This week, we will be addressing the only 7 fluids you should be drinking. Let’s kick it off.

1. Water

Calories per 8 fl oz (220 mL): 0

Recommended servings per day: as desired

This should be a given. I drink a glass as soon as I wake up, which is a lesson I took from the founder of Brazilian Jujitsu. Although I don’t force myself to drink 8 glasses a day, I highly recommend keeping a bottle at hand. Drink when you need to. Overhydrating is also extremely rare, so please don’t let that stop you. As well, if you are counting up to 8 glasses per day, count tea, coffee, and juice as half a glass. If drinking water sounds boring to you, try jazzing it up with some lemon or lime.

2. Tea

Calories per 8 fl oz (220 mL): 3 (No sugar, no milk)

Recommended servings per day: as desired

Tea comes in many varieties and forms, all which have many benefits. It is loaded with antioxidants, has anti-inflammatory properties, and helps protect us from a wide range of health issues from cancers to high blood pressure. The true teas- black, green and white are all the same, just different ways of processing. White tea has the least amount of processing, and hence, the most polyphenols. Black has the least amount of polyphenols and green is in the middle. I would recommend one to three glasses a day. Just be wary about how much sugar you add.

3. Coffee

Calories per 8 fl oz (220 mL): 3 (No sugar, no cream)

Recommended servings per day: Caffeinated: 3 Decaffeinated: as desired

I never drank coffee until a few years ago when I worked in a restaurant serving tables. Now, I enjoy it every once and a while, but don’t use it as a crutch. If you need a coffee to get you through the morning, you really need more sleep. I wouldn’t recommend more than three cups a day, unless you are okay switching to decaf  or half-caf if you really can’t kick the sweet stuff. Also, watch your stomach. Caffeine is recommended as one of the first things to go if stomach pain, bloating, diarrhea, or heart burn arise.

4. Vegetable juice

Calories per 8 fl oz (220 mL): 50

Recommended servings per day: as desired

If you are a juice drinker, I’m afraid you are now stuck with only vegetables. Most vegetables don’t have that insulin spiking effect that fruit does, so you are safe. I have my own juicer, so if I want to sweeten it up a little, I throw in some carrot juice.

If you are buying vegetable juice in the grocery store, watch the sodium. I recommend V8 low sodium. I like to put in a dash Worchestershire sauce to spice up the taste. And don’t be fooled by fruit juice with an added serving of vegetables. They are still fruit juices.

Note: Vegetable juice is not a solid replacement for whole vegetables, but it does help. Treat as a supplement, not a substitute.

5. Wine

Calories per 4 fl oz (110 mL): 124

Recommended servings per day: 1

There are many reasons why a glass of wine a day is good for you. I found a list of 6 good ones here. I would adhere to only one glass per day because, after that, the negative starts to outweigh the positive. So remember to drink in moderation.

6. Chocolate milk

Calories per 8 fl oz (220 mL): 90 (skim) 207 (whole)

Recommended servings per day: 1

Ditch the protein powder. Stop with the supplementation. For a solid post-workout meal, try a glass of chocolate milk. It will help speed up work-out recovery and has anywhere from 8-11 grams of protein. If you are lactose intolerant go for chocolate soy milk. It will work just the same.

Askmen did a good post about why you should choose chocolate milk as your post workout drink here.

7. Your call (in moderation)

Here you can choose whatever you like. I love a great ginger ale (Canada Dry) or a cold Corona. Nothing is wrong with moderation. But the object is to keep it in moderation. Be smart about the beer brand you choose. I also stopped buying cases of ginger ale and switched to singles. Sure it costs me a couple cents more, but the temptation to have a couple a day is gone. Don’t deprive yourself completely, just try to cut back a little.

Your Digital Trainer,

Jeremiah

Images by shioshvilli, kankan, avlxyz, ajawin, seeks2dream, blmurch, and flasporty

Comments: Would you add anything else to this list?

