The Wholistic Edge® | The Difference Between Effort and Struggle -

Resolution This!

Jan 082012

“Men should pledge themselves to nothing; for reflection makes a liar of their resolution.”
~Sophocles
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Resolutions proclaimed with a belly full of whiskey only lead to headaches and empty promises.

It may be clear by now that resolutions are similar to diets because they do not work.

This is most often true when the resolution bombast is the diet! Resolutions are notoriously short-term.

Diets are based on weight loss versus lifestyle changes – which promotes a series of cyclical events instead of the process necessary for lasting change.

The same principle is applicable to the countless proclamations by people to commence a fitness program each January.

If you inadvertently stuck your foot in your mouth – or your head up your ass – know that humans have the capacity to change their behavior. Whether or not one does it simply highlights one’s belief system.
Continue reading »

January 8, 2012
Posted by The Mad Swede on January 8, 2012 at 4:45 PM
No Responses
The Daily Grist, The Mad Swede, Wellness
Tagged with: diagnose prescribe and treat, educate and implore, Michael Arloski PhD PCC, mindfulness, New Year resolutions, wellness accountability

Vega Sport Performance System

Dec 212011

“The Vega Sport Performance System is the first, complete, all-natural, plant-based sport performance system on the planet.

The Vega Sport Performance System was specifically developed in three comprehensive phases to help you perform at your highest level without compromise – before, during and after training, snowshoeing, trail running, triathlon or any other endurance sport.
Continue reading »

December 21, 2011
Posted by The Mad Swede on December 21, 2011 at 9:06 AM
1 Response
Endurance Sports, Plant-Based Nutrition, The Daily Grist, The Mad Swede, Wellness
Tagged with: endurance sports performance, health and fitness, health and wellness, plant-based nutrition, Snowshoe Magazine, snowshoeing, Vega Sport

Gear Review | Icebreaker Apparel

Dec 192011

“Winter is nature’s way of saying Up Yours.”
~Robert Byrne
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Inception

Merino wool was integrated into garments for humans instead of attempting to outsmart nature by concocting a synthetic version.

Icebreaker is a lightweight system of all-season garments combining the inspiration of nature with the technology of engineered layers to perform freely in any outdoor pursuit – especially in extreme conditions.

Icebreaker merino wool is grown in the Southern Alps, a rugged mountain range that stretches like a spine down New Zealand’s South Island.

December 19, 2011
Posted by The Mad Swede on December 19, 2011 at 7:26 PM
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Endurance Sports, The Daily Grist, The Mad Swede, Wellness
Tagged with: endurance sports performance, health and wellness, Merino wool, New Zealand, Snowshoe Magazine, snowshoeing, Southern Alps

Dietary Misadventure

Dec 032011

“Don’t dig your grave with your own knife and fork.”
~English Proverb
__________________

It is time to see the forest instead of the trees.

The food you put in your mouth will impact more than your snowshoeing. Health care costs are escalating in synch with disease incidence rates – which is synonymous with disaster. http://www.snowshoemag.com/2011/09/18/part-one-the-price-of-convenience/

Our society is overfed yet undernourished and this includes endurance athletes. Billions of dollars per year are wasted treating symptoms and designing new therapies, medications and procedures to continue to treat symptoms.

December 3, 2011
Posted by The Mad Swede on December 3, 2011 at 7:35 PM
No Responses
Endurance Sports, Plant-Based Nutrition, The Daily Grist, The Mad Swede, Wellness
Tagged with: acidosis, akaline, coronary heart disease, diabetes, HDL, hypertension, LDL, nutrient-dense, osteoporosis, Snowshoe Magazine, snowshoeing, whole foods

Nutrify to Thrive

Nov 282011

“To keep the body in good health is a duty…otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.”
~Buddha
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The most accurate barometer of a food’s nutritional value is its micronutrient density.

Our fixation with macronutrients – carbohydrate, fat and protein – and calories is excessive.

Consumption of a plant-based, whole foods diet eliminates the need to track grams, calories, portions or macronutrient percentages.

