50 Snacks that are Under 50 Calories

Did you know that snacking reduces cravings and is actually healthy for you? 

Studies of primates (apes, chimpanzees, etc) have determined that they eat 6 to 8 times per day, and much of that eating is best described as snacking. The same is true of humans. We are supposed to be snacking multiple times per day and we're not meant to gorge ourselves on 3 large meals every day.

If you divide up your daily 2,000 calories into six meals instead of 3 you are looking at approx. 333 calories per meal. However since most people are used to eating 3 meals per day making the transition is more difficult.

That is where snacking comes in. A mid-morning snack, an afternoon snack and an evening snack so your daily diet should look something like this:

Breakfast 550 calories

Mid-Morning Snack 100 calories

Lunch 550 calories

Afternoon Snack 100 calories

Dinner 600 calories

Evening Snack 100 calories

TOTAL 2,000 calories

You may discover however that once you get adjusted to snacking that you don't need 2,000 calories per day. In which case, depending on your body type, you might drop to 1,800 calories per day, but you really should not go below that because it isn't healthy. Likewise going above 2,000 is really only recommended for athletes and people who exercise a lot as part of their occupation (eg. construction workers, arctic explorers, deep sea divers, firefighters, etc).

In which case how do you decide what to snack on 3 times per day? Well in the list below are 50 Snacks that are Under 50 Calories, so you can pick a choose, double up on 2 or more snacks (not that some of them below are only 10 calories or even zero calories) and no shortage of variety. If you read labels in stores you can find more things to add to this list.

Satisfy your sweet tooth

1. 1⁄2 medium apple, baked, topped with 1 Tbsp lowfat yogurt sprinkled with cinnamon (45 calories)

2. 1⁄2 small banana, frozen (45 calories)

3. 4 oz unsweetened applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon (49 calories)

4. 1 miniature box of raisins (45 calories)

5. 2 sugar-free ice pops (30 calories)

6. 1 sugar-free fudge ice pop (35 calories)

7. 12 cherries (48 calories)

8. 1 individual serving sugar-free gelatin with 3 Tbsp light whipped topping (40 calories)

9. 1⁄2 cup strawberries with 21⁄2 Tbsp nonfat yogurt (47 calories)

10. 14 seedless red grapes, frozen (48 calories)

Indulge a salt craving

11. 11⁄2 cups salted air-popped popcorn (46 calories)
12. 1⁄4 cup shelled edamame with sea salt (37 calories) 
13. 8 oz miso soup (36 calories)
14. 1 pretzel rod (37 calories) 
15. 1⁄4 small bag of Glenny's lightly salted soy crisps (35 calories) 
16. 1 medium sliced cucumber mixed with 1⁄4 cup sliced onion, 1⁄2 cup chopped celery, 4 Tbsp vinegar and salt to taste (45 calories)
17. 6 oz eight-vegetable juice (39 calories)
18. 1 kosher dill pickle (10 calories)

Crunch and munch

19. 1⁄2 cup jicama with 4 oz salsa (49.5 calories) 
20. 11⁄2 cups sugar snap peas (40 calories)
21. Small celery stalk smeared with 1⁄2 Tbsp natural peanut butter (49 calories)*
22. 1⁄2 small apple with 1 tsp soy butter (46 calories) 
23. 1 brown rice cake with 1 Tbsp sugar-free jam (44 calories)

* NOTE:  Celery by itself has almost no calories. Its the peanut butter that adds the calories. Some people argue that celery is actually calorie negative because it takes more energy to digest it than it actually contains.

Smooth and creamy

24. 1 Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb wedge spread on cucumber slices (35 calories)
25. 1 tsp almond butter (34 calories)
26. 1⁄2 cup fat-free Greek yogurt with 1 tsp sugar-free strawberry jam (43 calories)
27. 1 oz avocado (about 1⁄8 of an avocado) squirted with lime (45 calories)
28. 8 grape tomatoes dipped in 1 Tbsp light cream cheese (46 calories)

Cheesy whizzes

29. 6 pieces of endive filled with 1⁄2 oz reduced-fat feta cheese (49 calories)
30. 1 slice fat-free American cheese (30 calories)
31. 1 large tomato, sliced, topped with 1 Tbsp Parmesan, broiled (44 calories)
32. 1 oz fat-free cottage cheese on 1 slice caraway Finn Crisp Crispbread (38 calories)
33. 1 oz fat-free mozzarella dipped in 1 tsp marinara sauce (46 calories)

