How to Set Achievable Goals

Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what will be. Khalil Gibran

A combination of both short- and long-term goals is important to your success. A long-term goal sets your motivation in place and helps define direction and purpose in your training. But it's also essential to set specific, clear goals along the way.

Steer clear of ambiguous goals like "I want to lose weight for summer" or sweeping goals like changing your lifestyle. Instead, set a specific goal such as "I want to run a 5K in less than 30 minutes," and then develop a series of incremental goals that you can celebrate as you improve.

Example: Want to lose weight? Here's the framework for a 4-month plan.

• Month 1: Do something active 10 to 12 times this month, or 2 to 3 times a week, and eat breakfast every day.
• Month 2: Eat three meals a day, and try to do another 10 to 12 workouts.
• Month 3: Train 2 or 3 times a week and eat two snacks a day in addition to your three small meals.
• Month 4: Do something active on the weekends in addition to your weekly workouts.

Flesh out this plan with smaller weekly goals to make significant change fast without overwhelming yourself. Celebrate your successes each step of the way. This doesn't mean you need to revert back to bad habits and hit the drive-thru. Going out with friends, treating yourself to a massage, or shopping, for instance, can all be rewarding.

Of course there will be times when you slip up, but don't beat yourself up about it—just get right back in the game and start from a place where you feel comfortable. You've been there before and you know what it takes to get right back into the swing of things.

At the end of each day, ask yourself: "Did I move closer to my goal today? Answer honestly. If you're not making progess, try thinking about just one small thing you can do each day that will help you reach your next incremental goal.

Success is steady progress toward one's personal goals. Jim Rohn

Patience

A man who is a master of patience is master of everything else. George Savile



The second commercial from the Jordan Brand's new Become Legendary Campaign.

·         Look Me In The Eyes - Jordan Commercial - Become Legendary

·         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BirIEDYrw0Y&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Endurance is nobler than strength, and patience than beauty. John Ruskin

It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see.

Winston Churchill

 

Successful Eating While on the Road

A hectic travel schedule may seem difficult, but it is no excuse not to eat healthy. If you know you are going to be traveling, do what you can to prepare in advance. The key things to consider are:

• How long you will be traveling: There is a big difference in eating between a 3-hour trip verses an 8-hour trip. You know you will be away from a kitchen and cannot rely on the food options, so it is best to bring items to snack on relative to your trip length.
•  The conditions of your trip: Will you be in a car or a plane, in an all day, off-site meeting? Be aware of your conditions. Will you have access to water, a fridge, or unhealthy foods? You need to mentally prepare so you don’t suddenly scarf down a greasy slice of pizza or muffin instead of a healthier option.

You should always remember to bring your water bottle (empty it before if you are going through airport security). Hydration is a great way to curb hunger, reduce swelling, and keep you feeling fresh. Other important items to keep handy are nutrition bars, apples or oranges, almonds, and packets of oatmeal and protein powder. Dried goods are great because they are not dependent on having a form of refrigeration. You can bring shaker bottle so that you can mix up protein shakes on the go! No matter what your travel schedule, keeping yourself well prepared with some basic supplies will keep you feeling good and eating properly. No one wants to eat a heavy airport meal then have to sit on a 4-hour flight!

Wise men don't need advice. Fools won't take it.

Benjamin Franklin

new years resolution



WHOEVER WANTS TO REACH A DISTANT GOAL MUST TAKE MANY SMALL STEPS.

Helmut Schmidt

Stick to Your New Year's Resolutions

Most people fail keeping there new year’s resolution, because in most cases they are too drastic and unrealistic.

If you're like the majority of people who make New Year's resolutions, your goals are probably related to health, weight loss, and fitness. Here are some simple strategies to help turn those resolutions into reality.

choose Realistic Resolutions

Picking New Year's resolutions that are not realistic for you is just setting yourself up for failure. Your chances of achieving your goals are much better if they're realistic. Of course, it's always fun and inspiring to dream, but try breaking your ultimate goal up into more manageable, realistic goals that could lead you to it.

