Bending Vs. Breaking the Rules: Living Healthy Like a Real Person

Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat. You’re not a movie star. You’re not a sponsored athlete. You don’t make a living being a runway model. You’re not paid to look good. You likely lead a 9 to 5 - or a 4:30 to 11 if you’re me - kind of life. You have work, school, university, kids, responsibilities, bills, and Cairo traffic to go through. You’re a bonafide honest to God real person. And it’s fucking frustrating.

Ideally we’d all like to be paid to look like that, sadly, we can’t

You see, because of the media saturation we’re exposed to on a daily basis, we’ve gotten to a point where we think that unless we look like chiseled Greek gods, then whatever the hell we’re doing just isn’t quite cutting it. That’s why you find people cutting corners on plastic surgery, quick fat loss schemes, dangerous supplements and more. The pressure on us is just too much. But this is when you need to realize that those people who look the way they do in all those magazines and movies only look like that because they’re paid to do that. That’s their life. They don’t have a 9 to 5 job. They have someone else taking care of their kids. They have someone filling up their fridges and plates. Their bills are taken care of. They’re not you. They’re not most of us.

You NEED cheat meals in your life

I think realizing that is arguably one of the most important mental blocks one can bypass when it comes to fitness and health. How you can be the best possible - and healthiest - version of yourself while still adhering to the realities of your life with all the responsibilities that come along with it. This bring us to the topic of today’s blog post, and that’s dealing with the rules of the fitness games.

I go by a very simple rule in my life, if you’re good 80% of the time, the other 20% will not be the one to bring your progress down. That’s not to say you should indulge in those 20% either, on the contrary, you ought to view it as a reward or a treat seeing how good you were with your nutrition and exercise. Take nutrition for instance, many people, myself included, can be a bit hardheaded with their nutrition especially if they have a history of being a bit on the heavy side of the scale. They go through these phases where they fear carbs and fats and live like bunnies that regularly feast on tuna and grilled chicken. That’s not a healthy way to be. You need balance in your nutrition just as you do with everything else.

You can stray off the track, so long as you get back on it right away

You need cheat meals. Yes, need. I’ve explained it in length over previous posts regarding the hormonal and chemical effects of cheat meals. But they’re more than just mechanisms by which you can boost your metabolism, they’re mental breaks that give you a sense of freedom. Wholesome nutrition shouldn’t be restrictive so much as as it ought to be selective. You should eat better quality ingredients, with as much organically grown produce/meats/dairy as possible. It’s about feeding your body the best quality fuels in order to get the best possible results. If you’re eating right 80% of the time, the 20% when you’re improvising will not be detrimental so long as it’s not pure junk food. If you’re craving a burger, by all means, have one! Just don’t go for the McDonald’s option - because that’s about as much of a burger as my cat’s got killer instinct (he failed at killing an ant one).

Breaking the rules is when you go completely rogue. Breaking the rules is when you assume that just because you’re on vacation in the States for two weeks, you can gorge on low-quality foods like a little piglet and neglect your exercise altogether. Bending the rules is about finding that delicate balance in order to stave off madness. It’s about knowing that even though you don’t feel up to running 5 KM today or dishing out a legs day workout, or if you feel like eating a pizza, that tomorrow, you’ll get out of bed and kick ass again.

Cheat Meals: What’s the deal yo?

You’ll notice that the title reads “Cheat MEALS” not “Cheat Days”. If you hadn’t, you are now acutely aware of it.

Nutrition is 80% of this whole fitness thing, in case you didn’t know that already. Exercise is merely the trigger, but the actual outcome is shaped largely by the foods you eat. Cheat meals ought to be a planned part of your nutrition and diet plan. The trick with utilizing cheat meals, in addition to the psychological benefit of gorging, is understanding how they really work and how they can actually be a positive aid in your fitness regime.

Let’s do some quick sciencing for your young minds first shall we?

Fact: You have a hormone in your body known as “Leptin” which has an integral role in regulating energy intake and expenditure. Leptin is largely fueled by the influx of sugars and carbohydrates into the bloodstream and directly boosts metabolism and fat burning in the body. Now that I mention that, it’s important to get back to the original point of it being a cheat meal rather than a cheat day. Leptin is a hormone that takes a single meal to spike its levels in the body and can take up to a week to drop; meaning that’s it’s easy to boost and remains with you for a while. Leptin is so important in fact, that people (or animals) who are unable to produce it or build up a tolerance to it are more likely to be obese!

