1 – The Skinny on Exercise

In our first podcast, we explore the good and bad aspects of exercise (18:49 minutes)
Key points numbered below:

1) Endurance racing or excess exercise can result in elevated cortisol levels and thus accelerated aging and other unhealthy effects

Christopher McDougall discovers how the Tarahumara Indians run hundreds of miles over rocky terrain in sandals
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-august-18-2009/christopher-mcdougall

Like running through hell
http://www.mindhacks.com/blog/2009/08/like_running_through.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortisol#Factors_affecting_cortisol_levels

The Brain on Cortisol
http://www.brainleadersandlearners.com/general/the-brain-on-cortisol/

2) Exercise can be a double edged sword in regards to weight loss. It’s a way to burn more calories, but exercising more can backfire, because it can increase hunger and serve as a justification for eating more (and worse)
Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin
By John Cloud
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914857,00.html
The self-control ‘muscle’ is seen as the linchpin to weight loss via exercise

National Weight Control Registry research findings
http://www.nwcr.ws/Research/default.htm

3) The calories-in/calories-out theory of weight loss tends to lock people into a vicious cycle of continuously monitoring eating and exercising

4) Instead, focus on nutrition, which leads to the realization that insulin secretion is the key factor in weight loss and weight maintenance. Minimize carb consumption and thus increase fat and protein consumption
Fit Body, Fit Mind? Your Workout Makes You Smarter ( Preview )
How can you stay sharp into old age? It is not just a matter of winning the genetic lottery.
What you do can make a difference
By Christopher Hertzog, Arthur F. Kramer, Robert S. Wilson and Ulman Lindenberger
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=fit-body-fit-mind&sc=WR_20090707

5) In terms of an overall healthy lifestyle, exercise can serve your well-being, but it’s not a substitute for proper nutrition and psychological health

6) Introspection is key, especially with sentence completion exercises, which are in the Healthy MInd, Fit Body book

7) Even a “greasy burrito” can be healthy if you don’t eat most of the flour tortilla (and add lots of salsa). Your most nutritious carbs are the ones with less glycemic load, such as leafy greens and seasonal berries

8 ) Sentence completion exercises help you get in better touch with your subconscious thoughts and feelings (see addendum chapter in Healthy Mind, Fit Body)

bumper music “All in My Head” (Remix) Kosheen – http://www.kosheen.com
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