GLUTEN!!! The Real Great White Dope

The weight loss and get in shape phases pushes on as the summer months are right around the corner. People want to be poolside and beach ready.

Many already know the dangers of simple carbs such as white bread, white rice, shoot most any type of food that is white and full of carbs and sugar. Some in the fitness world refer to it as the white devil. The main ingredient that causes certain problems and stunts weight loss and toning is gluten.

Gluten is an ingredient found in many foods, rice, cakes, many bread products, noodles, pastas and pizza. It can be dangerous and even deadly as some folks are gluten intolerant. Not much different from those that are lactose intolerant, gluten takes a toll on their bodies and energies.

It has been commonly known for years that anything white must be "positive and pure". This is part of Webster's Dictionary of white. Milk, angels, sheep, even the clouds are white. However, consuming certain foods of this pure color can contain lots of gluten.

So what can and does gluten do to a person. Well it adds unwanted fat, especially in the midsection. It is very filling, and doesn't digest well. It mostly turns to pure sugar in the body (another white nuisance.).  In short, gluten and simple carbs work in tandem for good and bad. Oftentimes one may need to consume these. Strict moderation is advised.

I tell people often when asked how to remove belly fat and tone easier: cut back on your gluten intake. You will burn more fat and feel more energetic. Consume fruits, vegetables, water, lean proteins and complex carbs such as brown rice and quinoa. These lack all of the sugars that gluten is made of and may take away the flavor. However, they make for an overall healthy regimen and allow you to be more regular as these foods digest easier.

Do further research on the effects of gluten and you'll think twice before eating that extra basket of rolls or bread at the restaurant.

Have you seen how bad gluten can be for you? What measures, if any, have you performed to reduce your gluten intake?

Double Trouble: Leaving Double Standards Alone

Double standards have been a barrier in our society long enough. I say it's long overdue for us to end these.

Phrases such as "do as I say, not as I do" are complete hogwash as well. One should set the example and image of how they wish to be perceived. We should all strive to become that living, breathing beacon of hope.

Why do double standards even still exist? I believe one reason is due to how many gender roles have remained the same. We're in a more progressive era, so we need to change not only gender roles, but interpersonal ones as well. Let's be more fair across the board.

Tonight's UFC match, for instance, features two females on the main event. UFC has been progressing for years, and the rise and fall of recently defeated champion Ronda Rousey have shown that a female can get down in the octagon just as a male can, and draw in equal or greater viewers.

Equal or greater is the key here. There are exceptions of course, but for the norm, let's evaluate human beings as human beings and leave all of this classification aside. We are also in both an election year and a Summer Olympics year. These principles will be important to keep in mind as we push forward towards these events.

One of the biggest double standards I can think of is in the National Hockey League (NHL). There are many brawls that occur nightly during a match, but rarely is anyone suspended or punished. Let this happen in America's two biggest pro sports, the NFL or NBA, and there will be lots of suspensions and fines. I have never liked this concept, regardless of the cultural differences.

Think twice before you do or say anything that you don't think anyone should do, and your reasoning.

What are some common double standards that you see daily? How can these be prevented?

Friends and the Workplace

Many often hear "you're not at work to make friends, you're there to work."  I find this to be the opposite.

I have worked at many places, many jobs over the past two decades. One thing I will tell you is this: making and having good friends and connections on the job often made it more fun and enjoyable. This was even the cases for jobs and companies I didn't care for. The support and comaderie of the people made my experiences much better.

I still keep in touch with not only many former coworkers but also former managers and employers. It's a good and balanced professional and personal relationship.

Think about this when you're at work, some of the best times are hanging around the break area or water cooler, going to lunch with your coworkers, and simply working hard together to achieve a common goal. Also, you're around them more than your own family. Many folks take a job and/or stay on one based on their connections.

