In this July 29, 2009 free audio episode, I cover the following topics: the six key performance factors every athlete needs to know, stomach bloating while swimming, carbohydrate loading, running intervals, fat loss for breastfeeding mothers, whether mineral water actually works, more on the HCG diet for fat loss, and what to do to make raw almonds taste better.
New! You’ll notice above that at the top right of this post, you now have access to a “Podtrac Player” which will allow you to open the podcast and listen in a pop-up player while you move on to surf the internet. You can also simply click here to go to our iTunes page and subscribe to have your computer automatically download episodes as they are released. To help make our show even better, take just 5 minutes to complete the quick survey below:
I’m not a big fan of energy drinks. As a nutrition consultant, for the sake of my clients I have sometimes wished in the past that energy drinks did not exist. And here are the reasons why:
1) Danger of Caffeine Overdose and Addiction: The average energy drink contains nearly 4 times the amount of caffeine found in commercial soda beverages and several of the more popular brands contain the caffeine equivalent of 14 Cokes. A 6-ounce cup of coffee has 80-150 milligrams (mg) of caffeine, but the caffeine content of energy drinks ranges from 50-500+ mg, with one popular energy drink “shot” topping out at 570mg, which gives you the equivalent of about three and a half cups of coffee with a single sip!
Why should this concern you? Because caffeine forces your adrenal glands to secrete enormous amounts of adrenaline and “energy” hormones, even when those glands are depleted. The result is a growing tolerance to the effects of caffeine, and eventual burn-out and severe adrenal depletion. This is accompanied by a feeling of increasing tiredness and a need for higher and higher amounts of caffeine to achieve an energy boost. Attempts at quitting the addiction can result in withdrawal symptoms such as severe headaches and complete loss of mental focus and function.
In addition, by inhibiting the activity of the vitamin folate, B12 and B6, high levels of caffeine may interfere with your body’s ability to regulate two significant cardiovascular disease risk factors: homocysteine and cholesterol. By causing blood vessel constriction and increased risk of blood clots, the caffeine content in some energy drinks can literally be deadly for someone with high stress levels or high blood pressure. Finally, high levels of caffeine consumption have been associated with increased risk of stroke and arthritis, insomnia, heart palpitations, tremors, sweating, nausea, diarrhea, chest pain, and neurological symptoms!
In this July 23, 2009 free audio episode, I cover the following topics: an amazing expose on the dangers of genetically modified foods, double-bonded protein, running with low back pain, an update on the Shape21 Fat Loss Challenge and ProstElan for cyclists.
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Featured Topic:
Listen to this episode for an explosive exposé by Jeffrey M. Smith, who documents significant health dangers of genetically modified (GM) foods and the intense industry influence and political corruption that allow them on the market. His book, Seeds of Deception: Exposing Industry and Government Lies About the Safety of the Genetically Engineered Foods You’re Eatinghas been hailed as the best book on the topic, and many believe that the revelations in this book can topple an industry. In the talk, he documents how the world’s most powerful Ag biotech companies bluff and mislead critics, and put the health of society at risk. Smith describes how biotech companies rigged research, hid health dangers and pressured government regulators to approve food that even FDA scientists said was unsafe!Read the rest of this entry »
Some personal trainers, strength and conditioning professionals, and triathlon coaches out there are going to hate me for posting this workout. Because on paper, the workout doesn’t make sense.
Just watch the workout video where I demonstrate each exercise and observe how many reps you’re asked to do.
This insane number of repetitions flies in the face of any weightlifting research, for fat loss, endurance sports or otherwise.
But…
I guarantee that the mental toughness, muscular endurance and “stick-to-it-ive-ness” that you will gain from just one single round of this workout will knock the socks off any gym routine you have ever tried. Whether you’re training for Ironman triathlon, or just trying to shed a few pounds, you will gain enormous dividends by implementing it just once per week.
I dare you -- give it a try. I call it “The Nifty 50″…
This week I made a big mistake. I accidentally erased the recorded audio interview on “natural topical anti-inflammatories”. So I put the future of Podcast Episode #51 into the hands of the Ben Greenfield Fitness newsletter subscribers.
Here’s what I asked: write down the one burning question you have about fat loss, nutrition or human performance (try to make it relevant and unique). Then just e-mail it to ben@bengreenfieldfitness.com .
The FIRST question I received was promised a brand new midnight black and lime green BenGreenfieldFitness t-shirt. And here was the official FIRST question:
Let’s face it. Nobody wants to go to a hot, stifling gym in the summer, when you can hop out into your own backyard and get in a great workout.
Say you don’t have time to swim, bike or run. You just got home from work, it’s getting dark and you have 20 minutes to exercise before it’s time for dinner, family, and bed.
Run out into the backyard and try this bodyweight workout on for size. Or do it in the living room and entertain your family.
In case you didn’t catch that in the video, do the following exercises 4-6x through (10-15 reps for each):
Push-Ups
Squats
Hindu Push-Ups
Hindu Squats
Lateral Lunges
Front Plank Taps
Can you believe that this is the fiftieth episode? And it’s jam-packed with tips on how to get smarter! In thisJuly 9 free audio episode, you’ll learn…
-How to trick your brain into instantly getting smarter…
-The top 10 questions that I receive about fat loss, nutrition and human performance…
-Information about something called “The HCG Diet” and how it pertains to fat loss…
“-Shocking” the body off a weight loss plateau…
-A magnesium deficiency and heart attacks update…
-The answers to listener Q&A’s on caffeine, ideal blood sugar levels before and during exercise, weightlifting for triathletes, liquid vegetables…
-And much more!
Featured Topic:
The featured topic is an interview with Dr. Arlene Taylor, recognized as one of the world’s leading “brain experts”. During this interview, Dr. Taylor reveals the secrets of age-proofing your brain, organizing for your brain type, and actually making yourself smarter! You’ll learn why not exercising by highways, choosing a different path to drive to work, and even hanging your home’s pictures upside down can all make you smarter! During our interview, she includes intriguing information on: Read the rest of this entry »
Are you curious what people are really reading and finding incredibly useful on this website, or which posts will give you the most “bang for your buck”?
In today’s post, which comes just 1 week before PODCAST EPISODE #50 is released, I’ve dug through the fluff and given you the top 24 most popular podcast posts here at BenGreenfieldFitness.
Over the past 10 months, this website has become established a source for non “run-of-the-mill” advice about nutrition, fat loss and human performance. You folks who visit to read the posts and listen to the free audio interviews range from the top-notch Ironman triathlete…
…to the weekend warrior…
…to the person whose never exercised before but wants to develop a bulletproof roadmap weight loss.
Each link below will take you to the most popular free audio interviews that have ever been featured on this site. In each interview, I make every attempt to cut through the crap and give you the truth about what works and what doesn’t. I guarantee that you will be 10 times smarter about your body after surfing through the posts below.
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What People Are Saying
I discovered Ben's books and training methods 2 years ago. Since then, I have shed 12% body fat and 34 pounds. I am in the best shape of my life and I know that I am going to live longer and live well - thank you, Ben!
Jack, Forest Grove, OR
After committing to training for my first triathlon, I realized I needed guidance. Using tips and tricks from Ben Greenfield, I not only finished, but felt fantastic. Ben is the ideal coach!
