Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8nOKJTL6Tg

 What is it to be all American? What were we taught as kids? Who are our heroes in America?

I used to say to all my friends, "I bet just about every professional athlete is on steroids."  After watching this movie, I'm certain.  Remember when you were a kid and you wanted to be "the best" at something? Everyone has this dream.  Some achieve it, and other just don't.  I find it ironic that a big portion of those who achieved it "cheated."  Bigger, Stronger, Faster is about how America is a nation of cheaters.

Really this movie can be an eye opener, or if you only want to believe your truth, then you will deny it.  I've already lost faith in my government telling me what is good and bad for me.  The media tells everyone that steroids is bad and it is cheating.  And I'm not one to say that I would participate in steroid use.  But, giving Americans the false belief that they can be the best athlete with out the use of steroids is rubbish, especially in today's society.

First you might say, "Don't you think I would be able to tell if someone is on steroids?"  When I started in the fitness industry I worked at the godforsaken 24hr fitness.  Myself and maybe one other trainer there, were the only ones that were not juicing.  Even one of my friends, who happened to be my roommate at the time was on it.  I had no clue! He later told me that he regretted doing it.  But he had an obsession, like many other in this society, to be bigger.

Sure I'm against steroids, but really what I'm against is bastardizing the minds of kids, and people to look a certain way.  Steroid use is basically the anorexia or bolemia of the sport/fitness industry.  The only difference is, is that we call it cheating.  Kids can take Methylphenidate or Riddlin/Aderol type drugs to do better on tests.  Tiger woods can get lazer eye surgury to improve his golf game.  Even the average american can drink 3-4 cups of coffee a day to get through the day.  But we don't consider any of these drugs/enhancements Cheating.  The sad truth is that cheating is what we do best here in america.

Humans are creatures of habbit.  If you were told today that you would have to take a drug to keep your job would you do it?  Even if you could not get it legally you still would.  Most people would.  They might say they wont in that situation, but when the shit hits the fan, lets see where shit flies.

I wanted to talk about this movie, not because I'm pro sterioids, or anti steroids.  I would really like to point out that people are being decieved.  I would like to see a documentary about a group of people not taking drugs and living a healthy lifestyle.  Let's see what they are capable of then! Our current sports, and fitness industry only shows us how to cheat, and that if we want to win we have to cheat.

Watch it, and see for yourself some facts you just can't deny.

H

It's been almost 2 months since my tandem, and I'm sure people are wondering if I'm still alive.  Yes! Alive and kicking with 23 jumps under my belt.  The only thing that stands in my way is 2 jumps an a course on packing.  After that I will be able to jump around the world :).  Speaking of, any documentary out there interested on documenting the skydiving world, literally around the globe?

The course, was a big commitment, but I was able to do it.  And even graduate from "instructor jumps" early.  The normal amount of jumps to pass the "instructor" section of the student jump is seven jumps.  I was a natural at free fall and was able to do it in only five!  You might be wondering what goes on in an instructor jump.  Give me a couple of weeks and I'll get it on video, but first I'll go thought it for you.

Cat A (Jump 1)
1st jump w/ two instructors holding onto you, making adjustments.  Practice touching your handle for your parachute 3x and pull it at 6000 ft.

Cat B (Jump 2)
Jump w/ instructors and practice touching and control heading in the sky.  Touch handle 2x and pull at 6000 ft.

Cat C (Jump 3)
Jump and get let go by your instructors.  It's the first time you are free, and let me tell ya, it's a fun thing to be by yourself floating in space.

Cat D (Jump 4)
Jump with one instructor and practice 90 deg turns, 180 deg turns, and 360 deg turns.

(Jump 5)
Dive out w/ out an instructor and do a back flip, front flip, and barrel roll, and if you're really good, track and doc onto your instructor.

All this was completed before Christmas, including my very first solo jump :)

Since the new year started I've done 16 jumps some doing some really cool things.  There are so many things you have to learn about control, when you are flying your body.  Not to mention how to fly your parachute.  Pretty soon, it will be time to get my "A" license and travel the globe jumping out of planes.


H

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGphGbJool4

I remember my first time skydiving almost six years ago.  I knew then I wanted to be able to go solo.  What I didn't realize was that it was going to take me six years to finally start the process to do it.  Skydiving has been something that I've always had on my mind, and something I thought I could really enjoy.  There was always something about the feeling of flying that made me think of how cool it would be to skydive.