Power up on protein

34. Turkey rollups: 2 slices white meat turkey rolled in 2 lettuce leaves (46 calories)
35. 1 oz smoked salmon (about 1 slice) on 2 Wheat Thins crackers (Multi-Grain) (48 calories)
36. 1 tofu dog with 1 Tbsp sauerkraut (48 calories)
37. 1⁄2 cup plain fat-free yogurt sprinkled with 1 tsp sunflower seeds (49.6 calories)
38. 1.3 oz water-packed tuna with 1 tsp Dijon mustard (48 calories)
39. 2 large hard-cooked egg whites with 1 cup sliced cucumber (48 calories)
40. 1 slice Wasa Fibre Crispbread with 2 tsp hummus (45 calories)
41. 1 medium water-packed sardine with slice of red onion (35 calories)

Solid standbys

42. 1⁄2 cup melon with 2 Tbsp 1% cottage cheese (47 calories) 
43. 1⁄2 small grapefruit (32 calories)
44. 1⁄3 cup blueberries with 1 Tbsp light sour cream (47 calories) 
45. 1⁄2 cup carrots with 1 Tbsp light ranch dressing (45 calories)

Thirst quenchers

46. 1⁄2 cup nonfat milk with 1 Tbsp Walden Farms calorie-free chocolate syrup (40 calories)
47. 1 packet of sugar-free hot chocolate made with 1⁄4 cup skim milk and 3⁄4 cup hot water (47 calories)
48. 3⁄4 cup almond milk (45 calories)
49. 3⁄4 cup seltzer with 1⁄4 cup cranberry juice and a lime wedge (33 calories)
50. Homemade iced green tea (with artificial sweetener if desired) (0 calories)

The Importance of Rest Periods

Regardless of whether you are doing Cardio, Endurance training or Weightlifting the importance of having rest periods cannot be ignored.

Your body builds new muscle tissue while you sleep and rest. It is a very common beginners mistake to forget to rest properly.

Lets say for example that your goal is Muscle Gain via Weightlifting - Well then you need to be lifting weights 3 days per week - say Monday, Wednesday, Friday - with plenty of rest in-between your weightlifting sessions.

If you don't have rest periods you will end up taxing your muscles too much and you won't be getting the optimal amount of muscle gain.

In theory you could do weightlifting as much as 3.5 times per week, doing a full body routine every 2nd day and resting in-between.

Or another way to do it would be to only exercise your upper body muscles on odd days and only exercise your lower body muscles on even days of the month. So yes, you could exercise every day of the week, but you would be giving different parts of your body a break on alternating days.

When it comes to Cardio or Endurance training you want to aim for 4 days per week. eg. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, Friday. And you want to work your way up endurance wise so eventually you are doing a single activity - eg. swimming - for 60 to 80 minutes.

But the end result is that you still need time to relax, recuperate and heal from the physical stress of your ordeal.

If you aren't resting it will result in you developing a number of physical and emotional sideeffects, including insomnia, anti-social behaviour and all the other warning signs of Exercise Addiction / hormone deficiencies.

Exercising burns through hormones in your body like crazy. It eats it up. Those hormones affect other things health wise however and even your personality / behaviour. Your body needs rest periods between periods of strenuous exercise so that you can recharge and rebuild, not just ripped muscle tissue, but also to correct hormonal imbalances.

So if you're still feeling guilty about slacking off during the Christmas / Holiday season, don't worry, it was a well deserved rest period.

Note: Sometimes its also necessary to switch to low strain recuperative periods in your exercise routine. Maintenance / Healing phases. Basically instead of exercising really hard and intense you take 2 weeks and just sort of "chill" while you exercise. You still exercise, but you do it at a less intense level and you avoid anything that is painful such as Power Lifting or marathon running.

Such phases also give your body more time to build up / repair any muscles, and is great for if you are recovering from a minor sports injury.

Lastly SLEEP!

Remember that the best sleeping pattern is a 1 hour nap during the day and 5 hours of sleep every night. Failing that the next best thing is 7 to 8 hours of solid sleep per day.

