ReVibe Fitness and Wellness

03/17/2026

Let's chat about olive oil.

But before I do that, I want to clarify some terms used to define olive oils since these terms are often a source of confusion for many people:

Extra-virgin: means derived from the first pressing of the olives (has the most delicate flavor).

Fine virgin: created from the second pressing of the olives.
Refined oil: unlike extra-virgin and fine virgin olive oils, which only use mechanical means to press the oil, refined oil is created by using chemicals to extract the oil from the olives.

Pure oil: a bit of a misnomer, it indicates oil that is a blend of refined and virgin olive oils.

Ok, now we have that out of the way, if you’re cooking over high heat, don’t choose olive oil. Olive oil has a lower smoke point—the point at which an oil literally begins to smoke (olive oil’s is between 365° and 420°F). When you heat olive oil to its smoke point, the beneficial compounds in oil start to degrade, and potentially health-harming compounds form.

Use it when you’re making salad dressing or sautéing vegetables over medium heat, olive oil is an excellent choice. Since it has a distinct flavor, use it in dishes where you want to taste it—drizzled over steamed vegetables, soup or bread, for example.

Olive oil has more monounsaturated fat than other oils, making it a great choice for heart-healthy cooking.

But, there's a bad side to it all. Fraudulent oil, that is, oil that is not 100 percent olive oil but a mix of olive oil and seed oils is an ongoing problem in the U.S. University of California at Davis did a study and found out almost 70 percent of the store-bought olive oils were found not to be extra virgin.

In Europe, you’re breaking the law if you’re mixing refined oil with extra virgin and still labeling it 100% extra virgin. Producers can be fined and penalized for that. But in the U.S., no one is pulling oil off the shelf to test olive oils. If that did happen, there would be little to no repercussions.

OK, so how do you find pure oil? Good question and not as easy as you think.

First, try looking for Identifiers of Authenticity — Unfortunately, to give it the smell and taste test, you first have to buy the bottle. But there are a couple of ways to identify imposters without spending any money on companies that mislead you.

First, buy only olive oil labeled “extra virgin.” Other words like "pure", "light", "authentic", or even "cold-pressed" are meaningless and have no official industry definition.

Next, pay attention to the harvest date. Olives are harvested once a year in late fall. If your bottle has a harvest date within the last 12-14 months, it is as fresh as possible and likely real. Bottles without harvest dates are typically a mix of oils.

Look for darker glass bottles, but avoid plastic bottles.

Also, look for labels with specific details about the olives—not just the country, but the region they were grown in, the specific olive varietal used, flavor and tasting notes, and so on. Bottles with more specific information are less likely to have been diluted with fillers.
You can also look for producers that have third-party testing run on their oils and report important data, like polyphenol count and free fatty acid levels, which are important measures of quality.

Finally, look for a seal from a third-party certifier, such as the California Olive Oil Council (COOC) or the International Olive Council (IOC).

Enjoy

02/17/2026

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We've waited for this day for a long time. Power Plate is BACK! Learn more about what makes Power Plate such an upgrade.

02/16/2026

Power Plates are BACK!!!

We've waited for this day for a long time. Power Plate is BACK! Learn more about what makes Power Plate such an upgrade.

02/16/2026

In a post last month I talked about magnesium, and I had many questions at the studio on choosing the right kind. And so, I have elaborated a little on that.

As I wrote, not all magnesium is created equal; for absorption anyway. Magnesium oxide for instance is a non-chelated type of magnesium, containing 60 percent magnesium. That sounds good, but it has poor bioavailability. That means its ability to be absorbed into the blood and the cells is poor. Because of that most of the magnesium remains in the GI tract and provides some major stool softening properties even in smaller quantities. That's great for constipation by the way, but not good for getting into the muscle.

Oxide is considered one of the cheapest forms of magnesium, so you will get lower prices on it and you’ll be able to buy it at places that don’t specialize in supplements, nor care about their quality.
Magnesium oxide has a 20% bioavailability, or 20% of it is absorbed into the blood, which is why it can be used as a mild laxative. It is bound by oxygen (hence oxide), but although it is higher in magnesium overall, it is lower in absorption. It’s not recommended unless you are addressing constipation.

