Sweeteners: Periodic Sweeteners

Check out this really cool Periodic Table for natural and artificial sweeteners below:

A Guide To Sweeteners

Hang Son Doong

I think that we take this magical planet and all of its beauty for granted. The below video should hopefully inspire you to get off the couch and go outside any chance you get. Enjoy
Hang Son Doong from Ryan Deboodt on Vimeo.

ROLL: Jiu-Jitsu in SoCal

Squat Every Day: The History Of The Squat

The Astronomer

The Astronomer from Phil Garrett on Vimeo.

MAKE IT COUNT

MAKE IT COUNT

Sleep Smarter Book Review

I learned about Shawn Stevenson and his book, Sleep Smarter: 21 Proven Tips to Sleep Your Way To a Better Body, Better Health and Bigger Success  when he was invited as guest on Onnits Total Human Optimization Podcast. In his book, Shawn points out some of the many reasons why sleep is important and gives tips on how you can optimize it. Some of the tips given were obvious but others forced me to really evaluate some of my own nightly rituals (like drinking coffee in the evening).

Some of the Side effects from lack of sleep:

• Encourages Depression and Heart Disease
• Reduction of Glucose to the Brain
• Stress
• Less Creativity

Some of the Benefits of better sleep quality:

• Improves brain Function
• Increases Physical Energy
• Boosts Metabolism

By following the tips, I was able to improve my overall sleep quality and lessen the amount of times I woke up throughout the night. Getting a solid 8+ hours a night has made a huge impact on my daily family, fitness and work life. I think the book is a must read that's full of some "duh, no shit" tips but also many advanced tips. 

Still not convinced you need to get your ass more hours in the bed? Check out these other articles on sleep:
Sleep Loss=Weight Gain
Coffee doesn’t give you energy, it just fools your brain into thinking it isn’t tired

Being Colder May Be Good For Your Health

Also  check out this TED Talk: Jeff Iliff: One more reason to get a good night’s sleep | Talk Video | TED.com

The Holstee Manifesto: Live Your Life

There isn't much to be said here. Live your LIFE. Do what you LOVE. Check out the video below:

Video Games: The Movie

Recently, I came across Video Games: The Movie after watching another documentary on Netflix and I wanted to share my thoughts on this movie. I rated this movie an overall 8 on IMDB because I thought it was more than just a documentary about history of video games. It discusses the struggles that the industry and companies went through before it became what it is today. Its an inspiring movie about overcoming obstacles in life.

Vitamin D Info-Graphic

I came across this very interesting info-graphic, on Found My Fitness.com, regarding Vitamin D3. Assuming that you're someone like me, that lives in the northern region of the US (and work indoors), you may want to consider supplementing during those dark winter months.

If you suspect that you may be deficient, check out these Vitamin D3 pills from Bodybuilding.com. I personally cant wait to give them a try!

One-On-One with Firas Zahabi

Here is an awesome one-on-one article, by Sherdog, with Firas Zahabi. His opinion on some of the flaws in Sport Jiu-Jitsu, as to how it translates into MMA and self defense, is worth the read.

One-on-One with Firas Zahabi

Budo Videos: Clark Gracie Review

There are hundreds of Jiu-Jitsu DVDs from many great athletes out on the market today, from the Gracie Academy to Marcelo Garcia, but there is just one problem. They're too damn EXPENSIVE! While they're all great learning tools, there are some alternatives to learning BJJ, outside of your school, instructor or paying for private lessons...YouTube. Some will ridicule using YouTube to learn BJJ but the truth is, many of my "go to" techniques have come from YouTube. 

Below is one of my favorite, field tested, BJJ Videos by Clark Gracie-filmed by Budo Videos. The entire video is just over approx 32 minutes total, of which, 16 minutes are of technique. Clark jumps right into showing a standing spider guard drill, starting in open guard and finishes up the video going over several sweeps using the lasso.

One of the more notable details explained, when going for the lasso, is making sure that your heel cannot be seen. This minor but significant detail, that Clarks points out, has made a huge difference in my own personal game! 

See what I mean by checking out the video below:

Clearing Up The Confusion On Carbs

The Atkins Diet has given all carbs a bad wrap and I'd like to clear up some of the confusion. There is nothing wrong with doing the low carb or no carb diet, but I have found that I personally performed better as an athlete and saw my fat percentage decrease significantly, while also maintaining muscle mass, with the right type of carbs in my diet. Carbs also help maintain a balanced blood sugar level giving you an even balance of energy throughout the day.  Ever had that 3 o'clock crash? This feeling is usually due to a sugar level drop. You've gotta remember that, as humans, we need carbs to sustain a normal healthy lifestyle from normal brain function and mood to our daily workouts. 

The type of carbs you want to have are whats called low glycemic carbs. What this basically means is that these are the carbs that take longer to digest in your system, giving you time to burn off the sugar. High glycemic carbs convert into sugar immediately and go right to your fat stores.
For those that want to reduce their carb intake here is how I would approach it. In the morning, pre and post workout have carbs with your meals then taper off or cut out towards the end of your day, such as dinner time. By following the principle of "Eat based on what you have done or are about to do" you will find that you will energy for hours and burn fat.

Check out this link here for more information on the gylcemic index: http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm

Journey from 280 to 180: My Personal Weight Loss Story

Yes, this is who I was almost six years ago. In the middle of a divorce, unmotivated and far from a healthy lifestyle, I decided that it was time for some big changes in my life. Without a clear path on how I was going to make this transformation, I reluctantly signed up for a gym membership at a local gym and this was the start of my 280 to 180 pound journey.

2006 at McDonalds

I'm often asked, "how did you do it?" and the true yet very common sense answer is always through diet and exercise. It really is that simple! Along with the diet and exercise, I had to find a way to stay motivated and committed to this challenge so I designed a 12 week program to help me burn fat and build muscle. I now had a plan, a blueprint, for the next 12 weeks that would change my life forever.

Throughout the 3 month transformation, there were many obstacles that I had to overcome but I was determined to do whatever it takes to be successful and stick to the plan, no matter what! I later learned that these obstacles were a necessary part of my journey. These lessons taught me that if you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere. 

At the end of my transformation, I came out on the other end as a new man, both physically and mentally, and I learned that in life every achievement, big or small, begins in your mind.



   

2014 NAGA BJJ Tournament - 2nd Place