Dying To Go To Heaven

What the Heaven’s Gate Suicides Teach Us About Islamic Martyrdom

BY MICHAEL SHEERER

It was 20 years ago this week, March 20-26, 1997, that 39 members of the Heaven’s Gate cult “graduated” from this life to ascend to the UFO mothership that they believed would take them to an extraterrestrial paradise. I’ll never forget it. I was on book tour for Why People Believe Weird Things, and neither I nor any of my peers who study belief systems had ever heard of the cult. It was hard to fathom. Now, as I look back 20 years later, I believe the mass suicide has a deeper lesson that goes far beyond the confines of New Age fringe cults, and has relevance to understanding the motivations of today’s suicide terrorists. 

But first, let’s revisit the story. Heaven’s Gate was founded in 1975 by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles after they met in a psychiatric hospital. They fell in love and believed their pairing had been foretold by extraterrestrials. In the 1980s and 1990s, they recruited several hundred followers, many of whom sold their possessions and lived in isolation, disconnected from their family and friends. They practiced living in dark rooms to simulate space travel and considered sex sinful, with six male members voluntarily undergoing castration. 

In early 1997, the appearance of Comet Hale-Bopp foretold to them that the coming of the UFO mothership, said to be hiding behind the comet, that would take them to what they called The Evolutionary Level Above Human (TELAH), where they would live forever in unadulterated ecstasy. This story was reinforced by Art Bell, on his popular late-night radio show Coast to Coast AM, a purveyor of conspiratorial “alternative facts” (before they were known as such). Compared to eternal bliss in this extraterrestrial heaven, life on Earth was but a temporary stage in evolution. The transition was made in three waves that week, as members drank a deadly cocktail of phenobarbital, applesauce, and vodka; also pulling plastic bags over their heads for self-asphyxiation. Authorities found them all dead in a San Diego home on March 26. The event became a media circus. […]

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Apocalypse A.I.: Artificial Intelligence as Existential Threat

In 2014 SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted: “Worth reading Superintelligence by Bostrom. We need to be super careful with AI. Potentially more dangerous than nukes.” That same year University of Cambridge cosmologist Stephen Hawking told the BBC: “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.” Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates also cautioned: “I am in the camp that is concerned about super intelligence.” 

How the AI apocalypse might unfold was outlined by computer scientist Eliezer Yudkowsky in a paper in the 2008 book Global Catastrophic Risks: “How likely is it that AI will cross the entire vast gap from amoeba to village idiot, and then stop at the level of human genius?” His answer: “It would be physically possible to build a brain that computed a million times as fast as a human brain…. If a human mind were thus accelerated, a subjective year of thinking would be accomplished for every 31 physical seconds in the outside world, and a millennium would fly by in eight-and-a-half hours.” Yudkowsky thinks that if we don’t get on top of this now it will be too late: “The AI runs on a different timescale than you do; by the time your neurons finish thinking the words ‘I should do something’ you have already lost.” […]

Read the full column here.

Anti-Aging Claims

The Fountain of Youth is Still Only a Legend 

BY HARRIET HALL, M.D.

The Spanish explorer Ponce de León wasn’t really looking for the Fountain of Youth when he trekked through Florida. That’s only a legend that wasn’t attached to his name until after his death. The idea of anti-aging remedies dates back to at least 3500 BCE, and the hope is alive and well today. Who wouldn’t like to turn back the clock and regain their lost youth? Who wouldn’t want to ward off death?

Longevity clinics have proliferated in recent years. They offer everything from “age optimization services” to “aesthetic facial rejuvenation,” from “youth maintenance” to “hormone optimization,” from supplements to stem cells. The claims they make are not grounded in science; they are misleading and sometimes even illegal. Jerry Mixon, M.D., of the Longevity Medical Clinic in Washington State, was disciplined for improperly diagnosing and treating four patients for growth hormone deficiency after advertising “comprehensive hormone supplementation as an anti-aging remedy.” Many diverse treatments are being promoted as “anti-aging” remedies. What does the scientific evidence say about them? 

No currently marketed intervention—none—has yet been proved to slow, stop or reverse human aging, and some can be downright dangerous. 

Antioxidants. Eating foods high in antioxidants may help reduce the risk of cancer and other disorders; but there is no good evidence that taking anti-oxidant supplements is helpful, and in some cases it causes harm. There is no evidence that people taking those supplements will live longer or age more slowly. 

Hormone treatments include estrogen, testosterone, DHEA, human growth hormone, and diet supplements that claim to increase the body’s production of these hormones. These hormones have legitimate uses for treating diagnosed medical conditions, but they all carry risks and side effects and they do not slow the rate of aging. Estrogens were widely promoted to “keep women young” until studies showed they did more harm than good. Testosterone is being hyped as a cure-all for aging men, but it is useful only for men with diagnosed hormone deficiency. […]

Read the full article here.

If You Want to Lose Fat, This Meal Should Be Your Biggest

3/29/17 from the Lifestyle section of MSN News

How many calories you eat in a day has a direct impact on whether you'll lose, gain, or maintain your weight. If you're looking to lose, creating a calorie deficit is a must, but when you eat your calories also plays a role. Should you have an even supply of calories throughout the day, or should you try to eat most of your calories by a certain time?

According to certified dietitian Leslie Langevin, MS, RD, CD, of Whole Health Nutrition, "making lunch your biggest meal" could be the change you need in order to see results. A recent study of 80 women, ages 18 to 45, found that having lunch as the biggest meal of the day increased weight loss but also helped with blood sugar levels and insulin resistance. The study also showed that over 12 weeks, those having lunch as the biggest meal lost 12.8 pounds and those with dinner as the biggest meal lost 9.6 pounds.

