In today’s podcast I discuss the benefits of  Topricin and the Treaddesk . I also revisit the FitBit and the poor man’s masseuse, Foamroller .

I mentioned yet again the innumerable benefits of the miracle oil, magnesium. You can also be guaranteed that it will not be the last time you hear from me on the subject. If you would like to know more about this essential mineral I highly recommend these two invaluable reads- The Magnesium Miracle and also Transdermal Magnesium Therapy .

In fact anyone who signs up for our online training will receive a free copy of  The Magnesium Miracle! I feel that it is that important for us all to become more educated and active in supplementing regularly with this mineral!

Stay tuned for the posting of the 100 Rep workout video  and the video foamroller workout as I have had some difficulty posting them so I will get those posted asap!

Again if you have any other questions or comments feel free to contact us and we will do our best to bring you the health, fitness and nutrition information you need.

1) Danger of Caffeine Overdose and Addiction: The average energy drink contains nearly 4 times the amount of caffeine found in commercial soda beverages and several of the more popular brands contain the caffeine equivalent of 14 Cokes. A 6-ounce cup of coffee has 80-150 milligrams (mg) of caffeine, but the caffeine content of energy drinks ranges from 50-500+ mg, with one popular energy drink “shot” topping out at 570mg, which gives you the equivalent of about three and a half cups of coffee with a single sip!

Why should this concern you? Because caffeine forces your adrenal glands to secrete enormous amounts of adrenaline and “energy” hormones, even when those glands are depleted. The result is a growing tolerance to the effects of caffeine, and eventual burn-out and severe adrenal depletion. This is accompanied by a feeling of increasing tiredness and a need for higher and higher amounts of caffeine to achieve an energy boost. Attempts at quitting the addiction can result in withdrawal symptoms such as severe headaches and complete loss of mental focus and function.

In addition, by inhibiting the activity of the vitamin folate, B12 and B6, high levels of caffeine may interfere with your body’s ability to regulate two significant cardiovascular disease risk factors: homocysteine and cholesterol. By causing blood vessel constriction and increased risk of blood clots, the caffeine content in some energy drinks can literally be deadly for someone with high stress levels or high blood pressure. Finally, high levels of caffeine consumption have been associated with increased risk of stroke and arthritis, insomnia, heart palpitations, tremors, sweating, nausea, diarrhea, chest pain, and neurological symptoms!

2) Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners. One can of energy drink contains the equivalent of nearly 10 teaspoons of sugar! This amount of sugar causes your sensitive pancreas to create a literal flood of insulin in an attempt to manage all the extra glucose (sugar) that ends up in the bloodstream. Some of this sugar may be used by the muscles, but usually only if you are exercising quite frequently. The remainder of the sugar is converted into fat by the liver. In addition, the body releases both epinephrine and cortisol from your adrenal glands (as if they weren’t already stressed enough from the caffeine!). The result is  quick swing in energy, followed by a subsequent crash, a severely compromised immune system, a surge of cell-damaging “free radicals”, thickened blood and an eventual insensitivity to insulin, also know as type II diabetes.  And you just thought sugar was bad for your teeth!

But what about artificial sweeteners? Don’t they eliminate this problem? Unfortunately, research has shown that there is still a release of gastric hormones when you consume an artificial sweeteners. This gives your brain a confusing message: that food is present, but that the food has no “calories”. Subsequently, you develop an appetite craving typically 30-60 minutes after consuming an artificially sweetened beverage.

In addition, these artificially sweetened chemicals (yes, chemicals!) such as aspartame (Nutrasweet), sucralose (Splenda), acesulfame potassium, and sugar alcohols have been linked to upset stomachs, mood swings, birth defects, cancer, diabetes, emotional disorders, epilepsy, seizures, a variety of neurological disorders and even obesity!

3) Acids. Finally, carbonic acid, citric acid and phosphoric acid in popular carbonated energy drinks can dissolve tooth enamel (causing tooth rot and yellow teeth), raise the risk of stomach damage and ulcers, cause bone breakdown, osteoporosis, and bone fractures, and upset the fragile “acid-alkaline” balance in the human body.

And that is why I am not a fan of energy drinks.

Think you’re doing your body a favor by chugging a diet soda instead of regular? Think again. According to a recent paper, that Splenda’d soft drink may be as harmful to your metabolic state as fried foods, red meat, and white flour.

Researchers found a correlation between ingestion of diet soda with “metabolic syndrome” – a deadly collection of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes that include abdominal obesity, high cholesterol and blood glucose levels, and elevated blood pressure.

According to one of the researchers, the direct association has not been pinpointed. It could be a chemical in the cola itself, or may have to do with the lifestyle of cola drinkers in general. In either case, it sounds like we’re all better off being one of those “non-cola” people.

Check out the article in the Times here.

