Being and staying healthy in modern times

[Ratatosk]

In the spirit of bringing this forum together a bit, here is a common denominator where ideas can be profitably shared. The best bet is to live well; hopefully pulling oneself upwards may create a small trend in those around you.



I find lifting heavy weights frequently is cathartic in many ways. It allows me to work out some stress, gives me a quantifiable measure of progress, allows for more flexibility in diet, improves sleep, and keeps me from being a fat ass. Multi-joint full body movements that allow for loading are the best: deadlift, squat, pull-up and bench press. The internet is choked with opinions about the best way to program your workout. You owe it to yourself to do two things - 1) study proper technique 2) ignore programming and just go lift; you WILL improve and you will learn what is best for yourself by DOING.





I also find that I am happiest when I prepare foods for myself. While eating out is convenient, I always have at least some financial regret when I realize how many groceries could have been bought instead for the same price. Normally I will prepare two marinades on Sunday and freeze portions of them for easy dinners during the work week. Making marinades are the best because you can alter any ratios on the fly to taste. Two simple ones follow.

Spicy -

Crushed red pepper
Beer/Wine
Honey/Brown Sugar
Soy Sauce
Curry powder

Simple mix ingredients in bowl.


Sweet -

1/2 Onion [Green onions work as well]
Fruit [any, do not recommend banana]
White Wine
Fresh Ginger
Fresh Garlic
Soy Sauce

Toss all ingredients in blender, adding wine as needed to aid blending.


I have more or less removed flour from my diet, as my oven is terrible along with most prepared foods. As such I make rice on the stove top quite frequently. I have found that I can cut the rice with cauliflower to increase it's flavor, texture and nutritional profile. Simple grate it on a cheese grater and add it to the rice 3-5 minutes before it finishes. This will reduce overall calorie intake, as well as reduce the glycemic load of the rice, and it I feel it presents more nicely on a plate than simple rice.


I also like to get 8 hours of sleep a night, make a weekly trip to the library for books and cds, and to pursue a few hours of creative production a week.


Do you have any recipes, or ideas on how to live well that others could profit from?

[Humanicide]

Here's a recipe I made recently for you all.

Mustard-coated Beer-fried fish.

Ingredients:

Fish filets (I wouldn't use salmon or tuna, probably something like swai, tilapia, flounder, etc)
Honey mustard
Yellow/Dijon mustard
Onions (dried or chopped, decision is yours)
Black pepper (to taste)
Salt (if desired, I didn't use any)
Beer (choice is yours)

Combine all ingredients except the fish in a bowl. Then, toss the fish by hand in the coating and get it coated nicely. Next, fill a pan with some of the beer, and fry the fish in it. I gave it about 8-10 minutes. The resulting dish will not only have the fish with both the beer and mustard sauce cooked into it, the excess sauce that comes off combines with the beer for an excellent composite. Using a mustard based sauce as opposed to a cream sauce, combined with the onions, really reduces the fat intake. Plus this dish is pescatarian, for whoever is. I have it over rice; delicious.

[crow]

Here's my recipe for staying healthy:
Let every thought you have be harmless but constructive.
Seek only to create, but avoid destruction.
Look ahead to the consequences of your actions.
Sprinkle liberally with the benefit of the doubt.
Garnish with goodwill.
And serve.

[§Transcix]

I like the idea of cauliflower with rice. You can also mix brown rice protein powder (ideally with vanilla flavor) into a bowl of rice along with a tablespoon of grapeseed oil and lots of salt; or with a tablespoon of sesame oil and some stevia or sugar and some finely shredded coconut.

Let every thought you have be harmless but constructive.

I've never had a harmless thought, which is why when thoughts arise I don't take them, I just let them pass.

[FIAT]

Greetings.

I couldn't help but share Rodney Blackhirst's essay "The Alchemy of Traditional Foods", which may be along the lines of what you're looking for.

[BillHopkins]

About exercising, allegedly it improves the enzyme- and hormonal system to exercise on a very regular basis,which will improve overall health. I exercise hard about 5-10 minutes per day with gymnastics and stone lifting, and is easily able to do things as hand stand push ups and hands only rope climbing with a b.w. of 102 kg. Weigth lifting is probably good, but is is overkill to buy weigths or go to the gym, in my opinion, unless you want to compete strongman. To get results from running and exercising in general, the procedure is so simple : Use a lot of power in heavy movements, and do it often.

It's that simple, unless you want to sell exercising as a beauty product. Real strength is something like this : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHRwo7j7byk

Is this bad for the back?