Pretty interesting, yes? Just changing when to eat the most calories could be the edge you need to see results that you aren't seeing from a healthy diet alone. You have more time to burn off those calories, which means less stored calories overnight.

Leslie suggests trying to "eat 40 percent of your daily calories at lunch. So, for a 1,500-calorie diet, which would be common for weight loss, it would be a 600-calorie lunch. That leaves a 450-calorie breakfast and a 450-calorie dinner. Or if you prefer snacking, a 400-calorie breakfast, a 100-calorie snack, and a 400-calorie dinner.

It seems easy enough to make this change, and not only could it help with weight loss, but eating less at night could also help prevent bloating or heartburn, and help you sleep better. It's worth a try! Remember that just because you're making lunch your highest-calorie meal, it's not a green light to go for unhealthy calories! Keep the mantra in mind, "think of food as fuel," and make sure your meal contains protein, fiber, and healthy fats.

Hydration for Health and Performance

By: Stacey Penney, MS, NASM-CPT

Just how much water should you drink on a daily basis? Does the food you eat count toward this amount? Do you need as much water when exercising in the cold as you would in the heat? Will drinking water speed weight loss? Does dehydration affect athletic performance? If you’ve ever had questions like these about hydration, read on to find out why it is so important to keep properly hydrated.

We’ve all heard the advice to drink 8 glasses of water a day. But how much we actually need to drink is very individualized and depends on many factors, including gender, age, health issues, environment, and of course, activity levels. (1,2).

Generally, the recommended fluid intake for men is 125-130 oz/day, approx. 16 cups, and for women 91-95 oz/day, approx. 12 cups (1,2). Fluids from all food and beverage sources count towards these amounts. Typically about 20% will come from foods (especially fruits and vegetables) and the other 80% from beverages (including caffeinated beverages) (1,2). 

Consider these foods and how their high percentages of water weight contributes to our daily water intake:

Why is it so important to get enough fluids?
The human body is approximately 60-70% water (1), and we can only survive a few days without water. The fluid levels in our body are constantly fluctuating as we lose or gain water. Water is key to our biological functions, including maintaining our core temperature, transporting nutrients to our cells, removing waste products and keeping our pH levels balanced (1-3).
Water is lost through: sweating, urination/excretion, and water loss we’re unaware of via continuous evaporation from the skin and lungs (e.g., perspiration and respiration). Water is gained through: food, beverages, metabolic processes (oxidation of protein, carbohydrates, and fat).

Monitoring Fluids the Easy Way: A simple way to monitor fluid status is to evaluate the color of urine throughout the day. If it is a pale yellow it likely indicates a well-hydrated state. If it is dark in color it probably indicates more fluids are needed. Another method is to weigh-in before and after a workout, replacing the weight difference with fluids. Thirst, obviously, is another indicator that the body needs fluids.

Peak Performance Sidelined by Dehydration: A dehydrated athlete won’t perform at peak levels. Dehydration tolerance is just as individualized as hydration needs (1). Performance wise, dehydration can decrease strength by 2%, power by 3%, and high-intensity endurance by about 10% (1). Some of the reasons dehydration affects performance, especially for endurance activities combined with heat, include reduced plasma blood volume (leading to reduced stroke volume, increased heart rate), a decrease in blood flow to the skin (reducing the sweating response and heat dissipation), and an increase in core temperature (4,5).
Dehydration also has cognitive consequences, negatively affecting response time, coordination, tracking, short-term memory, attention, and mental focus (1). Feelings of fatigue take over faster and more recent research has even shown that dehydration increased brain activity related to painful stimuli (6).

So how much should an athlete consume to keep hydrated? The following chart lists recommendations from the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine’s Fluid Replacement Guidelines (1):

If exercising less than an hour, water will generally meet hydration needs. For longer duration exercise, especially in the heat, a sports beverage will help replace the fluids and electrolytes lost.

Exercising in the Heat or Cold: As most of us have experienced, exercising in the heat increases sweat production. Evaporation of sweat is the body’s key mechanism for staying cool in hot environments. Maintaining ideal hydration levels typically requires an increase in fluid consumption, and potentially the addition of sodium and potassium to replace electrolytes lost in the sweat (1-3). 

But what about the cold? We tend to not think about dehydration as a factor in colder environments. Though our bodies are trying to conserve heat, sweating still occurs, especially with insulated layers of clothing. Colder environments have been shown to blunt the thirst sensation (7). Being in the cold can also increase urine output (diuresis) as fluids are pulled from the extremities toward the core (vasoconstriction) to maintain warmth, in addition to increased respiratory loss of fluids to dry air and/or altitude (8).

Water for Weight Loss: Can water help as an intervention to weight loss? It can definitely help to reduce overall calorie consumption if it replaces high calorie beverages. It can also help by adding feelings of fullness, aiding in digestion, slightlyincreasing metabolism, or avenge feelings of thirst that can often be mistaken for hunger (9). More recently, a study aimed to discover if a pre-meal glass of water would be a successful intervention as part of a weight loss diet. The researchers found that the participants on a calorie restricted diet who drank +500 ml water before each meal lost more weight than those on the calorie restricted diet alone (10).

