The Absolute Minimum

I haven't totally gotten back into the gym routine since coming back from Hawaii. I've gone swimming in the pool and I've developed a very difficult sauna to hot tub to steam room circuit, but not too much besides. I was thinking, I wonder what the minimum is one could do to stay in decent shape and retain my Derek Zoolander-like physique? This is what I came up with:

1- Eat a nutrient dense diet with an absence of sugars, grains, starches, that emphasizes naturally fed protein sources, have healthy fats (like avocados, coconut, etc). Stay away from processed foods and the middle of the supermarket no matter how appealing the packaging is. Drink less alcohol. (Drink no soda btw).

2- Do this workout 3x a week- (3 sets, 8-12 reps, 60-90 sec rest)
Push-ups (or sub a chest exercise)
Pull-ups (or sub a back exercise)
Squat (or sub a compund leg exercise)
Reverse Sit-up (or substitute core exercise...planks are popular now)

3- Walk 3x a week, 20- 30 min (or swim or surf or whatever feels good and gets you moving)

4- Do some stretches like:
Toe touch to sky
Arm circles
your basic gym class stretches

5- Watch your posture too...especially when sitting or driving. Art de Vany has an interesting posture suggetion in his book, New Evolution Diet. It's to walk with your head aligned over your stomach like you're wearing a cape. He calls it the abdominal brace. Whenever I do it, people think I look taller. GIve it a try.

There you have it...the Absolute Minimum. Actually, an Absolut Minimum sounds like a tasty drink...D'oh!

Best,
GPR

Drink Lots of Water

Sounds obvious, right...It's ridiculous how little most people drink. Many people want to lose weight or get in shape but miss the connection between drinking water and being fit.



Here's the connection as I see it:

1- 90% of hunger is actually dehydration. Having water satiates your appetite.

2- Water feeds the fascia in your muscles allowing them to operate smoothly.

3- According to trainer, Owen McKibbin, the more water you drink, the less your skin retains underneath. If your body is retaining water, it's because it needs it. If you have an abundance of water in your system, more is flushed out.

4- You function better, feel more awake with water. I actually find sometimes a cold water wakes me up more than coffee.

The FDA recommends 8 glasses a day...That's basically a glass every two hours. What if you try doubling it?

Best,
Gabe

Make Awesome Eggs

Thought I'd take a moment to praise eggs and let folks out there know how I make them...The non-Paleo world seems to view eggs with skepticism. There's a worry about cholesterol and about fat content in the yolks. Don't worry about it, I'd advise. Eggs are a great source of protein and easy to make. I eat them or a protein shake for most breakfasts whereas I used to be a cereal junkie.



#1- Buy vegetarian fed... Pay the extra buck vs. grain fed. Typically $2.89 vs. $1.69. Sometimes there are 18 packs for $5 too. Look for specials at Vons or Ralph's.

#2- In the pan, use grass-fed, non-salted butter. Kerrygold is the standard.It's delicious and a good source of fat. Butter's another cholesterol boogie man. If you're not eating sugars, your body will fuel off these fats.

#3- If you insist on not using butter, coconut oil is also good. I like the spray from Trader Joe's.

#4- Let the butter melt. Crack the eggs in the pan (I usually have three). Scramble them in the pan with a rubber spatula while they heat. Add pepper and basil.

#5- Add lemon juice (just a little).

#6- Optional- Add half and half...This fluffens them up and makes em extra- creamy.

#7- Don't let them cook too long. I like them a little runny.

#8- Eat them.

Other variations involve changing up the spices or adding vegetables like spinach or tomatoes, onion, or garlic. You can also try cajun spices or tobasco. Beyond that, sometimes I'll hardboil six eggs at a time to have ready for snacks or quick meals.

Enjoy!