5 Reasons To Love Dates

Dates are a delicious fruit packed with an impressive list of essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. They've been a staple food of the Middle East and the Indus Valley for thousands of years. And for good reason. Besides being a tasty treat, there's an abundance of health benefits.

What is a date?

Botanically; they are the fruits grow on the palm tree belonging to the family of Arecaceae, in the genus: Phoenix, and scientifically named as Phoenix dactylifera. The tree is believed to originate in the lands on the banks of Nile and Euphrates Rivers of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Date palm is now grown extensively for its edible fruits under warmer climates across all the continents.

Fresh dates compose of soft, easily digestible flesh and simple sugars like fructose and dextrose. 100 g of mejdool dates hold 277 calories. When eaten, they replenish energy and revitalize the body instantly. For these qualities, they are being served to break the fast during Ramadan month since ancient times. So they make a great choice for breakfast.

I love dates. They're sweet, chewy, and delicious.  And addictive. It's hard not to eat just one. A handful (3 to 5) makes a great a great post-workout snack or morning treat. They're great in oatmeal. Try blending a few into your smoothie. 

So here's 5 reasons you'll love dates, too.

1. The fruit is rich in dietary fiber, which prevents LDL cholesterol absorption in the gut. Additionally, the fiber works as a bulk laxative. It, thus, helps to protect the colon mucous membrane from cancer-causing chemicals binding to it in the colon.
2. Dates are an excellent source of iron, carry 0.90 mg/100 g of fruits (about 11% of RDI). Iron, being a component of hemoglobin inside the red blood cells, determines the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.
3. Further, they are an excellent sources of potassium. 100 g contains 696 mg or 16% of daily-recommended levels of this electrolyte. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that help regulate heart rate and blood pressure. They, thus, offers protection against stroke and coronary heart diseases.
4. Date fruits are also rich in minerals like calcium, manganese, copper, and magnesium. Calcium is an important mineral that is an essential constituent of bone and teeth, and required by the body for muscle contraction, blood clotting, and nerve impulse conduction. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Copper is required for the production of red blood cells. Magnesium is essential for bone growth.
5. Further, the fruit has moderate levels of B-complex group of vitamins as well as vitamin K. It contains very good amounts of pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), niacin, pantothenic acid, and riboflavin. These vitamins are acting as cofactors help body metabolize carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Vitamin K is essential for many coagulant factors in the blood as well as in bone metabolism.

I can keep going. Dates contain antioxidant flavonoids such as Beta-carotene, lutein, and zea-xanthin. These are antioxidants found to have the ability to protect cells and other structures in the body from harmful effects of oxygen-free radicals. Eating dates can offer some protection from colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers. 

Okay, so there you have it - Five good reasons to include dates as part of a healthy diet. 

The views expressed on this site are my opinions and should not be taken as a substitute for qualified medical expertise. I am not a Doctor. I do not give medical advice or make claims to cure any sickness, disease or affliction. I simply share my understanding of health and fitness. Please consult your Doctor or Health Care Practitioner before starting any diet or fitness routine.

Affiliate link disclosure: I use affiliate links on my Blog. This means that in some cases when I link to an online retailer I get a commission for referred sales. Meaning, if you click one of these affiliate links and make a purchase the retailer gives me a cut of it. For what it’s worth, I never write articles and insert affiliate links for the sole reason of earning a commission.

Get "Fight Club" fit with Brad Pitt's Workout

In 1999 I saw the movie Fight Club. It blew my mind. God, has it It been 15 years?

Okay, so if you haven't seen Fight Club, you are probably living under a rock and not reading this post. Seriously. It's a must see classic. The movie is focused around Edward Norton’s character ‘the narrator’ or ‘Jack’ going through continual life crisis situations, on a quest to liberate himself of all ego attachments with the help of a cunning guide, Brad Pitt, as Tyler Durden.

For the rest of you who have seen the movie, who can forget Tyler Durden? Witty, fearless, and a unique fashion style all his own. Just plain cool. What a memorable character. His confident, "let go" attitude and willingness to be authentic, even dangerous, is what many people love most about him. In Tyler we trust, right?

Oh, there's also the killer abs. At 6% body fat, Tyler Durden was the definition of lean and mean. I was impressed by how Brad Pitt was in outstanding shape, while still being able to look hip and stylish in his regular clothes. After Fight Club was released, many people sought a workout that would produce similar results. Yes, it's been 15 years, but this movie has made such a large impact in the fitness industry and people still talk about Brad's physique in the movie.

So today we're going to take a look at how Brad Pitt got is shape for Fight Club. 

