Health Habits » omega 3

Exercise Builds Better Brains

healthhabits — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:24:31 +0000

I knew it!!!

I knew there was a reason my Health Habits readers are so much smarter than the average person on the street.

It turns out that all of that exercise you do improves brain health and actually promotes the growth of new brain cells.

The Research

In a new study (published here), researchers found that voluntary running caused lab mice to grow new brain cells in the region of the brain (hippocampus) associated with memory and spatial navigation.

The 105-day study included two groups of mice. One group was allowed unlimited access to an exercise wheel and ran an average of more than 20 km (12 miles) a day. The other group of mice weren’t allowed to exercise.

Tests showed that the mice in the exercise group were better able to distinguish between memories of similar things. This is likely due to the additional brain cells generated by exercise, the researchers said.

“Keeping similar memories distinct is an important part of having a good memory,” said study senior author Timothy Bussey of Cambridge University. “It is this aspect of memory that is improved by exercise, our study shows.

The human equivalent might be remembering which car parking space you have used on two different days in the previous week. It becomes difficult to distinguish memories when events are similar.”

New brain cells…that has to be good.

But wait, it gets even better.

It’s not just the physical exercise that you do.

Another group of brain researchers believe that it’s a combination of increased blood flow (via exercise therapy) and increased neural activity (problem solving, learning new tasks, reading Health Habits, etc…) that results in both the creation and retention of new brain cells at any age.

So, when you go online to research how to get healthy & fit, you’re pushing your brain to grow & keep new brain cells.

But wait, it can get even better than that.

Supplementing your diet with Omega 3 fatty acids has been shown to improve the cellular function of your brain cells.

Conclusion

Physical Exercise = New Brain Cells
Mental Exercise = Retention of those New Brain Cells (the use it or lose it theory)
Omega 3 fatty acids via fish oils = Better Functioning Brain Cells

So, the next time some non-exercising, non-thinking, non-fish oil slurping mouth breather tells you how smart you are, you can tell them that it’s all due to Health Habits.

You’re welcome

If you like what you see here, click here for updates

Reference

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

healthhabits — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:26:07 +0000

Mainstream Medicine may finally be catching on.

In a major shift of emphasis in the battle against cardiovascular disease, the American Heart Association is urging people to embrace prevention rather than just try to avoid risks long associated with the world’s leading killer.

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The Dallas-based organization unveiled a list of seven steps people can take to help prevent heart attacks and strokes and live healthy lives well into old age. The recommendations, which include staying smoke-free, eating healthy foods and getting regular exercise, are all familiar.

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But leaders hope a more pro-active message comprising the entire package of steps will help blunt the impact of the obesity epidemic and build on four decades of progress against the ravages of cardiovascular disease.

“We’ve always looked at this from the risk side of the equation,” said Donald Lloyd-Jones, head of preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago. “It’s important to push the agenda of promoting health, not just avoiding disease.”

Dr. Lloyd-Jones is lead author of a scientific statement being published in the AHA journal Circulation describing the science behind the strategy. The paper doesn’t break any new ground on heart-disease risk. Indeed, in addition to the steps on smoking, diet and exercise, the report urges people to control cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and a measure of healthy weight called body mass index.

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Each of the recommendations has long been at the foundation of heart-disease prevention, but Dr. Lloyd-Jones says their impact taken as a whole hasn’t previously been appreciated.

By attaining goals in all seven steps, Dr. Lloyd-Jones said, people would achieve “ideal” cardiovascular health with a likelihood of living healthy lives well into old age.

Together, they amount to “a fountain of youth for the heart.”

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So, here’s my question….

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How do we get from telling to doing?

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There is a big difference between knowing that you should do something and actually doing it.

And, while education about disease prevention / health promotion is important, it still doesn’t get many big ole butts up off the sofa.

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If you like what you see here, click here for updates

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Related Posts

Your body-fat wants to kill you

Health Promotion v.s Disease Prevention

Disease Prevention with an Exercise Prescription

America’s “Official” Obesity Solution

Wellness and Workouts in the Canadian Workplace

America’s Obesity Epidemic costs $147 billion

Having trouble sticking to your diet?

Future Trends in Global Obesity

How the Free Market makes you FAT and why “Big Food” likes it that way

Obesity Drugs v.s Health Habits

Nutritional Information on Restaurant Menus – Does it make any difference?

The Future of Fast Food

The status-quo is broken…We need a new model for burning fat and getting fit

Reference

Wall Street Journal

American Heart Association – main site

American Heart Association – My Life Check

Supplements that don’t suck

healthhabits — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 23:39:48 +0000

original image: swanksalot - flickr

The health supplement industry is big business.

Millions of dollars are spent by manufacturers on advertising and marketing.

Luckily for them, billions of dollars are spent by consumers.

And when you subtract millions from billions, you end up with a lot of profit.

And, there’s nothing wrong with that…as long as the customer is getting the results they paid for.

So, do consumers get what they pay for?

In my experience, the short answer is NO.

Most supplements over-promise and under-deliver.

But, not all.

These are the supplements and supplement companies that I think are worthy of your trust and your money.

health fitness supplements exercise weight loss obesity

Note – If you are interested in purchasing any of these supplements, click on the image of the supplement and you will be taken to my Amazon store. Any purchases made through the Amazon store earns Health Habits a 4% commission. Thanks in advance.

The Biotest products are available only at the Biotest webstore.

General Health

Multi-Vitamins

I can’t say enough good things about New Chapter.

