For those of you just jumping on board, I've invited you to join me in my journey to sexy six pack abs. Since announcing the invitation, we've received a huge response from all around the world! For me, there's no backing out now. So, let's get on with Week 1.

This program is a modification of the abs program I completed last year and, I'll be here every step of the way with you. To add, there's nothing you to sign up for or buy - just follow along! I was very happy with the results from last summer, but there's always room for improvements. As always, please email me your questions and comments during the next 16 weeks.

CAUTION: Before starting this program or any exercise program, consult with your health care provider.

I will surely miss all the junk food that I've been enjoying since September 2009. I'm pretty sure my body is going to thank me, although my belly won't. Here's just a few pictures of the food I ate this past weekend to kick off the new me for 2010. Oh junk food, how I'll miss you...

Get fit with fitness programs on dish tv through the dish network deals onsatellite tv antenna installation and directv hd channels list.

So let's get on with it.

Step 1. I want you to take a picture of yourself, topless or in bathing suit. We will throw away the scale and use pictures to measure progress. And here, I reveal my not-so-sexy abs for you...sorry ladies, I'm taken.

Step 2. Your resistance training plan for week 1

Superset 1 - 3 sets
A1: Push-ups: aim for 20 reps
A2: Squats: aim for 20 reps

Superset 2 - 3 sets
B1: Lunges: aim for 15-20 reps (do 15 reps on one leg, then switch legs)
B2: Pull-ups/Chin-ups: aim for 15 reps (can't do a pullup? no problem! resistance bands I use help with this)

Superset 3 - 3 sets
C1: Burpees: aim for 15 reps
C2: Plank: aim for 45 seconds

Limit rests to 60 seconds only.

Pretty simple right? Don't be fooled - this is not an easy workout. So here's how you want to perform it. You want to do A1/A2 without a break - the two exercises together make up a superset. For example, for superset 1:

A1/A2, rest for 60 seconds, A1/A2, rest, A1/A2, rest B1/B2, rest and so on...
Can't do a chin-up? No problem. You can try using cables, lat pull down machines, or resistance bands to replicate the motion. You want to replicate the pulling motion - that's what is important.

If you can't do all the chin-ups - then just break them up. Instead of 15 at a time, split them into 5,5,5.

In other words - don't be afraid to adjust this to your fitness level, although you do want to be pushing yourself each time! Women may want to aim for 12-15 push-ups but higher reps (20-25) for the leg exercises, for example.

Step 3. HIIT Training

Pick any activity you want, as long as you can go as hard or as fast as you can.

Warm-up:
5 minutes (60% of your max)

Round 1:
1 minute sprint (100% of your max)
2 minute "jog" (60-70% of your max, catch your breath)

Round 2:
1 minute sprint (100% of your max)
2 minute "jog" (60-70% of your max, catch your breath)

Round 3:
1 minute sprint (100% of your max)
2 minute "jog" (60-70% of your max, catch your breath)

Cool-down:
5 minutes (50-60% of your max)

Done!

Putting this all together - Your typical workout schedule will look like this:

Monday - Resistance Training
Tuesday - HIIT
Wednesday - Resistance Training
Thursday - HIIT
Friday - Resistance Training
Saturday - HIIT
Sunday - REST

If you have any questions or comments, please hit me up at brian@mightygrasshopper.com. You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter! Don't forget to forward this to your friends and family looking to make a change for 2010 ;)

For more exciting, detailed reads on the components above, check out my posts on diet, HIIT and resistance training.

Click here for Week 2

Want to skip ahead to see what 16 weeks got me?

Let's do this!!!!

It was only April of 2009 when Happy Planet broke into the energy drink market, competing with the likes of Beaver Buzz and Red Bull. Happy Planet is a Canadian-based company, located in Vancouver, BC and prides itself on providing organic juices. Here I take a look at the energy drink: Happy Planet Shot - Energy+.

Product and Label Design:

The 75 ml bottle and labels were designed by Vancouver-based, Subplot Design Inc. and aims at the active, macho male demographic with its lightening bolt illustrations, neutral silver bottle colour and modern design cues. In my opinion, it looks fairly bland, strays away from the original Happy Planet design (where’s the planet logo?) and looks, well, cheap. Unless you specifically look for the name Happy Planet, you wouldn’t really know it was a Happy Planet product – it looks almost private label to me. To add, the label isn’t affixed onto the bottle all that well. It feels as if someone (like myself) wrapped the bottle up with the label much like a Christmas gift –the wrapping is all loose and air bubbles are easily noticeable. Overall, I see what they’re trying to do here, but it doesn’t catch the eye all too well, especially when the product is shelved beside flashier, bigger, shinier bottles next to it. And, knowing men, we are visual beasts. A scribbled lighting bolt is kind of hard to appreciate.