This is Leptin. Say Hi Leptin! [Image source: Wikipedia]

You see, your nutrition should be clean 90% of the time in order to really supply your body with quality ingredients that end up producing desired results on account of your fitness regimen. Eating too much “junk” food would however result in a spiked insulin that can lead to increased fat storage and a heap of other ailments which can include diabetes on the long run. That’s the real trick in relation to cheat meals, it’s about giving it a boost every now and then so that you’re not constantly causing a spike in Leptin which would only result in increased tolerance and decreased efficiency.

Cheat meals, a once a day - once or twice a week - occurrence on the other hand, end up regulating your Leptin levels - which can take up to a week to drop - by raising them almost instantly. So this should be part of your nutrition arsenal, once or twice a week, in one of your day’s four to five meals, you should include something sinful, but don’t get too excited.

You see, a cheat meal, while a moment of indulgence that puts your mind at ease as much as it does your Leptin levels, does not necessarily have to mean that’s junk food. The trick with cheat meals is eating stuff that still provide some nutritional benefit of sorts. Think burgers, pizza or shawerma, just make sure it ticks off all the boxes in terms of the proteins, carbs and fats ratios so that you’re not just stuffing your face with a chocolate cake that - while absolutely delicious - isn’t doing you much benefit past the indulgence bit. Another thing to take into consideration is the quality of your cheat meal, have your burger, absolutely, but you should skip out on the fries. This ties back to the concept of benefit I just mentioned. French fries serve little nutritional benefit, I’d rather you eat sweet potato fries - but do try and skip on fried foods altogether is possible or at least make them yourself instead of going out to eat them or using processed pre-packaged versions.

[Image source: Twitter]

Plan your cheat meals ahead. Make them a joyous occasion. They are a reward for the mind as much as they are for the body. Two weeks ago, my cheat meal was a double burger from Mince with a side of sweet potato and a salad. The week after it was two shawerma sandwiches, this week it was 450 grams of sirloin steak with similar sides. Next week I’m planning to make tacos with shredded chicken and the whole Mexican shebang!

Cheal meals can be a powerful weapon in your arsenal, suffice that you understand how they work, their psychological and biological importance, and how you can utilize them for your benefit.

Oh, and do try and place them on the day of the week you’re actually working out you tub of lard.

The Big “M”: Metabolism boosting tips

Metabolism. You’ve heard this word before. You’d like to think you know what it means quite well. Heck, sometimes you incorporate it into casual conversation when talking about skinny and fat people and why they are how they are. But you don’t. You’re just another drone on the assembly line, sheepishly repeating a word you’ve been exposed to without a real understanding behind it.

Most of you assume that metabolism means the speed by which our body burns through calories, it being high signifies the ability to wolf down an all you can eat pizza buffet and walk away 0 grams heavier and the reverse for the slower version. You know what’s coming now…

Metabolism simply stands for the amount of calories your body requires for bodily functions. The majority of your calories (roughly 60-70%) are spent maintaining basic bodily functions such as breathing, pumping blood, stomach contractions, pooping, the works. The remaining % is dedicated to external physical activity which can be anything from working out, walking or even keeping your body upright!

That being said, the amount of calories you consume per day is needed to maintain these functions, when you consume more (depending on the quality of your calories) you may end up gaining weight (note that it can be either muscle or fat) and consume less than needed and your body will go into starvation mode, allocating less fat for energy and relying on carbs and catabolizing existing muscles to ensure your dumbass survives.

Now that we’ve cleared this up. How do you get your metabolism boosted, i.e., how do you improve your body’s ability to raise the ceiling in regards to the amount of calories it requires to maintain day to day operations?

1. Get that ass shaking fool!

It’s got to start with you shaking that fat ass of yours off of the goddamn seat/bed. Nothing will happen unless you instigate change yourself. Your metabolism won’t magically decide it will function at higher levels simply because you wish it. You want to boost your metabolism then goddammit boy get your ass moving. Be more active. Walk more. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Cycle to the grocery store instead of using the car. Go dancing with your partner on weekends. Do whatever the hell you want just do something!

2. Hustle! Hustle! Lift it! Hustle!

I’ve tackled it in previous blog posts before, but the concept of incorporating weight lifting as an integral part of your fitness routine cannot be stressed enough. The benefits and their link to boosted metabolism are endless. Weight lifting increases muscle building capacity which in turn burns more calories and therefore requires more calories in return. Add to it the fact that weight lifting trigger hormonal responses which put your body in a fat burning state that is directly tied with boosted metabolism.

3. HIIT it hard!

I’ve also tackled the concept of HIIT cardio training before and how it can directly affect your fat burning capabilities. HIIT operates by manner of intense exercise for a brief period of time followed by an equal or slightly longer period of moderate activity which is then repeated for a total of 20 minutes or so. Think sprinting for 30-60 seconds followed by brisk walk/light jog for 60 seconds then repeating those intervals for the whole 20 minutes. HIIT instigated hormonal responses which put your body in a fat burning state and has actually been proven to be burn more fat in comparison to LISS or Low impact cardio. Keep in mind that much like anything, too much of it isn’t good for you. HIIT can take its toll on the body so be sure to cycle off of it on a monthly cycle basis, replacing it or incorporating it side by side with LISS exercises throughout the week to keep your body on its toes.

4. You best not leave nothing in your plate girlfriend!

Stop. Fucking. Skipping. Meals. Do you know what’s the first thing I do when I wake up? I eat. Do I know what I do two hours later? I’m eating again. Guess what happens to me in another three hours? BAM! I’m eating. In another two hours? Gobble Gobble! Do not skip your meals. Spread your meals throughout the day so you’re not gorging on three main meals with gargantuan portions the entire day or god forbid you’re one of those people who eat one meal the entire day. I consume small/medium sized meals every 2 - 3 hours and have my last meal 3 hours before bedtime. This not only ensures that you are never gone long enough without food that you’d be willing to scoff your face with junk, but also ensures that your muscles are getting a steady stream of nutrients throughout the entire day. What does this have to do with metabolism? The steady stream of nutrients keeps your entire internal system active throughout the day - and yes your stomach churning out the food you’re ingesting actually burns calories!

5. I know you didn’t just walk out the house on an empty stomach!

One of my biggest pet peeves and something that still strikes me as the pinnacle of idiocy till this day is people who just straight up get out of bed, shower and get out of the house and go to work or school without having had breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of your day. Get that shit through your thick ass skull alright? Why is breakfast important? It primes your metabolism for the entire day, it kickstarts everything after the hours of slumber you were experiencing in bed. It gets the system powered up, fired up and ready to rock and roll. Eat that shit.

6. What’s on the side? Protein that’s what!

I never have a meal that doesn’t have a source of protein in it. That’s not to say I’m eating a grilled chicken breast with everything (though I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to). Your breakfast should have eggs in it, your snacks should have legumes, yogurt or sources of dairy, evidently your lunch/dinner should have chicken, meat or fish, and so on. Just make sure that all your meals (ought to be somewhere between 4 - 6 meals per day) have a contributing source of protein. This is important as scientific studies prove that the ingestion of protein promotes boosted metabolism rates and regulates hormones which can directly influence your metabolism.

7. You best be eating them brainy foods girl!

If you didn’t know by now, I’ll tell you. There are many foods which are directly linked with improving the efficiency of how your brain operates. These foods are mainly the ones which are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. These can include salmon, tuna and other seafood in addition to nuts, coconut, olive and canola oils. Make sure to incorporate those into your diet on a regular basis as their effect on boosting one’s metabolism has been scientifically proven (and it doesn’t hurt if you gain some IQ points in the process!)

8. The hell you awake after midnight for?

Get your punk ass in bed. Sleeping early means that you are more in sync with your body’s natural hormone cycle. If you decide to pull an allnighter for no other reason than the fact the latest episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians would be live at 2 AM your time then you deserve the pot belly you’re currently owning. Staying up past a certain point wrecks internal havoc for your hormones as your body must fight the subconscious need to rest. Sleeping early means your hormones are better regulated and therefore are positively influencing your metabolism. Unless you really have to, try and be in bed by 10 or 11 PM max.

9. You best be spicing it up!

There was a point in history when certain spices were worth their weight in gold. For good reason. Take a look at most societies and cultures where spices are heavily used in their diet. Think India for instance, those dudes are gorging on rice left and right but don’t seem to look any bigger than your average science fair entrant. Why is that? Well, aside from predominant genetics influenced by a limited gene pool due to inbreeding, their spices. Spices such as cayenne peppers, paprika or chilli have chemical components in them which forces the body to raise its internal temperature (which is why you sweat when you eat Indian) which in turn boost your body’s overall metabolism. It doesn’t just stop there though, spices doesn’t translate to spicy things alone, cinnamon is another spice that has been linked to improved metabolism as well as the ability to regular blood sugar and prevent insulin spikes, so make sure to dunk a teaspoon in your coffee, cereal, yogurt or oatmeal. Make sure you’re spicing your meals and beverages up whenever possible.

10. Yo no usa drogas! Yo soy una droga!

It may surprise you, but a lot of the drugs we take for granted and consume without a second though can have a direct effect on your metabolism. There are many birth control pills, diabetes medications and other drugs that have been linked to slowing down the metabolism. Make sure you check with your doctor or pharmacist about side effects to ensure you’re not setting yourself back a notch. Its all about a little bit of research.