Most multivitamins and nutritional supplements are synthetic, chemically isolated nutrients that lack the natural beneficial compounds of a whole-food complex.
New Chapter multi-vitamins are made with 100% organic ingredients. But, unlike most multis, New Chapter’s nutrients are food. In fact, they are a whole-food complex, rich with thousands of health-giving, whole-food phytonutrients found in nature. They do not believe that people were designed to eat mega-dosages of synthetic chemicals.
They believe that your nutrients should come in the form of cultured whole food so that you get the full benefit of Nature’s wisdom. New Chapter’s nutrients are cultured in probiotics — the healthy bacteria every human body needs. Probiotics are naturally prevalent in select foods such as yogurt, red wine and sauerkraut.
Daily consumption of probiotics boosts the immune system, increases nutrient absorption, improves vitamin synthesis, digestion, detoxification and protection from toxins.

Greens

Sticking with the whole-food v.s synthetic nutrients argument, we have Vege Greens.

Vege Greens is a combination of over 60 land, sea and cruciferous vegetables, as well as super green foods, EFAs, pre and probiotics, enzymes and herbal extracts. One little scoop is equivalent to six to eight servings of vegetables, and offers a full spectrum of nutrient rich and highly alkaline foods.

And unlike most Green Foods, Vege Greens doesn’t taste like a mouthful of grass.

And like New Chapter, the manufacturer of Vege Greens (Progressive Nutritional) has incredibly high professional standards. At this time, I would have no problem recommending any of their products.

Fish Oils

I have written often about the health benefits of fish oils/Omega 3s.

- Promotes cardiovascular health
- Reduces inflammation
- Supports mental focus & cognitive function
- Supports positive mood & emotional well-being
- Promotes brain, eye, & nervous system health
- Supports healthy immune system function
- Enhances appearance of skin and hair
- Promotes optimal fat metabolism

And while there are a lot of companies selling fish

oils / Omega 3 supplements, Ascenta is one of the best. They have a long track record of producing the purest fish oils on the market….that don’t taste like fish.

Recently, New Chapter came out with their own line of fish oil supplements. I am currently testing this product to see if I can notice any difference in anti-inflammatory benefits.

Vitamin D

For the past few years, a number of progressive nutrition geeks have been singing the praises of Vitamin D.

Vitamin D researchers believe that Vitamin D is a major player in the prevention of cancer, osteoporosis, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, depression, rheumatoid arthritis, etc…

Unfortunately, even with this passionate support, Vitamin D suffers from a lack of mainstream acceptance.

And that’s too bad.

Vitamin D has powerful health benefits and costs next to nothing to purchase. It’s a no-brainer.

Garlic

Researchers have found that aged garlic extract (AGE) has hepatoprotective (protects the liver),immune-enhancing, anticancer and chemopreventive (disease preventative) activities. Furthermore, AGE is a potent antioxident.

It also makes your breath stink.

But, not Kyolic AGE supplements.

All the health benefits with none of the stinkiness. WIN-WIN

Anti-Inflammatories

Zyflamend

Zyflamend was my introduction to New Chapter.

A few years ago, I was suffering from chronic pain in one of my shoulders.

The cause of my pain?

Too many years of lifting very heavy weights with very little warm-up. (nothing like being in your twenties – invincible & stupid)

My orthopedist gave me 3 options:

arthroscopic surgery to clean things up a bit
cortisone
take drugs for the pain

Being the contrary type of guy that I am, I went for option #4 and researched natural ways to bring down inflammation. And that’s how I found Zyflamend

New Chapter’s patented Zyflamend formulation represents a scientific breakthrough in promoting a healthy inflammation response. After extensively researching the herbal pharmacopoeia and international medical databases, New Chapter discovered that a number of time-tested herbs, properly extracted and blended in the correct proportions, contain at least 8 phytonutrients that may safely and significantly promote a healthy inflammation response.

Recent research studies suggest reducing the inflammatory response may be an effective strategy to promote healthy joint function and normal cell growth.

My shoulder is all better now, but I continue to supplement with Zyflamend because of the overall health benefits associated with reducing systemic inflammation. You should too.

Adaptogens

According to the CDC, up to 90% of doctor visits in the US are stress related.

National Institutes of Health adds that chronic stress may shorten life expectancy up to 20 years.

Chronically high cortisol from stress disrupts endocrine, gastrointestinal, immune and neurological systems.

Regardless of whether we feel stress or not, conscientiously managing our stress response, every day, positively impacts every organ and system in our bodies.

In short, how you handle stress has a major impact on your health.

And, if you’re trying to lose weight, get stronger, faster, etc, you are piling even more physiological & psychological stress onto your already overwhelmed immune system.

But, before you get all stressed out about your stress, there is a solution.

For thousands of years, people have relied upon adaptogens (plant derived agents that help to adapt the body or protect it from stress) to help them cope with life’s little stresses.

These 3 adaptogen supplements from New Chapter have been unbelievably useful in helping some of my clients incorporate healthy living & eating into their lives. Those people who suffer from emotional eating receive a huge benefit from these supplements.

Stress Take Care is made up of 9 different adaptogens:

Curcuma Xanthorrhiza
Schizandra
American Ginseng
Eleuthero
Rhodiola
Galanga
Turmeric
Astragalus
Ginger

The next product, Rhodiola Force is made up of a single adaptogen – Rhodiola rosea

Rhodiola is widely considered to be the most powerful of all adaptogens.

Thriving in high altitudes and in nature’s most challenging climates, this most resilient herbal is intensively studied for enhancing concentration and endurance, uplifting one’s mental state, and supporting optimal immune, adrenal, and cardiovascular function even under conditions of severe stress.

The third adaptogen supplement, Holy Basil, has been a staple of ayurvedic medicine for centuries.

When New Chapter was researching Holy Basil, they wanted to know why people find that Holy Basil promotes a positive stress response and elevates their spirit. Ayurvedic masters told them that “Holy Basil delivers nutrients to the mind necessary for the experience of enlightenment.”

Enlightenment. baby

Digestive Enzymes

Enzymes are one of the most underutilized nutritional supplements.

And that’s a big mistake.

