A Rad Yogi: Adam Levine

Yoga has been considered a “women’s workout” for too long; fortunately in the last decade, thanks also to more strenuous practices, more “dudes” attend yoga classes. But the vast majority of practitioners are still women.
During the last two week I did my little own survey. I counted, in all the classes I attended, the ratio men to women. The average was always around 1 to 7, in some classes being almost 1 to 10 and one time I was the only guy surrounded by 21 women (and, don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about that!). Based on this data alone I still believe that yoga will not be considered a dudes’ sport any time soon.
However, more often, sportsmen, celebrities and other “A-list” guys are getting into the yoga practice. In the (faint) hope that this might be of inspiration for others to do the same, I believe it’s a good idea to report their yogi experiences.
Today we’re talking about Adam Levine. If you’re not familiar with this name let me give you a small introduction of him: he’s the lead singer of the worldwide famous pop-rock band Maroon 5, he's a judge on NBC’s hit TV show The Voice, but that’s not it, Adam is also the boyfriend of Victoria’s Secret supermodel Anne Vyalitsyna (well...good for him!).
In the December issue of US Details magazine he revealed that after years of intense weight-lifting and extreme workouts he has switched his exercise routine to just one hour yoga per day!

Beware: Natural Doesn't Mean Healthy!

Lately I discovered that there is some misunderstanding on food labeled as “Natural”. The uncertainty comes from the presumption people makes that a natural food is also an healthy food.
I actually had a big discussion about this last night in my apartment as one of my roommates was fairly convinced that a box of cereals she just bought, because labeled as “naturally made” were also healthy.
That’s when I jumped in and said: “Stop right there, “natural” is a word with such a broad meaning that food makers now use it to ingenerate in consumers the belief that what their selling is also healthy, but that might not be the case.” A long discussion followed (which I’m not gonna report here) until we looked at the ingredients list on the box and well, that was the end of the controversy.
Why? Because the “all natural” cereals contained the following ingredients: “Yellow corn meal with added corn bran, Unshulphured molasses, Whole oat flour, Expeller pressed high oleic oil (canola and/or sunflower), Salt, Cinnamon, Natural Flavour, Baking soda, [...].”
I’m not questioning that the aforementioned ingredients are all natural but if you believe, like me, that ultra-processed foods are not “that healthy”, well there you go, you can do the math. I mean that “Expeller pressed high oleic oil” sounds a but shady to me.
And don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that the manufacturer is claiming that the cereals are healthy, but by labeling them as natural, it does make them sound as they are in some way “made according to nature” and/or “hearty” and/or “good”; that was at least my impression (and also my roommates one).

Craving Sugars? Learn How To Control It

Cravings: we encounter them daily, several times throughout a day. Some are very strong and we cannot resist them, others just go away in a couple of minutes.
Have you ever wondered what a craving is? IT's pretty simple, a craving is your body's way of telling you you're lacking something.
Among all cravings, sugary ones can be particularly hard to handle. 
Craving a glazed donut, a chocolate sundae or a red velvet cupcake doesn't mean you should eat any those.
Why? Because munching a sugary snack will soon make you crave for more sugary things. Simple/refined carbs satisfies hunger and give the body a short-term energy boost, but they as quickly leave you famished again, craving for more.
So how to control them? Here's a breakdown of what your sugar cravings really are and how to get a hang of them.

Stevia: Good Or Bad?

I discovered Stevia extract not a long time ago through Anthony at RawModel. He mentioned it as a healthy and natural sweetener that he uses in his smoothies, juices and oatmeal. I’m always on the hunt for healthier alternatives to sugar (provided that artificial sweeteners are a no-go for me), thus whenever something new arises on the "sweeteners horizon" well, I have to give it a try. In addition, stevia has virtually no calories: not bad huh!
If you’re familiar with this blog, you probably know that before eating something I want to know exactly what it is, where it comes from, and, above all, if it’s good or bad for my health. Basically, I need to know everything about it.
I did my fair share of research, and this is what I discovered. Hoping that you’ll find it useful too.

Bad Lifestyle Habits Impairs Health, Not Aging A Study Finds

This is the kind of evidence that I’m so eager to find as it supports what we most believe in here @TheIronYou and I’m so happy to share it you.
In this German study it was found that impairments to health and physical performance are not primarily a result of aging but of poor lifestyle habits and lack of exercise.
This research is particularly interesting because it shows that active elderly people have a life expectancy of almost 4 years higher (on average) than less active people but that’s not it, it also proves that sporty elderly people can be faster than younger athletes.

