The 15 Best Things About Quarantine

Posted on by Wes Wise.

Let’s face it. COVID-19 has sparked enough fear and negativity already. Why not look at the bright side of things? I recently posted the question on Facebook, “what has been your favorite part about quarantine so far?” and got some really good responses! Here’s the list:

1) No Car Traffic – This was one of the most popular replies. Not surprising! It’s so nice to go for a drive and not be stuck in a sea of twisted metal everywhere you go for a change. James commented that it’s nice “not having to drive rush hour 696 twice a day”. Jennifer added “I do not miss 2 hours of commuting back and forth each day!” Amen to that!

2) Every Night is Like Saturday Night – Many of us are laid off or unemployed. While that’s not the best situation to be in, it’s kinda fun! Every time we go outside, we find the rich smells of bonfires, grilling and other social distancing activity. With 26 million people filing unemployment currently, it seems like every night is a weekend night during this pandemic.

3) More Time with Family – I don’t know about anyone else, but my dogs are family, and having more time to spend at home with them and my wife has been amazing, and Facebook agrees. Kim commented, “more time cuddling with my puppy”, and Christine added “more naps with my dogs”.

Others are enjoying quality time with family members inside the home. Daniella commented “love having my big girls home more often”. Randell added, “being home with a beautiful wife isn’t too hard to do.”

Meet Walter and Cohen

4) Less Social Interaction – For many of us, COVID-19 was just the excuse we needed to finally get a break from those friends, family members, or co-workers we just can’t stand being around. Zach’s favorite part of quarantine is “free time, sleeping in, and lack of unwanted social interaction”. Mike D commented “not having to get close to strangers”. Adam added “the fact that I don’t have to deal with other people’s stupidity”. Well, there’s still plenty of stupid out there to go around, but I get your point!

Stupidity personified!

5) “Free” Government Money – Many people are actually making more on unemployment than they were at their normal job! Vince said the best part of quarantine is “the stimulus check that’s coming. We haven’t missed a beat at work so I’m building a new gaming computer”. I fear what the stimulus will do to the value of the dollar and our economy in the future, but for now, a little cold hard cash from Uncle Sam is nice!

6) Less Obligations – Millions are out of work and confined at home with way less responsibilities to deal with. Bob commented that during quarantine he’s “having time to handle more around the house”. Amanda says “not having to think about or worry about where we need to go or what we should be doing. It’s kind of freeing to just to be”.

7) Not Watching the Clock – Renee commented that she is enjoying “living the rhythm my body wants”. Jamie said she’s enjoying “not having to rush. Time is going by slowly”.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I haven’t set an alarm in over a month. Being able to live more in the moment is certainly one of my favorite aspects of quarantine.

8) Random Kindness – More people are smiling, waving, and being kind to one another. Loraine commented her favorite part of quarantine was “how people came together with love and support!”

9) More Time for Activities! – Lots of people are happy that they have more time to do things they’re excited about or have been putting off for a while. I have been selling stuff online like crazy, writing articles, and making videos for Wise-Eats.com. Jennifer mentioned her favorite part of quarantine is “having time to be creative and learn new things”. Lois said “being able to finish my to do projects!”

10) More Home-Cooked Meals – Ya’ll know I love this one! It’s time to get in the kitchen and make a wise decision! Erica commented “My husband making me breakfast and dinner while I work this bull**it midnight shift”. If you need some inspiration, head over to Wise-Eats.com/Recipes for some delicious, healthy, real food dishes.

11) Less Temptation for Drinking/Junk Food – Because restaurants and bars are closed, there is less temptation to eat junk food and drink alcohol, although I know many of us have still found a way! Some of us don’t mind the temptation, but for those of us trying to make wise choices, quarantine is the perfect excuse to stay away from the poisons of everyday life.

12) More Time to Exercise – The gyms are closed, which is a bummer, but most of us have plenty of time to get creative about our exercise routine. I’ve done a minimum 1-mile fasted walk just about every morning during quarantine. Thankfully, we also have a home gym, so I’ve been hitting the weights hard, but we can all be active regardless of our situation. Quarantine gives us plenty of time to YouTube some home workout routines and stay committed to our fitness.

The Wise Eats Home Gym. Quaint…but effective.

13) Wearing Sweat Pants Every Day – This one comes from Jerry. Can we get an amen on this one?! I’m gonna be honest. I’ve worn the same outfit at least 3 days in a row during lockdown, probably more. And I’m not mad about it. My wife does the laundry. She’s not mad either.

14) Getting Extra Sleep – Whitney says “getting like 10 hours of sleep each night is fantastic”. I couldn’t agree more! All of us could use some extra rest. It reduces stress, inflammation, and depression. It also stimulates memory, recovery, weight loss, and brain power (VeryWellHealth.com)!

15) Reading – During the quarantine, I’ve read 3 books and completed Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. Reading is one of the best things you can do for yourself because it actually makes your brain stronger! Lots of people out there making brain gains during this quarantine, so keep it up!

The coronavirus pandemic has given us all plenty of extra stuff to be thankful for, so let’s focus on that for now, and this whole thing will blow over soon enough (for those of us who want it to). Thanks to everyone who contributed to this article. Stay safe and healthy!

Did something you’re enjoying about quarantine not make the list? Let me know at WiseEatsPodcast@Gmail.com or @WesWiseFitness on Instagram. Thanks for reading and make wise choices!

10 Tips to Boost Your Physical & Mental Health During the COVID-19 Crisis

Posted on by Wes Wise.

In March of this year, I got sick for about 12 total days. I’m not sure if it was COVID-19, but I shared all of my symptoms and experience over at Wise-Eats.com/COVID19. Now that I’m 100% recovered, I’d like to share the methods I used to manage the sickness as effectively as possible. 12 days is a long time to be sick, but for the most part, my symptoms were very mild. I fully believe that had I not done these 10 things, the virus would’ve been far more severe.

