What a Mick’s up on Coffee

Here’s a formula for you:
1 c coffee = 17 glasses of water to bring down acidity


Our bodies need to be neutral or alkaline to keep healthy, but a lot of what we like to eat and drink makes us more acidic.
 
“It now turns out that we have a better shot at long-term health if our body's pH is neutral or slightly alkaline.  When we tilt toward greater acidity, which can be measured easily, we have a greater risk of developing osteoporosis, weak muscles, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and a host of other health problems.  Long term, excess acidity leads to thinner bones and lower muscle mass, points out Anthony Sebastian, M.D., of the University of California, San Francisco.  These problems are compounded by normal aging, which increases acidosis, bone loss, and muscle wasting…. Low magnesium levels can cause muscle cramps, arrhythmias, and anxiety.” (The pH Nutrition Guide to Acid / Alkaline Balance)

“If you drank one cup of regular coffee it would take 17 glasses of water taken immediately after, to bring your ph level back to alkaline. Disease cannot start in an alkaline environment.” (Java Joan)

Java Joan also says “drinking healthy coffee keeps your PH in alkaline.”  She goes on to talk about healthy coffee having “over 150 antioxidants and 200 nutrients” in one cup, which would be like eating 8 large oranges… and it “neutralizes the effects of caffeine in your system.” 


My husband insists the coffee we sold at our coffee shop years ago (and actually still purchase) is low in acidity compared to most coffees.  Interested?  Buy from Kaldi!

What’s one reason we consume coffee?  Caffeine! 

We tend to work so hard that we don’t get enough sleep, like the Psalmist says, “In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling….”  Then we think we need caffeine to keep us awake.  So out come the acidic beverages and sugars. 

Hmmmm…  What do you think?  Continue the toxic intake of acid… or limit the intake, change your sleep/work patterns, and increase the alkaline food intake?  It’s your choice.

In vain you rise early and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—

for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Psalm 127:2 (NIV)

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Mick’s up Making You the Lean, Mean, Fat-burning Machine

Let’s hear it for HGH!  Let’s hear it for Testosterone!
 
Wait…  why are we cheering for testosterone?  We ladies are really confused.  Why do we want testosterone for us?

“Many bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts want to increase the levels of this hormone within their body due to the muscle building and fat burning effects it has on the body.” (Muscle Legion)

The answer is in a question:  Do you want to be a lean, mean, fat-burning machine?

If you have been putting into practice this week’s tips on exercise, then a lean, mean, fat-burning machine is what you’ll be… and testosterone is helping you get there!  Weird, isn’t it?

“Ever wonder how, why, and where the flat stomach, thin thighs, and slim hips of your youth disappeared beneath a blanket of fat?  There are a number of metabolic mechanisms known to influence body composition outcome.  Lean and fat mass are remarkably dependent upon two hormones.  Age-induced decreases of human Growth Hormone[hGH] and Testosterone increase adipose tissue storage rate in both the abdomen and hips.” (Dr. Bill Misner Ph.D. – American Fitness Professionals & Associates)

As testosterone levels decrease, "there are signs of aging such as a decrease in muscle mass and muscle strength, cognitive decline, a decrease in bone mass, and an increase in (abdominal) fat mass.”  A study showed that with an increase in testosterone, there was an increase in lean body mass and a decrease in fat mass.  (Medscape Medical News 2008)

Which would we rather be:  looking younger and leaner with less fat, or looking older and less fit?

We know why we want shorter exercise routines, but why do we want lean muscle?  "Any form of exercise that promotes lean muscle tissue would be beneficial, as having more lean muscle tissue promotes strength, vitality and a faster metabolism. Short intense bursts of exercise have proven to build more lean muscle than long aerobic/endurance workouts lasting for more than 25 minutes." (Natural News)

Maximized Living’s 5 Essentials of healthy living layout how and why to have a lean body.  “Exercise allows your body to take in higher levels of oxygen and creates lean muscle that keeps both your body and mind healthy.  Studies have shown that exercise consistently matches or exceeds the benefits of antidepressants.  This is your opportunity to decrease fat and increase lean muscle tissue.”

The Fat Burning Effect of Muscle chart shows “every pound of new muscle you add to your body will burn about 60 calories per day.” 

Dr. Al Sears teaches that his PACE exercise technique “trains your body to store energy in your muscles instead of storing it as fat, making you lean, and keeping you that way.”

As we mentioned earlier this week, long-duration exercise causes an increase in the stress hormone cortisol, and that “tears down muscle tissue and decreases testosterone.” (Michael Greeves)

Maximized Living describes their Essential #4 of Maximized Oxygen and Lean Muscle, when relating to high-intensity workouts like their MaxT3:  “This exercise system elicits a very unique hormonal response in the body and ultimately it is your hormones that influence your metabolism.  This type of exercise is called “metabolic conditioning.”  Metabolic conditioning is characterized by short bursts of high intensity exercise.  Therefore, in just minutes a day you can build muscle and burn fat like never before. ”

So, keep up the short bursts of exercise to keep the cells healthy with oxygen (NO EXCUSES!), and to look younger and to burn the fat!  Are you convinced yet that it is simple?  Have a great weekend getting started!