When contemplating the world in which we now live, one has to wonder why we are getting sicker,more tired, and less fit! With the unbelievable advances in technology and medicine you might think that life would only get better and easier. The alarming and quite frankly, scary reality of it all is that we are now becoming quite sedentary and inactive because of modern advances. We often choose quantity overquality when it comes to our diet and food choices. We prefer to plug-in and tune out when watching the vast array of television entertainment choices. And sadly enough, with the tough economic times it’s just too expensive to shop at the local health food store for rich, nutritious, organic diet options. For me, as a Personal Trainer and Fitness Professional one of the most discouraging things I see is the increase in child obesity and inactivity. The food, if one can call it that, is absolutely transparent and hollow, empty calories that are rapidly filling up children across America. Childhood obesity statistics reveal the stunning fact that almost 60% of children in America are obese children. The rate of overweight children in America is increasing rapidly.If the obesity statistics of 2002 say that 22% of US preschoolers were overweight, you can only imagine how big the problem would be right now. Childhood obesity studies also reveal the fact that 40% of obese children and 70% of obese adolescents become obese adults. Indeed, by the time an obese child turns six years old, his/her chance of becoming an obese adult is over 50%!

 Studies implicate factors such as cheap fats and sugars used in food processing, larger portions, eating out more often, decreased activity, marketing strategies, lack of nutritional education, food as entertainment and diet fads. The medical consequences of those extra calories are causing mental and physical suffering in increased numbers of children and adults from Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, gall bladder disease, stroke, orthopedic problems, and increased risk of cancer. Food production and safety concerns are also of vital interest.

So what can we as parents, coaches, trainers and a society do for our children?

1. Set the example- The impact of healthy,active role models are of the utmost importance. We need to not only help our children eat better and exercise more but we need to lead the way. NO ONE likes to be told what to do or how to live, but if at an early age they can learn to develop healthy and wise habits then our job and their lives will be so much richer and happier.
2. Be the solution-  Littered throughout America’s grocery stores are products that are literally killing us. The other day I walked down several aisles and randomly pulled items off the shelf  just to see the content. In one aisle alone of the 25 items I pulled, 21 had high fructose corn-syrup as the number 1 or 2 ingredient!!! And if that is not frightening then this surely will be, all 25 items were listed as “healthy” lunch choices for kids.  I watched as parents filled their carts with this stuff while obvious over weight children tagged alongside! What is going on? We need to be the solution and not the problem!
3. Education- Just as these parents had no idea what they were feeding their kids, big name food manufacterers are more often than not taking the cheaper, easier route when it comes to what they put in our food. We must not only educate ourselves and our children about reading and understanding labels and ingredients but also stand up and demand that we get higher quality foods and products.
4. Be Active- Eating healthy is absolutely where we need to start but it is not the only problem. We need to teach our children and encourage them to be active. We need to help our children once again find balance in their lives, from exercising while jamming to their Ipods to joining some sort of sport or exercise activity, there are ways to help them gain a love and real craving for being active !  

In today’s podcast I give a brief overview of  LinkFit and  SrFit . I also explain what everyone can expect to hear from the MyLinkFit podcast.

If you have any fitness,health, nutrition or exercise questions or comments please feel free to contact the LinkFit team via  email (linkfit@yahoo.com),

Skype where you can leave your questions/comments for free, we are MyLinkFit.  We will answer your questions on the podcast or by email. You can also contact us directly

on the website- contact us or directly here on the Blog! You may also follow us on Twitter.

But enough about that….so without further ado, enjoy the 1st podcast from MyLinkFit.com

MAGNESIUM OIL the “Miracle Oil”

There’s been a fair amount of talk on the Internet recently about a new “miracle” product that cures many of today’s biggest health problems. The product, oddly enough, is termed “magnesium oil”. But you don’t drink it, or put it on food. You rub it onto your skin. Among others things, it’s supposed to prevent heart disease, lower your blood pressure and cure migraines.

So, what’s so good about magnesium oil? After all, aren’t there enough natural supplements and vitamins in the world already?Well, being something of a natural health nut, I decided to take a closer look to see what it’s all about. Here’s what I found:Studies show that 80% of all Americans are magnesium deficient. Wow, 80 percent.It turns out that with all the talk of antioxidants, omega 3 and calcium, the media may have overlooked the real “missing link” in our diets. Evidently, the mineral magnesium is present in practically every cell in our bodies. Our cells depend on it for the most basic important functions. When we get low, bad things occur. Dr. Lawrence Resnick, MD, of Cornell University, a leading researcher on the mineral, stated: “Without enough magnesium, cells simply don’t work.”It seems that quite a large body of research on magnesium has been performed over the years. And the results of the studies are so compelling that it makes you wonder why we haven’t heard about it earlier.

