Spring Cleansing

What a weekend it has been. A great event, time with family, delicious grilled food, wonderful weather, and some yard work, too. Back to the grind tomorrow, but it's time to transition now as it is almost officially summer (although it's been hot enough to be August already). I've been eating well as most of you have been, both abundantly and nutritiously. But as now pools have opened and it will also be time to hit the beach whenever possible, people including myself would like to feel lighter, jump-start weight loss, and reduce bloating. The other day my friend Michelle brought up something about a cleanse. Good concept, and it is nothing new, of course. But what kind of cleansing? A total cleanse where you take in zero to little nutrients? A chemical cleanse that rattles your colon to get everything out effectively yet perhaps uncomfortably?

Starting tomorrow, I am going to begin a 3-day, low-calorie/high-nutrient Shakeology cleanse utilizing Shakeology, the breakthrough meal-replacement shake that has over 70+ nutritious food ingredients packed with antioxidants, phytonutrients, digestive enzymes, prebiotics, and love! It's my "recovery week" so it's a perfect opportunity to go lo-cal before jumping back into intense training. I'll blog about my experience in 3 days but here's how my schedule will look:

wake 5:15am, 1 cup of green tea
6:00am - breakfast - greenberry shakeology with water and ice only
7:50am - snack- banana
10:30am - lunch - chocolate shakeology with water and ice only, 1 cup of green tea
between 2 and 3pm - snack - chocolate shakeology with water and ice only
4:30 pm - mild exercise (Ho' Ala ke kino)
5:30/6pm - dinner - 1 piece (4 oz) grilled fish with mixed greens salad, 2 tbsp oil/vinegar

Obviously, this is extreme calorie restriction, however it is nutrient dense and is sure to leave me lighter and cleaner, and should have me feelin' great going into Friday. I'll let you know, and I also wanted to post this Teamwork article straight from the coach archives. Very good stuff. The real deal on Shakeology:

Shakeology^®: A Shake Too Good to
Be True?

By Dr. Mark Cheng, PhD

This is an article from a professional who teaches for one the most respected kettlebell training communities in the country. It was written by Dr. Mark Cheng in response to some of his students and peers who were questioning his vocal support of Shakeology. Dr. Cheng gave us permission to reprint it here.

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Lately, I've made mention about my use of the nutritional product Shakeology, and some folks have been questioning if I've abandoned the RKC ranks and gone "P90X" on them. So let me set the record straight . . . definitively . . . once and for all.

I heard about Shakeology before there WAS a Shakeology, directly from the mouth of its inventor—Isabelle Brousseau. The wife of Beachbody CEO Carl Daikeler, Ms. Brousseau is a singularly talented coach and highly educated researcher. She's spent years studying the advanced principles of elite human performance from authorities around the world, and I was honored to have the chance to share Pavel Tsatsouline's Hardstyle RKC kettlebell training method privately with her. As an adept student, she was on the fast track to preparing for her RKC instructor certification when she decided to take time off upon learning she was expecting her first child.

During the times I spent training her, Isabelle and I spoke about Chinese herbal medicine, and she mentioned she was researching ways of combining all-natural foods with the highest possible nutrient values into a meal-replacement shake designed for athletes and people-on-the-go. When she mentioned wanting to put in high quality ayurvedic herbs, Chinese herbs, antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, prebiotics, and a host of other vitamins and minerals, my initial reaction was, "Yeah, right!"

My doubts were not unfounded. Having spent years studying (and consuming) Chinese herbal medicines, I had a familiarity with a good deal of what Brousseau was talking about. The ingredients she'd mentioned sounded like a wish list that only insiders would know of and only the filthy rich and well-connected could afford. On top of that, the taste of such a mixture, I surmised, would probably make even the least sensitive tasters wretch with disgust. To make a mixture that would contain the type of ingredients she mentioned, be stable enough to ship and store, and not taste like the bottom skim of a Los Angeles sewer was a pipe dream as far as I was concerned. So I filed the conversation away in my mental round file. A couple of years later, when I met with Carl to discuss a project idea, I saw the finished product on his shelf. Eager to see how far from the initial ideal the finished product had to compromise, I was in for a shock.

Not only did Shakeology have EXACTLY the type of ingredients that Isabelle had mentioned during our training sessions, but it had MORE!

Some notables:

• Astragalus: widely used in Chinese medicine as an immune system regulator
• MSM: one of the most popular supplements for joint health
• Chia: the Mayan super-seed with more calcium than whole milk, more omega-3 and -6 than salmon, and more protein than kidney beans
• THREE different proprietary blends and some vitamins and minerals that actually exceeded the U.S. RDA.
  

