I’ll start off by covering the good things.

Lost 1kg of bodyweight

Well if you want to lose some weight, apparently vegetarian is a great way to go. I ate some many fibrous vegetables last week that my digestive system went into overdrive. The weight loss was also probably related a little to less calories, although as I said at the start of last week I did not follow Eat Stop Eat this week so there alone is around 2000 extra calories.

Back into cooking

One of the things I loved this week was that I started cooking again. I hit up Dave’s site for some recipes and made the vegetarian pizza’s, the Eggplant Parmesan (which was amazing) and an egg version of his Shrimp Stir Fry.

And the one bad thing so far:

Not enough protein and not enough calories = lack of energy

I felt a little fatigued this week, and although it may have just been my early starts, I think it might also have been that I didn’t eat enough high calorie meals. This week I am aiming to eat more rice, quinoa, sweet potato and other complex carbs.

I will try to follow this rough guide:

Breakfast

• Cereal (weet-bix/oatmeal)
• Fruit
• Milk
• Yogurt

Morning Tea

• Toast with Peanut Butter, Jam, Vegemite, Nutella
• Milk with Milo

Lunch

• Gourmet omelette with toast
• Vegetable stir fry
• Vegetable burritos
• Maybe some extra fruit and nuts

Dinner

• Sweet potato/quinoa/rice
• Salad/steamed vegetables
• Cheese mmm

OR

• Soup
• Vegetable casserole

Snack

• Yogurt and fruit/nuts

Stay tuned for next weeks update.

Photo by mick62

I bet when you were younger your mother always told you not to go outside without a coat during winter because “you will catch a cold”.

Luckily, you can not catch a virus from simply having a low body temperature. You are far more likely to get hypothermia then a cold or the flu.

That does not mean that I recommend running around in the nude when it’s 5 degrees C outside because this will cause quite a shock to your body, which in turn can lower your immune system as it tries to recover, which may make you more susceptible to getting sick. It is not however the chief reason you become sick.

Below are 4 easy ways to avoid feeling getting sick and feeling like crap this winter:

1. Avoid crowded spaces.
   This is where the cold viruses come from: each other. As it gets colder people stop riding and walking to work and take the train instead. Rather then eating lunch in the park, they sit at their desk and sniffle away as they eat their soup. This inclination to stay inside means crowds of people in close proximity. It only takes one person to be sick to then take out an entire workplace. In Japan it is not uncommon to see people wearing face masks during flu season because it is so crowded over there, all of the time (see the photo above).

   You can’t avoid work altogether, but you can avoid trains (keep riding and walking, just dress appropriately), you can avoid sick people at work and you can avoid places like shopping centres at busy times . If you are a manager, don’t make your stuff come in when they are sick! That is just plain stupid.

2. Keep vitamin C levels high.
   You probably don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables. Now is the time to start doing that because your body is going to need vitamins and minerals (particularly antioxidants like Vitamin C) to help battle any viruses.
   Apples and tangerines are my favourite source of Vitamin C and both taste great this time of the year.
3. Get your Vitamin D from the sun.
   You are feeling sniffley, lying on the couch, watching TV. Oh wait, the sun is out… Get out there!

   While the sun is not the most efficient source of Vitamin D, is is the most readily available and natural source. So, peel yourself off the couch/bed/computer chair and take yourself (and possibly the dog) for a walk out in the sun. Exercise will also release endorphins which in turn will make you feel better if you feel sick.

4. Sleep!
   One of the first questions I ask any client who is not seeing result is: “How much sleep do you get each night?” Believe it or not I have clients who have replied that they only get 3-4 hours sleep 4-5 nights a week.

   “ZOMG! You shouldn’t even be driving with that little sleep!”

   Sleep is when your body recharges and restores itself. Muscle damage is repaired, the days thoughts and events are stored in your memory and a state of relaxation and peace occurs. You cannot expect to stay healthy without adequate sleep. Aim for 8 hours EVERY night (unless you are getting into polyphasic sleep which I won’t go into here).

So sleep, vitamins and avoiding others is the key to keeping flu free during these next few months. If you get sick, be kind to your fellow man and stay at home. Of course, when you are on the mend it’s always nice to give your sheets and blankets a wash. It certainly can’t hurt your efforts of eradicating the flu from your house.

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It always amazes me that even in ancient Greece and Rome, artists have so accurately depicted the fully developed male body. Right down to the 3 heads of the tricep and the seratus anterior. It leads me to believe that back in those days, before steroids, protein shakes and other ‘muscle builders’, there were some big ripped guys walking around.

