Yes, I know it’s the most clichéd end of the year post… “Stuff I learned in the past year.”  But actually, I like this topic. I think it’s valuable to take time for reflection and recapitulation. I enjoy “lessons learned” posts from other people as well when they’re written by experts I respect.  I always pick up some insights that benefit me when I read them.  I haven’t written a post like this in a long time, so I suppose I could say this is stuff I’ve learned in the last 5 years, but it all came to mind now in December of 2011 in this one big brain dump. Hope you find it helpful – and in parts, entertaining…

Bread haters are just HANGRY… That’s right, they’re mad at the world because yummy bread and yummy pasta are forbidden to them, while we in the bodybuilding nutrition field know how to use carbs intelligently rather than demonize them completely…

I’m going to do my duty today to help you avoid the candy dish and other Halloween temptations by giving you 3 delicious healthy alternatives, suitable for the season. Best part: they’re all high in protein too, so they fit perfectly into the Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle lifestyle! Which one will you try first: the pumpkin pancakes (pumpcakes), pumpkin protein smoothie, or the pumpkin spice oatmeal? 

They say “success leaves clues.” I’ve always liked that quote, which I first heard from Anthony Robbins, and which I’ve heard re-quoted by many others over the years.  Unfortunately, most people don’t follow the advice contained in those three words. They keep pursuing the lean, “hot body” the hard way; trying to figure it out on their own, starting from scratch without a mentor or guide, following the masses, buying into gimmicks and making the same mistakes over and over again.  There is a much easier way.

“Microwave ovens will kill you!” Or so they say… If you’ve ever surfed the internet for information on health and nutrition, there’s little doubt you’ve come across scare stories about microwave ovens. Online natural health “experts” claim that microwaves will “zap” your food, deplete it of important nutrients and alter its molecular structure in dangerous ways. They also warn that microwave exposure and eating food cooked in microwave ovens will cause harm to your body and even cause cancer!

The Washington DC-based Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) said in a press release this week that the caramel color used in dark soft drinks contains cancer-causing ingredients. They claim it should be banned by the FDA. The story gained widespread media attention on every network – CBS, ABC and MSNBC, and sparked a firestorm of controversy as consumers went into a panic mode, health crusaders went into preach mode and the soda industry went into defense mode. I’m no fan of soda, but there are a few things very wrong with this picture…

The most controversial weight loss story on the web this week: Mark Haub, a nutrition professor from Kansas State University, lost 27 pounds in 10 weeks on a “convenience store diet” with at least two-thirds of his food consisting of Twinkies, Little Debbie Snacks, Doritos, Sugary Cereals and Oreos. The rest of his intake included some vegetables, protein drinks and a multi-vitamin. The weight loss wasn’t surprising, since he limited himself to 1800 calories per day on his “Twinkie diet,” which was part of a class experiment. What surprised most people was that his health indicators (HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglyceride) got better, not worse. What now? Should we trade in our fruits and veggies for ding dongs?

You’ve heard of the “See-Food” diet haven’t you? No, that’s not the diet where you load up on fish, lobster, crab and mussels. The See-Food Diet is the one that so many of us crack jokes about – it’s the diet where you eat everything in sight! But don’t laugh too hard. Scientists at Cornell University and other research institutions have proven that you actually WILL eat more food if you see food more. In fact, if you can see it and it’s within arm’s reach, you could eat yourself obese within a few years and not even know what hit you because the eating happens unconsciously.

“How can I gain muscle and lose fat at the same time?” That’s right up there with “How do I get six pack abs” as one of the most frequently asked fitness questions of all time. The problem is, when you ask it, you get all kinds of conflicting answers – even from experts who are supposed to know these things. So what’s the deal? Is it really possible to lose fat and build muscle simultaneously?

What’s on the menu at fast food restaurants lately? Ironically enough, the answer increasingly is… “health food!” Even more incongruous, many fast food joints are advertising their food for weight loss. Healthy weight loss food at Taco Bell and McDonalds? Is this a positive move to be applauded, is it a big corporate money grab or is it a double edged sword? Here’s my two cents: