5 Signs Of A Good Workout

1. You are dripping wet and standing in a puddle on the floor.
This is pretty self-explanatory, but your shirt and shorts are soaked and the puddle of sweat on the floor is proof that you have exerted a ton of energy and effort. While some people may sweat more than others (me in particular), the amount of sweat a person works up usually coincides with the amount of energy expanded. So, be proud of those puddles and not ashamed!

Culprits: Extreme cardio, fast-paced or heavy lifting, Vinyasa yoga, many others…

2. Toilet Sore
Now, I can’t take credit for this terminology but I’ve definitely felt the effects before. This is basically when a person goes to sit down on the toilet and you are SO incredibly sore that you try to ease yourself into position but end up falling the last couple inches onto the toilet. It happens and be happy about it, your glutes will thank you later.

Culprits: Squats, Lunges, Plyometrics, lengthy cardio, hiking

3. You are craving a protein shake more than ANYTHING!
You have just worked out so hard and furious that you need to re-fuel ASAP! And nothing will help you more than a wonderfully delicious and nutritious protein shake to get those muscles the nutrients they need to recover quickly. Muscles need their recovery fuel 30 min- 1 hr post workout for best results.

Culprits: Lifting, period.

4. You are mentally alert and ready for the remainder of your day (or night).
I find that after a morning workout I feel more prepared for the day ahead and ready to take on whatever challenges I might face at work or thereafter. A workout can help lower stress levels according to a 2003 study, and less stress means more mental awareness and focus.

Culprits: A good workout at any time of day, but morning seems to really help start things off right.

5. Your muscles are completely exhausted.
You know by the feel of your muscles that you have pushed yourself hard and you will see the benefits in time. Continuing to push hard will payoff and having sore muscles for a brief amount of time means you are doing something right.

Culprits: Lifting, sprinting, bodyweight moves

Health Care Reform...Is There A Better Way?

Today marks a significant change for healthcare in the USA, both for the present and future of the country. Obama signed into law today a nearly 1 trillion dollar healthcare bill that will affect the way everyone receives and pays for healthcare going forward. I'm not here to completely bash the bill or applaud it, as time will tell how effective it truly is. While I certainly have my thoughts and opinions about the pros and cons of the bill from both a morality and fiscal standpoint, I want to take a different approach to looking at the 'health' of the country.

Preventative health measures vs. Medicine/Prescription Drugs:
I guess this seems pretty obvious to me, but the country as a whole relies far too much on medicine and prescription drugs. You have a problem? I bet we can find a medicine that can fix it! You have a headache, pop an aspirin! You have diabetes, take a pill! You have an erectile disorder, here's a viagra! While I understand these can help people and certain situations, it is ultimately a 'quick fix' versus finding a solution to a problem. Doctors are some of the biggest offenders of this as well, because many of them and whole medical establishments are in the pockets of 'big pharma' anyway.

Taking a preventative health approach can help improve and sometimes remove certain diseases/issues all together. Just think if the government and this country took an approach to help educate early on so people wouldn't be affected later in life. Afterall, many diseases are preventable and the treatment of these is what can drive healthcare costs up and up. By improving ones lifestyle now, the quality of life down the road will be much greater and relying on medicine to simply survive and function might not be necessary. Preventative measures may take some work and effort on the individuals part along with the educational efforts by the government, but I think that is a better option than simply giving everyone free reign on healthcare and continuing down the path we are on.

Higher Taxes:
I'm not referring to raising taxes on individuals or those who make lots of money, because they shouldn't be solely responsible for the care of others either. The higher taxes i'm referring to should be placed on specific items and products that cause the majority of the health issues to begin with! I personally get a little upset thinking that I might have to help pay for the healthcare of someone who smokes a pack a day, drinks soda non-stop and eats fastfood twice a day. So, how about we dramatically raise the taxes on cigarettes, foods high in trans fats and sugar and other processed crap? Then, those who purchase these products (which directly contribute to poor health) are being taxed and not Joe Sixpack who would never touch the stuff.

The bill signed by Obama today did have something similar to this that I noticed, an increased tax (10%) on indoor tanning bed use. So, someone obviously realized that tanning has been directly linked to cancer and those choosing to partake in such activities should be charged an additional amount. Makes sense to me.

Pattern of Behavior (THE BELOW PATTERN NEEDS TO CHANGE!)
Eating Poorly=Gain Weight/Fat=Health Problems=Dr. Visits=Using Medicine/Drugs=Rising Medical Costs=Higher Premiums=Higher Cost of Healthcare For Everyone

To finish up, I basically think a healthier lifestyle would help fix and cure a lot of the diseases and ailments people in this country are faced with today. Rather than throwing money (we don't have) into a healthcare overhaul, how about starting with a preventative approach.
Eat healthy and get some exercise.

LET THE MADNESS BEGIN!

It is finally here! March Madness has arrived and I am super pumped,it's going to be a LONG day at work today. At least I've got a vacation day for Friday so I'll get to enjoy watching the Badgers destroy Wofford in the 1st round while drinking some beer.

As for my brackets, going with a lot of chalk but that is usually how you win the pools. Final four teams are Kansas, Syracuse, Kentucky and Nova. Then Kansas over Kentucky in the championship. Hopefully I'll bring home some money again this year.

