Subway Breakfast - My New Best Friend

Breakfast - a nutritional landmine for the millions of American who grew up eating ham and eggs for breakfast.  Unless you are one of those few who frequently wake up to the smell of a hot, nutritious breakfast, you're left with something fast like cold cereal or fast food.  The choices aren't good at most fast food establishments (names will be withheld so we can pretend that YOUR fast food restaurant is the exception).  It's typically a choice between fat and cholesterol laden eggs, off the scale fatty sausage or carbs like pancakes, tortillas or french toast that's sure to have you sluggish all morning.

Now along came the folks who say you can eat their foot longs and still lose weight... Subway.  I was initially skeptical at the numbers on their website website. Obviously, you have to give up some taste to achieve some degree of nutritional acceptance; but how much was the question?  As I recall my first experience:  The moment was right after an early morning workout.  Time was short to avoid being late for work.  The opportunity was a Subway just a couple minutes from the gym.  So I walk through the doors of a place I'd never seen in the morning.  The lady behind the counter was a little startled to see a customer or maybe just startled to see me.

I scanned the menu and there it was ... a new love affair: The Breakfast Combo for $2.50.  What do you get for such pocket change?  You get a multi-grain English muffin, black forest ham, egg white omelet and American cheese.  This little hefty goodness complemented by a Seattle's Best cup of coffee.  The best news (well the costs was the best news) was the nutritional values:

• Calories: 160 (I burned 400 at the gym, so I start the day NEGATIVE)
• Fat: 4g (that's unbelievably low)
• Sat. Fat: 1.5g (just bragging)
• Chol: 10 mg (Equivalent to watching Food TV)
• Carbs: 18g (good for low carb diets)

The egg muffin melt is not to be confused with 4-star dining experience.  But for those of you who prefer a hot meal over cold cereal, this is an outstanding alternative.

Food Safety Tips for a Great Family Cookout

One of life's pleasures remains the outdoor cookout, picnic or party.  It embodies the opportunity to mingle with family, friends, new acquaintances or perhaps strangers while, when the weather cooperates, taking advantage of a great time to pause, take a detour from the concrete and steel jungle and enjoy just a little of nature.  Of course, with this step on the wild side comes both the wanted and unwanted.  We do want the fresh air; we don't want the heat.  We do want the quiet; we don't want the bugs.  We do want hot off the grill food; we don't want bacteria and botulism. 

So put aside those favorite recipes and visions of fall-off-the bone ribdelicousness for a moment and let's focus on not making Aunt Sally's stomach remind her of how she felt when the 1929 stock market crashed . Our friendly folks at the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommend you take these precautions when planning an outdoor meal:

7 Food Safety Steps for Successful Community Meals

Whether preparing food for a family reunion or a community gathering, people who are great cooks at home don't necessarily know how to safely prepare and store large quantities of food for large groups. Food that is mishandled can cause food borne illness. However, by following some simple steps, volunteer cooks can make the event safe and successful!

1. Plan Ahead -
Make sure the location meets your needs.
Be sure you have enough oven, stove top, refrigerator, freezer, and work space.
Find out if there's a source of clean water. If not, bring water for preparation and cleaning.

2. Store & Prepare Food Safely -
Refrigerate or freeze perishable food within 2 hours of shopping or preparing; 1 hour when the temperature is above 90 °F.
Find separate preparation areas in the work space for raw and cooked food.
Never place cooked food back on the same plate or cutting board that held raw food.
Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and work surfaces frequently with hot, soapy water.
Wash hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers, or handling pets.

3. Cook Food to Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures — It's the only way to tell if harmful bacteria are destroyed!
Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, casseroles, and other food. Check temperature in several places to be sure food is cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature.
Never partially cook food for finishing later because you increase the risk of bacterial growth.

4. Transport Food Safely — Keep hot food HOT. Keep cold food COLD.
Keep hot food at or above 140 °F. Wrap well and place in an insulated container.
Keep cold food at or below 40 °F. Place in a cooler with a cold source such as ice or frozen gel packs.

5. Need to Reheat? Food must be hot and steamy for serving. Just "warmed up" is not good enough.
Use the stove, oven, or microwave to reheat food to 165 °F. Bring sauces, soups, and gravies to a boil.

6. Keep Food Out of the "Danger Zone" (40-140 °F).
Keep hot food hot – at or above 140 °F. Place cooked food in chafing dishes, preheated steam tables, warming trays, and/or slow cookers.
Keep cold food cold — at or below 40 °F. Place food in containers on ice.