Health Claim:

Recommended Purpose: Energy+ is formulated to provide sustained energy for both the mind and body, increasing physical performance and mental alertness. In other words, this is going to give me a nice energy kick. Instructions are to drink the one bottle per day or as needed. At first, I thought that was pretty straightforward. But then, what does “as needed” imply? Does that mean I’m allowed to drink more? If so, how much more? Is there a maximum daily limit?

Don’t forget - this isn’t a beverage like apple juice. There are herbal ingredients in this shot with drug-like effects so it has to be treated as such. A maximum daily dose should have been outlined. Unfortunately, I did not find that here, which brings us to…

Regulatory Compliance:

This product is labeled as a natural health product (NHP) right smack in the front of the label. So it should follow all regulatory requirements as set out by Health Canada for NHPs. This product has not yet been granted approval (NPN or natural product number) by Health Canada, and I’m currently waiting a response from Happy Planet regarding their submission status.

In terms of label requirements, Happy Planet takes a different approach here. There are three main heading: Medicinal ingredients, Fortifications and Non-Medicinal Ingredients. Medicinal ingredients contain all the herbal products and non-medicinal ingredients list the flavours used, water, etc. Interestingly, items under “Fortifications” include various vitamins, as well as, caffeine content. These should be listed under the Medicinal Ingredients heading and not contained in a separate category called Fortifications. It’s my opinion that Happy Planet did this in order to make the labeling more appealing to its consumers, as it diverts attention away from the ingredient caffeine and focuses on the “more natural” herbal ingredients.

Last thing to mention – this product contains 150 mg of caffeine per shot. As per Health Canada’s caffeine monograph, there is an upper limit of 1000 mg/day and instruction to separate doses 3-4 hours apart. Unfortunately, these conditions are not stated anywhere on the label, posing a risk to its consumers.

Regulatory Alert! I would strongly advise that Happy Planet look at the labeling of their product and revise it accordingly. As it stands now, a consumer could interpret the label to drink multiple shots at one time or drink enough shots throughout the day to exceed the maximum limit set by Health Canada.

Taste/Smell:

Let’s move on to the goods – how does Energy+ do on the taste test? Well, upon opening it, the juice is a murky brown colour with the fragrance of apply-grape juice. It sure looks more “natural” than that of Red Bull’s urine-like colour statement. Going down, this stuff doesn’t taste all that great. It hits your tongue with a pungent herbal tone, followed by the grape juice, and then followed with a strong lingering bitter after-taste. Not my favourite but not unbearable either. I guess it’s not so bad considering there aren’t any other added sweeteners and Happy Planet would try to keep it as natural as possible.

Does the Product Work?

I didn’t think this product would work that well, but I was pleasantly surprised. This stuff had kick and it hit me about 30 minutes after taking it. If Red Bull was a 10 on the kick-scale, I’d say this is probably a milder 7.5-8. Still pretty good. It gives you a nice kick in the butt, but less of the jittery effect.

Side Effects:

The label indicates that the product should not be taken by those who are breast-feeding or pregnant, or to those who are sensitive to caffeine and/or niacin. No side-effects can be reported here. At least, no adverse effects beyond that of a normal caffeinated energy drink.

Bottom Line: Happy Planet Energy+ Shot delivers on its energy-boosting promise, although the taste was a bit more on the bitter-side for my preference. On the regulatory front, the product label needs to be revised as someone could potentially ingest too much caffeine. There you go Happy Planet, some consulting advice for you. I accept cash, Visa, or PayPal transactions :)

If you are interested in buying this product or a similar product, please check out Well.ca (link located to the right). They offer free shipping anywhere in Canada and competitive pricing. If you've tried this product, please let me know what your thoughts are!

Successful weight loss is dependent on a three-pronged approach: diet, cardio and resistance training. Over the last few weeks, I’ve provided more in-depth explanations into diet and cardio training. Here I discuss the third pillar: resistance training.

Part 1: Why Resistance Train?

I’m not going to go into detail regarding the benefits of resistance training. There’s a load of information provided on the web. Briefly listed here, are some of the benefits of weight training:

· Helps raise the metabolism (the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even when you’re just watching TV).
· Helps make you stronger, avoid injuries and increase bone density
· Increases coordination and balance
· Increases insulin sensitivity (which makes your muscles more prone to absorbing the sugar in your blood. For more info on this, be sure to check out my post here).

But more importantly, I want you to know what resistance training, in the context of the program we’ll be doing together, won’t do:

· Ladies, it won’t make you butch
· Ladies, it won’t make your thighs bigger
· Men, it won’t make you huge or stiff.
· For those doing martial arts, it won’t make you tense and/or slow you down

Some of you ladies are probably saying “If that’s true, then why is it when I do squats, my thighs get bigger?” To that I say, what’s really happening is that the muscles are growing underneath the fat and pushing the fat outwards. This is what happens if you don’t follow a proper diet and cardio training. You need to shed the fat too, in addition to building muscle.

In the world of effective resistance training, less is more. The workouts we’ll be doing will only last between 20-40 minutes (depending on your fitness level), 3 times per week. Rest is important here, as well as, the intensity. Men, no need for the 1 hour minimum gym sessions or 5 sets of bicep curls.

We will not be doing 1000 crunches. Instead, the program is designed to shed the fat so that it exposes the sexy abs you already have! You can add them if you want to, but it’s not needed.

Part 2: Required Equipment

I must stress that you must have the proper equipment. I currently use a newly discovered resistance band system that, essentially, replaces the typical universal gym. You can use whatever equipment you have, but I highly recommend them for three reasons.

You can purchase the bands here.

· It’s WAY cheaper than a gym membership or a Bowflex or a Universal Gym
· The amount of resistance can be varied from easy to incredibly difficult! (just to give you an idea, I bench roughly 205lbs. These bands provide more than enough resistance)
· It comes with a door anchor so that you can attach the bands at various heights, allowing you to pull downwards, push outwards, etc.

You can use whatever bands you want. This is just from my own experience. I can do chest presses, lat pull-downs and simulated pull-ups (which came in handy when I couldn’t do a single pull-up!) and vary the resistance. I did look around at other places and they just sell the typical fitness bands that aren’t adjustable and there’s no door anchor.

If you have access to weights or to exercise machines, you can use this too!

You will also need a chin-up bar. You can find this anywhere nowadays. For those that can’t do a chin-up, I recommend you still pick one up to practice on. Some of you may opt not to do any chin-ups, then use bands to replicate the motion that way. But there really isn’t anything that can duplicate the benefits of the chin-up.

You will also need a fitness ball and a timer. The timer will be used to time rest-periods or for your interval training.

Optional: Backpack where you can stuff weights or books or filled water bottles, etc. For those that need more resistance, you will use this for your pushups and squats, etc.

Here's a picture of my own really simple home gym. Smaller, cheaper and more affordable than any Bowflex I know!

(<- see that? that's the door anchor for the bands!)

Bottom Line: Resistance training is the third piece of the sexy-abs puzzle! You won't get huge, you won't get butch. You will get, however, sexy abs and also lose that double chin! You have a week - make sure you have all the equipment ready and/or ordered. Let's workout!

It never fails to bug me to see (or even experience) “health-freaks” lecturing how enjoying a Big Mac meal is so bad for my body. The conversation usually starts with “do you know what kind of chemicals you’re ingesting?” and usually ends with, “You should eat all natural foods like...” To that I say, let the man enjoy his Big Mac! I really find it amusing when these health activists resort to the scare tactic of “chemical-ifying” the meal.


“You know that coke you’re drinking – that’s all corn syrup giving you a SUGAR HIGH and it’s loaded with CAFFEINE that dehydrates your body”

“That turkey you’re hogging down contains TRYPTOPHAN..which will make you sleepy and you’ll get fat.”

“That steak you crave, that’s got URIC ACID!”

Are you kidding me? I guess the obvious way to go is to avoid those foods, and stick to organic fruits and veggies, or kobe beef, free range chicken. (Hmm, are you lobbying the organic foods industry here?)

I’m pretty sure that health-freak just saw some expose on Dateline last week or just watched Super Size Me for the umptheenth time.

Yea, steak may have uric acid in there, but you know what else has uric acid in it? Cod, scallops, chicken and cabbage. And no, this has nothing to do with the industrializing or farming of foods. Uric acid is found naturally occurring in these foods.

