Back Pain

I have scoliosis and as a kid my doctor told me I had a lifetime of back pain to look forward too.  He was right.  My issue is sitting - I had a doctor tell me to 'avoid sitting' - this still amuses me, as I am a computer guy.  I'll try stand-up comedy as my next career.  Anyway this summer I spent way too much time in cars on long road trips, and its killed my back.  My ham strings tighten when I sit for long periods, and with one leg shorter than the other, puts a strain that results in back pain.  So I need to get back in to my Yoga routine, and follow these tips as well.  Its just hard to get motivated about exercise when your back hurts.  Its a catch 22.

Swimming is the best form of exercise

Its a total clichée but also so true; low-impact and full-body. I try and swim as often as possible. Will miss this a lot during the coming cold winter months.

Better Health = Better Sex

The fact that research needs to validate this obvious point continues to amuse me.

Healthy Mind. Healthy Heart. Healthy Soul.

On the eve of the Sept. 11 bombing anniversary, I still don't understand what motivates people to hate so much. There is so much beauty in the world, why focus on the negative? If your religion suggests you need to blow yourself up while destroying those who disagree with your point of view, might I suggest you rethink your religious choices? Or just kill yourself quietly in a corner somewhere. Let the rest of us enjoy our brief stay on planet earth, and enjoy what she has to offer. Peace!

Be Patient

Rome was not built in a day, so they say.  Don't expect results overnight when it comes to your health.  I've always thought you should look like what your lifestyle creates - more 'lean and mean' than bulky and sporting big muscles.  For me its more about making sustainable changes in my life to prolong it.  I'm probably past the halfway point now, and how many more days I get is entirely up to me.  Its a huge responsibility, but I think its totally worth it.  If you need some motivation, watch the sun rise and set.  I'll take as many days as I can!

Swimming is the best form of exercise

Its total cliche but its true - low impact and full-body.  I've been trying to swim as often as possible.  Made this video yesterday when I found an empty beer can and became upset over it.  Fitness people includes a healthy planet!! 

Motocross is about Fitness

As the weather cools I've been dreaming about getting back on a dirt bike.  Its still a dream for awhile.  But fitness is a big part of success on two wheels.  Here, learn from the pros!

Get Off Of Your Ass

Turns out sitting is bad for you.  I knew this.  I have struggled with back issues my whole life, and at one point even had a CAT scan to try and figure out what was causing the pain.  Long story short - sitting.  Turns out my uneven leg length exacerbates back pain when my hamstrings get too tight from long periods of sitting.  At the time a buddy and I were responsible for laying out a full-color, nationally distributed magazine, which called for an insane ten day production schedule.  That high-stress, low-mobility schedule was wrecking my back.  I did not know it, but after lengthy testing that was the prognosis.  Actually my doctor said "Avoid sitting."  This is kind of not so practical if you work at a desk all day - but something to consider.  I try and stretch my hamstrings often as sitting tightens them up, and in turn they pull on your hips and cause back pain.  Stretch/run/exercise!  I even set up a work station that I can stand at.  Hey, unless I ditch the computer for some other vocation, its going to be tough going. 

The couch is for guests

I don't buy snacks or watch TV.  This amazes people.  But I've spent a lifetime watching people struggle with weight issues, and yet every day sit on the couch watching TV while munching on chips.  Double duh.  I have made it virtually impossible in my home to replicate this behaviour.  I don't subscribe to any television services, nor do I purchase snacks.  Why?  Because I know my limitations and would happily sit on the couch and empty a bag of Lays Classics every day!  I do not do anything in 'moderation' so why even set the stage for such waistline-increasing behavior?  Know who you are, and just own it.  I understand myself, and that everything to me is a 'single serving'.  Yes, I can plow through a bag of chips like no one's business, while sitting zombie-like in a little happy-monkey trance in front of the boob tube.  I know this.  When I visit friends with TVs they have to pry me away, because I focus like an awestruck minion praying to the golden idol.  So no such altar in my home!  My methods are extreme, but so is my personality.  Managing my vices is difficult, but this one I've mastered.  I highly suggest you do the same. You might be surprised at how much time you spend in front of the TV once you stop doing it.  What will you do with those extra hours?  Whatever it is, don't snack!!  Your body will thank you.

