This past month was trying. In truth, this past year was trying. Professionally and personally I have met with some of the hardest trials I have ever had to deal with. Some of the battles I have won and some I have lost. In the end if I have learned one thing it is the importance of quality control, and the people you work with.

Flzine was supposed to be an epic adventure to help change the face of the industry. Since its launch it has been a rollercoaster of drama, fights, private emails, suit threats, and good tunes. The problem was prior to the launch I had a large crew to help me take on this journey with me. Now, as the days dwindle, so does the help.

Some have backed out because of not being able to “take the heat.” Others simply don’t have the time or the means. Beyond that there are never ending issues with technical problems that leave me spending more time on fixing things then writing content. My personal blog has suffered and my emails to general readers has suffered. Lastly, this site makes no money and is costing me hundreds a month to run and pay for people to help. I could deal with that if I have the time to devote to it, but I don’t (right now).

I am not giving up on the hope of FLzine, it is obvious to me now that it will have to be a true paid for and run zine and that open source posting doesn’t have the same pull. Times are tough all around and while my personal business is doing well, I can’t afford to lose anymore time.  My hope is if the launch of Body By Eats goes well, I will be able to pay for an ongoing editor, maybe even that Nick guy, to be my partner.

The issue is that of quality control. I would rather let the site be still, than to publish junk or sell  it to keep it going. The only people I trust to take on some of the bigger roles, don’t have time to do it for free, and neither do I.

My plan is to see if after Body by Eats comes out I will have the means and time to renew the site as personal project and see if I can’t get some quality help in here.

I would love to set it up as an open source site with certain approved posters able to log in and post whatever they want when they want. If that sounds like something you would enjoy, let me know. Off of the top of my head I can think of a few people who would be great. I think that is the only fix to the situation. If I can get that set up quickly and the forum fixed then we might get this rolling again together. Up to you guys really and the interest. Otherwise, I am going to have to wait till funds become more available to support something like this.

Forums

The forum issue was a separate one than this one.  For the time being I don’t see any reason to take it down. It should be steady now, and I don’t see any huge problems for the future. The traffic may or may not die down, that is really up to you guys. If anything your stuff and the record of your posts will always be there and backed up, ready to go if I launch the site again with new material.

However, I have opened up commenting on the blog. You can discuss it here or on the forums, whichever you choose.

You’d think I killed a litter of puppies when I wrote that review.

If not aware I recently reviewed Jillian Michaels book “Master Your Metabolism.” I guess I also mastered SEO work because I am on the main page for practically anything you type in for the book. #1 for “Master Your Metabolism Review.” I even beat out amazon, and apparently someone put up the review on Amazon as well based on some things I said.

I am explaining this because you have to understand the level of emails, PM’s, linkbacks, and death threats I have received, and the above is why.

The number one complaint that I am receiving and reading is that I “didn’t going into enough detail.”

Obviously people have a hard time understanding the concept of following the link to the forum post that has page after page of me answering detailed questions and covering the data. That apparently is too much for them. Added to the fact that it is a personal book review. This was not supposed to be a detailed page by page examination of the entire book.

I find it even funnier that a review that states “Wow! Jillian scores again, such a fantastic book about your metabolism!” Gets 5 stars, but my previous review can be seen as “vague.” Really?

Detail you want? Detail you get.

Before I dive in though, just for fun, I want to address a few personal things that I find to be hilarious that were sent to me.

Point #1- I am jealous of Jillian’s celebrity.

I am a triple xxx list celebrity in my own right thank you very much. I have at least 1 person a day email me that they are standing outside my window. Because of this I could care less about D-list Jillian Michaels.

Also, there could be a chance that I am one of the few people in the world who believe that talent and ability make someone swoon worthy. Fame means nothing to me, character and talent does. Label me unimpressed by fame.

Point #2-I have an agenda of trying to sell my book.

My books are better, more logical, and you’re damn right I am going to suggest them in place of hers. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t suggest others or that I have a problem with competition. I happen to review and recommend other books, in my exact field, all the time. I have even told people to buy a book over my own if I felt it fit with them better. I am an entrepreneur yes, but shockingly have ethics to back it up.

If looking for more of this writing magic, please check out my awesome books over at fatlosstroubleshoot.com. Where you can get 2 books, audio cd, workout programs, meal plans and more! How about that for an obvious plug.

Point #3- “Leigh, you’re a nasty woman with a bush like shag carpet and teeth like a ravenous beaver!” -Jillian

I resent this statement and will have you know that my vagina’s teeth are in no way beaver shaped.

Point #4- You didn’t care about how much I rambled on before the book review itself.

Oops, I did it again!

Like I stated in the previous book, my main problems were the “absolutes” and unsupported claims about certain products and health issues. I am going to address some of the specific ones and you can judge from there.

Before I dive in there are a few things that you need to understand.

The headache of research analyzing research

If you are new to analyzing research this can be a huge huge headache. I speak from personal experience. I still don’t know half of what is out there and there is some research that is simply beyond my scope of understanding.

Everything has a deeper layer. For example, right now you are reading this message while sitting at a computer (more than likely). You know in order to type a hate letter to me about this review you have to take your fingers and make them move on the keyboard attached to your computer. Just that simple act has so many layers from how your brain functions to how the keys being pushed creates letters that pop up on the screen.

I can tell you only to a point of my understanding of this. Meaning…

Your finger strikes the key, the key hits a switch that is on something called a “key matrix.” That causes a vibration or a bounce. That then goes into the processor that figures out based on a character map what the letter was, if it was small or capitalized, etc. From there, I have no idea, but I can guess that it keeps going to find a way to appear on your screen. This all happens in an instant and being I am typing right now, I find that fascinating.