Don't Take on Too Much

When choosing your resolutions, don't try to change many different things at once. You'll burn yourself out and won't accomplish any of your goals, leaving you feeling disappointed and defeated. Instead, focus on a few key goals and the steps you need to take to reach them.

Write Down Your Plan

Write out your plan for achieving your goals. Writing down your resolution and the steps you're going to take can be very motivating. It will help you make your goals specific, not vague, and will force you to commit to your resolution.

Set Small, Attainable Goals

If you have a really ambitious New Year's resolution, such as losing weight, running a marathon, make sure that you have smaller, attainable goals with measurable results along the way. They'll help you track your progress and prevent you from getting bored or discouraged. For example, if your resolution is to lose 25 pounds total, your first goal could be to lose 1-2 pounds every week. An added benefit of setting smaller, attainable goals is that even if you don't meet your ultimate goal, you'll still have achieved other accomplishments along the way.

Make Your Goals Known

Telling friends and family members about your goals means that people will be holding you accountable and supporting you along the way. Your goals will also seem more real if you talk about them, rather than keeping them to yourself.

Keep a Journal

Tracking your workout or diet in a journal is a great way stay motivated. Even if no one else sees it, it can help hold you accountable. It's also a good place to record your goals. When you hit a rough patch in your training, you can go back and get inspired by how much progress you've made. Reviewing your positive steps will also make it harder to go back to your old habits. You can use a simple notebook to keep a journal..

Use a Schedule and Get Organized

Deciding to go workout when you feel like it isn't going to work for most people. Look at your weekly schedule and figure out when you're most likely to have the time for training, or whatever activities are going to help you reach your goals. Get everything you need to help accomplish your resolutions, so you can't come up with easy excuses.

Cut Yourself Some Slack

You're going to experiences some setbacks on the road to achieving your resolutions. Don't let one or two slips make you give up. Think of setbacks as opportunities for growth and don't beat yourself for not being perfect. It’s only a failure if you don’t try again!

Try to stay positive and get back on track.

A great resolution for the New Year is to volunteer your time for others, even if just once a week, or once a month. Volunteering is all about commitment and enthusiasm, so choose something that you will enjoy and are interested in.
Julie Fisher-McGarry

Happy Holidays and a happy and healthy New Year!

from the Tugendhaft family

Challenges and difficult times aren't just those things that occur to someone else. The secret is in learning to turn problems into positives and attacking each issue with action not inaction."

Byron Pulsifer

 

How to Boost Your Metabolism

Overview

Stoke your body’s metabolism, lose weight. But how? Our culture promotes the idea of eating three square meals a day, avoiding between-meal snacks, and not eating between dinner and bedtime. No wonder we’re facing a global obesity crisis. Stoke your metabolism with the right strategies and you’ll build lean muscle, burn fat, and stay energized.

The Thermic Effect

When the body has to digest food, it has to work to get it broken down into a usable form. The term for this is the thermic effect. It means that every time you eat, your body has to rev up the furnace to break that food down. This does not mean you should eat huge meals or grab something from the drive-thru every three hours. You should eat a combination of high-fiber carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats every three hours, in portions that are correct for your size and activity level. When it comes to the number of meals, less is not more. In fact, more meals, means more metabolic revving, so eat wisely, but eat up.

Strategies to Boost Metabolism

Grazing

Forget what you’ve been taught. If you want to control your appetite, regulate your blood sugar level to stay energized and alert, and build lean muscle mass, you need to more often, not less. Aim for five to six small- to medium-size meals or snacks each day. That equates to eating, on average, every three hours. Think of yourself as “grazing” all day, instead of sitting down for three massive feedings.
It’s possible to fit in six meals a day regardless of your job or lifestyle. Remember that six “meals” should not be long, sit-down affairs. A few could be, but three of those meals should just be snacks; one or two of which might just be shakes before and after your workout. And since you’re eating more often, your traditional breakfasts, lunches and dinners probably will be lighter.
Benefits:

• Controlling blood sugar levels improves concentration and helps regulate appetite. If you can do those two things, you’ll be in much better control of your body. After all, having consistent levels of blood sugar gives you consistent energy and makes you feel good, since you’re avoiding huge swings in hunger and mood.
• Over the course of the day, your mood, concentration, and energy levels go up and down. Aside from the stresses of your day, this is partly a function of your blood sugar levels. When these levels go down there’s a tendency to grab the first food available, and that’s usually not something good for you.
• Frequent eating is like constantly throwing wood on the fire. Digesting food cranks up your metabolism and burns more calories every time you eat. By not eating often, the fire smolders and dies. A hot fire, on the other hand, burns wood continuously. Those six smaller meals keep the fire hot. And since you know you’ll eat in a few hours, you’re less likely to overeat.

Eat Breakfast

When you wake up in the morning, your metabolism is running at the lowest metabolic rate of the entire day. Basically, your body is running on fumes. The second you eat something, your body cranks into gear and metabolically starts working at a higher rate. Your morning shower may wake up your mind, but breakfast wakes up your metabolism.

Build Muscle

Many people try to get thin by not eating. They deprive their bodies of nutrients, and while they might look healthy, they have dangerous blood profiles and a high ratio of fat to lean muscle. Their bodies are what we call “skinny fat”.
The last thing you want to do is lose lean mass. After all, you train hard to build muscle, which produces power, stabilizes joints, promotes movement, and is critical for optimal performance throughout life, not to mention on the athletic field. Moreover, the average person loses a pound of lean mass per year, so it’s imperative to take action to maintain your muscle.
What’s more, every pound of muscle you pack on requires approximately 20 additional calories. So add muscle and more of your food will go towards sustaining your physique.
If you don’t eat often, the most readily available substance for the body to consume is muscle. There’s a misconception that the body first eats away its fat. But the body is remarkably resistant to fat loss and will turn to its lean muscle first, a process known as catabolism, keeping stored body fat in reserve as long as necessary. In other words, eating less often can actually waste muscle.

Fuel with Protein

You should include a lean protein source with every meal. Protein has the highest “thermic effect” of all the macronutrients. To use the analogy that frequent eating is like throwing wood on a fire, when you eat protein, it is like throwing lighter fluid onto that fire. So include a lean protein source with every meal to get a little extra burst of metabolic power.

Never underestimate your problem or your ability to deal with it.

Robert H. Schuller

Change the World

Don't let others change your life, be your own change agent and implement the changes you want! And if an unexpected change occurs in your life, find the positive in it.

Catherine Pulsifer

 

Change the World

When you exercise and eat right, you feel better. When you feel better, you're able to do more. When you do more, you usually end up doing it with other people. This lifestyle shift gives us the energy to be better people. Have the desire to improve your live NOW! Choosing to help yourself can change and save the lives of others as well.

When you feel good, you act very differently than when you feel bad. The people around you don't have to be told what kind of mood you're in. Your actions will have enough energy to affect everyone you come in contact with. You become what you eat and what you do! If you choose to devote your time and energy to a healthy life style with wisdom and courage, you become a beacon of energy so powerful, you could change the lives of people around you.

I believe you have a choice to go through life for three different reasons, each one dramatically more powerful than the next: 1) To Feel Good; 2) To Be Good; and 3) To Do Good.

1.      To Feel Good about our health and our appearance affects our state of mind. The reason so many people reach for cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, food, and sex is because for a short while they'll feel good and alter their state of mind. The problem with this behavior is that people end up trying to solve long-term problems with short-term pleasures.

2.      To Be Good is a different approach because it focuses on ways to maintain this NEW healthy lifestyle. People who want to Be Good search for mantras, affirmations, and other techniques to keep the ball rolling. The vain and aesthetic aspects of exercise don't play as much of a role either. The Be Good state of mind works very well for some, but to achieve the greatest selfless level of all you must Do Good.