Evertyhing in Moderation

Its summertime, and that means its time to soak up some rays.  I've been very tuned in to the dangers of sun-damage to the skin ever since I took a class in cancer when in University.  We had a guest doctor come in, who was as white as a sheet.  He said he avoided going outside, especially from eleven to two each day, when the sun's rays are the strongest.  His logic was, as a physician specializing in skin cancer, he cut off a nose or ear every week, and was hoping to avoid the same fate for himself.  Well as you can imagine, that lesson hit home with me.  Because sun damage is cumulative, irreversible, and permanent.  You basically cook your skin's DNA, which is what causes cancer.  However, I always felt that anything in extreme, including hiding from the sun, was way more unhealthy than anything in 'moderation'.  I still stick to this belief, and a recent article on the benefits of sun tanning reinforced it.  Since you can find research for both sides - that is some studies link sunscreen use to cancers while others blame the sun for all kinds of evil, I found myself always trying to find the middle ground.  It always struck me as kind of dumb to inhibit your natural tanning ability with sunscreen, so generally I let myself get some rays sans-protection, but only for short periods of time.  I have to believe that my tanning cells busy injection of melalin in my pasty-white Euro skin is the better defense than some random cream that my or may not in itself cause cancer.  But, at the same time, sun exposure no doubt has a down side.  I try and get a nice bronze color going, and then its mostly moot- even if I forget sunscreen I rarely burn.  But be smart - temper your exposure but don't be a sun-phobe - that glowing orb is the reason life exists here on earth and after ten million years I think your body can take it, in fact, it loves it!  I hope so, anyway.  I don't see me moving to Seattle or anywhere less sunny for a long time!!

There are no "Short-cuts"

You know what kind of people succeed in life? The ones who 'try'. I have never met anyone with a huge paycheck that didn't also have a huge headache. There are no free lunches, and anything that seems too good to be true, generally is. I say all this as I was on a road trip recently, flipping around the radio dial as is my summer tradition, and came across what I thought was a talk show about health. It was, as it turns out, a clever infomercial posing as a call-in talk show. They were selling some miracle anti-aging pill. They blathered on and on about the convenience factor of this amazing pill, which captured all of those magnificent anti-aging properties found in carrots and spinach. Why not just eat the vegetables fresh? Exactly. <insert sound of munching carrot here>

The Power of Advertising

So my mom bought me bunch of 'Sports Drinks' last time she came to visit. Which I thought was nice, even tho I generally don't drink anything but water. Upon investigation I find these drinks are filled with stuff I generally avoid. First of all, they are all brilliant colors not found in nature. These colors have been no doubt chosen by focus groups filled with your standard IQ knobs who somehow equate 'sports drinks' with 'glowing shades of Chernoble'. OK fine, but the number one ingredient is High Fructose corn syrup. You know, that 'freaky sugar-like substance that isn't actually sugar so your body doesn't know what do with it' crap I've avoided like the plague since I started this blog. Thanks mom but big FAIL. Can't blame her tho. I blame the giant cola company behind said 'sports drink' for their brilliant packaging and marketing. You can't always believe what you read in print - like this "Hot teenage chicks love cock" photo proves.

Don't be a dumb chick

Dumb ass Timmy from Ride 365 on Vimeo.
While we are on the topic of 'eat like a bird', thought I'd post my favorite 'dumb chick' video. You should really view in HD as the chicks are tiny and hard to see...