Magnesium sulfate / magnesium hydroxide (milk of magnesia) are typically used as a laxative also. It can be used for the same reasons as magnesium oxide is used, constipation. Be aware that it's easy to overdose on this product, so ONLY take as directed. It is not recommended because of its low bioavailability to the cell if you are addressing cramps or other cellular issues.

Magnesium taurate contains a combination of magnesium and taurine, an amino acid. Together, they tend to provide a calming effect on your body and mind and help heart function. Taurine has a calming effect on the neurological system so it is good for night time use as a natural sleep aid. It does increase the flow of blood by relaxing the blood vessels so if you have heart issues or blood pressure issues then this is a good choice to take before bedtime at night.

Magnesium chloride / magnesium lactate contain only 12 percent magnesium, but has better absorption than others, such as magnesium oxide, which contains five times more magnesium. This magnesium is typically found in topical applications of magnesium such as Epson Salts. Not intended for internal use. Not recommended.

Magnesium carbonate, this form of magnesium has moderate levels of elemental concentration and 30% bioavalibity rates. Magnesium carbonate has a strong laxative-effect when taken in high amounts. It is also commonly known as chalk, and is used as a drying agent by pitchers, gymnasts, rock climbers and weight lifters. It has antacid properties, contains 45 percent magnesium, but it is not recommended in anything but very small doses. I do not recommend for internal consumption.

Magnesium citrate is magnesium with citric acid, which has laxative properties but is one of the higher quality magnesium supplements available. It has been studied for its ability to prevent kidney stones. It is a good choice, though not the best.

Magnesium glycinate is a form of magnesium that tends to provide the highest levels of absorption and bioavailability and is typically considered ideal for those who are trying to correct a deficiency. It does not have a laxative effect because it is 80% absorbable leaving 20% in the GI tract which lowers your chance of constipation. It is one of the best choices. This type of magnesium is also excellent for reducing muscular pain, especially low back pain.

Magnesium threonate is a newer type of magnesium supplement that appears promising, primarily due to its superior ability to pe*****te the mitochondrial membrane and the brain. It is difficult to find sometimes, and more expensive. This particular form of magnesium has recently been studied to improve memory and brain function. One preliminary study in animals found that it significantly enhanced both short-term and long-term memory, boosting scores by 15% for short-term memory and 54% for long-term memory compared to magnesium citrate.

Magnesium Orotate. Some consider this the most effective form of magnesium supplement, created through the use of the mineral salts of orotic acid. Both plants and animals use orotates to create DNA and RNA. Extensive scientific research shows orotates can pe*****te cell membranes, enabling the effective delivery of the magnesium ion to the innermost layers of the cellular mitochondria and nucleus. Magnesium orotate contains many properties that can help protect you and your health, while offering your cells the most readily absorbable form of magnesium on the market today.

Magnesium Pidolate (or picolinate): This form of magnesium has generated interest because it is very inexpensive and can easily be made into a liquid supplement. There really have not been any substantial research trials supporting its specific health benefits.
The down side of this form is that the pidolate molecule does not have any additional health benefits.

Interestingly, there’ very little toxicity with magnesium, especially if you steer clear of the carbonates, sulfates and oxides. About the only side effect is very loose stool.

It is highly likely that you are deficient or in need of a daily magnesium supplement. With that in mind, most adults would benefit by a supplemental magnesium daily.

01/23/2026

Just 10 minutes of exercise can trigger powerful anti-cancer effects

A brief, intense workout may do more than boost fitness—it could help fight cancer. Researchers found that just 10 minutes of hard exercise releases molecules into the bloodstream that switch on DNA repair and shut down cancer growth signals. When these molecules were applied to bowel cancer cells...

01/23/2026

MRI research shows that exercise makes the brain look younger.

New research suggests that consistent aerobic exercise can help keep your brain biologically younger. Adults who exercised regularly for a year showed brains that appeared nearly a year younger than those who didn’t change their habits. The study focused on midlife, a critical window when preventi...

01/16/2026

According to the CDC, strength training can be as powerful as pain killers used for arthritic patients. Tufts University found that strength training reduced pain 43%

01/13/2026

Did you Know: Most exercise places use the lungs as a measurement of your fitness levels?

