Can I get "awwwwYaaaa!"

A Pure Austin big congratulatory shout-out to member Rick Wells and Don Roach, who completed Ironman Coeur D'Alene in July. A truly remarkable feat!

Sugar alternatives - some sugar 101

Give me some sugar, baby! I like to get my sweetness the super-all-natural way -by someone I love, showing me some love. Added and especially fake "sugars" give me the creeps. I was just reading a (rather lengthy ) blogpost discussing fructose, glucose, high-fructose, etc. etc. I am going to distill it down to a over-simplified sentence of two. Too much fructose seems to raise triglyceride levels, and can cause symptoms like (or actual) fatty liver disease, among other things. Or as this author on The Modern Forager put it, "The body works very hard to keep blood glucose in a narrow range, through careful administration of insulin. Too high and all kinds of damage can be done, too low and all kinds of death can occur." My body works hard enough as it is, I don't need to stress it out any more than necessary.

The post shows a nice comparison of fructose levels in fruits (though high by percentage, not by actual numbers) versus your added "fructose". Even you healthy fair-trade all-natural organic cookies with evaporated cane syrup are probably going to realistically get a "thumbs-down" on this one. Is it worth it?

A healthy liver (and a healthy body) will operate more efficiently with the right fuels. Avoid processed foods and especially high fructose corn-syrup. Please. Find your sweetness from natural fruits or give someone you love a hug, or your dog, or a (willing) stranger if you are the type of person who can get away with that sort of thing. Other "sweetener" alternatives that are worth considering are stevia and xylitol, both of which are in the Whole Foods supplement section, and are becoming more commonly added to your "all-natural" food products and protein supplements.

Take care!

The "Human-Powered" Gym

How cool is this? A "human-powered" gym in Portland, Oregon (of course!) One of our members, Ashley, sent this link to us at infoTL@pureaustin.com. We enjoyed it so much. How does the saying go -- imitation is the highest form of flattery? Well, we hope to flatter this Portland gym more and more in the future. Thanks for the info, Ashley!!

"Blue Zones"- what are the habits of cultures where people live the longest

I thought this was an interesting article, it is an interview with the author of "Blue Zones". He visited areas throughout the world where small populations are living very long, healthy lives, and discusses some of the commonalities between them.

The "You-Staying Young" Quiz

I thought this was pretty cool. During a recent bout of insomnia, I happened upon the Oprah.com website, where they have a very elucidating quiz about how you are aging - according to your lifestyle habits, diet, exercise, etc. I tend to think of myself as having very healthy habits, but even I did not get in the top percentile! I learned that I need to have some more humor in my life/ take things less seriously, and that my husband needs to air his dry-cleaning out outside of the house, or preferably go to the Eco-Mat we are so lucky to have in Austin.
Try it out!

Fitness Specialist = Workout Harder, Better Results

Fitness Specialists can help you bring your game to the next level. Check out what Susan has to say about training with Nathan!

Training with Nathan has completely changed the way I feel about exercise and my health. I've always been pretty active, but I never really pushed myself to see what I was capable of. And there's no way I would lift weights on my own: no *WAY*. But now Nathan is the boss of me, and he is the best. He has helped me become stronger and healthier than I ever thought I could be. Plus, he's hilarious...I look forward to seeing him every week. The workouts are always different, they're fun, and they work. I've lost weight, I feel better about life, and now I spend a lot more time in a bathing suit. I'm going to Barton Springs! Thanks Nathan!