Magnesium deficiency has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, migraines, diabetes, depression, fatigue, insomnia and many other conditions.Many doctors and researchers are now going beyond saying that magnesium deficiency is “linked” to these illnesses and are saying that it is the actual “cause” of the disease, which is a big step upward. Here’s a shocking quote by Dr. Mildred S Seelig, MD: “Most modern heart disease is caused by magnesium deficiency. A vast and convincing body of research, largely ignored, has convinced us and many colleagues of this fact.” Coming from a doctor of solid reputation, that’s a pretty strong statement.

Okay, so it’s clear that we need magnesium in our diets or bad things happen to us. No problem, we can just get it from food and water, right? Well, that presents a surprising dilemma. In the year 1900, magnesium was plentiful in our food and water. But today, our drinking water is stripped of minerals by our filtration plants. Also, vegetables and meats are much lower in this vital mineral due to modern large-scale farming techniques, which have depleted the soils.In fact, magnesium in our food and water is only half of what it used to be a hundred years ago. By the way, it turns out that heart disease was practically non-existent 100 years ago, when magnesium levels in food and water was higher. Back then, there were no doctors specializing in heart disease, because almost nobody had the malady.Well surely there must be some foods we can still eat that are good sources of magnesium, right? The answer to this is yes, if you want to eat a mountain of pumpkins seeds and spinach EVERY DAY. But most people simply won’t do this.

By now I’m beginning to realize that I’ll have to get my daily magnesium through supplements, since getting it in food and water has become impractical.And as I turn my attention to finding a good supplement, I get another surprise: All magnesium supplements taken by the mouth (orally) are only absorbed at about a 20% level, with the rest passing through us. Our intestines simply don’t absorb the magnesium: powders, tablets, drinks, any of them.To make matters worse, if you try to compensate for this low absorption by taking larger doses of magnesium supplements, you get diarrhea. I tried doing this and it’s true, you get diarrhea.This is when the sheer magnitude of the problem dawned on me: 80% of us are magnesium deficient; we can’t get enough from our food and water; the supplements we take don’t get absorbed; and to top it all off, almost nobody in the media is talking about the dangers of magnesium deficiency – heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, etc.

Because this is so important, I re-doubled my efforts. There just had to be a supplement out there that would work. That’s when I came across magnesium oil.Magnesium oil seems to be different than all the other supplements out there, because it’s absorbed through the skin. You rub it onto your arms and legs like a lotion. They say it works using the same principle as the transdermal nicotine patches sold in the drug stores.

Although it’s termed “magnesium oil” it’s not really an oil after all. It’s a super-saturated solution of magnesium chloride in a water base. When you rub in onto the skin it feels a little slippery, but then it dries in seconds and no longer feels oily.Evidently a doctor by the name of Norman Shealy MD, did a trial with patients using the magnesium oil and found that it was highly absorbable without any side effects such as diarrhea. They used a regimen of spraying the oil on the skin in conjunction with a daily footbath. The results showed that his patients raised their cellular magnesium levels to the top of the reference scale in a remarkable 6 weeks. Normally, with orally taken supplements, this can take 2 years or longer.

I’ve personally been using the magnesium chloride oil myself for several months now and my observation is that it’s the real deal. Although I consider myself healthy, it has eliminated a few nagging problems I had: runner’s knee and migraines. These symptoms are gone now. I also feel like I never get tired anymore. I can work as hard as I want and still not feel run down.So in conclusion, I guess all the “buzz” about magnesium oil is well founded. It appears to solve a huge problem. Magnesium deficiency is a serious health problem the world is facing right now and the sad part is that the media has yet to catch on.

For me personally, I find this to be the best thing I take right now, hands down! I feel more energetic, I have been sleeping better and my muscles aren’t as sore after a hard workout. But I think the most telling and interesting thing for me has been the fact that just a few days ago I was diagnosed with an ankle fracture! The injury ( which I thought was only a sprain) had been sore, painful at times and often swollen. But here is the eye opener. After a month or so of rest (all the while doing magnesium oil foot and ankle massages, religiously) I started playing basketball again and running, in fact the day I received the X-ray, I had ran almost 7miles on it. The Doc had no explanation as to why the fracture had not been made much worse as a cause of my activities. MY response, it had to be because of magnesium! After each magnesium oil massage my pain would almost disappear and the inflammation would decrease almost immediately. I hope everyone will take a strong hard look at the NEED of magnesium in their lives!

GAIN STRENGTH, NOT BULK–Unlike men, women have difficulty gaining size from strength training because they don’t produce significant amounts of muscle-building testosterone. They will develop muscle tone and definition.

