Have you ever noticed that there are two entirely different health movements with very little crossover? There is the group of organic whole foods consumers and the group of people who buy health and fitness supplements. I used to be much more familiar with the typical GNC type of supplements, but didn't know squat about things like Kombucha, Cod Liver Oil, Spirulina, etc. I think both groups have some positive things to offer and I would like to explore that in this post. Note: I was going to name this article "Whole Food Stores vs Supplement Stores", but how boring is that? Plus, then I couldn't put up this sweet pic! (said in the voice of Napoleon Dynamite).

["Hey Man, check out this mean batch of Homemade Hummus!" ... "Bro, how many more sets you got left on the bench?"]

I Was GNC's Best Customer at the Age of 17
[ Click Here to Continue Reading ]

Tags: Diet Tips, bova, fitness, healthy foods, immune system, mark sisson, organic food, protein shake, protein shakes, spartan health

I've been getting a ton of questions about Eat Stop Eat and The Warrior Diet and which is better. I've been using intermittent fasting steadily for 2-3 years (can't remember exactly when I started). I began with The Warrior Diet and it worked to a certain extent, but something didn't quite "feel" right. While I think The Warrior Diet was a groundbreaking book and it was the first book to bring intermittent fasting to the masses, I believe Eat Stop Eat is a more effective and healthy way to drop body fat. In this post, I will give you my experiences with both methods and explain crucial differences between these two ways of eating.

[I was actually searching for a picture of warriors or gladiators, but found this brutal photo instead. When will the violence end? Can't we all just get along!]

My One Meal Per Day Warrior Diet Post Has 1,371 Comments!
[ Click Here to Continue Reading ]

Tags: Diet Tips, 6 meals per day, brad pilon, calorie deficit, eat stop eat, fasting, fat loss, fitness, IF, Intermittent Fasting, one meal per day, paleo diet, Warrior Diet, weight loss

Low carbohydrate diets have received a lot of press the past few years. For someone who grew up under the "fat is bad" mindset, this took me a while to grasp. Although I look and feel much better when I eat fewer carbs, I know that this isn't the case for every single person. I'm the first to say that a one-size-fits-all mentality doesn't work when it comes to dieting. I will make a case for eating a less carbs than are in the standard western diet, but you can do so while avoiding extremes.

[For many years, fat used to be considered the devil. These days many people consider carbs to be harmful. Although I tend to lean towards the Paleo and Primal way of eating, I don't think carbs are evil. The key is to find your "sweet spot" and adjusting up or down depending upon your goals.]

A Study Comparing Low Carbohydrate and Low Fat Diets
[ Click Here to Continue Reading ]

Tags: Diet Tips, body fat, calorie deficit, dietary fat, eat stop eat, ese, fitness, how much protein, inflammation, insulin, lose weight, low carb diet, low carbohydrate diet, low fat, low fat diet, protein, vegetarian, weight loss

I was doing some research online today and stumbled across a description of a book that made good sense to me: Mindless Eating. I haven't ordered the book yet, but I liked the parts that I've read so far. Food psychologist, Dr. Brian Wansink examines why we eat more than we should even when full. I'm the sort of person who can eat a full bag of chips, a bowl of candy, and basically anything placed in front of me. If it isn't near me I'm good, but if food is within reach for extended periods of time I will eat it all! Dr. Wansink has my eating-style nailed down to a "t"!

[If you put this plate of nachos in front of me, I will continue to devour it until the plate is empty! I don't care how big the plate is. My hand will continue to grab chips on autopilot until nothing is left. "My name is Rusty and yes, I am a mindless eater". The first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem.]

Having Symptoms of Mindless Eating Without Realizing It
[ Click Here to Continue Reading ]

Tags: Diet Tips, calories per day, dieting, fat loss, mindless eating, walking, wansink

"Is it okay to eat right before going to bed?" This is a question I have been asked quite a bit recently. The problem is that it really depends upon how much you eat before going to bed and what your goals are. The crazy thing about this question is that everyone will give you a slightly different answer. The problem is that there hasn't been any study (that I know of) that talks about eating right before bed when it comes to getting really lean. I am going to speak purely from my experiences and observations of what I do in regards to eating right before going to bed.

[I enjoy sleeping in a room with either huge windows or a door out to a deck. It is much easier to sleep with a lot of fresh air circulating around the room. The ultimate situation is being by the ocean in a room like this and going to sleep with the fresh ocean air coming in and hearing the sound of the crashing waves.]