These guys were purely in good shape from wielding a 10 kg sword while wearing 20-30kgs of armour or simply from working on the land without the aid of machinery.

It is from heroes in those times that the concept of SUPERheroes came about. Written about and drawn in comic books by great authors like Stan Lee, who by coincidence has had 3 of his characters make it into the top 5.

5. Superman – Brandon Routh

This may surprise some, but Superman only just scraped in as number 5. The main reason I decided that is that Superman does not actually need his bulk to be strong. It is simply in his genes to be a bulging out of his costume when he rips off his shirt.

No working out required by Clark Kent, except maybe saving a few trains from derailing and catching a few runaway cars. Now if only he could overcome his little problem with Kryptonite.

4. Deadpool – Ryan Reynolds

Here is one you may of may not of heard of. If you think back to X-Men Origins: Wolverine last year, Ryan Reynolds was playing a horribly misrepresented character called Weapon XI, aka Deadpool (the bit at the end with his mouth sewn up).

Reynolds is currently in action at the moment filming an X-Men spin off movie aptly named ‘Deadpool’. If you have seen Ryan in other films, then you know how ripped he gets. I still remember being shocked when I saw him in ‘The Amityville Horror’ and saw that he was completely massive. I had never seen him like this before while watching ‘Two Guys and a Girl’ in which he looked quite normal sized. Make sure you also look out for Reynolds also in ‘The Green Lantern’ coming in 2011.

3. The Incredible Hulk – Edward Norton

The Incredible Hulk is the buffest of the buff around superheroes. Genetically enhanced via a few too many rads, this green monster is seriously like something from a nightmare.

Lou Ferrigno, one of the few bodybuilders in his time bigger than Arnold, played the Hulk in the original TV series and man was he big! I felt he deserved a special mention in this post, check out his picture below.

Now before you say it, I know Edward Norton isn’t buff in the traditional sense of being huge. However, in The Incredible Hulk he was looking in pretty good shape considering it was his CGI counter-part doing most of the action scenes and he therefore didn’t need to be up to scratch.

2. Batman – Christian Bale

Batman, perhaps the coolest of the cool in the world of Superheroes, here was a man with no special powers or skills. He was simply a man who dedicated himself to the art of being a ninja and helping others. Of course he had loads of cool gadgets to help and he clearly worked out in what spare time he had because he was pretty damn buff.

Whether you love or hate Christian Bale, you have to agree that he pulls off a fantastic Batman. Hereally carves out the darker image of Batman which works great with the theme of the new Batman movies. Personally I think he’s a great actor with a lot of will power and determination to get his body in great shape for every movie he does. Have a look at few favourites of mine: The Machinist, American Psycho and Reign of Fire.

1. Wolverine – Hugh Jackman

This should come as no surprise. Wolverine is an animalistic, sinewy character that is just pure rage and power. The character Wolverine is impressive in his muscularity and build in both comics and movies.

Hugh Jackman – the jack of all trades – has made this character one of the most interesting to watch in movies today. His fight scenes aren’t about fancy footwork or great use of props, they are simply about speed, strength and raw aggression. Great to watch and looking awesome, the Wolverine/Hugh combo takes number 1.

Don’t forget the oldies

FYI  I’ve used the latest actors to fill these roles, but hats off to the original actors who were all in great shape for their time:

• Christopher Reeves
• Lou Ferrigno
• Michael Keaton

I’m considering writing some posts on all the workouts that these actors underwent to get in shape for these roles. If you are interested simply email me or leave a comment below.

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This weeks poll is a bit of fun for the Easter weekend. Warning: Make sure you lick all chocolate off your fingers before touching the mouse.

One vote per person so choose wisely.

Photo by Paul Stevenson

5. Dolph Lundgren

Dolph Lundgren (Red Scorpion, Rocky IV, Universal Soldier) at 6’5” and built like a lean mean truck has always cut a menacing figure in movies. The Russian accent definitely adds to the menace too.

Despite having quite an interest in music growing up, Dolph ended up studying and gaining a Master’s Degree in engineering at the University of Sydney, Australia (Aussie Aussie Aussie!). After his Master’s was complete he fell into acting through his Martial Arts and the rest is history.

4. Will Smith

Will Smith cuts the image a more of an intelligent nerd rather than a geeky nerd. He’s a big fan of chess and has been playing since he was seven years old. He says that playing chess can be related back to living life: “Everything you do in your life is a move. You wake up in the morning, you strap on a gun, and you walk out on the street – that’s a move. You’ve made a move and the universe is going to respond with its move.” On a side note, apparently he is a bit of a math whiz too.