Without enzymes, we could not exist. Our bodies’ reactions would be too slow for life to be possible. The human body makes and uses more than 3,000 kinds of enzymes that speed up chemical reactions and save energy. Digestive enzymes are like scissors that cut up the foods we eat into basic building blocks that our body then absorbs and reassembles to build cells, tissues, organs glands and entire body systems.

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If our digestion is compromised then so is our health. Many enzymes on the market today are made from animal organs – hog stomach, bovine pancreas, lamb forestomach etc. These individual animal enzymes work only in a narrow pH range, and are usually only capable of digesting protein or fat.

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Udo’s Choice Enzyme Blends, however, are broad spectrum plant and microbially derived enzyme supplements that have a wide pH range of activity, allowing it to function throughout the entire digestive tract.

I have been using Udo’s products for years after I was introduced to his flax seed oil and his book – Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill.

Probiotics

There are several reasons that people are interested in probiotics for health purposes.

First, the world is full of microorganisms (including bacteria), and so are people’s bodies—in and on the skin, in the gut, and in other orifices.

Friendly bacteria are vital to proper development of the immune system, to protection against microorganisms that could cause disease, and to the digestion and absorption of food and nutrients. Each person’s mix of bacteria varies. Interactions between a person and the microorganisms in his body, and among the microorganisms themselves, can be crucial to the person’s health and well-being.

This bacterial “balancing act” can be thrown off in two major ways:

By antibiotics, when they kill friendly bacteria in the gut along with unfriendly bacteria. Some people use probiotics to try to offset side effects from antibiotics like gas, cramping, or diarrhea. Similarly, some use them to ease symptoms of lactose intolerance—a condition in which the gut lacks the enzyme needed to digest significant amounts of the major sugar in milk, and which also causes gastrointestinal symptoms.
“Unfriendly” microorganisms such as disease-causing bacteria, yeasts, fungi, and parasites can also upset the balance. Researchers are exploring whether probiotics could halt these unfriendly agents in the first place and/or suppress their growth and activity in conditions like:

Infectious diarrhea
Irritable bowel syndrome
Inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease)
Infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a bacterium that causes most ulcers and many types of chronic stomach inflammation
Tooth decay and periodontal disease
Vaginal infections
Stomach and respiratory infections that children acquire in daycare
Skin infections

Another part of the interest in probiotics stems from the fact there are cells in the digestive tract connected with the immune system. One theory is that if you alter the microorganisms in a person’s intestinal tract (as by introducing probiotic bacteria), you can affect the immune system’s defenses.

Performance / Specialty Supplements

We have finished with the supplements that I think are important for your overall health.

Now we move onto the specialty supplements…the meal replacements, protein powders, fat burners, etc.

Meal Replacements

There is no substitute for real food.

However, sometimes “real food” just isn’t convenient.

So, when life gets a little too hectic, and you don’t have time to make a real meal, what do you do?

Starve?
McDonalds?
Bottle of Ensure?

No, no and no.

Monster Milk

This supplement is a true meal replacement.

Loaded with fast & slow absorbing (lactose free) milk proteins, digestive enzymes, creatine, healthy fats, fiber & prebiotics, Monster Milk is a great supplement for trainees attempting to gain muscle mass or attempting to cut calories without sacrificing nutrition.

Sadly, while Monster Milk is popular with bodybuilders, it is unknown amongst the general public. too bad

Muscle Milk – Light

But, maybe you don’t want the creatine in your meal replacement.

And maybe, you’re cutting back on the carbs, or don’t like artificial sweeteners.

If that’s the case, reach for Muscle Milk Light

It has the same proteins & fats as Monster Milk and it’s sweetened with stevia.

And it tastes way better than most other meal replacements / protein powders.

Metabolic Drive Complete

Metabolic drive from Biotest is another high quality meal replacement.

If you click on the image, you will be taken to the Biotest store. Once there, you are going to notice that Biotest hypes the heck out of their products.

But, don’t let that turn you off.

In my experience, Biotest is one of the few companies that come close to delivering what they promise.

And Metabolic Drive is one of their best products.

Metabolic Drive – Low Carb

Like Muscle Milk Light, Biotest has a low-carb version of their Meal Replacement.

It has the same combo of fast and slow absorbing proteins with only 4g of carbs per scoop

Protein Powders

Whey / Casein Protein Powder

Harmonized Protein

Harmonized protein is produced by Progressive Nutritionals. Unlike the other protein powders / meal replacements, HP doesn’t market to the bodybuilding demographic. They are all about health first.

Harmonized Protein is a synergistic blend of 5 unique proteins (whey isolate, whey concentrate, milk protein isolate, colostrum & lactoferring) designed to offer an array of health promoting properties beyond that of any individual protein source.

The cattle that produce the milk used to create these unique proteins graze in open pastures and are raised without the use of hormones, including rBGH.

New Zealand proteins are considered to be the cleanest and purest in the world.

They do not contain antibiotics and are routinely screened for over 250 agricultural and chemical contaminants including pesticides, fertilizers and PCB’s.

HP also contains:

alpha lipoic acid for improved insulin response
flax seed oil powder
digestive enzymes
organic sea vegetables (you can’t taste them)
downey birch and corn silk for improved protein utilization

It is also sweetened with stevia

Whey Protein Powders

Biotest Whey Protein

Biotest introduced this product because too many people complained about the high price of their Metabolic Drive.

It is a high quality, fast absorbing whey protein sweetened with sucralose.

Whey Protein Powder – sweetened with Stevia

Optimum Nutrition – Natural Whey Gold Standard

ON produces high quality produccts, and their all-natural whey protein powder is one of their best.

I would rate it on par with the Biotest product and just slightly lower than the Harmonized Protein by Progressive.