That may or may not even be right, I don’t know. I don’t research computers.

Some researchers go in depths beyond a point that even the smartest of people can go. Those people report to other people on a lower level. Based upon those peoples knowledge it gets more “dummed down,” until you achieve a rough end to the telephone game. Like with any telephone game the first message can differ greatly from the last.

If you are still here following along the take home point is that when you get to a book like “Master Your Metabolism” the information in it has passed through many telephones. You have to check best you can on the quality of their interpretations of that message.

Specific points to go along with those that you can find on the forums.

Page 28: “We’ll focus on food groups that trigger your fat-burning hormones and blunt your fat storing hormones”

Doesn’t exist. There is no such thing as a fat storing hormone. There is a collection of processes that lead you to store fat if in a caloric deficit or if you have to much of certain macros. However, even if you store fat you can turn right around and pull from those stores if in a deficit. It is the simplest thing in the world and very logical but missed by doctors, trainers, and nutritionist world wide.

Page 28: “No calorie counting here. You’ll learn how to combine foods in ways that trigger optimal hormone release…keep body burning calories throughout the day, you’ll be eating constantly.”

This is deceptive and also works on the principal of multiple meals and combining foods.

Food timing and combing certain foods, while it can be a nutritional strategy, doesn’t HAVE to be in order to be healthy or lose fat. It is made very clear it is in her book. Also, the fact that a caloric deficit doesn’t need to be achieved is ridiculous and going to set people up for frustration. It is also contradicted in many sections.

Page 29: “You wont believe how many chemicals are in your water supply, house, office, car -you name it-are making you fat right now.”

You don’t gain fat out of nowhere. Those same chemical are in the air too and unless you live in a plastic bubble, you’re screwed anyway. She suggests through out the book that -
a) she knows what they do (she doesn’t)
b) that you can do something about it (depending on where you live, you may or may not be able too)

No matter what, no chemical in the world makes you gain fat out of nowhere. There is a CHANCE that certain exposures on larger levels can mess with endocrine functions making you more sensitive to hunger, stress, and insulin issues. However, none of that forces a outback steak and onion rings into your mouth.

Page 33: She accounts of her story about how her friend and Vanessa are completely different and it is the diet sodas and organic foods that were the answer.

It is a anecdotal story that is the base lead off for the books information and plays on the “I hate my pretty friend” card, which is just sadder.

Page 38: There is a chart discussing “Things that mess up insulin” and she lists out “Certain food additives, pesticides, and plastics.”

No references at all to any specifics data showing anything about these things have a direct link on insulin response in humans that I am aware of on small levels.

The only things you can pull up that provide this are ridiculous studies that have no real world effect or situations of special and EXTREME contamination, mostly with animals. Here is an example of such one.

Earlier test-tube studies had suggested that bisphenol-A makes pancreatic cells secrete secrete /se·crete/ (se-kret´) to elaborate and release a secretion.
se·crete
v.
To generate and separate a substance from cells or bodily fluids. the glucose-regulating hormone insulin. To investigate this effect in live animals, Nadal and his colleagues injected adult male mice with pure corn oil or with oil containing either bisphenol-A or an equal amount of the natural female sex hormone sex hormone
n.
Any of various steroid hormones, such as estrogen and androgen, affecting the growth or function of the reproductive organs and the development of secondary sex characteristics.
….. Click the link for more information. estradiol. Animals received as many as eight shots over 4 days.

Within 30 minutes of an injection, animals receiving either the sex hormone or bisphenol-A had abnormally low concentrations of glucose in their blood, Nadal’s team reports in the January Environmental Health Perspectives. The chemicals acted on recently discovered estrogen receptors on pancreatic cells’ surfaces to boost the cells’ secretion of insulin, the researchers determined.

Repeated exposure to either bisphenol-A or the natural estrogen over several days produced insulin resistance, a pre-diabetic state in which tissues lose their sensitivity to normal concentrations of insulin, Nadal’s group says. Estrogen receptors in the pancreatic-cell nucleus appear to contribute to this gradual effect.

So, receptors both in the cell nucleus and on the surface could contribute to insulin resistance and diabetes, Nadal says.

Leaking of bottles could never equal this kind of level and as research has shown only certain bottles ever could and a a couple of good hot washes destroys any trace all together.

Page 70: “A recent large scale epidemiological study by the national institutes of Health looked at what happened to thirty thousand people, mostly men, who used pesticides on their farms. These licensed applicators, of the chemicals, probably with protective gear, had a greater risk of diabetes.

The results suggest that being exposed to pesticides may be a significant contributor to diabetes. “

So lets break this down.

A survey/collection study (that is basically what a epidemiological study is) is given to a bunch of farmers, who live all day in the pesticides as their job.Based on these questionnaires, they determine that the reason these farmers are fat and have diabetes is the pesticides?

This is taking nothing into consideration of that fact that these farmers could be stuffing themselves left and right with barbecue and rolls.

Now, because of these few, fat, diabetes ridden farmers, the apple I got and washed off (which washing alone has proven to servery decrease contamination) is going to cause me to get fat and diabetes?

Yes. Yes, that is brilliant research and cause/effect connection.

This is a small, small amount. The whole book is filled with them to the brim. I will give you a more gems before closing.

Fish oil-1g – Really? Out of all the stuff in the book that you researched you didn’t find out that higher levels might actually be the one thing any there that CAN help. You didn’t find out that higher levels of fish oil intake could possibly combat some of the very effects you are claiming in the book?