Too Much of a Good Thing: Hyponatremia: Hyponatremia, or water intoxication, is a dangerous condition that occurs when there is an excess of fluids consumed (exceeding the kidneys ability to quickly excrete) and an excessive loss or dilution of sodium (1-3). Endurance athletes (e.g., long distance runners, triathletes, cyclists) can be at risk for hyponatremia, especially if they are not replacing sodium lost in sweat and over hydrating during an event (1,2). Women and children are also more susceptible to hyponatremia due to their lower sweat rates and lower total body water (1,2). Unfortunately, hyponatremia has had fatal results not only during endurance events, but hazing incidences and other types of non-exercise contests as well (3).

References:
     1). Clark MA, Lucett SC. (2010). NASM’s Essentials of Sports Performance Training. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
     2). National Research Council. (2005). Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate.Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
     3). Insel PM, Ross D, McMahon K, et al. (2011). Nutrition (4th edition). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
     4). Jeukendrup A, Gleeson M. (2010). Sport Nutrition: An Introduction to Energy Production and Performance (2^nd Edition). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
     5). Gonzalez-Alonso J, Mora-Rodriguez R, Below PR, Coyle EF. (1997). Dehydration markedly impairs cardiovascular function in hyperthermic endurance athletes during exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 82(4), 1229-1236.
      6). Ogino Y, Kakeda T, Nakamura K, Saito S. (2013). Dehydration enhances pain-evoked activation in the human brain compared with rehydration. Anesthesia and   Analgesia. Advanced online publication. doi:10.1213/ANE.0b013e3182a9b028.
     7). Kenefick RW, Hazzard MP, Mahood NV, Castellani JW. (2004). Thirst sensations and AVP responses at rest and during exercise-cold exposure. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 36, 1528-1534.

Thrive Cuisine

I received an email from a guy named Joe who found a link I posted on kale, http://golamb.blogspot.com/2015/06/whats-deal-with-kale.html. 

This is what he writes:

I was wondering if you’d consider adding my article to your page if you think it would be educational and helpful for your readers. I’d love any feedback and critiques as well on it.

Well, here is the rest of Joe's email, along with links to his stuff. It's worth a look and let's face it, you can't get too smart about the food you eat.

My name is Joe and I’m the co-owner of ThriveCuisine.com. We’re dedicated to spreading scientific information about the healthfulness and disease preventing power of vegetables/fruits. A simple message, but one we feel is important.
I noticed you had this post that featured one of our favorite vegetables: Kale!

I actually just finished creating my own write-up on Kale which I hope turned out to be very comprehensive and informative. Check it out here. 

In addition to the basics and history, one of the things I attempted to do differently was go into greater detail about the actual peer-reviewed studies that have been done on kale itself in a way that doesn’t make someone’s eyes glaze over. I also addressed the issue of whether you can eat “too much” kale, which I have seen circulating around the internet.

Either way – thanks again for featuring one of our favorite cruciferous veggies. Hope to keep in touch and/or work with you on something else. 

Cheers, Joe from ThriveCuisine.com

5 Negative Outcomes of Low Protein Intake

Most people generally know that protein is related to building muscle, even if they don't understand the science behind it. Protein is a critical macronutrient necessary for maintaining our bodies and helping us keep up with our workouts. A high-protein diet tends to generate some controversy (how much protein is too much?), but undoubtedly, a low-protein diet can have negative, harmful and potentially life-threatening side effects those involved in regular physical pursuits, which is why it's almost never recommended for those who are especially active.

Even if a low-protein diet doesn't cause severe health problems, going too low can still bring about many unpleasant and unenjoyable side effects. Here are some of the classic symptoms of a low-protein diet to watch out for.

1. Low energy: Protein has 20 types of amino acids, which are essential for moving oxygen around in the blood. Oxygen is critical to all the functions in the body. Without enough of these amino acids, the body starts to experience the subtle signs of low oxygen, which typically manifests itself as low energy levels, fatigue and tiredness. As a result of inadequate protein intake, you can experience muscle atrophy (wasting), struggle with weight gain, and feel a constant need to sleep. On top of that, low protein has negative effects on everything from your liver to your skin to your hair to your brain. The resulting damage to your body also produces the effect of low energy, as your body attempts to function without enough protein to power your muscles and organs.

2. Loss of muscle mass: For the physically active, undoubtedly the worst symptom of a low-protein diet is the loss of muscle mass. Protein is necessary for the construction of healthy muscles. Conversely, when your dietary intake doesn't give your body the amount of protein it needs to function, it will begin to cannibalize the protein in your muscles in order to sustain itself. Your muscles begin to atrophy in the absence of protein even if you continue to work out and try to build them up. The loss of muscle leads to slower metabolism and weight gain, creating a cycle of weight gain that no amount of exercise can effectively combat. The loss of muscle mass also aggravates fatigue and makes you feel weaker, and it can produce uncomfortable symptoms like muscle cramps that cause pain and make it harder to exercise.

3. Weakened immune system: A low protein diet can have a harmful, weakening effect on your immune system. Without the full range of amino acids, particularly glutamine and arganine, your immune system cannot function effectively. The absence of protein can deplete your white blood cell count, making it difficult for your body to fight off infection. Researchers have linked a deficiency in protein to HIV infections, as the body is less prepared to fight off the virus, leaving you more likely to become infected.

4. Edema: With a low-protein diet, your body may begin to retain water, which can cause weight gain and uncomfortable bloating; this is called edema. This is because the amino acid albumin found in protein is normally used to help keep fluids from passing through the cells of the blood vessels. When you don't have enough of this amino acid, fluids begin to seep through and escape into your tissue, flooding it and producing swelling and pain. It typically goes down to your lower extremities, causing swollen legs, ankles, feet and hands. An increase in protein would help introduce the albumin your body needs to treat the edema.