3.      To Do Good is about taking the focus off yourself and beginning to put the focus on people who need your help. The gift of giving is the greatest gift to receive. The people I know who practice this on a daily basis are the most well-rounded, content, empathetic, wise, and happy people I've ever met. It's also important to recognize when friends and family aren't ready to change. The worst kind of advice to give is the kind that was never asked for.

It's said that about 3 percent of the people on Earth live in bliss. What the hell are the other 97 percent of us doing? We're spending too much time on ME, ME, ME!

I honestly believe that the key to success comes to people who figure out that when you share your experience, your wisdom, your love, and your truth, you begin to know what it's like to live in that 3 percent.

Find what you love. Do it. And share it with others. Welcome to bliss!

Everyone can think of the one thing that would make life better for them. But people are not so quick to answer the second question: What are you doing to make that change come true.

Catherine Pulsifer

Rocky's motivational speech

Life is a series of adjustments; You can make changes along the way, but if you don't start moving forward you'll never get anywhere! Kimora Lee Simmons

Rocky’s motivational speech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_Vg4uyYwEk&feature=related

Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now if you know what you're worth then go out and get what you're worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain't you! You're better than that!

Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.
 Denis Waitley quotes 

Words of Wisdom: Energy

Winners are people with definite purpose in life. Denis Waitley

Words of Wisdom: Energy

I'd like to reveal four key components for success, and quite possibly other aspects of your life.

Have you ever noticed that some days just flow? Even on days when you have tons of things to do, you seem to have all the ENERGY in the world to handle anything. Yet other days feel like you live on Saturn. The weight of the world feels 10 times heavier than normal.

It comes down to the amount of ENERGY you have on any given day. Your ENERGY always dictates your REALITY. When you're filled with ENERGY, you're sharp, ready, enthusiastic, and willing. When you're pooped . . . forget about it! Organizing a sock drawer feels like climbing Mt. Everest.

So what causes these shifts? The big four are:

1. Food and supplementation. There's no way you can maintain a consistent level of ENERGY by eating the same old crap. You must . . . you have to . . . you need to make "The Change." Proper ENERGY levels only come from eating the right food the right way at the right time of day. If you don't know what that means, then you haven't read my mervmail’s!
   
   You are what you eat! If you eat the same old tired food that put you in this mess in the first place, that's just what you'll get. Tired and old before your time. You know what to do, so do it! It's not Atkins^® or Slim-Fast^® or fast food or soft drinks or fried food or candy bars or doughnuts or liquid diets or any panoply of misleading ways of consuming food. Get your mind right about what goes in your mouth or continue to live in the land of the wannabes!
2. Sleep. This probably seems like the most obvious and simple component of the four. But it's often the most abused.
   We're not sleeping enough hours at night, and even when we do, they're often filled with so much mind chatter that we don't get the proper rest we need. In Taoist philosophy, there's the yin and the yang. These are opposing ENERGIES that create balance. workout is yang ENERGY. Sleep and rest are yin ENERGY. There must be proper balance between vim and vigor (yang) and inward calm (yin). If you don't get enough sleep and rest, your body will not receive the proper restoration.
3. Stress management. Do you realize that if you took the fear, worry, and anxiety out of every "stressful" situation in your life, the end result of that situation would still occur? You can panic and freak out all you want, but time will still pass and the end of that moment will still happen, whether you freak out or not. So why not choose something different? When do fear, worry, and anxiety ever really help a situation?
   
   So what is stress? It's the inability to move through a situation logically, peacefully, positively, productively, and gracefully. To be stressed out takes lots of ENERGY. Being stressed out can severely affect how well you'll sleep at night. Stress is when you assess blame and don't take responsibility. ("I'm stressed out because of______, and that's why I can't______.") Don't let stress be your scapegoat.
   
   Don't waste your time on gossip, ridicule, envy, self-pity, anger, guilt, arrogance, need, impatience, regret, manipulation, jealousy, fear, worry, and anxiety, because they'll zap your ENERGY and cause you stress!
   