This stuff looked like it was fit for a king for sure. So I was curious to put it to the final 2 tests: taste and performance. I wanted to know if it smelled or tasted anything like what I thought it would and was curious if it'd make a difference for my high-velocity, high-output, high-mileage lifestyle.
A little background: I'm a caffeine junkie by virtue of workaholism. Ever since discovering the "joy" of all-nighter homework sessions in high school, I became keenly aware of the value of being able to work harder and sacrifice sleep. So when the NoDoz, Vivarin, and Mountain Dew lifestyle needed an adult turn after I'd graduated and started writing, teaching, treating patients, travelling, training, and trying to spend time with my family, I dove hip deep into energy drinks like Red Bull, Monster, and caffeinated energy bars like Pit Bull. When I speak well about a nutritional product, it's for one reason: it helps me get my work done while keeping me healthy. Another bit of background: I'm a glutton. I love food, especially food that tastes good. I never met a filet mignon that I didn't like, and never met one that I didn't like better wrapped in bacon, with a side of bacon-wrapped scallops, and mashed potatoes—topped with bacon. If it doesn't taste good, I don't care how good it is for me. I'll STILL probably not like it well enough to be disciplined about taking it.

The Greenberry Shakeology bag that Carl gave me turned my ball of preconceived notions and stood it on its ear. From the moment I opened the bag, the scent was wonderful, like a dessert that you're eager to tear into. So I dumped some ice and water into the blender and dropped a scoop of the bright green powder in with it. I didn't add juice or other fruits because I wanted to know exactly how this tasted by itself, unadulterated. The next sound I heard after taking my first sip was, "Yum!" It passed the taste test.
Next was the travel test. I wanted to see how it kept me going while traveling, so instead of my usual chain-drinking habit of Monster or Red Bull, I tried a shake or two during the day, usually with one in the morning. I brought Shakeology with me to New York, New Mexico, and most recently to Australia to see how I'd do with it, and the results were remarkable. I had sustained, stable energy, but without the jitters, aggression, and hard drops afterwards. When I travel, I travel to teach, and I have to be up, energetic, strong, and focused. My days here in LA revolve around teaching, training, treating patients, and trying to steal moments with my family. So if something doesn't give me the energy to do what I need, I can't waste my precious time or hard-earned money with it.
Shakeology has proven itself to be able to give me all of that on multiple occasions, both while traveling and here in Los Angeles. You can draw your own conclusions about any product you want, but I'm sharing my experiences with Shakeology here openly. And if you think I'm endorsing it only for financial gain, you couldn't be more wrong. I signed up as a "Coach" so I could buy the product for myself! If you want to try it, you know where to find it, and get ready to be surprised how little such high-quality nutrition costs!

So there you have it...you can't afford NOT to give your body the nutrition it deserves! Anyone ready for a little "Spring Cleansing"? Click the title to this blog to go to my official shakeology page or visit www.shakeologylife.com. Thanks for reading everyone!

Until Lambs Become Lions

This Sunday, we took an opportunity, thanks to my mother-in-law, to see the new Robin Hood movie with Russel Crowe. It looked cool in the preview, but I wasn't sure what to expect. I did know that sitting in an air-conditioned theater was a great choice on a 90 degree afternoon! Anyways, we went to church, ran some errands, and headed to the theater. We got comfy and then proceeded to watch an awesome version of a traditional tale. I won't get into the details, but there was a saying that was one of the main elements of Robin Longstride's (Robin Hood's) past:

"Rise and Rise Again Until Lambs Become Lions"

At first I thought about this for a while, then just enjoyed the movie. It came back again, and finally someone asked Robin Hood what it meant. He said, "never give up." Makes sense. Lambs will never become lions, because that is impossible. So don't give up, waiting for something impossible to happen. Instead, persevere and make it happen! Don't let anyone or anything get in the way of your goals and dreams. You are the only one that will stop yourself from making things happen, so don't wait. Rise and rise again. Go check out this flick. It's a good one! Thanks for reading everyone!

In Memory of Capt. Mark Nickles

I lined up in my corral for the Soldier Field 10 Mile Run today around 7am. I was pumped. I had warmed up, loaded carbs yesterday, got a decent amount of sleep, and was ready. I've been training for this. And today there was a lot of emotion and something deeper than muscle and oxygen running my legs. Since this is a Memorial Day race, there was a tribute to all of our fallen soldiers and a message of support to those fighting for the very freedom that allows us to be able to run the streets and have functions such as this one. If you don't know, my older brother, Mark was a Captain in the Marine Corps. He was a fighter pilot, and though he did not see war, his jet went down in the Yellow Sea (or so that is the story) a day before my 16th birthday. I am not saddened or angry or reluctant to share this because I am so proud of my brother.