November 28, 2011
Posted by The Mad Swede on November 28, 2011 at 12:10 PM
2 Responses
Endurance Sports, Plant-Based Nutrition, The Mad Swede, Wellness
Tagged with: digestion, EFAs, inflammation, micronutrients, minerals, phytonutrients, Snowshoe Magazine, snowshoeing, vitamins

Synergy

Nov 092011

“Your genes may load the gun, but your lifestyle pulls the trigger.”
~Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, CPT
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What you put in your body via your gastrointestinal tract [GI] is your inside link to the outside world. It will help or hinder your desired snowshoeing outcomes.

Your GI tract filters what enters your bloodstream and what is discarded.

Your immune system is profoundly impacted by your gut health.

Your immune system will help determine whether your snowshoeing experience is one of effort or struggle.

Plant-based, whole foods provide an array of nutrients you need to excel.

November 9, 2011
Posted by The Mad Swede on November 9, 2011 at 1:37 PM
1 Response
Endurance Sports, Plant-Based Nutrition, The Mad Swede, Wellness
Tagged with: AI, endurance, fitness, minerals, nutrient-dense, oxygen transport, phytonutrients, RDA, Snowshoe Magazine, snowshoeing, supplemtation, vitamins, wellness

Isolated Detriments

Nov 092011

”The first wealth is health.”
~Emerson
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Nobody requires perfect nutrition like endurance athletes.

The arduous nature of our sport requires full-time awareness that redefines nutritional precision.

Whole, plant-based foods provide the optimal and varied nutrient-dense vitamins and minerals to help your body thrive.

November 9, 2011
Posted by The Mad Swede on November 9, 2011 at 1:36 PM
1 Response
Endurance Sports, Plant-Based Nutrition, The Mad Swede, Wellness
Tagged with: antioxidants, beta-carotene, carotenoids, omega-3, oxidation, plant-based nutrition, Snowshoe Magazine, snowshoeing, supplements, wellness

Book Review ~ The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition

Nov 092011

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
~Julieanna Hever MS, RD, CPT
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Snowshoers require nutritional precision.

The arduous nature of our “Silent Sport” mandates awareness and discipline when it comes to nutrition, training, recovery and rest, hence, the innate beauty of snowshoeing.

A plant-based, whole foods diet represents the most advantageous solution to achieving and sustaining optimum wellness – which translates to enhanced snowshoeing experiences.

Hever’s masterpiece adroitly condenses voluminous information with the precision of a surgeon.

November 9, 2011
Posted by The Mad Swede on November 9, 2011 at 1:36 PM
No Responses
Endurance Sports, Plant-Based Nutrition, The Mad Swede, Wellness
Tagged with: calcium, chronic disease, health, Hever, plant-based nutrition, protein, regeneration, Snowshoe Magazine, snowshoeing, wellness, whole foods

Documentary Review ~ To Your Health

Nov 092011

~Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, CPT
& Jesse Pomeroy
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To truly live a vibrant and authentic life one must honor the sanctity of optimum wellness.

The value you place on your health is in part a reflection of your food choices. Use a full-length mirror to reveal the outer truth and start thinking from the inside out.

A plant-based, whole foods diet consists of unrefined, unprocessed fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes.

These represent the new four food groups for vitality and optimal health.

Scientists have stretched hypotheses and technology to ridiculous lengths to dissect individual nutrients in their quests to discover and define optimal health.

This exhaustive approach is a losing proposition. Continue reading »

November 9, 2011
Posted by The Mad Swede on November 9, 2011 at 1:35 PM
No Responses
Endurance Sports, Plant-Based Nutrition, The Daily Grist, The Mad Swede, Wellness
Tagged with: dietitian, Esselstyn, fitness, Fuhrman, health, Hever, McDougall, PCRM, plant-based, Pomeroy, popper, Snowshoe Magazine, snowshoeing, The China Study, unrefined, vegan, vegetarian, wellness

Book Review ~ Thrive Foods

Nov 092011

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
~Benjamin Franklin
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Proactive health insurance begins with the food you consume each day.