Only eat organics-Is it a bad thing to be safe? No. Has it been proven to do anything? No.

“Status Summary- Organic Foods. Journal of food Science- vol. 71, Nr.9, 2006

The FDA actually conducts its own market basket survey, the total diet study, which involves a market basket of 285 distinct foods analyzed for pesticide residues at the time the foods are ready for consumption. While the results for the total diet study have consistently shown low levels of pesticide residues in food samples, the FDA discontinued estimating dietary exposure to specific pesticides after 1991. From the 1991 total diet study, the highest daily average pesticide intake among different population subgroups (6- to 11- month old infants, 14- to 16 yr old men, and 60- to 65- y-old women) was compared directly with the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization/ WHO ADI values for 38 pesticides. Estimated exposures were less than 1% of the ADI values for 34 of the, with the remaining 4 pesticides contributing 1%, 1.8%, 2.7%, and 4.8% of the ADI values. To put such values in perspective, the ADI typically represents a value 100 times lower than the highest level of exposure to a pesticide given to the most sensitive animal species on a daily basis throughout it’s lifetime that has not caused any noticeable toxicological effect. A typical human exposure at 1% of the ADI represents an exposure 10000 times lower than levels that do not cause toxicity in animals. Such findings suggest that typical dietary exposure to pesticide residues in foods poses minimal risks to humans. From a practical standpoint, the marginal benefits of reducing human exposure to pesticides in the diet through increased consumption of organic produce appear to be insignificant.”

There are also more charted cases of people dying due to hookworms and other problems because of pest ridden foods than anything showing up on pesticides, for the record. It is much like the swine flu. Thousands of people die every year from the regular flu, but because of a handful of people sick in another country thousands of pigs are being killed and paraniod people are running rapid to the doctors.

No carbs before bed/Don’t eat after nine-*sigh*

Yeah, if you have insomnia it might not be the best time to eat a lot of sugar, before bed or down cases of red bulls either. However, that doesn’t mean that have a small meal at night is going ot hurt you, especially if it fits within your scedule or program.

Small activity doesn’ help, get to the gym 4-5 hours a week-Nope, wrong again there Jillian. I am happy for you though that your OC exercise habits have decreased to that level now though, congrats.

It is also hilarious that all the exercise prescriptions contradict most of the hormonal arguments.

Is this detailed enough yet?

I have a great idea, the next person that wants to argue about my review of the book, please do the following.

-Read all the studies that are cited on the specific topics you want to argue.
-Read other studies that aren’t listed in the field of work so that you can provide a review on the subject.
-Research the actual effects of meal timing and macro combination in relation to body composition and health
-Don’t whine and pull bull arguments like “your just jealous or I think you are bitter.” I am not, and that has no relevance and is basically a “Well YOU SMELL!” arguing technique.

I am not arguing with anyone that doesn’t present me a logical study. If so I am happy to hear it, all ears even as it would give me a greater ability to protect myself and clients.

Any further questions?

My take home point is this.

There is nothing wrong with eating healthy and taking the safe road IN CASE we found out that what we know thus far turns out to be wrong or more severe. However, scare tactics by a paranoid aggressive trainer who wants you to run from everything until there is no place left to go, not even the water, is crap.

Be careful? Yes.
Make healthy decisions overall? Yes.
Do what you can to get the best nutrition possible? Yes.
Don’t drink cleaner fluid? Yes.

Make absolutes and claim that things are proven (that aren’t), and scare the shit out of people with BS facts?

NO.

To read comments or to leave a comment click here

25 dollars.

Everyday the world tries to get you to spend at least 25 dollars on something. Here are just a few things that cost 25 dollars.

-2 person meal and tip at TGIF’s
-2-3 drinks at a bar with tip
-half a tank of gas in a SUV
-24 pack of paper towels
-plain tank top
-2 packages of gourmet coffee
-The chance to help save someones life and over 800 pages of some of the best training, nutrition, and rehab information you can find.

I bring up the last point because it was recently the anniversary of Liftstrong.  A  product where you get over 800 pages of goodies. The best part is that 100%, not some, but all proceeds go to help aid in research for cancer.

I fucking hate cancer.

Apparently I am more of a loner in this than I thought.

See, I have a emailing list. Any self respectful guru wannabe has a email list.

I try to provide my list with helpful information and updates about what I am doing. I have talked to over 1000+ people personally on that list. I assure you that is not normal. I genuinely care about what I send my list of readers.

I am also signed up on other people’s email lists. You know, to spy. To see what the competition is up to, to find out about the latest crazes, and to check up on what that bastard Mike Robertson is doing. Are you on his list by the way? I would link you but I don’t want to divert your attention just yet, but after you are done with all of this go sign up.

When the anniversary of Liftstrong came up I got asked to  get the word out. I didn’t give it a 2nd thought. I had nothing to gain either. I am not even on the damn thing. You think they would have done a 2nd edition. Just so I could have make an appearance. Maybe a video with me hugging the “fuck cancer” bear or something, but no.

In my humble state I did what anyone else should have done in that situation, I swallowed my pride, and I sent out the word to help fight cancer. You know, cancer, that shit that is killing millions of people we love everyday.

For a brief moment or two, I felt warm, and good about what I had done for the world.  Then I got bitter because I noticed that only me and a few other people had the same enthusiasm to help. It’s funny I kept getting emails about my abs, and flying lessons (because that is relevant to ab training), but no cancer support.

I am not going to jump to any conclusions…yet.