7. When In Doubt, Throw it Out!
Discard food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hrs; 1 hour when the temperature is above 90 °F.
Place leftovers in shallow containers. Refrigerate or freeze immediately.
Be Food Safe! Prepare with Care

CLEAN. Wash hands, utensils, and surfaces often.
SEPARATE. Don't cross-contaminate.
COOK. Use a food thermometer.
CHILL. Chill food promptly.

Bhut Jolokia Pepper - Ghost Chili

Bhut Jolokia is the worldest hottest chili.  Guiness World Records certified the commonly called Ghost Pepper as the king of the hot mountain.  The intensity of the heat is only one measure of the pain.  What makes this demon seed so diabotical is how long the sensation last.  Many claim one small bit of the pepper will yield fiercely intensively heat for 30 to 60 minutes.

The Bhut Jolokia originated in the Assam region of northeastern India.  Just for reference the 1,000,000 Scoville units is more than 200 times hotter than Tabasco sauce.  I highly recommend that you first try it as a sauce before trying the actual pepper.  That way you can monitor the quantity more precisely and blend it with something else like battery acid (kidding) to cut the pain.

This video demonstrates the likely outcome of most who dare:

Older Man Without Sense:



Younger Man Without Sense:


You've been warned.

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Hot Sauce for the Insane - Pyramid of Pain

If you find yourself one dark and ghostly day standing in a store seriously considering the purchase of products that go by the names like "Satan's Blood", "Alien Anal Probe", "Pure Death", "Colon Blow" or "Acid Rain" then you have either lost your mine or you are one of those pain perverts (PPs).  What's a pain pervert you ask?  It's those few unfortunate souls who crave hot sauce and the pain that goes with it that borders on sadistic.

Let's put this perspective.  The heat factor of chili peppers is measured in Scoville units.  A index created by Wilbur Scoville in 1912.  The ingredient in peppers that determines the heat is their capsaicin (cay-say-ah-sin) which is generally the whitish membrane in the pepper and not the actual outer flesh.

Let's take this journey of ever-increasing pain as we climb the great pyramid of pain.

First let it be said very clearly.  For those who prefer ground in a can black pepper to freshly ground because the latter is "too hot" read the rest of this post for entertainment only.  You're still on the ground and really not allowed to touch the pain pyramid.

Fancy yourself a potential pain pervert because you can swallow a couple jalapenos (2,500 to 8,000 Scoville units) without dousing it in a margarita before the black pepper ladled chicken fajitas are delivered to your table?  Take the first step. Maybe as a professor of pepper you realize that the true evidence of your pain tolerance is the Serrano peppers (8,000 to 22,000 Scoville units) you occasionally cook with.  Now you're clearly off the ground.  Of course your Cajun neighbor will very proudly challenge your man-hood as he adds "heat" to his gumbo and boudin with cayenne (30,000 to 50,000 Scoville units).  Nice view on the pyramid.  Looking down on quite a few more normal folks.

Tell all your buddies to adjust their girdles and stand aside while one of PPs come in munching on habanero peppers (325,000 to 575,000 Scoville units). Yes, 10 times what you've ever experienced!  Imagine the effort it took to keep that food down.  Imagine the sweat on your head and the numbness in your mouth.  Imagine how you could think of nothing else for what felt like an eternity while the pain recked havoc on your entire digestive path.  From this view you can almost see the summit.  Maybe your sense of superiority is the only sense you still have left.  Now think of habanero guy and realize this: It's not enough.

Grown in a secluded area of India only known by members of NATO and the Vatican with Super Top Secret clearance, there is a pepper so hot that the dust blown from this area creates a kill zone of a 4-mile radius.  What is this pepper?  Depending on your level of botanical education you know it as Naga Jolokia or Ghost Pepper with a 800,000 to 1,000,000 Scoville Units. Your hand can touch the summit.  If life was fair it would be you actually standing on the summit. But wait there's more.

Ghost Peppers is as bad as it gets naturally.  For some reason some of the PPs don't find this enough.  As they race to experience more and more pain before their entire internal organs breakdown like a forest in the path of a volcanic eruption, they seek something decidedly unnatural.  Unnatural and unholy.  They're called extracts and can exhibit heat levels above 7,000,000 Scoville units. One day these pharmaceutical abominations will be declared illegal when the government finally decides they really do have to legislate stupidity.

So there's the entire pyramid of pain.  In future post, we'll explore where you can some of these really unique products.