1. Get Adequate Sleep – I got at least 8-10 hours whenever possible. Your body does all of its repairing during sleep. This is crucial for overall health and performance, not just when you’re sick. Here are some quick benefits of sleep:

  • Improves heart health
  • Prevents cancer
  • Reduces stress
  • Reduces inflammation
  • Increases energy
  • Improves memory
  • Promotes weight loss
  • Improves cognitive function and mood
  • Helps prevent depression
  • Helps the body rebuild and repair itself (VeryWellHealth.com)

I learned the importance of rest the hard way when I started lifting weights on day 4 of my sickness. After taking it easy for three days, I thought I was better and got right back to intense training, which broke my body down even further. A day later, I was full blown sick again. Finally, I learned to respect the virus and allowed my body to rest fully. Now, I’m 100% and crushing it again!

2. Exercise – Just because I needed to rest doesn’t mean I just sat on the couch watching Tiger King (we did some of that too though!). My wife and I went on frequent walks with our dogs and did a lot of stretching, foam rolling and working around the house. I didn’t do anything strenuous until I was fully healed, but movement is always key and can actually help you heal faster.

3. Drink Plenty of Water – I drank a ton of water, tea, and coffee. Hydration is your best friend 365 days a year, but especially when you’re sick. Here’s why:

  • Removes toxins
  • Reduces fatigue
  • Strengthens immune system
  • Increases energy
  • Enhances metabolism
  • Cushions joints
  • Fuels muscles
  • Clears skin
  • Boosts productivity
  • Promotes weight loss (Craftwater.co)

4. Use Hot Baths & Essential Oils – This was a recommendation from my wife, since I normally don’t do hot baths at home, and boy was it a game changer! She also added Epsom salt and lavender (a loving spouse is another excellent cure for crisis, by the way!). Here are some of the amazing benefits of hot baths:

  • Great way to relax
  • Improves blood flow and heart health
  • Reduces pain, swelling
  • Relieves aching muscles, joints
  • Lowers blood sugar
  • Helps you sleep
  • Helps relieve cold/flu symptoms
  • Reduces headaches (MyHeatWorks.com)

In addition to hot baths, my wife is also big into essential oils. Twice a day, she made me drink a cocktail of OnGuard and water. Then, at random points in the day, she would rub an immune builder behind my ears consisting of oregano, lemon, melaleuca, and OnGuard. Hard to say how much these helped, but they didn’t seem to hurt any! In general, these oils often work wonders depending on the ailment.

5. Eat a Healthy Diet – Of course, one of the best things you can do to fight this virus is to put only healthy things in your body. Stick with real foods in wide variety. There may not be any toilet paper on the shelves, but there’s plenty of kale! 95% of the time, I didn’t eat anything that wasn’t on the Wise Eats Approved Foods List.

Being healthy simply makes everything you do in life easier. No matter how tough things get, at least you have physical health on your side. When you’re unhealthy, it turns every small problem into a much larger one. Just like having an emergency fund is a financial cushion during times like this, good health is like added insurance against stress, depression, negativity, and uncertainty.

6. Take Supplements – My doctor advised me to take Tylenol if needed, but I did not. I have heard mixed reports on how Tylenol and Aspirin interact with COVID-19, so be very careful! Here are the supplements I DID take:

  • Whole foods. Real food and lots of green smoothies, as always. Spirulina, kale, whey protein isolate, frozen fruit, avocado, spinach, moringa, psyllium Husk, cinnamon, and stevia for sweetener are some of my favorite ingredients.
  • Vitamin D. Sun is at a premium in Michigan, so I supplement with vitamin D. The only problem with adding vitamins is that if you haven’t been tested to know what your body needs, taking vitamins is a bit of a crap shoot. But I personally take Vitamin D to just to be on the safe side. Proceed with caution and consult your doctor!
  • Creatine. Powerful benefits for both athletic performance and health. Supports muscle energy and growth, reduces fatigue, improves brain function and exercise performance (Healthline.com). Because once we get better, it’s time to BRING IT in the gym!
  • Fish oil. So many benefits, including reduced inflammation, lowered disease risk, increased gut health, and lowered depression (Dr. Axe).
  • Magnesium. Good for bone health, cardiovascular health, headaches, anxiety. Magnesium plays a role in over 300 enzyme reactions in the human body! Improves muscle and nerve function, regulates blood pressure, and supports the immune system (MedicalNewsToday.com)

7. Avoid Alcohol – Alcohol and me used to be best friends. I mean, we were REAL tight. Letting go of this relationship has been a lifelong struggle, but recently, I got the wakeup call I needed. In late 2019, I read Allen Carr’s How to Stop Drinking Without Willpower and it has completely changed my attitude towards drinking. I now view alcohol as nothing more than a poison that offers no physical benefit and only serves to limit my progress, both physically and mentally. I know, BORING WES!

The truth is, I had been looking for a good excuse to quit drinking for a long time. After reading this book, I decided to quit on January 11th, 2020, and haven’t had a sip since. I don’t know if I’ll ever have another drink of alcohol in my life at this point. Sure, I’ve missed my craft beer here and there, but I also love the empowering feeling of knowing that alcohol doesn’t have any sort of control over me anymore. And I’m sure it helped me get through my “illness” less painfully.

Books are a uniquely portable magic. — Stephen King

Alcohol can work against you in so many ways:

  • Increases depression
  • Increases fatigue
  • Creates feelings of worthlessness
  • Increases sluggishness
  • Depletes your body of vital nutrients
  • Increases dehydration
  • Compromises your immune system
  • Seriously reacts with medications (Bustle.com)

It would be really easy under the COVID-19 circumstances to succumb to stress and uncertainty and just drink the pain away. And if that’s your medicine, I get it, because I’ve been there, MANY TIMES. Rest, relaxation, and cocktails, baby! But today, I just think different about it. Why would I compound the current situation by poisoning myself? Sure, it might be fun for a few hours, but I refuse to let my guard down, especially in a time of crisis. I need to be prepared for whatever this pandemic is going to throw at me, because it’s coming, and I will be READY for it.

