The Mozart diet?

I recently started reading a biography of Mozart. And to my surprise, I found a mention of a diet in it. In a letter that Mozart wrote to his mother in 1770. He's been traveling with his father, his sister and this other man.

"I myself have had the privilege of luncing with this saint, who on this occasion drank a whole decanter and finished up with a full glass of very strong wine, two big slices of melon, some peaches and pears for dessert, five cups of coffee, a whole plate of cloves, and two full dishes of milk and lemon. I suppose he might be following some sort of diet, but I doubt it, for it would be too much; and anyway he eats like this at every meal and what's more, stokes himself up with several snacks the afternoon as well."

Mozart: His life and music. by Jeremy Siepmann

Your year-end summary

As 2009 comes to the end, it is time to look back on your accomplishements. If you made resolutions last January, how did you do? How far did you get with your goal of getting back in shape? What obstacles did you meet? What did you do to get over those? What did you learn about yourself? What habit will you drop or maintain?

If you achieved your goal, congratulations. If not, you still have another 15 days to get closer to your goal. It is never too late to look after yourself. You don't need to wait for the new year. If you need to scarp the old plan and start with a clean slate, do it now. I know it is hard. But the challenging times make the rest of the year easier.

Super-sneaky Weights loss secrets

My wife’s Cosmo just came in. And I had a peek at it. There was an article called “Super-sneaky Weights loss secrets.” That got me curious. I’ve heard of weight loss secrets before but not super snaky ones. So here are a few secrets I found in there.

End your workout with protein.
This one I really like. They suggest you eat a snack that includes protein if you feel hungry after a workout. And this is the part I agree with “People overestimate the number of calories burned while exercising…” And they usually reward themselves with food that has more calories. It kind of defeats the purpose.

Drink after dinner coffee
This one I’ve never heard. But it could be a way to change the dessert habit. They say to drink decaf coffee after dinner. By doing this, your body will gradually stop craving sugar at the end of a meal.

Give your guy the first bite
How about this one? They tell readers to give their guy the first bite, so that they have less to eat. Well ladies, just make sure you eat enough. We don’t enjoy having dinner with someone that eats like a bird. And if you don’t get enough calories you won’t be much fun to be with.

All that sneaky secret stuff means nothing. If you don’t look after your bodies need, you will struggle with your weight. Listen to your body and see how certain foods make you feel. If you do it right, you will not fall prey to cravings. From that, create your eating plan and build health from the ground up. Do it first for your health and everything will fall in place. If you post a comment on this blog, I’ll email you a free report on how to maximize fat loss using food and physical activity.

Cosmopolitan, November 2009

Anti-aging whey protein

This one is not just for bodybuilders. Yes it is a protein supplement and it is not to increase your caloric intake. Its purpose is to minimize the damaging affects that oxidation can have on your tissues. For that reason it is kind of an anti-aging protein. For more info, click on this link.
http://tinyurl.com/y8orcj7

Keep it simple

Lately have been ranting about the fact that many people need equipment to exercise. And from what I see at the gym, they don’t use it properly. They walk on a treadmill and read a magazine. I never understood how they could do that withourt falling off. Anyway, my point is all you need to get it shape is your motivation and desire to change. When you have that, the rest is secondary. A great exercise plan performed poorly will bring you dispionting results. And a so-so program done with intensity will get you where you want.

So the equipment does not guarantee the results. Yes it may bring convenience but it is not the guarantee it promises. At the beginning, your body weight can be all you need. Did you know that you use 75% of your body weight when you do a push-up? So stop delaying the beginning of your exercise routine. Get going.

We were made to move

I just started reading "The stress of life" by Hans Selye. He is a pioneer in the research on stress and its effects. The main point is that we cannot live without a certain level of stress

He also confirmed one of my beliefs: That we were made to move. He writes "As we have so often said, living beings are constructed for work and if they have no outlet for their pent-up energy, they must make extreme efforts at adaptation... "

So choose the good stress over the bad. This is one more way to show you that physical activity is vital to your health.

Do you have a disaster breakfast?

How many of you have a coffee and muffin for breakfast? Do you think this is healthy? Well most muffins are loaded with carbs. And by now you should know what this does to your insulin response. And on top of it, did you know that caffeine will spike that insulin level? It’s kind of a double whammy. If you are a true carb person you may get away with it. But for most of us, that combination is a highway to the love handles.

Add protein to your breakfast. It will slow down digestion and it will not get to your fat cells as fast. Moreover, it will keep you full for longer.