   Choose understanding, truth, clarity, patience, devotion, gratitude, vulnerability, acceptance, wisdom, hope, forgiveness, empathy, discipline, perseverance, community, and peace. Because if you do, you will gladly kiss stress goodbye and say hello to all the ENERGY you'll need.
4. Purpose. Purpose is the driving force to get you from here to there. If you don't have purpose, all the best food, supplementation, sleep, and stress-free days won't help you one bit. You have to have a powerful burning desire to want it.
   
   My dictionary tells me that "purpose" is "seeking resolution." Searching for answers to solve a problem. An intention. This all goes to the core of . . . why? Why do I want to change my life and start living healthy, maybe even for the second or third time, or more?
   
   You're looking for resolution. You're searching for answers to help solve this problem. And most importantly, you must be clear about your intention. No one ever does anything just for the heck of it. There's always some intention behind everything we do. Different kinds of behavior have different levels of intention and purpose. Eating fast food and abusing your body is one level. Following a healthy life style with all its challenges is another.

Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.
John F. Kennedy

Eating Out Successfully - Restaurant Tips

Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.

Rodin

Eating Out Successfully - Restaurant Tips

 

People are always looking for the perfect time to make changes. There is no perfect time! Yesterday I said today and today I say tomorrow! Life is now, it’s time to press play and never look back unless you are planning to go that way!

Eating out can be a part of YOUR LIFE. Especially with the holiday season coming up, here are some tips for making it through the potential pitfalls of any menu.

Eat before you go
This may sound counterintuitive, but having a healthy snack before you go out can make it easier to resist the menu's more tempting offerings.

Say no to the breadbasket
This also goes for the bottomless bowls of chips and salsa offered at many Mexican restaurants. There's no need to fill up on empty or fat-filled calories before your meal even starts.

Know the lingo
Read the description for each dish, and avoid ordering anything that contains these words: Buttery, creamy, cheesy, fried, au gratin, alfredo, con queso or sweet-and-sour.

Split an entrée
Restaurant portion sizes are often double what you actually need. Keep your portion sizes in check by sharing an entrée with a friend, or asking the server to take half and put it in a doggy bag before you begin your meal.

Watch out for the salad
Ordering a salad seems like a healthy option, but when it comes loaded with fatty dressing, bacon, fried chicken, cheese or tortilla chips, it could be worse than eating a simple hamburger. Request the dressing on the side, and ask for low-fat versions of your favorites, vinaigrettes or olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Stick with grilled chicken, lean steak, fish or seafood. Go all-out on the veggies, and skip the bacon, cheese and other toppings. And by all means, if your salad comes in a fried tortilla bowl, don't eat the bowl.

Don't be afraid to ask
It's OK to request substitutions, such as steamed vegetables, extra vegetables or a side salad instead of rice or potatoes. You can ask for your chicken, beef or other protein choices to be grilled or broiled, and instead of fatty or creamy sauces, ask for a side of salsa or Worcestershire sauce to boost the flavor.

Save it for your free day
If you're craving an unhealthy dish at your favorite restaurant, do like me; go out on your “cheat day” to enjoy it, without substitutions!

I like my General Tso’s chicken when eating Chinese, or my chicken Parmigian for my Itialian dish : )

Time and words can't be recalled, even if it was only yesterday.

Yiddish Proverb

To review some of my previous “mervmails”, please go to;  http://mervmail.blogspot.com/

Tried and True Tips for Staying On Track

There are countless ways of attaining greatness, but any road to reaching one's maximum potential must be built on a bedrock of respect for the individual, a commitment to excellence, and a rejection of mediocrity.

Buck Rodgers

 

Tried and True Tips for Staying On Track

Focus on progress, not perfection

If you had to skip a workout, that’s OK. Focus on getting back to your normal routine as quickly as you can, and make each workout as intense as you can. If you missed a few healthy meals, instead of using this as an excuse to slip back into your old eating habits, pick up where you left of and plan your healthy meals.

Problem solve

This is a good time to evaluate what’s working and what isn’t working with your nutrition and exercise plan. Have you had a challenge working out first thing in the morning? Schedule your workouts after work or at lunch instead. Has it been hard to do all your shopping on Sundays? Split your food shopping into two shopping trips during the week instead. Coming up with new solutions to your challenges will increase your motivation to make the most of this life-changing experience.