[username]

It depends on if you are breaking down tissue faster than you regenerate it.

If you move on slowly(progress over years), the tissue of the spine, like cartilage, ligaments and lumbardiscs, will be much stronger than before.

Ofcourse, the best health benefit is stronger muscle, that helps keeping everything in place.

Most cases of back problems are allegedly caused by inactivity.

[Annihilation]

About exercising, allegedly it improves the enzyme- and hormonal system to exercise on a very regular basis,which will improve overall health. I exercise hard about 5-10 minutes per day with gymnastics and stone lifting, and is easily able to do things as hand stand push ups and hands only rope climbing with a b.w. of 102 kg. Weigth lifting is probably good, but is is overkill to buy weigths or go to the gym, in my opinion, unless you want to compete strongman. To get results from running and exercising in general, the procedure is so simple : Use a lot of power in heavy movements, and do it often.

It's that simple, unless you want to sell exercising as a beauty product. Real strength is something like this : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHRwo7j7byk

It sounds like you're strong and in good health. This advice - "use a lot of power in heavy movements, and do it often" - is problematic. The vast majority of people:

- don't know good form
- are misinformed on the topic of fitness in general
- are in bad/not great shape to begin with
- have troubling muscle imbalances
- don't eat enough (or the proper foods)
- over-train

Your advice, in the case of these people, leads to injury and worse health problems.

There's plenty of literature out there. People here would benefit from reading up on the topic rather than learning from internet maxims. The strongest and healthiest people I know are also the most informed.

[username]

Most training theory are thougth for the use of elite atletes, or worse, for aesthetic body builders. Mostly their pitfalls are not necessary to consider for normals.

Sure it's good to know something about physiology, but I don't think there is so much sense in being afraid of training with for instance taking a little walk of 100 m every other day with two heavy bags in each hand, or something like that.

Most injuries allegedly comes from inactivity or from endurance sports like running or bi-cycling.

But you have an important point in that one must work up very slowly to heavy loads, as muscle and nerveous system efficiency develop much faster than ligaments and bones, meaning to much stress on such! The only thing that can save you from injury is slow progession and paying attention to even sligth pains.

[Cargést]

I've never had a harmless thought, which is why when thoughts arise I don't take them, I just let them pass.

Why have thoughts?  Think, if it's opportune.  Let those thoughts be constructive ones.

[Annihilation]

Most training theory are thougth for the use of elite atletes, or worse, for aesthetic body builders. Mostly their pitfalls are not necessary to consider for normals.

Sure it's good to know something about physiology, but I don't think there is so much sense in being afraid of training with for instance taking a little walk of 100 m every other day with two heavy bags in each hand, or something like that.

Oh, certainly not. I was referring more to weightlifting. Just throwing in my two cents because, again, that idea of going heavy often (not necessarily with regard to a form) was my point of departure for exercise, and it led to a few joint problems, along with muscle imbalances and time wasted. This is because I wasn't properly informed. I'm just trying to help others avoid making the same mistakes I did. Regards.

[Tralfamadorian]

stone lifting

Unfortunately my backyard lacks a pile of boulders. Think I'll stick with the gym.

or worse, for aesthetic body builders.

What's your beef with bodybuilding? I recently switched from strength  training (high weight low reps) to more of a bodybuilding routine (low weight high reps) and it's a nice change of pace. It's less stressful on your body, while at the same time requires more conditioning. It's a different but equally legitimate approach to working out. How is it any more vain than strength training? If anything it requires you to ignore your ego and its incessant desire to lift the most amount of weight possible.

[BillHopkins]

Generally speaking, I've found excercising (running/wieghts), and eating well (fruit, low gi-energy foods, whole grains, etc) does wonders for my mood, energy levels, vitality, motivation. At least 25-30 minutes of running or weights a day and you will be tear-assing around. Treating your body well is better than any drug.

[Cargést]

Generally speaking, I've found excercising (running/wieghts), and eating well (fruit, low gi-energy foods, whole grains, etc) does wonders for my mood, energy levels, vitality, motivation. At least 25-30 minutes of running or weights a day and you will be tear-assing around. Treating your body well is better than any drug.

Indeed.  You'd want to be fit and healthy before taking any of the worthwhile ones, in any case.

[aquarius]

I recently switched from strength  training (high weight low reps) to more of a bodybuilding routine (low weight high reps) and it's a nice change of pace.

I read somewhere that regularly changing the amount of weight/reps actually 'shocks' the muscle (memory) and therefore helps it develop. Also, a mixture of mass and lean muscle is closer to nature. Excessive mass actually hinders projection of strength.