5. Blood sugar problems: Insufficient protein in your diet can lead to blood sugar problems, particularly if carbohydrates are replacing the protein in your diet. Protein is broken down into glucose, which helps your blood sugar, but it is broken down very slowly, which prevents the need for a sudden spike in insulin levels to manage the glucose. Protein also keeps your sense of fullness longer, which helps stabilize blood sugar. An erratic and frequent change in blood sugar is linked to increased rates of diabetes, whereas stable blood sugar, controlled by a diet rich in protein and complex carbohydrates, can help keep your blood sugar on an even keel.

Protein is necessary for virtually all your organs to function well, and for the health of your muscles. Don't neglect this macronutrient in your diet, or you may find it harming more than just your workouts.

Calories & TEF

by Marlene Harris, NSCA-CSCS

One of the more obscure facts in nutrition is this; in order to process food into a usable form, our bodies need to invest energy into breaking the chemical bonds within the various macro-nutrients. Even less discussed is the individual contribution of each macro-nutrient (protein, carbs, & fats) to this energy investment, which is referred to as “TEF”. TEF stands for “Thermic (heat) Effect of Food”, and is science speak for the metabolic impact of your food intake. To sum it up, we have 2 layers of TEF; the overall effect of food intake, then the impact of each of the macro-nutrients individually.

Layer #1: In general, the average overall TEF for your total daily caloric intake is about 10%. As an easy example, if you eat around 2,000 calories per day, about 200 of those calories will be spent breaking down the foods you’ve eaten into usable parts (depending on the composition of your meals, as you’ll see below). This leaves you with a net calorie intake of around 1,800 calories (again, depending).

Which brings us to Layer #2: The TEF for proteins, carbs, and fats, individually, as outlined below.

Protein: 20-35 % of the calories you take in as protein are burned just in breaking it down into its component parts, the amino acids. The bonds between the amino acids are robust, and require more energy to break than those in carbs or even fats. This means that for every 100 calories in protein you eat, you’ll burn 20-35 calories in processing that fuel source. As such, your net caloric intake is somewhere between 65 and 80 calories, depending on the protein source. Yes, to complicate things further, different protein sources=different TEFs, but we won’t go any further with that thought, so relax!

     Carbohydrates: 5-15% of the calories you take in as carbs will be burned in their processing. This means that for every 100 calories in carbs you take in, you’ll burn 5-15 calories in breaking them apart for your body’s use. Obviously, the bonds between carb molecules are much easier to break than is true for proteins. This is what make it a faster energy source; its broken down faster. As with proteins, different carb sources have different TEFs as well. The TEF for broccoli will be much higher than the TEF for a soda cracker.

     



Fats: 3-5% of the calories you take in as fats will be burned in processing, or, so for  every 100 calories of fat, you’ll burn just 3-5 calories in processing. Unlike the type of fat stored in our love handles, hips, thighs etc., apparently, our body doesn’t have to work very hard to break the bonds in dietary fat. Despite this, dietary fat isn’t a quick energy source like many carbs—you won’t feel a quick energy jolt from fat intake.
     Important Side-Bar Note: Fat is a paradox; when in a substantial caloric deficit (think: very low calorie & starvation), our bodies prefer to break down our muscle for fuel rather than our stored fat. Yes, our muscle is actually easier for our body to break down than our stored fat. Yet when it comes to dietary protein, it’s more difficult to break down than dietary fat. Strange, but biologically, muscle is more expensive calorically tor our body to maintain than fat, which is why muscle (particularly Type 2/strength muscle) will be sent packing if no stimulus indicating use/need is present, especially in a low calorie intake situation. (Hint: that stimulus most certainly includes strength training!). In case you’re curious (and I know you are…), 1 pound of muscle will cost you roughly 30-50 calories per day metabolically, but 1 pound of fat will only cost you around 2 measly calories per day. Let’s say person A has 10 more pounds of muscle than person B. Setting all other metabolic considerations aside for simplicity, person A would burn roughly 300-500 more calories every day than person B. Think about it!  

Returning to the topic at hand, what implications does TEF have in terms of meal construction? Let’s have a look! For the sake of simplicity, I’ll use the middle of the range #’s for each of the macro-nutrients: 28% for protein, 10% for carbs, and 4% for fat.
Scenario #1: You eat a 600-calorie meal that contains 350 calories in protein, 250 calories in carbs, and 100 calories in fat. Using %’s in the middle of the TEF ranges, you’d burn around 98 calories in busting up the protein, 25 calories in processing the carbs, and a measly 4 calories in fat processing for a total cost of around 127 calories.

Scenario #2: Say you compose a different 600-calorie meal as follows: 350 calories in carbs, 100 calories in protein, and 250 calories in fat. Again using %’s in the middle of the TEF ranges, you’d burn around 35 calories in carb processing, around 28 calories in protein busting, and a 10-calorie investment in fat processing. Total TEF cost= around 73 calories. A rather significant 54 calories less than the metabolic cost of the meal in #1. Let’s extend this out over a 3-meal day: #1=381 calories expended, #2=219 calories burned in processing. Over a week, the numbers become even more jolting: #1=2,667 calories burned in processing, #2=1,533, a difference of 1,134 calories (closing in on an entire day’s worth!) Imagine what the difference would look like after a month! (Go ahead, do the math, I dare ya!) Let’s do 1 more scenario.

