Superhuman Coach

Moderate:

Avoid:

• GMO Corn

• Soy Beans

• Soy Nuts

• Cookies

• Biscotti

• Scones

• Crackers

• Bagels

• Bread

• Cereal

If you have questions, comments or feedback about the negative effects of bread, the Superhuman Food Pyramid, this website, or other aspects of Becoming Superhuman, then leave your thoughts below, as well as any tips you have on the negative effects of bread.

The post Secrets of the Superhuman Food Pyramid: Negative Effects of Bread appeared first on Superhuman Coach.

Secrets of the Superhuman Food Pyramid: Negative Effects of Cereals

BenGreenfield — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:02:59 +0000

Breakfast cereals were born out of the vegetarian diet recommended by the Seventh-day Adventist Church to its members. The recognized pioneers of this industry, Dr. John H. Kellogg and Charles W. Post, were Adventists and development of their products was guided by religious beliefs as much as commercial interests. Part of their concept was to create something that was ready-to-eat. Most of the other grain recipes at that time required tedious preparation such as overnight soaking and long cooking times.

It’s quite ironic that the modern commercial breakfast cereal is so far removed from the health objectives that initially drove its invention. There were a few misconceptions that contributed to its downgrade. The growing use of refined flour, for example, was due to the misunderstood role of fiber in the digestion process back then. More sugar was also added when the products started to be marketed to children. Read further to know more about the negatives effects of cereals (and be sure to also check out the recommended soak times for beans, grains, legumes, nuts and rice.)

Risks of Cereals:

Most health experts say that breakfast cereals are a good choice for lowering the risk of hypertension. They are probably referring to whole grain cereals like oats or specialized cereals that have bran. The significant amounts of fiber in such meals provide the cardiovascular benefit. But there’s a huge difference between such cereals and the packaged ready-to-eat variety. The latter is really nothing but easily digestible starch and sugar.

A huge part of the problem is in the way they are made. To turn the grains into their familiar flake, loop or shredded shape, a food extrusion process is used. Basically the corn or wheat is ground, mixed with water, and then, with some heat and pressure applied, forced through a mold that sets the final shape. The high temperature and pressure involved basically strips away the grains’ nutrients. Beneficial unsaturated fatty acids and proteins like the amino acid lysine are dissolved and lost because the cellular structures that contain them are broken up by the machine. This would be a good thing if the said structures were being broken down in the intestines.

Breakfast cereal products for children contain the most sugar. Compare the nutritional information label of one such box of cereals with that of a box of cookies. You’ll likely see very little difference in the amounts of sugar. The official recommendation is not to consume products whose sugar content exceeds 25% of total calories. Thus something like Cookie Crisp Cereal is definitely not a healthy choice for breakfast as 44% of the product’s total calories come from sugar. You also need to be wary of anything that’s called “honey” or “honey-roasted”. Most of such products actually just use a combination of high fructose corn syrup and maltodextrin.

Among the various types of commercial breakfast cereals, corn flakes are one of those commonly stocked in home cupboards. This is an unfortunate situation as most corn-based food these days is very likely made with genetically modified (GM) corn. About 85 % of corn produced in the US is GM and more than 75% of processed foods are made with GM ingredients.

There have been some animal studies that investigated the dangers of GMO corn. If one were to sum up the risks genetically modified organisms offer, it is that the long term health effects on humans are still actually undetermined. The supposedly rigorous research studies that pushed the approved use of GM ingredients were actually short-term in scope. Complicating the issue is the fact that there are no regulations that require food manufacturers to properly label products made from such ingredients.

The next post will move on to the fourth part of the Superhuman Food Pyramid – proteins. I’ll discuss which sources of protein to eat, moderate, and avoid in order to achieve your Superhuman health goals.

In the meantime, here is a complete listing of the grains and legumes on Superhuman Food Pyramid:

Eat:

• Wild Rice

Moderate:

Avoid:

• GMO Corn

• Soy Beans

• Soy Nuts

• Cookies

• Biscotti

• Scones

• Crackers

• Bagels

• Bread

• Cereal

If you have questions, comments or feedback about the negative effects of cereals, the Superhuman Food Pyramid, this website, or other aspects of Becoming Superhuman, then leave your thoughts below, as well as any tips you have on the negative effects of cereals.

The post Secrets of the Superhuman Food Pyramid: Negative Effects of Cereals appeared first on Superhuman Coach.