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10 Things To Avoid at Fitness Center or Gym

There are certain things that folks do at the gym that scream "newbie" or "trial membership".  If you think that others aren't watching then think again.  The combination of sure boredom and by nature fitness seekers are somewhat body conscientious drives the nameless population to notice EVERYTHING.  So please do not violate these rules of decorum:

1.  Wearing jean cutoffs - might be comfortable but keep to gym shorts, tights or warmups

2.  Showing too much body (midriff, arms, butt, etc) before it's time.  You're surrounded by way too many hard bodies to commit this embarrassing crime.
3.  Talking on your cell phone while "working out".  There's nothing you can do aerobically or anarobically worth your precious time that will allow you to hold a phone, engage in conversation and speak clearly.
4.  Drinking cola, floats, icees or other sugary refreshments - keep to sports drinks like Gatorade or best yet water.  Not good for you and doesn't do a good job of keeping you hydrated.  Besides it's quite possible that you could consume more calories and than you burn. In other words, you would have been better off staying home.
5.  Wearing your favorite flip-flops or Walmart Special sneakers.  This is the time for high performance foot wear.  You might not need to dunk a ball or break the 200-meter Olympic record but you do need arch, anke and achilles support, shock resistance tied up in a light weight package.  Splurgh.... your feet will thank-you later and for many years to come.
6.  Wearing excessive jewerly.  Anything more than a watch and maybe your wedding ring screams "look at me.  I think I might be able to find a date here among these beautiful people."  Unfortunately, it also might lead to injuries as those loose bands of gold get caught in a machine or that big diamond ring helps crush your finger against a free weight.
7.  Staring excessively at the hard bodies.  Acknowledge the beautify.  Trust me, these folks work way too hard not to appreciate the complimentary look.  But don't stare. It makes us all uncomfortable.
8.  Not really doing anything.  Think we wouldn't notice that you're just working the room -- going from one corner to the next, talking to anyone that will talk to you?  Of course we noticed!  Facebook is free, gym membership is not.
9.  Leaving your eboli, fungal infested sweat on every freakin' thing you touch.  We don't know you or the cesspool  you might call home.  Keep a towel with you.  Wipe up. Don't touch unless you have too.  By the way, swimmers sufficient dry off when you leave the pool not to leave a similar trail in the locker room
10. Not having a purpose.  No notes. No upper vs lower body workout strategy. No warmup or cool down routine. No stretching in between.  No consistency of reps vs. sets. Nothing. Just killing time.

So there  you go.  Avoid these violations and maybe you won't get noticed for all the right reasons.

NBA Free Agents: I have the answers

Wondering where LaBron, Bosch, D Wade, Novinski going?  They want to put together a super team?  They want a ring?  They want to create a lasting legacy?  They want the spotlight?  Maybe.  But in the end they want max money.  No ... max contracts of $100 million is not enough.  Max money is only possible with a sign and trade deal or staying put with your current team.  None of these guys current teams seems to be terribly interested in sign and trade.  So guess what?  When it's all said and done, most will do what Joe Johnson did in Atlanta and take the money.

• LaBron James will speak of Ohio being his home. $$$$$
• DeWayne Wade will talk about his existing legacy in Miami. $$$$
• Dirk Novinski will speak of the fans in Dallas. $$$

Only Bosch will leave.  Toronto is not his home.  There is no legacy in Toronto.  No spotlight. The managment and perhaps the fans aren't all that crazy about his unqualified giddiness of leaving either.  My guess, Chris Bosch will land in Chicago or Miami.

It's now a matter of public record.  Let's see how I do as the plot unfolds.

Most Common Mistake on Treadmills

You've seen them.  Their treadmills rising above all others ... seemingly climbing to the ceiling.  How impressive to see them tower over the others.  Mount Olympus! Then you notice IT.  It's the fatal flaw.  They're holding on to the treadmill.  Oh no!  Not only does this compromise everything they sought out to do, it can be harmful to the body and the treadmill.  Here's the details from the folks at Treadmilluse.com and other scientific studies.

Problems caused when you hold on to the treadmill:

Turns walking into "fake-running":  By holding on you reduce your body weight which is a key factor in fat burn rate.  Holding on can reduce the calories burned by as much as 25% the indicated numbes. 

Shoulders are placed in an unnatural position that no longer resembles walking or running.

Cheats the lower back muscles: These are the muscles that keep you erect while walking or running and help stabilize the spine.  When you cheat, these muscles are weakened.

Holding on ruins posture:  Especially tall people.  The gait is unnatural and often times the butt is sticking out.  Not a pretty sight.