You see, in a way, he is the reason I was able to race today. Whenever I think I can't do something, whenever I think there are impossible obstacles in front of me, I revel in the idea that Mark one day had an aspiration to become a pilot, and he achieved that goal. A handful of American soldiers who even qualify physically are able to commit to sticking with the program, passing whatever tests they need to, and prove their skill. Mark did this. If he can do that, there is no way I can make any excuse to do the things necessary to maintain my health and take care of my family. I crossed the finish line today as a tribute to him, with my arms spread eagle displaying the sharpie script of "In Memory of Capt. Mark Nickles" across my wingspan. Here's to you bro, and to all of the men and women who have served and who are proudly serving now. Thanks for reading everyone, and have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Check this link for the official results page. I'm on page 9, and finished with an official time of 1:13:01! A new personal record!

http://results.active.com/pages/displayNonGru.jsp?orgID=234623&rsID=93681

Early Day

Today I need to go into work early, so I'm also writing this blog a bit early. Which led me to a thought process during the week and especially yesterday. "How do I adjust my routine in order to get it all done and still be comfortable?" Some of you might be on a consistent routine like I am, while others are constantly shuffling around with different and chaotic schedules. The latter I feel for but regardless, it's all about planning in advance. I'll share what I did and what I do that helps me.

First, I stuck to the script on getting my lunch together yesterday. This way, it's ready to go, regardless of what time I leave. No excuses to buy lunch, and even though we make great food at work, I can cut costs when bringing my food and have more control over the nutrition as well. Next, I adjusted my sleep a bit. Rather than stay up til 11 or 11:30 (which is still a bit too late for my tastes, but allows me to get office work done), I instead got to bed by 10:15 or so. I usually get up around 5:15, but today I got up at 4:15. However, I usually have breakfast between 5:30 and 6 am, then blog and do some office work before leaving around 7am. I shuffled a bit here by grabbing a cup of tea, and I'm getting my office work in first so I can have breakfast around the same time and make my wife's Shakeology on schedule as well.

Talk about scheduling...my adjustments are nothing compared to hers. She gets up around 4/4:15 to get a workout in before showering, "shakeologying", and heading to work for a 12 hour nursing shift. And she has still found ways to get in her snacks and meals through the hustle. So if she can do it, I can do it, and you can also do it. Please post comments on how you adjust for your "early days" or other scheduling as we need to lean on each other for ongoing support! Thanks for reading everyone and Happy Friday!

An added announcement: I will be running in the Fleet Feet Sports Soldier Field 10-miler tomorrow morning, and my start time is 7:15am! Wish me luck and if you're an early bird or can adjust...I'd love to see you after I finish! You can sit in the stands and watch me finish (my goal is around 8:30am or so) on the jumbotron! Thanks to everyone for all of your support!

Letter To The Doctor

Doc… wanted to get back to you about some nutrition info that might help. First, you def need to know what’s going on. Like with your patients: you do an exam/assessment to find out what’s going on, right? In the same way, you should log your meals and snacks so you can see where you’re at in various food groups, etc, and a great and free tool to do this is something I use at:

www.myfitnesspal.com

you can set up an account and there is a huge database of foods. You will be able to track your calories and see the breakdown. Do this and get with me and I can help you adjust and not necessarily eliminate all the stuff you like…just make most of it better!

Also, there is a meal replacement I would highly recommend. It is much different than a traditional one, as you will see by the video. First, watch this video about it, then watch the testimonials from fellow medical professionals such as yourself. I have some samples you can have if you are interested. I have one shake a day along with jasmine, my mom, and many other people I have coached. It has substantially increased my digestion, regularity, mental focus, and I am getting nutrition from actual foods and not vitamins, which you know is important. Check it out:

If you haven’t done so already, go to my site at www.premierhealthsource.com and you can join my team as a free or club member. Either way, you will have access to a lot of tools, tips, support, and you’ll be on my team officially! You can set up a profile and start tracking your fitness and nutrition, schedule workouts, and a whole lot more! Check out the nutrition tips including Michi’s Ladder, which is a great reference tool to replace unhealthier foods with better choices!

This started off as an email to my neighbor who is an accomplished Triathlete and Pediatrician, but actually I decided to post it as a blog because it’s so important, and people have the most trouble grasping the idea of monitoring and re-learning, really, how to eat properly for health as well as athletic performance. Thanks for reading everyone, and I got some more nutrition stuff coming your way soon!