8. Continue to Learn – Stimulate your mind wherever possible. Meditate. Learn a new skill. Listen to podcasts. Watch YouTube videos about subjects you’re interested in. Maybe read an interesting article you found online (hint hint!). Here are some of the things I’m doing:

  • Reading and listening to books! I just finished the Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz and the Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. Both amazing.
  • Taking an online class. Of course, my wife and I watch some Netflix to relax, but we also just completed a free trial of Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University, which was a big step in our relationship and brought us closer together. Binge watch something productive for a change!
  • Studying. I’m reading Certified Personal Trainer material online because it’s my side passion. Our class is obviously suspended due to COVID-19, but certification is coming soon!

Invest in yourself during this downtime. Instead of feeding your brain all of the negativity and constant headlines in the media, increase your knowledge and skills!

9. Start Each Day with Gratitude – I have not stopped my daily habit of journaling and listing things I’m grateful for. Every single day, I’m writing and tracking goals I want to accomplish and reminding myself of all the great things I have in my life. There’s no room for negativity and fear when you start from a place of gratitude, so I highly recommend journaling if it’s not something you’re currently doing.

10. Stay Positive – Positivity is some of the best medicine you can take. Don’t get caught up in the COVID-19 hysteria. Be realistic about the situation and stay prepared, but don’t panic. I’m not emptying my 401K, doomsday prepping, or raiding the grocery stores. I’m staying calm, hopeful, and optimistic.

Part of the reason everyone is so panicked right now is because they’re too busy listening to their social media feed. Stop listening to your sister-in-law’s baby cousin Tracy (movie reference, anyone?) on Instagram and arm yourself with FACTS. Listen to positive people who are experts in their field. I’m following people like Dave Ramsey and Ken Coleman (Rachel Hollis for my wife) and other highly encouraging experts in their fields. Surround yourself with optimistic individuals because hope and positivity are what will get us through this thing.

All about the power of positivity!

So, those are my 10 tips to help you get through this crisis and any future crisis you may encounter. This is a unique threat we face, but we have overcome far worse in the past. World wars, terrorism, economic collapse. We’re fighting a war against invisible enemies – not just this disease itself but also misinformation, fear, and uncertainty. But we will overcome it because THAT’S WHAT WE DO. We’re all in this together. We must continue to have hope and do our part in this battle. So, treat your body well, stay positive, be good to others, and come out of this stronger than ever before. Thanks for reading and make wise choices!

To listen to the podcast I recorded regarding this article, check out Wise-Eats.com/Episode21

Did I Have COVID-19? You Be the Judge

Posted on by Wes Wise.

Back in October 2019, I got really sick. I mean REALLY sick. It started a few hours before bed. My wife and I were relaxing and I just started feeling off. It came on pretty suddenly, but I didn’t think much of it. A few hours later, I woke up in a puddle of my own sweat and felt so freezing cold that it was near impossible to fall back asleep. I was up every hour on the hour with freezing cold sweats, severe nausea, and completely miserable.

I called into work that day for the first time in over six years. And then I was sick for the next 9 days.

Luckily, the symptoms got much better in days 2-9, but it was easily one of the worst illnesses I’ve ever been through in my life.

Fast forward to today, 6 months later. COVID-19 has exploded. People are sick, people are dying, and millions are out of work. It was deemed a pandemic on March 11, but rumors are flying that this virus was around long before officials would have us believe.

So, it makes me wonder, what exactly did I have back in October?

As much as I would love to know, I probably never will. But guess what? In March of this year, I got sick AGAIN.

Was it Coronavirus? I think it may have been, but can’t say for sure. So, why don’t you be the judge? Here is the breakdown of my symptoms:

Day 1 – Wednesday, March 18th: Woke up with an elevated pulse, nausea, fever of 101, cough, headache, and generally sore and achy everywhere. It got progressively worse throughout the day. By nighttime, I was fully drained and in pretty rough shape.

Day 2 – Thursday, March 19th: Symptoms were much better, but I still had a fever. At that point I called my doctor to be safe. He advised that they were not testing in mild cases (I’m 36 years old and healthy) and told me to stay on 14-day isolation. He said as long as my symptoms did not get worse, the virus would pass. He said to take Tylenol, if needed, and watch out for any increase in symptoms, including shortness of breath.

Day 3 – Friday, March 20th: Felt really good and no more fever. Stayed physically active with walking, foam rolling.

Day 4 – Saturday, March 21th: Still feeling good, about 85%.Felt so good, in fact, that I got back to weight lifting after taking a few days off. Big mistake.

Day 5 – Sunday, March 22nd: Still feeling good, but I could tell that my body was just off. I was feeling better but by no means 100%. Weight lifted again today too because I just couldn’t help myself.

Day 6 – Monday, March 23rd: Suffered a major regression. Back to being fully sick. Had fever chills but no fever, but had a brand-new symptom: no sense of smell or taste. And that lasted for about 4 days, which was a total bummer. Intense headache also.

Day 7 – Tuesday, March 24th: Feeling better but still headache, body aching, sense of smell/taste still gone.

Day 8 – Wednesday, March 25th: Symptoms at this point were very mild, but after a full week of being sick, I wasn’t taking any chances. Resting my body fully, not lifting weights, but staying active with walking, stretching, etc.

Day 9-12 – March 26th-29th: From Day 9 on, symptoms were extremely mild, aside from the lost sense of taste, which FINALLY came back on Day 11, March 28th. At that point, I ate pretty much EVERYTHING in the house (see my EPIC diet journal entry below).

Day 13 – Monday, March 30th: Finally feeling 100%! And been perfectly fine ever since.

Once I got my taste back, I ate like CRAZY! Sometimes, eating bad food is just good for the soul. But you better believe I got back to work the next day!

Overall, the sickness was pretty rough, but nothing worse than a bad cold or mild flu. I only had a fever for the first two days. I was never out of it to the point where I couldn’t live my normal life or work from home. The full body aching, headaches and lost sense of taste were the worst symptoms. If what I had was COVID-19, I can say anecdotally that it sucks, but it’s really nothing to worry about.