Hanging on skews the spinal alignment. Your legs can not fully extend as they do in natural walking causing potential injury to hips and repetitive stress injuries

Gripping at fast speeds can raise the blood pressure.

Just in case you might care about keeping your gym dues down consider this:  Holding on creates more drag on the tread belt.  Remember by holding on you can effectively go slower than the belt is trying to pace you.  This increased drag can cut short the lifespan of the tread and overheat the motor.  The next time you see a "This machine temporarily unavailable" sign.  You will know the truth.

So what do you do?  Slow down.  Don't hang on.  Don't cheat.

Music for Aerobic Workouts

You know how boring walking on a treadmill or running in circles on a track can be?  Unless your workout path talks your along the Big Sur in Northern California or the Hawaiin rainforest, you need a distraction.  Most of us find high energy music the perfect way of helping us ignore the aching calves, burning lungs and ever-present desire to just quit.  The folks at About.com has come up with a nice list of Hip Hop songs suitable for running. 

Feel the burn!

1. Let's Get in Started - Black Eyed Peas
2. The Way You Move - Outkast
3. Crank Dat - Soulia Boy
4. Gold Digger - Kanye West
5. 'Til I Collapse - Eminem
6. Remember the Name - Fort Minor
7. Rollin' - Limp Bizkit
8. Pump It - Black Eyed Peas
9. Hey Ya - Outkast
10.Lose Yourself - Eminem
11. Turn it Up - Chamillionaire
12. Heart of a Champion - Nelly
13. Glamorous - Fergie Featuring Ludacris
14. (Rock) Superstar - Cypress Hill
15. Hit the Floor - Twista
16. We Trying to Stay Alive - Wyclef Jean Featuring John Forte and Pras
17. Push It - Rick ross
18. If I Can't - 50 Cents
19 The Champ - Ghostface Killah
20. Can't Hold Us Down - Christina Aquilera and Lil Kim

These aren't necessarily the most recent hits but songs that energize and inspire are timeless.

Effective Treadmill Workout

OK, you got off the couch and decided to drop a few pounds.  You climb aboard the XLT 2000 at the local gym and off you go with your cell phone, half-gallon of Diet Coke, the local paper strategically positioned in front of your favorite TV show.  Twenty minutes later after setting the speed on "crawl" you climb off hoping that weight loss is possible without sweating.

Sounds familiar?  Let's unlock the "secrets" of an effective treadmill workout.  Caution: It will feel a lot like WORK. Check with your physician before starting any exercise program.

• Warm up first to stretch the muscles (yes you have them), no ... reaching for the phone is insufficient. Set treadmill pace to 1.5 to 2 mph for 2 minutes.  I understand that used to be the speed you used for workout but remember that was the bad old days.
• Be patient.  Just starting out, don't rush trying to do too much too fast.  Ignore that leaping gazelle next to you that was sprinting when you walked in and is still sprinting after you changed clothes.  For first 4 weeks, give yourself 30 minutes including 5 minutes for warm up and 5 minutes for cool down.
• Keep adding time up to 60 minutes as your fitness improves.
• Remember the entire objective of aerobic exercise is cardiovascular exercise.  The more fit you become more work will be required to yield the same results.  This is a good thing.  That also means climbing the stairs or playing with your kids will be less taxing also.

Let's discuss the time between warm up and cool down called a workout:
Studies have found that interval training will yield better aerobic fitness.  That is vary your pace from sprint (say 4 mph) for 3 to 5 minutes then slow down (2 mph) for 1 to 2 minutes.  For some reason the body adjust too easily to the same pace.  Increase your sprint interval (and speed) over time.

Another form of interval training is to vary your incline from flat (0 incline) to say 5 degrees in 5 minute intervals. 

Caution: Don't combine the high end of the speed range with high incline until you are at least 6 weeks into your program.  However, don't do zero incline at 1.5 mph either.  You must stay in the fat burning heart rate zone at all times during the workout!

Treadmill Safety Tips

Aerobic workouts are a great way to get into shape, drop a few pounds and get ready for the summer outdoor activities.  That is, if you follow basic safety tips for using a treadmill that will increase fitness without injury.

These tips from the Elite Wellness coaching http://www.elite-wellness-coaching.com/treadmill-tips.html   webpage.

• Always mount and dismount after the belt stops
• Standupright with your head
• Keep your hips tucked under your torso
• Let arms swing naturally (sins of holding on to treadmill in a later post)
• Walk of jog near the front end of controls within easy reach
• Stay hydrated