Vegan Protein Powder

Harmonized Vegan Protein from Progressive Nutritionals is my go-to supplement for my vegetarian/vegan clients. It allows them to get their protein levels up without eating tons & tons of solid vegan meals.

It features a blend of 5 complementary vegetable based proteins (non GMO) that includes Yellow Pea Protein Isolate, Sprouted Brown Rice Protein Concentrate, Hemp Protein Concentrate, Cranberry Seed Protein and Chia Protein.

This 100% vegan formula is easy to digest, alkaline forming and provides the full spectrum of both essential and non essential amino acids. Each serving contains 25 grams of complete protein and is ideal for anyone wishing to increase their protein intake while avoiding dairy or animal source proteins.

Harmonized Vegan Protein also contains a family of complementary support nutrients designed to help ensure optimum digestion, utilization and compatibility. This includes an array of digestive enzymes (vegetarian sourced), Betula Pubescens, Dandelion, K-R-Alpha Lipoic Acid, Banaba Leaf Extract and Zea Mays. Sea Vegetables have also been added for their alkalizing effect and trace mineral content.

Harmonized Vegan Protein has been professionally formulated and energetically tested. It is naturally sweetened and flavored, is lactose and cholesterol free and contains no added soy, dairy, egg, wheat, yeast or artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. It is also routinely screened for pesticides, herbicides and heavy metals.

Workout Supplements

Surge Workout Fuel

I love this stuff.

It has allowed me to push my HIIT/HIRT workouts harder, recover faster, burn fat faster, improve my aerobic and anaerobic fitness faster & further, etc….

So, what’s in this stuff?

SURGE Workout Fuel is made up of 3 different stacks (their lingo):

STACK 1
The MAG-10 Amino Primer
consisting of a combined 14,400 mg of

Citrulline malate
L-Leucine
Beta-alanine

What this stack does:

• Increases directly both skeletal-muscle protein synthesis and ATP production

• Combats muscle oxidation (burning) from intense exercise.

• Scavenges hydrogen ions to optimize intramuscular pH for maximum muscle function.

• Boosts anaerobic and aerobic performance during exercise.

• Jumpstarts the recovery process after intense training

• Allows the athlete to train harder and recover faster

STACK 2
Biotest® Quick-Sustainable Energy
42,600 mg

Fractionated rice oligodextrin
Palatinose
D-Glucose

(3 different types of sugar that Biotest claims are better than plain ole table sugar or maltodextrin)

What this stack does:

• Pulls substrate-loaded fluids into muscle cells

• Potentiates glucose transport into muscle.

• Acts as a powerful anti-catabolic agent

• Delays fatigue so you can train harder, longer

• Allows for faster rehydration

• Maximizes workout quality

Stack 3
Electrolyte Superhydration Catalyst
1420 mg

(think Gatorade on steroids)

Sodium chloride
Sodium citrate
Sodium phosphate dibasic
Potassium bicarbonate
Potassium phosphate dibasic
Potassium succinate
Calcium citrate
Magnesium citrate tribasic

What this stack does:

• Enhances intracellular and intercellular electrolyte gradients and water balance, producing a hyperosmotic, super-hydrated working muscle.

• Accelerates rehydration, preventing poor exercise performance, premature fatigue, and muscle cramping.

• Provides the four major electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium) in the precise ratios required to maintain and restore acid-base balance, blood pressure, nerve conduction, muscle function, body-water distribution, glucose transport, and glycogen storage.

For all the non-science geeks out there, take it from me, this stuff works really, really well.

Note: Biotest has come out with an even more expensive line of supplements that is supposed to be even better than Surge. But, considering the price and the effectiveness of Surge, I am going to stick with this product until I get some reviews on Anaconda from some people that I trust. When i do, I will report back to you.

Beta Alanine

For all of those people who can’t afford the Surge but want to turbocharge their Gatorade.

Buy a tub of Beta Alanine along with some Creatine & add it to your Gatorade. Start sipping on it 15 minutes prior to your workout. Drink the entire bottle before the end of your workout.

For more workout nutrition info, click here.

Creatine

If you’re not taking creatine, you are making a big mistake.

Creatine is bodybuilding’s ultimate supplement, and for good reason. For one thing, creatine can significantly increases lean muscle mass

It is also responsible for:

improving performance in high-intensity exercise,

increasing energy levels,

helps with fat loss and

speeds up post-workout recovery rates.

Creatine’s ability to enhance energy reserves in muscles comes from its ability to increase muscle protein synthesis, while simultaneously minimizing protein breakdown.

This occurs because creatine has the awesome effect of super-hydrating muscle cells with water. It also enhances muscle growth – making muscle fibers bigger and stronger.

Warning – Cheap creatine can cause significant intestinal distress and cause some serious bloating.

Allmax creatine has never let me down.

Leucine

Way back in October of 2008, I wrote about leucine and it’s ability to turn back age related muscle loss (buy a tub for grandpa).

According to the research:

Leucine stimulates new muscle growth
Leucine is the major amino acid responsible for the muscle producing capability of food
Adding leucine to a meal increases muscle growth by 50 to 70 percent
Leucine works best when taken with a mixed carb / protein meal. This is due to the insulin surge that comes from the carbohydrates in the meal, and the other essential amino acids that are present.
Leucine does not work as well with carb-only or protein-only meals
The change in leucine levels in the blood seems to be more important than the overall amount. Therefore, it is better to take a small serving of leucine with a meal (level of leucine increases), wait a few hours (let the leucine levels drop), and then take another serving with some food (levels increase again).

Leucine supplementation has also shown to be effective as a supplement for athletes interested in adding functional muscle mass.

So, the plan is to take a small scoop (5g) of leucine with each meal of the day. (up to a max of 20g)

This supplement has worked wonders for my hard-gainers.

Fat Burner

I don’t advocate taking fat burners, but if you have to, take this one. It kicks ass (yours)

Seriously, this fat burner makes a noticeable impact upon the quantity of fat burn AND it doesn’t eat away at your hard earned muscle mass.

Guilty Pleasure

Better than any candy bar on the market.

Lara Bars are made of dates, nuts & fruit. All natural.

And they taste amazing.

Perfect for when you need to satisfy your sweet tooth, but don’t want to eat crap.

Okay, that’s my list of Health Habits™ approved supplements.

I look forward to your feedback – suggestions, criticisms, questions, whatever.

There are a lot of products on the market and most of them suck.

The best way for us to find the good ones is to share our experiences – good and bad.

Post Workout Recovery Techniques

healthhabits — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:35:01 +0000

You’ve just finished another gruelling workout.

Now what?

If you’re like Tiger, you’re going to stagger into the change-room, grab a quick shower and head off to the nearest Hooters.

And like Tiger, you would be WRONG

When it comes to getting fit/healthy/buff/ripped/sexy/etc, your workouts are only half the equation.

The other half of the equation is Workout Recovery.

And because I love you guys so darn much, here are my top Post-Workout Recovery Techniques.

Post-Workout Carb/Protein Shake
Hot/Cold Contrast Showers
Fish Oils
Meditation / Sleep
Epsom Salt Baths
Ice
Massage
TENS
Chiropractic / Acupuncture
Traumeel

Post-Workout Carb/Protein Shake

I have talked about this technique before. Simply put, it’s a no-brainer.

Post workout and your muscles are screaming for nutrients.

Ignore that message and your workout recovery goes into slo-mo.

Heed the message and the repair goes into overdrive.

More info here.

Hot/Cold Contrast Showers

Alternate between 30 seconds of cold water and two minutes of hot water. Perform this shrinkage inducing protocol three or four times.

While most of the claims about this recovery technique are anecdotal, there is some research showing that alternating hot/cold showers post-exercise is effective in lowering both heart rate and the levels of lactate in your blood.

Anecdotally, contrast showers have been said to improve athletic recovery via increased blood flow and possible nutrient and waste product elimination (lactate). There may also be a psychological benefit and an increased feeling of alertness and fatigue reduction.

In my personal experience, contrast showers help reduce my post-workout DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) as well as perk me up for the rest of my day.

Fish Oils

Your workouts cause inflammation.

Localized inflammation in joints and muscles. Systemic inflammation throughout your body.

Fish oils are a great, natural, anti-inflammatory.

Add some to your post-workout shake. If you already have issues with chronic inflammation, you may want to consider adding some Turmeric/Curcumin or Zyflamend into the mix.

Meditation / Sleep

High intensity workouts can be tough on the CNS (central nervous system)

And while there are lots of supplements (natural adaptogens & pharmaceutical agents) out there that claim to help repair & restore the CNS, I don’t feel comfortable recommending any of them.

However, I am willing to push meditation & sleep as the two best CNS treatments ever invented.

Sleep – You probably don’t sleep enough already. Add in a tough workout routine and you’re looking for trouble. Get your 7-8 hrs.

Meditation – There are lots of ways to meditate. There are crunchy-granola yoga meditative techniques. There are medical based mindfulness meditation programs. Praying is a form of meditation. There are even mp3s you can buy that claim to help sync your brainwaves into the pattern best suited for meditation. But the simplest method may be to just sit or lie down, put your hands on your belly and focus as your breath flows in and out.

Epsom Salt Baths

Epsom Salts (magnesium sulfate) are another anti-inflammatory agent.

When added to a nice hot bath, they are absorbed through the skin and helps reduce muscular pain and general “achiness”. It also helps increase your levels of magnesium and may help reduce water retention.

Ice Massage

The benefits of ice massage are questionable at best. But, I know a lot of athletes who swear by it, so I figured it best to include it in this review.

Most of the pro-Ice Massage evidence is anecdotal. The main claim is that ice massage is an effective method for reducing localized inflammation and reducing the symptoms of DOMS.

However, the clinical research doesn’t agree. In fact, some researchers feel that ice massage should be contraindicated when it comes to preventing post-exercise DOMS.

So, I leave the decision up to you.

Personally, I will skip the post-workout ice massage. If you need more info, click here.

Therapeutic Massage

There are many different types of massage.

Medical research has shown that the benefits of massage include pain relief, reduced levels of anxiety and depression, and temporarily reduced blood pressure, heart rate, and state anxiety.

Plus, it just feels gooooood.

Get a massage every month or so. Your body will thank you.

TENS

TENS is a non-invasive, medically tested, safe nerve stimulation intended to reduce pain, both acute and chronic.

It’s also the subject of cheesy late night infomercials.

And that’s too bad. Because, in my experience, TENS is a great little tool for reducing muscular pain.

I bought a unit two years ago after a car accident screwed up my neck, back, shoulder & knee. It wasn’t my only treatment modality, but it was convenient, effective and relatively cheap.

For post-workout pain, a TENS unit is probably overkill. But, for those older trainees who have a few chronic aches and pains, a TENS unit might be worth it’s weight in gold.

Chiropractic / Acupuncture

I group these two treatment modalities together because my chiropractor is also an acupuncturist and soft-tissue therapist. I don’t get one without the other.

I go every two months and Sheldon works out the kinks that I have managed to create.

When I over-do the chin-ups and my bad shoulder acts up a little, Sheldon breaks out the acupuncture needles, re-adjusts the bones and does a little (excruciating) muscle stripping.

45 minutes later and I am a new man.

As you can see, I can’t say enough about it.

Traumeel

Traumeel is a homeopathic anti-inflammatory.

And, according to researchers, it works better than NSAIDS at reducing chronic inflammatory conditions as well as systemic inflammation caused by exercise.

Plus, you get none of the unpleasant side-effects associated with NSAIDS.

Well, there you go. There’s my list of Post Workout Recovery Techniques.