Would you eat something if I told you it had cyanide in it? How about a food that contains the following: salicylic acid (aspirin), acetone (nail polish remover), isopropyl alchohol, and cyanide? Oh I’m pretty sure you would. It’s called an apple. Everything has chemicals in it! it's the chemicals in food that help us and hurt us! Equating food to a particular chemical, however, is not truthful.

As for Coke dehydrating my body, I’m pretty sure that cup of organic Starbucks you’re flaunting as you sport your Lululemon pants isn’t fairing any better.

I realize why such tactics are used – because they want all of us to live a healthier lifestyle – but does that justify referencing food as a particular chemical in the hopes of scaring us to make the “right” choice? Or better yet, to make the same choice they did? Absolutely not.

In 2009, the same health-freaks would accuse FDA, Health Canada, or Pharma of using scare tactics to ensure that everyone got their H1N1 vaccinations. And, yet, the health-extremists have no problems resorting to similar tactics when it comes to stopping you from eating a Big Mac.

Whatever happened to just presenting the information and letting us make our own decisions?

Bottom Line: Everything has chemicals in it – “good” and “bad”. Representing foods as solely the chemicals it contains is a cheap scare tactic in my books. It’s completely misleading. Aim higher.

A successful exercise program relies on three-pillars: resistance training, cardiovascular training, and diet.

Typically (or at least my limited understanding of) dieting consists of calories in versus calories out. And, to a certain extent, that’s true. But then there are other issues such as hunger, proper nutrition, adequate protein intake, proper fat intake etc. I will address these issues.

Part 1: Calculating Your Caloric Requirements

• Google what your daily maintenance caloric intake should be. You’ll have to provide parameters such as age, height, activity levels, etc.
• Subtract about 500 calories from this number and divide by the number of meals you plan on having (aim for 5-6 meals a day)
• This number will be the calories you will aim for in each meal.

So for myself, let’s say my maintenance caloric intake is 2600 calories. Subtracting 500 calories, results in 2100/6 meals day = 350 calories

These numbers are approximate. Within the first month of starting the abs program, your body will adjust to eating so frequently, and of fewer calories. You are free to increase or decrease the calories as you see fit (eg. you don’t want to be starving, or don’t want to pass out during a workout) – this is only used as a guide.

Part 2: Avoiding Hunger, Fatigue and Understanding the Glycemic Index

So how do we avoid issues such as hunger, low energy levels? How do we ensure that our body is still getting all the nutrients it needs?

Back in the day, people would tell me not to eat junk food like candy, potato chips and soda. The rationale was that the quick spike in blood sugar levels provides temporary energy the body requires, but as quickly as blood sugar levels rose, it crashes just as fast resulting in a tired, hungry me.

What I wasn’t told, however, is that these spikes in blood sugar levels actually do physiological harm to your body. You see, when you eat foods that spike your blood sugar levels, your pancreas releases insulin. Insulin is a hormone that tells your muscles and existing fat cells to take up glucose from the blood.

The more sugar you have in your blood, the more insulin is produced to clear your blood stream of all that glucose. If all you eat are foods that spike your blood sugar, your body is going to produce more insulin. Now think of all the years of eating these types of foods, and how often per day we’d eat them. Soda, bread, cake, chips, rice, etc – each time we eat it, our blood sugar spikes, and insulin is produced.

Our muscle and fat cells, over time, get used to the spikes in insulin. In fact, the muscle cells eventually become desensitized to it, that they don’t respond to the insulin anymore!

As a result, the muscles cells can't absorb glucose. So what happens to all the excess glucose in your blood stream? It’s turned into fat! And not just any fat but “visceral fat”, also known as the fat that is concentrated in your belly. This also explains why some of you are relatively skinny in your arms and legs, but you still manage to have a belly (that goes for both ladies and gents).

In order to minimize this effect, we have to see foods differently – we have to see how the foods we eat will affect our blood sugar levels.

It is not just calories in vs. calories out.

Some of you may be familiar with the glycemic index. This is a measure of how much a food will elevate blood sugar levels. When you see it from this perspective, it’s quite an eye opener! What’s worse: white bread, brown bread, an orange, or table sugar?

In terms of the glycemic index, white bread and brown bread are equally as bad for you! They both spike your blood sugar levels the highest. In fact, more so that table sugar! An orange, although sweet, scores much lower on the glycemic index.