The concept is simple. As your muscles call for more oxygen, your breathing rate increases. The higher your VO2 max—your maximum capacity of oxygen use—the fitter you are.

But measuring this capacity doesn't do much for you other than cost a lot of money and give you a number (in a health club anyway). In reality the V02 MAX has little to do with your lung capacity. The real measure is something called aV02. This is the measurement of oxygen in your arteries compared to your veins.

Fitter people are able to extract more oxygen at the cellular level than unfit people, they can also convert more lactic acid back into glucose for further use.

So your fitness level is not based on how much air you can breathe into your lungs, it's measured by how much of that oxygen you can use at the cellular level. To a limited extent that includes the V02 Max. But your fitness levels are soooooo much more than a single test!

11/25/2025

There’s one thing for sure in this world, people will use fear to help them sell a product or a concept. We see it all the time in politics, and we look for it when people are selling something on an infomercial, but when it comes in many forms from other markets, it’s not so obvious.

That includes nutrition, and there are many myths about nutrition and health that swirl around the internet and regularly pop up in popular books and the mass media, many are simply untrue. Some have half truths and some may be legit.

A big one, even in the plant-based world of nutritionists, is that we should be alkalizing our body in order to stave off cancer. We are told that excess acidity is the root of all disease; however, let’s look at it a different way.

First off, too much acid in the blood is called acidosis. For those who’ve forgotten their high school chemistry, acidity and alkalinity are measured using the pH scale, which runs from 0 to 14. Zero is highly acidic; 7 is neutral and 14 is highly alkaline—also called “basic.” The pH scale is also logarithmic, which means for example that a pH of 3 is 10 times more acidic than a pH of 4, and a pH of 8 is ten times more alkaline/basic than a pH of 7. Getting cold sweats yet recalling chemistry classes? No worries we covered it in biology too, so there ya go.

Anyway, there are two types of acidosis, each caused by various conditions. One is respiratory acidosis and the other metabolic acidosis.

Respiratory acidosis occurs when there is an accumulation of too much CO2. Now, normally the lungs get rid of a good part of C02 when you breathe out, but sometimes the body can’t get rid of it and then the Co2 begins to accumulate. This can happen if you have asthma, obesity derived breathing difficulty, drug misuse, muscle weakness in the chest, and/or nerve issues which affect the breathing muscles. In the case of respiratory acidosis, you need to be treated and going on an alkalizing diet will not do any good.

The other type is metabolic acidosis. Metabolic acidosis usually begins in the kidneys rather than the lungs. It is most often caused by very high sustained blood sugar levels, such as in diabetes; however too much diarrhea, excessive vomiting, alcohol abuse, COPD (lack of oxygen) and certain diseases such as cancer, heart disease can cause it too. The condition generally exists when the kidneys cannot excrete their acids into the urine.

Yes, exercise can build up lactic acid too, but this is for a short time and is cleared relatively quickly by a healthy liver (heart and brain).
Notice that conditions or diseases were present first. These conditions then caused the acidosis. So, for those of us who have been told that we must combat it by the micromanagement of our intake of alkaline-forming and acid-forming foods (or water), and even take alkalizing substances such as sodium bicarbonate, to make our bodies more alkaline, you have been misled.

So, how about that alkaline water then? The regular pH of water is around 7. So, to make it alkaline you need to add alkalizing agents to the water such as calcium, magnesium or any other trace minerals. This brings the water up to 8, 8.8 sometimes even 9.5 and higher. A bottle can run between $2-5, but you can achieve it by adding your own liquid minerals purchased from any vitamin store.

The myth that we need to “alkalize” our bodies then is flawed, even if we are trying to combat cancer. The idea is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of human physiology. Look, the first place that water goes is your stomach. In order for your stomach to operate correctly it has to be at an acidic pH of around 2, rising to 4 or 5 after a meal. If the stomach becomes less acidic, we absorb less iron from our food, digestion takes longer, and food is not properly prepared for the small intestine.

