Americans spend hundreds and millions of dollars on energy drinks and energy bars every year. Often times, the makers of these products add certain elements to make this a healthy choice, such as vitamins, minerals, herbs and whey. However, many times the two active ingredients most commonly found in these products are sugar and caffeine.

There are certain advantages in these products for high level training athletes, but for most of us, the vast majority of these bars and drinks only add hazardous toxins, chemicals and useless calories to their diet. Sugar and caffeine, in the long run, do the exact opposite of providing energy. Sugar provides a very brief explosion of energy followed by a plummet of energy, as your pancreas and other glands do all they can to balance out the toxins to the blood sugar. In the end, we suffer from significantly diminished energy and not much more.

When caffeine is used on a regular basis (daily), it will cause a burning out of the glandular system resulting in energy levels below normal. The myth of replacing depleted carbohydrates with sugar immediately following a workout is only appropriate for the high level athlete. For the moderate level, these extra sugars just turn to fat. It’s also very important to replace the water you lose when you exercise. Caffeine acts like a diuretic, causing you to lose even more water.

Energy does not come from sugar. Taking in simple carbohydrates (sugar, honey, white flour like pasta or bread) before a workout or event will cause a quick spike in blood sugar followed by a fall. Additionally, simple carbohydrates and excess complex carbohydrates will cause sluggishness and only hurt your performance.

If you are looking to create natural energy right before a workout, eat some complex/simple carbohydrates like apples, plums, pears, citrus fruit (not juice) or berries. This will give you a small spike without the huge plummet of energy.

A few hours before a workout, complex carbohydrates, some fat and a little protein will usually help, such as sweet potatoes, brown rice, olive oil, flax oil, walnuts, almonds and eggs. These are all relatively easy to digest and will give you more sustained energy for the day.

During a workout or immediately afterwards, sports drinks and bars are very popular and are used to replace the lost carbohydrates. But remember, you are using the products that contain chemicals, colorings and preservatives that are not recommended at all. Instead, sweeteners like honey, maple, cane or brown rice syrup are more natural and can be found in many healthier bars and powders.

After the workout or event is long done, your body is nitrogen-poor and your muscles have been broken down. That’s why you need amino acids from animal proteins like chicken, fish, beef and eggs, as well as complex carbohydrates like sweet potatoes or brown rice.

Although many experts have advised people to load up on carbohydrates before a workout or event, the truth is that burning sugar is not what happens over long workouts. Therefore, rather than loading up on carbohydrates, more people are loading up on fats and small amounts of protein, with no more carbohydrates than the body can easily store anyway. Toward the end of a workout, only then may you find it necessary to replace the depleted carbohydrates with a glucose drink or gel.

Milk is a junk food! Okay, let me clarify. Pasteurized milk is junk food but raw milk may actually be one of the healthiest foods out there.

The pasteurization process involves superheating milk at extremely high temperatures (145 degrees) for the purpose of destroying any bacterial agents. Seems reasonable enough but keep in mind what else is being destroyed—Enzymes! Remember, enzymes are vital in regulating a healthy immune system. If we are eating enzyme depleted foods (just like vitamin and mineral depleted foods), our bodies will be compromised and most importantly our immunity suppressed.

Enzymes come from food sources and our bodies also produce metabolic and digestive enzymes. If we are on a steady diet of processed junk food (milk included), our body’s enzymes go into overload in attempts to make up for all the enzymeless foods that we have been eating. This will eventually lead to organ overload, immune suppression and toxicity. Not good if you are trying to beat the office flu that’s going around.

When we discover raw dairy, we soon realize that this is how it was supposed to be. If you want to live in fear like most people that you’re going to get sick and even die due to some dangerous pathogen that wasn’t “heated” out, then you and your kids will just continue to live by the credo of “It does a body good” and most likely suffer from chronic allergies, asthma, and a multitude of other chronic disorders.

Remember that all junk food is non-digestible, which means that drinking pasteurized milk can cause bloating, gas, irritable bowel syndrome and other common gastrointestinal disorders. Also keep in mind that 80% of your immune system function occurs in the gut.

So what happens in the digestive tract has a huge impact on the immune system and any disruptions to the immune system will certainly open us up to all types of infections and viruses.

You may be wondering where you will get your calcium if you stop drinking milk. Unfortunately, when milk is pasteurized it loses most, if not all, its enzymes. One of these lost enzymes, phosphatase, is what allows us to absorb calcium in the first place. So all that milk you were drinking for the so called calcium effect has been, well, yeah...a big lie!