Hopefully they didn’t know about it. So now, this is where YOU are going to help me. I want you to let them know about it. You are going to share how much you would love to know about something like this.

Your assignment

I want to you send a message to all the gurus that you are subscribed to, and let them know that you want their support for Liftstrong. Ask them if they could send an email out or post up a blog.  I have made it even easier on you and am providing you with a pre-written email.

“Dear (enter 6 pack ab toting guru name here)

I have been a member of your email list for a long time now. While I do enjoy all the daily emails about how to look massively sexy, I feel the need for a little more substance today.

Recently, I stumbled over to the Flzine site and read a blog post by the amazing (and might I say highly underrated and talented) Leigh Peele.  It was discussing this great product, Liftstrong, in which all proceeds go to cancer. I hadn’t gotten any emails about that from you, and was wondering if you knew about? I think it would be great for you to send out to your list of readers, and also it will not lump you into a category of douches and vagina’s that shaft cancer research. Wouldn’t want that!

Here is the link to the Liftstrong site.

http://www.liftstrong.com/

Looking forward to seeing the email.

(Your Name Here)”

Don’t assume that someone else is going to do it. Even if you can’t buy the product yourself, take just 3 mins to copy and paste that on a blog you visit, or to email them personally.

I am going to be making the rounds tomorrow and I better see this any and everywhere I look on a blog. Even if you aren’t sure if they mailed it out, do it. Some people might NOT have known, and we really don’t want them lumped in with those others guys now, do we?

After you have spread the word, hop over to the Liftstrong site yourself and get an awesome gift and support the research that might change peoples lives.

To read comments or to leave a comment click here

Hardcore PT: Chiro’s are a bunch of manipulative manipulators with back-cracking fetishes who are grounded in pseudo-science and vitalism.

Hardcore Chiro: PT’s are a bunch of narrow-minded allopathic puppets that are experts in placing hotpacks on patients while they iron them (ultrasound).

Discuss…

Right out of the shoot, this isn’t a one-vs-the-other argument. Rather it is an honest look at the professions of Physical Therapy and Chiropractic. It will look at the advantages, the flaws, and the opinions that relate to the fitness industry.

I’m hoping to tease out the best of both professions based on research, and my own experiences to help the fitness pro and enthusiast alike to make more informed decisions. I also want to start a massive fight between PT’s and DC’s….yeah!

Eliminating the Blanket Statement-ry

My opening scenario outlines the extreme opinion when it comes to both the PT and the Chiropractic profession, with reality settling somewhere in the middle. Here are some thoughts to consider when looking at both areas.

• There are both great physio’s and great chiro’s, as well as poor ones.
• We must look at the practitioner, rather than the discipline, when making a broad-based opinion on the profession.
• We must look at whether an intervention is evidence-based, rather than whether it is “chiropractic or PT” or on a broader scale, “allopathic” vs. “alternative”.

The line in the sand becomes even more blurry when discussing interventions. There are on-going legal issues regarding scope of practice and which profession may or may not do what. This is confounded by state and provincially-governed laws. Here is some clarification:

• DC’s don’t just “crack backs.”
• PT’s can and in many cases do “crack backs.”
• Manipulation is the “bread and butter” treatment used by chiropractors, while PT’s tend to use manipulation as an adjunct treatment.
• In many states, Chiro’s are able to perform rehabilitation services to their patients.

Without getting into a drawn-out discussion on education, suffice to say there is a good deal of overlap between PT and Chiro schools. The difference in terms of scope is small.

PT’s are trained in stroke rehabilitation, cardiorespiratory, rehabilitation, and post op orthopaedic rehabilitation.

Chiro’s have better training in radiology and diagnosis.

The Favorable aspects of Chiropractic

• Chiropractic treatment tends to have a high satisfaction rating amongst patients. This could be a function of its efficacy but may also be due to patient relationship and dialogue. Either way, PT’s could probably learn something from chiro’s in terms of communication and perhaps take a look at acute pain management – an area where Chiro’s seem to have an edge (some of these thoughts are anecdotal).
• Chiropractic treatments are generally effective for acute (and in some cases) chronic nueromusculoskeletal issues. There is also some evidence that manipulations are beneficial for migraine headaches. It should be noted, however that many trials prove inconclusive when it comes to chiropractic efficacy.

Flaws of Chriopractic

Again, I will reiterate the fact that I am talking about “ChriopracTORS” vs. ChiropracTIC”. As previously mentioned, I believe that there are very good ChiropracTORS out there. I believe, however that there are many aspects of ChriropraTIC that need to be addressed and/or exposed.

Here are some of the less desirable aspects of certain scopes of Chiropractic

1. Everybody is a candidate for manipulation: There is an undeniable trend in Chiropractic towards manipulating everybody – even hypermobile or osteoporotic individuals and children.

2. The subluxation factor: Many DC’s believe and convince patients that subluxations (when vertebrae are out of position) are a primary cause of disease and dis-ease and need to be treated. Most PT’s believe chiropractic subluxations to be a diagnostic apparition – a ruse to keep patients waling through the door to treat an invisible disease.

3. Treating diseases: There is a significant cross section of Chiro’s who claim that they can treat a wide variety of medical issues through their treatments. There is no convincing evidence that chiropractic makes your “organs function better” nor has it ever been shown to manage diabetes, asthma, blood pressure or menstrual pain better than a control group of a different intervention or sham manipulation.

4. Selling products, cleanses and Nutritional counseling beyond their scope: Many DC’s pad their pocketbooks by selling herbal remedies, providing nutritional counseling or by providing other services in which they are not fully qualified to do.