Secrets of the Superhuman Food Pyramid: Negative Effects of Bagels

BenGreenfield — Sat, 18 May 2013 21:41:53 +0000

Bagels are a widely popular bread product which is made from yeasted wheat dough that is first briefly boiled and then baked. This two-step cooking process gives bagels their characteristic chewy and dense interior yet very crispy outer layer, which is often traditionally topped with sesame or poppy seeds. Bagels are typically hand-shaped into rings so as to allow for even cooking every time. Originating from Krakow, Poland in the early 1600s, bagels have since become widely popular and available, especially in areas with considerable Jewish populations.

Just like most commercial bread products nowadays, the potential health risks of bagels stems from its ingredients. The main issue is wheat flour and the modern ways the grain is being grown and processed after harvest. Read on to discover more of the negatives effects of bagels (and be sure to also check out the recommended soak times for beans, grains, legumes, nuts and rice.)

Risks of Bagels:

The main ingredient of bagels is of course wheat flour. One of the possible health risks that come from wheat grains is phytic acid, which when ingested, affects the body negatively in that it blocks the uptake of calcium. Calcium is one of the necessary nutritional minerals crucial for healthy bones, and so continued eating of bagel and other wheat products will slowly result in calcium deficiency and bring about conditions such as osteoporosis.

Bagels come in two basic varieties namely wholegrain and white. White bagels, as the name suggests, are made from white flour. White flour is highly processed which when cooked and ingested, easily turns into sugar inside the body. Including white bagels in your diet, especially if in considerable amounts on a daily basis, may then result in continued elevated blood sugar levels which could eventually lead to the chronic disease diabetes.

White flour has such a color because of the bleaching process it goes through. Aside from chlorine oxide, other bleaching agents like benzoyl peroxide and nitrosyl are utilized as well. The fact that such chemicals are already being used to whiten the flour is bad enough as it is. However, there is one other potential danger lurking in white flour as well.

Called alloxan, this derivative from the breakdown of uric acid during the bleaching process is present in small amounts in white flour. Alloxan is not used commercially and is only employed in laboratory tests. This is because alloxan is highly toxic and is in fact the agent injected to laboratory rats to give them diabetes. Though no studies have been conducted on alloxan’s effects on humans, the fact that it’s being used to bring about diabetes in rats is alarming enough.

Bagels, because these are made from wheat, contain gluten as well. Individuals with Celiac disease, a condition more commonly known as gluten intolerance, should steer clear of eating bagels, and for that matter, any other wheat-based product as well. Celiac disease usually presents with gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, although may also have latent symptoms such as malnutrition and weight loss.

Lastly, commercially made bagels often contain harmful sweeteners like processed sugar as well. Furthermore, most bagels that you’ll get to buy have non-traditional add-on toppings that are sugar-rich, fat-rich, or both. Toppings like butter, cheese, and even candy sprinkles are just some examples of these.

In the next post, I’ll tell you the negative effects of bread and why you should avoid it to succeed in your quest to Become Superhuman.

In the meantime, if you care to jump ahead, here is a complete listing of the grains and legumes on Superhuman Food Pyramid:

Eat:

• Wild Rice

Moderate:

Avoid:

• GMO Corn

• Soy Beans

• Soy Nuts

• Cookies

• Biscotti

• Scones

• Crackers

• Bagels

• Bread

• Cereal

If you have questions, comments or feedback about the negative effects of bagels, the Superhuman Food Pyramid, this website, or other aspects of Becoming Superhuman, then leave your thoughts below, as well as any tips you have on the negative effects of bagels.

The post Secrets of the Superhuman Food Pyramid: Negative Effects of Bagels appeared first on Superhuman Coach.

Secrets of the Superhuman Food Pyramid: Negative Effects of Crackers

BenGreenfield — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:45:59 +0000

In 1801, a certain baker from Massachusetts named Josiah Bent overcooked a batch of biscuits. The name “crackers” is said to have come from the crackling sound those biscuits made as they were burning in the oven. Back then, crackers were very much like flatbread, made from basic flour, water and some salt or spices for seasoning.

The crackers available in groceries today hardly resemble their ancestor. They are now highly-processed food. They’re packaged in plastic or boxes, and if you read the labels, you’re likely to see some of the risky ingredients also found in other junk food. These would be the usual culprits: white flour, saturated and trans fats, processed sugar, salt, and some artificial additives. Continue reading to know more about the negative effects of crackers (and be sure to also check out the recommended soak times for beans, grains, legumes, nuts and rice.)

Risks of Crackers:

The amount of unhealthy components per serving may differ from one product to another. On the one hand you have something like Saltines which contain 40 calories and 1.2 grams of fat per single-serve pack. Then you have products like Barnum’s Animal Crackers whose list of ingredients reads like that of cookies. It has high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in addition to sugar and partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil.

