Tabata and the Bookworm A Love Story !

Over the years we have seen an increase in exercise initiatives at first we had the Presidents Council on Fitness, the First Lady has Lets Move now, the NFL has the 60 campaign looking to get kids moving 60 minutes a day. They also have them at jobs with fit bit competitions, wellness evolutions, or companies encouraging folks to work out at lunch. They are all great programs I applaud you for your efforts in fighting obesity  and getting people moving.  I psyched you out we are not talking about physical fitness programs. Don’t be disappointed, and please don’t be butt hurt. We are talking about exercise it has many benefits one of which is in learning.  This subject came from two places a New York Times article outlining two studies one showing exercise benefiting learning, the other study showed a benefit but the study was flawed. When we look at it you will see why! I promise. This subject also came to me from another angle my interest in the conscious and subconscious mind as well as methods of reaching both with information namely learning. I always wonder about yoga where you put in work physically but the juicy part of yoga is in Shavasana or relaxation in the end. Where it is said you get the greatest benefit, the idea crossed my mind if we could tap into that to access different parts of the brain to learn. Some people are experimenting with learning language and sensory deprivation tanks with some success. To date it has self experimentation by biohacker’s without medical based evidence.  Exercise is not only good for body, its good for your soul you know you feel good when your on track with your fitness goals, its also good for your mind and getting your learn on. 

The first study up is titled Physical Exercise during Encoding Improves Vocabulary Learning in Young Female Adults Citation Schmidt-Kassow M, Deuser M, Thiel C, Otterbein S, Montag S. 2013 Published in Plos One. The participants in the study 105 right handed german females between the ages 18-30 were broken up into three different groups Relax, Post and Sim. The Relax groups task was to learn a word for 30 minutes and relax in a chair for the same amount of time. The Post group cycled at a hard effort for 30 minutes prior to learning new words for 30 minutes. The members of the Sim group learned while they cycled for 30 minutes. This resulted in all of the women learning some new words  but the women in the Sim group faired the best. They had better recall of information, the Relax group performed better than the post group which faired the worst. The testing of the subjects took place two days after learning the words.  The next study up is The Effects of Acute Exercise on Retention and Learning Mastrocola M, Exercise Science Elon University NC. They took 11 female college students who read a chapter in a nutrition text book during 2 separate elliptical sessions lasting 30 minutes which was to be moderate to hard or sitting. The group that studying quietly tested better immediately after the rest than the exercise group. After 24 hours there was no discernible difference in the groups retention. The study was flawed in my eyes as they had two problems no moderate to mild exercise group and if you have exercised hard even on an elliptical reading is not easy. You will get queasy or feel see sick and lose your place, a better option would have been auditory learning materials, in an effort to avoid the previously mentioned pitfalls. I do applaud the efforts of the researcher in looking at this topic. 

I believe the difference in the studies are the result of two differing forms of exercise, the fact that a moderate to hard effort lights up your central nervous system. This is a variable that cannot be discounted as it has a direct correlation on the brains ability to focus and learn.  Do you learn a new skill when your all light up with your body and mind ready to move?  No look at Jiu Jitsu practitioners they practice moves breaking them down into mini moves going over them slowly and working them before going live.  The same can be said for wrestling, combat sports, and football. The likelihood is that during physiological arousal certain chemicals are released that affect memory formation according to Dr. Schmidt but this has not been proven. If you have a test in a few hours study and review in quiet, but if the test is a couple of days away try some mild exercise.  

I mentioned exercise initiatives earlier in the article, one program has added a new element to their program academic benefit of learning during exercise. At the Take 10 Program the core of the program are 10 minute activities combining exercise and learning. One appeared in the journal Preventative Medicine called Invisible Jump Rope  the objective is to recall basic counting, addition and subtraction facts while jumping. The teacher calls out numbers from 1-10 starting with one, everyone jumps as they count up to that number. Then you start at 20 and count backwards as students do the invisible jump rope backwards. This is the beginner level of a three level system. It is backed by case studies posted on their website http://www.take10.net/case. 

In this article we have looked at three different studies with varying methodologies, age groups and sexes. Some of the results have fallen in line others have changed due to different variables. One thing is evident that the test subjects who studied during mild exercise faired the best out of the exercise groups having the best retention. If you think about it with runners in mind it holds true, many runners myself included feel that while you run you can really work out problems or issues once you catch a rhythm. I feel that exercise can help to stimulate learning, but like everything else you need to apply the appropriate form of exercise don’t go all out in a training session then expect to sit down and be ready to study. People learn in different ways so please experiment and find what works for you and your kids as far as learning goes.  This weekend we will be looking at Gut Microbiota, next week a summer wrap up list of movies, music, books and other entertainment.  Please read and share. 

What is your mind on?

6 Reasons to Eat Farm to Table

Where is my seat?