5. The Lifetime patient: Many DC’s will recommend “maintenance” adjustments whereby patients are encouraged to come in for frequent adjustments to continue to be “healthy”. The aforementioned “subluxation” argument is usually cited as the rationale for continued treatment.

6. Treating children: Selling parents on treating their children is a dubious tactic that some DC use. There is no substantive evidence that chiropractic improves the outcome of colic, nor does it cure bedwetting or digestive issues.

What about neck manipulation and strokes?

This area is a topic in and of itself so I won’t delve too deeply into it. In summary, the risk of stroke through cervical manipulation is very small. I can’t provide a risk/benefit commentary as I’m intimately familiar with the literature.

My off-the-cuff opinion?

Chiropractic is generally safe and the risk of stroke, although real – is likely overblown by overzealous MD’s and PT’s.

Getting the best of both worlds – a summary

• Like any profession, the practitioner is only as good as he/she’s dedication to continuing education and mastery of their profession and dedication to helping patients.
• Choose or refer practitioners that strive to stay on the cutting edge of science and those that exercise themselves and have a deep understanding of movement.
• PT doesn’t have the same stigma attached to it as does chiropractic, although PT’s could do a better job overall with patient care and satisfaction. Part of this disconnect may be because Chiro’s don’t have much in the way of a medical-based referral system.
• Look for a PT that is certified in manipulative therapy and that is “hands on” vs. modality-based. Find one with specializations related to the dysfunction or condition that you are your referral is struggling with.
• Steer clear of PT’s who treat only based on algorithms and formulas and who relies too much on modalities and cookie-cutter exercises.
• Choose a DC that is evidence-based and one with an interest in having patients “leave the nest” rather than create a dependence.
• Steer clear of “subluxationist” chiro’s and anyone who sells supplements or herbal remedies.
• Ask around, do your homework and find the best practitioner to suit your needs.

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Mike Howard is a Vancouver, British Columbia-based personal trainer, writer and educator – specializing in fat loss and corrective exercise.  He is a regular contributor to Diet Blog (www.diet-blog.com) and has been published in several other local and national publications.  Mike has also taught personal training certification courses and is a continuing education provider for trainers.  For more information visit www.coreconceptswellness.com

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References:

1. Koes BW, Assendelft WJ, van der Heijden GJ, et al. Spinal manipulation for low back pain. An updated systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Spine. 1996;21:2860-2873.
2. Glover JR, Morris JG, Khosla T. Back pain: a randomized clinical trial of rotational manipulation of the trunk. Br J Ind Med. 1974;31:59-64.
3. Triano JJ, McGregor M, Hondras MA, et al. Manipulative therapy versus education programs in chronic low back pain. Spine. 1995;20:948-955.
4. Cherkin DC, Deyo RA, Battie M, et al. A comparison of physical therapy, chiropractic manipulation, and provision of an educational booklet for the treatment of patients with low back pain. N Engl J Med. 1998;339:1021-1029.
5. Santilli V, Beghi E, Finucci S. Chiropractic manipulation in the treatment of acute back pain and sciatica with disc protrusion: a randomized double-blind clinical trial of active and simulated spinal manipulations. Spine J. 2006;6:131-137.
6. Olafsdottir E, Forshei S, Fluge G, et al. Randomised controlled trial of infantile colic treated with chiropractic spinal manipulation. Arch Dis Child. 2001;84:138-141
7. Hondras MA, Long CR, Brennan PC. Spinal manipulative therapy versus a low force mimic maneuver for women with primary dysmenorrhea: a randomized, observer-blinded, clinical trial. Pain. 1999;81:105-114.
8. Reed WR, Beavers S, Reddy SK, et al. Chiropractic management of primary nocturnal enuresis. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1994;17:596-60
9. Kukurin GW. Chronic pediatric asthma and chiropractic spinal manipulation. A prospective clinical series and randomized clinical pilot study. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2002;25:540-541.
10. Walsh MJ, Polus BI. A randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial on the efficacy of chiropractic therapy on premenstrual syndrome. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1999;22:582-585.
11. Goertz CH, Grimm RH, Svendsen K, et al. Treatment of hypertension with alternative therapies (THAT) study: a randomized clinical trial. J Hypertens. 2002;20:2063-2068.

To read comments or to leave a comment click here

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Feature item for this post: Magnificent Mobility

Hey Fatty, your breathing on me!: This just in, it isn’t your cars fault that there is too much pollution in the air or big industry waste spill or factories. Oh no, it the FATTY’S! “Each fat person is said to be responsible for emitting a ton more of climate-warming carbon dioxide per year than a thin one.”

That is the funniest stuff I have read all week.

To round to leave the ground: The US Airlines are at it again with making the people who take up more room, pay more. They are not happy about it. One source has stated “The problem is not that fat people are too big to fit into airline seats, it is that airline seats are too small to fit a large segment of the population comfortably.”

I remember that argument. The problem is not that my hand hit your face, but that you ran into my hand. OOOHH Snap!

Celebrity Fat-Off: Apparently the female stars aren’t the only ones getting called out for being fat these days. The New York Times covered a story on the plumb growth of male actors over the recent years. Even sexy Denzel didn’t escape the pot belly look. Come on, you know they only did it for the role. They are truly dedicated to their craft. Their Kraft Cheese that is…

To read comments or to leave a comment click here

This will make you think twice about that match.com meetup you were thinking of having. I know, I should be damning the industry because they give people a false since of reality about what people really look like. They make men and women have to live up to something that doesn’t really exist. I believe in all of these things and look forward to discussing it with you on the forum. In the meantime, please read the funny captions.