Drinking pasteurized milk does not build stronger bones but conversely, raw milk can provide all your needed calcium plus its:

• Loaded with healthy bacteria that are good for your gastrointestinal tract
• Full of more than 60 digestive enzymes, growth factors, and immunoglobulins (antibodies)
• Rich in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which fights cancer
• Rich in beneficial raw fats, amino acids, and proteins in a highly bioavailable form, all 100 percent digestible
• Loaded with vitamins (A, B, C, D, E, and K) in highly bioavailable forms, and a very balanced blend of minerals (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron) whose absorption is enhanced by live lactobacilli

When we hear the word bacteria, the first thought that may come to mind is that of agents of disease or infections. But it is important to realize that we literally have billions of microorganisms that are residing in our bodies that are essential for our well being.

These so called “friendly” bacteria have many important jobs, primarily to inhibit the growth of yeast and other disease causing organisms.

Problems will begin to surface that will cause our friendly bacteria to be killed off, such as:

-unhealthy diet

-extra stressors in our life

-antibiotic and antacid use

-cortisone and other powerful medications

-sedentary lifestyles

-alcohol and drug use

It is at times like these that adding a probiotic can be useful in promoting a healthy intestinal tract, as well as the manufacturing of such nutrients as biotin, folic acid and vitamin K. All of these nutrients have a direct role in a healthy, functioning immune system.

My recommendation when taking a probiotic is to find a top quality brand with at least 4 million bacteria per dose.

Acidophilus will assist in enhancing the immune system and slow down the growth of Candida and E.Coli.

Bulgaricus is also recommended as a powerful supplement for the immunity.

If for whatever reason you are unable to take a probiotic supplement, look for foods that are also powerful bacteria killers, such as:

-Sauerkraut

-Some cheeses (dairy free, if possible)

-Yogurts (I don’t mean Dannon or Yoplait! Look for Greek made plain yogurt and very little sugar)

-Kefir

The list can go on and on for many people and the truth is that competing in your first event is indeed very nerve racking and tense but invigorating and exciting all at the same time. Once you have completed the event, it may be one of the best feelings of accomplishments you may ever feel.

When I first met my wife, she never ran. I tried to get her to run with me but she had other types of workouts that she much preferred. She did have a fear of the unknown because she was never a runner and she didn’t want to make a fool of herself. Eventually, she got the nerve up to do a 5k and then another one and then she followed up with a few more 10k’s. Now she is currently signed up for her 2^nd half marathon that she will be competing in and I am sensing that a marathon is in her sights.

She was always a fitness person but the increased confidence levels that I have seen in her since she has begun her racing has been nothing short of amazing!

There is no doubt that even the most sedentary individual can go out and at least walk the 5k and finish it. (5 kilometers equals 3.1 miles in case you were wondering but too afraid to ask).

If you went out and at least attempted this, you may feel a bit overwhelmed at first with all the other runners who may look quite a bit more athletic than you are and who may even finish the race by the time you get out of the starting gate, but don’t fret.

An organized race is a place where positive attitudes are abundant! It’s people with like minds getting together on a weekend morning with one goal in mind—to live an active and healthy lifestyle, to have fun and to stay fit. But more importantly, it’s where friends and family get together to motivate each other and have a blast doing it. What a feeling to cross that finish line with a best friend, a sibling, your child, spouse or parent.

That is a strong recommendation, by the way: try your first race with someone that you know well. This will make it much more painless. What if you don’t know anybody who wants to do it with you? That’s okay—these types of races are environments where it’s very easy to meet other people and you never know--you may meet someone who is competing in their first race, too. Talk about an immediate bond!

I do want to advise that if you have trained for this event (I do highly recommend this) and have set your goal at a certain finishing time, you may not finish in that desired time. This may lead to disappointment and a good reason for you not to want to run in another race. While it is great to have a goal time to finish in, I would recommend that for your first race just go out and have fun with it and not worry too much about your time and just get used to the wonderful atmosphere before, during and especially after the race ( I love the races with live bands playing).

Finally, get prepared. Look up local events in your area and find what races are coming up. You may want to compete in a race that benefits a cause that you have a passion for such as breast cancer, Earth Day or a doggie dash. Then go to the many websites that are available on how to train for a 5k. You need to learn about running habits, resting your body, injuries, shoes, etc. Don’t make the mistake of trying to do it all on your own. Seek out expert advice and find a plan that you feel comfortable with but either way, mark it on your calendar and just do it! The physical benefits and the self confidence that it will give you will far outweigh any fears or apprehension and the soreness you may have afterwards.

As always, if you do suffer from an injury or illness, make sure to speak with your healthcare provider prior to the race.