In todays blog we will look at one of the new buzz words in gastronomy, the farm to table movement. It is an interesting movement, and one that I like. The main idea is producing food locally and delivering it to local customers. We have all seen the 80’s or 90’s movies with the rich guy “I had this lobster flown in from Maine today”. Did you really ... I have my doubts. The food that is shipped in is not send in that day normally. It takes time to ship foods from the farms to your table at home or at the restaurant. Farm to table is normally associated with organic farming initiatives, environmental and sustainable agriculture as well as community supported agriculture. What you will get on your plate will be fresh, in season, grown by local farmers. The effect of whats on your plate is building of your local economy, helping to grow your community.  The appearance of the farm to table movement has come to the forefront at a time when we have concerns about food safety, lack of fresh produce, seasonal foods and small farm economics.  This goes hand in hand what we have been talking about in this blog. We are here to look at the 6 reasons you should be eating farm to table foods. 

1. The environment: if the food does not have to be shipped the carbon foot print is smaller. In a study by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture looking at 16 common fruits and vegetables the average one travelled just under 1500 miles before it was sold to a customer. Also of note was that 39% of fruits and 12% of vegetables were imported from other countries. One of the costs that is strangling farmers is the fuel an 18 wheeler gets 5 miles to the gallon and to move produce 1500 miles it burns about 500 gallons of diesel fuel.  It seems like an excessive amount of fuel for some produce we can grow locally or in our backyards. 

2.The Cost: If you're shopping for the cheapest organic produce go to Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and or Fairway and look for the local grown produce its cheaper then the organic produce but just as good. When you go shopping do a price comparison and you should be able to get more for your money with the local grown.

3. Help build a local economy: Just like the consumer local sales benefit the farmer as their overhead IE shipping costs, packaging fees, as well as refrigeration. Local farmers usually make 20 cents on the dollar if they sell to national food industry if they sell at a farmers market they can make 80-90 cents on the dollar. Lets be honest we have lost a sense of “community”. How many of us live in a metropolis’? Mega cities where we barely know our neighbors, as a way to regain our community reinvest in local agriculture, bakers, cheese men, etc. Many of the trades are falling by the wayside, true artisans are losing their professions. This limits the rest of us, this limits our vision of what is possible. 

4. Safety Concerns: I like the fact I can look the farmer or one of the workers that picked the produce in the eye and talk about the food. It seems like a couple of times a year there is an issue with an outbreak of some sort like e-coli, if I know where I got my food its easier to trace it back to the source. It also makes it easier to avoid genetically modified foods and GMO’s.

5. Freshness or really optimal freshness: If you never had a garden that you ate fruits and vegetables from you missed out. My father who comes from the South Bronx thought he was a farmer in the 80’s a square foot at a time but a farmer nonetheless. As a family we helped out in building the garden, maintaining it, and shared in the bounty as well. The vegetables from the garden were fresh, they tasted alive. I did not taste this again until later in life when I started to eat organic and farm to table. Most of the factory farmed produce is picked early under the auspices that it will ripen on its way to the customer. Often times leaving you with a red tomato with the taste and feel of a green tomato. 

6. Sustainability: Local food suppliers are usually smaller sustainable family farms attempting to reverse the damage done by factory farming. They will focus on sustainable practices like minimizing the use of pesticides, no-till agriculture and composting, biodiversity, water conservation and environmental protection. In the 1990 Farm Bill, Congress defined “sustainable agriculture” as having the following qualities: Satisfy human food and fiber needs, Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends, Make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources, and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls. Sustain the economic viability of farm operations. Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole. 

Honorable mention is seasonal produce. A return to seasonal produce can expand the color pallet cooks have to work with. Allowing for greater creativity on chefs at home and in the restaurants. This can keep you looking forward to what will be on your plate and what combinations you can try, and share your ideas with family, friends and community. The hope is that you go out and get involved in the farm to table movement, it looked like it was gaining some steam in 2010 a $50 million federal farm to school bill was proposed before the House of Representatives. The bill proposed a granting $10 million a year for farm to school programs for five years the same as the Denver Broncos Offensive Tackle Ryan Clady. The bill has not yet been passed.  Please look up local farmers markets and some farm to table restaurants, they are some of my favorite restaurants. We will be looking at how exercise helps us to learn, GMO’s part 2 is in the works as well as an article about Gut Microbiology. I am moving the amount of entries back to two a week with the occasional list. Please read and share this blog.

Living Rust Free:The Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Food as my medicine.

Today we are looking at inflammation and a specific way to deal with it. We are all either dealing with the effects of inflammation ourselves or know somebody who is dealing with the effects inflammation. Inflammation is present in many conditions and diseases both chronic and acute such as pain, obesity, peripheral neuropathy, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, migraines, thyroid issues, and cancer. One problem is the treatment of symptoms and not the lack of treatment for the underlying condition even when it is blatantly obvious. Healthcare initiatives are one of the hot button issues of the moment, we are focusing on one end of it.  Look into history for clues Hippocrates is quoted as having said “Let food be thy medicine and medicine by thy food.”   We can solve the healthcare crisis now if we deal with underlying cause and not symptomatology of the underlying disease. If you're not vigilant in taking your antibiotics the illness comes back stronger, it’s the same way for inflammation. In this article we are looking at the anti-inflammatory diet as a way of fighting these diseases or as a way of reseting your system to  prevent them. The truth of the matter is you can go to your doctor and more than likely he will write you a prescription for medication and it's not his fault. Most physicians get 24 hours of nutritional training in medical school.  I love the stories of a person who goes to their own physician and he tells them you have x condition and I can either put you on a prescription or you can help yourself by changing your lifestyle because it's killing you and honestly the med won’t help. The patient gets in the fight comes back in 6-8 months in less inflamed, feeling great, looking good with a different mentality. Just like nutraceuticals, pharmaceutical medication has its place and should not be overused.

 In the article titled “Steps to Prevent Diseases for a Healthy 2013 and Beyond” Dr. Silverman notes “Two out of three cancers could be prevent if these four steps were followed: healthy eating, exercising on most days, no smoking and maintaining optimal body composition.” He also went on to say “five imbalances that can be corrected to prevent disease are malnutrition, inflammation, oxidative stress, impaired detoxification and impaired metabolism.”  Inflammation happens when the immune system fights against something that may turn out to be harmful.  Some of the signs of inflammation can be redness, heat, swelling, pain and loss of function. At times there may be no signs of inflammation and the inflammation occurs “silently”.  Inflammation is not always a helpful response as with certain diseases the immune system fights against its own cells. When we are inflamed all the time that is known as chronic inflammation, those of us who are in CI have a higher incidence of disease. Specifically diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Crohns disease or ulcerative colitis. Inflammation is usually coupled with its good friend oxidative stress which is the damage to your tissues caused by free oxygen radicals. In the long term OS has  been connected to Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, hear failure, myocardial infarction, fragile x syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome. In the short term it has been linked to the prevention of aging.  Do you remember that bike you left out in the rain and snow? It rusted and that in short is what happens with oxidative stress and the aging process you're rusting. 

The hope is that at this point of the article we can look at ways to deal with inflammation that you can implement today. It is always an issue on both sides of the street that people with a problem want to start next week and the people who can help won’t meet you where you are. Lets meet where you are and start today! The easier condition to deal with is the oxidative stress one way is to supplement with anti-oxidants such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and phytonutrients. As well as consume 9-12 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, preferably organic.  Now with inflammation you got to move it! Exercise is key so Zumba, walking, jogging, Kettle bells or maybe jiu jitsu. The other piece that needs to be addressed is the diet or meal plan look to consume 9-12 servings of vegetables and fruits daily. Consume foods that are alkaline high on the PH scale and low on the Glycemic index. When it comes to protein sources opt for farm raised antibiotic free eggs and poultry and grass fed meats. The other piece to the puzzle is a multi-mineral/multi-vitamin, two grams of Omega 3 fatty acids,  2000-5000 IU’s of Vitamin D, a probiotic and a phytonutrient drink.  Please share this blog.  Sorry for the delays in posting it has been a rough week, been dealing with some personal issues.  Thanks for reading I will be back on schedule. Tomorrow the weekend list will be up 5 reasons to eat Farm to Table, on Tuesday we will look how exercise helps us to learn. Please share this blog, if you join the mailing list you will be eligible to receive a copy of my e-book motivation as well as find out about seminars and classes.

Top 10 Anti-Inflammatory Foods

1. Wild Alaskan Salmon
2. Kelp
3. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4. Cruciferous Vegetables
5. Blueberries
6. Tumeric
7. Ginger
8. Garlic
9. Green Tea
10. Sweet Potatoes

