The 3 Simple Rules For Perfect Health

Recently I got a shared article from a friend. It was about LeBron James' recent cramp failure he had during the Finals game against the Spurs. I didn't see the game but I read the story. Basically he had to leave the game with a massive leg cramp in the final minutes and couldn't help his team who went on to lose. The story my friend shared was about what electrolyte or mineral deficiencies might have brought that on and it mainly focused on magnesium which they felt was the culprit. It was an interesting read and I thought it was pretty thoughtful of my friend to think of me to share it. So we had some comments afterward and others got in what they were thinking... basic Facebook stuff.

The conversation turned to which sports drink on the market would be best for proper hydration and electrolyte, salt and mineral replacement. Gatorade was mentioned and another guy had a drink which was like Gatorade but with a little more of a natural healthy approach. I went on to comment that I thought Gatorade wasn't good because it is full of high fructose corn syrup, food dyes, chemical and preservatives. I haven't drank or looked at a Gatorade label in years. I said what I said based on what the product was made from to the last of my knowledge. After looking it up it turns out that the chemical I remembered it having (brominated vegetable oil) is no longer in the product. High fructose corn syrup had also been replaced with sugar. Although some were still saying that it isn't really sugar but still just HFCS under other confusing names. No one seemed to have a clear answer.. such is the internet.

Then my friend posted a picture of the label of the new drink that is better next to Gatorade's label. It indeed did say "sugar" and she also said that this one is free from food dyes. I realized now that I looked pretty misinformed and not very knowledgeable on the subject of sports nutrition drinks. I admit I am not.  I haven't used them in years and don't ever plan to. I suppose I spoke out of school on the whole thing. Nutrition is a subject that I like to talk about or in this case write.

Anyway.. from there I looked up a few things about the changes that had been made. It looks like the public outcry was enough for Gatorade (which is owned by Pepsi Cola) to change these things about their product. People were not satisfied with what they were buying, demanded change and received it. Sounds like a win for the people right? If you're asking me, I'm going to say no. I say no because it seems like a huge amount of trouble to go to in order to get this huge company to make changes.

*I will say this once now and be done... this is obviously my opinion on the matter. That's why I have a blog. So I can write whatever I think.*

My question I would be asking myself if I were looking at sports drinks is "What am I trying to accomplish here?" The answer is that I need to hydrate, replace salt, electrolytes, minerals etc.. So what should I eat and drink to accomplish this using single ingredient organic whole natural foods? I don't believe in or use any supplements. I don't subscribe to a reductionist approach to health. I don't believe that any supplement can serve my body more efficiently than a whole food.  I have figured my way through this hydration problem already because I do a lot of high endurance training. For me it is bananas, coconut water and fresh pressed juice with celery. That is the answer FOR ME. Maybe I'll come to find out the coconuts being used for my coconut water are GMO and grown in a landfill and harvested by enslaved puppies... but for now I think it's all good on the coconut front. When I read the label on the back of the package, there's one ingredient.. pure filtered coconut water.  I also have capsules with whole mineral ingredients I can take with me on extremely long runs which I can just swallow with water. Each person could come up with what would work for them and they will all be different yet similar.

In this case it's also a natural reaction for me to try to be courteous and say that I realize most people can't do all of this because it is time consuming and impractical.  The reality is that they can. They just probably won't. That's not to be rude or judgemental.. it's just realistic. It's easier to have things pre made and ready for purchase than to do all this work yourself. I realize that but I also realize that when we purchase those products we get what we get. It is a one size fits all product that more than likely is not going to be custom tailored to meet our specific needs. In the case of my friend she was talking about her son and what he wants being in compliance with what she feels is best for him. Tricky situation. I did say that I thought the one product was a much better choice than the other and in hindsight that wasn't being very true to what I believe. I just didn't see that what I really thought would be very plausible or accepted in that particular comment thread. Maybe best I didn't say anything. Hindsight.  I don't have kids and I won't even go into a "well if I had kids.." thing because that would just be me serving up a big bullshit sandwich. I don't know what I would do unless I were there. I know kids want to fit in and have things like other kids have so when the whole team is having Gatorade for example it would be hard for me as a parent to hand him/her a bag of bananas and coconut water and celery juice. Not sure that would go over well with too many kids. Alas, these are the challenges if someone wants to adapt to a whole food plant based diet. That's what this blog and page is about.