Here’s an example of a glycemic index chart.

So be sure to pick foods that score lower on the glycemic index.

Stick to whole grain carbohydrates, unprocessed foods, nuts, fruits and veggies and lean proteins!

Also note that foods that may have fats in them score low on the glycemic index (eg. avocado).

Fats are good for you! At least, the healthy fats like omega-3s, for example, or those found in almonds. Fats actually minimize the spike in blood sugar as well. Avoiding fat is very 80’s. That’s 30 years ago.

Bottom Line: For weight loss without feeling tired or hungry, you want to eat about 500 calories less than your maintenance caloric intake. Spread it around 5-6 meals/day and stick to unprocessed foods that don’t spike your blood sugar levels, such as lean proteins, whole grain breads, fresh fruits and veggies.

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Over the last year, the FDA has moved ahead with GMP inspections for companies manufacturing dietary supplements (DS). And, in their effort to provide transparency, they’ve released a few common “no-no’s” as reported on NutraIngredients-usa.com.Of the 483 reports, here is a list of the common deviations found. I’ve included a short description what these deviations mean and their implications.

• Failure to prepare a written master manufacturing record for each unique formulation of a dietary supplement.

The master manufacturing record is the instruction manual for each formula. Imagine making a car, a laptop or an iPhone without the how-to guide? The master manufacturing record lays out exactly what ingredients to use, how much needs to be weighed out, how the formula is to be blended, etc. We aren’t making cupcakes for a local bake sale here – we are talking about dietary supplements ranging from fat-soluble vitamins to herbal products with caffeine-like properties. Each step must be explicitly laid out, so that there is a consistent and reproducible end result. I am utterly shocked that there are companies out there making supplements at industrial quantities without a master manufacturing record!

• Failure to establish component specifications for strength and composition.

This demonstrates that the product is not defined. When a product’s components are not specified, it also makes it difficult to test the product. You can’t answer the questions as simple as, "what colour is this capsule supposed to be?” or "how much vitamin E is it supposed to have?"

As a result, there's no consistency in the product. From the same bottle, one tablet could contain 50 mg of coenzyme Q10 while another could contain 100 mg! Should the tablet be small? Should the tablet be white? How hard should the tablet be? These are all part of the specifications. If these aren’t defined, these questions can’t be answered.

• Failure to fill out material rejection/rework sheets.

In other words, we have no idea what a company has done with products that have failed testing. Did they throw it out? Did they just sell it on market? How are rejected products handled? We have no idea.

• Failure to collect information regarding customer hospitalizations in in-bound complaints in order to determine if a MedWatch report needs to be submitted.

It is very important to track adverse reactions of your product. Certain trends may be revealed, or perhaps a new ingredient or supplier change-over is affecting your product or a particular batch of product. The report could also be provided as evidence to support the safety of your product as well.

• Failure to establish a sampling plan for obtaining representative samples of components.

Let’s say a company orders 5 large drums of vitamin C raw material. Do you test a sample from each drum or randomly from only one drum? How much do you sample? This is where a sampling plan is required. Can you statistically justify that the amount you’ve used to test represents all 5 drums?

• No documentation to explain the rationale behind the testing performed and the specifications for various raw materials using USP methods intended for use in testing drug products but no evidence that these testing methods are suitable for use in testing DS ingredients and finished products.

In all instances where possible, it is best to refer to an established test method (eg. USP, BP), and from there, if need be, to make any adjustments to the method to suit your equipment, material, etc. It is important when these adjustments are made, to include document the scientific justification rationalizing the approach.

For proprietary methods, proper documentation of the lab method and its rationale is required, and to include references from scientific journals. When these are missing, the methods could be altered or not reproducible by other labs, thereby reducing the credibility of the test method.

• Indicating "PASS" instead of identifying specific ID test results.

It is always better to indicate the specific result, rather than simply indicating “pass”. In instances where “pass” is indicated, the expected result must be detailed in the specifications/batch record.

• Non-use of metal detection equipment for liquid DS products.

Metal detection equipment is required to see if any metals are leaching from processing equipment or liquid supply pipelines. Would you want to be ingesting bits of metal from your liquid calcium supplement? I didn't think so.

• GMP training is not conducted on a continuing basis to assure that employees remain familiar with CGMP requirements.

It’s not enough simply to train someone once. GMP is an on-going process - it not only needs to be enforced, but also requires continual adaptation and on-going training. A company is never static, as such the GMP training should not be either and must grow with the company.