The first place that alkaline water goes, of course, is your stomach.
Your intestines don’t need to be alkalized either. The acidity of the small and large intestines (except for the last part of the small intestine, which has a mildly alkaline pH of 7.4) is carefully maintained by various digestive secretions and also by beneficial gut microbes that produce lactic acid, short chain fatty acids and other acidifying chemicals from the foods we eat. This acidic environment actually prevents the overgrowth of pathogenic (disease causing) organisms. So, do you want to lower that acidity and expose yourself to more diseases?

Right, I thought not.

Still not convinced? Well, let’s talk about the fungus called Candida albicans. This is the fungus that causes thrush and other uncomfortable conditions. To work properly the candida fungus switches to a more virulent and dangerous form in a neutral-to-alkaline environment. Hopefully by now, you’ll be realizing that ‘alkalizing your body’ is not necessarily a good idea, and if you are acidic it’s a disorder already in bloom that is causing it and treating the condition is the cure, not drinking alkaline water.

One last point, the essential and life sustaining chemical activities occurring in your body occur within a narrow range of pH levels. Messing with them does not make you more healthy or more protected.

But what if you have cancer? Most of the people with a cancer diagnosis have read or heard that “cancer can’t thrive in an alkaline environment.” Right? That’s not entirely true.

Leukaemias and lymphomas do thrive in the alkaline environment of blood and lymph, which have a pH of around 7.4. In fact, there are essential, life sustaining chemical reactions happening in our blood continuously, and they can only happen in a narrow range of pH levels. Maintaining the right pH level is so important to our survival that if it drops below 7.35 or rises above 7.45, the body deploys numerous buffering mechanisms—involving blood proteins, phosphates, bicarbonates, and then the lungs and kidneys—in that order, restore the balance. Taking alkalizing water messes with that intricate system.

And by the way, anything able to overwhelm those buffering mechanisms which was also able to make the blood either too acidic (below 7) or too alkaline (above 7.7) would quickly result in your death.

Therefore, you cannot take alkaline water to be healthier, unless you are simply bringing minerals into the system to help the cells restore their normal function. That way you can make it easier for your body to maintain its different optimal pH ranges, as well as by making healthy food and lifestyle choices. For example, by eating a whole food, plant-based diet rich in fiber and resistant starch from vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains, you’ll provide your gut microbiome with the carbohydrates needed to produce short chain fatty acids that help maintain optimal pH in the colon.

Oh, and that oxygen tank you see on TV for recovery? Yeah, doesn't work either.

11/25/2025

Wishing you all a happy Thanksgiving 2025.

At this time of year I reflect on the history of Thanksgiving and what most people think it is, and what it really is....

Did you know that Thanksgiving was not an official holiday until nearly 250 years after the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, when Abraham Lincoln issued the 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation?

Did you also know that the original thanksgiving meal was not what you think it is? That's right. The first Thanksgiving meal in 1621 featured venison, wildfowl, and seafood, along with vegetables like squash, beans, and corn, prepared in various ways such as stews and porridges. It did not include common modern items like turkey, mashed potatoes, or pumpkin pie. The feast was a three-day harvest celebration shared between the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag people

You may not realize this but It’s wrong to believe that America was founded by capitalists, it was not. In fact, America was founded by socialists who had the humility to learn from their initial mistakes and embrace, eventually freedom and capitalism in order to survive.

One of the earliest and arguably most historically significant North American colonies was the Plymouth Colony, founded in 1620 in what is now known as Plymouth, Massachusetts. The original colony had written into its charter a system of communal property and labor; a contract if you will with all the Plymouth inhabitants.

The contract was based on everyone sharing all their wealth and prosperity with one another so that no one had more or less than someone else. Sound familiar? Words like share the wealth should, take from the rich, all the typical tried and failed systems that make people feel better but ultimately, like the Plymouth residents, led to universal poverty.

William Bradford was an English Separatist leader in Leiden, Holland, and in the Plymouth Colony. He was a signatory to the Mayflower Compact, an important historical document, while aboard the Mayflower in 1620 and he recorded the Plymouth plight for all who would listen and presumably learn.

He noted that the contract everyone signed was to share everything with one another. It sounds like it would be fair right? I mean that's what the modern democratic party especially are all about, sharing wealth (except their own). Problem was this "fairness" program ended up not going so well, and the lesson should have been a good one, even for those who apparently learned nothing from it.

