The other evening, I was at the gym when something caught my eye – it was a woman using a shake weight. For those who don’t know – the shake weight in my opinion is one of the silliest fitness contrivances on the market, but sadly has become popular for women. Supposedly, vigorously shaking this 2.5-pound weight will produce firm and toned arms in a jiffy, and the recommended six minutes of Shake Weight exercise a day will leave you looking sleeker and leaner than ever before!

I call “Bull-shit”. Where do I begin?

First, 2.5 pounds is not nearly enough resistance to challenge anyone – not even your grandmother.

Secondly, the range of movement using the Shake Weight is too short and abrupt. It is likely to cause an injury before it gets you toned. Unless you work the muscles across their full movement range, the exercise becomes inefficient and ineffective to create shapely arms.

Sure, you’ll feel a slight burn after awhile, but a burning sensation doesn’t correlate to results.

Not convinced? Before spending some of your hard-earned money, make your own Shake Weight by filling up a shaker/water bottle with water, and shake it. And if you like it, you already have your own version to use.

In our “quick-fix” society, consumers are always searching for that magic pill, special supplement, or fancy new doo-hickey that promote big promises with minimal effort in a short amount of time. I will let you in on a secret – save your money. You have to spend time in the gym and have a good nutritional plan if you wish to have that body you want.

I wrote previously that chlorine is universally used to chemically disinfect water. It kills germs, bacteria and other living organisms. Chlorine readily passes through the cell wall and attaches to the fatty acids of the cell, disrupting the life sustaining functions. The human body is composed of billions of cells. Most people are aware that the quality of their drinking water can be improved by filtering their tap water or buying bottled water. However, many do not realize that they are addressing only a part of the problem. 

One half of our daily chlorine exposure is from showering. Chlorine is not only absorbed through the skin, but also re-vaporized in the shower, inhaled into the lungs, and transferred directly into the blood system. In fact, the chlorine exposure from one shower is equal to an entire day’s amount of drinking the same water. Drinking filtered or bottled water only does half the job.

I recently went to my local home store and bought a Sprite filtered shower head. I’ve noticed since I installed the shower head that my shower water is softer. I’ve really noticed my hair feels softer then it had before the filtered shower head. The filtered shower head, in combination with natural soap, has my skin telling me that it loooooves me! 

One way to spot organic produce in the store is to check out each food’s price look-up number or PLU. You’ll find the PLU on each piece of produced, attached as a sticker. The International Federation for Produce Coding standardizes PLU codes for every grocery store in the country. Conventionally grown fruits and vegetables have 4-digit numbers and generally begin with a 3 or 4. Organically grown fruits and vegetables have 5 digits and begin with a 9. Genetically modified fruits and vegetables also have 5 digits and begin with an 8. For example, the PLU for a conventionally grown banana is 3011; for an organic banana it’s 94011, and for a gentically modified banan it’s 84011.

I love Redbull. I should say I loved Redbull. I don’t drink coffee so for energy (and I guess sugar fix) I would drink a Redbull daily. I knew the chemical-filled Redbull couldn’t have been the best for my body but there was always the nagging feeling of hypocrisy that ate at me. Given the fact that I preach about eating whole foods, organic and clean diet and living it just didn’t feel right. But I was hooked.

Finally, last year I changed my habit and cut-out Redbull from my diet completely. I can tell you that my energy levels actually have improved – it is more level then before – I don’t experience the big crash from the drop in sugar level. But what really prompted me to eliminate it was as I read the ingredients in Redbull, I had no idea what most of them were. I made a vow several years ago to educate myself on what I was taking into my body, so it was time to eliminate it.

I found an informative article published on The Organic Authority www.organicauthority.com called “Dangerous Energy Drinks Need Warnings, Says Scientists” that hit me personally and one that I wanted to share with you.

“There are considerable dangers in consuming energy drinks, and there needs to be significantly more public education on the matter, with or without FDA action, says a recent commentary by leading scientists and health professionals in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA).

Energy drinks can contain upwards of 500 milligrams of caffeine per serving, compared with sodas, which are limited by the FDA to no more than 71 mg of caffeine per serving. The “herbal enhancement” designation of energy drinks allows them to add significant amounts of caffeine. Exotic and natural herbal extracts such as ginseng, ginkgo biloba and fat-burning amino acids such as L-carnitine are often added to energy drinks to boost their multi-function profile and to differentiate them from the soda/soft-drink category even further.

Energy alcohol drinks like Four Loko were recently banned due to their dangerous mix of caffeine and alcohol, but in the JAMA commentary, researchers suggest the non-alcoholic products are “just as great a threat to individual and public health and safety” as the ‘premixed’ alcoholic energy drinks. The commentary says, “Regulatory agencies should require specific labeling regarding caffeine content, with warnings about the risks associated with caffeine consumption in adolescents and in pregnant women as well as with explicit information about the potential risks associated with mixing energy drinks with alcohol.”

The US market for energy drinks is estimated to be valued at over $6 billion. Redbull—the number one selling energy drink brand claims on their Web site to sell more than 4 billion servings of their product each year around the world.”

Most energy bars are far more complicated than they need to be, full of chemically processed stuff your body doesn’t need. As runners, cyclists, triathletes and even the weekend warrior during and after workouts your body needs to re-fuel or if you need a pre workout energy boost, I found these great 3BAR bars from Tri3 that are refreshingly simple, made with a handful of whole organic foods – soybeans, brown rice, almonds, and dried fruits like blueberries for added flavor.