Feel free to comment if you think I have missed something or if you disagree with one of my choices.

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If you like what you see here, click here for updates

The Lazy Man's Guide to Getting Ripped

DR — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:30:53 +0000

A few weeks ago, I was talking to a potential client. He told me that he would love to get fit, but he just doesn’t have the time.

He’s just too busy with work, kids, internet porn, etc…

B.S.

He’s not busy…he’s lazy.

And he’s not alone.

According to the WHO, there are 3.6 billion lazy guys sitting on couches all around the world.

And the trainer who can help those lazy buggers transform their lazy asses from….

…is going to be rich.

Filthy…Stinking…Rich

So, here we go. The lazy man’s guide to getting ripped….or as I like to call it – My ticket to becoming filthy, stinking rich.

(BTW, this story is based on a real client. We have been training for one week. He has already lost 5 lbs.)

DIET

Meal # 1 – Breakfast

1 Tbsp of Fish Oil
3 medium sized Apple or Pears
3 fried or hard boiled Eggs
Water or Tea
5 grams of Leucine

Meal # 2 – Morning Coffee Break

My client works in an office. Each morning, he has a mandatory group meeting. Coffee & pastries are served.

1 Coffee (with cream)
15 Almonds (brought to work in a little Ziploc baggie)
Water

Meal # 3 – Lunch

Big Salad – consisting of

Salad Greens (pre-washed, pre-chopped)
1 can of tuna or salmon, or 3 more hard boiled eggs, or leftover meat from last night’s dinner
Olive Oil
Lemon Juice or Vinegar
Salt & Pepper
5 grams of Leucine
Water

Before our hero goes to bed at night, he rips open the bag of greens and dumps it into the tupperware container. Same goes for the protein. In the morning he pours in the oil, lemon juice & salt and pepper. Come lunch time, he shakes the container and presto he has his Big Salad

Meal # 4 – Afternoon Snack

1 Coffee (with cream)
15 Almonds (brought to work in a little Ziploc baggie)
Water

Meal # 5 – Workout Nutrition

1 serving of Biotest’s Surge Workout Fuel, combined with
5g of Creatine, and
1 serving of Progressive Nutritionals VegeGreens
1.5 liters of water

Meal # 6 – Dinner

Another Big Salad or steamed vegetables prepared with a microwave steaming bag
BBQ – steak or chicken or fish or pork or lamb or….
5 grams of Leucine
1 Tbsp of Fish Oil
Water

TRAINING

I have designed a training program specific to his needs, injuries, muscle imbalances, etc…

But the basic design of the program is:

3x per week total body HIRT workouts
2x per week HIIT/Cardio workouts on his stationary bike
1 x per week active rest – long walks with his wife, soccer with the kids, etc…
Dynamic stretching at each workout designed to correct imbalances & prevent injuries

THE RESULTS

As I mentioned above, the client has lost 5 lbs in the first week.

And while that certainly is good news, what really excites me is the fact that he has been perfect on his meal compliance.

He said that it was easy…EASY!!!

But, that was the first week. Let’s see how he does this week. I will report back on Sunday.

BTW, if anyone needs some help setting up a plan like this one, I would be glad to help.

[contact-form]

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Your Omega 3 Prescription

DR — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:27:41 +0000

By this point, you should already know that you need more Omega 3 fatty acids into your diet.

The question is: how much?

A teaspoon of fish oils?
A tablespoon?
3 pills?
or a great big slab of smoked salmon?

Well, according to this study, researchers believe that “a 200 mg dose of DHA per day is enough to affect biochemical markers that reliably predict cardiovascular problems, such as those related to aging, atherosclerosis, and diabetes”.

This study is the first to identify how much DHA is necessary to promote optimal heart health.

The Study

To determine the optimal dose of DHA, the researchers examined the effects of increasing doses of DHA on 12 healthy male volunteers between ages of 53 and 65. These men consumed doses of DHA at 200, 400, 800, and 1600 mg per day for two weeks for each dose amount, with DHA being the only omega-3 fatty acid in their diet. (No EPA)

Blood and urine samples were collected before and after each dose and at eight weeks after DHA supplementation stopped. The researchers then examined these samples for biochemical markers indicating the effects of each dose on the volunteers.

They found that supplementation with only 200 mg/d DHA for 2 wk induced an antioxidanteffect.

They concluded that “low consumption of DHA could bean effective and nonpharmacological way to protect healthy menfrom platelet-related cardiovascular events”.

Conclusion

If this study is correct, you need only 200 mg of DHA per day to reap the cardiovascular benefits of the Omega 3 fatty acid DHA.

And how do you get 200 mg of DHA?

1/2 tsp of fish oil
2 of these kiddie chewable DHA supplements
5 Krill capsules
2 oz of fresh/frozen salmon or tuna

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Omega 3s…why you need them and how to get them
Vitamin C puts out the fire of inflammation
Is Your Diet Giving You Alzheimer’s Disease?
Why Are Omega 3s Better Than Statins?
Omega 6 Bad…Omega 3 Good

Reference

Science Daily

Recipe for a Fat Man

DR — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:59:24 +0000

Matt McClain - Rocky Mountain News

Reading the comments from my last two posts (here and here), I was struck by the very strong, yet very different opinions about the cause(s) of obesity.

Some people believe in ye olde Calories in vs Calories Out theory, while others believe in the power of insulin while others blame their DNA.

So, I raise the question….Is there a one size fits all cause / cure for obesity?

Or are there a whole bunch of factors coming together to create America’s obesity epidemic?

To aid in the discussion, I have put together a list of the factors that I think influence human obesity.