As William Bradford recorded in his "Of Plymouth Plantation" book, a people who had formerly been known for their virtue and hard work became lazy and unproductive. Resources were squandered, vegetables were allowed to rot on the ground and mass starvation was the result. Hard working people stopped working hard because they felt everyone else should help, but no one did! As a result half the colony was lost. Why? Because where there is starvation, there is plague. After 2 1/2 years, the leaders of the colony decided to abandon their socialist mandate and create a system which honored private property. The governor gave parcels of land to each according to their family size. What they grew they could keep. The colony survived and thrived and the abundance which resulted was what was celebrated at that iconic Thanksgiving feast!

Which was shared!

I’m often asked myself why our current leadership class forgets the lessons of the past so often. They are, after all, very smart men and women. Don’t they know that collectivism will fail and always has?
The charter of the Plymouth Colony reflected the most up-to-date economic, philosophical and religious thinking of the early 17th century. Plato was in vogue then, and Plato believed in central planning by intellectuals in the context of communal property, centralized state education, state centralized cultural offerings and communal family structure. For Plato, it literally did take a village to raise a child. This collectivist impulse reflected itself in various heretical offshoots of Protestant Christianity with names like The True Levelers, and the Diggers, mass movements of people who believed that property and income distinctions should be eliminated, that the wealthy should have their property expropriated and given to what we now call the 99%. This kind of thinking was rife in the 1600s and is perhaps why the Pilgrim settlers settled for a charter which did not create a private property system. The lessons of the early years were harsh and unforgiving after all.

But the Pilgrims learned and prospered. And what they learned, we seem to have forgotten. Now, new waves of Platonists demand control of other people’s property and money and demand that all share all for the greater good. But it's a painful lesson for all historically then and in today's modern countries that have tried it, and like those of the past, failed. Collectivism violates the iron laws of human nature. It has always failed, it always will.

So as you sit and give thanks this Thanksgiving. As you open your dinner with prayer, and share your food with others, not because you have to but because you want to give back, remind all of what it is really all about. It's not so much capitalism as it is a celebration of freedom. But freedom cannot exist without capitalism. That pursuit of happiness due to capitalism allows all in our path too benefit. But the pursuit of collectivism pushes laziness and inactivity and eventually failure.

It's a good lesson we should all learn from. Happy Thanksgiving to all

11/24/2025

Leaky gut is a devastating condition that causes many symptoms. Some of the worst offenders that contribute to the development of a leaky gut in the first place are gluten and grains in general, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: Advil, Motrin, ibuprofen), dairy products, fructose and plain general inflammation, chronic stress and lack of sleep.

Never consume grains, dairy, vegetable oils, legumes, sugar, yeast or NSAIDs when trying to heal your gut. Also do not start treating your gut until you have had at least 3-6 months on a Paleo type diet in which you also eliminate nightshade foods as a secondary precaution.

11/20/2025

According to the Journals of Gerontology, for middle-aged adults, eating plenty of dietary fiber (may) assist in staying healthy as one grows older.

Ok, so this is not rocket science we already know that eating 30 grams a day of fiber significantly reduces risk of heart disease. In this study researchers followed 1,609 49-year-old adults for ten years and found those who ate the most fiber were 79% more likely to avoid problems such as depressive symptoms, cognitive impairment, cancer, coronary artery disease, respiratory symptoms, and physical disability when compared with those who regularly consumed the least amount of fiber in their diet.

That means there might be direct correlations between amount of fiber eaten and disease. The authors of the study conclude, "These findings suggest that increasing intake of fiber-rich foods could be a successful strategy in reaching old age disease free and fully functional."

Keep in mind however that low fiber eaters are also processed food and fast food eaters too; therefore, it is likely that not only fiber dictates health but also the amount of processed foods eaten too.

Also we did not look at activity levels, which would play into longevity too.

The most important take home point here is that fiber is a pre-biotic. That means it feeds the gut bacteria and strengthens the immune system. Therefore, all of those immune based diseases would drop in risk due to the stronger immune system, as long as you were eating a whole foods diet.