Why the “Eat Right 4 Your Type” Philosophy???

This Philosophy of “Eating Right” has inspired me over the last decade to form some important Correlations on how our Health and Lifestyles are effected by the “Right Foods” we should Invest on Eating…..  When I first discovered Dr. Dadamo’s Book on Blood Types I had a Sincerely had a  Pivotal Moment!  I remember thinking, “This Author is on to something that will Change the way people look @ Nutrition and of Being Unique Individuals Forever!!!”

I had always thought that it was a bad thing that I seemed so effected by how foods reacted in my body when I was young.  Most of the people that I knew while I was growing up didn’t seem to have the Ups and Downs with regards to what foods they ate!!! They would joyfully Manga on foods Riddled W/ High Fructose Corn Syrup(HFCS is bad news) wheat flours, corn products(chips etc.) and dairy foods W/ Unabashed Joy and Vigor & all along seeming to have no poor physical Repercussions for there food choices!!!

I have to admit that I was a bit Jealous.  OK!  I Crazy JEALOUS because when I ate a pack of “Star Bursts” or had some “Aunt Jamima Pancakes” for breakfast, I felt let down….. Like I wanted to take a Nap….. Like I was a Flat Tire!!!  My Brother and Sisters would be full of energy and not have the “Crashes” they I was experiencing!!!  We were all equally Slender back then too, so why was I different???

My parents noticed what was occurring with my ups and downs in energy and mood and thought that I might have had Diabetes(which ran in the family) or maybe I had some Food Allergies…  The onslaught of testing and advising from “Professionals” went on for years and years….

Other than being “tired” after eating certain things(namely cakes,candy, & cookies) I didn’t have any other symptoms….. I was always active but, I was uncommonly “sensitive” to foods that the others were not!!  After all the testing and probing they eventually came up with the diagnoses of  ”Low Blood Sugar” or Hypoglycemia.

They explained to us that when I ate simple foods like sugar and corn syrup I would have a Spike in Blood Sugar and then I would have a sharp let Down and thus the “Feeling of Being Tired.”  They continued that the solution was to eat some Protein to help “Stabilize” my Blood Sugar after it got low.  So, my parents naturally cut me off from from all sugars and fed me like I was a Raptor.  :)hahahaha(in a caring way)hahaha

I followed most of the advise most of the time….(i did hide some “Skittles” in the backyard though)  The fact of the matter was that the kinds of foods that I ate for many years after being “diagnosed” never quite seemed to work properly for me….. I would still have “Low Blood Sugar”  a lot of the time while eating what I thought (or was taught) was perfect for me.   I felt that sometimes natural sugars/starches and foods deemed “Bad” seemed to do a justice for me and I felt good afterward.   Were the “Specialist” wrong????

Well…  They had some of it correct!  Yes, I would get “Low Blood Sugar” but it wasn’t that I needed more protein and less sugar… The foods that I was eating were not being properly Digested and because of that, my “Sugar” would drop!  It was like putting Diesel Fuel in a Regular Unleaded gas tank!!  The fuel was in there, but it couldn’t be utilized by my engine properly so, all kinds of inefficiencies ensued… On Top of that, Not only was I eating too much Protein, but also the wrong “Kinds” of Protein as well.

In my mid 20s I read some of the “Eat Right 4 your Blood Type Diet” book and the proverbial light turned on.   After finishing the read, being able to know how foods effected me became the “Reason” for my good health and not a “Reason” for wishing I was otherwise inclined.

Already knowing my Blood Type,(O+) I read through the List and found that the foods that I “Intuitively” felt better after eating were all good for me.  Amazing!!!  I read that  Lean Red Meats, Rice, Broccoli, Sweet Potatoes, Plums, Pineapples and a others were “Highly Beneficial”!!! Eureka!!!

I’ve been testing the Lists of foods that are marked in the Book as “Highly Beneficial”, Neutral, and Avoid ever since…….It’s explained that Each food is Good, Bad, or indifferent for the “Reason” that each person’s Blood Type Digests food in a different way….  I know that when I eat some “Sole Fish” or a lean Organic piece of Beef I feel more stable than if I eat a Chicken Dish.  A good choice for me when eating fruit is some nice pineapple slices vs. an apple because ONE  I feel more energy and TWO pineapples help keep my stomach acid down.

