Brian Smargiassi - Finding Success in Life

As relatively healthy person, many would be forgiven to think Brian Smargiassi favors physical development over mental wellness. However, this could not be further from the truth. Brian Smargiassi is as smart as he is strong. In fact, he tends to appreciate the strides and decisions he made towards academic success for the challenges he has encountered in life that have made him stronger.

BrianSmargiassi  attended the University of Western Toronto to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering. During his time there, his cumulative GPA always stayed above 3.5, an impressive feat not just for him, but also for any student in college taking an engineering course. Even before graduation, the university set him up with an internship at Canadian Natural, an oil pipeline company that maintains oil rigs in the region. While here, Brian found the work to be challenging, and while his heart was not set on pursuing this line of work beyond the internship, he appreciated the teamwork exhibited to the successful running of an oil rig.

As a child, Brian’s father often took him to the forest reservation he worked at as a ranger. On these trips, Brian got to appreciate nature, and a fascination with nature grew. It made sense that years later, Brian would take on the career path of a landscape painter. He might be brawn on the outside, but brains have made Brian Smargiassi the successful painter he is today. In all, he is grateful for the opportunities getting an education afforded him.

Brian Smargiassi - Good Diets Lead to Better Lives

When you follow a good diet and eat the right foods, you can expect your body to reciprocate and be good to you. Many people know what a healthy diet consists of, yet few actually follow it. As one who adheres to a healthy diet of organic, free-range foods, Brian Smargiassi knows how a good diet contributes to overall wellbeing. The better you diet, he advocates, the better you will feel and have more energy to accomplish your goals.

Finding the right diet

 For Brian Smargiassi, the right diet is the one that allows him to perform consistently at a high level. At 6’4” and weighing 245 pounds, Brian is no small man. He has loved physical work since he was young, and this is reflected in his love for weight lifting and participation in lacrosse in Ontario amateur leagues. Keeping his body fit has required him to steer away from processed and genetically modified foods. Brian’s diet now consists of wholesome, organic food rich in proteins.

Different people will have different dietary needs. However, by doing the necessary research, you will be better informed on the type of diet that best works for you. There are many fad diets out there as well, so it can be hard to know what is real and what’s not. What matters is that you feed your body right. For Brian, this can be summarized by a short sentence: “If I can’t pronounce it, I shouldn’t eat it.”

 

Brian Smargiassi - The Life of a Lumberjack

When Brian Smargiassi was sixteen years old, he often accompanied his father to work at a forest reservation in Ontario. It was here that Brian learned much of what he knows about trees and foliage, and would later develop a deep love for nature. Brian says there was nothing quite like the smell of freshly cut pine, or the sounds of saws buzzing. Later in life, he would work as a lumberjack at a local lumber mill.

Lumberjacking as a profession existed well before modern forestry equipment came into use. Men, who worked with axes and saws, mostly performed the profession. As Brian Smargiassi came to learn during his work at the mill, there’s a lot more to the work than just felling trees. Timber has to be readied for processing, and transported to various destinations. Besides, the job is a physically demanding one that requires strength and fitness. Luckily for Brian, his large muscular frame - which he attributes to hard work and plenty of fresh, natural foods – served him well.

Today, lumberjacks have a wide scope of responsibility. They have to know about harvesting trees and a fundamental knowledge of forestry. Brian’s father, who had a master’s degree in Forestry, often shared this knowledge with his son. In addition, Brian had to learn proper first aid, which would be required in cases of emergencies. 

The job is tedious and the hours might be long, but Brian Smargiassi points to his time as a lumberjack as one of the most rewarding in his young life.

Brian Smargiassi: A Brief Introduction

At 6'4, with brawny arms and rugged stubble speckled over a thick jaw, Brian Smargiassi seems to favor physical development instead of a mental one. This however, Brian says, couldn't be further from the truth. Brian at first glance may seem like a stereotypical Strong Man competitor, but he also fancies himself an artist, and even a scholar. Brian graduated from the University of Western Toronto with a bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering. During his time at the University of Western Toronto, Brian received very high marks in all his courses, with a cumulative GPA that never dropped below a 3.5. Brian told us that he chose Engineering as his degree because of the large bulk of work available in the field, and that his father partially influenced the decision.

Brian Smargiassi is also a lover of nature, and as one, he trusts in nature to provide everything he needs for a healthy diet. That is why Brian Smargiassi makes it a point to steer away from genetically modified or steroid assisted foods. Brian also says it is vital to stay away from prepackaged foods that are loaded down with preservatives and other unhealthy chemicals meant to make the food pleasing to the eye. Brian instead opts for free range, farm raised chicken or beef, and says that organic food is always the most nourishing. Brian's high demand diet needs plenty of protein, that is why he also consumes massive amount of soy, yogurt, cheeses, and milks. Brian says it is just as important to find organic dairy products as it is for meats. Brian says by following the simple guideline of, “If I can't pronounce it, I shouldn't eat it.” that you will be well on your way to living a healthy lifestyle.