That said, my heart goes out to all of the people who are suffering more severely from this crisis. I hope that sharing my experience can in some way benefit anyone out there who is nervous that they may get sick or have some idea of what to expect if they do. Regardless if we are sick or not, we should ALL do our part to stop the spread of this virus and hopefully this will all be over very soon.

COVID-19 has affected us all – whether it’s our health, jobs, businesses, or personal relationships, but I know 100% that WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS. So, hang in there everybody, this storm will pass. HOPE can spread faster than FEAR as long as we all keep supporting one another. So, be good to yourself and be good to others. Thanks for reading and make wise choices!!

To listen to the podcast I recorded regarding this article, check out Wise-Eats.com/Episode21



Wise Eats Guide to Cardio

Posted on by Wes Wise.

When I first got into fitness back in 2009, I lost 90lbs mostly by running, since it was all I knew. Years later, once I decided to get in great shape and optimize my health instead of focusing only on weight loss, I turned to popular programs like P90X and Insanity, but those didn’t work for me. I assumed that the more cardio I did, the better shape I would get in. WRONG. I wasted a tremendous amount of time and energy working in programs that failed to get results, but I did learn one important lesson along the way: to absolutely fall in LOVE with working out. And that’s what I’m hoping to help you do today.

That’s me doing P90X in 2013. I had so much to learn!

In this article, I’m going to discuss the benefits of cardiovascular exercise, how much of it you should do, what types I recommend, share my current routine, and help you decide what type of cardio is right for YOU.

Benefits of Cardio

Cardiovascular fitness, whether it be from low, moderate, or high-intensity, has amazing benefits:

  • Burns calories to maintain a healthy energy balance
  • Improves heart health
  • Increases lung capacity
  • Reduces risk of heart attack, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and cancer
  • Boosts energy and mood
  • Helps you sleep better

The question is, what kind of cardio should you be doing and how often? Well, that depends on your fitness level and goals. The first step is evaluating your current state of health and physical abilities/limitations, for which you should consult a doctor. Assuming you’ve already done that and are good to go, let’s proceed.

After I lost 90lbs, I jumped from program to program and yo-yo dieted for years. I had no idea what I was doing.

Here’s how I look at it:

  • If your goal is to build muscle and improve your physique, focus your attention on weight lifting 3-6 days per week and minimize cardio to 1-3 days per week.
  • If your goal is to run a race or improve cardiovascular endurance, focus on cardio and minimize strength training.
  • If your goal is improving overall health and fitness, use a mix of strength training and cardio.

How Much Cardio Should You Do?

If you’re anything like I was back in the day, your idea of starting a fitness routine involves spending countless hours running on a treadmill or some other piece of cardio equipment. Well, I’m here to tell you that those days are OVER.

I got myself in the best shape of my life doing very little “cardio”. Currently, I average about 10,000 steps a day, lift weights 3-6 days per week, and stay lean by doing just that. Of course, I throw in some cardio to maintain health and because I love it, but if you don’t want to, that’s perfectly fine, and here’s why:

Traditional cardio is NOT REQUIRED to achieve an athletic physique.

That said, it does help and can be great for your health. Here are the general recommendations from the American College of Sports Medicine:

  • At least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (40-60% of HRR) on 5 or more days a week (150 minutes total) or
  • 20-25 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise (60-85% of HRR) on 3 or more days per week (75 minutes total)

Deciding on how much cardio depends entirely on your goals and current fitness level. My moderate/high intensity cardio is limited to 1-3 days per week when focused on building muscle. If I were focused on cardiovascular endurance, I would be doing cardio 3-6 days per week. The duration and intensity are going to vary substantially from person to person.

Doing some HIIT in the backyard with my best bud

What Type of Cardio Should You Do?

The most important question when it comes to deciding what type of cardio to do is WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO? What gets you excited to move?

If the answer is “nothing gets me excited to work out”, that just means you haven’t found the right form of exercise yet. But you’ll get there!

Exercise can be as simple or complex as you want to make it. Most humans simply need to get out and GO FOR WALKS. It starts there. I walk every single day and it’s my FAVORITE FORM OF EXERCISE. Add some stretching, foam rolling, and some core routines/mobility. That’s my “cardio” on most days.

So, what type of cardio should YOU do? The answer is simple:

FIND SOMETHING YOU LOVE.

Kettlebell HIIT in the sun might be my very favorite form of cardio

Cardio doesn’t have to be boring or torturous. I ultimately fell in love with exercise around 2015 doing an at-home cardio/weight lifting program called UFC Fit. It worked great for me because I could do everything at home, the workouts were unique, challenging, and got me in incredible shape. I absolutely love the program and still do some of the workouts to this day, because they get me EXCITED to work out and make me feel great.

Today, my favorite forms of cardio are:

  1. Walking
  2. Biking
  3. HIIT with kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells, running
  4. UFC Fit – Great for cardio, mobility, endurance and full-body strength

Obviously, the options for cardio are endless. Here are some other ideas:

  1. Swimming
  2. Jump Rope
  3. Group fitness class
  4. Group sports
  5. Elliptical
  6. Stair climber
  7. Rowing
  8. In-Home workout programs like P90X, Insanity, Body Beast
  9. YouTube

There is something out there you’ll love to do, I promise. You just have to find what resonates with you. But don’t stop there.

The truth is, cardio is great, but if you really want to make permanent improvements to your physique, resistance training is the way to go.

Lifting weights at home whenever possible!

And you don’t have to get too crazy with it. You’re not going to get big and bulky if you lift weights; I PROMISE. Even just 1 day of resistance training per week can make a big impact, especially if you’re a beginner or coming off a long break. If you have more time, dedicate 2-6 days per week if you’re really serious. But, 1-3 days per week is PERFECT for a beginner.

I know we’re dealing with cardio, but weight lifting really is where you’re going to get your best bang for your buck, so I urge you to consider making that the focus of your exercise time.