How Much Can You Eat Immediately Before Going to Bed?
[ Click Here to Continue Reading ]

Tags: Diet Tips, 3 meals per day, burn body fat, eat stop eat, ese, fitness goals, IF, insulin, Intermittent Fasting, maintenance mode, protein shake, rapid fat loss, Warrior Diet, weight loss, whey protein

Here is a quick outline on the paleo diet, or what some call the primal diet. Some of my favorite fitness blogs on the internet are big advocates of this way of eating and I just wanted to touch on some of the basics. The amazing thing about this way of eating is how wonderful it makes you feel. I certainly don't follow this 100%, but implement many of these ideas into my own diet. I still enjoy carbs a bit too much to be a true follower, but "go primal" when I can.

[I don't think I would enjoy cave exploration, especially back in the days of the caveman. I picture weird looking pale bald creatures with no eyes and sharp teeth running all over the place when you go too deep into a cave...and blood sucking mega-sized bats.]
[ Click Here to Continue Reading ]

Tags: Diet Tips, art de vany, beer, body fat, fitness blog, fruit, mark sisson, organic food, paleo cookbook, paleo diet, primal blueprint, primal diet, protein, son of grok, steroids

For the longest time, I couldn't understand why eating a sugary snack impacted me harder than most people. I thought there was something wrong with me. You see, when I eat during the day it needs to be light or very low-carb, otherwise I will yawn and feel groggy for hours after. How come some of my former co-workers can eat a burger and fries and feel fine and something like that would knock me out? They are full-blown junk food Rockstars, and I just can't hang with that type of partying!

[Although I know this stuff is just plain bad for you, I love gummy candy! Gummi Bears, Swedish Fish, Gummi Worms, etc. I recommend limiting candy and pure sugar snacks, because it will take a toll on your body if you eat too much of this stuff.]

Some People Can Eat Junk Food Like a Rockstar!
[ Click Here to Continue Reading ]

Tags: Diet Tips, alcohol, diet, fat cells, healthy foods, IF, insulin, intermittent fasting, junk food, mark sisson, metabolism

If you wanted to find out the truth about supplements, who would you turn to? A fitness magazine that makes a large portion of revenue from supplement company advertising? What about a personal trainer who is instructed by his or her gym to push supplements? Could you even trust an "impartial"  fitness website that makes a large revenue from selling ad space to supplement advertisers? There is a "possibility" that you could get impartial advice from these sources, but I think your chances are slim.

[What if you had access to the supplement creators themselves? The scientists who actually create many of the top selling supplements. What questions would you ask them? Finding and interviewing these guys is exactly what I set out to do...]

Jackpot! Not Only Did I Find Two Scientists…
[ Click Here to Continue Reading ]

Tags: Diet Tips, free supplement report, nutritional supplements, supplement conspiracy, supplement industry

After I lose weight, I fully expect to gain a portion of that weight back. I call this yo-yo weight loss and I believe this is the way our bodies naturally respond to dieting. If you don't expect a weight gain in your quest for a lean body, then you may feel bad when it happens. I hear about so many people who give up and feel like failures the minute they put on 2-3 pounds. It is unfortunate because this is based upon a faulty belief system. You can have weight loss success

[This picture reminded me of The Matrix and belief systems..."The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work... when you go to church... when you pay your taxes."]

Isn't Yo-Yo Dieting a Bad Thing?
[ Click Here to Continue Reading ]

Tags: Diet Tips, fitness, lose weight, matrix, Social Life, supplement conspiracy, supplement industry, weight gain, weight loss, workout, yo-yo diet

I've always been a fan of Asian food. Ever since I had my first taste of Chinese food I was hooked! I remember going to a family-style restaurant when I was little and sharing 6 dishes of wonderful vegetables and amazing tasting sauces. As I grew older I discovered a world far outside of the typical egg roll, sweet and sour, and teriyaki stuff that seems to be abundant everywhere. I became exposed to the amazing food of Southeast Asia. If you don't get to eat this on a regular basis, you are missing out!

[I took Japanese as a foreign language in high school. Our teacher issued us some fancy chopsticks and then instructed us to only use chopsticks for every meal for a month. I still use this important skill on a regular basis. Thank you Ms. Inoue!]