Another thing to keep in mind is that 70% of your immune system is in your digestion!!!!  So, if you are digesting properly you are 70% better prepared to avoid disease!!

ABOUT THE BOOK: The Story about how Man Started as an O Blood Type and then Adapted to become Types A,B and AB is Epic!!! The Diet plan also comes with exercise forms that are best suited for your blood type.(which fit right in with my natural lifestyle)

Following this Diet plan has changed my life in a Great and Measured Way!  This is my experience and it apparently has worked for others too! http://www.dadamo.com/program_welcome2.htm

Take Care & B in Good Health,

David

P.S.

Used on Amazon for under $5 dollors

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/039914255X/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1269025526&sr=8-1&condition=used

Enjoy!

Food Training… 3/08/2010(Indian Food)”Flavor of India”

Food Training   3/08/2010 Monday

In this Weeks Preparation for my Food Event(and my April 19th Marathon) I cross trained Monday-Thursday about 60 minutes a day with a heart rate of 155-175 &  a total Calorie Burn of 3,600!!!  I got to some Road Millage in with an 8miler, 5miler, and a 22miler Respectively for Fri,Sat, and Sun for a total Calorie Burn of 4,750!!!(8,350 calories Total)

Sunday night I saw my last bit of Food at 7pm and had plenty of Hot Tea to help digest any food I ate throughout the Day… When I woke up Monday morning I limited myself  to just one Banana before another 60 minutes Elliptical Work Out… I showered and weighed myself before leaving the house and we were off…(162lbs.)

With some lovely company (Miss Stephanie)@ hand we walked about Town running some errands… (All along w/the Intentions of a Major Food Carnage Session Ensuing in my Mind) At last, errands completed  I could no longer ignore the the Metabolic Fire Store gaining momentum in my Stomach….Evidently,the calories that I have gone without have been deeply and sorely missed by my Stomach!!!  The Ravenous Belly Howlings Sounded off Audibly!!  It was time to Cut to Chase and put the Chefs at the “Flavor of India” to work!!!

When arriving at the “Flavor of India Restaurant” I recognized that we had made the Right Choice for my First “Food Training Event” when we saw that the Place was Packed @ Noon . Yes!! This meant that the food was going to be turned over quickly, which of coarse is “The” Key to the All U Can Eat style of Cuisine”…(fresh foods always being replenished) We were quickly seated at a great table in the Middle of “The Eat”s and the End of the Restaurant!!(far enough but, not too far) I could hear the people a Buzz about how good the food was… The ones that were getting seated like us had visibly wide eyes and seemingly Ready Pallets!!!(including myself)

The smell of Curried Sauces, Spiced Chicken Breast, Naan Bread and Jasmine Rice wafted in the Air.  The Indian Decor was nicely woven though out the place with traditional Deep Reds and Gold Accents….. The Stage Was Set!!!

I DUG IN!!!!  My plan was to work the Rice and Chicken Dishes first to Set up a solid Base….  I had  heaping plates of Tandoori Chicken Drum Sticks, Rice and Chicken Masala….  I broke up the flavor of the dishes by sipping of some warm Masala Chai Tea. (Chai Tea w/milk and honey)  I forged on to make a strong go @ the Naan Bread and Masala Dipping sauce to a beautiful avail.  With the Chutney Sample to aid me I worked over the Tandoori Chicken by dipping the Spicy Drum Sticks into the cool, sweet and savory Blends of Pureed Goodness.

Slowing Down now, the pace became more casual because I wasn’t hungry anymore. Stephanie and I chatted about this and that while my food filled the spaces, and I ever so slowly ate and drank…   Oooohhhh, I was Hitting the “Food Wall” !!!  I did manage to eke out one more (be it small)plate of salad greens together w/ a few sliced oranges and felt the Uncontrolled Crawling Halt of my food hitting The Rock Bottom!!!   Woooooh!!!  I was Spent…

In all, We were there for nearly 2 hours….. My eyes floating in a Sea of Indian Food Spice and Chicken I seriously wondered if this would be the first and the last, “Food Training Session” (let alone Food Challenge I would partake in)….. With how bad my stomach felt at the time I had to give it some serious thought… With a hand full of Candied Fennel Seeds turning my palm rainbow, we walked out with my posture somewhat scued.