Stranger Than Science Fiction: GMO's

In todays article we are looking at a serious issue regarding food . I will not deny that  some of the subject matter seems like it belongs in a sci-fi movie. Unfortunately what we are looking at is  true and you are more than likely unbeknownst to you consuming foods that are adversely effecting the environment and possibly your health. We are looking at a controversial subject known as genetically modified organisms.  What is a genetically modified organism ? It is the introduction of genes for a particular trait into the DNA of another organism. It is done to better the receiving organism usually for commercial reasons. An example will be a bacterial gene that produces insecticides can be put into corn to protect the plan from insects or a gene into a plant making in impervious to pesticides that allows extensive spraying without damaging the plant. Another process in agriculture is selective breeding which is genetic manipulation that involves selecting plants or animals for breeding that best display a desired characteristic, and then only using those favored to breed the next generation. Genetic modification involves the artificial addition, depletion or rearrangement of DNA to alter form or function to an organism to achieve the desired characteristic. This is the best quote I have seen on GMO’s it's from Dr. Vandana Shiva “Genetic engineering is a false promise whose high price has been paid by farmers,," she is  an Indian environmental activist and anti-globalization author.  The issues we have with GMO's are there are no long term studies on how the GM foods effect the consumer, no studies on how GM crops effect the environment, the studies we do have show an adverse effect on the consumer, and the need for further studies.  Genetically Modified foods are one of the most important subjects we have to contend with it is a multi layered problem, concerns over the effect on the environment, concerns over the effects on the consumer, the effect the advent of biotechnology has on the agriculture industry, and the last is that genes and organism can be patented.  A disturbing thought that life can be patented, let that one sink in.  One issue that needs to be addressed is the right to know what you're eating, so that we can have the option to make an educated decision. GMO’s have been banned 61 countries including the 28 that make up the European Union. They are already in the food supply much of the corn, soybean, sugar beets and cotton cultivated in the US today contains plants whose DNA was manipulated in labs to resist disease and drought, ward off insects and boost the food supply.  A 2010 survey of over 3000 people finding that 21.4% of respondents found that GM foods were safe to eat, less than half were willing to eat modified meat 38% or fish 35%. A staggering 93.1% believe that GM foods should be labeled to indicate that have been engineered or contain ingredients that have been engineered. In this article we will look at some of the scientific data on this subject, the 1992 study where the FDA did not listen to its own scientists, the effect GMO’s  have on the consumer, and the labeling campaign. This is a massive subject so I will write another article about the agricultural piece, the environmental concerns and life forms being patented. 

In 1992 the FDA performed studies on GMO’s stating that they are generally regarded as safe, this is the basis of why they are not labelled at this time. Internal documents from three of their own scientists expressed doubt and concerns about GM food safety. A February 1992 memo from Louis J Pribyl, PhD a scientist in the FDA’s microbiology group noted “There is a profound difference between the types of unexpected effects from traditional breeding and genetic engineering which is just glanced over in this document.” He added “several aspects of gene insertion may be more hazardous than traditional plant crossbreeding.”  Similar concerns were voiced by Linda Kahl, PhD. an FDA compliance officer, noting the lack of scientific data to recognize the safety of GM foods. “ Are we asking the scientific experts to generate the basis for this policy statement in the absence of data?”, She went on to say “there is no data that could quantify risk.” In an October 1991 memo from E.J. Matthews, PhD, of the FDA’s Toxicology group, warned “genetically modified plants could also contain unexpected high concentrations of plant intoxicants.”  We have these memos as the result of a lawsuit form the Alliance for Biointegrity who argued that the FDA violated the US Food, Drug and Cosmetic act which mandates that new food additives be established through testing prior to going to market. A 2000 US District Court found against the plaintiffs and upheld the FDA’s policy.  A 2012 study named Long term toxicity of a roundup herbicide and a round up tolerant genetically modified maize by Seralini GE, Clair E, Mesnage R, Gress S, Defarge N, Malatesta M, Hannequin D, Spiroux De Vendomois J. 1This was a 2 year  study that found that were fed a diet containing NK603 Roundup tolerant GM corn or given water containing Roundup at levels permitted in drinking water and GM crops in the US, died earlier than rats fed on a standard diet. They suffered mammary tumors and severe liver and kidney damage. Researchers also found that NK603 and Roundup both caused similar damage to the rat’s health either consumed separately or together. Females developed mammary tumors and pituitary disorders. Males suffered liver damage, developing tumors in the skin and kidneys as well as issue with their digestive tract. The researchers also found a threshold effect noting that even the lowest doses could be associated with severe health problems. All of the other studies on GM foods concluded after 90 days the researchers in the Seralini study found health problems presented themselves at the 90 day mark. Some may argue that the sample size of rats is to small the reason they did not use a greater number of rats is due to cost multi year rat studies are very expensive and this was done through an independent lab CRIIGEN. The head of the study Seralini is regarded as an authority on studies on the health impact of GMO’s and pesticides. In the least this should be the impetus for more long term studies. 