Saturday I had the opportunity to skydive once again.  I came to a crucial decision while I was out there.  It was time to learn how to solo jump.  What does that mean?  That means that I get to jump w/ out an experienced skydiver strapped to my back.  What does that take?  Two tandem jumps, and about 7 jumps w/ instructors to teach me how to do it.  Why do it? Why not? It might just be one of the most liberating experiences in life.

Obviously I don't really have a fear of flight or falling, but lets think about it.  If you had a list of experiences to experience before you die, wouldn't you want to know how it would be like to fly or attempt to fly?

My first tandem jump of the day was a bit of sensory overload.  I knew I was being tested, so I wanted to make sure I was doing everything right.  Really all I was responsible for was body positioning and to pull the parachute.  My very first skydive was done in Lodi, which I learned that day, is the only Skydiving location in the Bay that is not associated with the US Parachute association.  Yikes.  The beauty of skydiving in Davis, is that the experience is a bit better.

I was suited up in a full jump suit, given goggles and a helmet, and briefed appropriately.  It was then that I knew I was not only safe, but I wanted to learn from these guys.  The plane at Davis slows down to a floating position in the air before you jump, giving you a free fall feeling.  Without this slowdown the stomach drop isn't even there.  Instead you are literally going the speed of the plane as you fall 1300 feet.  Surprisingly the 50-60 seconds of free fall was super quick.  Good thing I was taking a second jump.

This jump I would have to prepare a bit more.  They wanted to see that I could do some spins and that I could be conscious of my surroundings, what they call "the circle of awareness."  This time, I would do the rip cord checks on my own, and find it on my own.  I would also control the fall a bit more.  Dropping from 1300 feet to 5500 feet is longer then the first time.  I could see more, and I felt more in my body.  At 7000 feet I found the ripcord and at 5500 feet I pulled it with ease.  Time slowed, even the quick jolt of the parachute opening  was slow.  As we chuted down I controlled the parachute and navigated us right and left.  I knew I could get used to this.  As we landed I flared the chute to pause and land semi-softly onto my bum.

It's time to learn how to fly on my own.  An 8hr day of class and 7 jumps stand between me, and my solo jumps.  If I really wanted to I could probably get 25 jumps in for my A license before Chinese new year.  Lets hope the weather is nice.

To Be Continued...

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDBrdl2sZWs&feature=related

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm559s-3Uj4

Yesterday of course was turkey day, and I realized that I was lucky enough to go to two different Thanksgiving dinners.  One was done with a beautiful free range turkey and the other was a heritage turkey.  Both were good, but it was evident that heritage turkeys are the best.

I discovered the heritage turkey in my world about 3 years ago.  I decided to cook a turkey for thanksgiving.  Because I'd never done so, I knew I had to do a little research.  What I found to be the best was a heritage bird.  I looked into organic, free-range, cage free.  But really all of that was included with the word "heritage."  So i asked the question, "What make a heritage bird so special."  My butcher Doug from Prather Ranch Meat co, handed me a 40 page article on Herritage Turkey's.  Inside was not only a guide abou why the "herritage" bird was superior.  But also instructions on how to cook it.

The very first thing that you will knotice about herritage birds is that there is less "white meat" and more "dark meat."  That's because ordinarily Turkey's do not really have such huge breasts like we've genetically bred them to be.  First our women all now have large fake boobs, now our turkeys! When is it going to end!  The second thing that you will notice, is that it is much jucier and tastyer then a regular bird.  But the most pronounced difference with the bird and it's raising process is that a herritage bird can reproduce on it's own.

This brings up an important point about an animal.  Artificial insemination is necessary with the "conventional" turkey, or even a "free-range/organic" turkey.  The root of the animal and it's very gene pool is "organic" or "wild."  Since Thanksgiving is a holiday that historically reminds us about the Native Americans and Europeans joining together, the heritage turkey would be what they ate.  But with the commercialization of food and the turkey, we've found a way to destroy a perfectly good animal and make it "crap."

Organic turkeys are still good because they are raised properly.  In the open pasture, as close to their natural environment as possible, not to mention they are generally disease free.  The process of raising a turkey is finicky and quite difficult especially when it's a genetically altered turkey.  The gene pool needs antibiotics, hormones, and other drugs, because the animal is weak from start.  Not to mention the very fact that organic birds have eat nothing but good quality organic feed.  The price of these birds, let alone the extra space they take up is much more open and free.  But let's be honest, it is much more economically correct to jam a bird into a crowded room for all it's life.  It would be like living on the MTR during rush hour.

