49,700 Milligrams of Sodium in 10 minutes →

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A Nathan's Famous Hot Dog, with the bun, has 710 milligrams of sodium. According to Goldberg, someone with heart problems should shoot for fewer than 1,500 milligrams daily, or 2,000 milligrams if you're healthier. When Chestnut trounced Kobayashi, he ate roughly 46,860 milligrams of sodium in his winning meal.

That was from his 66 hotdog championship over Kobayashi in 2007. Yesterday's new world record, Joey "Jaws" Chestnut hit 70 hotdogs in 10 minutes. Salt lick anyone?

Ballast Point Acquired for $1B by Corona / Modello →

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Constellation Brands is officially entering the craft beer category, and in a big way. The Corona and Modelo maker today announced it would acquire San Diego’s Ballast Point Brewing for a whopping $1 Billion.

San Diego's Craft Beer Companys are being targeted left and right to no surprise. Congratulations on the newly minted billionaire club owners. Alesmith is next I take it.

David Chang on His Favorite Beer →

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Beer snobs are the worst of the bunch. You know the old joke about cheap beer being like having sex in a canoe? I will take a beer that’s "fucking near water" every night of the week over combing out my neck beard while arguing about hop varieties.

For all the debatability of my rant here, let me make one ironclad argument for shitty beer: It pairs really well with food. All food. Think about how well champagne pairs with almost anything. Champagne is not a flavor bomb! It’s bubbly and has a little hint of acid and tannin and is cool and crisp and refreshing. Cheap beer is, no joke, the champagne of beers. And cheap beer and spicy food go together like nothing else. Think about Natty Boh and Old Bay-smothered crabs. Or Asian lagers like Orion and Singha and Tiger, which are all perfect ways to wash down your mapo tofu.

This sums up my feelings perfectly. Just a few months ago during my son's christening reception, Pacifico was flowing and it was fabulous. But to each his own as I snob just a tad on coffee and brew techniques.

The Honest Co. Men's Complete One A Day

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It's been just under three years since I went "cold" turkey and stopped taking any multiple vitamin or pre-workout mixes. It's also been just about two years where I pretty much stopped working out in any form except for the occasional here and there jog to and from terminals or airplanes.

My family has been using Jessica Alba's The Honest Company, products for our daughter since birth and started over again when our son was born. We love their products and can't talk about them enough. Our kids have never had "diaper rash" or any associated reactions to wipes and it's been great having them shipped to the house. I suggest you check them out and sign up for their free "pay for shipping only" introduction package.

When they released "Men's Complete One A Day" a while back, I was interested but never pulled the trigger till now. I figured my NYC diet and commuting back and forth hasn't allotted me the convenience of a well balanced meal so this will have to provide and can provide some compensation. Today is Day 1 and I'll be taking you through my day to day experience (30 tablets at one a day) during this August month.

Zoom in for all the ingridients listed on the back of the box. I'll also list them later on in another blog post. Cheers and happy Monday!

 
 
 

What's Fernet?

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Fernet what?

The easiest way to explain the taste is to imagine Jägermeister without the sugar. You shoot it, immediately getting a strong hit of mouthwash - drying the mouth out, stinging the tongue. Its kind of like getting hit in the nose. Your brain hurts, your eyes sting and water, you cough a bit. Then, as soon as it begins a warm wave of relief washes over and you are left baptized in Italian herbals and golf ball eyed awake.

Of course, The Atlantic called it a few years ago as the Liquour you're still not drinking. I'll admit it's been a while but it's because I'm not searching. Have you tried it lately?

I wrote this article a few months ago after first trying it in no other city than San Francisco but The Bold Italic just released an awesome infographic so I thought I'd finally publish.

And always, don't forget my recent post on Esquire's drinking recommendation. ^_^

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A Perfect Drink

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The thing about one drink — a glass of liquor we're talking about, hopefully a stiff pour — is that it doesn't involve enough alcohol to make anything stop working. Your eyesight, your natural grace, your moral compass — they're all left intact. Because one drink doesn't compromise anything. It enhances. You have one drink and your world becomes slightly better. The bar is a slightly better bar. Your dog is a slightly better dog. Your work is slightly more brilliant. And for that, you pay no price.

I completely agree. Had one drink last week with a friend at her favorte burger joint Minetta Tavern and it was perfection. Company and food also were very much copmlimentary. ^_^

I'll review the place later, but don't take my word for it. Check out their reviews on Yelp!. We split the Black Label Burger and Minetta Burger. Great choices all around. Maybe I'll do it up Bone Marrow style next time.

photo by Lori L. via Yelp

photo by Lori L. via Yelp

Did you know there are plenty of "Other" Sriracha brands?

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I'm all about trying something new when it comes to condiments. I guess with the impending slow down of shipments from the famous Huy Fong Foods, I'll give Thai Sriracha Sauce by Shark a try. Unlike it's popular US counterpart, this one is made in Thailand. It's on Amazon too!