Go vote for me!! Details on http://buyshanegas.tumblr.com/

Eat like a bird

I have a bad life-long habit of waiting until I'm starving before I eat.  Then I of course gourge myself.  This is pretty typical of the busy American lifestyle.  Whenever I look back at my life and think about times when I've been overweight, its usually also a really hectic, stressful time.  I love 'comfort food'.  Duh.  Its 'comforting'.  When you are down you turn to things that bring you joy.  No mystery there.  Or when things are hectic, you go for the quick-and-easy drive-thru.  All really bad for you it turns out.
Try and eat small portions throughout the day.  Get away from the 'three squares' mentality, and really just eat when you are hungry.  Also remember it takes like 20 minutes for your mind to get the 'full' signals from your stomach - so eat slowly and set out a rational, healthy portion before you start.  I joke that everything is a 'single-serving', because like a bag of potato chips or whatever, will just get eaten in its entirety if I don't show some discipline.  Its because you can still be munching away well after you are 'full', but just have not got the signal yet from your stomach. 
Another trick is to manipulate your brain's 'full math'.  Over time your brain has established a number of 'swallows' that it calculates for 'full'.  Try drinking a few glasses of water before your meal - taking small, multiple gulps.  This helps load up your 'swallow count', and will trick your brain in to feeling full sooner.  Not to mention that water is good for you and also physically fills your stomach.  Better if it is warm - so start with a warm green tea if you really want to be all granola and healthy.  Hey, 'thinking is not cheating' as my trigonometry teacher used to say.  Whatever it takes!

Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?

My current environment is fairly hazardous - attacking dogs, cayotes, bobcats, deer, burros, stink bugs, scorpions, giant spiders and rattle snakes make cross-country activities unnerving. The reptiles hibernate during the winter, and I've scouted out 'dog free' routes to run and bicycle on, so last few months have gone well. Springtime has brought out the reptiles in force, however, so I'll be doing more indoors and in the water. Sorry. Just not that adventurous....

Water Jug Workout

I remember as a kid reading some article in Boys Life or other Boy Scouting literature about tips and tricks for exercising around the house.  Little things like crumpling up all of the newspaper in to tight paper wads I still remember.  It also spoke about using water jugs as free weights.  The idea must still hold merit, as this months Dirt Rider magazine has a page spread about using a water jug in exercise routines!!  Well I finally had a chance to create my own version - filling milk jugs with concrete!  Water weighs 8.3 lbs a gallon, and my concrete jugs measure in about six pounds heavier.  Plus I don't have to worry about them exploding water all over (I am terribly clumsy / unlucky).  So I have added these ghetto-weights to my daily regimine.  Making the concrete versions was super messy, so maybe a simple water jug is the better 'laymans' thing to do.

Army Strong

I have good and bad associations when it comes to physical fitness.  I was a chubby kid in braces, so I hated P.E..  I was exempt most of my childhood actually from participating in any physical activity due to my clubbed feet and scoliosis.  So when I did need to do something athletic, it was pretty miserable as I was fat and out of shape.  Exercise seemed very military to me too, and I never saw anything in the media to suggest it was a pleasant activity to participate in - one of the reasons I'd hoped to steer clear of any inscription.  The Army however just wants fit people to send in as cannon fodder, so I don't think I would ever have been drafted.  Anyway now I'd like to use that benchmark as a test - see if I can hit it at some point in my life.  Click here to read about the updated physical fitness exam the Army uses.

How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time....
I was watching some big red ants in my yard as they all methodically delivered one big grain of sand from wherever they were digging underground out past the edge of their entrance.  Just an endless stream coming and going, and with each trip, one more grain of sand per ant was removed from the tunnel.  That's how life is - sometimes you can't even perceive any progress, as it is so tiny and incremental.  But you are making a difference, and one day you will actually be able to see the difference.  I've been hammering away at my body every day - just a few sit-ups and push-ups - but every night.  Started at twenty a day, and have slowly crept up to sixty a day.  Its a living hell, if you don't like to do calisthenics (like me), but like those ants one day I will be able to see progress.  Right now its so slight its not really looking like much.  But if I keep it up - every day without fail - I'll eventually be able to see the difference.  And that's why I hate exercise;  I want it NOW, daddy!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

