This summer LeBron James slimmed down, losing some 15 pounds to ready himself for the upcoming season. His secret? Cutting carbs. The approach is nothing new: Two years ago, Dr. Cate Shanahan helped the Los Angeles Lakers switch from high-carb to low-carb and become so-called fat-burners, meaning that their bodies burns fat as a primary fuel, instead of carbohydrate. It’s a fast way to lose weight while keeping muscle, a move that can help prevent injuries and boost energy reserves for players — and everyone else.
The Guiding Principles 1. 50/30/20: Aim to get 50 percent of your calories from healthy fats, 30 percent from protein, and 20 percent from healthy carbohydrates, ideally whole fruits and vegetables.
2. Embrace healthy fats: Going low carb means going high fat, and that means knowing the bad fats from the good. On the bad side, the only true villain is trans-fat, which sometimes appears on ingredient labels as “hydrogenated” or “partially-hydrogenated” oil, and which hides in a lot more processed food than you’d think, including most commercial salad dressings containing Canola and other vegetable oils (for a list of offending oils, check out Dr. Shanahan’s website). On the good side, walnuts, almonds, avocados, olive oil, and fatty fish like salmon and sardines are the superstars. But don’t be afraid of saturated fats from whole food sources like poultry, butter, and meat, especially grass-pastured. Numerous major studies have failed to find any link between saturated fat consumption and heart disease. Plus, says Shanahan, “Our bodies need these fats to help with nutrient absorption.”
3. Don’t snack: “A lot of people have been told you’ve got to suppress appetite by having frequent small meals throughout the day. But this keeps your insulin levels elevated, interfering with your switch to fat-burning.” Don’t starve yourself, but skip those hourly handfuls of almonds.
Four Weeks to LeBron Lean Week One:Zero Carb Breakfast. For the first week, don’t worry about changing your lunch and dinner habits. Just make breakfast a zero-carb meal — as in, two eggs scrambled in extra-virgin olive oil, topped with avocado. Or cold leftover chicken. You’ll feel the difference immediately, in steady energy throughout the morning.
Week Two: Pack Lunch. When Dr. Shanahan says baby steps, she means baby steps. Before you worry about what goes into lunch, just get into the habit of packing lunch at home and bringing it with you to work. Mid-day restaurant and cafeteria meals are too often jumbo-sized and loaded with carbs and trans-fats. Week Three: Low-Carb Your Lunch. Salad with chicken, tuna, steak, or even a hardboiled egg, plus copious walnuts, avocado, extra-virgin olive oil.
Week Four: Low-Carb Your Dinner. You’ve always wanted to eat this way: roasted, pan-seared, or grilled lamb/chicken/steak/fish, with copious sauce; heaping helping of vegetables or salad, maybe some cheese; fresh fruit dessert; but skip the rice/bread/pasta/chips.
For decades the recommended daily amount of vitamin D for an adult was set at 400 IU. Doctors and nutritionists were taught that this level was enough for good health.
Then researchers all across the globe started reporting widespread deficiency of the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D. Physician conferences started focusing on the effects of this vitamin on health, bringing much revelation to the old thought that vitamin D was only important to prevent rickets.
Vitamin D Deficiency is Clearly Related to Pain One of the findings about vitamin D actually pertains to the amount of pain in the body that people have when there’s a deficiency. This pain is in the muscles and in the bones.
One study, performed in Iran at the Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, at Rouhani Hospital at the Babol University of Medical Sciences, evaluated 276 patients who had pain in different parts of their body – in their legs, joints, ribs, back, pain everywhere and fibromyalgia for their vitamin D status.
They compared the results of these patients with 202 patients without the pain, but with similar vitamin D levels.
What Level of Vitamin D is Considered Deficient? The doctors considered a level of vitamin D less than 20 ng/ml deficient. The “normal” range seen on blood tests from the laboratory is 30 to 100 ng/ml here in the United States.
Researchers discovered that when someone had pain in their legs, ribs, joints or everywhere, they usually also had a vitamin D deficiency.
In fact, the two types of pain that were highly correlated to a vitamin D deficiency were leg pain and joint pain, such as arthritis. They also found that women had a greater correlation of pain with a vitamin D deficiency. (Source: Int J Rheum Dis 2010 Oct;13(4).)
What this study means to you is to get your vitamin D levels checked, and if they’re low, raising them could significantly lessen your pain levels. You could be a lot happier with less pain, right?