But there are two sides to the story. Some folks (myself included) find that the Huy Fong version—the one that is almost synonymous with sriracha*—is geared toward the palates of American chili-heads who prize heat above all else, rather than the more balanced sweet-hot-sour balance that the Thai original goes for. Pok Pok chef Andy Ricker is a famous detractor of the stuff, preferring Shark brand, a more traditional made-in-Thailand version.

Shark Sriracha Sauce

A Tumbler to Rule Them All

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If you travel as much as I do, or find yourself commuting for long periods of time, hang on to your Contigo Travel Mug!  As long as you don't forget yours in the plane, you'll be happy with the Contigo 20oz Travel Mug a.k.a. Best Coffee Tumbler EVER.  It's a pure winner.  It's 100% leak proof and the kicker stats are that the vacuum insulated double wall stainless steel keeps beverages hot for 6 hours and cold for 18 hours! It kept my coffee scalding hot for so long that I had to keep the lid open for over 30 minutes just so I could sip the darn thing!  I highly recommend the 20oz version as it can hold a full can of soda with ice or a vent coffee.  If you're wondering how it tests for cold beverages, I've tested it through and through and was able to reuse the ice for multiple can refills of Mug Root Beer for a couple of hours as it seemed to never melt.

contigo20oz.jpg
contigo20oz.jpg

Ideally, it's a tremendous coffee cup or coffee tumbler.  Just hit up your local drip and filler up!  In case you're wondering, I'm referring to Bird Rock Coffee Roasters!

Update: In 2013, I went through two Contigo Coffee Tumblers and one Zojirushi.  I left them all in airplanes and have only gotten one back to yet leave it in another aircraft.  I just bought another one today, February 1, 2014 and chose to go with Contigo as I wanted to actually be able to drink out of the tumbler within the first hour. The Zojirushi on the other hand, keeps your beverage scalding hot for over 2 hours so it's best for transporting and only enjoying a poured cup of coffee only in my opinion.

Coffee!

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If you haven't started drinking coffee, it's not too late! New York Times Well Blog lays out some benefits that recent studies have found. I'll also admit that this is just a healthy reaffirmation of my latest hobby. http://instagram.com/p/KDNMo_u4fI/

Other recent studies have linked moderate coffee drinking — the equivalent of three or four 5-ounce cups of coffee a day or a single venti-size Starbucks — with more specific advantages: a reduction in the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, basal cell carcinoma (the most common skin cancer), prostate cancer, oral cancer and breast cancer recurrence.

But a cup or three of coffee “has been popular for a long, long time,” Dr. Freund says, “and there’s probably good reasons for that.”

via NYT: Well Blog "This Is Your Brain on Coffee"

Finding Motivation...

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Sometimes it takes a quick lapse in reality to begin questioning the present and renew the future. When eating dinner last night at Rubio's and enjoying the $1.49 fish tacos, I ended up casually ordering a Corona with my meal.  It was the first time that I've done this at Rubio's but I find myself drinking just a tad more than usual.  I bet I can attribute my spike in weight to this new found casual drinking attitude  as well the fact that I've raised my normal dinner consumption to two beers or so per plate when just over a year ago, one beer would have been just fine!  What the heck is going on?

So, when I got home last night, a light bulb came on and I made a promise to myself and Adelle that starting the day after my 30th, I'll be giving it up...until after my next Sprint Triathlon. Trying to get healthier has been a bit difficult but so far, I've held off on sodas for almost the entire year with some exceptions of an occasional Seagram's Ginger Ale to quench the urge of bubbly.  When I finally move in September, I'm already certain, that it'll be a battle no more.  I'll be working outside in the yard tending the garden and doing it up farmer's style!

I've linked the picture of "No Beer," to a great article that listed these bullet points.  Read 'em and then check out the other referenced article aftewards.

Alcohol is a metabolized differently than other foods and beverages. Alcohol molecules diffuse through the stomach wall and reach the brain and liver in minutes. The liver then focuses primarily on the alcohol, leaving the carbohydrates and dietary fats to be changed into body fat. Changed into body fat?! After all those extreme jacks? No, thank you.

Alcohol is a diuretic. When your body loses water and becomes dehydrated, it loses important minerals that are vital to the maintenance of fluid balance, chemical reactions, and muscle contraction and relaxation. Right now, that glass of wine is not really as relaxing as you think.

Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram and offers NO nutritional value. Alcohol only adds empty calories to your diet. I don’t know about you, but when I’m busting my booty at camp, I want my calories to mean something. No vapid calories.

Alcohol lowers your inhibitions. After consuming alcohol, people are more likely to do things they would not normally do sober. Now stop dancing on that table and get your dirty mind out of the gutter, this is a fitness blog. Alcohol stimulates appetite and reduces willpower. Many people tend to overeat when they are drinking. At least that’s all we’re talking about today.

If you're in town tomorrow night and down for a good old fashioned BBQ and free beer, give me a call or hit my up on facebook or twitter @eejay!  Nothing like free beer to celebrate the next decade of fitness, life and family!

via btbfitness via sparkpeople.