So I'm a 1/4 Irish every day, but 100% today!  Which means, well, not much really.  I might enjoy a Guiness or some other really bad-for-me beverage.  That's the problem with life - you pretty much know exactly when what you are doing isn't exactly healthy for you.  But its only a day.  Go for it!  You need to blow off steam once and awhile.  Health and fitness are more a lifestyle thing than a knee-jerk occasional burst of guilt-induced exercise.  Well it should be.  If you take smaller steps and make better diet and exercise choices a natural part of your day you will benefit in the long run.  Just be aware of the things that are counterproductive, and avoid them when you can.  No need to be a party pooper tho.  A little indulgence can go a long way in your mental health!  And happy people live longer!

You Can't Cheat Reality

My friend Martin and his family came to visit me last year.  Martin gets up every morning and goes for a run.  Consequently, he has the body of a guy who gets up every morning and goes on a run.  See how that works?  It takes nothing short of a lot of hard work and exercise to look like someone who works hard and exercises.  I hate both working hard and exercising, but do it anyway.  I want to look like a guy who knocks out a hundred pushups and sit ups a day.  You know, those guys like Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman, who at age seventy two could still kick your ass.  But I was never a Marine, nor inclined to be that self-disciplined, so this is hard for me.  I am however quite tenacious, so I am slowly upping my increments - I'm up to a solid fifty push ups and sit ups each and every day, so hoping I actually look pretty good by age 72.

Shivering Burns Calories

You can burn up to 400 calories an hour shivering!  Fuck that - I'm wearing a wet suit.

Food Matters

Seems more and more people are waking up and realizing how badly they eat.  Check it.

Grapefruit - the wonder food I hate

I start my day with a peeled, whole grapefruit and a cup of coffee.  I know I know, I should ditch the coffee.  But I love coffee.  Caffeine inhibits fat burn, so anyone who really wants to lose weight should avoid anything with caffeine in it.  My weight is pretty much where I want it to be, so I am enjoying coffee again.  Besides, studies have shown that the risk for type 2 diabetes is lower among regular coffee drinkers than among those who don't drink it. Also, coffee may reduce the risk of developing gallstones, discourage the development of colon cancer, improve cognitive function, reduce the risk of liver damage in people at high risk for liver disease, and reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease. Coffee has also been shown to improve endurance performance in long-duration physical activities.  And there are other benefits, as well as risks.  In this case the argument is moot, as I love coffee and have an industrial espresso machine in my kitchen to satiate any cravings - end of discussion.  My struggle is with the grapefruit, which I hate but eat anyway because the known health benefits are so good.  As an American Male, statistically my top three most likely ways of dying are from heart disease, cancer, or accidentally killing myself, (in that order).  While my vehicle choices certainly almost guarantee number three, I am still going to fight numbers one and two as best I can these next thirty years or so.  Which is why I eat the grapefruit, which despite all the money the farmers in Florida throw at their advertising campaigns still don't taste any better to me (I eat locally grown fruit anyway) .  But I did just learn you can use the grapefruit to help heal cuts and burns.  Well then, guess I'll keep them around.  Blech.

Splenda is far from Splendid

So I was eating some canned peach slices (childhood favorite) that I'd purchased specifically because it said in big letters on the can "No Sugar Added!".  To my horror, mid-bite, I also noted a tiny little blurb "Sweetened with Splenda".  WTF?  The whole point of my buying this can was to avoid sweeteners of any kind, and just have natural fruit!  This is of course very difficult in the United States, where consumer taste buds have been bombarded since birth with sugar, and anything less sweet than a Big Gulp Dr. Pepper is unsalable wood, apparently.  Well I for one do not want any artificial sweetners in my body.  Hard to be serious about health and then eat something that was developed by accident while making pesticides.  Seriously.  Splenda starts life as a sugar molecule, with some of the bonds replaced with chlorine - CHLORINE!! - not really something you want in your body!  When given to test rodents in the lab they suffered from dangerous side effects such as shrunken thymus glands, and enlarged livers and kidneys.  You want this in your body why??  The pro Splenda people (i.e. the ones who make tons of money selling it) claim your body doesn't recognize the molecule as food, and will pass it on.  But typically 15% always gets absorbed, more in healthy people (nice irony huh?).  So no to Splenda.  Or Aspartame.  Or Nutrasweet.  All just time-bombs doing nasty things a little at a time in your body.  Don't focus on 'weight' - the goal is 'health and longevity'.  You won't grow old using artificial sweetners.

Seek, and Ye Shall Find

Whenever I run, I find my inner voice hunting for excuses; "My knee hurts, let's stop.".  Or "I have that chore I need to do...", or "my left butt-cheek is falling off...", or whatever....  I will keep trying to find a reason that is 'acceptable', that if I had to present it to the league of Jedi's or something I'd get a pass.  But that is a horrible thing to do - if you go looking for an excuse eventually you will find one, and that isn't the point.  Generally I just keep podding along, ignoring the whiny inner monologue and look for reason's to continue.  There are always reason's to keep pushing - everything from personal health to revenge, its in there too if you look. Search for the reason's to continue, not to quit.  Picture your success, not your failure.  If I get in a real funk, I look at photos of the kids.  Do I want to attend their future wedding receptions in a wheelchair dragging an oxygen tank, or do I hope to embarass the holy hell out of them with my spastic body moves on the dance floor??  I think I'll choose the latter.  Bound to be more fun.  For me, especially.

The "Cheap and Easy" Trap

So I found a new grocery store in town, and was in line purchasing whole-wheat tortillas, when my nose detected the divine odor of rotisserie chicken.  I am a fiend for rotisserie chicken, fueled by my experiences in Munich at the Oktoberfest perhaps, but I can't pass up the opportunity for a fresh cooked bird.  So I wander in to the deli where they indeed have my precious cargo for sale.  I always have to ask if they use paprika in their recipe, as my enthusiasm is often met with bitter disappointment as middle-America for some reason always puts that horrible spice on rotisserie chickens (just visit a casino buffet, you'll taste what I'm talkin' about).  Anyway my inquiries led to news of the "Family Pack" - a chicken with bread and two choices of side dishes.  It was cheaper than the combined total of my tortillas and a chicken alone, so I said "Sure!".  But that is just the 'cheap and easy' trap we all so easily can fall in to as its always cheap and easy to eat crap!  My side choices were lard and starch, fat and oil, or carbs and fat.  And white rolls.  So there went any attempt to eat healthy right out the window.  Nothing but 'yellow' food - which is a big no-no.  <sigh>  And because I was busy I bought it.  Isn't that always the case?  The busier and more stressed out you are the worse you eat.  Such a bad habit.  DON'T FALL FOR THE TRAP!  Make time to eat healthy always.  NO YELLOW FOOD!!  Next time I'll stick to my whole-wheat tortillas and skip the fatty, carb-laden crap that passes for 'side dishes'.  Yeesh.

Beefless Beef?

I never eat at Taco Bell, I'll be honest.  Nothing there I like and everything tastes like chemicals to me.  Now they face a lawsuit because their 'beef' contains less than 40% 'animal flesh'.  Less than 40%!  The USDA 'standard' for 'beef' is only 40% 'animal flesh' and they couldn't even hit that mark!  OMG!  What prey tell is the other 60-65% ?  This is the question you should be asking.  If I do fast food Mexican, its a simple quesadilla from Del Taco.  But in general avoid fast food - since apparently its only 'fast' and can't even legally be called 'food'....

Increase the Fun Factor

This is great - except in real-life no one gives a crap if you are having fun or not.  So it is up to you.  I personally always take the stairs - I tend to kind of fancy-prance my way up and down.  Like hop scotch.  Or see how many you can skip at a time - that's hard.  For bonus rounds try a slinky on an escalator.  Not really a fitness thing, just mostly annoys those people riding up on it.  I am easilly amused what can I say.

No Extra Charge For Gravity

I find the local sandy hills quite entertaining on many levels.