If you have difficulty sneaking in naps during weekdays, try to have 1 or 2 naps every weekend. Naps and sleeping do wonders for your hormone and energy levels, making you feel more alert and more energetic.

6 Ways to Tone your Obliques

Looking to tone up your abs and side muscles? Here is 6 ways to tone up your oblique muscles.

 Oblique V-Up

Lie down on your side with your body in a straight line. Fold your arms across your chest. Keeping your legs together, lift them off the floor as you raise your top elbow toward your hip. The range of motion is short, but you should feel an intense contraction in your obliques.

10 repetitions each side [ Beginner ]

Saxon Side Bend

Standing straight hold a pair of lightweight dumbbells over your head, in line with your shoulders, with your elbows slightly bent. Keep your back straight, and slowly bend directly to your left side as far as possible without twisting your upper body. Pause, return to an upright position, then bend to your right side as far as possible.

6–10 repetitions on each side [ Beginner ]

Speed Rotation

Start by standing while holding a dumbbell with both hands in front of your midsection. Twist 90 degrees to the right, then 180 degrees to your left. Keep your abs tight and move fast. Bring to center. Alternate the side you start with.

10 repetitions each side [ Intermediate ]

Two-Handed Wood Chop

Stand while holding a single dumbbell in both hands next to your right ear. Flex your abs and rotate your torso to the left as you extend your arms and lower the dumbbell to the outside of your left knee. Lift it back, finish the set, and repeat on the other side.

10 repetitions each side [ Intermediate ]

 

Medicine Ball Torso Rotation

Start by kneeling down, both knees on the ground. Hold a medicine ball, football or basketball in front of you. Sit with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Quickly twist to your left, and set the ball down behind your back. Twist to the right, and pick up the ball. Bring the ball around to your left, and set it down again. Repeat. Do the same number of repetitions in which you first twist to the left side as you do when you twist to the right side.

10 repetitions each side [ Advanced ]

Side Jackknife

Lay down on your side. Raise your torso off the floor, with your left forearm on the floor for balance. Hold your other hand behind your right ear, with your elbow pointed toward your feet. Lift your legs toward your torso while keeping your torso stationary. Pause to feel the contraction on the right side of your waist. Then slowly lower your legs and repeat. Finish the set on that side, then lie on your right hip and do the same number of repetitions.

10 repetitions each side [ Advanced ]

13 New Years Resolutions for a Beach Perfect Body

Want to have a beach perfect body in 2013? Here are 13 New Years Resolutions to help you achieve that dream and make it a reality.

#1. Never give up. Just keep doing it even though you make mistakes.

#2. Set realistic goals over the long term and start working on those goals TODAY. A realistic goal is losing 2 lbs of fat per week (you may build some muscle by accident along the way too, but that is an added bonus). Don't get discouraged if you gain weight in the first week because that will probably be new muscle weight.

#3. Don't procrastinate. Its today or never because tomorrow never comes.

#4. CARDIO BABY, CARDIO!

#5. Weightlifting helps too. Maintains muscle tone and builds your confidence. But remember that cardio should come first. Aim for 80% cardio and 20% weight training.

#6. Healthy eating means a good balance of everything and not binging all the time.

 #7. If you do binge due to loss of control, don't worry about it, just get right back to your fitness routine and work even harder.

#8. Take your vitamins daily. Easy right? Vitamin supplements make sure you are getting enough and you feel more energetic as a result.

#9. Eat an apple every day. Really easy! Apples contain chemicals which cut back on your hunger so you don't feel as hungry.

#10. Take up new sports and activities that are fun. eg. Archery, boxing, kickboxing, rock climbing, snorkeling...

#11. Get yourself a training buddy / jogging partner with similar goals.

#12. Stretches! Stretching uses muscles you often forget about and maintains flexibility.

#13. Track your progress by counting calories, measuring your weight daily and keep track of everything in a journal. People who track their progress see the results, feel more confident and are twice as likely to stick with it and succeed.

13 Diet and Exercise Resolutions for 2013

#1. Focus on Healthy Fats / Omega-3

Cookies, processed meats, white bread and similar foods are high in Saturated Fat / Trans Fat which goes to your waistline very easily. Focus on healthy fats found in nuts, olive oil, avocados, egg yolks and fish.

The simple act of eating more fish and less red meat will help you shed fat and get more "healthy fats".

Switching from white bread to whole grain also makes a big difference, or cut back on your bread consumption entirely.

Eggs are good for you. Especially the yolk which has healthy Omega-3 fatty acids in it. Those acids cause your body to burn sugar more efficiently, making you faster, stronger, smarter, etc.

#2. Dark Chocolate

A little bit of dark chocolate is good for you. Avoid any chocolate that is mostly sugar (eg. "white chocolate" doesn't even have cocoa in it).

#3. Eat More Yogurt

Cut out cheese and ice cream and eat more yogurt. It is waaaaaaaaay healthier for you and you get more calcium, whereas cheese is too fatty and ice cream actually is not a good source of calcium. Milk itself is not a good source of calcium either because the protein in the milk absorbs the calcium and you don't really get the benefit of it.

#4. Diet Now, Not Later

Don't delay. As you get older it becomes more and more difficult to lose weight. If you're going to get in shape the time to do it is NOW.

#5. Healthy Diet is Only HALF the Struggle

Remember that you have to exercise at the same time as maintaining a healthy balanced diet. Eating healthy is only half the struggle.

#6. Fidget

Fidgeting burns calories. Spontaneous physical activity (SPA) like fidgeting, bending, brushing your hair, doing dishes, etc. can burn 350 or more calories a day or 1 lb of fat every 10 days. Regular fidgeting can burn 36.5 lbs per year.

#7. Try Interval Training

Interval Training is more effective than long cardio sessions for burning calories. Try it for a month and discover the benefits.

#8. Eat Smaller Portions

Snacks are good for you, especially when combined with smaller portion meals. You eat less, store less and need less. Don't pig out just because the giant chocolate bar is there. Take 1 piece and save the rest for later.

#9. Only Eat When Hungry

Don't eat just because its "supper time". Eat when you are hungry and in small portions.

#10. Watch more Comedies

Laughter burns calories. And laughter while exercising, jogging in place burns even more. Laughter also reduces stress and stress causes your body to save fat for later, so less stress = less fat being stored.

#11. Avoid Foods with Sucrose and Glucose

Learn to read labels. Aim for more natural sugars found in fruit (fructose).

#12. Sleep and Naps

Take naps on the weekend. Whenever possible try to sleep 5 to 6 hours at night and get a 1 hour nap during the day. Siestas are good for you. Even primates (chimps, apes, etc) sleep 5 hours at night and nap for an hour in the afternoon. Its healthier and what we are meant to do.

#13. Cut Down on Toxins

Your body absorbs toxins in the air (including second hand smoke) and then stores those toxins inside fat cells like little prisons. Want to lose weight? Tell those smokers in your family to butt out, buy a good quality air filter and avoid anything toxic that you could be inhaling or eating.

New Years Resolutions for 2013

13 Things to Do in 2013

#1. Try Out of the Box Group Fitness

#2. Obstacle Course Races (eg. Tough Mudder)

#3. Bicycle More

#4. Hire a Personal Trainer / Holistic Nutrionist

#5. Learn how to do a Handstand

#6. Workout with Others in your Community

#7. Try Metabolic Conditioning

#8. Try Small Group Personal Training

#9. Kickboxing!

#10. Try Traditional Boxing (more upper body)!

#11. Try Archery! Cause its the hottest thing these days.

#12. Do more Ice Skating.

#13. Stay Motivated and Keep your New Years Resolutions!

Christmas Diet Tips

#1. Try to eat a variety of everything, especially the veggies.

#2. Turkey is good for you. Its packed with protein, just don't eat the skin and fat. If you’re going to use the meat juices to make the gravy, drain off any fat first.

#3. Make your own Egg Nog - Store bought eggnog is mostly water and sugar. Don't believe me? Read the label.

#4. When mixing alcoholic drinks aim for low calorie versions or healthy choices. eg. My favourite is Peach Schnapps and Cranberry Juice.

#5. Avoid beer and cider - they're full of calories. Aim for red wines for the anti-oxidants.

#6. Enjoy a nibble of chocolate every so often - don't eat the whole plate of cookies all at once.