This has fueled our economic recovery the past few years. There were those trying to keep their jobs, and other trying to find ones. Either way, having good friends in their corner helped in achieving both ends. It has also been the case for me. I have mentioned before about networking. Well, that extends inside the workplace as well. Get along with as many people as possible, from the CEO, to the custodial staff. They can make your job Heaven or Hell. Just as with the actual places, the choice is yours.

I have felt blessed to get along with most of the folks I have worked alongside. You watch each other laugh, complain and cry. You see their children grow up. You attend their weddings. All of you are sociable outside of the company grounds.

Now this isn't always the case for everyone or every company. However, having people around you that you genuinely like and enjoy can make any job better and more fulfilling.

How important do you think it is to get along with your colleagues? Do you get along with past and current coworkers?

Cleanses vs Fasts: Which is Better?

The New Year's weight loss craze continues as Lent is in its second week. I have written previously about both topics.

Many do other fasts during the year that aren't Lent. The Daniel Fast is growing popular: I did that one earlier this year. It's a good way to clean your system out following the December holidays.

And this brings me to cleanses. People love these for their quick results and convenience.

Anyone who knows me knows I don't believe in quick fixes, especially when it comes to weight loss. Clean eating and even the occasional fast are more much effective long term and here's why.

1. When you are fasting, you are typically giving up something that you can easily do without, or replace. You often still get your popular nutrients. Cleanses often do not give you the proper nutrients and vitamins you need.

2. Cleanses became popular in 2006 when singer/actress Beyonce' announced how she dropped weight when she played Effie in "Dreamgirls". She did a lemon juice fast, one that many have duplicated. Bey probably did this one longer than one should, for over 10 days. Cleansing the body can be healthy and effective. However, one should not go more than 3 days without proper nutrition, proteins, and the like. Cleanses can damage the body long term as many do them often too much. Fasts have the opposite effect. They are a healthier, more balanced sacrifice.

3. Cleanses are often used out of desperation and even as a crutch. Fasts and clean eating take longer, but they promote a more healthy lifestyle. This should be the aim of fitness anyways: a healthy, consistent lifestyle. Most everyone falls off a bit. Having an effective plan can keep you from resorting to anything that's not built to last long term.

4. There are many other simpler, healthier methods for cleaning out your body and removing unhealthy toxins. You can simply concentrate on fruits, vegetables, water, lots of greens and no meats for example, simply lean proteins. Fruits and veggies rarely have a limit so load up. Keep the complex carbs and proteins in your regimen and you will get clean even better than any cleanse on the market.

Try one of my favorite sites, www.leanitup.com,and do your own research. I would discourage anyone from depending upon cleanses heavily. Building a lifestyle always yields better and longer results.

Do you prefer cleanses over fasts? If so, have you researched the pros and cons of both?

Food, Friends and Fun

McDonald's had a slogan in the 90s: food, folks, and fun. I thought I would put a spin on this with the title.

We often bond with friends, family and our significant others well over a hot cooked meal. Mainly because we all have to eat and especially in the South where most of us enjoy a good meal, it is a good way to relax and unwind from any busy work and such.

The family meal used to be a staple for years. Families would gather in front of the dining room table at dinnertime and talk about their day. Amazing, isn't it? You have some families (and even groups of friends) that go to lunch and/or dinner together at least once/week. Heck in my area, there are certain spots that are perfect for this. You have Chuck E Cheese for the younger folks, and places such as Broncos Mexican Restaurant for the adults.

I remember as a boy, my mom would take us to dinner at least a couple of times per week. During the week it was mostly fast food (unless we were going to Pizza Hut to cash in rewards from the Book It program) and on weekends it was the local fish camp or steakhouse. We loved to eat and it was a perfect bonding experience.

This weekend, restaurants have been jam packed due to tax season and Valentine's Day. Many friends and family have more disposable cash to go out for drinks and food. Also, this weekend is the perfect time for lovers to express themselves and this amour towards one another. It's a simple but effective way of spending time together.