From smelling something bad to orgasmic pleasure girl

You can watch the transition the above before and after here.

Photo Retoucher in action from shumski on Vimeo.

From really creepy to really creepy with more abs

From crackhead barbie to alien barbie

They actually wanted her to gain weight, shocking.

I just love his post baby fresh silky skin.

I mean, what the f**k?

Oh my poor gothic elbow

No jokes will be made about Kelly Clarkson.

From a phantom pack to six pack

Oh look! It’s Tara Reid

Now it is time to do your part and Digg the hell out of this biotch! Not the chick in the photo, the post.

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To get this look without the air brush check out the feature item The Fat Loss Troubleshoot

By Leigh Peele

Update: Due to a high volume of complaints and death threats I have written a follow up post which you can see here after you finish the one below.

I am not going to lie, I went into this review  looking to rip apart every bit of this book piece by piece. It is no secret my general feelings toward most television and celebrity trainers. I have even spoken particular about Jillian Michaels before in a very…opinionated manner. If you know me at all, and know that I am reviewing this book, then you are going to assume that this isn’t going to be pretty.  Well, let’s see shall we?

My Trip to Books-a-Million

I live right by just about everything. With a 12 min walk I have video games, three different grocery stores, two Starbucks, shoes, clothes, bookstores, etc. You name it and I can walk to it in 12 mins. I don’t run, I hate running. If I did though it could be even quicker.

I set out to take a walk up to the bookstore, I got inside, grabbed the book, and headed to the counter.

No one was there.

This is a f**king bookstore. It was dead. It was literally me, a chick drinking coffee 15 feet away in the cafe, and a guy outside smoking a cig. Finally the cafe girl see’s me and calls someone upfront to the register.

She was defensive from the get go.

Question: Why is it when it is other people screw up they think they can deflect it by being a jackass and turning it around on you? That doesn’t work so well on me.

I am standing there, still smiling and being nice, and I give her the book. She asks me if I have a membership card, I say no and not interested, but thank you anyway. She says, “Okay, well just so you know you would have saved $2.34 today.” Really, really you snooty little bitch, really? It is funny that you think after I stood here for 10 mins, and that you gave me attitude about the fact that you are late, that I am going to feel as  if my world is crushed knowing that.

Needless to say I didn’t like her. Final point, that is a poor marketing strategy, Godin would not approve.

The First 20 mins of reading

I got home, I curled up next to my pup, and I dove in.

I read fast. I am not a super speed reader, but I can read pretty quickly and have excellent comprehension. Unless very technical I can get through a book pretty fast. The less technical the better my speed. The first sections of this book were basically a quick overview of Jillian’s early years and how she got started, and ultimately what led to her writing a book on Metabolism. It was there my tone changed while reading. My inner monologue got all soft on me. It is hard to hate almost 60% of who you have trained and come to love over the recent years.

That’s right, turns out Jillian was just another of my clan. I saw it before she said it and I knew the whole book, almost word from word before I even read it. I didn’t even need to read it. It has been in my email box forever now. I know how she got there, I know where she THINKS her road now is going to take her, and I know that she is going to end up just as screwed up as before because she still isn’t getting it. Worse, she is selling what she doesn’t get to others who don’t get it. It is the blind leading the blind.

To give a short overview:

Jillian was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism after years of driving herself and body into the ground. Not to mention those poor Biggest Loser contestants. She was living off of 1200 calories a day (she states and stated of tracking), never slept, had high cortisol, etc, etc.

Sound familiar?

What happened? She started eating healthier, stopped overtraining, and some other big things that were left out of the book (drugs more than likely if really hypo) that lets her eat 1800-2000 calories a day now. She still has a sluggish metabolism compared to others but hey, that is life, and she feels better now than before. That is all that matters right?

No Ms, Michaels, you have only got one piece of the puzzle and either you don’t realize how much you take in or you are, and more than likely, putting a band-aid on a bullet wound.

The whole book, “Master Your Metabolism,” was written by someone who is still being the slave to their own. Oh yes, it has a big purple hat and cane and it has you do its bidding.

The Flawed Research and Anecdotal Overload

Most of the book, and really I do mean that, is filled with wrong information on studies, how things work, and personal stories that have no relevance to science in anyway,  shape, or form. One of her “ah-ha” moments was when her friend Vanessa got her lab tests back and everything was glowing beautiful. They played the “I do/you do” game and since Vanessa never had a soda or ate junk food, that stuff became the target. OBVIOUSLY this is the answer we were missing all along.

That is the basis. What I want to know is what about the millions and million of people who are fine that eat fat-free potato chips?

From there she gives some studies (that are crap or she didn’t read) backed by book recommendations (that are sketchy, like Ageless by Suzanne Somers). I will highlight some of the majoring glaring flaws below.

The Toxins, oh no not the Toxins

Throw out your make up, your shampoo, your floor cleaners, your plastic containers, etc. Basically anything that you could possible use in a day because it is killing you and making you fat.

The Plastics, oh no not the plastic

I have already covered this recently but the very things she says to avoid have been proven to not have any role in sexual hormone increase in the body.

Organic, for the win!

If you don’t eat organic, you are a bad bad person with a bad bad thyroid.

White is the new death

Yep, no white again for the win!

In short, it is the book for the utter most paranoid people there can be about what is in their foods. If you are looking for a book that is going to (wrongly) feed into your fears about what you do everyday in your life and make you afraid of leaving your house or even to be in your house in the first place, this book is for you.

