The Edible Schoolyard Continues to Grow Nov/Dec 2004 High Fructose Nation Sept/Oct 2004 Viva Las Vegas! July/August 2004 Experiments Vs Experience V.1 - A Review March/April 2004 A Day in the Life Jan/Feb 2004 The Skinny on Dietary Fats Jan/Feb 2004 The Basics of Eating Right April 2003 Vegetarian Bodybuilding Jan/Feb 2003 Fitness Water: Fountain of Youth? Nov/Dec 2002 Glutamine: Conditionally Essential? Jan/Feb 2003 Thermogenic Aids March 2003 Flaxing Your Muscles August 2003

Why Bother to Eat Right? Ever since I got involved in this field it has always been apparent that success in fitness is impossible without healthful nutrition. It's also been very apparent that most people take better care of their cars than they do themselves. We get one body in life. Why not feed it the best possible fuel we can in order to live optimally? Proper food choices are integral to making optimum gains in physique as well as in performance. You can exercise and train all you want but without this component it will be impossible to achieve your best. It is also a key component critical for long-term healthcare and prevention for many diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney disease and cancer. But what constitutes 'proper nutrition?' Well, there's no simple answer to this question. It depends on the goal, for example, fat loss, improved performance in a sporting event and strength gain. It also depends on specific variables unique to the individual including frame size, gender, metabolism and bodyweight/lean body mass. Whatever the goal is, however, there are choices you can make in your diet that will enhance your training as well as your overall health. Personally speaking, I know I feel my best when I am eating right regardless of whether I am preparing for a contest or just living day to day. I don't think of nutrition as a diet or as a chore. It's a choice in lifestyle where the benefits are not so immediately tangible. It's a choice where the benefits ultimately will be a healthier body, increased energy, a decreased likelihood of disease and an overall better sense of well-being. How can you beat that? For more in-depth information on where to begin with a healthful diet and the building blocks of nutrition, read The Basics of Eating Right. For information on easy, healthful recipes, go to the recipes section of this site. Through the years I have experimented with many different diets and many different types of foods. I have been carnivorous, vegan, and vegetarian. I remain pesco-vegetarian (fish but no red meat or poultry) with very little dairy in my diet although I don't go around trying to convert everyone to vegetarianism. It is just what works best for me. I find that adhering to a diet consisting of whole foods (foods in their natural state such as oats, barley, rice, grains, vegetables, fruit, etc.) has a better overall effect on the body than processed, refined and synthetic foods that are prevalent in our culture. You will find most of the recipes on this site adhere to these principles. So with all this in mind, welcome to my site and welcome to the wonderful world of healthful eating. Read on for more information on specific diets, supplements and other nutrition related information to keep you up to date. And if you don't see what you are looking for, email me and I will make sure to include it in an upcoming issue! Live, Love and Be Healthy, BOOKS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guide ADA Guide by Roberta Larson Duyff, MS, RD, FADA Fats That Heal by Udo Erasmus Food Politics by Marion Nestle Diet For A New America by John Robbins Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser This Organic Life by Jan Gussow Voluptuous Vegan by Myra Kornfeld Kripalu Cookbook by Atma Jo Ann Levitt Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites by Pam Krauss Body For Life by Bill Phillips Arnold Schwarzenegger's Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding