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The Zone diet explained

Posted on 25/09/2011 by BCadmin| Leave a comment

At Bootcamp we recommend the Zone Diet. Below we have have compiled some information on the Zone Diet to make it easy for anyone to understand, complete with a thorough Zone block chart and pictures of example Zone meals. While we actually recommend first focusing on quality of food by shopping the perimeter of the grocery store, balancing your portions and carb/protein/fat intake with the Zone is an incredibly valuable tool for both elite athletes and everyday people seeking weight loss. To take your nutrition to the next level you need the hormonal balance that the Zone Diet provides. Read on to find out more, and when you’re done use this Zone block chart to find the block equivalent of most common foods. It’s even color-coded! Figuring out your perfect 4 block zone dinner couldn’t be easier.

Diet comes from the Greek language and means “way of life”. A diet is a lifestyle–not a set of draconian rules that you blindly follow. The Zone Diet controls gene expression and hormonal balance to give you the longer and better life to which we all aspire.

The Zone diet is primarily concerned with controlling your hormones. Hormonal balance affects all important components of your wellness: body composition, energy utilization, blood chemistry, and much more. Food is a drug. This may seem shocking, but think about the definition of a drug. Loosely, ingesting drugs causes physiological changes in your body. Ingesting food has the same effect. It can bring about positive or negative changes in your body. Would you take 17 Tylenol capsules for a headache? Would you consume expired, low-quality medicine? Of course not. Then why should we expect different results when we feed our bodies 17 times our necessary food intake, and comprise our diet of low-quality processed garbage with no nutritional value? You see the results of this lifestyle in Qatar today.

The Zone Diet isn’t about eating “low-carb” or “high-protein” or anything like that. It’s a diet balanced in

• Protein (lean, natural meats are preferred)

• Carbs (mostly low glycemic-load fruits and vegetables)

• Fat (one of the most important macronutrients!)

With the right balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats, you can control three major hormones generated by the human diet – insulin, glucagon and eicosanoids.

Insulin – A storage hormone. Excess insulin makes you fat and keeps you fat. It also accelerates silent inflammation.

Glucagon – A mobilization hormone that tells the body to release stored carbohydrates at a steady rate, leading to stabilized blood sugar levels. This is key for optimal mental and physical performance.

Eicosanoids – These are the hormones that ultimately control silent inflammation. They are also master hormones that indirectly orchestrate a vast array of other hormonal systems in your body.

Intro to Zone Living

A One Block meal consists of one choice from the Protein List (pink), one from the Carbohydrate List (blue) and one from the Fat List (green).

A Two Block meal consists of 2 choices from each list.

A Three Block meal consists of 3 choices from each list…and so on.

You can mix and match blocks as you wish. If you aren’t very hungry when you first wake up, then a 2 block meal might be just right for you, perhaps with a 3 block lunch and dinner. Or maybe you prefer to start your day with 3 blocks and have a lighter dinner or lunch.

Here is a sample menu of a possible routine (times can be adjusted 30 minutes or so either way):

0730        1000       1300       1530        1830        2100 (bedtime)

bkfst         snack      lunch      snack      dinner     snack

2 Block    1 Block    3 Block   1 Block   3 Block    1 Block = 11 total

10 to 11 blocks of balanced food is about right for a small woman. Feel free to experiment with your number of daily blocks and move them around as you see fit. Every athlete is different. The below chart will also help you determine your block requirements.

You don’t have to set alarms. The point is to develop the habit of eating at regular intervals so your hormones are balanced all day. Eat within an hour of waking up in the morning, don’t go more than 4 hours without eating something, and eat a snack before you go to sleep so you have some fuel to dream on.

Buying a digital food scale is a great idea since it makes measuring blocks fast and easy. Use “tare” to make it even easier, and you won’t have to use math at all! Put your plate on the scale and hit the tare button. It subtracts the weight of the plate and makes the scale read zero. Measure out one of the items. Hit the tare button and again it starts you at zero once more for the next item. Finally your plate will be full of all your foods, all measured individually, but all on one plate. Very easy!

After about a month you’ll be able to “eyeball” the food and you won’t need to measure precisely anymore…unless you’re having something new you’ve never measured into blocks.

Don’t worry too much about being exact; this isn’t a chemistry test! You’re never going to eat many of the items on the list anyway, and some items you like to eat may not be on the list, but you can find out how to convert anything into blocks.

One last thing: Read the label on already prepared foods you like.

7 grams of protein = 1 block. 14 grams = 2 blocks. 21 grams = 3 blocks.

9 grams of carbs = 1 block. 18 grams = 2 blocks. 27 grams = 3 blocks.

1.5 grams of fat = 1 block. 3 grams = 2 blocks. 4.5 grams = 3 blocks.

For example, if you get a snack bar that says:

8 grams of protein

29 grams of carbohydrates

6 grams of fat

You should count this as a carbohydrate and not worry about the protein and fat in the snack bar. You must be careful not to micromanage your nutrients. If you incorrectly count all of the macronutrients in this snack bar (~1 block of protein, ~3 blocks carbs, ~4 blocks fat) then you will end up underfed and driving yourself crazy. In the case of this snack bar you should just count it as 3 blocks of carbohydrates. Add 3 blocks of protein and fat for a complete 3 block meal. This takes practice and can be frustrating at times, but the results will make the effort worthwhile!

I hope you feel as good as I do living “in the Zone”. Below you can see some examples of Zone-friendly meals, including a 2, 3, and 4 block zone dinner that will perfectly complement your Bootcamp diet!

2 Block Meal

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2 eggwhites & 2 turkey links

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2 small tomatoes or one large tomato

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1 tsp cashew butter (1000mg fish oil not counted)

3 Block Meal

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6.7 oz cottage cheese

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.5oz (1/8 cup) rolled oats, 3.7 oz (1 cup) strawberries, & 2.4 oz blueberries

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9 cocoa almonds

4 Block Meal

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4 eggwhites, 2 turkey links, 1 oz cheese

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2 cups strawberries & ½ oat pita

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12 cocoa almonds

4 Block Meal

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4.5 oz chicken meat & 1 oz cheese

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1 whole oat pita

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12 cocoa almonds

4 Block Meal

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6 oz grilled fish

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36 asparagus spears and 1 cup mushrooms

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2 teaspoons of cashew butter

Finally, buying natural, paleo-friendly foods (shop the perimeter of the grocery store) and preparing for the week is a great way to ensure success:

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Testing fitness – Bootcamp records

Posted on 08/09/2011 by BCadmin| Leave a comment

Every month at Bootcamp we do a fitness test. It is a way of checking your progress so the test scores are just for you. However, this month a few people have asked what the records were in the various tests so I have posted them below. I won’t include names (there are a few different people who made these scores) but some of the best came from this last fitness test.

300 yd run (12 25 yard shuttles) – 59 seconds (yards are used not metres because this is a standardised US test)
Press ups in one minute (chest to cone) – 80
Sit ups in one minute (partner holding feet) – 67
Squats in one minute (bum below knees) – 66
Mountain climbers in one minute (both legs to give score of 1) – 100
Lunges in one minute (each leg counts as one) – 71
Burpees in one minute (chest must touch floor and arms must be above head with jump) – 36

Congratulations all. Remember it is just a test against yourself each month, these scores are just for your interest not as targets.

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Ramadan and Eid timings

Posted on 28/08/2011 by BCadmin| Leave a comment

As we near the end of Ramadan a quick update on timings.

THERE WILL BE NO BOOTCAMP DURING EID.

The full Bootcamp schedule will resume after Eid. i.e. 0600 Corniche session, 1800 Ed City Session and 1930 Ed City session on Sunday and Tuesday. On the Thursday sessions are at 0600 on corniche and 1830 at Ed City only until further notice.