11. Drown in it!

Pop quiz: What is 70% of you? If your answer was anything other than water and/or bullshit, then you’re wrong. Water is arguably the most important component in your nutrition/lifestyle and aside from keeping you hydrated and feeling fresh (and running to the restroom on a bi-hourly basis) it ensures all internal functions are running in top form. Increased water intake (think 3 - 5 liters per day) guarantees boosted metabolism and heightened functions.

12. Complicate your carbs

Something else I’ve mentioned before on my blog is the need to incorporate more complex carbohydrates in your diet and getting rid of simple carbs altogether. Complex carbs are more in lieu with one’s fitness goals as their chemical composition doesn’t result in insulin spikes the same way simple carbs do, meaning that the chances of them being converted into fat and stored are lessened! Complex carbs can include anything made from whole wheat (bread, past, rice), sweet potatoes, legumes and many vegetables.

The above is by no means an exhaustive list of the things one can do or change in regards to their lifestyle so that their metabolism can be boosted. Boosting your metabolism means the ceiling of the calories you need to consume every day is raised to match your updated level of activity, which in turn allows you to eat (slightly) more!

It’s important to note that the biggest influence on our metabolism is our genetics. Some of us are born with the gift of high metabolism (Ectomorphs) and can generally go through life without a care in the world about what we eat. Some of us, including myself, aren’t so lucky as they store fat easily (Endomorphs) and are forced to fight a battle against their genetic code and influence it and eventually subdue it. But trust me when I say, it can be done. It ain’t easy, but it’s certainly within your grasp if you want it bad enough.

As with everything else, metabolism slows down with age as the human body withers and the need for that many calories diminishes. Staying active well into your later years will guarantee that your metabolism is still miles ahead of your more...sedentary fellow senile citizens.

Get crackin’!

Breakfast 101

More often than not, you'll hear from a friend or co-worker - or are yourself very much guilty of committing this atrocity - that they had to rush out of the house in the morning having skipped breakfast and that they'll make up for it with a heft lunch.

*cue gameshow contestant fail beeper*

I won't go over the cliché "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day" baloney we've all come to expect and ignore. That being said, its importance as a starter meal and metabolism booster for your entire day cannot be stressed further.

Think of your body as a constantly churning engine. During your slumber (and most people in my circles sleep 8+ hours) your body was running low on fuel, maybe your dinner was light or maybe you skipped it altogether. That means you've left your rancid bowels completely devoid of any nutrients. Do you realize what you've done you dimwitted imbecile? Why! You've only just given your body the green light to start catabolizing itself. 

Most people's eyes will glimmer at the very thought - after you had to Google the word "catabolize" of course - thinking that it means the body will be going through the fat reserves, helping you lose body fat while doing jack shit; the ultimate utopia basically.

Unfortunately for you, more often than not, that means tapping into your - more than likely - limited muscle stores. You see, fat is dandy and all for producing energy to keep the cogs in your little engine running, sadly however, your body sometimes needs a bit of an extra kick than fat can deliver.

Let's science this bitch up real quick.

Fat is composed of fatty acids. These fatty acids are liberated from lipoproteins by liopoprotein lipase and enter the adipocyte where they are re-assembled into triglycerides into glycerol via the magical process of esterifying. Fun Fact: Human fat tissue contains roughly 87% lipids.

Fats are most notably the energy source of choice by your body during long bouts of activity since your carbohydrates storage (the body's first choice) are usually very quickly depleted at the beginning since they are meant for short-burst high intensity excursions. The only problem we face here is that while fat makes an excellent energy source, it lacks certain key ingredients which are necessary for numerous bodily functions - namely amino acids. Or as you may know them, proteins.

You may or may not know that your body conducts the majority of its overhaul and restoration of your cells and body tissues during your slumber as decreased activity and your hormonal balance creates optimum conditions for it. Fixing and building new cells and tissues (especially if you workout often) means that the presence of proteins is a must.

This bring us back to our original topic of discussion regarding the importance of breakfast. When you wake up from your slumber, you may not be aware, but your body is desperately craving nutrients to help replace all which was lost during your catabolism phase. A recommended breakfast is always one which supplies a steady stream of proteins, carbohydrates and a good dose of fats. 

Think two whole boiled eggs and a bowl of oatmeal with banana. Think peanut butter with banana on brown toast with an egg white omelette. It can be whatever you want it to be, just mind that delicate balance of micronutrients in your meals in order to ensure your body gets the right nutrients at the right time.

Until we meet again...