Stephanie and I walked around Town for 2 miles trying to loose that feeling. We stopped at a Department Store and I sat down in a heap.  I guess I looked Drunk because after about 10 minutes of sitting @ the same chair and table alone in the furniture department the Store Managers came by and asked me if I was “Alright”(meaning=was i drunk?)  I took my hands away from my face and answered,”I’m waiting for my girlfriend to finish shopping.”(meaning=I was food drunk)

When we got home I pretty much went straight to bed.  In an hour or Two I felt decidedly better!!!(way better than after a long run)  Thanks to a fast metabolism and my food making it’s way past a uncomfortable place, the world seamed better again….  I made my way to the  scale and found that I ate over 5lbs of food @ my first attempt at “Eating Big.”(167lbs.) Hmmm…This gave me a boost of morale and I started to think about how good the food was and the ways I could  improve my performance.  The experience was mostly fun!

I get the gist how long that proverbial Road ahead of me is now….  For me to keep going and to enjoy the Process I know that the Foods have to Be Pretty Darn Good…..  I have to Want to Eat More!!!  Maybe in time I could get somewhat good at this.(at least good enough to win a T-Shirt and have a good time)…..

Although the “Food Training” was fun for sure, you could imagine that as a  Marathoner I could be concerned that I can gain more weight than I want to….  Well, it’s true that the concern did come up but, When I gave it some Critical Thought it became clear to me…  I ate Sparsely the night before the feast and the next morning I only ate a Banana or so.  I did the “eat as much as I could at one time thing” and then I naturally didn’t eat for the rest of the day.  So, basically a zero calorie Event!!!

A once a week Indulgence to reward myself for a tough week of training and discipline!!!  I have at least 5 different places lined up from a Pizza Joint to a Maxed Out Champagne Brunch in the Burbank Hills….. I will test my skills in Plethora of food environments and choice one or more to Officially Compete at a “Food Challenge Event”(Usually the prize is a Free Meal, A Picture on the wall of Fame, a Tee Shirt and or Complimentary Food in the future)

I will be on the look out for places to Compete around LA and other Major Cities.  So, Suggestiongs Please!!!

(Remember, I want to match Food Challenges with a Running Races.)

MORE FOOD TRAINING TO COME!!!

Cheers,

David

Glycemic Index…..

GI Foods

It’s been Basting in my mind all week…..Potential Sustenance for the first Posts….  Then, it dawned on me to start with what this is all about….  The what and why i do all this Eating!!!

I’ve slowly incorporated some Main Principles into a Flowing, Seamless Ménage of Good Nutrition that I’ve added to my personal menu one food at a time.  So, The Best Energy Sources(#1 Post) and Proper Digestion(#2 Post) are going to be what the first Posts past the intro will be about….Incidentally, the 3rd Post will kick off the first “Food Training Post.”

“Glycemic Index”/”Glucose Revolution”(#1 This Post)  http://www.dietsinreview.com/diets/Glucose_Revolution/

And the “Eat Right Diet for your Blood Type Diet(#2 Next Post)”. http://www.dadamo.com/program_welcome2.htm

I’ve used these philosophies for these last 10 years because being an Athlete/Health Enthusiast, I’ve searched to know the Best Fuel for my Events/Training and for my Daily Living…. Blood Glucose Levels or Blood Energy Levels is what aids in all aspects of our Training and Competition, which will be described using some of  the “Glucose Revolution’s” Principles and the Glycemic Index’s Research…… Along with Proper Energy Levels we will get to see in the Next Post the benefits of Digesting foods that are best suited for our Unique Physiology according to our Blood Types using the “The Eat Right For Your Blood Type Diet.”

“The Glucose Revolution”/”Glycemic Index”

In the book “The Glucose Revolution” They describe the Carbohydrate as Running the Roost when it comes to giving  us energy. The other energy sources in our foods are the Proteins and Fats. These Nutrients are necessary to our health but, are not as accessible for energy as the Carbohydrate.  The Protein has the same amount of calories as a Carb(4per gram) but, it burns @ a much hotter Temperature in our system and our bodies then have work to harder to cool off.(using our hydration)  And the “Fat” is oh, oh so Tasty when prepared correctly(i love some tasty fat) but, it has twice the amount of calories(7-8 per gram) and burns much slower than the Carb.