Do The Math

Don't be a dumbass - the calories are listed next to the food items on the menu!  What are you doing eating at a fast food restaurant anyway??  OK OK so I hit up In-N-Out per usual on my road trip, but because of the listed calories I only ordered a cheeseburger, and not the milkshake that I usually enjoy with it.  In fact, I didn't order the shake BECAUSE of the listed calories, which were MORE than the cheeseburger!!  You can do this - its easy.  Like the knight said "Choose wisely."

Its easier to dodge bullets if you are moving.

One reason to get off the couch.

Single in your 40s

Tragically this routine really hits home.  Why I am 'maintaining this shit'....

Off-Road Running

So not unlike the pine air fresheners in Repo Man, my life is often linked by the "coincidence chain".  Its no secret that racers of all disciplines are also usually incredibly fit - even race car drivers are athletes.  I met Danica Patrick last week and she's all muscle.  Tiny, but still could kick your ass!  Very inspiring (and she's HOT! in person!!)  Point being they work out.  Its unrealistic to think just riding your dirt bike is enough.  To test the theory I rode a dirt bike every day for a year - and in the end still sported man tits.  Not enough.  So I'm running now.  Its a very efficient way to exercise time-wise.  And Dirt Rider has a great article this month on off-road running, which is exactly what I am doing.  Running on the varied and soft terrains gets you tired faster and works more muscle groups than plodding along the sidewalk.  Plus, its like a nature hike, only faster and more challenging (read 'interesting').  Now I call it 'feeding the hawk', as a few times now I've spooked up a meal for the hawk who has learned I might flush a meal out of the bushes for him, so he shadows me thru his territory.  Which seems to work out for him!  Watching a hawk snatch up a meal is way cooler than dodging panhandlers at the local gas station, and a great distraction - as honestly I am not a big fan of exercise.  Really was hoping the 'ride a dirt bike every day' would do it.... or better yet, just watching helmet cam vids.  Nope.  Gotta get off your ass if you want the payoff...

Travel

Its hard to stay on any kind of diet and exercise regimen when you travel - but that's still no excuse.  Especially if you travel a lot or for extended periods of time.  This is me speaking from experience; I gained a nice big pot belly in Ireland that I named "Murphy" that only months of mountain biking finally has got me down to my pre-pubbing weight.  Sheesh.  So don't make the same mistakes.  Easy enough to get exercise and eat healthy.  Or at least try.  When I dine out I try to eat the healthiest and most difficult thing to prepare on the menu.  I usually order fish, as I never make fish at home (don't be impressed - I don't make chicken, beef, or pork at home either - not because of any anti-meat mantra but just because I'm too lazy).  I love a good Caesar or Greek salad too.  Both are not exactly 'healthy' but better than the chili fries.  And I bet your hotel has a spa or recreation room.  Mine always do.  You'd be surprised how energizing a run on the treadmill is or maybe a lap in the pool.  Exercise will refresh you more than a nap will.  I know, it makes no sense.  Last week after a long day in the car and stomping around the Hoover dam the last thing you'd want to do is go for a run.  But my buddy and I hit the gym and consequently were energizer bunnies until the wee hours of the morning in a city that doesn't sleep anyway.  No gym at the hotel?  I bet they have stairs....  Hobble your lip - no excuses!

Never realised this was such a pervasive fear.

Alcohol

Alcohol consumption is a very complex topic in health and fitness.  There is strong data to suggest MODERATE consumption (like a glass of wine or two a day) is actually really good for you.  I hate wine, and unless I'm in Germany, beer is nothing I'm interested in.  I really am not much of a drinker, and the older I get the lower my alcohol tolerance seems to be.  Obviously beer and mixed drinks are very calorie rich, so stick to shots of clear straight alcohol.  If that's too hard core for you (I generally do straight shots of tequila when I'm in the mood for intoxication, but I've got a cowboy reputation to uphold) something like a Bacardi and Diet Coke only has 66 calories, for example, so you can still party with a clear (if not alcohol addled) conscience.  Frankly this is a silly topic for me as if I am drinking, its to get silly - but that takes only a tiny bit less alcohol than making me feel like crap, and puking.  I'm avoiding alcohol in 2011 but thought I'd just give my two cents on the topic.