• Failure to conduct appropriate tests or examinations or rely on a C of A to determine whether components met established specs.

The consumer expects that products be tested at the finished product stage to ensure that the final product that they're sticking into their mouths is safe and of good quality. Of course, this type of testing may not be appropriate in certain instances, but it’s not a good excuse to completely ignore testing at the finished product level!

• The firm's training records do not reflect training of personnel in DS GMPs.

This is pretty obvious. How could you let un-trained personnel handle the production of a dietary supplement?!

• Batch records are general and printed out blank.

Batch records must be specific to a product and specific to the batch. These documents are incredibly important and must be tightly controlled. Do not treat it like an application form at the DMV. The batch record is an essential part of proper GMP, and must be treated as such.

This is actually quite alarming to see what fairly basic GMP deficiencies are revealed! Prior to GMP requirements, the US DS industry made a lot of noise as to how the requirements would ruin companies. But if the companies that are shutting downs are the ones that don’t train their employees nor test their products, I’m sorry but they deserve to be shut down!

Bottom Line: GMP compliance is not cheap – the upfront costs are high, and, on the outset, there is no immediate pay off. In the long run, however, GMP is essential. It provides not only quality checks, but also another layer of safety (beyond relying solely on an ingredient’s history of use), and can also help ensure a level of efficacy. Safe, effective and high quality product – isn’t that all we’re asking for?

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When it comes to cardiovascular training (and practically anything else, come to think of it), the general consensus is: the more you do the better the results. While to a certain extend that’s true, but what if I told you that you can get better results by doing less than the standard jog-for-45-minutes routine and get very impressive results?

The secret to amazing results and less time at the gym: intensity.

I’ve been a victim of this train of thought myself. I would spend 30 minutes on the bike and another 15 on the stair climber back in the day. Results – nothing too impressive. In fact, when I first started out, I saw little results with 20 minutes of cardio, so I increased that to 30, then to 40 minutes and so on. But what was I getting out of it? Not much…let alone, wasting my time at the gym.

It is common for our bodies to plateau in terms of progress. Why? Because our body is an incredibly efficient machine. Unaware to us, as we perform the same exercise over and over again, the nervous system, and muscles, involved in the exercise start to learn how to perform it better, exerting less energy each time.

For example, let’s say I walk 30 minutes everyday. My body becomes more and more efficient as I walk the 30 minutes, using less and less energy to complete the walk. So really, the amount of calories you burned on day 1 is less than that of day 32.

So what do we do? We increase the walk time. We say, “let’s take a 45 minute walk.” We plateau and then up it to an hour and so on. Realistically, don’t you want to use your time better? What if we could cut the workout down to 20 minutes? You’d have 40 minutes extra in your day to hang out with friends, read a book do the dishes, prep lunch for the next day, and of course, check out www.mightygrasshopper.com.

Welcome to the world of high-intensity interval training (HIIT). HIIT is actually based on Tabata training where, instead of the 30 minutes of steady cardio, cardio is performed in bursts for a specific amount of time (eg. 1 minute), followed by a quick rest/steady paced cardio (eg. 2 minutes). This is repeated a certain amount of times (repeat for a total 3 bursts) and the followed by a cool down.

Does HIIT work? You bet. The best part, a simple HIIT session can last less than 20 minutes. And for those hardcore guys, a really intense Tabata session can last as short as 4 minutes. Also, you can perform any exercise you want. It can be jogging, biking, jumping jacks, squat/jump, burpees – anything that’ll get your heart rate up and where you can go all out (eg. sprint your heart out for a minute).

HIIT sessions are not only shorter because of the actual time spent, but because the whole session is divided into rounds, it is more exciting and fun to do. Time flies with HIIT. As for results, let me ask you this: look at the body of the sprinter vs. that of a marathon runner. Both are in great shape, but HIIT can certainly produce some amazing results.

Bottom Line: skip the 40+ minutes of steady cardio and opt for HIIT sessions instead. I did over a course of 4 months and got great results. Of course, do combine it with a good diet and resistance training program. Read this article as I lay out a typical HIIT routine.

For my journey to 6 pack abs start date and required equipment, click here.