“I’m breaking my attachment to physical power and possessions, because 

only through destroying myself can I discover the greater power of my spirit.” 

“The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is: you do NOT talk about Fight Club. Third rule of Fight Club: someone yells stop, goes limp, taps out, the fight is over. Fourth rule: only two guys to a fight. Fifth rule: one fight at a time, fellas. Sixth rule: no shirts, no shoes. Seventh rule: fights will go on as long as they have to. And the eighth and final rule: if this is your first night at Fight Club, you have to fight” 

Brad Pitt’s Fight Club workout centered on training a different muscle group each day. He focused on one muscle group a day, and just “killed it.” He would allow the muscle group to rest for the remainder of the week. Brad Pitt was able to showcase so much lean muscle because he is an ectomorph. Ectomorphs, or “hard-gainers” are those people who find it hard to gain muscle or fat. No matter how much they eat or train, they can’t seem to gain weight.

Pitt utilized this to his genetic advantage of being an ectomorph by going for a look that showed off his lean muscle-Tyler Durden look. This was achieved by doing high reps and eating a lot of protein. So being on the thinner side, and doing high reps, he got ripped. If you are NOT an ectomorph, it will be hard to chisel your way down to 6 percent body fat. You may have to do more cardio to melt away the fat.

Most ectomorphs find success in low-rep, high intensity workout routines. This was the opposite of what Brad Pitt did in his workout. Still, he allowed for optimal rest. This is also important for ectomorphs to do. Because it is so hard for them to gain muscle, 2-3 days of rest, if not a week is best when trying to gain muscle. Brad Pitt would often use a Nautilus machine instead of doing free weights. This is because the machines tend to build max resistance where your muscles are strongest.

Pitt used a semi-bodybuilding type workout to promote growth, annihilating one group per day with numerous sets. This is very beneficial for adding muscle mass, as muscles grow during rest periods and not during the actual time in the gym. 

Finally, at the end of the week, he finished off with a good cardio workout. This put his body in fat-burning mode, which served to shed any extra padding that covered his muscles, giving him that chiseled look.

Personally, I don't follow this "blast your muscles" routine, but for the sake of those out there who want to go hard core, and want to give it a go, I thought I'd share what I learned about Brad Pitt's routine. So take into consideration you metabolism, diet, fitness level, and time restraints before tearing up this workout. If you are looking for lean and mean, you might want to go with Rusty Moore's Visual Impact Program. It's the one I am currently following to go for the lean, "Holywood" look.

Fight Club Workout Routine

The Brad Pitt workout comes from his interviews with Men’s Heath UK. Here is the exact workout:

Directions: Do 3 sets of each exercise, 15 reps each time. Make sure to rest for 60 seconds between each set. Find a weight that allows you to complete at least 15 reps. Make sure that you use good form, and are fatigued at the 15th rep. If you find 15 reps easy, make sure to go up in weight next set.

Monday Routine = Chest Day The Brad Pitt Fight Club workout starts with chest on Monday, then rests that muscle group for the rest of the week. The chest routine utilizes pushups as a good warm up. Bench Press and Incline Press are the core of the workout, with cable flys to extend range of motion and flexibility. 

25 Pushups 

3 sets of each, 15 reps:
Bench Press
Incline Chest Press
Machine or Cable Flys 

Tuesday Routine = Back Day

3 sets of 5 each, 15 reps:Pull UpsSeated RowLat PulldownsT-Bar rows
Go for 5 Pull Ups per set, since they are just a warm up. (Use a resistance machine, or have a partner hold your legs if you need to cheat a bit)

Wednesday Routine = Shoulders Day
Ectomorphs generally have small shoulders and Brad Pitt had to work hard to add bulk to his shoulders. One of the main reasons why Brad Pitt’s body looks so ripped, is because his shoulders are so big. The trick is that the bigger you get your shoulders, the smaller your torso will look in comparison.
3 sets of each, 15 reps:Military Shoulder PressArnold PressLateral Dumbbell RaisesFront Dumbbell Raises
The Brad Pitt Fight Club Workout used the Arnold version of the military press. This is where you start with your palms facing inward and toward your body, and end with your palms outward and facing out in front of you. This is great because it works the front, rear, and lateral deltoids as you swing the weights through the movement.

