Fuel: March 29, 2013

A Practical Approach to Fuelin' Good

It’s information overload out there when it comes to how to “fuel” our bodies for everyday life.  There’s a constant barrage of ads claiming to be the perfect diet for losing and maintaining weight loss...but what about the “diet” or way of eating that is actually best for us?  The one which fuels all our cells and processes with the optimum combination of macro & micronutrients...antioxidants, vitamins & minerals?  Our bodies use carbohydrates, protein, and fats (macronutrients) to

provide energy for any physical activity and organ function, to

build and repair muscle tissue, and protect our brains and bodies on the cellular level.  In general, t

he recommended intake of carbohydrates, proteins and fats are 3:1:1, or 60% carbs to 20% protein to 20% fats, and the fact is - w

ithout ALL these macronutrients, we would not function optimally and may actually cause harm...so let's drill it down to some simple things to remember!

• Carbs - choose fruits, veggies (at least 5 servings per day - but some studies indicate each additional serving has MORE protective benefits), and complex carbs such as those with “whole grain” or “whole wheat” listed as the first ingredient on the ingredient list (and avoid those with any added sugar).   When a grain is more in it’s natural state, it takes longer for our bodies to process and won’t go straight-to-the-belly, so to speak. 
• Protein - despite claims of high-protein diets that focus on animal protein intake and contrary to popular belief, we don't need as much protein as we might think, and in fact - it may be dangerous, leading to high cholesterol levels, gout, strained kindeys and other not-so-desirable outcomes. Keep in mind that the average man needs 56 grams of protein daily, while the average woman only needs 46 grams, and for reference a 3 ounce piece of lean meat (size of deck of cards) yields 21 grams...almost HALF your daily needs. So those eating meat-based meals 3x / day (egg sandwich, cold cut sandwich, meat & potatoes) are probably over doing it! A diet rich in lean protein 1x / day, fruits, veggies, and complex carbs will yield more than enough protein each day for most people.
• Fat - depending on the type...fat intake is not unhealthy, in fact it's a necessary component of our diet. Monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats (such as olive, canola, and other plant based oils, nuts, seeds, and fish) help keep the cardiovascular system healthy, and maintain brain health, however keep in mind that for every 1 gram of fat, we consume 9 calories...more than twice as many calories than a gram of protein or carbohydrate. Limit fat intake to approximately 44 grams (based on 2,000 calorie diet) daily.

 

RECOVER: March 25, 2013

Move to Recover

As 2012 drew to a close, he realized that everything he had worked so hard for the last few years was starting to fall into place.  At work, he was starting a new position; at play, he was continually setting and achieving increasingly more difficult athletic goals. However, both required significant changes to his lifestyle.  He had to adapt to new sleep patterns to accommodate the early hours the job required; he had to learn to “eat on the road,” and his taxing workouts demanded time too.  It certainly wasn’t easy, but he didn’t care – he was living his dream

And then he crashed – literally and figuratively. An accident with a truck destroyed his car. Then, a few days later, he lost a loved one.   Devastated, he continued on, but not as planned.  In his own words, “self-pity took over me and I reverted to what was easy: skipping workouts, eating fast food, and doing the bare minimum to get by.”  Something had to change…

“If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.” ~ Maya Angelou, American Poet.

After a hard mile on the treadmill, he could feel the stress literally drip away and he became more clear-headed. He increased his pace, and kept running. Thoughts of needing more sleep and raising money for a new car disappeared. He was starting to feel like his old self again, and when he was done, he realized the five miles he clicked off were faster than he had ever done before. Soaked in sweat and legs wobbly, he stepped off the ‘mill with a clear mind, renewed confidence and hope. “I realized exercise was one of the few things I could control in my life. No matter what was happening around me, I can return to exercise knowing I would benefit physically and psychologically.  I went from feeling confused, frustrated and lost to being confident, level headed and looking forward to the next day” said Phil Cyphers, a health and fitness specialist with Pro-Activity.  

At Pro-Activity, we use the word ENDURE a lot.  In the athletic-sense of the word, some may find it a little intimidating, as it’s often associated with some activity involving muscles that seemingly never tire.  But the greatest acts of endurance have nothing to do with exercise and everything to do with MOVING forward.  And when we choose to accept life’s challenges for what they are, and continue to move forward in focus of the items we can control, as Phil recently experienced, we can manage more than we think, find a sense of balance and RECOVER enough, so that we may ENDURE for the long-haul, and ACHIEVE our life’s pursuit! 