The last session before Eid will be tonight, Sunday 28 August, at 1900.

Have a great break.

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Use it or lose it!

Posted on 18/07/2011 by BCadmin| 2 Comments

At Bootcamp we generally incorporate a mix of resistance and cardio training.  The mix of cardio and strength will vary over the month.  Sometimes we incorporate a large amount of cardio in the programme and sometimes we focus on strength.  Strength training is different from the HIIT (high intensity inerval training) that forms a large part of Bootcamp.  To get the most out of a strength training session the loads must be challenging and you must REST!  If you don’t lift challenging loads then your body will not develop and if you do not rest then you will be too tired to lift challenging loads.  BUT why is strength training so important for EVERYONE?
 

Physiologically, the benefits of consistent strength training include an increase in muscle size and tone, increased muscular strength, and increases in tendon, bone, and ligament strength.  Strength training has also been shown to improve psychological health as well, by increasing self-esteem, confidence and self-worth.

Improved Physical Appearance and Performance
 
One important result of strength training is increased physical performance.  Muscles quite literally utilise energy to produce movement, functioning as the engine or powerhouse of the body. Strength training increases the muscles size, strength, and endurance, which contribute to improvements in our work, favourite sports hobbies and our general day-to-day activities.

Another benefit of a good strength-training program is its effect on our overall appearance and body composition, which can directly influence self-esteem, self-worth, and level of confidence. Take, for example, an80kg man who has 20 percent body fat; 15kgs of fat weight and 65kgs of lean body weight (muscle, bones, organs, water, etc). By beginning an effective strength training program, he replaces 2kgs of fat with 2kgs of muscle. He still weighs 80kgs but he is now 17 percent fat with 10kgs of fat weight and 70kgs of lean body weight. Although his body weight remains the same, his strength, muscle tone, and metabolism have improved, giving him a fit appearance.
 

Both our physical appearance and our physical performance can be improved by muscle gain or hampered by muscle loss. Research indicates that unless we strength train regularly; we lose about 250g of muscle every year of our lives after age 30. Unless we implement a safe and effective weight lifting program, our muscles gradually decrease in size and strength in the process called “atrophy.”
 

Lifting weights is therefore important for preventing the muscle loss that normally accompanies the ageing process. A common misconception is that as we reach the age of senior citizens, it is normal to stop being active and to start using ambulatory aides like canes and wheelchairs. Many people think we have no choice; they think this is normal.
 

But this couldn’t be further from the truth. There is absolutely no reason why all of us can’t be physically and mentally active, living a healthy vibrant life until our last day on Earth! The reason many elderly people rely on ambulatory aides and become slower and fatter is simply that over the years their muscles have been wasting away, so their physical performance and metabolism also decrease, becoming less efficient.
 
Increased Metabolic Efficiency (your ability to burn excess calories)

That 250g of muscle loss every year after age 30 produces a 0.5 percent reduction in basal metabolic rate (BMR) every year. A reduction in BMR means that our bodies are less able to use the food we consume as energy, thus more gets stored as body fat. “Basal metabolic rate” refers to the energy used by our body at rest to maintain normal body functions.
 
Our muscles have high-energy requirements. Even when we are sleeping, our muscles use more than 25% of our energy (calories). When you implement the principles of effective strength training and you are consistent in your program, you will achieve an increase in lean muscle mass throughout your body and increase your BMR. In other words, you can actually condition your metabolism to work better and more efficiently even when you are at rest.
 
An increase in muscle tissue causes an increase in metabolic rate, and a decrease in muscle tissue causes a decrease in metabolic rate. You can see that anyone interested in decreasing body fat percentage and their risk of disease as well as in increasing physical performance and appearance,should be strength training to help condition their metabolism (BMR).
 
One of the biggest mistakes people make when starting a weight-management program is not including a strength training routine with their cardiovascular exercise and diet.
 
This is unfortunate because when we cut calories without exercise, we can lose muscle as well as fat.
 
Decreased Risk of Sustaining an Injury
 
Our muscles also function as shock absorbers and serve as important balancing agents throughout our body. Well-conditioned muscles help to lessen the repetitive landing forces in weight-bearing activities such as jogging or a game of tennis. Well-balanced muscles reduce the risk of injuries that result when a muscle is weaker than its opposing muscle group.

To reduce the risk of unbalanced muscle development, you should make sure that when you are training a specific muscle group, the opposing muscle groups are being trained as well (though not necessarily on the same day). For example, if you are doing bench-pressing exercises for your chest, you should include some rowing exercises for your back muscles as well.  This was discussed in an earlier post about “Mirror muscles” here. 

At Bootcamp we ensure that a mix of training methods are employed to ensure that both strength and cardio vascular fitness levels are built and maintained.

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Movement not muscle

Posted on 11/07/2011 by BCadmin| Leave a comment

It’s hard to escape the idea of training muscles when you work out. If you use weight machines at the gym, they will have clever illustrations denoting the muscle groups which will get worked by operating that piece of equipment.
Most of the well known exercises like arm curls or leg extensions are geared towards working very specific muscles, like the biceps and quadriceps respectively.
But primarily, the concept is promoted by most people’s desire for superficial changes in their physical appearance. Guys want bigger arms and ladies want tighter butts. If they work hard enough, they’ll probably get what they’re after (in a cosmetic sense) but what do they gain from a capability stand point?
Probably very little.
Targeting specific muscles to achieve changes in appearance is a very inefficient process. You have to perform a host of exercises each geared towards hitting specific muscles, in order to escape the common fate of having an unbalanced physique. Aside from being less functional imbalances in muscles caused by isolating your “mirror” muscles can lead to injuries in the medium term. For example by heavily developing your quads on the leg extension machine and ignoring your posterior chain (hamstrings etc) you could be setting yourself up for knee problems. Training natural movements often avoids these issues.
People who really want to build strength in the most effective manner possible will use compound lifts and presses like deadlifting, bench pressing, and squatting. These types of exercises activate more than one muscle through its range of motion and will sometimes even work the entire body. While many will still think of these exercises in terms of the muscle groups they work, intrinsically they are training movements.
The muscles that are being worked by these movements are certainly important and obviously factor into what you are doing and what you want to accomplish – but what you are ultimately doing is training your body to perform work through the full range of natural movement.
Training a movement is what people should really focus on because in the real world that is what your body performs. Whether in response to a daily chore, a dangerous threat, or some energetic play time, your body maneouvers through its environment by way of a series of natural movements.
Instead of focusing on making one’s biceps as big as possible, it would be more useful and liberating to be able to effortlessly execute a pull up. From training pull ups your arms will likely get bigger and stronger, but you’re working them within the context of an inherently useful and natural movement.
Train movements, not muscles.

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HIIT me hard, make me fitter!

Posted on 06/07/2011 by BCadmin| Leave a comment

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) this is the bread and butter of the Bootcamp session.   Tabata/sprint intervals.  We have endless permutations on the theme but the theme remains the same for good reason.

HIIT works and is more effective at improving your health and fitness than many hours of your regular endurance training (see elliptical machine reading hello magazine or even 2 hours of treadmill running).

HIIT is typically short periods of very high intensity work separated by  periods  of medium to low intensity work.  The high intensity must e close to y0ur maximal effort. 

There have been various studies over the years that illustrate the benefits of HIIT over typical prolonged training advocated by many.  Aside from being more beneficial there is the added benefit that HIIT takes less time.  You can achieve the same fitness goals by working at high intensity for short periods so why spend 2 hours in the gym?

The Tabata method is a favourite of BootcampQ.  This is 8 periods of 20 seconds high intensity work (squats, sprints, lunges etc) with a 10 second rest.  e.g. 20s squats 10s rest, 20s squats 10s rest etc.  Tabata is the name of the Japanese exercise scientist who did a study in 1996 using this protocol and showed significant improvements over athletes doing steady state training.  There have been innumerable studies since and they all point to the same thing.  Working hard, with high intensity even for just short periods of time give you greater benefits.  So factor this into your training regime.

If you are using a treadmill make sure that you do a sprint phase every so often, likewise on the bike and the rower.  Push yourself out of your comfort zone for short periods of time and reap the rewards of your time in the gym.

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Why some people never gain a pound

Posted on 28/06/2011 by BCadmin| Leave a comment

We all know the questions we hear and that we pose about nutrition e.g.

How is it that someone can eat 30 bananas a day and not gain weight, or someone else can eat nothing but potatoes for 60 days and lose 20 pounds?

How do the Kitavans or Okinawans maintain good body composition despite a higher carb diet?

Why can my brother eat anything he wants and never gain a pound?

In our reading picks (see below on the right) we recommend the Primal Blueprint as some excellent reading on nutrition.  Some of the examples above and a whole host of similar puzzles that we see in our day to day life would seem to contradict the advice in the book.  Are they all anomalies or is something else at work?

These questions all bring to mind one of the main principles underlying the Primal Blueprint, which is that ultimately there are no right or wrong answers in life, just choices we make based on what we think we know or what we believe to be in our best interest.. We seek to optimize our individual genetic potential using these principals and to literally influence gene signaling. Of course, there are other ways and other choices to get lean, some of which might even get you close to healthy if you do everything right. At Bootcamp we want the option that gets us the fittest and healthiest with the least amount of pain, suffering, sacrifice, discipline and calorie-counting possible.

The truth is, if you never undertook to live a Primal lifestyle, the chances are still pretty good that you might enjoy a “relatively comfortable” existence for a substantial part of your life – until the wheels inevitably started to fall off. Millions of people around the world “get by” just fine in their obliviousness on the SAD (Standard American Diet), only 10 or 30 pounds overweight, a little arthritic, maybe some GERD for which they gladly take a pill. Some people even appear to thrive for a while on less-than-ideal diet and exercise programs.

Of course, genetics has a lot to do with it. But sometimes a guy can look lean, and not be healthy.

There’s a lot going on under the hood. Your 30 bananas guy above looks skinny because doesn’t get enough protein and he cycles endless miles in a valiant-yet-doomed effort to burn off all that sugar. He also takes in paltry amounts of protein, and it shows in the lack of muscle typical of a high-carb endurance athlete. His inability to gain weight while eating lots of carbs is actually a bad thing, since he’s constantly losing muscle mass and enduring all manner of glycation inside.

The Kitavans and the Okinawans thrive partly because they typically don’t overeat (see: Calorie Restriction) and partly because they expend a fair amount of energy not sitting at their desk all day long I suspect that their reliance on real food and low intakes of processed and high omega-6 PUFA seed oils also contribute to their metabolic efficiency.

Clarence Bass can look so great at 73 on a grain-based diet because he has spent his life focused on staying in shape, mostly as a body-builder. He understood very early in his career that lean mass was the main driver of health, and he orchestrated a workout and diet plan contemplated to keep him fit. He’s never really been out of shape and he’s pretty strict with his diet in terms of macronutrient breakdown, calorie count and meal timing. That takes a lot of discipline. If you do it right, you can get pretty decent results. The fact that he includes grains in his diet and apparently suffers no ill effects puts him among a select minority who may not be as susceptible to their antinutrient effects as most of us are. Again, maybe he’s genetically “gifted” that way.

Each of us has the recipe for a lean, fit, strong, healthy human contained within our DNA. Biological processes don’t really differ from one person to another (except in rare occasions). We all make proteins the same way, we all digest and process nutrients the same way, etc. But it’s the individual variations in our specific familial DNA (those pesky single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs) that often account for the differences in the degree to which we tend to build muscle, or burn or store fat. From there it comes down to the signals (those diet and exercise choices) we send our genes that maximize our ultimate potential or not. The truth is, some of us are just lucky enough to be able to “get away” with eating certain foods that aren’t exactly Primal, not gaining much weight and not experiencing noticeable inflammation. Others among us who may have genetic red flags really need to pay attention or we easily gain weight or develop health issues if we stray at all. There is for each of us a predetermined “range of genetic outcomes” that we do inherit from our parents. You need to make the right choices to optimise your potential

Humans are among the most adaptive (short-term anyway) animals on the planet when it comes to diet. We can survive on just about anything, as witnessed by the plethora of obese Americans surviving on fast food and soft drinks. Over half the world stays “slim and trim” on a low-calorie, grain-based diet simply because there are paltry few food choices and they just can’t take in enough calories to gain much weight (store fat). But let’s not always confuse their leanness with good health.

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Surviving a desk job

Posted on 26/06/2011 by BCadmin| 1 Comment

It is no secret that office jobs are generally bad for our health.  We spend up to 8 hours a day sat staring at a computer screen, sometimes even eating where we sit.  Only moving to visit the bathroom.

What would you call someone who spent the weekend in a similar fashion.  i.e. sat on the sofa staring at the TV eating food while only moving to go to the bathroom.  There are a lot of terms slob, couch potato etc etc.

Somehow the time spent in the office has avoided these derogatory terms and from a health persepective that is a pity as it might have made more of us take some action.

Sitting at the desk with limited activity day after day does impact our fitness and makes us prone to put on weight.  Our muscles atrophy, our posture degenerates and our metabolism slows.  So what can we do to reduce the negative impacts of office work.  Here are a few ideas:

  • Walk more – sounds simple and it is but people don’t do it.  Make a point of using the stairs if you are visiting someone 1,2 or 3 floors up or down.  It will make a big difference.  Go and get your own coffee/tea/water, the coffee boy is making you fat and destroying your muscles that you worked so hard to grow
  • Stand more – Every 30 minutes (at least) spend 5 minutes standing.  You can still use your computer.  Consider standing during meetings.  When you visit someone’s office stay on your feet and refuse the offer of a chair.
  • Squat more – at least 10 times each day you probably have to get something from the lower shelf of a cupboard.  Printer paper, a file etc.  Instead of standing end bending as if touching your toes do a full squat to collect it.  Squat down all the way, weight through your heels (NOT ON YOUR TOES) and take some time down there.  Improving your hip flexibility and your strength
  • Sit up straight – You slouch.  I know you do because everyone does.  You are sat staring at a computer with hands on a keyboard.  your back will be rounded and your core relaxed.  Now push your shoulders back, get that lumbar curve at the base of your spine and feel your core (muscles of the mid section) engage.  You are still sitting but your core is not wasting away and your back will like you more
  • Do some mobility work – So much of the pain in our body associated with age and also with exercise is caused by inflexibility and muscular imbalance.  Keep your muscles loose by doing some flexibility work.  When you visit the bathroom consider a quad stretch (standing up, bend one leg and hold the ankle, keep your knees together and push the hips forward and hold for at least 20 seconds).  While you wait for some printing try a STANDING SCAPULAR WALL SLIDE
  • Keep a tennis ball in your desk – more on mobility.  Have you come across the idea of self-massage using a tennis ball?  Even better, have you come across the idea of massaging the plantar fascia in order to loosen up the entire posterior chain? Sitting in an office chair for hours at a time does terrible things for your posterior chain, especially for the glutes and the hamstrings.  But sat at your desk you can roll the soles of your feet on a tennis ball at regular intervals and nobody needs to know.  Hey presto!  Looser posterior chain muscles for a better squat depth that evening.
  • Use your imagination – the above are just a few ideas.  The basic plan is to be more active so think about it and do whatever you can to stop wasting away and growing larger (not a contradiction – your muscles waist your belly/bum grows) at your desk

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Don’t just work your mirror image

Posted on 22/06/2011 by BCadmin| Leave a comment

At Bootcamp this week there has been a strong bias on the muscles that you don’t always see in the mirror.  In fitness parlance this is called the “posterior chain” with posterior simply meaning “back”.  That is all the muscles along the back side of your body from the legs up to the shoulders.