Thursday Routine = Biceps/Triceps

3 sets of each, 15 reps:

Nautilus curl machineEZ cable curlsHammer curlsTricep pushdowns

Friday = Cardio

Walking or (preferably) running on the treadmill for 45 minutes at 65% to 75% of your maximum heart rate

Saturday/Sunday = Rest

If you want to achieve this look, you really need to be at a low body fat percentage. Pitt was somewhere near 6% – pretty impressive considering your average “fit” guy is around 12% (women probably around 25%). Dialing in your diet with lots of protein, low carb and low fat will be tour best eating plan. Getting in the single digit fat percentage is when you are really going to start seeing the type of ripped definition that will give you the Tyler Durden look.

“I say let me never be complete, I say may I never be content, I say deliver me from 

Swedish furniture, I say deliver me from clever arts, I say deliver me from 

clear skin and perfect teeth, I say you have to give up! I say evolve, and 

let the chips fall where they may!” 

The views expressed on this site are my opinions and should not be taken as a substitute for qualified medical expertise. I am not a Doctor. I do not give medical advice or make claims to cure any sickness, disease or affliction. I simply share my understanding of health and fitness. Please consult your Doctor or Health Care Practitioner before starting any diet or fitness routine.

Affiliate link disclosure: I use affiliate links on my Blog. This means that in some cases when I link to an online retailer I get a commission for referred sales. Meaning, if you click one of these affiliate links and make a purchase the retailer gives me a cut of it. For what it’s worth, I never write articles and insert affiliate links for the sole reason of earning a commission.

The Crazy Eight Body Weight Circuit

Today we are going to take a look at a body weight circuit training called the crazy eight. Traditionally, circuit training involves following several planned exercises performed back-to-back with as little rest as possible. The great thing about circuit training is that it is a way to burn fat while lifting. You aren’t lifting for mass or strength per se, but you are lifting to create an HGH response, which in turn boosts your metabolism and helps to reduce excess body fat. A well-planned circuit training routine is a great way to get in shape without spending a lot of time in the gym but some people don’t have a gym membership or fancy equipment at home. Others have weights, but they don’t have a good treadmill or exercise bike. What if you could get in shape by using your body weight for resistance?

Craig Ballantyne from Turbulence Training has an amazing body weight routine that you can do in your own home?

This workout might give you flashbacks of gym class in Junior High.

The Crazy Eight Body Weight Circuit

Each exercise is done back-to-back with zero rest in between.

60 Jumping Jacks: Done as fast as possible, but make sure you do full jumping jacks.

15-20 Spiderman Pushups: You can do normal pushups it this is a challenge.

Walking Lunges: Ten steps on each side.

Spiderman Climb: (10 per side) These really target the abs and obliques.

Wall Squat: Do for 45-60 seconds. Ouch! This hurts! Don’t rest your hands upon your legs.

Planks: Hold for 60 seconds. Try for 30 seconds if 60 seconds is too much.

5 Burpees: Make sure and do a full pushup at the bottom and explode as high as possible at the top into a jump.

High Knees: Done as fast as possible. Do 50 total. By this time you should be reaching for the oxygen tank.

Rest 60 seconds and repeat....if you can. Craig goes through this circuit a total of three times. Maybe that's where the "crazy" Part comes in.

Personal Notes:  

This routine will have you wheezing like a chain smoker. I was barely able to make it through the first circuit and stopping to rest after the burpees. Honestly, this workout wiped me out and I stopped half way through the second circuit. So be warned.  Don’t add the second or the 3rd cycle until you are ready.

The views expressed on this site are my opinions and should not be taken as a substitute for qualified medical expertise. I am not a Doctor. I do not give medical advice or make claims to cure any sickness, disease or affliction. I simply share my understanding of health and fitness. Please consult your Doctor or Health Care Practitioner before starting any diet or fitness routine.

Affiliate link disclosure: I use affiliate links on my Blog. This means that in some cases when I link to an online retailer I get a commission for referred sales. Meaning, if you click one of these affiliate links and make a purchase the retailer gives me a cut of it. For what it’s worth, I never write articles and insert affiliate links for the sole reason of earning a commission.

Paleo Japanese Curry - Gluten Free

Gluten Free Japanese Curry

Today I am going to share one of my all-time favorite dishes. Japanese Curry. I have adopted a paleo-ish diet and found a way to make this delicious dish without the gluten or the guilt. So let's dig in....

Japanese curry? Your probably thought curry was from India. Or maybe Thailand. Who knew the Japanese had their own signature take on curry? Japanese curry belongs to the group of Japanese foods that have origins in European cuisine, called Yohshoko. It was introduced to Japan in late 1800 by the British and originally it was Western-style stews mixed with curry powder. The Japanese adapted curry to their own version, Curry Rice (Kare Raisu, カレーライス) soon after. By 1950s the curry roux in block form was sold by S&B Foods and everyone could make it easily at home. What is the difference between Japanese and Thai or Indian curry? The Japanese curry sauce is much thicker and sweeter and it’s always served with rice.