Try it on

Do you have an item of clothing that was tight or that you were unable to fit into at the beginning of your program? This is also a great measure of your progress. Try this item of clothing on periodically; you’ll probably see that it starts to fit better and better.

Change happens at your own pace

Don’t be discouraged if you feel like you are not making as many changes as you would have liked to at this point. Everybody experienced their changes at different times. Small changes do lead to big results.

Learn how to adapt

If situations are popping up every week that threaten to derail your program, it may be time to sit down and figure out how you can plan ahead so that you are better prepared. Evaluate your mission all the way to surroundings levels (see mervmail 10/25; setting goals) to make adjustments.

Don’t give up!

Stick with the program, and commit to making small changes. You will be amazed at the changes you make to your body and your life.

Do continue to believe that with your feeling and your work you are taking part in the greatest; the more strongly you cultivate in yourself this belief, the more will reality and the world go forth from it.

Rainer Maria Rilke

Thanks Giving feast

When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses.

Joyce Brothers

Contrary to how you may feel after Today’s big feast, it’s impossible to gain weight in one sitting. The shift that you may see on the scale is due to an increase in blood volume, which typically happens after a large meal. Fear not! Your body carries a handy fluid regulating mechanism, called the fluid-electrolyte balance, which gets you back on track in no time.

Often, people associate this festive time of year with about a 5 to 8 lb. weight gain. Through research, the National Institutes of Health actually pinpoints that number at about 1 to 1.5 lbs. Yes, this is good news but don’t forget that if this happens every year, over time it can add up!

I hope you and your family have a very happy Thanksgiving!

Families are the compass that guide us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter.

Brad Henry

10 SIMPLE HOLIDAY RULES

You would not have the wisdom and knowledge you now possess were it not for the setbacks you have faced, the mistakes you have made and the suffering you have endured.

Robin Sharma

The holidays are amongst us and with it comes the parties, overeating and the 5-7 lbs of weight gain.  As much as I love the holidays and socializing with my friends and family I also cringe thinking of all the food and the weight gain that comes with it.  In the past I have tried all the right tricks to prevent the excess and unwanted weight and have successfully failed each and every time, until recently. So what was different this time?  I decided to take a look at where my downfalls were and what I can do to prevent this from happening to me yet again.  Mistakes are never a mistake if we can learn from them and stop them from occurring over and over again. So I became AWARE of my behaviors. Awareness is the #1 step when making lifestyle changes.  First you must look at what you are doing and why.  Without this step you will not be able to follow my simple holiday rules below and get the results you want.

10 SIMPLE HOLIDAY RULES:

1. DON'T skip meals. Eat as your normally would and do not go to a party hungry. Hunger and low blood sugar lead to overeating.  Before you leave home, eat something light and also drink a great deal of water the day of the party.

2. Don't over exercise. Everyone thinks exercising extra hard and long will help burn the calories but in reality it will make you hungrier causing you to overeat.  Take a nice walk and move your body with the activities you love.

3. DO eat a taste of everything you LOVE. Taste and love are the key words in that sentence. Take a little of those things you absolutely love and can only get on this holiday and leave the rest. 

4. DON'T forget that lots of holiday foods are healthy. Turkey, ham, roast beef, seafood, sweet potatoes, cranberries, green beans, pumpkin, roasted chestnuts, apples to name a few.  Just keep an eye on the way these dishes are prepared.

5. DON'T skip the fat.  Eating moderate amounts of fat during the holidays will satiate the appetite and prevent overeating of carbs.  

6. DO offer to bring a dish.  Choose to bring a traditional dish and make some modifications to improve the dish's nutritional stats, by minimizing the sugar.

7. DON'T drink too much.  If you aren't careful, you can drink all your meal's calories before dinner is even served. Sip your beverages slowly and you will have a clear head when you head to the meal.