My History & Current Routine

I originally lost 90lbs strictly through calorie restriction and cardio

I began my fitness journey back in 2009 at 270lbs and virtually no muscle. I did a whole bunch of running, some weights here and there, and consumed a mostly junk/processed food diet. I lost 90lbs by restricting calories and doing endless amounts of cardio, but at the end of it I was just sick, skinny and unhealthy. Once I focused on healthy nutrition and consistent weight lifting, it completely changed my life.

I might’ve lost weight but I didn’t transform my physique just by doing cardio!

Ten years later, after a ton of hard work, here’s what my current exercise routine looks like. This isn’t exactly what I believe YOU should be doing, because you’re at a different level of fitness than I am and may have different goals. This is to give you some ideas on where and when to incorporate exercise into your own life. You can do something very similar based your time availability, goals, and skill level.

The schedule below is based on a 5-day “body part split” weight lifting routine. I also switch it up to a 3-day, full body routine or several other combinations depending on my current situation and goals:

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Getting fit should be FUN!

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

  • Morning: Fasted Walking, Constant Walking Throughout the Day, 20-min Stretch/Mobility
  • Afternoon: 20-30min HIIT Cardio Session: Kettlebells or UFC Fit
  • Evening: Relax, Stretch, Walk

Sunday

  • Active Recovery: Walking All Day
  • Rest, Stretch, Mobility
  • Cold Baths, Cold Showers, Foam Rolling

All Day, Every Day

  • Staying Hydrated
  • Moving Constantly
  • Eating Real Food
  • Going to Bed Early
  • Resting Fully
  • Minimizing Stress
  • Minimizing Poison

The bottom line is, I stay in great shape without doing a ton of “cardio”. I remain fairly lean all year and have an athletic physique. In the above routine, I’m only doing moderate-high intensity cardio once per week!

And it’s all because I focus on WEIGHT LIFTING, which is so much more efficient and beneficial than cardio in my opinion. Both are important for your overall health, however.

Again, finding something you love to do or that you will do consistently is the key. I can recommend the latest and greatest workout program for you, but if you’re not going to do it, what’s the point?

So, that’s my crash course on cardio. I hope you enjoyed reading it. If I left something out or you have additional questions, feel free to hit me up at WiseEatsPodcast@gmail.com. You can also follow me on Instagram @weswisefitness.

If you want some workout ideas, I have several HIIT-style kettlebell routines over at Wise-Eats.com/Workout. When I’m ready to break a sweat, these are some of my favorites. I also have a quick start guide to weightlifting there if that’s something you think you’re ready to try.

To stay plugged into all the different stuff I put out, whether it be podcasts, articles, videos, head over to WiseChoiceNation.com and sign up for my free mailing list.

Take care, thanks for reading, and make wise choices!

Doing some UFC Fit in the backyard!

I Gave Up Whey Protein for a Month – Here’s What Happened

Posted on by Wes Wise.

As discussed on Episode 16 of the Wise Eats Podcast:

Giving Up Protein Powder for a Month!

In November of 2019, I decided to give up protein powder for an entire month. For some people, that’s not much of a challenge at all, but for a fitness guru hell bent on building muscle and staying lean, protein powder is the holy grail when it comes to supplements. I decided to delay gratification by giving up protein powder for a few reasons

  1. Get my protein from real food instead of processed powder
  2. Strengthen willpower
  3. Learn more about myself through this challenge
Legitimately took this picture prior to the challenge. I own way too much protein powder!

Protein Brands I Use

I’ve gone through many brands over the years. The key is to find a protein that is free of chemicals, additives, and artificial sweeteners. Watch your ingredient lists and choose a protein isolate over a concentrate. I mix it up pretty frequently between whey, casein, hemp, and pea protein. Here are the brands I currently use:

Giving up protein is something I’d wanted to challenge myself on for quite some time. I’m the first one to preach that you should get your nutrients for whole food sources as much as possible, and openly admit that I rely on protein powders too much, sometimes as many as 3 meals per day! I mix it in with my oatmeal, my greek yogurt, and make delicious, creamy protein shakes. Sure, there are far worse sources of protein than powders, but I know better than to have them so often!

Speaking of my tasty protein shakes, if you’re looking for some delicious, healthy recipes, check out these amazing smoothies:

The Results

All in all, the challenge wasn’t very difficult and taught me that I didn’t need protein powder nearly as much as I thought I did. I expected giving it up to be much more difficult than it was. All I needed to do was have more of the normal foods I would be eating anyway like eggs, chicken, fish, beans, greek yogurt, and nuts. Sure, I missed my delicious protein shakes, but life goes on!

Changing my diet in this way also helped suppress my appetite. By eating whole foods, I felt more satisfied, whereas a shake would sometimes just leave me craving more food.

I have not made any permanent changes to my diet as a result of this experiment. I still use protein powders to hit my fitness goals, but I do consume far less of it now. I loved the challenge of forcing myself to give something up for 30 days and recommend that you try it yourself.

Challenge yourself to make a positive change to your diet/health today! Thanks for reading. Be good to yourself, be good to others, and make wise choices.

10 Tips to Stay on Track over the Holidays

Posted on by Wes Wise.

As discussed in Episode 17 of the Wise Eats Podcast:

Here are some tips to help you stay on track with your fitness over the holidays. And in case any of you are wondering, I’ll be doing every single one of these tips this Thanksgiving. Not just whistling Dixie over here!