Curry is BIG in Japan and is a popular comfort food served in restaurants, schools, and in most Japanese homes. It is a meat and vegetable stew simmered in velvety smooth, sweet and mildly spiced curried gravy served over sticky white rice. Mmmmmm.... Did you say gravy? It is so popular it is unofficially Japan's national dish due to the sheer volume of packaged Curry mix sold every year.

Japanese curry sauce is most commonly made from instant curry roux, available in block and powder forms. Typically the mix comes in segmented bars like chocolate that you break off and add to a boiling pot of sautéd meat and veggies. Unfortunately, commercial curry bases contain ingredients like wheat flour, palm oil, monosodium glutamate, and other mysterious chemical flavorings and preservatives.

I love Japanese Curry with Rice. Maybe a little too much. It has always been a guilty pleasure that borders on an obsession. Okay, an addiction. Unfortunately, commercial curry bases like S&B and House brand contain ingredients like wheat flour, palm oil, monosodium glutamate, and other mysterious chemical flavorings and preservatives. So while it makes an amazingly rich, curry-bomb stew, it is not exactly Paleo-friendly or appropriate for people who are gluten sensitive or celiac.

Making Japanese Curry roux from scratch tastes amazingly better and eliminates the chemicals and unnatural additives. My recipe (through lots or research, development, trial and error) thickens the gravy using Tapioca starch so it stays pretty Paleo and keeps the sodium and carbs in the safe zone. This recipe makes a very tasty S&B Golden Curry clone that is both gluten-free and Paleo-friendly. So say goodbye to those chemical curry candy bars. Toss them in the trash and make it from scratch.

Ingredients: 4 servings
1-1.5 lbs. chicken thighs, chunked
1 Onion, medium size, chopped2 Carrots, chopped 
2 Potatoes, medium size, chopped 
3 Tbs Organic Butter
3 cups Organic Beef Broth

2 Tbs. Organic Ketchup

1 Tbs. Worscester Sauce

1 TBS organic Honey

1 organic red apple, peeled, and puréed or 1/4 cup Apple Sauce

1 teaspoon Apricot Jam (optional)


For the Curry Roux:
4 TBS organic, pastured Butter
1/4 cup Tapioca Starch3 TBS S&B Curry powder 
2TBS Garam Masala
1 teaspoon sea salt


Melt the butter in a small pot or pan. Add the gluten-free flour mix, curry, garam masala, salt, Whisk it all together quickly until it thickens into a paste. When done take it off the heat and set aside until the stew is done and you are ready to use it. This is your home made S&B curry brick


Directions: 

In a large pot, melt butter and brown the onions (approx. 10-15 minutes)
Add meat and stir-fry until lightly browned (approx. 5 minutes).
Add carrots, potatoes or other vegetables.
Add beef broth and bring to boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer until meat is tender (approx. 10 minutes).
Add Curry Roux. Cut into pieces and add to the pot.
Stir until completely melted.

Add apple, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Serve over white rice.


I hope you love this meal as much as I do. Let me know in the comments how this recipe comes out for you! It is such an awesome dish and is probably my all time favorite way to make beef stew.

The views expressed on this site are my opinions and should not be taken as a substitute for qualified medical expertise. I am not a Doctor. I do not give medical advice or make claims to cure any sickness, disease or affliction. I simply share my understanding of health and fitness. Please consult your Doctor or Health Care Practitioner before starting any diet or fitness routine.

Affiliate link disclosure: I use affiliate links on my Blog. This means that in some cases when I link to an online retailer I get a commission for referred sales. Meaning, if you click one of these affiliate links and make a purchase the retailer gives me a cut of it. For what it’s worth, I never write articles and insert affiliate links for the sole reason of earning a commission.

Torch The Fat With High Intensity Interval Training

Today I'm going to show you a sprinting routine that will turn you into the human "fat burning" torch. I know, sounds cheesy, but bear with me on this. It's called HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training. The concept is pretty simple as the name suggests. Research comfirms that short, all-out bursts of effort have a more profound effect on fat loss than a medium-paced jog lasting many times longer. Sprinting is about getting the heart rate high quickly. Sprints help stimulate HGH (human growth hormone) and elevates testosterone, and it can boost your immune system. Studies also show that interval sprinting is a great way to boost your V02 Max (your maximum rate of oxygen consumption). A study by scientists in Canada compared the impact of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and high-intensity aerobics on fat loss. The long duration group burned twice as many calories, so you would assume they would burn more fat than the high intensity group. However, when the researchers recorded their body composition measurements, the interval group showed that they lost the most fat. In fact, the interval group lost 9 times more fat than the endurance group for every calorie burned. Wow.