If there was a contest for which sugar substitute can be most consistently linked with diabetes, HFCS would probably win the top award. This type of processed sugar can be found in most processed food and beverage products. You’ll see it in almost every kind of juice or soda. Meanwhile, any partially hydrogenated oil, regardless of source, is sure to be trans fat. Hydrogenation is the manufacturing process used to extend the shelf life of oils (especially those derived from plants) which tend to quickly turn rancid. The problem with trans fat is that it doesn’t only raise LDL or bad cholesterol but hampers production of HDL or the good kind of cholesterol.

Salty is the expected flavor for crackers and some varieties can contain quite an amount. Just like packaged snack chips, any cheese flavored cracker is more than likely to have high quantities of sodium. One product called Ritz Big Stuff Colossal Cheddar is appropriately named. A single serving is set in a 1.3 ounce pack and this contains 300 milligrams of sodium or 13% of your body’s daily limit for this mineral. By itself, salt is not bad but over-consumption can threaten cardiovascular health. If you think about it, those who like to snack on crackers rarely just eat a single serving in a day.

Crackers marketed for kids tend to have the most artificial coloring. The “rainbow” variety of Goldfish crackers contains the food dyes known as Blue 1 and 2, and Red 3 and 40. These are some of the artificial food colorings that have been petitioned for banning because they’ve been linked to behavior problems in children.

The most one can do with crackers is choose the product with the lowest calories and fat. However picking the least risky variety doesn’t mean you’re making a healthy food choice. In the end, crackers don’t really contribute anything other than easily digestible simple carbohydrates. Some manufacturers try to solve this by using “enriched” flour. This is how they get the license to print some proteins, minerals and vitamins on their labels. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the nutritional value of this type of flour has reverted to its original state before processing, when the bran and germ layers were still intact. Enriched flour still lacks fiber for one thing and this is why such products always have a high glycemic index.

In the next post, I’ll tell you the negative effects of bagels and why you should avoid them to succeed in your quest to Become Superhuman.

In the meantime, if you care to jump ahead, here is a complete listing of the grains and legumes on Superhuman Food Pyramid:

Eat:

• Wild Rice

Moderate:

Avoid:

• GMO Corn

• Soy Beans

• Soy Nuts

• Cookies

• Biscotti

• Scones

• Crackers

• Bagels

• Bread

• Cereal

If you have questions, comments or feedback about the negative effects of crackers, the Superhuman Food Pyramid, this website, or other aspects of Becoming Superhuman, then leave your thoughts below, as well as any tips you have on the negative effects of crackers.

The post Secrets of the Superhuman Food Pyramid: Negative Effects of Crackers appeared first on Superhuman Coach.

Secrets of the Superhuman Food Pyramid: Pros and Cons of Regular Oats

BenGreenfield — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:30:58 +0000

Oats aren’t consistently included nor excluded in the list of dangerous grains or cereals for those with gluten intolerance because their varieties contain different levels of toxicity. This grain does naturally contain a small amount of prolamin-type proteins, but gluten isn’t one of them. Also, not all prolamins are detrimental to those with this kind of food intolerance.

The more common cause of gluten getting into oats is contamination. Oats are usually planted, harvested and processed along with wheat or barley – grains that definitely contain gluten. This is what makes regular oats, i.e. not certified gluten-free, risky for individuals with the particular condition.

Nevertheless, people with strong enough guts can still enjoy the nutrients provided by this popular grain. Continue reading and know more about the pros and cons of regular oats (and be sure to also check out recommended soak times for beans, grains, legumes, nuts and rice).

Regular Oats Benefits:

Much has been said about the dietary fiber content in oats and how that makes this grain quite beneficial to the cardiovascular system. There are other nutrients and health supportive substances in oats that also need to be mentioned. Magnesium and iron are two minerals that are quite abundant in oats. Both play crucial roles in maintaining normal health.

In a hundred gram serving of oats there are 177 milligrams of magnesium which makes up 50% of the body’s daily need. This mineral is involved in hundreds of chemical processes that occur in the body. Along with calcium, it is a major component of bones. It has also been found to help stabilize heart rhythm and regulate blood sugar levels.

Meanwhile there are 5 mg of iron in the same serving which provides 38% daily value. The main function of iron in the body is to be the oxygen carrying component of red blood cells. Besides this, the mineral is part of various types of enzymes that are responsible for making bile, steroid hormones, and detoxifying the liver.

Lignans are a class of phytonutrients found in grains (as well as in seeds, nuts and berries). In the intestines the plant form of this substance is converted by gut flora into an acceptable or mammalian type of lignan. Studies have found that it has the potential to lower total and LDL cholesterol and thus help lower risk of heart disease. It’s not just the fiber in oats that keeps the cardiovascular system healthy.