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1. What would you bring to a desert island?

So it’s been a while. Although I had a chance to fire off a couple posts last week, I have been busy and away with the military training out of Fort Knox in Kentucky. But it’s time to get back to the grind. Let’s start with 7 lessons I learned from my “vacation”.

1. How to take the midnight train from Georgia

Talk about a long ride. Taking the bus from Ontario to Kentucky took about 15 hours each way. My neck and back didn’t recover for days. But it could have been worse – much worse. So to avoid any pain during long trips, try the following tips:

A. Train for the marathon – It is the strength of your core that keeps you protected through long drives. Start doing planks at home during TV commercials. If you don’t know how to do a plank,  get down on all fours ready to do a push-up, and just wait there. If you can hold your body up for a couple minutes, you are golden.

B. Take breaks – Even if you don’t have to pee, take a break. The bus would take smoke and food breaks every few hours, and I didn’t need either. But I made sure to get up and stretch my legs and my back. Don’t forget to do the same if you are at a desk for eight hours a day.

2. Don’t let the temptation of fast food get you

If you read my last article concerning my bouts with fast food, you can understand how this one was a challenge. Every stop we made was in front of some fast food joint. But I made sure to bring food ahead of time. I loaded my bag with healthy snacks to prepare for the drive and wasn’t tempted once. Even for a short drive, if you expect to be tempted by an unhealthy snack, try to prepare something yourself . You’ll save a couple bucks too.

3. Can’t go to a gym? Find a way.

In Kentucky, I was busy. There was a gym on base but I didn’t have an hour in the day to spend in the gym. So I improvised. In the morning I went through this quick routine before starting my day:

• 20 pushups
• 50 body squats (using the toilet as a bench)
• 20 luggage overhead press (I would stuff all my clothes in there before lifting)
• 20 Bed deadlifts (Andrew at Go Healthy, Go Fit has a good example of a couch deadlift)
• 20 dips (using the toilet again)
• 20 burpees

A full body workout that would have me sweating in ten minutes. Then, I just hopped in the shower, and off I went.

4. Can’t catch a ride? Try walking.

I had to travel quite a bit on base, and it is a big base. I didn’t always have a car when needed, so I decided to try walking as much as possible.  I logged in over an hour a day doing this. If you want the same plan to work for you, try the following:

A. Park at the furthest end of the parking lot. When I had a Corvette, I would park it as far away from anyone as I could. Now, I use that same rule to get in a little more exercise.

B. Always take the stairs. Skip the elevator. Think of it as doing walking lunges on an incline.

C. Unless the weather is horrible, think twice about driving to the gym just to get on a treadmill. Get outside and pound the pavement, or at least, walk or run to that indoor treadmill.

D. For any short trip (i.e. mailbox, drugstore, etc.) that you would normally drive, try walking. In my neighborhood, I try to walk to the coffee shop or 7-11 down the street.

5. With all you can eat, try to divide up your plate

I love army food. All you can eat, no bill at the end, and the dishes are done for you. But, it easy to get sucked into some bad food choices. We had a station that would serve burgers and fries twice a day, everyday. There were potatoes at every meal and all the dessert you would ever need.

If you find yourself at a buffet, use the simple rule of dividing your plate. Give a quarter of the plate to a protein, a quarter to a carb (potatoes, pasta, rice, etc.), and leave the other half for vegetables. Eat as many plates as you want, just as long as you stick to that rule.

6. Water diets work

It is tough enough dealing with the temptations of ice-cream, french fries, and pizza, but don’t forget about those sneaky juices, pops, and alcohols. Those liquid calories can pile up fast. So, cut them out. The only thing you should drink is water. No pop, no juice. Just water. If you have trouble getting started with that, take a lesson from the founder of jiu-jitsu.

7. When you are on vacation. Take a vacation.

Work with the army is almost always my vacation. But, if you’re lucky, you may get the chance to go to a nice, warm beach every once and a while. So, don’t spend that time in a gym, enjoy your vacation. Enjoy some good food, and some good drinks. If you absolutely must get some exercise, spend your time outside getting to know your travel destination.