There is a general tendency to only work those muscles that you can see in the mirror (hence the title).  “I want a six pack” etc.  It makes sense as this is the image that you present to people.  The side effect of that, and the fact that many hours sat in an office desk atrophies your posterior chain, is a very weak and underdeveloped back of your body.

A good indicator of the strength of your posterior chain is the basic bodyweight lunge.  You should be able to lunge with a big stride and keep your torso completely erect and stable with the back leg bent and knee touching the floor and the top of the front leg parallel with the floor.  If you need to use your hands to support you or you can’t keep your torso upright you have a weak posterior chain.

Why is the posterior chain important?

Proper Muscular Balance

The very first reason why you must be sure to train the posterior chain is  for good muscular balance.  Those who only perform exercises for the front of the body will develop the front while the back muscles actually grow weaker.

Over time this can lead to a  muscular imbalance which can not only cause poor posture but can also set you up for a number of long term injuries.

Good muscle balance will reduce the risk of a range of injuries and niggles including common problems with knees and the lower back.

 Greater Strength Development

So many real life movements are compound exercises.  That is they use a range of joints and muscles to allow the motion to take place.  If you train the front of the body and neglect the back (which is used less frequently anyway in today’s sedentary work) then you will not develop your overall strength and this will make compound exercises more challenging.

Having greater strength allows for greater intensity which will help you with your weight loss and fitness goals.

Workout

Perform 3 sets to failure of bodyweight or assisted pull ups

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Fish Oil – why you need it!

Posted on 20/06/2011 by BCadmin| 2 Comments

“So, why is fish oil good for you?” The question comes up periodically. The full answer is a really long one (see Barry Sears’s book The Omega Rx Zone), but here’s a short version.
Fish oil is a rich source of a category of fatty acids called omega-3s (specifically EPA and DHA). The ratio of omega-3 fatty acids to another category called omega-6s is important to the function of a whole lot of hormonal and cellular processes in the body–including a lot of things having to do with insulin response (and the chain of hormonal reactions that it sets off), inflammation, blood cholesterol management, and immune-system, cardiovascular, and neurological function, etc.

Unless you supplement with omega-3s, pretty much everyone eating a western/Qatari diet gets way (way!) too many omega-6s and not enough omega-3s. This is because Omega 6 oils are cheap (sunflower oil, canola oil etc) and also because much of the meat we eat (intensively farmed chicken and fish) have been fed corn in their diet (corn turns into Omega 6).  Fish oil is an easy–and relatively inexpensive–way to help restore the balance. The super-short answer is: it’ll help you lose weight, control cholesterol and blood pressure, regulate hormone levels, and generally stay healthier.

If you’re taking any medications, it’s always a good idea to check for side effects. Especially folks on blood thinners. (On the other side of the coin, fish oil and a Zone-like diet can reduce the need for a lot of medications, especially cholesterol-lowering ones.) In some cases,  doctors will actually prescribe it (and therefore insurance to pay for it) – although that is unlikely in Qatar.

You’ll have to look around for it in Doha but do check the label to ensure that you are getting quality fish oil.   The liquid is a good value,but it’s less convenient, and some people are squeamish about the taste or texture–though we find it utterly inoffensive. Whatever kind you use, store it in the fridge.

Workout

Try 3 rounds of 50m walking lunges, 50 squats, 30 back extensions (complete all exercises before starting next round). 

If new scale to 30m, 30squats, 20 back extensions.  Make sure the technique is correct on lunges (body upright, knee to ground) and squats (weight through the heels butt below the knees).

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