So, why does not everyone just buy a heritage turkey?  First off there is the price issue of $6.99 a pound.  Since the average turkey weighs 15-20lbs a $100-$140 investment just doesn't seem worth it.  The butterball turkey is only $0.60 which makes it a cheep commodity.  Even an organic turkey at $3-5 a pound seems like it's a better deal.  The other problem is that there may only be ten thousand or so birds available.  And with repeated press, they are in high demand.  The heritage bird seems like a bargain when you think of the number of birds they have and how much time and effort it takes to raise them.

Video: http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=Pen1isLmIP

As a personal trainer about 90% of the people my industry come to me to lose weight.  After six year of experience and countless hours of schooling, I am convinced about one thing.  In today’s world exercise and nutrition are not the only thing necessary for weight loss

Most trainers go to school, or take certification programs to educate themselves on how to educate others.  Those interested in nutrition also do the same.  Exercise itself isn’t powerful enough for people to lose weight.  Thus many trainers or exercise practitioners start to learn nutrition.  Nutrition and exercises have one thing in common.  There are millions of different opinions and egos in each one.  Which is why it is hard to keep track of what works and what doesn’t.  The key to both is to learn from many and listen to what the client’s body is telling them.  But, yet even with exercise and nutrition there is still a missing link.

What many people fail to realize is that animals store toxins as fat.  What this means is that if you are consuming toxins you are likely to store more body fat.  Toxins can be given in many different forms.  Stress is a perfect example of a toxin that the human body creates chemically.  Food toxins such as pesticides, parasites, fungus, or heavy metals can also cause an animal to store fat.  This is why Organic foods have been so affective to help people lose weight.

Foods are not the only way humans consume toxins.  We can be exposed to radiation or breath toxins into our bodies.  Chemical paints, cleaners, glue, and other synthetic products can be inspired, digested, or applied onto or into our bodies.  Mold though thought of as rare, often grows in many houses across the world.  The spores are then spun into the air and breathed into our bodies.  Misquotes, ticks, spiders, flees, and just about any other bug that can bite you, can pass off other toxin into your body as well.  With so much exposure out there, why isn’t everyone living in a bubble?

Something that I have to tell myself time and time again is that “Exposure does not mean infection.”  In other words just because you get exposed to it doesn’t mean that you are going to get it.  But, what happens to the body is that, as the immune system gets weaker from battling more and more of these toxins it becomes stressed.  This overall stress on top of the 9-5 or for some people, 12-12, workday causes the body to go into exhaustion.  But, we are humans so we do everything we can to survive.  That is why many people that is exhausted and have a sad excuse for an immune system.

Let it not be misunderstood, that just because you don’t get sick, doesn’t mean that your immune system is good.  Think about it for a second.  Ask yourself the question, “What causes me to have signs and symptoms, the bug, or my body?”  If you said your body, you are 100% correct.  Signs and symptoms are merely messages that your body is sending to you that it’s doing some work.  Coughs, colds, soar throats, allergies, itchy eyes, bloating, hell even constipation are all symptoms.

Getting drugs to turn these symptoms off is like going to a mechanic to get your check engine light turned off.  Would you think it was insane if your gardener came to your house and painted your garden as opposed to watering it and giving the soil nutrients?  This is what is going on, and these biotoxins and other stressors are what cause signs and symptoms.

Being overweight or having excessive abdominal fat is an indicator that a person’s body is stressed.  To diet, or get liposuction is just like turning off the symptom with a pill.  The right nutrients, the right exercise, and the right food are necessary for a person to get healthy and lose weight.  What is the right food/nutrient/exercise? To tell you something that is completely general would be again addressing the symptom.  Many people can do little things like cut out certain food allergies such as gluten, milk, cork, and soy.  But even that is just a head start for what is to come.

So how do you keep your immunity high? Get enough rest! Relax your body! Eat the right foods! Move your body! Enjoy life! And if you have been exposed to toxins (metal fillings, mold, foreign bug bites, or parasite/fungus) find a specialist who can deal with these issues.  Or at least someone who can identify it.  I’m not going to lie, it will cost you money, but what is the point of money if you are not happy?

The average American spends 10% of their income on food and maybe 5% on health (not health care).  The rest of the world is not far off.  Isn’t the order of importance “Water, food, shelter?”  When did we start paying so much for shelter, and so little for food and water?  Organic food, healing a person from biotoxins, parasites, or other hormonal metabolic diseases might just be the key to open the magic castle.  It’s time people start looking for that key!