The Best Protein Sources (Other Than Meat, Fish, Dairy and Eggs)

Lately I’ve decided to try to cut my overall intake of meat (I’ve cut out pork completely for that matter). I’ve never been a big meat eater, but chicken and turkey have always been a main part of my diet. I was (and I am still) convinced that there’s nothing like meat to get your protein intake, but I’m also more conscious that eating too much meat (even if organic lean meat) is not ideal for your health. That's why I I decided to resort to other plant sources of protein.
Also, during one of my triathlons last year I met two vegan triathletes and one of them - to put it mildly - just “beat the crap” out of me during the race.  He was almost faster than me in the swimming segment (which for me is a big deal ) and when we jumped on the bike well, there was no match.
I was really impressed by this guy because he seemed to have some kind of secret source of energy that made him almost fly throughout the race.
Then I thought to myself: this guy is vegan and he’s an amazing triathlete, how does he feeds his muscles? Because let’s not forget that a vegan doesn’t eat meat, fish, dairy products or eggs. Hence, it can get quite tricky to get your proteins. I have many vegan friends, some of them are amazing yoga teachers, others are good athletes but none of them is even close to being a triathlete.
Training for triathlons (and triathlon races themselves) requires a lot of energy and the post-training/race recovery can become quite problematic if you can’t rely on readily available protein sources (such as whey protein, egg whites or chicken).
I asked him for some guidance on his diet and he replied that he relied heavily on quinoa, organic soy (including soy protein powder), hemp, legumes and brown rice.
All in all he made me realize that there are so many other sources of protein other than standard meat, fish, eggs and dairy products.
Let’s dig more into this!

Soups Are A Great Winter Food, But Avoid Canned Ones And MYO Instead

I love winter for many reasons (ski, long nights of sleep, etc...) but one of my favorite thing of this season is that it’s the best time to enjoy hot soups.
Soups make the top of my preferred foods list. There are thousands different recipes to choose from and they can be made with earthy and healthy ingredients such as legumes, veggies, spices, meats, eggs, etc.
There’s nothing better to warm yourself with after a long day of ski or just a long day of work.
I usually prepare them in large quantities so they last for a couple of days. I can bring them at work or keep them in the fridge so when I get home for dinner I just have to reheat them and my supper is ready.
Plus, from an athlete perspective, well-made and balanced soups bring in one pot all the nutrients needed: proteins, carbs, good fats, vitamins, antioxidants, trace minerals and so on. Hence, a very good post-workout food!
However (yes there is an however, like always), soups can be tricky because - if you do not choose wisely - some are loaded with unwanted calories and fats (clam chowder anyone?)
Also, the best soups are the ones you make yourself at home (or alternatively those you can buy at 100% organic shops) but instead canned soups should be avoided at all times. Why?
Because when you slurp down that chicken soup, beefy stew, or other canned favorite you get also a bunch of stuff you don’t want. In fact, processed soups are full of a lot of ingredients that won't be listed on the label; such as industrial chemicals (BPA), pesticides, and weird food additives.

First Step To Losing Weight: Give Up Eating Out (Or Maybe Not?)

Everybody loves eating out with friends but there is a downside in that: eating frequently in restaurants and consuming high-calorie foods in large portions can contribute to weight gain as a result of the excess calorie intake.
However, a recent study has found out that if you make the right choices from the menu you can eat out and still lose weight.

Bread Is (Always) An Ultra-Processed Food

Yesterday we talked about the classification of foods between unprocessed, lightly processed and ultra-processed. Today, with that knowledge in mind we are going to put on trial what is possibly the most popular food in the world. One that man has made for thousand of years, refining the techniques for baking it and one that you can find in almost all households around the world (except mine): bread.
An all time favorite that you use for making your favorite sandwiches, to spread peanut-butter and jelly, to accompany all of your meals and so on.
And why it is on trial today? Because beside being the most common food, it is also an ultra-processed food. No matter if you make it at home from whole ingredients or if you buy the “industrial” Wonder Bread at the supermarket, it's still ultra-processed food.