Scenario #3: You construct another 600-calorie meal that looks like this: 350 calories in fat, 250 calories in protein, and 100 calories in carbs. Here’s your approximate burn rates (using the middle %’s of the ranges): 14 calories for fat, 70 calories for protein, and about 10 calories for carbs, totaling around a 94-calorie investment. A bit higher metabolic cost than #2, but not quite as good as #1.

Take home messages:
   1). The values used in the examples are simplified for illustrative purposes and should not be taken as set in granite, but…
   1). When it comes to calories, quantity matters, but so does quality. In addition to nutrient, vitamin, and mineral content, TEF is a part of meal quality. A higher TEF will serve you more favorably for increasing your metabolic rate, even given the same # of calories.  
   2). When it comes to metabolic demand of processing, protein is king of the hill. This means that including a larger portion of protein in your meal will actually cause you to burn more calories digesting it due to the extra work your body has to do in processing it. Besides this, there’s only one nutrient that builds muscle, and (Spoiler Alert!)  it’s NOT fat, and it’s NOT carbs…
   3). The higher metabolic demand for protein processing also creates better satiety, the sense of fullness and satisfaction ala “I can stop eating now”. Better satiety also means you’ll stay satisfied longer, and be able to have better, more consistent energy for a longer period between meals. Both highly important to fat loss and productivity!
    4). Hopefully this discussion has also got you thinking about why I always say that whole, nutrient dense foods are best when creating meals. You not only get a better array of nutrients from foods in their natural form working synergistically in your system, but whole foods also come at a metabolic cost, which can help stoke the fires of your metabolism.

One Last Note:  Here’s an interesting tidbit I stumbled across while researching this topic, and yet another reason why it’s better to be leaner than not. Apparently, the leaner you are, the more efficiently you torch your chow. Here’s a quote from a major study on the subject: “Lean people have a thermic effect of food that is approximately 2 to 3 times greater than obese people during rest, after exercise, and during exercise.”
The study: Segal KR, Gutin B, Albu J, Pi-Sunyer FX. Thermic effects of food and exercise in lean and obese of similar lean body mass. Am J Physiol. 1987 Jan;252(1 Pt 1):E110-7.

How to Do Squats: 6 Common Mistakes

By K. Aleisha Fetters

Squats are one of the best exercises you can do—that is, if you do them correctly. Check out these 6 super-common squatting mistakes and learn how to fix them for a stronger you, better butt, and leaner body.

1. The Problem: Your shoulders and back are relaxed. Without proper tension in your shoulders and back, your entire squat breaks down: You round your back, you lose control, and apart from being able to lift less weight, you also up your risk of injury, says strength coach Tony Gentilcore, CSCS.

The Fix: Pull your shoulder blades down and together. This simple switch will engage your core and keep your body from becoming loosey-goosey, Gentilcore says. You'll be shocked how much stronger you'll feel. Plus, by squeezing your shoulder blades down and together, you’ll be doing an important postural exercise to help reset that rounded-forward pose we all fall into so easily.

2. The Problem: Your knees fall toward each other. Caved-in knees are a telltale sign that your outer thighs are lacking in strength, Gentilcore says. If you let your knees cave in, you'll only exacerbate muscular imbalances.

The Fix: Anchoring your feet to the floor can go a long way toward keep your knees where they need to be, he says. Take a "tripod" stance, making sure your weight is evenly distributed under your big toe, little toe, and heel. Then, pretend you're trying to spread the floor between your feet. Push your feet into the ground and out to the sides. Your feet shouldn't actually move, but you should feel some tension in your hips. That will give you some more stability so your knees don't cave in, Gentilcore says.
 
3. The Problem: You never squat below parallel. "There's a big misconception that squatting below parallel is bad for your knees. That's completely false," Gentilcore says. "If you have no knee issues, squatting deep is perfectly healthy and can actually make knees stronger." Plus, deep squats work parts of your glutes that shallow squats just don't.

The Fix: Squat as low as you can comfortably. The ideal depth is going to be different for everyone. But, by and large, you should aim to squat until the top surface of your thigh is just below your knee, Gentilcore says. Meanwhile, as long as you feel comfortable and in control, you can go even lower, says Nick Tumminello, owner of Performance University and author of Strength Training for Fat Loss. Just remember, squats should never hurt. If they hurt, that's your body telling you to change how you're doing them.

4. The Problem: You've only tried one type of squat. Squats come in a all shapes and sizes—just like the women who perform them, says Gentilcore. You've got back squats, front squats, goblet squats, stepping squats, plyometric squats, the list goes on. 

The Fix: Mix up your variations for maximum results. While every type of squat will do wonders for your lower body, each variation emphasizes different muscles, such as your hamstrings or glute medius (side butt). Hit a few variations every week and you'll get the benefits of all of them, he says.

5. The Problem: Your knees extend way past your toes. The farther your knees jut out past your toes, the more you stress your knee joints. If you have sensitive knees, that could spell injury, Tumminello says.

The Fix: Keep your knees in line with your toes. While it's perfectly OK if your knees extend a centimeter or two in front of your toes, focusing on keeping them behind your toes is an easy way to make sure you don't end up taking things too far forward, he says. "Ideally, your hips should move back just as much as your knees move forward," Gentilcore says.

6. The Problem: You squat once a week. The less often you squat, the longer it will take to see results, in terms of strength, sculpting muscle, and metabolic benefits, Gentilcore says. Squats are incredibly efficient: They work more muscles and burn more calories than just about any other movement.