If you are of the age where your friends are having kids or maybe you have friends that are teachers the subject of food allergies is bound to come up. Why do you think there has been a massive spike in food allergies? A study from the CDC showed an 18% increase in food allergy between 1997 and 2007 between 1992 and 2002 was a period of rapid GM crop development. Specifically GM soy is noted to have a cross-reactivity with peanut allergies 2 meaning that for some people who are allergic to peanuts, consuming soybeans may trigger a reaction. GM soy  was introduced into the US food supply in late 1996 and US peanut allergies doubled from 1997 to 2002. The other troubling issue with GMO is the transfer of the genetically modified DNA of the plant into the human gastrointestinal tract. A January 2004 study named “Assessing the survival of transgenic plant DNA in the human gastrointestinal tract” Netherwood T, Martin-Orue S, O’Donnell A, Gockling S, Graham J, Mathers J, and Gilbert H. 3 This study found that the human subjects who ate Roundup-Ready soy had a bacteria in the gut with the same gene that was altered in the soy to withstand deadly doses of herbicides given to the crop. BT corn a GM corn that has a gene from a soil bacteria bacillus thuringiensis could also cause an adverse reaction in the gut microflora turning your intestine into toxin manufacturing machines. As you know already I believe that the gut bacteria is one of the most important systems in the body it is responsible for the immune system, digestive system. So a threat to the gut microflora should be taken quite seriously and it is not easy with corn based products in many processed foods. This becomes even more troubling as this gene may be passed down to our children and onto future generations. The issue is that GM crop industry restricts access to its products by independent researchers not allowing for investigation into the effect in humans and animal health. When independent studies are performed the researchers are attacked by the industry and pro-GMO groups and individuals. One of the largest manufacturers of GMO’s in the world is Monsanto they voted to not have GMO’s in their own cafeteria. 

On November 6, 2012 California had the chance to step up and make up for electing the Terminator by passing prop 37 a  measure that would require the labeling food sold to consumers made from plants or animals with genetic material changed in specified ways. Prohibits the marketing of such food, or other processed food as “natural”. But California was turned into the battleground of grass roots activism vs the crushing hand of big business. A group called the Grocery Manufacturers Association said in a statement that it remains opposed to “special mandatory labeling for food products containing genetically modified ingredients because these labels could mislead consumers into believing that ingredients from genetically engineered plants are somehow unsafe or unhealthy in clear contradiction of scientific fact.” this was found in the Helena Bottemiller article “With recent Victories, Movement to Label GMO’s Gains Steam” But I counter with look at cigarettes they have been labeled as deadly for years without a dip in sales. The GMA showed its commitment by contributing $2 million to defeat Prop 37,  $9.2 million went to support prop 37 and $46 million was spent opposing it. The GMA CEO Pam Bailey stated that “ defeating the initiative is GMA’s single highest priority this year.” It is of note that groups like GMA will likely fight labeling in court using the FDA ruling as a backbone of their suit. What is comforting is that Whole Foods is part of the campaign to label, Chipotle has started to label its GM food online, while McDonalds and Starbucks have also adopted GM labeling on their respective menus. The first state to require GMO labeling was Connecticut, then Maine legislation is being introduced in 26 states, so write to your state representatives tell them we need GMO Labeling. Simply put we have the right to know. I have also put a link at the bottom listing the members of Grocery Manufacturers Association, maybe if we vote with our dollars some eyebrows will be raised. 

This has been a lot to convey, probably just as much maybe more to take in. Let the information sink in, do some research on your own become informed. At the very least I hope this sparks thought, conversation and possibly action. We need to become more aware of labels and maybe even start to shop local again. This way we know the farmer by name, can ask him about the crop, the seeds and what he feeds his animals. The idea for the next installment is to interview a farmer to get his take on the effect of GM crops, as well as look at the effect on the environment, farmers in India, and life forms being patented. Thank you for reading and please share this blog. In the next article are looking at the Anti-inflammatory diet, a weekend list is in the works for this week.  

GMA Member List

Right to Know

Fair Food Network

GMO Myths & Truths PDF

A couple of You-Tube Videos of interest 
GMO Trilogy Part 1 of 5

Genetic Roulette Trailer 

OMG GMO Trailer

1 "Long term toxicity of a roundup herbicide and a round up tolerant genetically modified maize" Seralini GE, Clair E, Mesnage R, Gress S, Defarge N, Malatesta M, Hannequin D, Spiroux De Vendomois J. Food and Chemical Toxicology 2012

2 See for example, Scott H. Sicherer et al., "Prevalence of  peanut and tree nut allergy in the United States determined by means of a random  digit dial telephone survey: A 5-year follow-up study," Journal of allergy and clinical immunology, March 2003, vol. 112, n 6, 1203-1207); and Ricki Helm et  al., " Hypoallergenic Foods-Soybeans and Peanuts," Information Systems for Biotechnology News Report, October 1, 2002

3 Assessing the survival of transgenic plant DNA in the human gastrointestinal tract

Trudy Netherwood1^,2, Susana M Martín-Orúe1, Anthony G O'Donnell2, Sally Gockling1^,2, Julia Graham1^,2, John C Mathers3^,4 & Harry J Gilbert1

Hunger Games: Intermittent Fasting

Welcome back, today we are taking a glance at intermittent fasting is one of the newest diets possibly the hottest one on the internet. It is gaining ground on the Paleo Diet which has exploded along with Crossfit as their go to diet. I find the subject an interesting study and figured many of my readers would feel the same way. In this article we find out what exactly intermittent fasting is, the types of fasting, the benefits and the risks. Lets look at what intermittent fasting is.