  1. Go for Walks – First thing in the morning and after meals. This is one of the easiest ways to combat overeating and put those extra calories to good use! Walking offers so many health benefits like promoting digestion and helping send a signal to your body that you’re done eating. It also gives you the opportunity to connect with loved ones and get some exercise in the process.
  2. Lift Weights – A good weight training session will ensure that your Thanksgiving calories are put to good use by increasing your strength and boosting your metabolism! I’ll be lifting intensely in the days and minutes leading up to Thanksgiving for sure! Before you decide to do a bunch of cardio to make up for your Thanksgiving celebration, I recommend that you lift some weights instead, which will put those calories to much better use!
  3. Get Good Sleep – Sleeping well the night before can help reduce cravings and keep your metabolism firing on all cylinders.
  4. Reduce Stress – Hopefully, the holidays are a time for fun and relaxation for you, but if they just leave you feeling stressed, I get it! Do some journaling, deep breathing, meditation to keep your emotions controlled and set your intentions for the day by focusing on gratitude and all the positive things about the holiday experience.
  5. Eat Breakfast – Starving yourself leading up to the big meal can lead to binging. Keep your energy levels stable by having a healthy breakfast and then portioning your Thanksgiving meal appropriately.
  6. Bring a Health Dish to Pass – This guarantees you will have healthy options at the dinner table to choose from.
  7. Pick Protein over Fats – Eat more lean meat and veggies and have less gravies, casseroles, snacks, and desserts.
  8. Eat Slowly & Thoughtfully – Enjoy your food, don’t just gobble it down. Take time to enjoy the people around you. Avoid the area where the food is after you’ve eaten so you’re less likely to overeat. Watch your portions and try to avoid going for seconds – I know, easier said than done! 8 in 10 Americans agree that they enjoy leftovers more than the actual meal itself.
  9. Stay Hydrated – One of the best tactics you can use to avoid overeating. I drink water with every meal to help bring on the feeling of fullness.
  10. Avoid Liquid Calories – Alcohol used to be a staple of every holiday for me, and I’m not alone. A survey of Americans found that 63% plan to drink wine with their Thanksgiving dinner, 19% plan to drink beer, and 10% plan to have mixed drinks. That means 92% of Americans will consume alcohol on Thanksgiving! I find that stat hard to believe, but maybe I’m living in a fantasy world. Alcohol, Egg Nog, Soda should be off limits! Stick with water and coffee! You’re far more likely to retain your calories as body fat when you’re throwing in alcohol on top of the food.

Here’s a bonus tip: Enjoy the holiday! – Don’t get too worked up about your fitness goals. It’s a special time, so enjoy it! Keep your goals in mind, but don’t obsess over them. Let loose and enjoy yourself.

Submit questions, comments, feedback to WiseEatsPodcast@gmail.com or to @weswisefitness on Instagram. Thanks for reading, Happy Thanksgiving, and make wise choices!

Dolce Diet Certification Review

Posted on by Wes Wise.

As discussed on Episode 16 of the Wise Eats Podcast:

Why is Dolce trying to dress like me?

Becoming a Dolce Diet Certified Coach

In October 2019, I drove 10.5 hours from my home in Mount Clemens, Michigan to Belmar, NJ, for the 3-day Dolce Diet Certification. The purpose of the trip was two-fold. First, to meet one of my long-time mentors, Mike Dolce. Second, to become a Dolce Diet Certified Coach.

The Location

This was my first time to the east coast and I loved the area! Belmar, NJ is a beautiful beach town and I couldn’t resist jumping in the ocean even though it was freezing! Bradley Beach has a vast boardwalk where you can sip coffee and go for a nice, long walk on the beach. I absolutely took advantage of this!

Stay Gold Cafe

I packed a weekend’s worth of food to have on the trip so I didn’t eat out at all, but Dolce did treat the entire class to a lunch at the Stay Gold Café, which had amazing coffee and delicious, healthy food options. Shout out to Stay Gold!

How I Found Mike Dolce

I originally lost 90lbs back in 2009 and didn’t even know who Dolce was at that point. I simply found a fitness website, got off the junk food, started exercising, and calorie restricted myself down to 180lbs from 270. Long story short, I got super sick after that from eating junk food and yo-yo dieting. Eventually, I had to turn to real, natural foods to heal my body, finally start feeling good, and eventually start building muscle. Losing weight had mistakenly been my focus for too long. Now, it was time to start getting strong, healthy, and building a physique that I desired, and Mike Dolce was a huge part of that process.

I found the Dolce Diet years after my initial weight loss and it was a game changer. His philosophies are simple but spot on: Eat real food based on activity levels, get plenty of exercise, stop poisoning yourself, stay hydrated, etc. It’s all just simple stuff that you’re not gonna see sitting on a store shelf or advertised on TV. It’s the basic fundamentals that we should all be doing, and it’s the things that I try to preach with Wise Eats.

Dolce is the real deal. I believe in his philosophies wholeheartedly because they 100% worked for me and they will work for you too. He’s been an inspiration for me to start Wise Eats and try to help others, as well.

Meeting the Man

It was a thrill to meet Mike Dolce and taking his certification course. His mentorship has been very influential in my own health journey. Not only did his principles influence my diet habits, but he also created the workout program that got me to finally fall in love with exercise many years ago: UFC Fit.

Dolce’s philosophy is based on principles to increase longevity and prevent disease, and hisresults speak for themselves. He’s one of the most successful fitness coaches in the world. He knows his stuff and I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. He’s also a super nice guy, energetic, knowledgeable, and eager to help. Nothing but good things to say about Dolce. He’s the man!

Check out Mike Dolce’s YouTube channel here.

The Dolce Diet Certification

The class itself was run similar to a college-level nutrition course and Q&A with Dolce. Tons of amazing information. It covered nutrition, principles, business, branding, monetization, and more. Plenty of open and honest communication. He encouraged everyone to ask anything and everything.

As far my classmates, it was a very diverse group of about 14 individuals: gym owners, fighters, a podcast host, a lawyer, physical therapist, veterans, coffee barista, and even a pest control technician. All highly motivated and successful in their own respects.

The Dolce Diet Principles

Before I get to my biggest takeaways from the experience, I’ll just share with everyone, for those who don’t know, exactly what the Dolce Diet principles are. I’ve been following these myself as closely as possible for many years.