The Fix: Squat two to three times a week. To find a happy medium between undertraining and overtraining, shoot to perform squats two to three times per week, he says. One day, lift heavy weights for only a handful of reps. One day, lift lighter weights for about a dozen reps. If you decide to add a third day in there, try a different squat variation, he says.

REGRET CAN BE AVOIDED WITH THIS SIMPLE HABIT

by Chad Howse

Breezing through the pages of Titan, the biography of John D. Rockefeller, I realized the secret to him becoming the richest man in the world was the same secret that Andrew Carnegie used. I continued reading and realized that Napoleon Bonaparte used this same habit, and when he lost the habit, he failed. Theodore Roosevelt, Hemingway, Bill Gates, Tim Ferris, Warren Buffett, it doesn’t matter the name nor the profession, when success is attained it comes as the result of a habit every one of us have access to.

This habit is discipline, and it doesn’t matter if you’re talking about making more money or spending less, living an adventurous life, or building a better body...your desire to succeed, to lose fat, to become fit, acquire wealth, experience adventure, or just about anything else, hangs on your ability to be disciplined. Discipline gives you the freedom to realize your potential, and to have the things you want in life.

No matter what your idea of success is, you need to ACHIEVE (do something) to get it. Accomplishment is why you're here, it's using your talents and your interests to CREATE a great life instead of wishing it would happen (which is what most people do).

If you don't succeed you're going to find yourself on your death bed regretting that you didn't do more and become more. Regardless of whether success looks like a leaner/more fit/healthier body, a better job, a billion dollars, boats, mansions, or simply creating a quality life, it all depends on your ability to be disciplined.

Why aren’t you as successful as you COULD be? SIMPLE (think about it…): Are you as disciplined as you could be?  Are you focusing on the right things, that is, the steps and habits that will lead you to what you want? If you haven’t taken the right steps or formed the necessary habits required for your vision to become reality, you can hardly expect to get results.
No matter how audacious your goal is, the reason for your lack of success has nothing to do with innate intelligence or talent, but a lack of discipline, over time. The more focused and the more disciplined you are, the less time it will take you to accomplish your goal, no matter how improbable it may seem.

Why aren’t you disciplined? Our society sets you up to destroy your attempts at discipline. Think even in terms of distraction. We used to do our writing on typewriters, it’s now done on computers. With a typewriter there’s one option, do your work. With computers, there are endless options, and only one small part of them is your work.

Think about what we aspire to in our society. Thanks to things like social media, we now aspire to portray an image rather than becoming the person we want to become. This portrayal is led by “feel good” dialogues and consumerism which promotes acquiring debt, not value. We buy to fit in or to make others envious, using funds we really don’t have.

Our society trains us to lack discipline. Rather than reinforcing the habits that keep you average (or below) in comparison to who you can be and what you could accomplish, try a different approach. The code of discipline is simple, to be disciplined you have to practice discipline, but we all know this is easier said than done.

Discipline requires structure and direction, and if you don’t create the right structure, one that allows a degree of flexibility, you’re not going to remain disciplined for that long. Discipline without longevity isn’t discipline, it’s a fad, and it’s useless. On top of that, discipline commands that you have a clear idea of where you want to be, who you want to be, and what you want to accomplish.

Much of our quest to become disciplined can be justifiably spent on figuring out what we want to be disciplined on. Then there’s distractions and our own resistance. We may want to be disciplined, we may know what we should spend our time doing and what we want to accomplish, but we don’t actually do what we need to do.

We still fail to create the right habits and keep the bad ones even if we know what’s best for us. Smokers know that smoking is bad, yet they still do it even if they want to quit. Porn watchers do the same. Lazy people, the same. Overweight people, unfit people, people who spend too much. They all know what they should be doing, and yet they don’t do it. This means you can’t rely on willpower. You have to use every trick in the book, every tactic, tool, and app you have access to. You have to start small, then go bigger, but you have to start somewhere by taking action, even if only a small one.

So, rather than focus on a muscle building program or a money-making program or an investing program, why not focus on the single thing that each endeavor, each goal, each dream depends on? Another workout program won’t solve your problem if you don’t work to develop the disciple to use it. Rather than theory or 'inspiration', discipline needs to be trained as if it were a muscle. Like a muscle, it gets stronger every time you use it.

Whether you're trying to burn fat, build muscle (or both), persist longer, quit some bad habit or another, earn more money, keep more money (yes, they’re 2 different things…), or simply live a successful life, however you envision it, on your own terms, discipline will help you create the habits that will help you accomplish the goal. The shortcut you hope exists will never come.

Developing the simple habit of discipline allows you to accomplish anything, it's the one skill that's transferable throughout every goal, pursuit, and plan.

Instead of focusing on what you intend to accomplish, focus instead on the habits, the mindset, and skills that your goals depend on. Take action in developing the virtue that your goals need in order to be realized, discipline.  You're simply not going to get what you want in life without it.

The 5 Emotional Stages Everyone Goes Through While Trying To Lose Weight

by Eliza Kingsford

This article was adapted from Brain-Powered Weight Loss by Eliza Kingsford, licensed psychotherapist, and provided by our partners at Rodale Wellness. 

Losing weight, no matter how much or how little, is no joke. Most times it takes an overhaul of your lifestyle habits, coping mechanisms (example: stress eating M & M's), and daily rituals. When you revamp everything in hopes of living your best, healthiest life, things are bound to get crazy-emotional. There are 5 stages you'll experience as you progress on your fat loss journey.