Regular Oats Risks:

Commercially produced and packaged oats most likely contain significant amounts of gluten. This type of protein can cause severe reactions in people with conditions like celiac disease. The particular organ that gets hit is the small intestine. Some of the more common symptoms are bloating, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. The other dangerous aspect about this condition is that it can lead to nutrient deficiencies because of the vulnerable state of the digestive system. For oats to be included in the diet of someone with this type of food intolerance, the cereal has to be authentically certified gluten-free.

Regular Oats Practical Uses:

Baking is probably the next most frequent use of oats after cooking them into porridge. But you don’t have to limit options to oatmeal cookies. Just like most grains you can turn oats into flour and substitute some all-purpose wheat flour. Here are a few tips:

Replace half the flour with oat flour for cakes. If the recipe calls for 4 cups of all purpose flour, 2 cups can be oat flour.
In recipes that use yeast, only one-quarter can be replaced. You might also need to add more yeast to get the proper rise.
One quarter of all purpose flour can also be replaced in quick breads.
Oat flour is more absorbent, you might need to add slightly more of the liquid ingredients for balance.

Another less conventional use of oats is adding them into smoothies or shakes. It’s one way to get fiber and protein into such drinks. Quick cooking oats are probably best for this endeavor as they’ll be the easiest to grind and mix in a blender.

In the next post, I’ll tell you the pros and cons of fresh milled kamut wheat in your quest to Become Superhuman.

In the meantime, if you care to jump ahead, here is a complete listing of the grains and legumes on Superhuman Food Pyramid:

Eat:

• Wild Rice

Moderate:

Avoid:

• GMO Corn

• Soy Beans

• Soy Nuts

Quick video of me doing Sky Kicks

• Cookies

• Biscotti

• Scones

• Crackers

• Bagels

• Bread

• Cereal

If you have questions, comments or feedback about the pros and cons of regular wheat the Superhuman Food Pyramid, this website, or other aspects of Becoming Superhuman, then leave your thoughts below, as well as any tips you have on the pros and cons of regular wheat.

The post Secrets of the Superhuman Food Pyramid: Pros and Cons of Regular Oats appeared first on Superhuman Coach.

Wanna Grab a Quickie? The 2 Minute Workout that Will Kick Your Butt!

SuperhumanAdmin — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:48:47 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I have too much stuff to do.

Like you, every day I deal with email, Facebook, tweets, work, pets, family, and so on. Finding time to go to the gym is getting harder and harder each day. Well, have no fear. I have assembled for you a workout you can do anywhere called the “2 Minute Workout” that only takes, you guessed it, 2 minutes! This workout will get your blood pumping, increase your energy level, burn some calories and strengthen muscles.

Not a bad way to spend 2 minutes!

Perform each of the below exercises, in order, for 30 seconds each.

Sky Kicks

Sit on the floor with your hands pointed toward your toes. Push up until your arms are straight. This is the starting position. Alternately kick your feet up and down.

Quad Hop

Get on your toes and place your palms on the floor facing each other. Keep your back parallel to the floor. Push up off the floor.

Quick video of me doing Quad Hops

Chest Taps

Assume the push-up position. Lower your body until your arms are perpendicular to the floor, then explode upward tapping your chest.

Quick video of me doing Chest Taps

Switch Backs

Put your hands and one foot on the ground aligned with each other. Put one leg back and bend your knees. Keeping your hands on the ground, jump and switch legs. Each jump equals one rep.

Quick video of me doing Switch Backs

————————————–

This article was written by Sergeant Michael Volkin, a U.S. Army veteran, 5 time author and entrepreneur. Click here to visit his website for even more great training tips, and for more bodyweight exercises check out his invention Strength Stack 52 Fitness Cards, a unique way to transform bodyweight exercises into a fun and competitive workout.

The post Wanna Grab a Quickie? The 2 Minute Workout that Will Kick Your Butt! appeared first on Superhuman Coach.

Secrets of the Superhuman Food Pyramid: Negative Effects of Scones

BenGreenfield — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:41:48 +0000

Scones are a type of quick bread said to have originated from Scotland. The name was supposedly derived from the historical location called Stone of Destiny or Scone where kings of that country were crowned. The original scone was round and flat and it was traditionally served cut into 4 triangular pieces. The whole loaf was called bannock and the pieces were called scones.

While scones today can come in a variety of shapes, the most commonly adopted form is round. The original Scottish scone was also griddle-baked or fried rather than baked as is currently typical. Other modern modifications are the use of wheat flour (barley or oats were originally used), baking powder, various types of oils and fats for shortening, and natural or artificial flavoring.