It All Started With 4-Star Chicken Pad Thai and a Cold Singha
[ Click Here to Continue Reading ]

Tags: Diet Tips, beer, pad thai, pho noodle soup, singha beer, southeast asian food, thai food, vietnamese food

Have you been pressured to drink more water than feels natural? Are you constantly coming up short of the recommended 8-10 glasses of water per day? You will like this article! I'm going to examine current studies that question the logic of drinking 8-10+ glasses of water per day. Newer studies are showing that maybe you should follow your senses, instead of sticking to some rigid drinking schedule.

[When you are thirsty, nothing sounds better than water. So what should you do if you are not thirsty?]

Does Drinking 8-10 Glasses of Water Each Day Feel Natural?
[ Click Here to Continue Reading ]

Tags: Diet Tips, 6 meals per day, caffeine, coffee, hydration, kidneys, thirst, water intake, working out

I used to be obsessed with protein. It was to the point where I would be bummed out when a meal didn't have some form of meat or dairy. I remember going to a friend's house and his wife made a delicious pasta dish, but it didn't contain any beef or chicken. Sad to say, I felt guilty that the meal didn't seem to have the typical 30 grams of protein that I felt was a requirement back in those days. I didn't enjoy the meal as well as I should, which looking back was extremely stupid of me. This post is going to clear up a few common protein misconceptions.

[Pasta, which is typically considered a "carb dish" also has protein. It is a high quality protein source just like an egg or chicken breast. Obviously it has less protein per gram than a chicken or egg, but it is a source of protein nonetheless.]I Used to Obsess Over Getting Enough "Protein Foods"
[ Click Here to Continue Reading ]

Tags: Diet Tips, amino acids, brad pilon, diet, eat stop eat, how much protein, muscle mass, protein guilt, protein per meal, starchy carbs

If you want to get lean badly enough, you will. I know this is a simple statement, but it is completely true. If you are not as lean as you would like to be, it is NOT due to lack of knowledge. If you don't have six pack abs or are not lean, but want to be…my answer to you is that you just don't "want to" reach that goal as much as someone who has. You will reach almost every goal you set in life if your motivation is strong enough.

[Tropical vacations...a good motivation to get in great shape...right? You want to look good while "makin' out" in the surf!]

Getting Paid 5 Million Dollars to Get in Shape
[ Click Here to Continue Reading ]

Tags: Diet Tips, body fat, get in shape, great shape, HIIT, hollywood actors, junk food, lose body fat, Robert Downey JR, six pack abs, slim down

I was going to write a post on dietary fats, because I believe it is crucial to know what is good, what to avoid, etc. Instead of doing a "decent" post on the subject, I asked my friend Scott Kustes of Fitness Spotlight to write an exclusive post for Fitness Black Book.

Scott is the "go to" guy for me when it comes to eating whole foods for maximum health and performance. He is widely respected by the online fitness and nutrition community, because he knows his stuff. He does a great job of taking complex topics and simplifying them a bit.

I highly recommend you go over to Scott's site and subscribe to his blog: Fitness Spotlight

In fact, you want to read a post that makes you think…then read one of his recent posts: Thoughts On Michael Pollan’s Latest Article “Farmer In Chief”.

[Support your local Farmer's Market. I'm lucky enough to live 5 minutes from the world famous Pike Place Market in Seattle. It started in 1907 and is the longest running farmer's market in the United States. It feels good to buy from your own community.]

The Four Types Of Fat

Author: Scott Kustes
[ Click Here to Continue Reading ]

Tags: Diet Tips, dairy, diet, diet food, dietary fat, immune system, modern forager, polyunsaturated fat, saturated fat

Yeah, this is one of those titles I use to draw people in. I certainly don't recommend living on nothing but mini-mart food. That being said, I would rather go into a mini-mart than eat at most fast food places. Often times after a long day of work, I don't feel like going into a large grocery store. I can be in and out of a mini-mart in less than two minutes with a few passable food choices.

[The gas stations in Seattle don't look as fancy as this. My guess is that this is somewhere in Europe.]

I'm Not a Fan of Shopping for Groceries
[ Click Here to Continue Reading ]

Tags: Diet Tips, body fat, burn body fat, fat loss, fitness tips, insulin, junk food, low body fat, meal replacement, milk, modern forager, mrp, protein bar, protein shake, protein shakes, sports drinks