Feel free to comment/criticize or add to the list

Determinants of Obesity

Food

Quantity of food – Calories
Quantity of food – Volume

Type and Quality of food – Macronutrients – Carbs, Fat, Protein
Type and Quality of food – Micronutrients – Vitamins, Minerals, Enzymes, Phytochemicals, etc…
Type and Quality of food – Nutrient Density v.s Caloric Density

Origin of food – Soil, Air & Water Quality
Origin of food – Factory farms, fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, steroids, antibiotics, etc…
Origin of food – Nutrient depletion due to travel time, premature harvest, preserving chemicals, etc…
Origin of food – Additives – flavor enhancers (MSG), added color, added flavor, added moisture, etc…
Origin of food – Industrial processes driven solely by profit – (see melamine)

Convenience food vs Real food

Digestion of food
Absorbtion of food
When you eat your meals
How long between meals
How much you eat at different meals
What you eat at different times of the day

Your beliefs and emotions regarding food – food as pleasure, food as fuel
Dining habits – eat on the run vs sit down dinner

Your Body

Genetics
Epigenetics
Hormones – Insulin, Cortisol, Serotonin, Glucagon, etc
Your Brain
Hormone receptors
Your existing body-fat
Your thoughts, your unconscious mind
Medical conditions

Your Life

Emotions
Stress
Motivation
Income
Geography
Influence of family, friends & neighbors
Social stigma
Media, celebrity
Entertainment
Your job
Your bed

Physical Activity

Day to day activity (non-exercise)
How much exercise
Type of exercise
Workout nutrition
Workout recovery techniques – hydrotherapy, massage, soft tissue therapies
Injuries
Pain

As you can see, there are a lot of factors that influence obesity.

I didn’t even get into all of the bleeding edge obesity research.

The search for an obesity cure never ends. Just today, there were two new obesity discoveries (here and here). Tomorrow, there will probably be two more.

But for now, I think we have enough on our plate.

BTW, feel free to critique or add to the list.

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Hormones, Problem Areas and Your Body-Fat Map – Part 2

DR — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:26:24 +0000

In yesterday’s post, I introduced you to the idea that your hormones are responsible for your personal fat-distribution patterns.

For example, women with an excessive percentage of fat on the back of their arms are likely to have elevated insulin levels or low DHEA levels.

Men unlucky enough to be lugging around a generous set of man-boobs are likely to have high levels of estrogen (often combined with high insulin and low testosterone)

So, as a public service to all of my man-boobed brothers out there, we are going to take a look at how to get those hormones back in balance.

(For this post, I will be using a variety of reference sources. Most of the sources are pretty dry and technical, but one that I can heartily recommend to y’all is The Hormone Diet by Dr. Natasha Turner (Canada). It is a great reference that is easy to read and understand. I will be doing a more detailed book review about this book in the coming weeks.)

High Insulin

Causes

Eating too much over-processed, nutrient deficient carbohydrates – fast food, frozen dinners, pop, fruit drinks, sugary foods, processed diet foods…you know. Crap.
Eating too little protein – real protein, not processed McNugget protein
Eating too little fat – real fat, not trans-fat
Not enough fiber in your diet - no need for supplements, you should get enough protein from fruit & veg
Unmanaged high levels of chronic stress
Not enough exercise
Excessive exercise to the point of muscle wasting
Steroid based medications
Poor liver function
Environmental toxins
Poor sleep patterns
Aging – sorry about that one

Solutions

Diet – Sugar/Insulin control diet – Paleo/Atkins/Medierranean
Botanical – Cinnamon, Chromium – talk to your naturopath
Increase consumption of fiber
Increase consumption of fish oils
Weight loss
Exercise
Reduce exposure to toxins & improve liver function – talk to your naturopath
Sleep
Get your hormone levels checked

High Testosterone

While not very common in men, it affects about 10% of women

Causes

Increased production by the adrenal glands
Polycystic ovaries caused by Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Low Estrogen. Estrogen is a potent inhibitor of testosterone production, so anything that decreases estrogen levels beyond the norm is going to increase the testosterone to estrogen balance

Solutions

Stress management = lowered cortisol = reduction in adrenal production
Insulin control diet – Paleo/Atkins/Mediterranean
Pharmaceutical – Troglitazone and Metformin – talk to your doctor
Botanical – Saw Palmetto – talk to your naturopath
Estrogen replacement – bio-identical or conventional – talk to your doctor
Get your hormone levels checked

Low Testosterone

Causes

Aging
Damage to the testicles
Radiation
Testicular or Pituitary tumors
Serious viral infections
Vasectomy
Various genetic conditions – Klinefelter’s, Kallmann’s, Prader-Willi syndromes and Myotonic Dystrophy

In addition to these causes, there are a variety of lifestyle causes. These include:

Obesity…it’s a vicious circle – low test causes obesity and obesity causes lowered test…sorry
Exposure to pesticides
Exposure to hormones used in factory farm meat and poultry production. These hormones act like Estrogen in your body, and…
Estrogen is a potent inhibitor of testosterone production, so anything that increases estrogen levels beyond the norm is going to negatively impact testosterone production
Phthalates (found in soap, cosmetics and plastics) are another estrogen like compound that suppresses testosterone.
Alcohol…especially beer
Temperature – boxers v.s briefs
Sleep apnea
Narcotics

Solutions

Female

Diet – Dump your low-fat diet and increase your healthy fats
Botanical – Tribulus – talk to your naturopath
High Intensity exercise
Get your hormone levels checked

Male

Diet – Dump your low-fat diet and increase your healthy fats
Botanical – Tribulus – talk to your naturopath
Pharmaceutical – Aromatase blockers and/or testosterone, anabolic steroids – talk to your doctor and/or your lawyer…see Manny Ramierez
High Intensity exercise
Get your hormone levels checked