Your Digital Trainer,

Jeremiah

Images by emmett_ns_tullos, froodmat, and chadrogers24

Comments: Do you have any other vacation tips and tricks?

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I have had enough of these low carb diets. They have their place, but they aren’t for everyone. Low carb is not your only solution to losing weight. We all know that Italians love their pizza, their pasta, and their wine. So at first glance, Italians are carb-loving alcoholics. But the fact is, the secret to their diet does not reflect the food that they eat, but how they eat it.

1. No substitutes

Ever been sneered at for using garlic powder instead of a clove? How about Prego instead of actual garden fresh tomatoes? Well I have. You have to be picky with those ingredients. Traditional Italians don’t use anything processed and certainly nothing from a can. Most likely it is going to come from a jar-the jar they put their tomatoes in at the end of the summer, which they grew in their own garden. This brings me to reason number two.

2. Make your own

Why would you buy tomatoes or grapes if you could just grow your own? It is cheaper, healthier and gardening is good exercise. Don’t have a green thumb? Yeah, I don’t either. Start out with trying to grow a couple herbs in your windowsill. My rosemary sits right next to my cactus  that I water once a week. Hey, you have to start small.

3. Tomatoes

Try having pizza, lasagna, or pasta without tomato sauce. Yeah, I can’t imagine it either. Tomatoes are a staple, and a damn good one. Even though tomatoes are about 95% water, they have a couple grams of fiber and are loaded with lycopenes, which are known to fight cancer, improve cholesterol, and protect your skin from UV rays.

4. Olive Oil

Open up an Italian’s pantry. I bet you not only find one bottle of olive oil, but you find 5. There is just something about this olive oil, and it is in everything. If you have been keeping up with the literature, don’t turn your nose at these healthy oils. Try substituting oil for butter on a ciabatta loaf, or on your next pasta. When oil is paired with simple carbohydrates, your blood sugar doesn’t spike as rapidly and can help with preventing adult onset diabetes better than a low-fat, low-carb diet.

5. I’ll have what he’s having

If you haven’t already heard by now, drinking a glass of wine a day is good for you. Wine is high in polyphenols, antioxidants, and flavinoids. And this is also what makes Italians healthier than the average person. For the most part, they pretty much stick to coffee, espresso, water and wine. On rare occasions they may have pop or juice and it usually costs more in Italy. So you don’t have very many liquid calories showing up there.

6. Three squares a day

Everything seems to revolve around food. Just as we have finished lunch, they seem to get ready for supper. No matter what, breakfast gets eaten and lunch is usually a fairly large extravaganza, typically lasting from lunch till about three in the afternoon. Supper can be a lighter repast, filled with more pasta and vegetables. As well, every meal is a family affair. You always sit down with your family for supper, and I’m not just talking about your immediate family. Your Nono and Nona (Grandmother and Grandfather) are at your table too, same with your Zios and Zias (Uncles and Aunts). If every meal is a social event, you tend to eat slower and pace yourself through a meal which can help against overeating.

7. Stroll after supper

Italians aren’t known for their kettlebell techniques, or interval training. But they are healthy, often walk every night, and make sure they do some type of exercise. I like the HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) like everyone else, but walking does have its benefits. Think of this the next time you decide to drive to the gym so you can get on the treadmill.

Your Digital Trainer,

Jeremiah

Stay tuned next week when we do Sunday’s Seven top health-related TED talks.

Image by Tetine, Gio JL, h.koppdelaney

Comments: Are you Italian, dated an Italian, or really like the Ninja Turtles? Anything else to add to the list? I would love to hear from you!

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Some days it is raining outside, or it’s cold and snowing. You just don’t want to leave your bed and head outside to workout. Everyone has those days.  You are not alone. On those lazy Sundays when you really want a little extra boost, here are some of my top seven sport movies to watch to get you motivated to get to work.

