February 2, 2010

Starbucks, and a Rant on Quality

Skip the ‘bucks………..And go with the good guys.

Generally speaking, I only shop at independent retailers.  It doesn’t stem from any riffs about big business, because it CAN be done right if the intention is there, it’s just that the quality typically goes down as a function of the size of a business.

Starbucks, if you want to serve me the same charco-broiled espresso wherever I go, I’m not going to support your business (not that I do with any frequency anyway).  Quality is important to me.  Having repeatable precision represents a good business model, but not if its based on a poor quality products to start with.

It may be just a rumor, but I’ve heard that there’s an Applebees planned to open a location in Cancun.  Cancun! You’re tellin’ me that people fly half-way around the world,  then eat at the same gross restaurant that’s two blocks from their house?

hmmmph.

Coffee and Applebees are just examples, but it extends everywhere (and gives me a place to rant).  If we settle for low quality in all of our products, what type of values are we supporting?

Value isn’t simply about buying a less-expensive product.  It’s an amalgam of what goes into a product versus how that product interacts with the world, and what the end price is.  When we don’t take into account the whole life of a product, and the subtle effects of cutting costs (like carcinogens in burnt coffee), we often overlook the real value of what we purchase.

soooo….Take some time to ASK retailers about where products come from, how it’s best used, and what the actual value of their products are.  Just a reminder-

Honorable Mention.

August 23, 2009

Born To Run

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not a huge fan of repetitive cardiovascular exercise.  I factor in quite a bit of cardiovascular response, but thats usually through circuit training work of some sort in the gym. This aside, I’ve been a big fan of short distance barefoot running for quite a while now, along with anything or anybody who promotes it.

It takes a lot to shake the foundations of what I think’is correct about exercise and evolution, that’s why I want to share this book with you;

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Born To Run, by Christopher McDougall

The book is loosely based on the Tarahumara, a reclusive tribe in Northern Mexico whose recreational activities include running hundreds of miles in a stretch, directly following all-night, corn-beer feuled orgies.

These guys came up to Colorado to run the Leadville 100, a greuling 100 mile running race that starts at 10,000ft…..

The Tarahumara tribesman stood at the starting line, put out their cigarettes, and promptly smoked the best ultrarunners in the world.  Not only that, but they did it wearing leather straps for shoes, and comfortable smiles through the whole 19 hour race.

Crazy.

Aside from amazing stories, the book holds a place in my heart because of the long breakdown of why modern running shoes are just plain terrible for running.  If you want to wake up your feet and become a much stronger runner in the meantime, ditch your shoes and start going barefoot…..or get a pair of these.

Check it out, it’s a great read.

August 17, 2009

Rough, Rugged and Raw…… Milk

Dairy always seems to be a big discussion in the health world, so I think it’s time to set a few things straight.  Clear the table and start over from scratch.

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Let’s start off with a few key points for you dairy conneusseurs:

  • Most dairy studies and blanket claims are bogus, because they utilize pastuerized milk (the same as using cooked carrots for a study on carrot nutrition)
  • What a cow eats is paramount to the health of it’s milk/cheese/etc. (this goes for all other milkable animals)
  • Did your ancestors drink milk?  Depends on where you came from. Domestication happened anywhere from 4,000-40,000 years ago, depending on what part of the world your talking about.  These statistics are under constant scrutiny, so just take that as a ballpark reference.

These three bullet points will help you to decide if using dairy products is a good choice for yourself.  Dairy is good for some people and bad for others, it can’t be classified into simply “milk is good or milk is bad“.

Let’s dig in a little deeper:

Keep reading →

July 22, 2009

How to Read Nutrition Labels; In Three Words

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I’ve been seeing a lot of posts lately on random health sites on the topic of ‘how to read nutrition labels’…….

This is a big subject, there are a lot of additives, preservatives, colorings, and a lot more that are added to the typical boxed food.  There was a whole section of one of my university nutrition courses devoted to how we are supposed to read these complicated things.

It’s no secret, you need to be an EXPERT to decipher these things.  Everything is hidden in the food labels, monosodium glutamate (MSG) is known by over ten different names……..Just to disguise it from YOU!

So…..What do I do about nutrition labels when I’m at the grocery store?……In three words?

Keep reading →