#7. Try to balance the more sugary foods with healthier alternatives. Citrus fruits and melons are awesome!

#8. Watermelon baby, watermelon! Who doesn't love watermelon?

#9. On Christmas morning make whole wheat pancakes - goes great with peanut butter and raspberry jam.

#10. Avoid breads when you can, especially white bread. Aim for healthier whole grain choices.

#11. When you have leftover turkey make your sandwiches using whole grain bread. Tis healthier!

#12. Don't feel guilty about eating more during the holiday season. Your New Years Resolutions are just around the corner... Bookmark Cardio Trek and come back on January 1st to see our New Years Resolutions advice.

7 Benefits of Isometric Exercises

#1. Isometric Exercises are Frugal because you don't need to buy any equipment to do them because they use pressure resistance or bodyweight to accomplish the goal.

#2. Many trainers argue that Isometric Exercises are better than lifting weights because of the “synapse effect”, wherein one’s body just uses the minimal quantity of muscle fibers it has to at one time. When weightlifting your body only uses the minimum amount of muscle fibers to complete the task in however long it takes to do it, typically only a few seconds... but to build strength you want to use as much as you possibly can and for multiple seconds.

With Isometric Exercises you hold the position for 10 seconds or more, utilizing and maximizing every muscle fibre at the same time, which is a more effective way of building muscle.

#3. Isometric Exercises builds muscle FASTER. With weightlifting you have to do a lot of repetitions to get results. With Isometric Exercises you can get faster results because your goal is to continually challenge your muscles on a constant basis - getting more rippage for your time. The only downside to this is you need to keep challenging yourself.

#4. If you combine Isometric Exercises with freeweights you can achieve even greater results than freehand Isometric Exercises by themselves. Your goal then is to lift or pull something and then hold it for 10 seconds or more.

#5. Isometric Exercises also builds endurance, which is why it is the exercise of choice for government militaries around the world, because they don't just want strong soldiers, they also want soldiers with incredible muscular endurance. This is why a military fitness regimen typically involves 500 pushups per day, 500 situps per day, 500 jumping jacks per day, etc. If you're going to be carrying around 70 lbs of gear all day they need you to be able to do without tiring easily.

#6. Isometric Exercises strengthens bones. Technically all weightlifting and even cardio exercises do this, but basically it all helps to increase bone density.

#7. Reduces chances of Injury. Isometric Exercises are widely known to be the safest way to exercise because you're not using any weights and you don't need any special equipment.

Strength Training Vs Endurance Training

Strength Training and Endurance Training are actually very different disciplines.

Lets take Bicep Curls as an example...

First we determine what your 1RM is. 1RM means "One Repetition Maximum", meaning the maximum amount you can lift and only do 1 rep.

So in the example of Bicep Curls lets say you can lift a maximum of 50 lbs with one arm and then you have to stop and catch your breath.

With Strength Training what you would then do is calculate what is 75% of that and do bicep curls for 5 sets with 5 repetitions each set. Do that three days per week for 3 weeks and then calculate 80% of 1RM and do the same thing for another 3 weeks. Then 85% of your 1RM for 3 weeks and eventually 90% for 1 RM for 3 weeks.

After you're done all 12 weeks then you recalculate your new 1RM, and start back again at 75%, repeating the same cycle every 12 weeks.

Note: To be fair you're not meant to be doing only Bicep Curls. You should be doing sets like this for Squats, Stationary Lunges, Modified Deadlifts, Calf Raises, Upright Rows, Bench Presses, Pullovers, Bent-Over Rows, Military Presses, Preacher Curls and Tricep Curls. The end result is a full body workout.

It also means you will need to determine your 1RM for each machine at the gym, write it all down in a journal and then recalculate your 1RM every 12 weeks of your Strength Training program.

Lets say however that you weren't trying to build strength so much however and you were more worried about endurance...

Here is what you would do instead.

#1. Calculate your 1RM like you would above, but when choosing the amount of weight to be using you instead calculate it to be 50% of your 1RM.

#2. Instead of doing 5 sets of 5 repetitions, you are instead doing 5 sets of 10 repetitions.

#3. You train 4 days per week instead of 3 days.