The bars offer a generous dose of vitamins, serve up some protein, and the dried fruit provide natural sweetness as well as a healthy serving of antioxidants. There’s a lot going on in one bar – and all good energy producing fuel. 3BAR is formulated to be a balanced, all-natural energy bar that is diabetic-friendly, safe for hypoglycemics, vegans and vegetarians, and is the best food for energy.

3BAR isn’t just for athletes; it’s a healthy food supplement that has both balance and great taste. I stash some of these in my desk drawer at for those days when lunch is slow in coming or need an afternoon snack, and also keep several in my gym bag for that pre-workout boost. Whether you’re looking for what to eat before a race, or just looking for a balanced boost of energy, 3BAR is the perfect natural choice. At about $1.99 a bar, you can buy them by the bar or the case online at www.tri3bar.com

Note: All products used by me, I have bought and paid for and received no special discounts or consideration for talking about a product.  That’s just how I roll.

The Reel Deal

I decided to make a stronger statement about helping to sustain the environment by buying the Earth Friendly Fiskars Momentum Reel mower. It’s clean, healthy and quiet…..no gas, oil or electricity required to operate it…just good old-fashion human power.

So why are reel mowers a smart choice?

Reel mowers are good for your lawn. They promote greener, healthier lawns by cutting each blade of grass cleanly with scissor-like action. This minimizes moisture loss and exposure to disease as compared to the tearing action caused by conventional spinning blade mowers.

Reel mowers are good for your health. Reel mowers let you cut your grass without exposure to noxious exhaust gases, loud noises,  unsettling vibrations and hazards of power-driven rotary blades.

Reel mowers are good for the environment.  Gas mowers produce dirty exhaust that pollute the air. The EPA estimates that the average gas mower produces as much air pollution in one year as a new car driven more than 500,000 miles.  Reel mowers are the most earth-friendly way to cut your grass.

Reel mowers are good for your budget. I paid nearly $250 for my Fiskars Momentum reel mower – the premier reel mower on the market; however, there are less expensive reel mowers ranging in price $60 – $150.  I was paying $25 per mow last year or $100/month to get my lawn mowed – a full season of mowing service cost me $500. The reel mower will pay for itself in less than 3 months.  Additionally, if I had bought a regular gas-powered mower I would have to buy and fuss with gasoline, oil, spark plugs, or air filters to operate and maintain.  Reel mowers require less maintenance then gas and electric mowers.

If you are in the market for a mower, check out the greener Reel Deal – a reel mower!

I don’t know about you but it’s about that time of the winter I’m ready to pack up and move someplace warm. It’s cold, gets dark early, and there are more gray days then sunny days. Get me out of here!!

As we all know “true” triathletes shave their chest and legs , right? Anyway, the combination of shaving and the cold, dry winter air historically made for an unpleasant combination of dry and itchy skin especially on the my legs. 

To combat the dryness, I would slather on some moisturizing lotion or gel to my body. But I started doing some things different this winter that has helped my skin stay soft, natural and skin tone to remain youthful and colorful. I recently added a filtered shower head but I changed from using regular soap and body wash to natural and organic soaps.

As I wrote earlier this week, did you know that most regular soaps are not soap at all?  Rather, they are detergents, made from petroleum.  This is why so many people like me have problems with regular soap causing skin irritation, dryness, and other problems.  I’ve learned the most common irritant in the detergent-based soap is called alkali. This compound does not exist in natural soap and causes irritation and dry skin in most people. The tight, itchy and flaky feeling I felt was likely due to the amount of alkali in my old detergent-based soap. By switching to a natural, organic soap, it has made all the difference in the world.

Last summer, I was at a triathlon when I heard about the natural soaps of Celtic-Naturals www.celtic-naturals. I’ve been trying their Sports Line geared towards the active athlete, endurance athletes, outdoor enthusiasts, and weekend warrior.  There’s the Wetsuit-a-peel, Chain Bite Citrus, T3 Sun Smoother, and Re-cycle Mint.

My personal favorite is the Re-Cycle Mint. It not only invigorates me but I have this naturally clean smell to my skin and just an overall sense of well-being I get from using it. And its blend of tea tree, peppermint and eucalyptus oils has helped my skin this winter stay moisturized naturally!

I think just like my foods, anytime I can get a product that is natural and organic and reduce my exposure to inorganic elements and chemicals like those in regular detergent-based soaps, its always my best bet to choose it. Soap is no exception.

Buy Natural. Buy Organic!

Note: All products used by me, I have bought and paid for and received no special discounts or consideration for talking about a product.  That’s just how I roll.

I recently discovered a 100% natural fruit and vegetable wash called Fit.  Fit is a fruit and vegetable wash specifically formulated to be used on them, with 100% natural ingredients – baking soda, grapefruit oil, and citric acid. Fit claims to remove 98% more unwanted wax and chemical residues then water alone.

I’ve been trying Fit for about a month now and I’ve noticed the difference in the cleanliness of my fruits and vegetables. For those of us concerned about chemicals, making certain our produce is a free of them as possible is a mindset.

 Anyway, try Fit and see if you like it. To learn more about Fit check-out www.fitwash.com

Disclaimer -The Organic Triathlete and Runner is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this website are purely mine. If I claim or appear to be expert on a certain topic or product or service area, I will only endorse products or services that I believe, based on my expereince or  expertise, are worthy of such endorsement. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.