High Estrogen or Estrogen Dominance

Causes

Pregnancy & menstrual cycle fluctuations
Unmanaged high levels of chronic stress
Obesity – obesity causes high estrogen which causes obesity…
Poor diet – processed foods, a high fat diet, a high sugar diet, excessive caffeine, low levels of magnesium and B6
Birth control pill
Exposure to hormones used in factory farm meat and poultry production. These hormones act like Estrogen in your body, and…
Phthalates and other xenoestrogens (found in soap, cosmetics and plastics)
Low testosterone
Impaired liver function
Poor digestion
Alcohol
Lack of exercise
Lack of sleep

Solutions

Stress management
Improve your diet – Paleo/Atkins/Mediterranean/increase your fiber
Reduce your exposure to hormones and xenoestrogens
Improve liver function – talk to your naturopath
Get more sleep
Exercise more
Pharmaceutical – Testosterone – talk to your doctor
Get your hormone levels checked

Low Estrogen

Causes

Aging – Menopause
Premature failure of the ovaries
Surgical menopause
Unmanaged high levels of stress
Smoking
Low-fat diets
Extremely low body-fat

Solutions

Female

Estrogen replacement – bio-identical or conventional – talk to your doctor
Get your hormone levels checked

High Cortisol

We all have stress in our lives. The problems begin when we can’t handle the stresses that are thrown our way. That is when stress starts negatively impacting our health. Chronic elevated levels of corisol is just one symptom of that impact.

Causes

Unmanaged high levels of chronic stress

Solutions

Stress management – meditation, breathing techniques, psychiatry, psychotherapy, mindfulness practice, biofeedback + a million more techniques available on late-night infomercials and the inter-web.
Insulin control diet – Paleo/Atkins/Mediterranean
Reduce intake of stimulants
Supplements – Multi-Vitamin/Mineral, magnesium, B5, B6, Phosphatidylserine, adaptogens such as ginseng – talk to your naturopath.
Get your hormone levels checked

Low Growth Hormone

Causes

Aging
Lack of sleep
Lack of exercise
Eating before bed
Sleeping with lights on

Solutions

Don’t eat before bed
Sleep in the dark
High Intensity exercise – low intensity (ie cardio) has little effect
Intermittent fasting
Supplements – GHB and the Amino Acids Arginine, Lysine and Ornithine – talk to your doctor/naturopath
Get your hormone levels checked

Low DHEA

Causes

Aging
Unmanaged high levels of chronic stress

Solutions

DHEA supplements – talk to your naturopath
Stress management – meditation, breathing techniques, psychiatry, psychotherapy, mindfulness practice, biofeedback + a million more techniques available on late-night infomercials and the inter-web.
Insulin control diet – Paleo/Atkins/Mediterranean
Reduce intake of stimulants
Supplements – Multi-Vitamin/Mineral, magnesium, B5, B6, Phosphatidylserine, adaptogens such as ginseng – talk to your naturopath.
Get your hormone levels checked

Low Progesterone

Causes

Lack of ovulation
Unmanaged high levels of chronic stress
Low levels of luteinizing hormone
Hypothyroidism
Excess prolaction

Solutions

Progesterone cream – talk to your doctor/naturopath
Stress management – meditation, breathing techniques, psychiatry, psychotherapy, mindfulness practice, biofeedback + a million more techniques available on late-night infomercials and the inter-web.
Get your hormone levels checked

Note

I am not a doctor, nor do I pretend to be one on tv. So, if you think something is out of whack with your hormones, go and get them checked. That doesn’t mean that you have to take the drugs that your doctor is probably going to push on you. But, at least you will have the info to make your best decision.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to shoot them my way. If I don’t feel confident about my ability to answer it, I will try and convince an “expert” to weigh in.

Hormones, Problem Areas and Your Body-Fat Map

DR — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:34:33 +0000

We all have problem areas.

No matter how healthy you eat or how hard you exercise, certain spots on your body do not want to give up their fat.

It could be your granny-arm triceps or your love handles or that darned muffin-top.

But, no matter where your problem area is, I can tell you why you have it.

It’s HORMONES

Different hormones for different areas.

And that’s a good thing. Because at least that points us in the right direction and allows us to devise a fat-loss plan tailored to your specific problem area.

So, as a public service, I have put together these 2 Body-Fat Maps to help you determine your own particular hormonal imbalance.

Ladies first…

pdf version

Now the guys…

pdf version

So, now you know what your problem area says about your hormone balance.

What’s next?

How do you fix the problem?

Stay tuned…That’s tomorrow’s post

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Bleeding Edge Nutrition Research

DR — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:36:08 +0000

This post is strictly for the fitness/nutrition geeks.

All sorts of neat-o research studies.

Enjoy

The Nutrient-Rich Foods (NRF) Index is a new, objective, science-based way to measure the total nutritional quality of foods and beverages…link to the research, Nutrient Rich Foods Coalition
Urban Farming? - Will Allen – creator of Growing Power, FoodCycles – Toronto’s Urban Garden
Millions Of U.S. Children Low In Vitamin D – Increased risk of bone and heart disease – all due to sunscreens and a fear of the sun? - link to the research
More Evidence Of Fish Oil’s Heart Health Benefits – There is mounting evidence that omega-3 fatty acids from fish or fish oil supplements not only help prevent cardiovascular diseases in healthy individuals, but also reduce the incidence of cardiac events and mortality in patients with existing heart disease. link to the research
Caloric Restriction reduces the risk of Breast Cancer - link to the research
If you have an overweight child who has overweight friends, you need to read this
Social Stress leads to visceral/belly fat which leads to heart disease - link to the research
Gut hormone CCK has an insulin like effect on blood sugar - link to the research
Traditional Gender Roles aren’t dead yet – Women Eat Less when they Eat with a Man - link to the research
High-fat, High-sugar Foods Alter Brain Receptors - Researchers report that either continuous eating or binge eating a high fat, high sugar diet alters opioid receptor levels in an area of the brain that controls food intake - link to the research

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