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Ladies and gents! We've been featured on the Wellness Billionaire's blog portal! As "the world's premiere health and wellness hub", the Wellness Billionaire is committed to bringing those interested in the health and wellness lifestyle, a wide variety of information that'll keep your brain in learning-mode for hours. Numerous posts from a plethora of authors help provide a diverse and fresh perspective in the world of your health and well-being.

Glad to have the opportunity to post on the Wellness Billionaire's blog portal. For my article "Do Supplements Work?", please click here.

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“Beauty from within” natural health products are the latest rage promising youthfulness by removing fine lines and wrinkles, and restoring skin firmness or volumizing hair and strengthening nails.

But just how exactly do these products work? In order to fully understand the mechanism of action, we must take a moment to look at how the skin ages.

Now many would believe that skin ages with time, and to an extent, that is true, but that is not the entire story. Look at the skin on your face and compare it to that of your back or hips – you’ll notice that the skin on your back is much more taut and, well, more youthful than that on your face. The difference? Sun exposure. You can see that the skin on your neck, arms, hands, and lower legs is older looking than that of your hips.

So what can we conclude? First of all, there are two factors that contribute to aging:

• Intrinsic factors – your genetic make-up, racial background, time
• Extrinsic factors – environmental factors such as sun, cigarette smoke, physical stress, lack of sleep

Secondly and more importantly, it becomes apparent that the intrinsic factors of aging are accelerated by extrinsic factors. If not, then the skin on your back would look exactly the same as the skin on your face.

This tells us that the way we treat our skin will affect the aging process.

Scientifically speaking, how exactly is aging defined? There are many theories out there, but the generally accepted model is the “free-radical theory of aging”. Here, the idea is that naturally-occurring unstable molecules called free radicals damage cells and other factors (eg. Collagen) that contribute to youthful, supple skin are also damaged by free radicals.

Extrinsic factors like sleep deprivation, stress, sunlight, poor diet, etc increases the free-radical content in you, speeding up the aging process as it damages collagen, elastin and other molecules required for youthful, healthy skin.

So what neutralizes free-radicals? Antioxidants do.

And on that premise, the idea is that if you increase your antioxidant intake, you’ll have more antioxidants available to neutralize all those free-radicals in your body that are contributing to wrinkles and sagging skin.

There you have it – the concept of the “beauty from within” is born. This concept was propelled into mainstream by Dr. Nicholas Perricone, in his book The Wrinkle Cure.

Whether or not you believe supplements will make you look younger, I have to admit the concept of the intrinsic and extrinsic factors is an important one. And, interestingly, it empowers each and every one of us with the ability to influence how we age without having to schedule a shot of botox and face lifts lunch hours.

Bottom Line: “Beauty from within” health products aren’t necessarily a scam. They’re intended to provide a solution based on a theory built on logical, sound, scientific research. Now, will product A or product B actually remove those fine lines? Well that’ll have to be determined case-by-case, product-by-product. The theory is sound, but will product A or product B provide real-world, observable results? Perhaps we will find out in a product review…

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Today I review Genuine Health’s Omega 3+ Think. Over the past few years, there has been a lot of attention on the benefits of fish oils, in particular EPA/DHA. Claims include cardiovascular health, mood balancing and brain development. Let's see how this product fairs...

Label Design

I have to say that I’m a fan of the label design for this product. The white, green and lavender colour scheme is clean and simple – very modern looking and it manages to portray the message that this product is of high quality. It says, “I’m affordable, yet not cheap.” That said, I don’t really know how the image of the leaf is supposed to fit into the scheme of fish oils. In fact, there’s no reference to fish or fish oil in anyway other than what’s written on the label. Design flaw or design purpose?

Health Claim

Genuine Health Omega3+ Think is obviously targeted to brain health. The health claim on the bottle reads: DHA is a key Omega-3 fatty acid that supports cognitive function and the normal development and maintenance of the brain in people of all ages, as well as the eyes and nerves in children.

If you read this carefully, however, you'll realize that this product does not promise to help or improve memory, cognitive function, nor even brain development, but only supports it.

So I ask, what the heck kind of good does this really do me? It just helps me maintain status quo. Wow thanks. Might as well just go eat some fish - it tastes better and it's more enjoyable. Is this the bar we've set?

Apologize for the mini-rant there...

With regards to dosage, directions say to take 2 softgels, twice daily with meals. If my math is correct, that will provide 400 mg EPA and 1000 mg DHA per day.