PS~Ladies, if you're afraid of muscles or developing a build like a guy, read these articles:
But I Don't Want Muscles! - Part 1
But I Don't Want Muscles! - Part 2

I’m excited for an upcoming post that will explain how good fats,

such as coconut oil,

can also help with your metabolism to get you the lean-muscle-look we’re going for. 

Stay tuned!

Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age?
Daniel 1:10 (NIV)

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Mick’s Max Workout

Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m certainly going to be bursting with exercise, after reading all this research that’s explaining how we can look younger with just a few simple minutes every-other day! It seems almost crazy not to! Come on, moms!  Come on, dads!  Come on, seniors!  (Ha!  Gotcha with that one… whether you’re a senior in school or a senior in life and wisdom.)

So, what’s your excuse?  You mean you still have one?!

We’ve already covered the time factor, the age thing, and the injury issue.  What’s left?!

Ah… maybe it’s space.  I can truly understand that!  I’m not going to let you get away with it, though.

Our fun family of four lives in a <1200-square-foot townhouse.  Thankfully, it’s 2-story, so we can feel spread out to get away from each other once in a while.  The biggest problem with it, though, is that we moved here from an apartment that was bigger, after we had moved from a house that was a LOT bigger.  That means the furniture that moved with us now seems bigger than it did originally.

  My hubby was nice enough to
demonstrate our tiny workout space. 
I'm not even in it yet! 

Where we exercise, when not outside, is in our living room, which also acts as the music room and the office.  The 234-square-foot living room is actually only 36 square feet (with one diagonal strip of 12 feet) of floor space in between all the furniture and fixings… that’s only 6 feet by 6 feet!  The awesome part is:  I share the workout space with my 6’4” hubby!  That’s awesome, because it means he’s exercising with me!  Oh, and I forgot to mention there’s a ceiling fan in the center of this workout space, which makes it even more limited, especially for him, since the ceiling is not very high to begin with.  We can do it, though!  Our best fitness equipment investment, I’d have to say, is the chin-up bar.  There is an amazing workout waiting on that little piece of metal… and it doesn’t take up any floor space!  (When the kidderz join us for a workout, we get creative, or just move the workout outside… whatever it takes… but no excuses!)

So… I ask again:  What’s your excuse?

Oh… now you’re thinking how confusing it is for you to come up with a variety of exercises on your own.  First of all, nobody said you have to have a variety.  However, if you still insist, let me mention  a workout I was introduced to this past Spring.  It’s the MaxT3 workout by Maximized Living.  It incorporates 12 minutes of intense exercise in a DVD set, so you can follow the coach, Dr. Fred Roberto.  That way, you don’t have to plan out a routine for yourself.  Do be aware, though, they use some fitness equipment in these workouts, but they are simple enough to substitute with household items if necessary and are inexpensive enough to grab at a nearby department store.

If you’re curious, the T3 is explained by By Dr. Shane Taffe and Dr. Ben Lerner this way:  “You can get serious exercise and fitness quickly by manipulating the Time, Tempo, and Type of exercise you do.  It’s our T3 principle.  If you lower Time, you have to increase the intensity by increasing Tempo (going at a faster pace).  You do this safely and efficiently by choosing Types of exercise that allow you to use the most muscle groups in their most natural ranges efficiently.”

With short, high-intensity workouts, you are Hitting All Of Your Oxygen Systems And All Of Your Muscle Groups.  “We’re looking to influence oxygen (O2) and lean muscle here. To do so means utilizing the multiple energy systems that work with and without O2 while you exercise, as well as working all three types of muscle fibers.” (Maximized Living)  Remember the reason we want to exercise is to make healthy cells with increased oxygen. (Mick’s in the Oxygen)  Tomorrow’s post will cover the lean muscle aspect of these awesome exercise techniques.

Not only is it music to our ears… but also... shorter workouts are overall more beneficial for our health. (Mick’s up Exercising)  Different “tempos” in your exercise routine affect your muscles differently, because of the different muscle fibers and how they react.  One study tells us:  “high-intensity intermittent training in humans may alter the proportion of fibers… and in consequence that fiber type composition is not determined solely by genetic factors.” (European Journal of Applied Physiology)   This means you are not doomed to being out of shape!  "The results indicate that the number of fibres activated from the start increase gradually in response to increased exercise intensity. " (NCBI)  For more science behind this, here are some links for research:  MaxT3: Complete Fitness System, Muscle Fiber Types, Muscle Types and Sprinting vs Endurance Training, Metabolic Conditioning

Have we covered everything?  If not, leave me a comment, and we’ll cover that, too.  Oh!… and don’t forget to take the poll at the top of the left margin!  Thanks for enjoying another Mick’s up Life!

“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.
They do it to get a crown that will not last,
but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly;
I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.
No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave
so that after I have preached to others,
I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
1 Corinthians 9:25-27 (NIV)

Keep up the training:  both physical and spiritual!
Don’t be disqualified!

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