My closing points

I feel bad for Jillian. Not in a cocky or condescending manner, but because I have known women like her for a long time and they get so tunneled vision on the bad that everything is going to to around you that they can’t live and enjoy life.

News Flash: This world is not safe, the sweet potatoes can hurt you as much as the twinkie given the right cough or contact with the wrong bacteria, and most people are sick, fat, and sad because of what they do to themselves, not because of what is done to us.

Now wait, there is a shiny point…

So the f**k what?! Who cares? All you can do is be as happy as you can be and take care of the self the best you can. Do I have a problem with playing it safe on the off chance that things could be worse than we know now? Nope, but call a spade a spade, we don’t know and what we do know says so far, it doesn’t matter. You teaching people things as absolutes and not reading the research for what it is just causes more harm than good.

My biggest bone to pick though goes beyond this book. I want to close with a final statement/question for Jillian Michaels and who knows, she might just see it.

Final Question: If you found out now and understand that extremely intense overtraining mixed with poor nutrition is a recipe for disaster then what the hell are you doing on the Biggest Loser or taking apart in any of that kind of training? I know how long it takes for a book to come out, this wasn’t an overnight thing Jillian. You are on the show right now as I type this and contract or no contract, what you are doing to those people is wrong, you seem to know this now, but yet you don’t care.

In fact, in a recent interview you talk about how you may be quitting the show, but not because you realize that it may be unhealthy, not because you can’t stand the contestants.

Update: I have addressed some of the specific study issues that were raised in the forums in more detail about the plastics, organics, etc. If you want more information on that there.

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To learn how to REALLY help out your problems with overtraining and slow metabolic behavior you can check out the Metabolic Repair Manual as apart of The Fat Loss Troubleshoot package available now for immediate download here.

Are you enraged about these things? Might be time to think again.

Get rage on…Bread

Whatever you do in life know that if you eat bread you are the lowest of the low. You are such a piece of crap that your mother  should have tied you to a pole at a truck stop and drove away. Bread will not only rob you of your abs, gains, and fat loss, but your health too. That is, if that wasn’t all complete crap and not true.

Get rage on…Isolation exercises

Be it helping to support your look or improve your bench, isolation exercises have their place. To say otherwise just means you are only concerned with full body compound lifts that get you super huge and strong like the crossfit guys.

Get rage on…Crossfit

What? It was fitting to the previous post.

Get rage on…White Rice

You better not even think about eating rice that isn’t brown. Don’t you know what brown rice has the same or less nutrients, can be harder to digest, and has roughly the same GI index especially if mixed with other foods.  Loser.

Get rage on…Walking

Nothing good ever, EVER will come from walking. Forget the fact that in dozens of studies it has proven to be superior to medications, training, and dieting for issues like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, anxiety, and weight loss. Walking is what weak people do who want to eat into muscle.

Get rage on…Water bottles

Seriously? A few hours of research shows that this is complete bull. Don’t worry, a great article will be coming up soon to let you know that it is in fact safe to drink a bottle of water. In the meantime you can check out episode 128.

Get rage on…Guru haters

Look, it is one thing if they are being a troll and hypocritical, (wait that IS most of them) but sometimes you are just wrong and don’t have a come back. Understand that if used properly a guru hater can make you fantastic at your job. Otherwise get used to a life of fails.

Get rage on…Gurus

Oh poor me, that evil guru makes so much money, wah wah. The money on the net isn’t half of what you think it is. If you can teach yourself  how to build a home robot girlfriend, but you can’t learn how to make a real friend or market your blog, that isn’t their problem. Become competition or stop whining you pansy.

Get rage on…Long rest times

I got an idea, how about we just NEVER stop working out? What if we just trained for day after day after day only stopping when we physically are forced to the ground from our dehydrated and cortisol overfilled bodies? That would be awesome!

Get rage on…Eating dairy

Those fucking cows.

Get rage on…Eating meat

Those poor cows.

Get rage on…Eating late at night

Don’t you know what once the sun goes down if you take run bite you are turning into a Gremlin? Remember Gizmo was the one who dressed up like Rambo, he could control his late night urges. So you decide, are you a good guy Rambo or an evil mohawk sporting gremlin?

Editors Note: Even before hitting the publish button I could feel the hate mail being written and the unsubcribe button being clicked.  AWESOME!

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It is safe to say that this month has been a telling and trying month.

With great regret, and a sad heart, we at FLzine are pulling the plug.

See, we thought you would get the jokes, you didn’t.

We thought you would get our off the wall humor and find just as much as we do a joy in the art of and use of the word F**k.  You did not.

We thought that the forums would be home to support, a sharing of a community and spirit of training, learning, and loyalty! No, you turned on us and each other like dogs and it was so bad that one of our own had to remove an entire forum section after only 2 weeks.

In no more time than it takes to dehydrate a banana, we think Leigh Peele’s career may be over. We are hoping she will “pull” through.

It is safe to say that FLzine has pulled some tricks, perhaps even some gravity defying stunts, much like that Turbo in Breakin 2.

At the end of the day it wasn’t enough. No, Flzine just doesn’t have what it takes to keep it together. So with that, I leave you with a message from the Knowledge Cousins.

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There are probably thousands and thousands of people who work in offices that are frustrated at not being able to reach their goals of lookin’ good nekkid. They spend hours every week in the gym, busting their butts to try and lose just a few more pounds and then get disappointed when the scale doesn’t go down. Or the scale shifts a few pounds down and before they know it, their weight is back to what it was.