Let the games begin!

Selection Sunday Is Here

Finally it truly feels like March Madness!

Although Wisconsin isn't playing in the Big Ten tournament final today I am excited to watch the selection special and find out exactly where the Badgers will be seeded and who they'll be playing next weekend. However, i'm more excited about getting a hold of the brackets and filling out the winning entry! Last year was pretty successful as I won all four pools I was in, so hopefully that luck can continue again in 2010.

It should be an interesting NCAA tournament this year as there has not been a completely dominant team throughout the year. There have been some solid teams (Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse) but none that have shown the ability to be the odds-on favorite to win the title. Because of the lack of a dominant teams I think there are some definite upsets in the making and that is going to shake up the brackets. The Big Ten looks to be set up to have a good showing with their deliberate style of play and coaching. I'm looking for the Badgers to at least make it to the Sweet 16.

I'll be taking a vacation day on Friday to kick things off right, grabbing some drinks and watching some games. Some friends are coming to town so i'm looking forward to catching up and watching basketball. Let the Madness begin!

Up Before Sunrise?

Up at 5am this morning laying in bed not falling back asleep, so I figured i'd get some things accomplished with the extra time I apparently have. Ended up unloading the dishwasher (and re-loading), worked on some wedding music selections, made a to-do list for the day and brewed some coffee. I have a lovely sister who continuely hooks me up with coffee, so we never run out! Oh how I love a tasty cup of joe in the morning. Speaking of joe...

Good coffee is definitely one of the little things in life that brings me happiness and I couldn't help but think this morning of a great little coffee shop I was introduced to while visiting a friend in New York called Joe. They made THE best Americano and i'm pretty sure I won't find another cup like the one I had there. Hopefully i'll get back again someday, but my friend just had to go back to school. Although, he is now in Chicago and I look forward to trip there in the near future.

Looks like shower time for me, have a good one.

Back To It + Almond Butter

After a fun Saturday night celebrating the 21st birthday of a college friend's sister i'm back to eating primally. I strayed a little bit with some extra drinks and some snacks (post-bar), but nothing like I used to in my pre-primal days. I limited myself to two slices of pizza afterwards and started drinking water at the last bar we were at...never would have happened in my earlier years. Overall, I think I did pretty well with sticking to my eating while still having a great time with everyone who attended. Looking forward to the next get together with friends.

Back to the grind at work today, but I had my first experience eating almond butter and it was fantastic! I spread it on some celery sticks and it might be a new favorite snack, satiating and tasty. Definitely better than peanut butter and waaaaay healthier for you. After checking out prices at a few different grocery stores for $6-$8 a jar, I was glad to find it cheaper at our local Trader Joe's for about $4! While still more expensive than peanut butter, the benefits far outweigh the extra $1.50 I have to pay for it. Can't wait to have some more tomorrow.

Friday Night Fish Fry Anyone?

Well, it is that time of year again when pretty much any local bar, tavern, and restaurant that serves food is churning out a Friday Fish Fry. Lent is here (which for some means no meat on Fridays) and that will bring out the masses for chowing down on fried fish. I wonder if this is just a Wisconsin thing or does this ritual take place nationwide? I love a good fish fry, but after going primal my days of eating 'All-You-Can-Eat' fried fish are probably over. While that might seem a bit sad, i'm not worried as I LOVE baked and broiled fish too...with EXTRA butter and lemon juice!

After getting home from work yesterday I was ready to do some cooking of my own to honor this tradition (and keep with my Lenten sacrifice) so out came the cod. Rather than coating this with beer batter and deep frying it in some form of vegetable oil as most places do, I decided to go with the baked approach. A bit more pimal I think and it turned out nicely (see image).

It was a pretty simple recipe and we ate it with a nice bed of romaine lettuce with cracked black, a drizzle of EVOO and a little parm cheese. The fish was coated in EVOO, lemon juice, cracked black, dill flakes, garlic powder and a few red pepper flakes (we love a little kick!). To top it off we washed it down with a nice micro brew IPA from Great Lakes Brewery (Milwaukee), because a Wisconsin fish fry isn't complete without a beer in hand.

Weight Loss...Without Trying?

I've been getting the 'you are too skinny' comment lately and it is interesting to hear. I'm not totally against it, but at this point in time i'm really not trying to lose weight. I understand this is not a really bad problem to have especially when there are people out there who would love to lose some extra poundage. Due to my injuries over the last month my working out has declined quite a bit, so I can only assume this sudden weight loss is from me beginning my 'primal' eating plan. I actually tipped the scales at 173lbs this week...I haven't seen that weight since my sophomore year in HIGH SCHOOL! My ideal target weight is between 180-185lbs, but more muscular.

I have been eating plenty of food in my opinion, but i'm sticking (for the most part) with healthy foods and plenty of protein and good fats. For example, the picture included is my dinner for tonight. One whole avocado, two strips of bacon and three (omega 3 enhanced) eggs with some parm cheese. That is FAT, FAT, AND MORE FAT!!! So people, I am NOT intentionally trying to lose any more weight, really.

On a sports note, it is officially March. MARCH MADNESS is right around the corner!!!