So increasing your V02 Max with interval training is more effective for reducing body fat than endurance training. 15 to 20 minutes from warmup to completion and you’re done. Even doing just one set of sprints per week improves speed, muscle mass, bone density, cardiovascular strength and aerobic capacity. So forget the 45 minute "slog and jog" routine. Get moving. Fast.

This routine transitions from low-moderate intensity intervals to very high intensity intervals. 15 minutes may seem to good to be true to lose weight, but it is not. However, you must keep in mind this is not a cake walk. If done correctly, it's a butt-kicker, but extremely rewarding and time-saving. HIIT will boost your metabolism so that you are burning calories later in the day. If you're new to this, start with 90 seconds at a moderate pace (approx 50% maximum effort) and go as hard as you can for 30 seconds.

• Warm up for five minutes.

• Exercise as hard and fast as you can for 30 seconds. You should be puffing for breath, feeling like you can’t go another second.

• Recover for 90 seconds, still moving, but at slower pace.

• Repeat the high-intensity exercise and recovery a maximum of seven more times if you can. In the beginning do only two or three until you build up stamina.

Make sure you give yourself enough recovery time between sprints. Don't rush it.

Here's a great demonstration video from Craig Ballantyne of Turbulence Training.

Complete a total of 5-8 intervals your first time. That's all you have to do. Only 5-8 minutes of actual working sets, and you are on your way to torching some serious fat. You can also apply the same concept running outside, swimming, jumping rope, using the intervals proposed above.

Here is a progression for building up your intensity as you advance:

Beginner: Tough for 30 seconds, easy for 90 seconds. (3 to 1) 

Intermediate: Tough for 30 seconds, easy for 60 seconds. (2 to 1)

Advanced : Tough for 30 seconds, easy for 30 seconds. (1 to 1)

More Advanced 2: Tough for 60 seconds, easy for 60 seconds. (1 to 1)

Increasing Intensity

To ramp it up a notch, progressively increase the jogging speed of your intervals by .5. 

Warm up for 3 to 5 minutes. Level 3.5 on a treadmill.

Run for 30 seconds. Level 7.0 

Walk for 60 seconds. Level 3.5

Run for 30 seconds. Level 7.5

Walk for 60 seconds. Level 3.5 

Run for 30 seconds. Level 8.0

Walk for 60 seconds. Level 3.5 

Run for 30 seconds. Level 8.5

Keep alternating like this for 10-20 minutes. 

The One-Two Punch

It you have the time, walk on the treadmill or elliptical for an additional 15 to 30 minutes and really take advantage of your fat burning. The HIIT exercise you just did releases free fatty acids into the blood-stream. By following up with 15 to 30 minutes of low level cardio, your body will burn the released fatty acids for fuel.

Limit the total cardio to 30 minutes in the beginning stage. So if you did 20 min of HIIT then just walk for 10. Or walk for 15 min if you did 15 minutes of HIIT.

As you progress, you can increase the total cardio to 40 minutes. So If I did 15 minutes of intervals I follow up with 20 min of walking on the treadmill. If I did 20 minutes of high intensity, I simply walk for 10-15 minutes.

If you are new, start with a 3 to 1 interval workout and just do one or two tot HIIT workouts a week. You don't want to over-train by having too many intense workouts in the same week. Some weeks I only do one HIIT session after my strength training workout. On those days where I am fatigued or not "feeling my Wheaties", I simply walk for 30 minutes after doing my weight lifting routine.

Give it a try but make sure you don't go banzai and overtrain. Start easy, and progress at a sensible rate. And as always, consult your Doctor or primary health care practitioner before starting any fitness regimen.

Thank you for taking a moment of your valuable time to read this article.

The views expressed on this site are my opinions and should not be taken as a substitute for qualified medical expertise. I am not a Doctor. I do not give medical advice or make claims to cure any sickness, disease or affliction. I simply share my understanding of health and fitness. Please consult your Doctor or Health Care Practitioner before starting any diet or fitness routine.

Affiliate link disclosure: I use affiliate links on my Blog. This means that in some cases when I link to an online retailer I get a commission for referred sales. Meaning, if you click one of these affiliate links and make a purchase the retailer gives me a cut of it. For what it’s worth, I never write articles and insert affiliate links for the sole reason of earning a commission.