As with most commercial baked products nowadays, store-bought scones offer a lot of empty calories and very little nutrition. This is due to the modern ingredients used to manufacture them. Continue reading to know more about the negative effects of scones (and be sure to also check out the recommended soak times for beans, grains, legumes, nuts and rice.)

Risks of Scones:

A hundred gram serving of plain scones provides around 360 calories. 36% comes from fat and 55% comes from carbohydrates. The total number of calories increases for the fancier types of store-bought scones that have additional flavoring and ingredients.

One piece of cranberry orange scone from Starbucks, for example, contains 490 calories. 33% (about 162 calories) of this comes from fat. Another product from Trader Joe’s called mini orange cranberry tea scones may have less total calories because of smaller serving size – 250 calories per piece. But despite the smaller size, 43% (108 calories) of the total calories per piece derives from fat.

Counting calories by itself does not really give you a complete picture of the health benefits or risks of a food product. At the most, it can tell you how much you can consume on a daily basis. A clearer picture can be seen when you look at the sources of those calories. Scones, whether plain or flavored, are just one of those baked goods that consistently have a high ratio of fats and carbohydrates. These two macronutrients are obviously necessary for health. But again, the benefit or risk depends on type and source.

Unfortunately for most store-bought scones, those fats are either saturated or trans fats. The more traditional method of baking uses butter which is high in saturated fatty acids. Modern methods, which aim towards mass production and longer shelf life, use partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils (commercial vegetable oils or animal fat). Either of those types of fatty acids can be detrimental to the cardiovascular system. They raise LDL cholesterol or, in the case of trans fats, both raise LDL and lower HDL cholesterol.

The carbohydrates meanwhile come from refined white flour and processed sugar. As you may know, there’s a significant nutritional difference between whole wheat flour and refined white flour. The latter no longer has the vitamins and minerals contained in the wheat grain’s bran and germ layers. Additionally, white flour is processed with toxic or carcinogenic bleaching agents. Processed sugar suffers essentially the same fate. It has been refined to the point where it provides no other nutrients apart from simple carbohydrates. It won’t take too much sweetened scones to raise blood sugar levels and stress out the pancreas.

There are really no healthy options when it comes to commercial scone products. A nutritious version of this baked good is still possible if you make it yourself. Oat flour, honey and real pieces of fruit are just some of the ingredient substitutes you can use to modify a typical recipe.

In the next post, I’ll tell you the negative effects of crackers and why you should avoid them to succeed in your quest to Become Superhuman.

In the meantime, if you care to jump ahead, here is a complete listing of the grains and legumes on Superhuman Food Pyramid:

Eat:

• Wild Rice

Moderate:

Avoid:

• GMO Corn

• Soy Beans

• Soy Nuts

Click here to become a Superhuman coach today or click here if you have more questions about what exactly the Superhuman Coach Network is.

• Cookies

• Biscotti

• Scones

• Crackers

• Bagels

• Bread

• Cereal

If you have questions, comments or feedback about the negative effects of scones, the Superhuman Food Pyramid, this website, or other aspects of Becoming Superhuman, then leave your thoughts below, as well as any tips you have on the negative effects of scones.

The post Secrets of the Superhuman Food Pyramid: Negative Effects of Scones appeared first on Superhuman Coach.

Balance Training: The Overlooked Pathway To Injury Prevention For Runners

John Tietjen — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:49:42 +0000

Leonardo da Vinci stated that movement begins with the destruction of balance. For movement to continue, balance is repetitively created and destroyed. Proper balance is critical because improperly developed, it can and does result in running injuries. Keep reading to learn how to improve balance and prevent running injuries.

Often at the end of a long training run or in the last few miles of a race, running form deteriorates, and injuries can soon follow. Practicing form drills helps in injury prevention by decreasing undue running impact and improving efficiency. However, these benefits decline as fatigue sets in.

For the beginning runner the story is all too familiar. After a few weeks of quick adaptation to running the dreaded shin splints appear. While shin splints result from many conditions, one of the main contributors is overuse of improperly developed lower leg muscles. More often than not, shin splints and other injuries can be prevented.

Concentrating on improving balance will help prevent injuries in three ways:

Improved lower leg strength
Increased core strength
Improved overall proprioception

While the first two results are fairly self explanatory, proprioception may not be as familiar. Proprioception is term that describes how different parts of the body provide feedback to the brain about how it is positioned in reference to the rest of the body. This is the mechanism that lets us move efficiently through space. Well developed proprioception is key to running injury free. As we fatigue, our proprioception decreases, which can lead to injury.

The first drill that will improve proprioception is the single leg reach drill. Beginners should do this drill in bare feet and on a flat surface. The drill can be scaled in many ways to make it harder, increase leg strength, and improve proprioception. Regardless of your skill level, having a firm core at all times is essential to maintaining stabilization. Video

One way to make the drill more challenging is to reach out further by lowering your body closer to the ground.

