This stuff taste great!  The only catch is the cost, $11.99 per pound.  That was the price at the Schnucks in Kirkwood on Manchester Rd. 

     There has to be some place cheaper.  Any suggestions?

You’ve binged, I’ve binged, we all have binged.  We do it because the food tastes good.  We do it because it goes down good, it melts in your mouth, and we must to have some more of it.  We couldn’t stop even if we tried.

     Or maybe it’s not the taste of the food.  Maybe it has been a long time since we ate and conservation of food is the last thing on our minds.  You are starving and the only thing you can think is eat, eat, and eat some more.

     Either way, we binged.  It was a great moment.  One of the greatest sensations we’ve had in awhile and we are happy we did.  But, we know that won’t last long.  The next thing we start getting stomach cramps and then gassy bubbles in your intestines.  You’re sitting in your chair and start planning emergency routes in case you have to exit the room.  Not only that, when you do try to move and you feel like you’re a balloon of the Macy Day parade. 

     Then, once you manage to make it to the bathroom your curiosity leads you over to the bathroom scale.  Oh, ouch!  That number looks bigger than before.  For some reason it keeps going up. 

     The results of bingeing can be tough on people.  I’m going to help make it easier on you.  Not that I condone such a thing.  But it happens.  When it does happen, we should try to limit the damage to as minimal as possible.  Next time you have a holiday or a birthday comes up, you will be prepared.

     The first step in the process is to minimize the amount of insulin released.  This is done by starting off the day with a high protein, high fiber meal.  I doubt this sounds like a cheat meal to you, and it’s not.  This meal is to keep you full and suppress your appetite for when the junk food comes later in the day.  For the second meal (the meal right before the binge) have grapefruit juice and/or drink green tea.  This keeps your insulin levels low even when the glucose levels start to rise. 

     As a refresher, the rise of insulin is caused by the increase of blood glucose.  The insulin can drive the glucose into the muscles if there is physical activity.  Or, if there is no activity, it will be stored as body fat.

     The next step in the process is to take the junk food from one end of the digestive tract to the other end as quickly as possible.  Most likely the food we are bingeing on does not consist of the nutrients we want to absorb.  To help things move along have a variation of caffeinated coffee or tea while consuming the junk food.  One of my favorite teas called, Yerba Mate, is high in both fiber and caffeine.  Consuming 150mg of caffeine before your splurge will speed up the passing of waste through your digestive tract.

     Finally, you will need to do some physical work, but not too much.   This will be the easiest workout of your life.  You can do either body weight squats or pushups against the wall for 90 seconds, briefly before you start to eat.  Also, do 90 seconds of work 90 minutes after the meal.  Do this in the bathroom or someplace private.  If you cannot find some place to do this, then alternate flexing your calves and squeeze your thighs while at the dinner table.  What this does is take the glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT-4) to cell walls of the muscle.  This is exciting because it allows the muscles to fill up with glucose instead of increasing the insulin levels that would eventually lead to storing fat.  Now you can do this after every meal instead of only when you splurge.  This gives you another good reason for a nice stroll after dinner.

     These are very good tips, which when combined we let you cheat away the side effects of binging.  When you go out and you decide to binge, make sure you practice safe binging, and afterwards, make sure to let me know how it went. 

The 4-Hour Body:  Tim Ferriss

She started off by doing step ups on the box.  Toward the end of the series she was able to jump on the box with ease, jump back down to the floor, and quickly bound back up for 15 reps.  Quite an improvement for one days work.

     Here is a video of my commute from DWYCI Fitness (Orthopedics Associates) to my home in Kirkwood.  The ride is just over three miles and the video is sped up in order not to waste too much of your time. 

     The route starts on Old Des Peres Rd in Des Peres.  Heading south, I ride until I get to Dougherty Ferry Rd.  From there I turn left and ride the sidwalk on the Dougherty Ferry overpass that goes over Interstate 270.  Once I’m across the interstate, I turn right onto Ballas Rd.  I head south and keep to my right when Adams Street appears.  Finally, after a long day I climb the monstrous hill on Ballas and go over the train overpass. 

    You will find, that when dressed warm, this is a nice surreal ride that is just what the doctor ordered.

Two Scrambled Eggs and Mixed Vegatables

Kidney beans and Chicken

Whey protein and Green tea

Chicken and Broccoli

By taking photographs it held me responsible and kept me from indulging in temptations around the office like these:

Bagels, Cream Cheese, Popcorn, and Fudge

Candy cane and Chocolate

With the “Master The Met” race slowly approaching, American Lung Association is giving you a chance to practice the course at your own leisure.  It will be this Saturday, December 11, 2010, at 9:00 am. 

     You must RSVP and there is a $5 fee per climber.  To reserve a spot, please ontact Jamie Roberts at jroberts@breathehealthy.org

     The address is:  1 Metropolitan Sq, Saint Louis, MO 63102

     For tips on running the course go to:  How to Run a Stair Race

     To sign up for the race go to:  Team DWYCI

     I hope to see you there!

     We are having it at an indoor location:  1050 Old Des Peres Rd.  Saint Louis, MO 63131

     To register, just log onto www.dwycifitness.com, select “contact us,” and tell us you are coming.

     Only four more months before the stair race, so I expect to see you there.  And remember, half the proceeds go to the American Lung Association.

     See you then!!!