arising from the 50′s, 60′s and 70′s.  Do they really expect us to buy into this idea as here we are 30 years later and we have seen little positive change from the updated dietary guidelines.  Why don’t we take a look at the science? Why are we continuing down a path that is clearly not working?  Cutting calories and restricting diets are not the solution (I liken it to treating the symptom and not the underlying cause) and often lead to psychological and physical issues like anemia, bulimia, anorexia, and other compulsive eating disorders.  I don’t believe that there is a one size fits all nutrition program however science has shown there is a better way.  Eggs are demonized, saturated fat is being eliminated and cholesterol is the most evil product known to man.  All I ask is for you to do the research yourself.  Don’t be satisfied by a government regulated program (take a look at all the other government regulated programs: Medicare, Social Security, Education System).  This is YOUR health and well-being and our government is perfectly happy filling you with unrecognizable ingredients that are as far from natural as Joan River’s face.

It is time for us to wake up and take control of our health and well-being and end our government’s reign over our food supply.  For more information about what food products we SHOULD be eating feel free to contact us or have a look at www.westonaprice.org.

American egg factory farms cram more than 90 percent of the country's 280 million egg-laying hens into barren cages so small the birds can't even spread their wings. Battery cages measure 18x20 inches and hold 5-11 chickens.

http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/2011/08/the-complete-guide-to-interval-training/#more-5339

Ben Greenfield touted as the one of the top fitness experts in the world gives great advice about how to implement interval training into your program.  We at Eleet Fitness have been focused on interval training and the drastic impacts on performance since 2007.  We hope that this great visual will help you understand the details of adding interval style workouts to your training program.

Team Eleet’s Tina Thibodeaux, Brad Perry, and Mariah Lewis had a great event at the 2011 USA Triathlon Nationals. We also want to congratulate our friends Karen Williams and Kristin Madl from Tri4Him.

Tina Thibodeaux (35-39)
63 out of 108
2:35:03

Brad Perry (30-34)
7 out of 11 World Qualifier!
1:25:54

Mariah Lewis
3 out of 5 (Athena)
13 out of 23 (30-34) World Qualifier!
1:27:48

http://www.onlineraceresults.com/race/view_race.php?race_id=20812&relist_record_type=result&lower_bound=0&upper_bound=1649&use_previous_sql=1&group_by=DIVISION#racetop

Team Eleet is prepped and ready to go for tomorrow’s race.  Tina Thibodeaux is competing in the olympic distance and she will take off at 7:46 am in hopes of qualifying for the 2012 World Championships in Auckland, New Zealand.

Brad Perry (30-34 age group) and Mariah Lewis (Athena) will both be competing in the sprint distances and are looking for bids to the 2012 World Championships as well.  Brad’s wave will begin at 12:30 pm and Mariah’s wave will begin at 12:38 pm.

We have had a great season and are looking forward to a fantastic national race.  You can follow the event at the link above.

Most of us whether we admit it or not are reactive beings.  Instead of planning we proclaim spontaneity; instead of responsibility we point blame; instead of being graceful, we scramble to stay afloat.  Reactive individuals may dream of initiative but they never carry it out.  Random events toss you to and fro and often catch you by surprise.  Many of my clients come to me requesting miracles and perceive they will either return to a past state or eliminate a current one.  Unfortunately for most individuals a bulk of the harm has already been done.  Reactivity is a learned response and typically leads to heart ache and unwanted outcomes that weekly visits to the fitness center will not solve.

Why are we this way?  I believe that the easy way is always just that “the easy way”.  Becoming proactive takes work and time management.  Between work, family and social events very few of us take time to put together a daily, monthly or yearly plan.  If you think about it proactive and reactive are pretty much the same thing.  Both involve actions just at different times.  The proactive individual thinks ahead, plans, looking at different scenarios.  The reactive person acts only after an event takes place or sees no value in planning.

Who is to blame?  I don’t think there is one answer to this question.  No where in our education system do we learn how to better use our time.  Most of our parents never learned so where do we get this skill?  The first step to being proactive is learning to be proactive.  Just take a moment and think about the question.  It’s time to start planning your plan.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_114152.html

Our View:

As we update our programs to include age specific exercise and nutrition guidance, we thought this was a good article describing the need for older adults to increase their exercise volume to maintain strength.  The study looked at a very simple series of exercises however it is important to note that older adults lose strength faster than their younger counterparts.  Because of this it is important for older adults to establish very consistent exercise patterns to help decrease the overall loss of strength.   For questions about age appropriate exercise programs please contact us.  We offer a wide variety of services including exercise program design and in-home personal training.

Team Eleet’s Brad Perry, Dustin Perry, Jim Citek and Shannon Snigg had a great event at the 2011 Bridgeland Triathlon in Cypress.  Congratulations for a job well done!

Brad Perry (30-34)
23 out of 134
1:17:42.4

Dustin Perry (Clydesdale)
15 out of 47
1:31:10.7

Jim Citek (55-59) Top 10 finish!
8 out of 28
1:30:36.1

Shannon Snigg (30-34)
14 out of 71
1:24:09.9

http://www.eztoregister.com/assets/Bridgeland11.HTM

Reduce Omega-6

Problems associated with an excess of polyunsaturates are exacerbated by the fact that most polyunsaturates in commercial vegetable oils are in the form of double unsaturated omega-6 linoleic acid, with very little of vital triple unsaturated omega-3 linolenic acid. Recent research has revealed that too much omega-6 in the diet creates an imbalance that can interfere with production of important prostaglandins. This disruption can result in increased tendency to form blood clots, inflammation, high blood pressure, irritation of the digestive tract, depressed immune function, sterility, cell proliferation, cancer and weight gain.

Increase Omega-3

A number of researchers have argued that along with a surfeit of omega-6 fatty acids the American diet is deficient in the more unsaturated omega-3 linolenic acid. This fatty acid is necessary for cell oxidation, for metabolizing important sulphur-containing amino acids and for maintaining proper balance in prostaglandin production. Deficiencies have been associated with asthma, heart disease and learning deficiencies. Most commercial vegetable oils contain very little omega-3 linolenic acid and large amounts of the omega-6 linoleic acid. In addition, modern agricultural and industrial practices have reduced the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in commercially available vegetables, eggs, fish and meat. For example, organic eggs from hens allowed to feed on insects and green plants can contain omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in the beneficial ratio of approximately one-to-one; but commercial supermarket eggs can contain as much as nineteen times more omega-6 than omega-3!

To help improve your Omega-3 intake purchase our Shopping guide here.

Short-Term Rest sometimes called active recovery occurs shortly after exercise. Active recovery includes low-intensity exercise after workouts during both the cool-down phase immediately after a hard workout as well as during a set amount of days following the workout. Both types of active recovery are important for improved performance.

Follow our cool-down program HERE

Another very important recovery component has to do with post exercise nutrition and the replenishing of energy stores and fluids lost during exercise.  Proper post exercise nutrition is also very important for optimizing protein synthesis (the process of increasing the protein content of muscle cells, preventing muscle breakdown and increasing muscle size).  We recommend food products with a carbohydrate to protein ratio of 3:1.  Based on current research chocolate milk seems to be one of the best recovery drinks available.

Long-Term Recovery techniques refer to those that are built in to the full seasonal training program. A well-designed training program must include recovery days and or weeks.  It is also important for athletes to participate in a program that is properly progressed with appropriately modified exercise variables (intensity, time, load).  We at Eleet Fitness suggest a work/recovery ratio of 3-4 weeks on and 1 week off or very low intensity).

Long-term recovery also allows time for soft tissue (muscles, tendons, ligaments) repair.