Another way to scale the drill is to use a wobble board or something that decreases your stability. This causes the muscles to continue to fire as you try and maintain balance.

The ultimate way to ramp up proprioception is by doing these movements with your eyes closed. By depriving the brain of the sensory input of sight, it must work even harder to develop your proprioception.

The second drill is one that I personally used in my preparation for the Flying Monkey Marathon last November. It is a movement drill I learned last summer while attending a MovNat camp in WV. It is the the Foot and Hand Crawl (Bear Crawl) on a raised beam. For a runner I thought I had pretty decent core strength – that was until I started doing these drills.

By crawling on a narrow beam or surface you are forcing yourself to balance in a straight line. Your core really has to start taking over the role of stabilization when your arms and legs no longer provide stabilization. Doing lunges in this manner will have a similar effect in activating your core while maintaining movement in single plane. As with other proprioception drills, practicing with your eyes closed will move you one step closer to being a Superhuman ninja!

Practice these drills in throughout your training, such as a warm up before a workout, on a recovery day, or after a hard interval workout. Including these drills into your normal workout will help develop lower leg strength and improve proprioception, which is essential for preventing injuries.

What has your experience been with doing balance drills? Have you found other drills have kept the injury bug at bay? I would be interested in hearing of your experiences.

The post Balance Training: The Overlooked Pathway To Injury Prevention For Runners appeared first on Superhuman Coach.

Certified Superhuman Coaches Endorsed by Ben Greenfield & 100% Equipped to Make You Superhuman.

BenGreenfield — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:16:58 +0000

We’re pleased to announce and endorse seven newly certified Superhuman Coaches.

These members of the Superhuman Coach Network are members of Ben Greenfield’s mentorship program, have completed advanced exams for all Superhuman modules, including Performance, Fat Loss, Digestion, Recovery, Brain, Sleep and Hormones.

The following individuals are very smart, very qualified, and able to help anyone on the face of the planet achieve Superhuman status and achieve their fitness, nutrition and lifestyle goals quickly and safely.

———————————–

Ryan Smith

As the owner of Personal Impact, LLC, a wellness, nutrition, and fitness consulting business based in Florence, Ky., Ryan A. Smith (MS ACSM-CPT) has some 22 years of experience (started in 1989) in the Fitness and Wellness industry.

As a Natural Running Form Coach Certified by Newton Running, Ryan is also the creator and primary instructor of the Personal Impact Run-Fit Bootcamp (visit PersonalImpactTraining.com/RunFit for more information). Not only qualifying as a master personal trainer having trained over 1000 clients, Ryan stands apart from other trainers as one of an elite few certified Food Psychology Coaches. Regarded as an expert in nutrition, weight and fat loss management, and functional training, there are few situations with clients that he hasn’t dealt with.

As a former manager, fitness director, program director, and wellness consultant for fitness centers and wellness programs of all sizes, Ryan, who holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Kentucky in Exercise Physiology, today enjoys the luxury of being the consultant of choice for many Physicians, Chiropractors, Nutritionist, Life Coaches, Local Governments, and the Media. Ryan, who is the father of one 12 year old son, also has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Kentucky in Exercise Science and Physical Education.

Contact Details:

Ryan Smith
Florence, KY
859-652-3839
Ryan@PersonalImpactFitness.com
http://PersonalImpactTraining.com

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Carla Weier

I find true joy in the successes of my clients everyday. I created Compleat Fitness to share my experience and inspire others to live strong, healthy and passionate lives. My background in fitness and nutrition are the perfect blend to help you reach optimal health and wellness.

As the founder of Compleat Fitness Ltd, I am a Board Certified Holistic Health Counselor and Nationally Certified Personal Trainer specializing in exercise science, and nutrition. I hold numerous certifications from the National Association of Sports Medicine, Institute for Integrative Nutrition and Road Runners Club of America. I am also an accomplished athlete. I regularly compete in New York Road Runner races and compete in national and international marathons and triathlons. In my youth I competed in equestrian sports including dressage, jumping, and cross country eventing. As a Holistic Health Counselor I am trained in a variety of dietary theories, eastern and western nutrition, modern health issues, personal growth and development, and health counseling. I use a whole-body approach with each of my clients. I utilize and integrate all parts of life in your program including nutrition, fitness, career, relationships, home environment, and spirituality.

I graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree concentrating on Environmental Sciences. Upon graduation I moved to New York City where I spent several years managing the elite Miller’s Equestrian Store. I continued in retail and wholesale management for a number of years. Upon searching within myself for more purposeful work, I began to follow my passion for cooking, exercise, and nutrition. Once I clarified my own wants and needs I felt confident that a career as a holistic health counselor and personal trainer would provide a richer, more satisfying life. I founded Compleat Fitness Ltd in 2006 and now am committed to helping people to do things THEY want to do with their lives.

