September 2012
4 posts
New Blog
From now on, you can find me here: Ben By Design
You're not a special snowflake.
The basic prinicple that rests at the heart of repeated success, is understanding that A=A. There are real laws to this universe. Things can be proven. Drop an object, and it will fall to the ground everytime.
Nothing will stymie success more than blanking out the fact that A=A.
I see examples of this daily when talking with others;
“That diet may work for you, but it doesn’t...
Anonymous asked: great website - do you know my buddy Wheels?
I Love a Good Ego
We have all heard it before.. “Don’t let your ego get in the way”….” Just keep your mouth shut if you have nothing nice to say”… “Leave your ego at the door”… “A big ego is the greatest problem there is with men”…Let me tell you why this is batshit crazy.
When someone proclaims one of those statements, they are asking...
August 2012
3 posts
Economics of Health
Look, we at Life By Design, believe that the bodies natural state is healthy. We believe in thriving, not just surviving. This natural state is only achieved once we provide the body with the basic requirements of life.
If you looked at a wilting plant, you wouldn’t immediately diagnose it with this or that disease. First, you’d ask what it needs; water, sunlight, nutrient rich...
Cigarettes & Egg Whites?
I can not believe we are still having this talk.
As most of you have heard, Western University released the results of a study showing a correlation between egg yolks and heart disease- Research finds egg yolks almost as bad as smoking.
What we need to understand here, is this study was nothing more than a glorified questionnaire- that’s all it was. “The study looked at data from...
"What are you reading right now?"
I love books. I have a habit of buying way too many at once! I love it. I collect them. I’ll give a list of the books I have read since I asked this question, and one’s that I am currently reading.
Just Finished
Atlas Shrugged- Ayn Rand
This is a must read. Easily the best book I’ve ever read. The impact Ayn Rand has had on me, is greater than any other individual, ever. You...
July 2012
6 posts
What is Fitness?
When CrossFit Co-Founder & CEO Greg Glassman went looking for a definition of fitness, the best he could find was ; the ability to transmit genes and be healthy.
Although that definition certainly describes the word in a reproductive sense, what we are looking for is a way to define who can do more work.
Glassman came up with the idea that fitness was best described as; Increased work...
What Is CrossFit?
There may be plenty of you still wondering what exactly CrossFit is, as hearing the big news that we will be joining the affiliate family as West London CrossFit.
I wanted this post to lay out a clear message of what CrossFit is.
CrossFit is defined as: Constantly Varied, Functional Movements, Executed at High Intensity.
Constantly Varied?
What are we varying? Let’s break down a few...
"Do you take any supplements?" Part 3
First off, let me make it clear my position on supplements. These are not to take the place of anything I could otherwise be getting in my diet. Eating by design covers your basis- it is the foundation. Supplements, in my eyes, are used in order to replace the missing nutrients. If you are not yet eating by design, get that under control first. No amount of supplementing will guard you from the...
The Case for Carbohydrates Part 4.
The last part of the series, we are going to talk more about why you often hear the advice to consume your dense carbohydrates post workout (pwo). We will cover the why behind the what, and who should be participating in the pwo carb indulgence.
Firstly, I want to make it clear why I made these posts. Carbohydrates in general have got a bad rep from the low-carb community. When Gary Taubes came...
The Case for Carbohydrates Part 3.
Next up in the series is the relationship between carbohydrate consumption and the thyroid. First, let’s talk a bit about the thyroid.
Located in the throat region, the thyroid gland is most known for its role in metabolism, through the production of thyroid hormones; Triiodothyronine (T3) and Thyroxine (T4). Every single cell on your body has a receptor for...
The Case for Carbohydrates? Part 2.
So were did we last leave off? Oh thats right, we have made some solid weight lose on low-carb, but we have seemed to plateau. Why might this be? Well, typically we see this problem in people who eat low-carb and do a lot of high intensity exercise**. Low-carb is metabolically equivalent to starving, as we know. That is stressful- as is exercise. Too much stress is going to lead to too much...
June 2012
14 posts
"Are diseases preventable, or are we at the mercy...
The vast majority of all diseases are preventable. The cases for genetic disease alone is very minimal. I just shake my head when someone goes on about this or that disease that runs in their family. Guess what also runs in their family? Poor food choices, lack of movement and terrible sleeping habits.
You see, genetics may load the gun, but your environment pulls the trigger.
Epigentics is...
Anonymous asked: Do you have foods you'd recommend to eat or stay away from for eczema sufferers?
The Case for Carbohydrates? Part 1.
The intention of these posts is to cover when carbohydrates are best kept low, and when keeping them too low for too long can be detrimental. Part 1 looks to cover the typical situation regarding weight-loss. Let us begin. When someone has a decent amount of weight to lose, there is no doubt that a diet based around whole foods (*meat & vegetables, nuts & seeds, some fruit, little starch,...
"How do you want to spend your days when you...
Moving well, eating well, sleeping well- living well- teaching others to do so- fulfilling my purpose. I’m already doing it.
Have something you’d rather be doing for a living? Do it. Somebody already does. Why? Because they made no excuse and took massive action to get there.
"Do you take any supplements?" Part 2
The second supplement on the list is Vitamin D. Vitamin D is actually classified as a secosteroid—a hormone precursor, derived from cholesterol, just like cortisol and the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone.
Vitamin D has been closely linked to osteoporosis, rickets, cancer, immune function, as well as improving insulin sensitivity. Since I am outside most of the day in the summer, I...
"Do you take any supplements?" Part 1
I have chose to break this one down into multiple part. Why? Because there is a lot of research to pull up for each and everyone one. I do NOT take anything lightly in regards to putting something in my body. If someone tells me to take this for this or that reason, my initial thought is “bullshit.” I do not trust anybody-unless they earn it through facts. I want the nitty gritty...
"Is Moderation a Good Eating Philosophy?"
No. To me, the word “moderation” opens up way too many doors. Moderation from what? All foods are a go? What is your rule? 50/50? 80/20? 90/10? What do you consider excessive? Moderation is a flimsy word to hide the fact that you just want to have your cake and eat a lot more than you should, too. Hands up if “moderation” is your eating philosophy. Keep them up if you have;...
"How often do you eat each day?
I eat when I am hungry, which generally means 2-3 meals a day on non-training days, and up to 4 on training days. Don’t let those numbers deceive you- I eat a lot. A typical breakfast could be 6 eggs (don’t even ask if I eat the yoke), pack of bacon and some fruit (mango or berries etc.).
If you’re constantly getting hungry, you’re metabolically deranged. This usually equates to being really...
"What Do You Eat?"
This is what I eat. It works for me- and thousands of other people who follow it. I’ll start with addressing all the vampire myths first.
Meat is bad? Give me the plausible physiological mechanism for this. Show me the controlled trials- correlation does NOT equal causation.
Saturated Fat will clog my arteries? You either work for a statin company or you think your arteries work like the...
"How Many Hours of Sleep Do You Get Each Night?"
Not enough, as I am working non-stop. I try to shoot for at least 8 hours, but that never works. Why is sleep important?
Light controls everything our body does. Lights effect on hormones tells you when to get up in the morning, and the disappearance of it tells you when to go to bed at night, or at least it use to. We were only intended to eat carbs and plenty of them (especially fruits) during...