You may find yourself moving in and out of these 5 stages many times. This is normal. Start expecting to fluctuate between moments of motivation and considering giving up your new lifestyle. Crossing these hurdles means you'll be on course to reach your goals. You'll know you're there when you've conquered the goal of loving your new lifestyle.

1). The Honeymoon: This is your kickoff motivating phase. ("Wow! Six pounds in just two weeks!") And like the honeymoon stage in a relationship, this phase of losing weight is so called because you want it to last forever—but it usually doesn't. You're excited maybe even exhilarated and ready to make changes. It’s all exciting and new, with endless possibilities on the horizon.

2). Frustration: Following the honeymoon bliss, the dreaded plateau starts to set in. ("I didn't lose a thing for two weeks and then the scale went up!") This is the part of the weight-loss game when you begin to recognize that planning for weight-loss success is a commitment; it can be time consuming and even tedious, and that can make you feel strained. On the bright side, this happens to nearly everyone who sets out to get in shape. The important thing is that you reassess your strategy and continue to make sustainable changes that result in more healthy weight loss over the long term.
 
3). Tentative Acceptance: This stage happens when trying to lose weight starts to feel like a tentative reality: You see yourself getting there, but you realize it's going to take more time and fair amount of continuing effort. While that's incredibly annoying, keep in mind that a healthy speed of weight loss is one to two pounds per week. As you've probably noticed, it often goes even slower than that. Just don't let that pace keep you from pursuing your healthy habits week after week.

4). Ambivalence: A stage of ambivalence usually enters months down the road when you start thinking, "Holy crap, this weight-management thing is going to be going on forever." That's when motivation really starts to slip. To stay on top of your game, set small, achievable goals every day, week, and/or month. When you accomplish little things like reaching your water intake goal or making it to the gym more than twice a week, you'll be more inspired to stick with your new lifestyle, and continue to implement other changes as you go. Don't let the scale be your sole source of encouragement.

5). Fear of the Future: Some people who see themselves losing a significant amount of weight will be confronted with this fifth stage of weight loss. This is when you realize you are presenting the world with a new persona. ("Will I still be me and will people like what they see?") This usually happens to people who start out obese and have a significant amount of weight to lose. Remember, losing weight doesn't change who you are at your inner-most levels. While you might feel more confident, energized, and awesome about yourself, you're still you at your core. And that's a great thing!

Why Losing Weight Is Like Groundhog Day

by Tom Venuto 

In a small town in Pennsylvania, there is a long-standing tradition with the Famous groundhog, Punxsatawney Phil. On February 2nd, the furry little critter crawls out of his den and if he sees his shadow, it means there will be 6 more weeks of winter.  Usually he does, though I always hope otherwise – I would prefer an early spring! Anyway, seeing this amusing American holiday on the news again got me thinking… for most people, weight loss is a lot like groundhog day…

Why Weight Loss Is a Lot Like Groundhog Day: Before I became a full time author, writer and online publisher, I used to work in health clubs. For 14 years, I was a trainer and gym manager, and every January, there was a huge influx of new members. Unfortunately, most of them were GONE by February! I swear this is not “urban legend” or an exaggeration – it’s absolutely true.  I used to print out the attendance records to prove it!

The attendance spike in January and the subsequent dip in February were unbelievable. So much for new year’s resolutions.

Did you ever think about what the word “resolution” implies? If you look at the roots of the word, it comes from comes from “resolute” which means a firm determination. But here’s something that most people rarely consider: Words carry certain associations and ambiguities, not necessarily related to their Latin roots.

What I find ironic is that if you sound it out, “resolve” sounds like “RE-solve” as in: to solve the SAME problem again and again, and again and again. Did you ever see that movie (1993), Groundhog Day with Bill Murray, where he wakes up every morning only to re-live the same day over and over again?

Well, for many people, this time of year is like “Groundhog Day for weight loss” – re-living that same 20 pound weight loss from past years, over and over and over again. What could be more frustrating? Isn’t it finally time to stop that madness?

You can make your goals and intentions stick this year – all year – and keep your progress steamrolling forward for life… an unstoppable YOU. It simply takes a different approach than the way most people are doing it every January.

Forget the old approach: Once a year resolutions, quick fixes (pills, fad diets, etc), losing weight (& not just fat…). 

This is the new, superior approach: Continuous goal setting combined with purpose, lifestyle change, burning fat & building muscle.

People know that resolutions usually don’t stick, but rather than learning the art of constantly setting real goals which move them step by step along a lifetime path with purpose, they make resolutions again every year anyway.

They pursue the latest, trendiest, newest diet or exercise fad instead of working on the admittedly boring, but effective fundamentals and proven principles (which never change).

They’re focused only on quick results without a long-term growth mindset. And, they’re so caught up in the scale, that all they care about is how much weight they lose, not their all-important body composition (the ratio of muscle to fat).

Thus, with the old approach: You temporarily lose weight and fit in smaller clothes, but you don’t look good out of clothes – you’re just a smaller but still squishy version of your old self… a “skinny fat person.” You start out in a fiery burst of New Year enthusiasm, only to burn out, sometimes in less than a month, and gain back all the weight you lost… Where it sticks on your belly until next January, when you start the cycle of insanity all over again.

Insanity: Continuing to do the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result.

If you want to make real health and body changes that stick, it’s time to change your approach. If you make small, sustainable goals, then achieve them, you then will discover new health, fitness and performance goals to set – trust me, you will – so the health and fitness journey never ends.

“Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll be able to see farther.” – Thomas Carlyle

To make this happen, you have to change your mindset.

7 Rice Krispie Treat Recipes That Are Even Better Than the Original

by Catherine Northington

Gone are the rice krispie treats of your childhood; here to stay are the new and improved versions of a confectionery classic! Thanks to the creativity of dessert lovers around the world, these simple no-bake sweets have been getting some amazing makeovers as of late, and just a few added ingredients will transform your treats from average to amazing.

Try these seven inspired variations on rice krispie treats for a quick, easy, and delicious sweet that everyone will love.

1. White Chocolate Cake Batter Rice Krispie Treats

“These cake batter rice krispie treats are SUPER easy to make and full of festive sprinkles. And since they’re cake batter flavored, it’s almost like baking a cake without turning the oven on,” writes Butterlust. This simple recipe begins with standard rice krispie treat ingredients, but packs in the flavor with some yellow (or Funfetti) cake mix and white chocolate chips. Once you’ve got them in the pan, drape those treats with melted white chocolate and drop rainbow sprinkles on top for a creation as fun as it is flavorful!

Visit Butterlust for the recipe.

2. S’more Rice Krispie Treats

“Separately, s’mores and rice krispie squares are two childhood pleasures that I’m sure everyone tried when they were little and LOVED. Put them together and these s’mores rice krispies will bring out anyone’s giddy, childhood memories,” writes Port and Fin. Whether or not you’re sitting around a campfire, these treats are a marvelous dessert choice, offering all the best flavors and textures of the two beloved desserts in one rich combination. You’ll have these S’more Rice Krispie Treats on the table in under 20 minutes!

Visit Port and Fin for the recipe.

3. Golden Oreo Rice Krispie Treats

Pies and Plots calls these golden Oreo rice krispie treats “the gooiest, chewiest, softest Rice Krispie Treats you’ve ever tasted.” And considering the fact they take under 20 minutes to complete, this sounds like something worth trying! The dessert consists of golden Oreo chunks mixed in with rice krispies and marshmallow, all resting atop a rich and buttery golden Oreo crust. We doubt your guests will be able to resist!

Visit Pies and Plots for the recipe.

4. Nutella Cookie Dough Rice Krispie Treats

Nutella and cookie dough offer two of the most delicious flavors in the world of desserts, and combining them in these marshmallowy treats culminates in a sinfully delicious snack. Crazy Adventures in Parenting echoes the sentiment, writing “I love cookie dough, chocolate, Nutella, peanut butter, Rice Krispies treats®, and making my favorite things even awesomer by combining them.” Biscoff cookies, almond butter, and chocolate chips come together with rice krispies to form the base of this treat, and those sweets are all topped off with an irresistible trifecta of Nutella, chocolate, and peanut butter.

Visit Crazy Adventures In Parenting for the recipe.

5. Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Treats

“These Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Treats will not last long when you take them to picnics or parties,” warns Inside Bru Crew Life. You’ll begin by creating peanut butter-infused rice krispie treats, inside which you’ll sandwich Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups for a perfect taste of peanut butter and chocolatey indulgence. Just be sure to have a glass of milk at the ready! The recipe takes a quick 15 minutes to prepare and yields 24 chewy bars of deliciousness.

Visit Inside Bru Crew Life for the recipe.

6. Milky Way Rice Krispie Treats

“Classic Rice Krispies topped with caramel and chocolate make the perfect Milky Way Rice Krispie Treats,” observes Your Cup of Cake. Rather than using the actual candy bar for this dish, you’ll rely on caramel candies and chocolate chips to achieve a similarly delightful flavor. It doesn’t get much simpler than that! For best results, let these treats chill for a while before serving — this will allow the chocolate to set over top of your dessert.

Visit Your Cup of Cake for the recipe.

7. Peppermint Bark Treats

“These bad boys have all of the awesome elements of peppermint bark, but they’re so much better,” declares Domesticate Me. We’re hard-pressed to argue! This superb dish consists of Oreos, marshmallows, and rice krispies, plus a double dose of chocolate (both white and dark — yum!). You’ll love the refreshing taste of mint combined with rich flavors of buttery cookies and chocolate.

Visit Domesticate Me for the recipe.

This 77-year-old grandma can lift more than you

Go granny!

This 77-year-old grandma can lift more than you

Treating and Recovering from Achilles Injury

Since I retired, I was able to increase the level of my training significantly. I was given a Fitbit as a gift last August, so I began using it to track my activities. This has been a great help, and from the chart you can see how my effort has improved in such a short time. This has affected my weight, my metabolism, my energy level, and my desire to continue. I still have a long way to go, but everyday since I started I feel better and more encouraged to keep it going. In fact, when I have to skip days, I feel like I am cheating myself and falling off the path. Maybe this is a good thing.



Over the last couple days though, I have felt the right Achilles tendon become sore. It seemed to come on all of a sudden and although I went ahead and ran yesterday, I knew if I didn't make a change, I would only aggravate the situation. And since I was on such a positive roll, I wanted to make sure I give myself the proper care and recovery, so I can get back to my regular training effort.

After doing a little research, I found a few sites with some helpful information. If you are feeling the affects of something like this, I hope these will offer a little help.
Good luck and take care. Waiting to address problems like this will only postpone your effort to get back doing the things you love to do.

Owner's Manual: treating and recovering from Achilles injury

The Ultimate Runner's Guide to Achilles Tendon Injuries

Achilles Tendonitis Treatment