My husband and I live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York.

Contact Details:

Carla Weier
917 292 2069
Brooklyn, NY
carlaweier@compleatfitness.com
http://www.compleatfitness.com

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Daniel Pozarnsky

Balance Chiropractic & Rehab’s Promise is to put the patient first. Have respect and remain open to our patientsneeds. Treat the patients mind, body, and spirit, while upholding integrity and respect by staying true to our word.

Balance Chiropractic and Rehabs Goal is to give back to our community by helping out, donating, and providing for local charities in Fargo-Moorhead. The Goal is to be a functional integrative member of the community helping Fargo-Moorhead grow prosper and be healthy!

As a Chiropractor with experience, Dr. Pozarnsky is committed to promoting optimal health and well being of patients.

Dr. Pozarnsky uses a “whole person approach”. This approach to wellness means looking for underlying causes of any disturbance or disruption (which may or may not be causing symptoms at the time) and make whatever interventions and lifestyle adjustments that would optimize the conditions for normal function. Using this unique approach, Dr. Pozarnsky is able to help you to decrease or eliminate pain symptoms while accelerating your journey to good health allowing you to function at the top of your game with family friends, hobbies, and at work.

Contact Details:

Dr. Daniel Pozarnsky
Fargo, ND
701-893-7878
balancedrp@gmail.com
http://www.balancechiropracticandrehab.com

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Corie Young

Corie Young is a Superhuman Coach in the Superhuman Coach network, an Ironman, Healthy Lifestyle, Skin Care Consultant and Whole Food Advocate, Fitness, Endurance Mentor and Motivator. She can be hired for coaching at arbonnecorie@gmail.com. You can read her blog about working through the unique challenges of family, work, and life and a quest for Kona at http://roadtoironmom.com

She comes from a successful high school track background in Nebraska
and pursued an Exercise Physiology degree at Arizona State University. Additional schooling in Veterinary Technology to support a passion for Equine Medicine and all things “Horse” led me to my husband and becoming an active business owner in their Veterinary Practice that specializes in Sports Medicine.

Their family life consists of raising 3 energetic kids, horses, dogs, riding Dressage, and staying outside as much as possible.

For 10+ years, Farm/Barn work and raising kids was “exercise”. As many can relate, there came a point to get back on track, with a shift in perspective, exercise for a cause. She joined Team in Training for her 1st half marathon, lost 30 pounds and gained a passion for big causes and sharing HOW. Find your why and you find your how. After five events with Team in Training, Corie earned the “Triple Crown” distinction- a marathon, a triathlon and a Century Ride.

Within 4 years of that first step back on the treadmill, she has completed several marathons, qualified for and run Boston, completed Ironman Wisconsin, qualified for Duathlon worlds and USAT Nationals Olympic distance, as well as several Overall Podium finishes at local events. She is also a top 5 Masters Finisher of the American Triple T Challenge.

Along the way, as nutrition became a focus, she evolved from an overall junk food junkie to a clean eater, to a more of a Paleo lifestyle and loves to teach about food and cooking. She encourages everyone become excited about learning what works for them and why.

She has served as a coach for Team in Training and is a coach and cofounder of a Non Profit local youth triathlon team, SaBaR Youth Triathlon, in Norman Oklahoma with a big vision for what we can do to get families moving together, and change the way we look at exercise, food and health in our community.

In 2011, she founded GOYA, LLC- Get Off Your Assets®! A company that will inspire a GOYAlife! She is currently completing coaching certifications through USAT and National Strength and Conditioning Association and Functional Movement Assessment.

As an Arbonne Independent Consultant for 7 years, Corie has had access to world class business and personal development coaches and mentors. She is driven by science, motivated by the ‘impossible’, and inspired by people, all with different backgrounds, goals and stories and would love to hear yours!

Contact Details:

Corie Young
405 417 6567
Washington, OK
Arbonnecorie@gmail.com
http://www.roadtoironmom.com

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Cara Zaller

Cara has a B.A. from Emory University, an M.B.A. from The George Washington University, and a C.N.C. from the American Association of Nutrition Consultants. She is a certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant, CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach and Group Fitness Instructor.

She is one of the authors of the nutrition column in the CA Monthly section of The Columbia Flier, the nutritionist for the Biggest Winner program and a sponsor for the Mid-Maryland Triathlon Club. Cara also counsels clients for OPTI Performance in Columbia and has an article that was just published in the Fall edition of the Be Well Magazine.