-  Joe G.

ENDURE: March 18, 2013

You Can Learn A Lot From Your "Students" 

For the last ten years, I've invested a great deal of my professional time into working with and training athletes to be their very best on their "field of play".  With the help of my colleagues (physical therapists, trainers, and coaches), we've continually done our best to break down the biomechanics of each sport into simple, functional movements that have helped us develop a sport-specific component to our training programs and systems.  It's been an enjoyable challenge, and we've been very fortunate and humbled to work with some of the most focused and dedicated athletes around, many of whom have achieved success at the local, regional, state, national, and even global (Olympic) level.  But having spent the bulk of my personal athletic career focused on the sport of wrestling, one could probably make a decent argument that there's a little bias there.  So when two of our most dedicated wrestlers asked me to train them throughout their competitive season (typically our athletes don't train with us "in-season" as they are with their teams), I agreed to come in on Sunday nights, help push them forward, and open it up to a select few other athletes who shared their drive.

In full disclosure, getting myself into "work" on a Sunday night was not always the easiest, but then again...I'm sure it wasn't exactly a walk in the park for our athletes to "bring it" after long weeks of school, competition, training sessions, weight management, etc.....so in the moment, I was thankful for the opportunity to work with this very focused group of athletes.  But what I didn't realize in the moment, is that while I was giving all I had to help them prepare for their competitive endeavors....they'd soon give back (although probably unknowingly) by reinforcing a lesson of their own.

This past weekend, both Ryan Pomrinca (top 12) and Mike Pongracz (5th place) completed their 2013 high school wrestling season a step or two shy of their NJ State Title goals.  Ryan, after knocking off TWO returning state medalists in regional competition the weekend prior, suffered a broken hand in the second round of the state tournament.  But instead of bailing out of competition, Ryan persisted (with the ok of medical professionals) in quest of his goals, and continued to battle in one of the state's toughest weight classes.  Mike, after stringing together an unbeaten senior campaign, lost his first bout of the season in the state championship quarterfinals, something that may have derailed most competitors in their senior season with an eye on a championship... but rather than giving up, instead buckled down and battled back to win three of his next four matches, and claimed a spot on the podium for his third consecutive year! 

It's clear to me, and anyone who knows Ryan and Mike, that the outcomes of this weekend were not exactly what they had envisioned for themselves, but what they ACHIEVED....and demonstrated to this "Old Dog" (all things are relative)....is something so far superior than a State Title, and the mark of true champions - the ability to ENDURE!  Thanks Ryan and Mike for reinforcing a lesson we can all continue to learn from!

-Eric E.

March 2013 Connect

"When people do extraordinary things, the world changes"

Although we've said it in other ways, this idea is at the root of everything we do at Pro-Activity; and it's not just a general business platitude, it is a purpose.  Sure, setting out to change the world seems a bit lofty for a team as small as ours, but things are never as difficult as they seem.  For the last several years we have set out to show that a person who has the right guidance, right resources and enough personal-will to do the work required can do extraordinary things.....they can achieve.  We've gone on to say that truly extraordinary experiences, those moments when we achieve something we've worked hard for, change our view of the world providing a new and different outlook on life.....but it doesn't end there.  At the risk of taking too deep a dive into the biology of human connectedness, it is safe to say that there is a definite and measurable ripple effect as the "new outlook" jumps through social connections like the flu.

 

Of course this idea of something "going viral", popularized by Malcom Gladwell's book The Tipping Point, an incredibly entertaining early look at this concept, is not new.  It's not even new to health-related topics.  An often referenced study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine in 2007 for example showed that in a social cluster, if a person became obese during the 30+ year study period, their friends had a 57% greater likelihood, their siblings had a 40% greater likelihood and their spouse had a 37% greater likelihood of also becoming obese which clearly underscores this point.  Presumably then, if everything from the guy with the "golden voice" and the Harvard Baseball Team lip-syncing can go viral, so can healthy actions......and although for a very healthy belly laugh I strongly encourage you to find some of what went viral last year (like the guy who jumps in the frozen pool if you haven't already seen it on You Tube), even that's not the really cool part (get it, cool?.... ice?.....forget it).

 

The really cool part is that it doesn't take nearly as many people as you might think to make something "tip".  One of the most impressive findings here was reported by the Social Cognitive Networks Academic Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where researchers showed that as little as 10% of a population could cause an idea to spread.  The key detail however may not be the 10%, but rather that those 10% have an "unshakable" belief in the idea.  So what are your unshakable beliefs?  Do you unflappably believe that you can change your health and therefore change your life?  Do you believe that putting the very strong research that is behind our 5 ELEMENTS (including this week's study from National Academy of Science that showed even as little as one week of poor sleep [less than six hours] can negatively alter the expression of over 700 genes), to work for you can lead you to something that fundamentally transforms you?  

 

We do......and it's cool to see it catching on.  This year we're on a record-setting pace for numbers of folks, whether in our corporate clients or private clients, who aren't just thinking about it or talking about it, they are making it happen.  FUELING better here, MOVING more there, paying attention to RECOVERY there.....it's adding up, and nothing is more fulfilling than seeing the achievements of others spread.

 

We realize of course that having the information and resources on your side still doesn't make it easy, not by a long shot, but it pushes us each and every day to keep working until we crack the code of our goals......and nothing is more gratifying than experiencing that extraordinary moment when we achieve something we've worked hard for.  We are so excited for those of you who are taking action to control your health; putting the right mindset out front; putting the right methods in your corner and steadily watching your health and the health of those that you CONNECT with improve.  The restored energy and confidence that comes with achievement is getting ready to tip, thank you for being a part of the unshakable 10%.

 

Now go do something extraordinary,

 

Move: Feb. 2013

It's All Fun & Games.....

Remember the last time you called up your friend and asked, "Hey...can you play?"  Say something like that nowadays and you might get more than a few strange looks.  But growing up, this was a routine that kept my friends and I young, fun, and fit....

We'd ride bikes, look for snakes in the sewer pipes (ok, they would...I was a bit squeamish with reptiles), "play catch", home run derby, running bases, knock-out, ghost in the graveyard, kill the carrier, man hunt, "touch" football,....and many many more games that would keep us busy, our hearts racing, our bodies burning up energy....and our spirits full.  There was never real worry about sedentary lifestyle, over demanding school work (we weren't allowed to "play" until the homework was done) or childhood obesity...we just simply MOVED, and we had fun!

Think you're too old to "play".....maybe it's time to think again....check out this video of some of my favorite friends "playing" nice.  Spring is coming...time to get moving!

Connect: Feb 2013

"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened.  Happiness never decreases by being shared” - The Buddha

The first two months of the year have been, well...let’s just say hectic. At times, I found myself pretty stressed and more negative than I’d like to be. And in looking back, I consistently find room to improve in the way in which we (or I in this case) manage the ups and downs of life. It’s interesting, when we’re on top of the world, we often feel like everything is in it’s place, that we can handle any curve ball coming our way, and we seem to have an endless supply of energy and resource to give to the world. But then, there’s the downs, when we literally feel gravity holding us down and the weight of the world seems like it’s about to crush us....we’re irritable, tired, and the last thing we want to do is be positive and “happy”, or in some cases, even be around others.

No, when things seem down and out, many of us have the tendency, to close the world off, push away those that can or will help, and enter a state of complete independence, thinking that by “hunkering down” we can push through the current state, and get back to higher ground where we’ll again be less stressed, in control, healthy and “happy”. But interestingly, the research suggests our “gut instinct” to rely and focus only on self is off the mark, and that some of the best ways to ensure we live a healthy and happy life....where we feel on top of the world.....is dependent on the relationships and connectedness we have with others.

In a study of 820 adults tracked over twenty years, a group from Tel Aviv University concluded that something they termed the “friendly colleague effect” can have a profound impact on our lives, and that people with little or no “peer social support” in the workplace were 2.4 times more likely to DIE during the twenty year study period, and especially if they started the study between the ages of 38 and 43. What’s more, further research led by James Fowler on 4,739 individuals in the Framingham Heart Study network from 1983-2003, indicated that health and happiness can be contagious, and that when a friend who lives within a mile (about 1.6 km) becomes happy, we as individuals increase our likelihood of being happy by 25%! So the trick.....how do we ensure our friends or colleagues are happy thereby helping us realize happiness?

Well, maybe it’s time we reconsider our strategies to focus inward in times of uneasiness, and instead, focus outward to improve happiness....according to Ryan Howell, an associate professor at San Fransico State University, in a study that looked at an individual’s happiness as result of their purchasing patterns (material vs. experiential)...those that invested in experiences, like going on a vacation or to the movies with others “tended to show a higher satisfaction at the time and after the experience had passed”, and further, participants claimed that the experiences led to more happiness in those around them.

So consider this, the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, “connect” with those you care about, and invest in shared, memory-lasting experiences with them!

-Eric E.