Regulatory Compliance

This product has been approved by Health Canada, designating it an NPN #80004436. In addition, the health claim, dose, dosage form comply with Health Canada’s monograph for fish oil products. There is a caution statement advising the consumer to consult with a health care practitioner if he/she is taking any other medications. Interesting, as this is not required by Health Canada’s monograph. I suppose this used to be a requirement of Health Canada.

All in all, Genuine Health has done its regulatory due diligence and complies with the current regulations. As per Health Canada, the product is safe, of high quality and is effective.

Taste/Smell

As I reach for the bottle cap, I notice a sticker notifying me that there is no fishy taste. Once the bottle is opened, a fishy odor is present. It isn’t too bad but it is noticeable. The softgels look great – an opaque round softgel capsule, a testament to its quality. I did find, however, that the circle shaped softgels were harder to swallow than, say, oblong softgels.

Now, the directions say to take the product with a meal and I’d have to second that. There were two times in which my meal was light or absent altogether, and the result was a fishy burp that would haunt me an hour or two later. Do yourself a favour a take this product right before you start shoveling food into your mouth.

Does It Work?

Now I realize that this product only supports cognitive function and brain development, but not necessarily help or improve memory, cognitive processes, or brain development.

But why not have a little fun?

I did 3 tests to investigate the efficacy of Omega3+ Think. I performed the three tests prior to taking this product as a baseline measure, then two weeks after baseline to see my current brain would fair better or worse on the tests, and then again after I finished the ENTIRE bottle of softgels.

Baseline:

Test 1 – I had one minute to memorize a column of random numbers, generated by Random.org, using the integer generator.
Result: I was barely able to memorize the sequence of 5 numbers out of the 22 numbers.

Test 2 – I timed myself to see how long it would take me to memorize the sequence of 10 numbers out of the 22 numbers in the second column.

Result: It took me 16 minutes to memorize the sequence perfectly.

Test 3 – A picture was randomly chosen by someone else, and 10 questions were generated about that picture. I had 60 seconds to look at the picture and then had to answer the questions.

Result: 7/10.

Two Weeks After Baseline Without Taking Supplements:

Test 1 Results: 5/22 numbers recalled in sequence.

Test 2 Results: 17 minutes to memorize the sequence of numbers.

Test 3: 7/10.

Softgels Finished:

Test 1 Results: 4/22 numbers recalled in sequence.

Test 2 Results: 14.5 minutes to memorize the sequence of numbers.

Test 3: 6/10.

As you can see, there were no noticeable benefits gained from taking this product. I didn’t fair any better from taking this product on any of the tests. Of course, it's not like I got any dumber either, so is that proof that this product is supporting brain function?

Side Effects

I’m happy to report no side effects whatsoever. I was able to take the product as directed and followed through everyday.

Bottom Line: Genuine Health’s Omega3+ Think has done all the right things – product looks good, dosage is right and it even got the green light by Health Canada! However, it's hard to say if this product provided any benefit beyond my normal self. Yes, I realize this product doesn't promise to improve my memory, or thinking processes but I hope the average consumer is aware of this too. Would I buy it again? Probably not - why shell out cash for nothing to change?

If you're interested in buying this product or similar ones, please browse Well.ca (link provided to the right). They offer free shipping and very competitive pricing! Enjoy! Post your comments and feedback or your own mini-review!

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A quick note to those of you who are jumping on board the 6-pack abs wagon with me.

We will be starting on February 1st 2010! That gives you approximately 4 weeks to eat whatever you want, rest and play whenever you want to and, as well, say goodbye to the old you and look forward to the new you!

Also, be sure that you have the appropriate equipment:

The essentials:
• Stability ball
• Dumbbells, OR access to gym equipment,
OR workout bands.
• Chin up bar
• Timer or watch

Optional:
• Backpack
• Light weights (eg. books, water bottles, etc.)
• Ipod or MP3 player loaded with your favorite workout tunes


*I currently use a very cool resistance band system. They are a space-saver and much cheaper than a gym membership. The nice thing about these bands is that you can hook additional bands to the handles thereby increasing the resistance. My set comes with a door anchor as well so that I can anchor the bands at different heights to the door allowing me to do more exercises with the bands.

You can purchase the bands here.

With this current set up, I can work out in my 650 ft2 apartment without a problem.

You have 4 weeks to prep. I’ll be posting during the weeks leading up to the 1st of February, so be sure to subscribe to my blog for the latest posts and click on the "Train With Me" tab for all posts related to the program!

Let’s stay in touch!