Cara has an additional Nutrition and Wellness Certification from American Fitness Professionals and Associates and a Group Exercise Certification from the Aerobics and fitness Association of America. She has worked in the fitness industry for more than 20 years and has competed and placed in aerobics and figure competitions, 10k and 5k races and several triathlons.

Contact Details:

Cara Zaller
Columbia, MD
410-707-1691
Cara@CaraZaller.com
http://www.carazaller.com

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Gerardo Gaona

Gerardo is an experienced triathlete and endurance athlete. Since 2006, he has competed in dozens of events, Gerardo is an experienced triathlete and endurance athlete. Since 2006, he has competed in dozens of events, from 5k races up to ironman triathlons.

In 2009, he learned natural running to overcome constant knee pain and injuries that kept him from competing in big events, not being able to complete more than a 15k race without pain. That year, he completed his first Half Ironman triathlon and, next year, completed a Full Ironman triathlon, pain free. In addition to his full-time job as BI consultant, Gerardo now coaches triathlon and running, helping other athletes prepare for endurance events.

Contact Details:

gerardo.gaona@gmail.com
+52 1 55 1878 2030
Mexico D.F, Mexico

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We readily endorse any of the coaches listed above to help you reach your goals as quickly and safely as possible, whether you want to complete an Ironman triathlon, or shed a few pounds of fat. You can rest assured that these folks know what they’re doing.

The post Certified Superhuman Coaches Endorsed by Ben Greenfield & 100% Equipped to Make You Superhuman. appeared first on Superhuman Coach.

Secrets of the Superhuman Food Pyramid: Negative Effects of Biscotti

BenGreenfield — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 17:59:05 +0000

The Latin root of the Italian word “biscotti” means “twice baked”. This refers to the actual process of making this dessert. The dough is first baked as a whole loaf, and then sliced into smaller pieces which are baked again. The point was to make the biscotti crunchy and dry, and thus extend their storage period.

Back in the days of the Roman Empire, such twice-baked breads were practical for long journeys or combat rations for soldiers. Nowadays biscotti are simply enjoyed as dessert. Depending on the regional culture, it can be eaten along with an alcoholic beverage like fortified wine or a hot drink like coffee or tea.

Traditional recipes of biscotti only make use of flour, eggs, sugar, and almonds or pine nuts. Current preparations however may now include yeast, baking powder or fat such as butter, vegetable oil or milk. A quite popular present-day variation is coating or glazing biscotti with chocolate. It is the quality of the basic ingredients as well as those of the modern additional ingredients that give commercial biscotti products potential health risks.

Read further to discover the negative effects of biscotti (and be sure to also check out the recommended soak times for beans, grains, legumes, nuts and rice.)

Biscotti Risks:

The flour used during Roman Empire times to bake biscotti is certainly quite different from modern flour. Wheat has undergone a lot of modifications since then and so has the way its grains are processed. As mentioned in the earlier article regarding regular wheat products, flour is turned white through bleaching agents. Some of these chemicals such as nitrogen dioxide, chlorine and benzoyl peroxide, have been banned for this specific use because they are known to be toxic.

Another problem with modern wheat flour is that substances like potassium bromate are added. The reason for doing this is to enhance the inherent gluten and thus make better shaped finished products. Unfortunately bromates are carcinogenic. Also, increasing gluten just makes biscotti or any baked product made of wheat flour more dangerous for those allergic to this protein-like substance.

Nuts are good sources of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fatty acids. Some nuts however carry potential risks that you need to consider. Almonds are one of those tree nuts that are susceptible to aflatoxin contamination. This is a carcinogenic substance produced by Aspergillus molds. The contamination isn’t just from poor storage. The molds can come up through infested soil or brought along by pests. There are of course regulations and safety measures that minimize this health risk but it is still prudent to be aware of this danger when purchasing products with almonds such as biscotti.

A typical biscotti recipe has an approximate processed sugar to refined flour ratio of 1:3 (measured in cups). This may not seem as sweet as other pastries or cookies, but remember this is just for a stripped-down basic preparation of the dessert. It wouldn’t be hard to imagine how sugar (and therefore caloric) content increases for the fancier types such as those glazed or dipped in chocolate. Besides the sugar, the other major source of calories would be the shortening used, which would most likely be full of unhealthy saturated or trans fats.

In the next post, I’ll tell you the negative effects of scones and why you should avoid them to succeed in your quest to Become Superhuman.

In the meantime, if you care to jump ahead, here is a complete listing of the grains and legumes on Superhuman Food Pyramid:

Eat:

• Wild Rice

Moderate:

Avoid:

• GMO Corn

• Soy Beans

• Soy Nuts