1. Rudy

This little guy (5′6”, 165 lbs) wanted more than anything to play for Notre Dame. Physically, he didn’t stand a chance. As well, he couldn’t even make the grades to get into Notre Dame, just to go to school, let alone make the football team. If you are ever told you can’t do something, this movie will convince you otherwise.

Favorite Quote: Fortune: “You’re 5 foot nothin’, 100 and nothin’, and you have barely a speck of athletic ability. And you hung in there with the best college football players in the land for 2 years. And you’re gonna walk outta here with a degree from the University of Notre Dame. In this life, you don’t have to prove nothin’ to nobody but yourself. And after what you’ve gone through, if you haven’t done that by now, it ain’t gonna never happen. Now go on back.”

Favorite Moment: These tryouts. I love nothing better than to see the little guy get pummeled again and again, and still stand back up.

2. Rocky IV

My favorite installment of the Rocky series. In this one Rocky heads to Russia to fight Ivan Drago. If you haven’t seen the Rocky series I do suggest you watch them al.

Favorite Quote: Rocky: “Going in one more round when you don’t think you can – that’s what makes all the difference in your life. ”

Favorite Moment: Watching Rocky train in the Russian winter. Goes to show you don’t need more than an axe in the middle of the woods to get into the best shape of your life.

3. Prefontaine / Without Limits

Both movies are the story about Steve Prefontaine who is an American middle/long distance runner. At one point he held all of the American records for every distance race from 2000 – 10,000 metres. He was known for front running and always going out hard until the end. A great pre-race movie to watch.

Favorite Quote: Prefontaine: “I’d like to work it out so that at the end, it’s a pure guts race. If it is, I’m the only one who can win it.”

Favorite Moment: Watching Prefontaine run with his shoe soaked in blood. Then have the balls to mouth off that he is better than any runner.

4. Bloodsport

The true story of Frank Dux, a world record holder in the Kumite. It’s a story of a Marine who goes to fight in the Kumite, a full-contact tournament, to honor his Shidoshi. This is my favorite martial arts film.

Favorite Quote: Jackson walks in on Dux doing the splits between two chairs. Jackson: “That hurts me just lookin’ at it.”

Favorite Clip: This is training. They don’t do it like this anymore.

5. Hoosiers

The story of a small town Indiana high school basketball team that competes in the state champs. It’s a great underdog story.

Favorite Quote: Coach Dale: “Five players on the floor functioning as one single unit: team, team, team – no one more important that the other.”

Favorite Moment: Watching Hackman’s speech. Not as good as Al Pacino’s in Any Given Sunday. But a good speech nonetheless.

6. Coach Carter

This is a movie that emphasizes that athletic prowess isn’t everything.

Favorite Quote: Stone: (running suicides) “Yo, how many we gonna do?” Coach Carter: “Sir” Stone: “Yo, sir, how many we gonna do?” Coach Carter: “Let’s see how many you can do in… one hour and seven minutes.”

Favorite Moment: After the school forces Carter to allow the students to play despite their low marks, the students refuse to play out of principle.

7. Remember the Titans

A story of a football team that aims for the perfect season following the desegregation of their school in 1971.

Favorite Quote: Coach Boone: A water break? Water is for cowards. Water makes you weak. Water is for washing blood off that uniform and you don’t get no blood on my uniform, boy you must be outside your mind! We are going to do up-downs, until Blue is no longer tired, and thirsty.

Favorite Moment: This speech where Boone explains the importance of playing together as a team, and what the kids before them fought for.

If there are any movies on this list that you have yet to see, stay in this Sunday and watch a couple. Then make sure to throw in a good workout.

Your Digital Trainer,

Jeremiah

Stay tuned next week when we do Sunday’s Seven reasons why Italians are healthier than you.

Comments: Have another favorite sports movie to share with our readers? Let us know!

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