#4. After 3 weeks of training you don't change the amount of weight you are lifting, instead you increase the number of repetitions to 5 sets of 15. Three weeks later it becomes 5 sets of 20. Then 5 sets of 25.

#5. After the 12 weeks is over you recalculate your new 1RM and start over again with 5 sets of 10 repetitions.

With Endurance Training you are still building strength at the same time, but the focus is on increasing your ability to lift many multiple times without tiring so easily. Endurance training is also safer because it builds up your cardiovascular heart and lung muscles more in a similar way to Cardio training.

Its a bit like comparing Sprinters to Marathon Runners.

When Sprinters train out on the track they might only be running 100 meters at a time, and they stop and rest and when they're ready again they will sprint the 100 meters again. They might do that maybe 20 times on a training day. If they can sprint the 100 in 10 seconds their total exercise time might only be 200 seconds of actual sprinting, but they have spaced it out so they have plenty of time to rest in between sprints.

As such Sprinters typically look strong and quick. Marathon Runners have a strong tendency to look almost anorexic.

In contrast Marathon Runners will be out there running half or full marathons 3 or 4 times per week. Approx. 21.1 to 42.2 km. So for example they might be running 25 km four days per week.

With Marathon Runners they need to be careful to avoid going over 100 km per week because if they do they can often develop "Exercise Addiction", a condition runners are frequently prone to because of the batch of hormonal painkillers the brain releases during long runs which are highly addictive. The side effects of Exercise Addiction include insomnia, loss of appetite, headaches, anti-social behaviour, decreased libido, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (obsessive cleaning, etc). It can even lead to loss of weight / anorexia as the person can sometimes exercise so much they end up burning away muscle and brain tissue for energy. Like any other addiction it can also ruin relationships as the person will choose running over spending time with family or friends.

Even professional marathon runners avoid going over the 100 km limit due to fear of developing an addiction to "Runner's High".

We should note that Marathon Running with an Exercise Addiction is not going to increase your endurance. If the person is running that much the hormonal imbalance in their body causes them to be unable to sleep properly and regenerate muscle tissue during their sleep. Instead they will burn away muscle tissue in order to fuel their obsessive need to keep exercising.

Some Exercise Addicts are known to run 140 km or more per week and get emotionally upset if they don't go outside and run because they're so obsessed with their "Runner's High".

Thankfully that sort of thing doesn't really happen amongst Strength Training or Endurance Training because the focus is still on building muscle, right?

Wrong! Strength is actually prone to Exercise Addiction too. According to some bodybuilders it can even be more addictive, although it is difficult to measure if that is true or not. A warning sign of someone who addicted is their insistence that they have to go to the gym 6 or 7 days per week to work out for several hours, working out for 15 hours + per week.

What is known is that Exercise Addiction is more commonly found amongst "Power Lifters" who develop a psychological dependence on weightlifting - the heavier the weights the more addicted they can become. The psychological symptoms are the same as other Exercise Addictions. It doesn't matter that it is weightlifting instead of running. It is still addictive and dangerous to their mental health.

Worse, Power Lifters are also more likely to use Steroids. Increasing their psychological addiction with a drug addiction that will damage their internal organs. There is a lot of information out there available on this topic if you want to Google the words powerlifting steroids addiction.

Sensory Training for Archery

Years ago I started doing archery as a way to get exercise and have fun doing so. Now I am an archery instructor and a personal trainer here in Toronto. Go figure.

Since then however I have noticed something unusual... My skills in visual observation have improved dramatically.

Now I admit its not super-human or anything like that.

But it is definitely more than it used to be. Now you might chalk it up to the Zen benefits of archery, which gradually hones your mind and increases your ability to concentrate on a singular target while still remaining aware of your surroundings.

Which got me thinking... If it is possible to train your eyes to be more observant using archery and similar tasks, is it possible to train the other senses as well?

Well one example is that people who have lived through a fire become hypersensitive to the smell of smoke. That sense has become attuned so that whenever they smell smoke the memories of the fire they lived through comes flooding back to them at just the whiff of smoke. For me I have lived through my parents' barn burning down when I was 5 years old and my neighbours' house burning down when I was 8. I am perfectly aware that people can become more sensitive to smells due to strong memories.

Legends about Blind Samurais is another example of why I think it is possible.