 Intermittent is alternating periods of eating with periods of not eating, this goes in the face of conventional wisdom that states we should eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day.  You have three different options when it comes to intermittent fasting the trial fast, the periodic fast, and the daily fast. I found this breakdown in the Dr.John Berardi E-book Intermittent Fasting, please see the link below its full of great information.

   Trial Fast is simple you go without food for 24 hour, he suggests people should do it to master the ability to manage hunger, so you experience hunger without freaking out. Its for people who want to try it without committing to it full time, also it can be a way in to the advanced forms of fasting. This is how he did the trial fast pick the 24 hour period when you want to do it, the night before you have your last meal with 2 cups of water. The next morning you have 4 cups of water and 1 serving of greens, 1 cup of green tea, and 5 grams of BCAA’s.  About five hours later the same thing, at the same time you had your last meal the night before you eat a small snack before bed with 2 cups of water.  The next day you break the fast with lean meats and veggies, he also suggests the small snack be almond butter and celery.

  
Periodic Fast is well ... a periodic fast. You continue with an optimal meal plan then periodically fast for one full day just like the trial fast. This can be don once a week, once a month or even once a year. You would do this to practice hunger management and experience  more of the benefits of intermittent fasting. This is for anyone who did well on the trial fast, to do it you follow the rules from the trial fast.  The author of the e book does this when he travels especially in airports when good food is hard to come by, but since travel can be stressful pick a less stressful day. 

Daily Fast is an 8 hour feeding period followed by a 16 hour fast. This is done to pursue extreme leanness. This is for people who are already fit are eating healthy and want to be extremely lean. Berardi notes that men respond best to this fast and women tend to respond to a shorter fast 10 hour eating window with a 16 hour fast.  This is not for women who are pregnant, women with a bodyfat percentage over 22%, and men with a bodyfat percentage over 15%. The  principles for daily fasting are high vegetable and protein intake during the 8 hour feeding window. As far as training do intense resistance exercise three times per week right before you eat your first meal. On training days, add carbs (quinoa, rice,whole grain bread, fruit etc) to your base diet of protein and veggies.  Also on training days eat as much of your food as soon after training as possible. The biggest meal should be the post workout meal. The choice time frame for this is fast is from 9pm to 1pm the next day, exercising around noon consuming 10 grams of BCAA’s during the workout. After training, eat 2-3 large meals before 9pm with the biggest being the post workout  meal.  Single day sample 8 am wake up drink 2 cups of water, 9am drink 1 liter of water 1 serving of greens and a cup of green tea, 11 am 1 cup green tea, 12 pm workout with 10 g BCAA, 1:30 pm First meal largest of the day, 4:30 pm second meal moderate sized, 8:30 third meal moderate sized meal. Prior to trying this method of fasting try the first two offered here, also this is not a magic bullet so you really need to be in good shape to get the most benefits. Thank you to Dr. John Berardi and his excellent breakdown in his e-book and his generosity with the information obtained resulting from his self experimentation.

We have a limited amount of studies on intermittent fasting in humans, a decent amount of them in animals. The initial experiment done in 1946 by the University of Chicago found that denying food every third day boosted rats lifespans approximately  20 percent in males and 15percent in females. A review of this study by the University of California at Berkeley concluded the alternate day fasting may decrease cardiovascular disease risk, decrease cancer risk, improve cognitive function and protect against some effects of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. The review was of a 61 year old study done on rats, so lets be cautiously about the benefits. A study done in 2005 on the “effect of intermittent fasting and feeding of insulin action in healthy men “that appeared in the journal of applied physiology found that intermittent fasting increases insulin sensitivity in the whole body and in adipose tissues. This supports the view that cycles of feast or famine are important as an initiator of thrifty genes leading to improvements in metabolic function. The researchers suggest that fasting induced an increase in circulating adiponectin that is at least partly responsible for this finding. The change in adiponectin, together with the changes in plasma leptin with fasting, underlines the important role of the adipose tissue in recognizing the variation in energy stores. Adionectin is a protein hormone that modulates a number of metabolic processes, including glucose regulation and fatty acid oxidation. It is exclusively secreted from the adipose tissue into the bloodstream. Levels of the hormone are inversely correlated with bodyfat percentage in adults. Levels of adiponectin are lower in diabetics compared to non-diabetics and increase due to weight reduction. Adiponectin exerts some its weight reduction effects in the brain, in a similar action to leptin. The two hormones perform complementary actions and can have a synergistic effect.  I know I got a little science crazy there but it looks to me like it would be a success when used for weight reduction. In the 6 months of his study Dr. Berardi went from 190-170 pounds and six percent bodyfat going from 10% to 4%. .The first month is was a 1 full day fast , second month no fasting, third month 2 full day fasts. In month four he did daily 16/8 fasts, month five was a 1 full day fast with daily 16/8 fasts and in month 6 he did daily 16/8 fasts with 2 20/4 fasts. He did maintain his weight in the 170-175 range for four months. He did some blood testing at the beginning and at the end of the fasting please refer to the e-book for that information.