Caloric needs vary per person based on a number of variables but snowshoers and other endurance athletes should be eating more than most people. The majority of your daily caloric intake should come from nutrient-dense foods.

Nutrient density is the ratio of nutrients per calorie [unit of energy]. It is the ratio of micronutrients per macronutrients. Micronutrients represent the measure of food value. Your goal is to achieve the most nutritional bang for your caloric buck – make each bite count!

Thrive Foods is Brendan Brazier’s latest gem and builds upon the stress-busting, energy-boosting approach to nutrition first introduced his his acclaimed bestseller The Thrive Diet.

November 9, 2011
Posted by The Mad Swede on November 9, 2011 at 1:33 PM
No Responses
Endurance Sports, Plant-Based Nutrition, The Mad Swede, Wellness
Tagged with: Brendan Brazier, macronutrients, micronutrients, nutrient-dense, plant-based nutrition, Snowshoe Magazine, snowshoeing, Thrive Foods

The Price of Convenience ~ Part One

Nov 092011

“Never assume the obvious is true.”
~William Safire
_______________

It seems logical that most humans would desire to live long, healthy and productive lives.
Clearly this is not the case.
Sit virtually anywhere and view for one hour the overwhelming evidence with your own eyes. If you still wonder why the healthcare system in North America is in the toilet take another look about you.

Perhaps even you bitch about the prohibitive cost of medical care, the lack of bedside manner, being treated like an object on a conveyor belt in a production facility, paying higher premiums for less coverage and the rest of it.

Now ask yourself why you chose to pay through the nose for medical care that treats symptoms rather than the causation. The beauty of being a human being is our ability to make choices.

Couple that with the fact that your remarkable body has the innate ability to heal itself – only if you allow it – and the road to wellness seems a simple one.

The principles of naturopathic medicine utilize the fundamental components of health [biochemistry, biomechanics, and mental predisposition] to assist you in restoring the balance requisite to meet the definition of health.

It is a distinctive approach to health and healing that empowers you to become responsible for your health.
Continue reading »

November 9, 2011
Posted by The Mad Swede on November 9, 2011 at 1:31 PM
No Responses
Endurance Sports, Plant-Based Nutrition, The Mad Swede, Wellness
Tagged with: addiction, change, cheese, decision, environmental, excuses, naturopathy, physical, SAD, Snowshoe Magazine, snowshoeing, spiritual, symptoms, wellness

The Price of Convenience ~ Part Two

Nov 092011

“The body never lies.”
~Martha Graham
_______________________

Our health begins with the soil.

The lack of minerals in the soil leads to a lack of micronutrients in our food. This creates the tendency to overeat due to chronic hunger.

Weight gain follows with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and so forth.

Poor diet and physical inactivity are the most important factors contributing to an epidemic of global overweight and obesity . Continue reading »

November 9, 2011
Posted by The Mad Swede on November 9, 2011 at 1:19 PM
No Responses
Endurance Sports, Plant-Based Nutrition, The Mad Swede, Wellness
Tagged with: fat, micronutrients, morbidity, overweight, plant-based, regeneration, SAD, Snowshoe Magazine, snowshoeing, symptoms, USDA

The Price of Convenience ~ Part Three

Nov 092011

“Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.”
~Hippocrates
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Foods in their natural, nutrient-dense form will be digested and assimilated with considerably less energy than its processed or refined counterparts.

Primary-source foods require fewer resources to produce and come with substantially less environmental cost.

Digestion and assimilation of meat, dairy, refined and processed foods require an exceptional energy draw on your body and the planet.

The alkalinity of primary-source foods greatly reduces the risk of chronic and degenerative diseases versus the acidic toll of animal and processed foods.

This reduced risk translates into enormous savings at the individual, societal and environmental levels.
Continue reading »

November 9, 2011
Posted by The Mad Swede on November 9, 2011 at 11:59 AM
No Responses
Endurance Sports, Plant-Based Nutrition, The Mad Swede, Wellness
Tagged with: digestion, disease, health-promoting, nutrition, plant-based, primary-source, SAD, Snowshoe Magazine, snowshoeing, subsidies, symptoms, wellness

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