Evolution?

I think we need to work harder to stop moving backwards...

You have a remarkable grasp for the obvious.

Video games increase your risk of heart disease.  Really?  We needed research to prove that sitting for hours in an intense state of anger and stress is bad for you??  Maybe George Carlin was right - the planet just spawned humans to invent plastic, and now that we've done that, we are doomed to extinction.  Perhaps.  But Darwinism still applies; I don't play video games.  Oh I used to play, but gosh, I felt that sitting for hours in an intense state of anger and stress might not be the best idea.  That and one time driving on the way to Vegas in my delirium I actually swerved the car to intercept the blue 'health' icon in the road.  Oh wait, that was the reflector marking the location of the the fire hydrant and real life is not a FPS.  Oops.  Yea.  Video games are not good.

You are what you eat

I do not have a history of eating well. Like everyone else I can't expect to lose weight without changing my diet. Here are some small changes that add up:

1. No High Fructose Corn Syrup.
They don't even let this shit on the market in Europe! Its such big industry in the US that the producers have bombarded us with 'research' and propaganda suggesting its fine. Bullshit. Its not fine. In addition to dubious nutritional value, it jacks up your body's natural satiation chemistry so you always feel hungry. Personally I think its an obvious reason why American kids are losing the battle to obesity (that and the rise of video game popularity, and ignorant parenting).  So be careful!  That HFCS shit is in everything - snacks, jams, drinks, maple syrup!??  F*ck that- DELETED!

2. No Hydrogenated Oils
This one is tough, as I love peanut butter. But your body doesn't know how to process hydrogenated oil. Nothing does. That's why they do it - that shit never spoils! Great! Indigestible food! Uh... pass. There are lots of great 'natural' peanut butter options available now.  Check ingredients tho - super misleading packaging at times.  Is it because I'm in marketing that I hate bullshit marketing tacticts so much?? o.0

3. Grapefruit
I hate grapefruit. Its like someone took a perfectly good orange and filled it with ear wax. But grapefruit is super healthy and helps burn fat. Life is not fair, so I peel and eat one every morning, making complainy faces. And don't cheat and cover it with sugar.  Or sugar substitutes;  all those chemicals excite your tongue and then just wander aimlessly through your body until they make cancer.  Seriously. 

4. Broccoli
I like broccoli, and its super good for you, I just don't dig the smell. Cooked broccoli smells like broccoli farts. Eating broccoli results in broccoli farts. If you come visit me, you might note everything smells like broccoli farts. Hey, you do what you gotta do... Unfortunately turns every attempt at a romantic evening in to the "Uncle Shane's Amazing Ass-Calliope Dutch Oven Adventure!"  Makes me laugh anyway...

5. No White Food
Again this one blows as I love the classic über crap American white bread, or even better, Hawaiian rolls.  But its nothing but empty calories and carbs.  Switch to whole grain everything including pasta.  But really you should be eating as colorful a diet as possible - as in fruits and veggies.  Munch on a raw carrot for a snack.  Do a Bugs Bunny impression like I do every time.  Hey, its the little things man....

6. No 'diet' anything
Diet soda?  Seriously the biggest joke ever played on the American consumer.  Why?  It makes you gain weight!  All that crap to fool your tongue in to thinking its getting something sweet is just a recipe for water retention.  On top of that the shit they put in those drinks are super unhealthy, and are known to do things like cause acute memory loss and blurred vision.  WTF??  Avoid sodas, all sodas, at all costs.  Uh, hey, here's an idea for hydration - water!  Duh.

Pics or it didn't happen!

Get Off Of Your Ass America!! from Ride 365 on Vimeo.

We need to change our image.

Dan is a friend and I love his blunt take on reality.

From; http://bizarrocomic.blogspot.com/2010/03/anorexia-pride.html