  1. Eat real foods in wide varieties from fresh and natural sources
  2. Eat every 2-4 hours based upon activity
  3. Eat until satisfied, not until full
  4. Drink mostly water, fresh brewed tea, and black coffee
  5. Exercise 30-60 minutes, 3-5 days per week doing something you enjoy
  6. Sleep 7.5-9 hours per night
  7. Minimize stress by simplifying your life and relations
  8. Laugh often with friends and family
  9. Love deeply and unconditionally
  10. Mind your neighbor’s space and help those in need

Biggest Takeaways

  1. Goal Setting

Dolce calls goal setting “the end to which all efforts are focused”. Time to eliminate distractions and put all effort into this one thing!

Mike Dolce’s “5Fs”: Fitness, Family, Finance, Future, For Me

Set goals in each of these categories every day and physically write them down.

I’ve kept a journal for the last 10 years, but about 6 months ago started a journal that is specifically geared toward goal setting.

My wife and I are now meeting each week to go over our 5F’s, compare, support one another, create joint goals, and get better together. This has already been a huge game changer in our relationship!

2. Networking

  • I made some terrific connections with people I hope to stay in contact with for a long time. I relish the opportunity to do more of this in the future. You’re the average of the people you surround yourself with!
  • Being surrounded by a group of like minded people was highly motivating and forced me to step my game up, think critically, and reflect on my own performance.

3. Integrity

  • Dolce preached that integrity is crucial to your success. Deliver results on time every single time. Over deliver whenever possible. And basically don’t be a scumbag, which I think I have nailed down already, I hope.
Mike declined a shirtless pose off, but I don’t blame him. Wouldn’t want to make him look bad on his home turf 🙂

Final Thoughts

  • I came away from the certification highly motivated and energized.
  • Day 1 was intense for me. Feeling lots of adrenaline. Meeting Dolce in his own gym, getting a feel for the course, meeting classmates.
  • Day 2 was absorbing information, Q&A, networking.
  • Day 3 was exam day, self-reflection, pictures, Q&A.
  • Attending this event developed a whole new sense of accountability within myself to get moving on my passions. I love to read books, listen to podcasts, write, create videos/articles, but I got something from this that you can’t get from doing any of that stuff. A truly unique event.
  • For anyone considering taking the course, I highly recommend it! It can help you further your business, but best of all, it will be an experience you’ll never forget!

Now, I’m a Dolce Diet Coach!

So, at the end of it all, I am officially a Dolce Diet certified coach! Does that mean that overnight I have become an expert in fitness and nutrition? No, it doesn’t. What it does mean, however, is that I now have the backing of a globally recognized, world class health and fitness brand and have put myself in a better position to help other people, which is exactly what my goal is.

If I can help someone change one thing about their life that improves their situation going forward, that’s amazing because their life will forever be transformed. Just like I was 90 pounds overweight and got my health in order and completely changed my life, maybe one little thing that someone sees or hears on this podcast could be the catalyst that gets them to make a positive change in their own life and that’s exactly why I’m doing it.

So, I’m here to help. If you’re interested in getting healthy and improving your physique, definitely send me your info and I’d be happy to share some tips and advice based on my personal experience. But if you’re really ready to make a serious commitment and have the backing of the world-class Dolce Diet team and me as your coach, we can look at putting you into the 8-week personalized diet program. If that’s something you’re interested in, hit me up at wiseeatspodcast@gmail.com and we’ll discuss further.

Here is one of my favorite quotes from the course:

“When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use; when diet is correct, medicine is of no need.” – Ayurvedic Medicine

Thanks for reading this article. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me below. Be good to yourself, be good to others, and make wise choices!

Halloween Fun Facts, Highest Ranked Candy & Costumes

Posted on by Wes Wise.

As discussed in Episode 15 of the Wise Eats Podcast:

Halloween Fun Facts

Well, hello there, Wise Guys & Ghouls, and welcome to a special Halloween edition of Wise Eats! Halloween has always been one of my very favorite times of year, so we’re going to celebrate in style in today’s article. Let’s get the party started with some fun facts and history about Halloween. This info comes courtesy of Good Housekeeping and FactRetriever.com:

  • Halloween, also known as All Hallows’ Eve or Witches Night, goes back more than 2,000 years. It started as a pre-Christian Celtic festival called Samhain (which means “summer’s end”). It celebrated the final day of the harvest and the crossing of spirits over into the other world. People in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Northern France would ward off ghosts by lighting sacrificial bonfires and wearing costumes, according to History.com.
  • Halloween is the second highest grossing commercial holiday after Christmas. Consumers spent about $9 billion on Halloween in 2018. The average American spends about $86.79 on Halloween every year, including decorations, costumes, candy, and cards.
  • New York City throws the biggest Halloween parade in the U.S.
  • The largest pumpkin ever measured was grown by Norm Craven, who broke the world record in 1993 with an 836 lb. pumpkin.
  • Speaking of pumpkins, they’re actually classified as a fruit, not as a vegetable. In 2006, New Hampshire actually declared that its state fruit is the pumpkin.
  • Illinois produces up to 5 times more pumpkins than any other state.
  • The record for the most lit pumpkins on display belongs to Keene, New Hampshire with 30,581.
  • The fastest pumpkin carving record belongs to Stephen Clarke, who did it in 16.47 seconds. The pumpkin was required to have a complete face, including eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.
  • The most popular costumes among children are superheroes and princesses., The most popular costume for a dog in 2018 was a pumpkin, and he most popular adult costume is a witch.
  • The word “witch” comes from the Old English wicce, meaning “wise woman.”

My History with Halloween

As a kid, Halloween was one of my favorite holidays. Each year, I made it a goal to stock up on as much candy as I possibly could and then hoard all of it before any of my brothers could steal it. I couldn’t wait to dress up as my favorite scary movie character and go trick-or-treating so I could get my pillowcase full of candy. Haunted houses, scary movies, you name it, if it was scary, I was all about it. These days, I don’t get to celebrate like I used to, but it’s still one of my favorites. I still love all the decorations, atmosphere, and the spirit of the holiday.