Do You Know The Difference Between Unprocessed, Lightly-Processed And Ultra-Processed Food?

Nowadays we hear a lot of times the term “processed” when it comes to food. And you probably have also heard that we should be eating more unprocessed foods and less processed foods.
But do you know what exactly is processed food or unprocessed food, for that matter?
Yes, I mean, everybody can tell that an apple or a banana are unprocessed and that an Oreo cookie is processed but what about flour, olive oil or yogurt? Can you tell if those are processed or unprocessed?
If you’re interested in this topic you’re probably going to be happy that nutritionists have created a system of categorization to differentiate between different kinds of food.
It’s also pretty simple and you’ll be amazed how this will change your point of view when you’ll be at the supermarket picking up groceries.
I found a really interesting paper authored by Prof. Carlos Monteiro that with exceptional simplicity provides clear-cut classification of processed foods.
If you’re interested in reading the whole paper you can download it for free at http://www.wphna.org/2011_nov_wn4_cam11.htm here I will just briefly sum-up the main ideas of his writing.

Nuggets and fries: a classic example of ultra-processed food

"Nothing Tastes As Good As Healthy Feels!" Do You Believe It Too?

I have to admit it, the title of this post is not an original creation. It was firstly pronounced in 2009 by Kate Moss and all I did, was to just change one word.
The original sentence was “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” and the UK top-model claimed it to be one of her mottos. One that actually caused a lot of controversy as critics condemned Moss’s comments, saying that, as a role model to millions of girls and young women, they could lead to more instances of eating disorders.
Needless to say it we like our sentence “Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels” better than the one of Ms Moss (no offense...)
And, here @TheIronYou we like to think that there is no comfort food that outruns the feeling of being healthy. Do you believe the same?
But let go one step at the time and let’s define the feeling of being healthy and the one of being unhealthy...

Crunches v. Planks: What's The Best For Your Abs?

“R.I.P. Crunches, you have been a very good friend but it is time to let you go once and for all!”
this is more or less the message that Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove convey in the recently published book “The New Rules of Lifting for Abs” (Avery, 2010). A very interesting one if you’re looking for an entertaining reading.
Schuler, an award-winning fitness journalist and one of the authors of the book, confessed that he hasn’t done a single crunch in at least ten years (that means since the beginning of the new century!) "The idea of doing crunches and sit-ups is to make the abdominal muscles bigger," he told. "But we all have muscles there. My son had a six-pack for most of his childhood, without doing a single sit-up. He was just a skinny, active kid."
We all know that diet (no sugars, refined carbs and fats) is more important than exercise if you want a six (or even eight) pack. Most guys also probably don't realize that the most effective moves for chiseling the belly aren't crunches or sit-ups (which can actually do more harm than good).
In fact, the best exercise to target your gut does the exact opposite of a crunch, and that is a plank!

How Harmful Are Mobile Phones?

Nowadays we spend huge amounts of time talking, texting, chatting, browsing and playing on our mobile phones. This made me wonder: can all this time spent on those devices be harmful?
Well, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer - IARC (a unit of the World Health Organization) there is but one straight answer to such question and it’s (unfortunately): YES.
In the press realease no. 208 of May 31, 2011 the IARC has classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B), based on an increase risk for glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer, associated with wireless phone use.

January Workout Playlist

Get your motor running after the Holidays with a good workout and January’s workout playlist in collaboration with RunHundred.com playing on your iPod!

Why I Decided To Not Eat Pork Meat (At Least In 2012)

Since I posted about my New Year’s resolutions a lot of people have been asking me: “Why do you want to take pork meat out of your diet?” “Is it for religious reasons?” “Are you planning on becoming a vegetarian/vegan and want to start doing it gradually?”
The answer is no, I’m not doing for religious reasons nor I’m planning on becoming a vegan/vegetarian (I wish I was that brave).
However, lately I have come across some literature about pork meat and the potential health hazard that it constitutes for the human body and I was pretty fascinated about it. So I thought to myself: “Why don’t I try to take out pork meat for a year and see if there’s any improvement in my overall health?”
But I’m not gonna hide it. Taking out pork meat is going to be really hard for me as I love ham (in particular, Spanish hamon serrano and Italian prosciutto crudo) but I will do it anyway and see what’s happening.
So, let’s get back to business and back to the reasons that have led me to coming to such resolution.