If you’ve been reading my blog for a bit, you know my mantra: fat doesn’t make you fat, sugar makes you fat. However, the health benefits of dark chocolate make it a worthwhile indulgence. Valentine’s Day is my least favorite holiday. Do we really need an appointment on the calendar to express love to another human being? C’mon, that should be our daily practice.  Now, there is a competitor for most ridiculous day of the year – February 15, “Half Price Chocolate Day.” I don’t need an excuse to indulge in the occasional delicacy of high quality chocolate. The… Are you up for the almond challenge? My man Joe from New York spends a portion of every day at Penn Station. Penn Station is the nation’s largest candy vending machine (oddly, folks also get on and off trains here). Joe loves Skittles, so every day is a temptation. You can’t really blame the guy for his sweet tooth. He’s overworked and has difficulty finding time to get consistent, quality nutrition. After finally shuttling his kids off to school in the morning, he whips up a meal replacement shake and throws the blender in the sink, stuffing his tie… This morning, I sat at my kitchen table exhausted from working late last night and waking up at the crack of dawn to get my young men off to school. My workout loomed large. I scheduled a tough one with a spotter, so I knew I’d be pushing myself exceptionally hard. I didn’t look forward to trading in my robe for getting dressed; my cozy bed was just yards away. In that moment, I was playing games with myself and stalling. I knew that I’d feel better after training, but damn, nothing sounded less appealing than a steel pole… Yesterday, I posted a suggestion that you should take your workout outside. I received some blowback (read: excuses) from my friends in Minnesota. I find this particularly useful for banter, given that we’re smack in the middle of the Winter Olympics! What sort of things can you do in the cold weather? Ice Hockey – 403 calories per hour Downhill skiing – 408 calories per hour Curling – 420 calories per hour Snowboarding – 520 calories per hour Speed skating -1,020 calories per hour Cross country skiing – 1,320 calories per hour Lest you think I’m not in touch… Compare the sterile, big box gyms we are all too familiar with to training outdoors. You sense it intuitively. Having the elements on your skin, being surrounded by nature is good for us. Roughly three years ago, I moved from Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley to Malibu. While the Valley is surrounded by majestic mountains, it’s made up of a grid of city blocks, apartment buildings, alleys, graffiti, tons of traffic and smog. I’ll always proudly rep the 818 (it’s laughably tattooed on me), but I was thrilled to move 30 miles in the direction of the ocean. Malibu… What’s better than eating oysters near the ocean in sunny SoCal? Understanding, then absorbing all the health benefits oysters pack into their shells. I don’t play when it comes to my meals. When the time arrives for me to try a new restaurant, I review and research everything about the joint. I use crowdsourcing sites like Yelp to help me make decisions. 5 stars and 89 reviews (a true rarity on Yelp) propelled me to my new favorite oyster joint. The Jolly Oyster’s game is straight to the point; the oyster is the star of the show. Since it… Cardiovascular training is not the easiest path to achieve your leanest, firmest physique.  One of the best fitness decisions I ever made was to stop doing cardio. There was a point in 2007 when I was pounding the pavement for many miles weekly. Throwing on a hoodie and headphones and getting lost in a long run is pure freedom for me. I embrace the trance, the intense sweat and, of course, the endorphin release. My dad ran a few marathons; I fight the urge to do the same. Personal trainer Mike Donavanik, C.S.C.S., C.P.T.: Minute per minute, cardio indisputably…