I would like to apologize for my lack of postings in recent weeks. This is due to one reason, and one reason alone, the National Athletic Training Association Board Of Certification (NATA-BOC) Exam. All the studying that I have been doing has been time consuming.

Studying has gotten me thinking about how you can read about anything and enjoy it. In reality, you need to get out and experience things to truly appreciate them. All the things I've learned from my schooling and reading does not hold a candle to the things I have experienced first hand. For instance, you can look at pictures of a place and read all about it, but if you haven't been there to take it all in, well that means nothing. Without having experienced something first hand, you have not lived.

So my advice to you is to go out and live. Shut down the computer, put on some clothes, and go experience what the world has to offer you.

The P90X

Fruits and vegetables are filled with carbs. So I can only have them once a day.

A friend of mine, who we shall refer to as Lady, recently started doing the P90x workouts. She has been raving about how she is getting in great shape and more importantly to her, losing weight. On Tuesday I asked Lady how the P90x was going. She replied by explaining that the workouts are getting more intense but she is able to do them easier. The break down of the whole system is to increase in progression of exercises, while changing up your workout daily. Both ideas are in fact good ones and create a positive outcome. However, then she began to explain the diet program associated with the P90X system.

The diet preaches to consume large amounts of protein. Everything that I have read and follow agrees with this idea, so no arguments from me. Lady then started saying how she has cut out a lot of carbs and hates that she has to passes up on the pasta and potatoes. I started to laugh and explain how I've changed my diet to cut down on those things as well. So at this point I'm thinking, wow this diet plan has got it right. I then explained to her how personally I increased my fruit and vegetable loads.  She then went on to make the opening statement "Fruits and vegetables are filled with carbs. So I can only have them once a day." I did almost a double take as she stated this.  There are so many things wrong with this idea that I do not even know where to start.

At this point, I tried to explain to Lady that fruits and vegetables should be the foundation of her diet. By limiting them, she was not receiving all the nutritious vitamins and minerals that her body wants and craves.  However, she had been brain washed by the P90X Program that all carbs are bad. Sadly everything I was saying falling on deaf ears.

I agree with the P90x diet plan in regard to increasing the amount of protein one should consume. I'm a big believer that humans were meant to eat meant. So eating a high protein diet, like hers, is definitely a positive thing in my eyes. When eating a high protein diet, one has to make sure they ingest enough fruits, vegetables, and fats to avoid, in essence, overdosing with Protein.

It is important to note that I have read information on both Paleo and Primal diets. I would not refer to my personal diet as either. If anything it is a modified, less intense, version of the Primal Diet. I don't believe we should completely cut out the processed foods we enjoy. I do believe in making healthier versions of these foods and finding alternative methods/ingredients for making them. In the end, it is all about moderation, if you are able to do everything in moderation, you should be alright.