One of the points I am trying to get across here is that we don't have to buy the things that are put out there for public consumption. Recently there was an outcry against Subway for having some chemical in their bread that is also used to make yoga mats. I'm guessing that this chemical wasn't exclusive to yoga mats but that was the sensational spin that the media placed on it.I knew the name of the chemical briefly until my brain almost immediately moved it to it's spam folder. Anyway the public once again said "Hey Subway we're mad about what you are making us eat.. You have to change this!"   Umm.. what?  Last I checked every Subway has a swinging door in front that you can either go in or just keep walking. If you don't like yoga mat sandwiches then don't go where they serve them. Make yourself a sandwich that you know exactly what is in it or find a small independent cafe that focuses on quality whole foods and fresh ingredients. It seems ridiculous to me that everyone goes into a protest about this like they are on lockdown somewhere and have absolutely nothing else to eat other than Subway. This mindset of depending on and expecting others to feed us and feed us proper is a no win situation. Profit is always a corporation's #1 priority... it's never your health. Ever.

Starbucks is another major chain that has been under fire recently by healthy food advocates. Petitions are making their way around urging Starbucks to start using Organic/Non GMO milks in their drinks. Other petitions have gone around urging them to only use fair trade coffee. I saw another that urged them to control their waste to our landfills. Does this sound ridiculous yet? What's the solution? Same answer as how to avoid yoga mat sandwiches.. don't go there. Buy your own fair trade coffee and organic plant milks and make your own. Find a locally owned shop that carries these things and cares about the product they send out their door. I'm pretty sure they can use the money a little more than *$'s.

It's about choosing yourself to be in charge of what you eat and drink. It's about not complaining that the world's businesses just aren't feeding you to your standard and then stomping your feet and protesting til they get it right. You are in charge of you and everything you need to be healthy is here for the taking if you just will take charge of it. You! Choose YOU to feed YOU.

Three simple rules for perfect health. That's the title here... So what are they? They are the three simple rules we were assigned as humans since the dawn of man. They are rules of survival more than anything..
1.Eat
2.Drink
3.Breathe
That's it. That's the rules.
 EAT the foods that grow here on earth for you to enjoy. Our food literally comes up out of the ground and is ready to eat.  (or at least with a little prep time for some)
DRINK fresh clean water that we are lucky to have in the part of the world we live. Or drink juices from the fruits and vegetables that grow. Milks from the plants. Filter some of the water through tea leaves or ground coffee beans. These things are all here for the taking. Use them.
BREATHE deep breaths of clean air. Aerobically exercise your lungs and heart daily. Don't smoke and avoid being in the presence of people who are smoking.

It sounds corny I know. These three things are a little obvious aren't they? You'd think they are obvious but what have we done instead of these "obvious" guidelines? We ( and when I say we I don't mean me or you. I mean..y'know... others. *wink*wink*) have turned food into a catastrophe of indecipherable ingredients and chemicals. We have turned our fluids into the same as the food. Loaded with sugars and high fructose corn syrup or chemical sweeteners developed in a laboratory. While others excessively consume alcohol polluting their livers and entire well being. We don't exercise our lungs and heart. Instead we sit sedentary and some even smoke cigarettes, weed, crack, heroin...you get it. Others have found a new way to inhale chemicals through a vapor device that they carry around with them and suck on like addicts. We pollute our air without a thought. We pollute our bodies without a thought. And in turn we pollute our minds without a thought because when our bodies are sick our mind and spirit is sick right along with it.

Instead of eating some whole plant foods and drinking water  earth provides, we have invented things like Waffle Tacos or Chicken McNuggets to be washed down with new Mountain Dew with electrolytes or a "Diet" Coke and while you're at it... super size it! We have taken the simple foods that earth provides for us and manipulated them into poison and call it normal and then when we are sick, obese, depressed and dying we ask why.  I realize this is a rant. So what?! It is definitely a rantable subject.

I will stop the rant there though. I'm hungry. Should I head over to Subway and get a spicy chicken enchilada yoga mat sandwich and 44 ounce diet cherry vanilla Coke or make myself a green smoothie here at home?  I'm feeling lazy. I think I'll just stay home and have the smoothie...

Alcohol: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

I spend a lot of time researching plant based nutrition articles and I see many about various meal plans and nutrient values of this food or that but I rarely see alcohol addressed. I mean I'm assuming we all know that alcohol isn't the best thing for you and is empty calories.. right? I do see studies saying that glass or two of red wine or a beer a day is beneficial to our health but then I can find just as many studies that will say that one or two a day is terrible for you. (see image above) What I'm left with is opinions and nothing more. So let's look at what we do know.

Caloric value of alcohol:
Alcohol has a very high caloric value. When you ingest alcohol the liver breaks it down into a chemical called acetate (LINK). Acetate is then used as an effective fuel source in the body. A 1.5 ounce shot of liquor has between 100 and 200 calories. Beer and wine average 150 calories per serving. Mixed drinks which are generally very high in sugar have an average of 300 but as high as 800+ calories.