I am not going to promise you that IF is the be all end all of weight reduction but it does give us another avenue. It really is not for everyone especially those of you who may be pregnant, those with a history of eating disorders, and anyone under the age of 18.  Almost all diets work it’s a matter of complying with the program, most times people are told eat 5-6 small meals a day. They end up hearing its ok to graze all day, the idea is to avoid insulin spikes and to keep you on an even keel. Its not to be feeding all day you are still on a calorie restriction. I think that is where people run into issues. Intermittent fasting is a good meal plan it has been shown to work, but its not for everyone. If your not pregnant , have an eating disorder or are under 18 try the one day fast see how it works for you. Sunday we have GMO’s to look at , it should be interesting as it is a hot button topic. As always thanks for reading and please share.

  

Reources 
"Effect of intermittent fasting and refeeding on insulin action in healthy men"  Halberg, Henriksen, Soderhamn,Stallknecht,Ploug,Schjerling and Dela JAPA 12/05 Vol 99 no 6  2128-2136

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/intermittent-fasting 

Which whey you going?

 

Hmmm?

Today we are looking at protein a frequent topic of discussion amongst the fitness set, not matter which way you learn as far as nutrition goes. The most asked question of vegans and vegetarians is where do you get your protein? In essence for the uninitiated it is a good question, there are plenty of sources of protein that are not meat related, like beans, quinoa, almonds, pistachios, hemp seeds etc.  We are specifically looking at whey protein, what it is, where it comes from, which one works best for sports nutrition, the immune system and weight management.  If you have picked up Men’s Health, Muscle & Fitness, Flex Magazine, Muscular Development, Shape or Women’s Health in the past ten years you have heard of Whey Protein. The problem is most of these magazines are advertisements for products like Ripped Fuel, Jacked, NO explode, but you do not get the truth.  I hope that this article will give you a greater understanding of the benefits of whey protein.

So what is whey protein?  A high quality protein comes from cow’s milk, making up about 20% of the protein in milk.  It is a complete protein containing the essential and non-essential amino acids as well being rich in branched chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine.  Casein is the other protein found in milk; it has a lower protein quality than whey and is less soluble making whey the optimal choice.    The types of whey protein are whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate and hydrolyzed whey protein. 

Whey Protein Concentrate is the protein most seen in health and nutrition stores, as it is the most economical of the proteins. It has a protein concentration of 25-89%, an excellent source of BCAA’s, but is has a higher fat and lactose content than Isolate. This is why many users end up feeling bloated and gassy.

Whey Protein Isolate has the purest form of protein at a protein concentration of 90-95% and very little lactose and the lowest in fat.  Anyone who is lactose intolerant could benefit from its low level of lactose. WPI is broken down further into three different sub types Ion exchange, Cold filtration and Cross flow microfiltration. In this article, we are looking at Cross flow microfiltration, which is to be highly pure, nutritionally superior, and soluble.

Hydrolyzed Whey Protein is a highly absorbable up to 80% of the protein ingested bypasses the stomach and is absorbed into the small intestine. Studies have shown that hydrolyzed proteins with short-chained amino acids can increase IGF-1.

What is interesting about whey protein is that the amino acid profile is practically identical to skeletal muscles. It maintains and repairs muscle after exercise due to the high concentration of BCAA’s. These branched chain amino acids help prevent fatigue during intense longer duration sport events.  Leucine helps stimulate protein synthesis and maintain a positive nitrogen balance to enhance muscle repair and recovery.  Another use is for weight management as whey protein can help to stimulate an appetite suppressing feeling of being satisfied that helps curb overeating. It is more effective than red meat in reducing weight gain and increasing insulin sensitivity.  It is the concentration of BCAA’s that help increase fat loss and promote lean tissue making it an integral part of a health and fitness program. The other advantage to having whey protein in your meal plan is the positive effect it has n your immunity levels. Whey protein contains immunoglobulin an antibody that helps build the immunity system in babies. Studies suggest that immunoglobulins may support disease control in adults; it is beneficial in treatment of E-coli and certain types of diarrhea. Whey protein is also an excellent source of cysteine to enhance glutathione status and maintain or improve immune function. Glutathione has a vital role in the detoxification of the liver and can attach to heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium. Glutathione carries nutrients to immune system cells.  

Keys to Recovery

The key to post workout recovery is to use whey protein isolate that is cross-flow micro filtered and mix it with whey protein hydrolysate. The hydrolysate allows for quicker uptake and rapid utilization.  Post workout supplementation has a window of 30 minutes. 