CHANGE YOUR BODY——–Many of us just want to shed some extra pounds but aren’t finding success despite hours on the treadmill,stair stepper and in spin class. According to research, increased muscle mass helps the body burn more fat throughout the day.The longer and harder you work out, the greater the post-workout metabolism increase and the longer it lasts. Some research has shown a metabolism increase from 12-48hrs after a workout. Muscle tissue burns 25% more calories than fat tissue. So by strength training, we can increase muscle tissue and raise the rate at which calories are burned.

BUILD STRONG BONES——–Research shows it can increase spinal bone mineral density by 13% in six months!!! Combine a diet rich in calcium and plan on walking tall for years to come!

PREVENT ARTHRITIS———– Strength training has also been shown to build stronger connective tissues and increase joint stability. This can act as reinforcement for the joints and help prevent injuries and benefit those who suffer from arthritis.

LIFT FOR YOUR LIFE——- Research recently found that strength training plays a key role in controlling a woman’s weight. They discovered that women who lifted weights just twice a week were able to avoid the slow, one to two pound weight gain per year that’s so common in middle age.

One of the most vital nutrients to the human body and more specifically muscle building, is protein.

The RDA for protein for sedentary adults is 0.36 grams per pound of body weight. If your having trouble getting your protein in through normal diet ( meats,nuts,eggs, soy etc) try some of my delicious smoothie recipes. They taste great, are healthy and are very refreshing during the hot summer months. Enjoy!

If you need help selecting the right protein for you( soy,whey) let me know.

Good Morning Smoothie
1 1/4 cups orange juice, preferably calcium-fortified
1 banana
1 1/4 cups frozen berries, such as raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and/or strawberries
1/2 cup low-fat silken tofu or low-fat plain yogurt
1 scoop vanilla protein mix

Cantaloupe banana Smoothie
1 ripe banana
1/4 ripe cantaloupe, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup nonfat or low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
1 1/2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Banana Smoothie
1 ripe banana
1 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt
1 cup crushed ice
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 scoop Chocolate Protein Mix

Power Breakfast Smoothie
1 cup crushed ice
1 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal
1 scoop chocolate protein mix
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 ripe banana

Orange Creamsicle Smoothie
1 navel orange, peeled
1/4 cup fat-free half-and-half or fat-free yogurt
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ice cubes
1 scoop vanilla protein mix

Carrot Cake Smoothie
2/3 cup refrigerated canned sliced carrots, drained
2 tablespoons canned crushed pineapple, in juice
1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup skim milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
2 ice cubes pinch grated fresh nutmeg

Peach Pie Smoothie
1/2 cup nonfat or 1 percent lowfat milk
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 cup unsweetened frozen peaches
1 tablespoon honey, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Graham cracker (optional)
Pinch ground nutmeg Pinch ground ginger

Island Smoothie
1 cup strawberries
1 cup pineapple
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup blueberries
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup vanilla
1 cup ice
1 scoop vanilla protein mix

You don’t have to cut yourself short on breakfast. Just choose among some simpler versions of breakfasts that can be ready and waiting for you on a time-crunched morning:
*A piece of fresh fruit, a slice of cheese and/or a handful of nuts
*A slice of whole grain bread topped with a tablespoon of nut butter
*A cup of yogurt topped with nuts and berries
*Whole grain cereal topped with nuts and sliced banana
*Ready to go oatmeal: at night before you go to bed, put one-quarter to one-third cup of oatmeal in a 4-cup glass measuring bowl and add enough water to slightly more than cover, then cover the bowl with a paper towel or plate and refrigerate. The next morning, add more water and/or milk or juice, and pop in the microwave for 1 minute on high. Take out and stir. Put back in for another minute. Transfer to a cereal bowl, top with some berries, nuts, cinnamon, and maybe a little maple syrup or honey.
*Keep a few hard-boiled eggs, preferably organic, on hand in your refrigerator. Rich in protein and hard-to-find important brain nutrients like choline, eggs are well nicknamed “the perfect food.” A piece of whole grain toast, topped with a teaspoon of organic butter and a hard-boiled egg will keep your brain fueled throughout a hectic morning.
*Consider a blenderized smoothie made with the World’s Healthiest Foods. Add a tablespoon of almond or peanut butter, a cup of milk (soy if you prefer or need to avoid dairy), a cup of frozen berries or a bannana, and maybe a teaspoon or two of blackstrap molasses to your blender. Blend till smooth, and you’ll have a morning’s worth of healthy nutrition.
*Consider re-thinking your idea of breakfast. A nut butter and honey whole wheat bread sandwich made and refrigerated the night before; a cup of cooked garbanzo beans, warmed up and seasoned with a little olive oil or butter and turmeric; or leftovers from last night’s deliciously healthy dinner can make a very satisfying, ready-to-go breakfast.

A large healthy breakfast will not only jump start your day but keep you going strong till lunch. A big breakfast also gets your metabolism going early which is essential to fast weight loss.