8. DO move away.  Don't stand around the appetizer trays.  If you are there, you will eat mindlessly.

9. Do take a breather. Take a meditative moment at least 1 time everyday to breathe deeply, clear your mind of all the clutter.  We tend to overeat when consumed by our thoughts.

10. Do enjoy yourself.  Enjoy the season, friends, and family and not just the food.  

It doesn't matter where you have been, it is where you are now and the direction in which you are heading.

Donald S.Neviaser

A man can't retire his experience. He must use it. Experience achieves more with less energy and time.

Bernard M. Baruch

The 5-Minute Guide to Vitamins

Overview

Vitamins are essential for your body to work properly. These organic compounds, found in plants and animals, aid in growth, health and general well-being, as well as help prevent diseases and health problems. The body is unable to manufacture the majority of vitamins, so it's necessary to add them through diet or supplements. Some common vitamins include vitamin D (found in milk) for healthy bones, vitamin A (in carrots) for improved eyesight, vitamin C (in oranges) for healing wounds and vitamin B for protein and energy.

theogeo / flickr

Vitamin Types and Sources

Vitamins are classified as either water-soluble (folate, B-6, niacin, B-12, thiamin, riboflavin and vitamin C) or fat-soluble (vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K).

• Water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the body and must be replaced each day.
• Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in fat and potentially pose a serious health threat if an individual takes too much of a particular vitamin.

The best way to get all the necessary vitamins is to eat a variety of foods. The American Dietetic Association recommends food as the source of vitamins over vitamin supplements. But if you're not sure about getting an adequate intake of vitamins, a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement is generally safe and may ensure that you get what you need.

Water-Soluble Vitamins

• Folate: Fruits, vegetables, fortified breads, cereals
• B-6: Meats, whole wheat bread, pasta, vegetables, nuts
• Niacin: Lean meats, poultry, fish, peanuts
• B-12: Meat, eggs, dairy products
• Thiamin: Fortified breads, fortified cereals
• Riboflavin: Meats, dairy products, leafy green vegetables
• Vitamin C: Fruits, vegetables

Fat-Soluble Vitamins

• Vitamin A: Milk, eggs, vegetables, fruits 
• Vitamin D: Milk, eggs, salmon, tuna
• Vitamin E: Vegetable oils, leafy green vegetables, milk, eggs, nuts
• Vitamin K: Leafy green vegetables, vegetable oils, wheat

Dietary Reference Intakes

The recommended vitamin intake varies greatly with age and gender. For example, men between the ages of 19 and 70 should get 90 milligrams of vitamin C daily, while the recommended vitamin C intake for women in the same age range is 75 milligrams daily.

Tips for Supplementing with Vitamins

• Generic vitamins are just as effective as name-brands.
• Look for a USP symbol. This means that the vitamin has been approved by the United States Pharmacopoeia and has been tested in laboratory conditions.
• Make sure you're getting 100 percent of the recommended daily amount from the vitamins.
• Take them with a meal, and take them at the same time each day.
• If you're taking a multivitamin with iron, don't take calcium

Never become so much of an expert that you stop gaining expertise. View life as a continuous learning experience.

Denis Waitley

Are you getting enough of these essential vitamins and minerals?

Life takes on meaning when you become motivated, set goals, and charge after them in an unstoppable manner.

Les Brown

Key Nutrients Every Man Needs

Are you getting enough of these essential vitamins and minerals?

CALCIUM
Why you need it: Best known for bolstering bone strength and thickness, calcium also plays a role in normal muscle contraction, nerve transmission,

and a regular heartbeat.

How much you need: 1,000 milligrams daily, and no more than 2,500.

How to get it: Three servings of dairy (8 ounces milk or yogurt or 1.5 ounces hard cheese) provide the calcium you need for the day.

Fortified OJ has as much calcium (and vitamin D) as milk, and so do some soy beverages.

POTASSIUM
Why you need it: Potassium

is part of every cell, vital for fluid balance, healthy blood pressure and to keep your brain,

nerves, heart, and muscles in working order.

How much you need: 4,700 milligrams (mg) a day.