Colman St in Clinton Township, MI

Why Do We Love Scary Stuff So Much?

One of my favorite aspects of Halloween is watching scary movies. I grew up adoring horror movies and it was by far my favorite genre. I literally rented every single scary movie my local video store carried. I even started a “40-year old virgin”-style horror figure collection that I still have today.

I’m not as much of a movie buff these days, but still love the horror genre, which is funny because my wife is the total opposite. She does not like horror movies and doesn’t watch them, and can’t understand why anyone would want to put such scary or evil things in their eyes. I’ve tried to explain it to her, but it’s difficult to put into words, which got me thinking, why do we love horror movies so much? It’s a great question, so I did some searching and found this answer in an article from ScienceNordic.com:

“When we watch a horror film, we respond to the dangerous and horrifying situations that are being depicted. We identify with the fictional characters who confront terrifying threats. We feel revulsion and terror. We go through a range of emotions as we’re watching, and through that experience we learn something about our own responses. Horror provides us with insights into ourselves and into the dark corners of the world, and it lets us develop and refine coping skills that may be critical later in life.”

I think that does a good job of describing it. In a way, horror is almost a survival mechanism. By paying close attention to tragedy, we help maximize our own chance for survival. It’s the same reason we can’t help but stare when we see a car wreck on the side of the road. We’re nosy and want to know what happened. We sympathize with the victims but at the same time feel thankful we’re not in their place. But the difference with horror movies is, no one actually has to get hurt.

Colman St in Clinton Township, MI

At the end of the day, humans are curious, nosy, and we want to be entertained. We want to feel something, an emotion, whether it’s happiness, fear, or sympathy, because it energizes us. We laugh at inappropriate jokes, we cheer for our hero, and we demand justice for the villain. We find pleasure in experiencing a variety of emotions in a safe atmosphere. In that aspect, horror is just another way to experience a thrill and have a good time, but it can also train us handle negative emotions more effectively. Horror movies challenge our psychology, question our own behaviors, and allow us to feel fear and pain without actually being threatened.

The moral of the story is, scary movies just make us better people. If you want to know some of my all-time favorites, check out my Top 25 horror movies list.

Top Ranked Halloween Candies

As much as I love Halloween, one thing I can guarantee you that I will NOT be eating this Halloween is any candy. Those days are long behind me. I don’t even see that stuff as food anymore. When I want to treat myself, I stick to real food. If I want something chocolatey, I’ll turn to a Fully Charged Chocolate Smoothie. If I’m craving something sweet, I’ll have some Greek Yogurt Madness or some frozen fruit. As much as I used to love candy, today it’s not even an option in my mind. There’s so many other alternatives that are delicious AND healthy.

Now, that doesn’t mean that I’m a total snob. I still appreciate great candy, I just don’t eat it. And just for fun, here are America’s Top 10 Halloween Candies according to CandyStore.com:

  1. Skittles
  2. Reese’s Cups
  3. M&M’s
  4. Snickers
  5. Starburst
  6. Candy Corn
  7. Hot Tamales
  8. Tootsie Pops
  9. Sour Patch Kids
  10. Hershey’s

I think Twix and Kit Kat are obvious snubs from this list, but maybe they’re considered more of a cookie than a Halloween candy? I don’t know, but those were my favorites. And here’s a bonus fun fact: The average bag of candy that one child will collect on Halloween contains about 11,000 calories.

For more Halloween fun, check out Episode 15 of the Wise Eats podcast, where there’s plenty more thrills and CHILLS to feast your eyes on. Thanks for reading, FRIENDS AND FIENDS, and until next time, MAKE TERRIFYING CHOICES, MWAAAHAHAHAHA.

My Injured Squirrel Story

Posted on by Wes Wise.

As discussed in Episode 14 of the Wise Eats Podcast:

My Squirrel Story: Finding an Injured Squirrel in My Back Yard

Who says Wise Eats has to be about health and fitness all the time??

The night of recording Episode 14 I ran into a crazy situation that I decided to talk about on the show. I discovered an injured squirrel in my backyard. It appeared to have been hurt from falling out of a tree or something. Initially, he appeared to be seriously hurt and very scared. I waited for quite a while to see if he would move, but he didn’t, and when I walked up on him I noticed that he was frantically trying to drag himself across the grass with one arm. It looked to me like maybe one of his limbs was broken.

Instantly, my heart sank because I’m an unconditional animal lover and now had to deal with an injured squirrel in my backyard! I also had added pressure because his buddies and family were clearly concerned/observing the situation. By the way, we live in the metro Detroit area so this is a small yard right in the heart of downtown Mount Clemens, a suburb of Detroit.

After calling my Boston Terrier and Golden Retriever away from the scene, I asked my neighbor, who is fond of squirrels and feeds them often, if she had any advice. Her solution was to call the police. I called the police who informed me that they didn’t do house calls for wildlife and that I basically had 3 options:

  1. Put the squirrel out of its misery
  2. Find a shelter to take it to
  3. Let nature “run its course”

After several calls, I located a shelter about 30 minutess from my house that would accept the squirrel for free, which was a relief. After some serious contemplation, I decided to leave the squirrel alone for a short time while I visited my Dad and explained the situation to him. With a heavy heart, I returned home, prepared to take the squirrel into the shelter. Oddly enough, when I got to my backyard, the squirrel was gone.

At the end of the day, nature had taken its course, one way or the other. While I was relieved that I wouldn’t have to deal with the situation any further, I wondered what actually happened to the squirrel. Was he just stunned and finally came to his senses? Did he muster the strength to power his way out of the yard despite his injury? Was he scared to move and waited until after I had left? Did his family and friends come and help him get out of there? Or did some other animal (stray cat, bird) get a nice dinner that night? I’m going to live with the idea that the squirrel lived happily ever after and that he’s out there making wise choices right now!

Submit questions, comments, feedback to WiseEatsPodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for watching, listening, reviewing, liking, subscribing, and sharing. Be good to yourself, be good to others, and make wise choices!