Brian Smargiassi: Family Man

Brian Smargiassi loves many things, nature, paint, a good book, a great challenge, but Brian doesn't love anything quite as much as he loves his family. Born to Samantha and Jeremy Smargiassi, Brian has always looked up to his parents with a sense of admiration and respect that he says is nothing but natural if you were to meet them. Samantha Smargiassi, before retiring, was a school teacher for a local high school, there Samantha taught a wide range of subjects, but was most passionate about literature and art. Brian said that his mother's tender, caring nature made her a great teacher, to him and many others, and that her warm heart kept him cozy for many cold, Canadian nights. Brian's father was on the other side of the spectrum, and though he was just as caring as Brian's mother, his hand was a little more coarse. Brian said that his father was very opinionated, and though he could sometimes be stern, Brian owes much of his success to his father's no nonsense approach to parenting. Brian says that he couldn't imagine where he would be today had his father not given him the drive to go after what he loves, and never settle for less.

Brian Smargiassi repays his parent's guidance every year, by putting together a big family reunion that he hosts. Brian says the reunions are a lot of fun, and give the family a chance to get together to talk about the past year. Brian calls it an annual punctuation mark, and says its the perfect way to end a year. Brian though, being the competitive spirit that he is, also says the reunion is a chance to do what he calls, “appraising new talent.” For the two years Brian has hosted the Smargiassi family reunions, there has been an obstacle course for both cardio and strength endurance. Brian says that the competition is his favorite part, and has rapidly become tradition for the Smargiassi reunions. Brian says that he hopes each year will boast a better course than the last, and hopes that soon, he will have a partner of his own to share in the fun.

Brian Smargiassi: The Dietician

Brian Smargiassi has competed in several strong man competitions, both local and foreign. In order to maintain such a rigorous and demanding schedule, Brian says that a thorough understanding of nutrition and diet is essential to success. A firm believer in the natural, Brian does not use many of the popular scientifically formulated protein powders, bars, shakes, and other nutritional short cuts. Brian says the best way to pack on healthy weight, and to maintain high levels of energy is to do it the way nature intended. Brian says that performance aids such as creatine and other enhancers are simply short cuts for weight lifters, short cuts that only provide temporary gains. Brian says that in order for you to maintain the muscle mass and energy output for long periods of time, you simply must practice good eating and exercise habits, and your body's metabolism will react in kind. Brian says short cutting will only be a detriment to you in the future, as the body eventually develops resistances to high levels of creatine aiding supplements.

Brian Smargiassi is a lover of nature, and as one, he trusts in nature to provide everything he needs for a healthy diet. That is why Brian Smargiassi makes it a point to steer away from genetically modified or steroid assisted foods. Brian also says it is vital to stay away from prepackaged foods that are loaded down with preservatives and other unhealthy chemicals meant to make the food pleasing to the eye. Brian instead opts for free range, farm raised chicken or beef, and says that organic food is always the most nourishing. Brian's high demand diet needs plenty of protein, that is why he also consumes massive amount of soy, yogurt, cheeses, and milks. Brian says it is just as important to find organic dairy products as it is for meats. Brian says by following the simple guideline of, “If I can't pronounce it, I shouldn't eat it.” that you will be well on your way to living a healthy lifestyle.

Brian Smargiassi: Staying in Shape

There are many ways to stay fit and in shape, as well as to ensure that both your body and your mind are sharp and prepared for the challenge of each new day. Brian Smargiassi seeks exercise and pursues physical fitness through his participation in both local amateur hockey and through regular visits to the local Cross Fit facility.

Brian Smargiassi works hard as one of the area’s top business owners, though he understands the need to maintain a strong and healthy balance in order to maintain a healthy heart, a sharp mind and a prepared body. Smargiassi pushes himself and tests both his physical and mental limitations at both the gym and the ice rink, something that allows him to maintain a positive attitude and energetic approach to business operation.

Brian Smargiassi works out at the local Cross Fit Gym three times a week, continually pushing the limits of what he had previously thought impossible. He also commits himself to the success and grueling challenge of two amateur hockey team schedules, which also continually test his physical and mental boundaries, including his endurance, strength, speed and agility.

Brian Smargiassi is the owner of a successful consulting firm, Griffin Consulting, and is considered by many to be the leading area real estate consultant and research expert. He is also actively involved in a local animal rescue shelter, and makes generous financial contributions to several other animal rescue operations throughout the region. Brian Smargiassi maintains a busy schedule and a busy lifestyle, two things that may not be possible without his commitment to fitness and exercise.