Smith is no stranger to working out. He consistently looks big in all his movies, Bad Boys I & II and I Am Legend come to mind off the top of my head.

3. Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio is probably most famous for his start role in The Titanic. We won’t hold that against him though. He did do an awesome job as a young Leo in The Basketball Diaries and then more recently in The Departed and Shutter Island. It turns out that since the PSX, DiCaprio has been a major fan of all of the Playstation units.

While DiCaprio cuts an unobtrusive figure in regular clothes, watching his fitness level in his last few movies has been awesome. In Shutter Island he easily muscle ups over a wall without skipping a beat. It appears that someone has been doing his pull-ups, compounds and other bar work.

2. Ben Stiller

Think about a movie with Ben Stiller in it. Can you think of many where he not wearing a singlet or tight t-shirt? Stiller loves to whip out the guns and is a great role model of a healthy and active lifestyle.

In his private life he is also a massive Star Trek fan. If you remember the movie Tugg Speedman (played by Stiller) is watching on his iPod while in the jungle is actually from a Star Trek episode. Of course this isn’t the only evidence that Stiller is a trekkie, he is very open about it himself.

1. Vin Diesel

This is perhaps the most awesome treasure I found was that Vin Diesel used to (and perhaps still does) play Dungeons & Dragons. For many years he leveled up and grew attached to his Drow character ‘Melkor’ only to have the 24 year game faded out as the group got older.

Diesel is probably most famous for Pitch Black and the Fast and the Furious movies. At 6”, that frame he has built is not just an illusion of being short. He really is a big guy who must train hard.

Vin Diesel Speaks Out About DnD

All I did notice was that I had some tooth decay starting along my lower incisors. I’ve always had quite healthy teeth with no cavities or any other issues. I put this new problem down to the sugary Gatorade that I had been drinking followed by protein shakes over the past two months.

So I booked in with the dentist, but I want to do something about it before hand. I started flossing as well as brushing, which didn’t really help much. I needed something new, luckily my girlfriend had told me about this ‘oil pulling’ thing that her Mum had began doing recently.

What is Oil Pulling?

Oil pulling involves rinsing your mouth with oil in order to improve the health of your teeth and gums. However other bloggers have reported benefits with migraines, leukemia, eczema, arthiritis, heart & kidney disease and meningitis. This of course has sparked at lot of interest and currently more studies are being done to investigate these claims. Although I am a little skeptical of these claims personally.

The oil in your mouth pulls the toxins out of your body allowing cells and tissue to grow.

How to do it

First thing in the morning, before eating, pour sesame or sunflower oil (cold-pressed if possible) in a 15mL tablespoon and put it in your mouth. Without swallowing, swish the oil around your mouth.

Continue this for 15 to 20 minutes, leaning to the latter the first few times. Feel free to go about your other morning tasks like showering or preparing breakfast. After the 20 minutes spit the oil out into the sink. It should be a thinner white colour, if it is still yellow you have not rinsed long enough.

Rinse your mouth out well after you finish with warm salty water and then with plain water. Make sure the sink is cleaned of the spit as the oil contains toxic human waste.

Points to remember

• Use sunflower or sesame oil, as these have been found most effective.
• Rinse for 20 minutes
• Clean mouth thoroughly
• If you can’t do it in the morning, do before another meal, but always ensure you do oil pulling on an empty stomach

My experience

I have been doing oil pulling for the past two weeks. I have noticed a small improvement in my tooth decay and it definetely hasn’t increased. My teeth are also no longer sensitive to cold foods or when I eat a whole bunch of sweets in one go.

The biggest improvement I have found is in my gums. They feel fuller and healthier and I no longer get any bleeding when I brush my teeth. The rinsing with oil and salt water has also helped with mouth ulcers that have plagued me since high school.

I believe oil pulling would also help with getting rid of bad breath.

Give it a 30 day trial and see if you notice any difference. It’s very cheap (one bottle for $5 should last you 30 days) and may just help you with any mouth related problems you may be having.

Posture Exercises Guide has taken the time to create this awesome blog on posture corrective exercises. In this particular post PEG goes into detail on the back extension which is excellent for strengthening your posterior chain, a big weak point on most people.

Lower Back Pain Relief walks us through 7 great steps for pain relief for backs. The article is quite informative, not only touching on icing and heating but also recommends exercises to help relieve pain.

If you are having issues with maintaining your hair you may want to check out this site on hair restoration. There is lots of good info on different ways to go about hair restoration and replacement.

If you are having issues with face blemishes and acne, the Getting Rid Of Acne Facts site provides a lot of information on different methods for repairing your skin and curing acne.