S0, With King “Carb” Justly on it’s Pedestal, keep in mind that not all Carbs are created Equal and that’s good news!!! The Glycemic Index or GI is a System that rates Carbs from One to One Hundred in accordance to how slow or fast they break down and turn in simple sugar for use in your body. Foods with a one on the GI are slow to absorb and foods with ratings of one hundred are absorbed very readily.

Complex Carbs or Carbs Low on the GI are Super to eat for most of your meals…..  They give you a long burning fuel that is like a Deep Well of Pure Steady Energy for your muscles.(provided that you did all the important physical and mental training of coarse) The Complex Carb is Great but, Before you Chastise or Vilify the Simple Sugar know that the basic truth of the matter is that sometimes you want those fast burning Carbs to replace lost Glucose in your system…

The two ideal Scenarios for Simple Carbing goes like this…. You are running a marathon today that you have trained for the last 5 months to complete(or improve upon)your race. The gun goes off and you start your race…60Minutes into the Marathon you take a shot of Honey(simple sugar) or Sports Gel/Drink for that “On Demand Burst of Energy”. The simple sugar is able to get broken down quickly in your body and you get the energy boost you need. You do the same shot of energy for every hour until you are finished.  The day was a Success!!!(Simple Sugars also work well for after/during Training as well!!)

Scenario Two comes up after the Race because you find that you feel physical fatigued and your energy has wained from the Adrenaline Spikes and the General Excitement of the Marathon. To replace what your body has lost and to aid in a “Fast Recovery,” you have some Oranges, some  Sport candies and a few Sport Drinks….  This is the perfect time for these “Simple Sugars” to come and bring rescue to a very fatigued Aerobic System!!

The late afternoon and night come and you go back to your feasting on your more complex Carbs to help restore your Body’s Reserve of Glucose…  Follow this with an introduction to some body healing proteins and lots of water and you are Back in the “Energy Money”!!!

Simple Warning about Simple Carbing: If Simple Carbs are not respected they can become an Enemy to anyone….If these foods are not followed by more Nutritionally Dence (and satisfying) Varieties, Some Unfortunate Souls will Fall in the Vicious Cycle of  Simple Carbing…..First they will Have a  Spike in Adrenaline & Blood Sugar levels~Followed by a Blood Sugar Crash and then have”Cravings” to eat more Simple foods……A Repeating of the Cycle Ensues! (W/Marked weight gain + the real potential for long term disease (ie) type 2 diabetes

I didn’t invent the Glycemic Index or start the “Glucose Revolution”!!!(Viva la Revolucion) But, I do however, Rock Out much of what I learned from These Sources!!!

Here are a few foods that are on the GI:

High=60-100+, Medium=45-59, and Low= 1-44

Low G.I. Foods

• Ezekiel Bread
• Rice, including Basmati, Brown, or my Favorite “Uncle Ben’s Converted Rice”
• Rye bread
• Beans like..White Northern or Black Bean
• Fruits including Plums, Bananas
• Cherries
• Organic Agave Nectar(Hugely Low on the GI Index w/ a 12)   *Read labels to make sure it is Organic and Raw* Call the Company if you are in doubt….. High Fructose Agave is bad News!!!!

Intermediate G.I. Foods

• Wheat Pastas
• Apples/Oranges
• Sweet Potatoes
• Cantaloupe and pears
• Mangoes
• Pineapples

High G.I. Foods

• White Potatoes
• Bagels
• Stone-ground whole wheat
• Rice Pastas
• White Bread
• Gatorade Endurance
• Dates

I’m also putting down a few Websites that I have found to be pretty thorough on the Glycemic Index….

The Book “The Glucose Revolution” by~ Jennie Brand-Miller (Author), & Kaye Foster-Powell (Author) has some really good findings and serves to be a good reference source for what foods to eat and when!!!

http://www.mendosa.com/gi.htm

http://www.glycemicindex.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycemic_index

Experimentation is your Best Alli…. You are the only one that can know what Ultimately works for you!!!