The question remains which whey you going.  Whey protein can be beneficial to many people in its many different forms, the key is to read the labels and use the type most appropriate for you. If you add it to your meal plan, you will see the difference in your health and well-being.  We have a piece about intermittent fasting on Friday, and on Sunday, we will be looking at GMO’s. Thanks for reading this blog and as always please share it. 

 

Consumer Reports: Functional Training Vs Split Body Training

The stare down

Consumer Reports is a magazine that reviews products, and compares the top products in the same category on the market. This is what we are attempting to do today, although to shock you my initial thought was to rail against split body part training. I thought the better of it as that would be sticking my foot in my mouth, I previously trained using a double split training routine with much success. The truth of the matter is I like both systems and they both have their place. Some people envision it like a boxing or an MMA match. In the blue corner we have the old school lifters wearing spandex and doo rags with a deep V neck and in the red corner we have the new school lifters in white rimmed sunglasses board shorts with a Tough Mudder headband and Vibrams five fingers on! The inspiration for this article came from the fact that we as a fitness community need to move away from exclusionary practices, and need to educate each other on the merits of all the different training systems as they all have a place at the table. They are a way of reaching your goals, a training system does not define you so there is no need to tie yourself to the mast. I always ask friends and clients for things that interest them as far as blog topics go, this one came up and it peaked my interest as noted above. We are looking functional training and split body, we will define them look at the pros and cons of each on their own, then map out when or who would benefit to use either one. 

First up is functional training, to say this has become a hot button topic for fitness magazines and blogs alike is an understatement. I have read posts from Trainers and Coaches at the top of the game rail against functional training. One of them even went so far as to write a piece questioning what exactly is functional training. Lets look at the words in the phrase “functional” means of or serving a function, affecting physiology or psychological functions, used to contribute to the development or maintenance of a larger whole. If we look at the definition it would bear out that functional training is training that is function based, contributing to the development or maintenance of a larger whole. The general idea on what functional training is that its against single joint movements, using bands, plyometrics, balls and free weights. The pro’s of functional training is that it is adaptable to the untrained initiate or the person on the comeback, it allows us to work from a stable environment to progress to an unstable environment. A mainstay of functional training is the use of proprioception, which is the body’s ability to sense movement within joints and joint position. The unconscious perception of movement and spatial orientation arising from stimuli within the body itself.  This is used in rehab settings to get the receptor nerves in muscle, bones and ligaments to sense tension and pass information onto the brain. This combined with physical therapy can be used to prevent re-injury. The cons are if you are looking to build size or raw strength this is not the system for you, if you have muscular imbalances compound exercises can reinforce compensatory patterns. Just remember you do not build strength on disfunction. 

Onto the split body training this is an old standby and can be broken out into many different versions. You can do a body part split, push pull split, upper/lower body split, the double split (train twice a day hitting body parts multiple times a week), or triple splits (something adopted by the Crossfit elite, training three times a day). This training style was used by the bodybuilders in the volume era like Arnold, Lou Ferrigno, and Frank Zane. It is still used in many gyms today, for most weightlifters its often the introduction into training. At one point I was doing a double split routine hitting body parts multiple times a week, I gained size and strength and had fun with that program. The pros of using a split routine are optimal for bodybuilding, easier to vary workouts, less fatigue allowing you to move greater loads, less chance of overtraining. The cons are muscle and strength imbalances, you can’t miss a training session, and calorie burned can be less than a full body workout.  The pros and cons listed for both can depend upon your experience, programming amongst other variables 

Michelangelo is quoted as saying ”I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” . This is applicable here in the fact that we need to see the angel in the marble before we pick up the chisel and the hammer. I am a believer in goal driven programming as much as I am a believer in periodization of training, we need variation to remain sane and to not only remain in the game but to continue progressing. It does not matter how great the diet or program is unless we know the goal or destination. That  being said if you are a fitness model, bodybuilder, an advanced lifter or someone who hates full body training then split routines are for you. If your an endurance athlete, a beginner, train three to four times per week or if you like to do intense fat burning workouts then a full body workout would be for you. Although if you want to get the best of both worlds the solution would be to either periodize to do 8-12 weeks full body and then 8-12 weeks split training, or split it day 1 functional upper body, day 2 functional lower body, day 3 off. Then on day 4 bodybuilding style upper body day 5 bodybuilding style lower body, day 6 cardio day 7 off.  The truth of the matter is that there is no functional versus split thats is what people have made up in their minds, don’t be weak minded find a place both can exist within in your program. On the 18th of August we will be looking at GMO’s, Wednesday we will look at anti-inflammatory diets, and on Friday it will be the 6 benefits of eating local farm produce and meats. Thank you for reading and please share this blog.