Number 2 Can Wait-Read Daniel Duane

two weeks ago i started with my ten best classic exercises and was going to continue this week but on sunday i read  an article by daniel duane that i highly recommend. he and i happen to agree on certain fitness issues that not everyone in the fitness "biz" follows. and as a reminder what my goals are- to teach you how to work out and how to work out correctly so that you can do it on your own if that is your preference. it is all about what works for you. daniel took a journey and found out what works for him. you can just google him or his article "fitness crazed" or try the link below. number two out of 10 next week.

www.nytimes.com  and in the search box enter fitness crazed

Grain Brain, Gluten Free

gluten free seems to be every where these days. some say its real, some say a fad. "grain brain" by david perlmutter has been on the ny times bestseller list for some time now so i hope his research is changing people's minds about grain. but another issue is what commercially made gluten free products are actually made from. have you ever read the ingredients list on any of these products? sure they are gluten free-great no wheat- but that does not mean that they are healthy as many contain such ingredients as rice flour and/or starch, cornstarch, potato starch and tapioca starch as well as extra sugars and all kinds of things i can't even pronounce. these starches are not good carbs and can raise your blood sugar very fast. but they all are relatively inexpensive and that is why they are used. even if you don't have time to bake at home  i  want you to be aware of what you are eating.  like many others who also want a better product that is gluten free, i use almond flour. here is the nutritional info for almond flour, traditional whole wheat flour and rice flour.  compare and pick up a copy of "grain brain" and  make up your own mind.

1 cup of almond flour:
640 calories
24 grams total carbs
12 grams fiber
4 gram sugar
24 grams protein

1 cup of whole wheat flour:
455 calories
95 grams total carbs
3.4 gram fiber
0 sugar
13 grams protein

1 cup of rice flour (also note that some recipes use rice starch. how do you make rice starch-by soaking rice in lye!):
578 calories
127 grams of carbs
3.8 grams of fiber
.2 grams of sugar
9 grams of protein

The Best "Classic" Ten Exercises

 in my future posts i am going to review what i term the "best classic 10 " exercises. why classic? because they are easy to learn, need little, if any equipment and work! much of what we consider new, hot and cutting edge in the fitness world are these movement patterns revamped and revamped doesn't necessarily mean better. studies have also shown (you know i like studies) that they work by comparing them to other exercises-with or without equipment-and have found that they are more efficient and will give you faster, better results.

#1. the crunch-the crunch has been tested against (this is a partial list, 16 different ab exercises were tested in total) planks, ab rollers, the yoga boat pose and is superior in muscle activation (the method by which muscles get stronger). want a flatter belly and more support for your lower back? do crunches*. here's how to do a crunch correctly:

• lie on the floor-a mat is great if you have one-with knees bent and feet flat on the floor**
• cross you hands on your upper chest. this is better than having your hands behind your head so you don't raise yourself up by your arms pulling up your head
• pull in your abdominal muscles and keep your lower back flat, touching the floor
• raise your head and shoulder blades off the floor while feeling your abs work
• hold briefly, lower and repeat

do not raise up too far-it does not add any benefit. keep your eyes up to the ceiling, you should not be able to see your knees. the movement going down should be controlled as you are now resisting gravity giving you more of a challenge.
if this gets too easy move your arms straight back over your head and keep them there!
so now you know how to do the classic crunch-get crunching!

*if you have lower back pain you should avoid this exercise
**remember to always warm up before and to cool down (by stretching and/or myofascial release) after
exercising

Let the Sun Shine

this information recently caught my eye. many of us in new england felt that our winter was quite hard, long and dark. now that spring is here with its longer hours of sunlight i know i feel better and more energetic. most of us know about the winter blues also called "sad"- seasonal affective disorder. but it seems there is another aspect of our exposure to sunlight-especially morning sun-that may go beyond just feeling better. more studies are needed but it seems that irregardless of one's activity level or age exposure to morning sun (8 am-12) for 20-30 minutes may help to regulate how hungry we feel, reset our body clocks and help with weight control. indoor light does not have the same affect. how many millions of years did we evolve with only sunlight! hopefully the ongoing studies will be more specific but meanwhile maybe it is the time for more of us to get up earlier and do our exercise or have our breakfast outside. it might just be a pleasant way to help with maintaining a healthy weight along with getting some extra vitamin d.