How to get it: Fresh and lightly processed fruits, veggies, dairy and meat have the most potassium, such as 6 ounces cooked pork tenderloin (766 mg);

sweet potato (694 mg); 6 ounces cooked salmon (652 mg); white potato (610); ½ cup white beans (595 mg); ½ cup plain yogurt (579 mg); 1 cup OJ (496); 1 cup cooked broccoli (431 mg); and a medium banana (422 mg).

FIBER
Why you need it: To guard against constipation, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Fiber curbs your appetite because it keeps you fuller.

How much you need: 14 grams for every 1,000 calories consumed. For example, on 2,000 calories a day, aim for 28 grams of fiber.

How to get it: Include fresh and lightly processed fruits, vegetables, and grains, and beans at every meal and snack, such as ½ cup cooked navy beans (10 grams); 1 cup whole grain breakfast cereal (5-10 grams); medium apple, 1 cup strawberries, medium white potato, or 2 slices whole wheat bread (4 grams each).

Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.

Harold S. Geneen

Food and Supplements

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.
 Michael Jordan

Law of Exercise: Food and Supplements

You are what you eat! Food and supplements are your fuel. The right fuel gives you proper energy, aids recovery, and helps balance brain chemistry.
Even though my job title is Personal Trainer, I put a lot of time and energy into diet and supplementation. We need energy and enthusiasm to exercise. That energy and enthusiasm is determined by the quality of fuel we choose. Your fuel intake is a key component to your success. Healthy, nutritious food provides the energy you need to get through a hectic day. Poor food choices causes napping.
Everything you put in your mouth—all the food, snacks, liquids, supplements, and even drugs (prescription or otherwise)—affects your quality of life. Excess quantities of low-quality food and drink can and will lead to weight gain, excess fat stores, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and even things like arthritis, osteoporosis, and Parkinson's disease. A poor diet will affect mood, energy, and strength, and destroy healthy sleep patterns Recent studies have also shown that a poor diet leading to extra pounds increases your risk of cancer of the breast, prostate, colon, esophagus, ovaries, uterus, kidneys, and possibly more.
Eating high-quality foods, combined with proper supplementation, greatly reduces the risk and the possibility of developing and/or dying from such health problems. High-quality foods and supplements assist in lowering fat stores, losing weight, increasing energy, recovering from workouts, and maintaining healthy bones, muscles, and joints. Supplementation and eating well also reduce bouts of depression, sadness, and anxiety while promoting psychological well-being.
I take my supplements every day (such as BCAA, muliti vitamin, Omega3, CLA, glutamine, creatine, and others). My belief is that going without them is like going without water. They supply us with the nutrients required for living a healthy lifestyle. The vitamins and minerals in supplements work together with food to supply us with the energy we need to do a week’s workout program. Supplements are NOT drugs. A prescribed drug is taken when your body and/or mind is no longer capable of functioning normally. Supplements are taken to subtly assist the mind and body to reach beyond everyday activities.
When it comes to food, I have never been a calorie counter. I have enough things to think about, and keeping track of calories is not one of them. If you really care about your health, you must clean up your diet. If you consume high-quality fuel, your mind and body run smoothly. Low-fat chocolate cake is NOT a healthy choice. Fat-free potato chips aren't healthy either. Bacon, for example, is not the best way to start your day.
Don't get caught up in all the fad diets and weight loss pills. Long-term success doesn't happen with Atkins, Slim-Fast, or the Coconut Diet. It happens when you consistently eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats. Showing up for several workouts a week requires great discipline. It's also important to show restraint and discipline in your choices regarding food and supplementation. Our bodies don't run on exercise, they run on the fuel we put in our mouth. You cannot substitute good exercise for a bad diet. Good diet and exercise have to happen at the same time. If you bring the same level of consistency and discipline to your daily fuel intake as you do to your workouts, you'll greatly reduce a lifetime of health risks, improve your overall quality of life, and see much greater physical change in a shorter period of time.

It is not a question of how well each process works, the question is how well they all work together.

Lloyd Dobens