Please write to me about any questions you have relating to this Post!!!

Disclaimer: I am not a Nutritionist.  I have found that these principles work for me.  Find what works best for you:)

Cheers,

David

Running to Eat & Eating to Run

What does it mean to “Run to Eat?”  For me, It means I can have the  ”Good for my Head Foods” or the  ”Eat for the Joy of Eating” Experiences because I Endure running 40-70 miles a week while burning 7,500-10,000 calories!!!  These “endurance” calories are “extra” to what I burn daily(3,500+)….. thus, creating an Epicurious void to be filled:) http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_definition_of_epicurious

Eating foods that are Super Decadent, Rich and sometimes in Very large Quantities has me feel akin to Bliss.  This kind of Relationship with food if not paired with equal exercise will lead you to be 30+years old and 30+lbs more than you should be.(or add lib your own story) Running though, has always been a sure way for me to maintain my fitness and weight levels or regain them after the absence of running.  So, I run to stay slim, stay fit, stay energized….& ”I Run to Eat!!!”

I relish the ability to eat amazing amounts of food with little if any remorse to calorie/fat consumption:)  In fact, I want to “train” to be able to EAT MORE!!! This Blog is in part a fun way to document my experience of trying some “Food Challenges” in conjunction with “Running Races” around the City of Los Angeles and other Cities that I visit!  The Challenges will consist of eating many Pounds of Food(4-7lbs) at prescribed places with minimal Rules set to a time limit!(not unlike Man v. Food)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_v._Food

I’m in the process of getting together places to”Food Train” and I will document those outings with Prep Notes, Food weighings, Pics, and Restaurant Ratings….. I’ve already done some preliminary “Food Training” which leads me to believe that with the proper plan of Calorie Debt(from running), Fasting, Pacing and some Tasty Challenges I can make a go of this!(so no Hot Dog challenges)

The other side is the “Eating to Run Part….” I Love to Run and I Love to Run at my best!!!  I’ve been working for the last 20 years shaping and improving my personal nutrition to reflect how hard I work both mentally and physically to compete at my best.

This journey started when I was in the 5th Grade and found out that I could run the “Mile” faster than most of the other kids.  We ran the “Mile”(what a cool race it was) a couple of times and I found that the more I ran the better I got!!! I also found that the more I watched what I ate leading to this Race the more I could see what foods helped my Racing.

Wow! What boost of confidence for a little kid as I found that I had a certain “Juice” that I could shape by how I Trained and how I Ate.  I’ve had a Special Bond with Food and Training Ever Since….I’ve had hundreds and hundreds of races since those Days at Coolbaugh Elementary School in Pennsylvania and I’ve probably spent a thousand hours studying Nutrition and Work Out Programs To Boot. The “Eating to Run” part of the Blog is going to have many nutritional ideas, concepts and practices that I use every day.

Look for posts anytime, although I will most likely be “Food Training” on Mondays after either a Race or a Long run(14-24miles)  which all my friends/fellow bloggers are welcome to have some fun watching a Guy eat more than he should be able to in the Los Angeles Area!!!

My running schedule usually goes like this:

Monday-a 5 mile run @ 1/2 marathon pace + 1 hour of high intensity cardio spinning a few hours later

Tues-Interval training on the track with a coach for approx. 4 miles of sprints.

Wed-High intensity stationary bike for 60 minutes at 160-170BPM

Thurs-8 Mile Tempo run @ Marathon Pace

Fri-an 8 Miler @ an pretty easy pace

Sat-Off/Race      or    Long Run 14-24 miles @ 40 seconds slower than Marathon Pace

Sun-Off /Race    or   Long Run 14-24 miles @ 40 seconds slower than Marathon Pace

Above all Running is my number one Drug of Excess followed closely by Cultivating an Evolved Foody Sense, Nutritious Food/Good Drink, & because I  can……….Food in Large Quantities!!!

It’s all about Organic and Clean Lean Foods unless its Not!!!!!!

I’m already signed up for the Boston Marathon on April 19th 2010 and plan to turn my eating prowess into hyper drive when I start Training for my first 50Mile Marathon in May to Race the Vermont50 in late September!!! .http://www.vermont50.com/