Vitamin and mineral content:
Alcohol itself has no vitamins or minerals whatsoever. Therefore the higher the alcohol content of a drink the lower the nutritional content will be. Beer has a small amount of the RDA for vitamin B6, riboflavin and folate. Unfiltered and craft beers are usually higher in these nutrients while processed commercial beers are very low. Wine also offers a small amount of B6 and inconsequential traces of various minerals. A single shot of hard liquor offers virtually no vitamins or minerals whatsoever. The only way any nutritional benefit can be gained from hard liquor is in the mixers used to make cocktails. (such as juices)

Fat, sodium and protein content:
Most alcoholic drinks offer little to no sodium or protein content. A serving of beer has no fat, a trace amount of sodium and an average of 2 grams of protein. (usually from wheat or corn) Wine and hard liquor have no fat, protein or sodium at all. Mixed drinks will vary according to mixers used and in special cases like a salted rim the sodium content will go up dramatically.

Nutritional benefits of alcohol:
Like I said earlier, there are various reports of moderate beer and wine use having some nutritional benefits that relate to cardiovascular health and longevity due to stress relief.  On the other hand there are reports that link any alcohol use at all to hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, liver damage and a weakened immune system. I could go on and on about the pros or the cons but obviously we have found some good along with some bad effects from alcohol use. Whenever "use" crosses to "abuse" the effects are always negative. It's my experience that most do not stay within the limits of moderate use. I say most because there really are some who do stay within the guideline but for the most part the majority do not.

Antioxidants in red wine:
Red wine contains antioxidants called polyphenols and also another called resveratrol. These contribute to cardiovascular health and reversing bad cholesterol. These antioxidants are also available in grapes, non alcoholic grape juice, 75% or greater cacao chocolate, most berries, green tea, and green tea extract to name just a few. So.. there are some that will swear by their glass of wine for the antioxidants but the truth is they could have gotten them from many other sources. Wine just seems like the most fun choice. (more on that later)

So those are the straightforward nutritional facts about alcohol which leaves me to add some conjecture of my own. I personally don't ever drink alcohol in any amount. I haven't for years. I was one of those people who didn't stay within the beneficial guidelines... which is putting it very very mildly. A large part of my family's life centered around drinking alcohol excessively when I was young and it continues to today. I would say it's a cultural thing but as I have put some space between me and the issue I've come to the opinion that this is nothing more than an excuse to continue an addictive pattern that takes an overwhelming amount of honesty and effort to correct. As I grew into a man, drinking became the focal point of my friendships and family life. There wasn't much chance that it wouldn't.  The fact that I say "drinking" in the sense that drinking is an activity indicates a problem. "Drinking" is something we do when we are thirsty (usually takes no more than 30 seconds to complete) just as we "eat" when we are hungry. If I were to consistently go out eating with my eating buddies and we ate non stop for entire evenings in several different eating establishments until the wee hours of the morning it would seem like I have a huge problem with food wouldn't it?.. an unhealthy relationship? Well that is how I used alcohol... like an alcoholic. An addict.

Alcohol metabolizes in the brain as well as the body so one of the effects is that we become drunk. Being drunk occasionally is not a great thing but it's also fairly harmless. On the other hand, being drunk often is a huge mental, physical, emotional and spiritual burden. It caused terrible damage to the welfare of each of these areas of my life. The result was ruinous to my relationships with family, friends and coworkers. Quitting alcohol was one of the biggest hurdles I've ever gotten over because after all the years of overuse and abuse I was addicted. I was addicted to the sensation of alcohol as well as the social crutch it had become. It was something that went from being fun and social to something that I hated about myself and couldn't stop doing. There is a long story here and for all the honesty I like to show in this blog I'm going to leave the dirty details alone. (I don't even know that it would be interesting to read so much as it would just feel uneasy) The bottom line is that in the end the "true I" emerged and went on a terror streak toward total wellness. For me personally, it's a matter of self respect. Respect for my physical health as well as a respect for my own ability to thrive without intoxicants of any kind in my body. Those things just kept me immature and incorrigible and incapacitated. I am a much better person than that and have way more to offer to life and myself. Alcohol kept the person I am anesthetized and unavailable. I feel like that was a shameful waste.

I realize this isn't the experience most have with alcohol.  Although for those that it is.. you will understand what I mean.  All I can do is give you the facts about the nutritional values and the returns that I experienced in my personal life. The difference in my quality of life without it has been remarkable. It has been remarkable from the standpoint I just wrote about and also the ability it has given me physically. I no longer fight the battle of working my ass off training only to snuff any gains the very same evening drinking. My weight was always up and down. My energy levels were horrible. My eating habits were awful due to poor late night food choices. My workouts were pathetic. My sleep patterns were erratic and poor. My digestion was consistently bad. My appetite was nonexistent. I had terrible inflammation throughout my body,,, blah blah blah... Do I need to go on?? If you are one of the people who can't keep it under wraps when you drink then I would strongly suggest doing the work to remove it from your life completely. (PM me and I'll tell you how) And if you truly are one of the glass or two a day people... Salud!!