Now I admit this is a concept from Japanese folklore, but the concept is simple: The warrior trains their other senses over time and develops above average ability to hear and sense movement around them...

And as proof that learning such martial arts is not impossible for a blind person, check out this video from the CBC of a Richmond Hill resident who is blind and is learning the Israeli Martial Art of Krav Maga.


Another reason why I think it is possible is because of documented cases of men who went through the Vietnam War and similar conflict zones who, due to their circumstances and extreme need for survival, developed unusually high skills of observation.

In pop culture there are a variety of references to military groups attempting to deliberately train soldiers or agents to have above average senses and observation skills. One such film that I am fond of is the 1997 film "The Assignment".


The beauty of "The Assignment" is that it is also based on the real life true story of how Carlos the Jackal was captured.

But if you're looking for the cream of all pop culture references to developing "super senses" the top of the list would be the TV show "The Sentinel" which ran from 1996 to 1999... However in the TV show they make out that the main character has a combination of genetic advantage and hypersensitivity training that was developed during his years in the military.

However that TV show isn't really a good example because the writers of the show went overboard and gave him the ability to communicate with ghosts, spirit animals and visions of the future... Which is just plain ridiculous and the show was eventually cancelled at the end of 3rd season so they created an extra half season just so the storyline could be wrapped up.

My last example of why I think it is possible to do Sensory Training isn't from pop culture.

Its from Ashtanga Yoga, the 8-fold path of purification.

1. Yama     Moral codes
2. Niyama     Self-purification and study
3. Asana     Posture
4. Pranayama     Breath control
5. Pratyahara     Withdrawing of the mind from the senses
6. Dharana     Concentration
7. Dhyana     Deep meditation
8. Samadhi     Union with the object of meditation

Of these topics there are several that deal with sensory awareness, but the most obvious of these is Pratyahara (withdrawing of the mind from the senses). The practice involves deliberately weaning oneself from the senses one at a time so that eventually you simply fail to notice things.

As human beings we regularly do this without even noticing it. We can narrow our focus visually when watching a TV screen (the kitchen could be on fire and we wouldn't notice). We tune out noises that we don't want to hear. We ignore tastes, smells and pains in our body, especially when distracted.

Now imagine doing the opposite. Sit in a coffee shop or some other public place and listen to other people breathing. If you close your eyes you can concentrate on this task even more. Listen for minute sounds and what you discover is that you can hear many different things around you, but your mind typically doesn't listen to these things because it is so busy tuning such things out.

Another thing you can do is play observational memory games with friends. This will be mostly your eyes being tested and trained.

The thing is that isn't your eyes, ears, nose, tongue or skin that is hypersensitive. Unless we have a disability like blindness or deafness can all do these things naturally anyway. What is different is our brain pathways...

To understand brain pathways and how it interprets the senses imagine a map with a network of highways in the shape of your brain. When you are a teenager these neural pathways are still growing and expanding, and depending on which neural pathways you use more of those pathways will become thicker and stronger as your brain reinforces those pathways.

So for example if you do a lot of math your brain will reinforce the mental pathways that control your ability to do math functions. Over time your brain will increasingly be attuned to solving math problems because that is part of the brain that is being used and exercised most often.

Memory, creativity, your ability to make decisions all stem from various mental pathways which are used, not used, depending on how often you do various mental activities.

Now by the time you reach adulthood many of these 'highways' have become super highways and they're dug in there pretty deep so that they are pretty difficult to change. However they're not impossible to change.

Lets say for example you were really good at math during your teens but at the age of 20 you stopped worrying about math and went to university to become a French teacher. By the time you finish university your brain will have re-wired itself so that it is now more focused on social skills involving interactions and also on language and communication skills. You will still continue to use the math parts of your brain, but they will fall into disrepair like an old highway that few people drive on anymore.

Now lets apply this concept to your observational skills.

If you practice and hone your ability to observe things every day, either with your eyes, ears or other senses, then with time your brain will reinforce various mental pathways which affect your abilities to observe your surroundings.

Which is what archery has apparently done for me. It has increased my visual observation skills without me even realizing it, re-wiring my brain pathways so I am now more observant.

Conceptually it is different from the various physical exercises I usually discuss, but the idea remains the same: If you practice a particular skill you will with time become good at it.