Does it sound a familiar story?

One of the biggest culprits I have found is other office workers sabotaging your hard efforts. I’ve been in offices where nearly every week someone has a birthday or celebration and they bring in the obligatory cakes, chocolate and biscuits. Or, god forbid, the current chocolate supplies in the office are running low so someone HAS to buy in more. Before you know it, you’re mindlessly walking by them and taking a handful here; a handful there or just feeling peckish and think “what harm can it do?”

Now, before you start agreeing too much that it’s other peoples fault for bringing the junk food in. Reread the last sentence in that paragraph, more specifically “you’re mindlessly walking by them and taking a handful”. YOU, yes YOU are the one deciding to eat that crap that others are bringing in. It’s time to start taking responsibility for your own actions.

Another way to think of the situation is that you’ve probably bought fitness and diet books and DVD’s; you’re a member of a gym; you read a few fitness and nutrition blogs, and you workout several hours a week. Think about all the time and money you have invested in trying to get the body you want and you’re flushing that down the drain because you can’t control a few cravings for junk with next to no nutritional value. When it’s put like that, does it make you pissed with yourself? It would me.

Editors note: F**k me for the Hershey bar miniature candy I just gobbled. Damn you Coulson, DAMN YOU!

It’s time to start exercising some self discipline and self control of your own, take responsibility for your own actions. When it comes to getting the physique you want, YOU are the person ultimately responsible for getting there, whether you like it or not. It’s time to man or woman up and grow a proverbial pair, no excuses.

With the tough love out the way, I will share some tips I have learnt. If you decide to use them, it will help to stack the deck in your favour when those cravings come around, it might even get rid of the cravings.

The Mental Aspect

The first tip is something I picked up from Alwyn Cosgrove. You all know how to set yourself a specific goal i.e. you want to lose 20 lbs in 3 months for example. Now, before you go to eat that slice of cake you have been eyeing up, simply ask yourself “will eating that get me closer towards my goal?” If the answer is No (which would be the correct answer) then don’t eat the cake. In short every action is either bringing you closer towards your goal or taking you further away. The more actions you do which bring you closer to your goal the better.

The second tip I have picked up from reading NLP books is about emulating someone already successful in what you want to do. Find someone who already has the physique you want for example a fitness competitor  and every time you get a craving to eat some chocolate, ask yourself “what would **** do?”  Then do the same. Hint: The answer should be they wouldn’t eat the chocolate!

Finally, it pays to get into a smug and slightly superior frame of mind at being able to resist eating the chocolate and cakes when your co-workers keep eating away at them. Remind yourself how much better than them you will look because you will only touch decent food. It will also pay to keep that attitude to yourself, otherwise you could just look like the office arse!

It’s easy to forget about those tips in the heat of a full blown sugar craving, especially if it hasn’t been ingrained as habit. What you could do is put a post-it note on your monitor or desk with either a phrase or keyword such as “Goal” or “What Would **** Do?” and look at it when that craving next comes around.

The Nutrition Aspect

The biggest difference maker I have found when it comes to helping cravings throughout the day is your breakfast. I know I know, the internet warriors have heard that countless times. It’s nothing new, it’s not sexy etc etc. Well I don’t care, it’s said countless times for a reason – it’s true. Recently I have been short on time in the morning, which is my own fault, and have had a bowl of cereal to get me going. A few hours later I’m starving and could easily start snacking on whatever is at hand. On the mornings when I wake up properly and make myself an omelette and throw in some cheese, avocado, bacon and pepper I find I don’t have any cravings (thank you Precision Nutrition for that idea). Eat a proper breakfast and you’ll be amazed at the difference.

The second biggest difference maker is drinking enough water. I could write this tip as just “Drink more water: Nuff said” but that isn’t always helpful. Unfortunately, when working in an office you get so caught up in the work that you don’t think to have any water until you feel really thirsty. By which time it is too late. It’s always better to be proactive than reactive when it comes to your water consumption. I am now in the habit of setting myself a reminder on my electronic diary every day to remind me hourly to drink water. By setting a reminder for myself it means I never fail to forget to have water constantly throughout the day.

Sometimes you fancy drinking something a bit different to just water, in which case I would recommend green tea. I have been drinking it for quite some time and have seen nothing but good reviews about it. What can put a lot of people off is the taste of green tea. Firstly, only buy the pure green tea i.e. you don’t want any “enhanced” ingredients in it. Secondly, don’t over brew it. I have figured out how to make a fairly decent cup of green tea; I didn’t learn it from some mystical green tea wizard with secrets handed down from generation to generation and can be yours for just $9.95. I just read the instructions on the box. In short, don’t let the kettle reach boiling point, leave the teabag in for about 2 – 3 minutes then add some cold water. If you like your tea stronger, leave it to brew for longer but be prepared for a more bitter taste.

Even if you do all the above, you will have the inevitable craving that won’t go away. If it does strike, always keep healthy snacks on hand to eat instead of chocolate. They’ll be more nutritious, will fill you up and help to keep you on track with the fat loss. My favorite snacks are apples and some mixed nuts and berries such as almonds, walnuts and goji berries. In fact, I mix them up in a bag and have a handful throughout the day anyway. It really helps to keep me feeling full up.

Hopefully I provided some tools here to help you through the working day to beat those cravings. The choice is with you as to whether you use them or not. Sometimes, even if you do all the above you will still get some cravings. Just man up and resist it, remember YOU have the ability to say no.

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This article was written in full by Jon Coulson. You can find out more information on Jon Coulson by going to http://joncoulson.blogspot.com/

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