Endorphins

I've been on the 4 Hour Body diet for less than a year with tremendous results.  As the weight comes off I've been thinking about how to ensure that I don't plateau, and have been considering switching to a Paleo Diet as outlined in the consistently lauded book:  Paleo Diet for Athletes.

The largest criticism of the 4 Hour Body diet from the Paleo camp is the inclusion of legumes as a source of carbohydrates.  Paleo advocates including Dr. Loren Cordain claim that the high concentration of Lectin that is in legumes such as Kidney Beans can cause autoimmune complications.  However, Dr. Loren Cordain and others fail to point out that these complications have only been linked to poorly prepared legumes.  Should Paleo dieters stop eating lean chicken because of the risk of salmonella?  Lectin has also been linked to leptin resistance which can cause obesity largely based upon this study:  Lectin and Leptin. What Primal dieter experts fail to mention is that this research was primarily conducted by exposing some pigs to cereal grains and whole wheat grains in comparison to a "hunter gatherer diet" in other pigs.  Whole wheat grains and cereal grains are known to contribute to obesity primarily based upon recent Australian research on the Glycemic index, and are not advocated by the 4 Hour Body diet.  To be absolutely clear - there isn't empirical evidence to suggest that legumes low on the Glycemic index contributes to obesity.  The other concerns about the legumes advocated by 4HB mainly center  around supposed toxins in canned beans.  None of the research done applies to legumes prepared dry OR to Organic products like Trader Joe's or Eden Foods.

There isn't a sufficient argument against using legumes as a source of low glycemic carbohydrates especially for active people.  Paleo dieters are often laud the "natural" nature of their diet as one of their benefits, yet Paleo researchers warn against excessive consumption of potatoes, fruits, and nuts.  Because cavemen were obviously watching their figures!  Obviously all diets require discretion about the time and amount of certain food types.  Paleo dieting isn't pure in the sense that ALL of the foods on their diet can be eaten without regard for volume, which makes them no different than 4 hour body.  I can find just as many advocates claiming that fruits, potatoes, and nuts have harmful nutritional content when unethically/poorly prepared and contribute to weight gain when eaten in excess.

I would suggest eating a portion of food high in fiber and low glycemic carbohydrates as your last meal before exercise and lean protein.  I wouldn't eat foods dense in calories 2 hours before running, and if I were close I would choose a moderate protein based snack low in calories.  Immediately following running I would have a very small high glycemic carbohydrate and more protein.


I would also listen to these songs.  They are a more chill vibe that I like to listen to when I first start a run to find a perfect pace.

For me, Tuesday is my distance running today.  I'm a beginning runner, so my focus is on achieving a better 5k time.  According to the advice from RunnersWorld, long distance running can increase capillary growth in the legs, and strengthen the muscles needed for running.  

On distance running days I run for 50 minutes at 2 minute slower than my 5k race time.  My 5k race time is around 30 minutes, so I ran at about 12 minutes per mile.  In total I ran about 4 miles.

During distance runs I have to fight the urge to increase my pace in the first couple miles because without the challenge of speed I get bored.  On these days music is the only thing that keeps me on track.

Music for distance running, most of all, needs the dynamic hand of an excellent producer.  The more intricate the tracks are, the less likely you are to be bored during the run.  These three songs, by three excellent producers, helped me get through my distance run yesterday.  They would make an excellent addition to any running playlist.

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Marina and the Diamonds: "Radioactive (How to Dress Well Re-Work)"

Marina and the Diamonds is releasing a new album.  Based upon this new release it sounds like it will be a more commercially viable album in the United States.  I didn't like the original version of this song, but Tom Krell's remix of this song is pretty exciting.   

David Guetta : "Night of Your Life" (featuring Jennifer Hudson)

David Guetta produces excellent electronic pop songs, and his music is best when backed by excellent vocals.  Jennifer Hudson's voice has the strength to support this epic track.

Tiesto: "Work Hard Play Hard"


DJ Tiesto's music is perfect for long distance running.  His tracks are lengthy and intricate.  This one has an ethos that should be salient for runners.

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I recently have been doing quite a bit of treadmill running (18-24 miles a week), and have found myself scouring the net to find new music to listen to as I jog.  The premise of this blog is for me to share the music that I listen to during my runs, and to at times comment on my running experience.  

I suspect there are people like me that greatly enjoy high energy music, but are too haughty to listen to the same top 40 songs every day.  At the very least, checking this blog should give people like me a few new songs each day to put onto their rotation.

I use Klipsch Image S4 headphones, which I highly recommend to anyone looking for replacements for factory grade ear-buds without breaking the bank. 
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I also welcome anyone to post their recent gems that are conducive to motivating exercise in any form. 

The purpose of listening to music while running is to induce the brain to release endorphins that makes the process of distance training more enjoyable.  This blog is a project intended to facilitate that getting the endorphins of a new sick song every time you work out.