Fitness Dressed in Overalls

A man named Jahi Kito once said, “Everyone wants success until they find out it comes dressed in overalls”. The irony and brilliancy of such a statement nearly went over my head until I stopped to ponder the meaning. Even in the most secluded world societies overalls are often worn during manual labor. In other words, the message was “to achieve prosperity hard work must first be endured.” The preconceived idea that hard work begins with the

manual labor is erroneous and could be no further from the truth.

Hard work however begins in the mind.

Are people truly ready to be a perfect example of optimum fitness? If one says yes then looking for the easy way to achieve this fitness goal can no longer be an option. True and lasting fitness cannot be packaged in the microwave mindset (NOW! NOW! NOW!). Hard work and discipline are prerequisites to obtaining a physically fit state of being. This is why true fitness begins in one’s mind, for one must mentally accept the reality that one’s fitness goals are

achievable ONLY through a challenging commitment to consistency.

THE THREE COMBINED COMPONENTS OF FITNESS

PROPER DIETING

PROPER EXERCISE REGIMEN

PROPER REST

Optimum fitness is directly predicated upon one’s diet. In fitness, diet is the superconductor. It must be expertly assessed, administered, and adhered to. Without the assistance of a mineral/nutrient rich diet the propensity to produce continuous exercise movements and rest properly will be disturbed and diminished. This can very easily be validated through the actual facts which have been compiled and published on the subject matter by the professionals in their respective fields:

"We know that certain foods that we consume can interfere with sleep”, says Carl E. Hunt, MD, director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. According to the National Sleep Foundation nearly half of Americans have reported having insomnia at least on occasion. Logic would lead one to surmise that these Americans were consuming the foods that can and do interfere with sleep. Mr. Hunt goes on to say that "Everyone is aware that coffee can keep them awake; what they're not necessarily appreciating is there's caffeine or related items in many other things that they consume.” This is why it is beyond imperative that we read and research the ingredients of all foods purchased and consumed. Never lose sight of the fact that the major food corporations are very cunning and hide in our food things which are dangerous to our overall fitness. Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t require manufacturers to list caffeine content on nutrition labels, it’s often hard to tell whether a product contains caffeine. A few places caffeine is so skillfully hidden is;

Colas and other sodas like Mountain Dew are well-known caffeinated beverages. Other inconspicuous culprits play roles in our daily caffeine intake as well. Some brands of root beer, such as both the regular and diet flavors of Barq’s root beer contain 23 milligrams per 12-ounce can, just 12 milligrams less than a can of Coke. Sunkist’s orange soda has a surprising 41 milligrams of caffeine, and A&W Cream Soda has about 25 milligrams.

Caffeine is found naturally in cocoa beans, so any chocolate has a little bit of the stimulant. Candy bars generally have less than 10 milligrams, but the darker the chocolate, the higher the caffeine levels. Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Bar is packed with 31 milligrams, almost as much as a can of Coke!

Manufacturers have overloaded their weight-loss pills with the caffeine stimulant which by the way assists none at all in the weight-loss process. For example, taking 1,223 milligrams in a daily dose of Zantrex-3 is like having 12 cups of coffee, according to a 2005 analysis conducted by ConsumerLab.com.

Propel’s limited edition Invigorating flavor has 50 milligrams of caffeine, as does VitaminWater’s Energy flavor.

With all that has been said it may seem as if I’m anti-caffeine, it’s not that I’m anti anything, in all actuality I am merely pro-decision. I know for a fact that as long as people are not making decisions for themselves they will never reach their full potential. In the case of major food companies, they have so cunningly decided for us when we will consume caffeine. We’re consuming caffeine unbeknownst to us from the time we wake up until the moment we take our last meal/snack of the day. Even the most overzealous coffee/caffeine consumer wouldn’t make a volition to consume caffeine in such a manner. However, if one was to desire to over consume I’d be inclined to point the finger of evidence at the major food companies for sneaking caffeine in the food and materializing an addiction to a supply they have access to by the tons. These major food companies are no better than your local “Pusher Man”. The name of the game is to expose one to the drug without them even knowing it. Make what they are being exposed to seem “cool”, giving one the feeling that its acceptable behavior. At this point the “Pusher Man’s” job is complete, the individual will now begin to relentlessly seek out the product until the addiction consumes the individual. Last step, “Pusher Man” sits back and becomes wealthy off of our hard-earned money. Doesn’t this sound like the major food companies to you? Same hustle, just a different product.

We now have a firmer grip of the actual fact that the unregulated caffeine in our foods deters the proper resting capacities needed to reach optimum fitness levels. Moving us to become more pro-active in governing what our diets entail, if health and fitness is our ultimate goal. This is the first step among many we will travel together along the path of fitness. In our next work-it-out session we will take step two. LET’S GO FAMILY! WORK-IT-OUT!

PEACE AND LOVE FAMILY WELLNESS