I have found out that if you want people to show up anywhere, have food available. Once again, we all have to eat. I have met friends numerous times over meals, big and small. It is an awesome way to stay in touch.

How often do you and your friends/family go out to eat together? Where are some of your favorite meeting spots?

1996: From Boy To Man

1996 was the year that I continued my progression from boy to man.  I got my driver's license that year, graduated high school, turned 18, went on two big trips, and began college.

It's hard to believe all of this has been 20 years. Time truly does fly by. I had a good hairline then and a clean face.

I showed my independence as a freshman at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. Not only was I the first in my grandma's immediate family to graduate high school, I had earned the right to attend a university. And it was an adjustment. Many do not know, but there were days and nights that I didn't know if I would make it. I was away from home for a long period of time, no supervision, didn't know many people , and the classes were so hard (especially those 8am classes). I actually not only missed my family, I missed my high school and hometown. Strange if you hear me now. I was in a different world for sure, one that I would grow to love.

This was also the year I lost my great grandpa, Bill Dover, long the patriarch of the Dover clan. He passed away shortly after my high school graduation at age 82.  I also gained a new family, finally connecting with my dad's side of the family, the McGills. Circumstances had kept me from them but I was determined to get to know them now.

I still loved my R&B, but my guilty pleasure was actually Alanis Morrisette. She had some moving ballads that got me through this transitional period. Movie wise, Independence Day with Will Smith and Vivica A. Fox ruled the box office. The South was all a buzz about the Carolina Panthers beginning their first season in then-Ericcson stadium, and with the Summer Olympics being held in nearby Atlanta, GA. Who would have thought the Panthers would be playing in their second Super Bowl since that time? 

1996 was quite a year for me, one of growth and happiness.

What were your favorite memories of 1996? Was it a good year for you?

Adam Lanier: 10 Years Later, Still Making An Impact

This is without question the toughest blog I have had to write in my six years of blogging.

Many of you know my only brother, Justin Adam Lanier, passed away of an accidental drug overdose after fighting substance abuse for six years prior. This Thursday, January 28 will mark 10 years since he left us in the physical.

Imagine your worst day ever. Well this day was 100 times as worst. And often it feels as it just happened.

Here are some tidbits/facts for those that didn't get the chance to know my brother, and for those that did.

1. He was born March 2, 1983 in Divine Savior Hospital in York, SC. (now closed). He arrived into the world feet first (breech birthed).

2. He was always very active and hyper, walking and running at only six months. To my recollection, he never had to learn, he just did it.

3. His baby names were "Lovey" and "Fatwad". If you saw his early pics, you would see why.

4. Adam was always popular, having many friends around. That continued throughout his life.

5. My brother had a natural gift with the ladies and young children. Both gravitated towards him. He was quite the entertainer. I'm confident he would have been an awesome father and possibly husband.

6. Adam was actually pretty smart in school, he just didn't apply himself. He was all about friends, girls, and fitting in.

7. His favorite holiday was Halloween and he made a huge deal out of it yearly.

8. He lived life to the fullest, possibly because he knew he didn't have a lot of time on Earth.

9. We didn't have a lot in common at all,  but one thing we shared was a deep and loyal love for our mother. No one messed with our mama!

10. Adam was in the high school marching and jazz band for six years, playing the drums. He won many awards and was simply skilled.

11. His resemblance to rapper Eminem was uncanny, especially once he dyed his own hair.

12. My mom's house was the local teenage hangout for a number of years. Many parties were thrown weekly.

13 He, like our grandpa Frosty, was extremely superstitious.

14. His death has inspired others in his circle and age group to do many great things. Many of them didn't want to be a statistic. I would give anything to get him back, but I take solace in the fact that others loved him so much and he made such an impact on their lives.

This day is never easy for me or my mother. We have learned to celebrate the man he was becoming, and to tell the positive stories of his life. He can be a cautionary tale and an inspiration.

R.I.P. Justin Adam Lanier #forever22