Does Age or Type of Disease Affect Vitamin D Levels? Another study that appeared in a medical journal called Clinical Rheumatology discussed what the correlation was between vitamin D and pain in the joints in 231 patients at the Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center at the South Infirmary-Victoria University Hospital in Ireland.
This time the doctors wanted to see if age or diagnosis affected probability of having low vitamin D levels.
Different Standards for Determining Deficiency Interestingly, these doctors considered a vitamin D deficiency of less than or equal to 53 ng/ml. This level actually makes more sense since you should never be at the bottom of any ranges for vitamins and minerals.
Over Two-Thirds of Them Were Deficient The researchers discovered that 70% of the patients had a deficiency, and 26% had a severe deficiency (defined as less than 25 ng/ml). The patients who had rheumatoid arthritis were deficient 77% of the time.
Those with connective tissue diseases or inflammatory joint disease were deficient 69% of the time, and those with osteoarthritis 62% of the time. If patients had bone or muscle/joint pain in their back or osteoporosis, the deficiency rate was at 75% and 71% respectively.
Age Didn’t Really Matter They also discovered that age affected vitamin D status. You might think that if someone is young, they have more opportunity to go out in the sunshine more often and thus, should have higher levels of vitamin D.
Well, the research revealed that 65% of patients who were 65 or older and 78% of those who were 30 years old or less were deficient in vitamin D. (Source: Clin Rheumatol, 2011 June; 30(6).)
This gives us the clue that really, anyone can be deficient. Get your levels tested soon and take any appropriate actions right away. And do hold yourself to the higher standards of vitamin A deficiency levels as in Ireland. Don’t just get by when it comes to your vitamin D levels. Your bones and joints will appreciate you all the more when you do!
Source:
healthhotsolution.com
How nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle strategies can help alleviate the pain
Millions of people (including a staggering 3.4% of adult women) struggle with fibromyalgia, a pain disorder once dismissed as a made-up problem. The good news: Doctors now treat fibromyalgia as real. We know more about it. And it’s easier than ever to feel better. The bad news: As with any fledgling market, everyone wants to sell you a quick fix.
With help from trusted trainers and coaches, you can get real answers, begin developing new lifestyle strategies today, and start feeling better tomorrow.
[Note: We’ve also prepared an audio recording of this article for you to listen to. So, if you’d rather listen to the piece, click here.]
Quick reference: What to know
Fibromyalgia (FMS) is a complex health condition. While doctors and researchers are learning more about it and taking it more seriously, there’s a lot we still don’t know. While you may not be able to completely “cure” FMS, there are many things you can do to reduce or even alleviate some of the symptoms. This includes nutrition, exercise, mindset, and other lifestyle adjustments. There’s a lot of information here, so don’t try to deal with it all at once. Scroll down to the end of this article for a simple “get started” plan that you can begin immediately.
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Achey, tired, and sluggish… what gives?
Maybe you haven’t been sleeping so well lately. You squeeze your eyes closed and beg to drift off, but you just can’t seem to stop squirming.
The exhaustion is causing these annoying headaches, and you have to admit you’ve been kind of depressed about it for a while now.
Your body suddenly feels… old. It’s hard to make it to your workouts when you’re so tired and out of sorts.
It’s just a phase, right?
Maybe. But it could be fibromyalgia.
I know what you’re thinking: Seriously? Come on, I don’t have some maybe-disease, I’m just a little off lately. Is fibromyalgia even real, anyway?
You’re not alone.
Since fibromyalgia is poorly understood even in the medical community, people often write it off as a fake problem that keeps doctors’ and pharmaceutical companies’ checks rolling in.
But the truth is that this disorder, characterized by persistent, all-over pain and sensitivity combined with more commonplace (but miserable) ailments like headache, anemia and arthritis, is real and quite prevalent: 5 million U.S. adults suffer from fibromyalgia according to a 2005 estimate, the most recent available.
Thankfully, we are learning more about solutions.
If you have fibromyalgia — or think you may have it, or serve as a fitness coach to someone who has it — there are lifestyle strategies you can try today to start feeling better almost immediately.
Pain with no purpose
What exactly is fibromyalgia, anyway?
“Myalgia”, from the ancient Greek roots myo, or muscle, and algos, or pain, simply refers to nonspecific muscle pain.
Fibromyalgia syndrome, or FMS, is a collection of symptoms that may or may not include:
headache
poor sleep
depression
painful menstrual periods
overactive bladder
irritable bowel
arthritis
anemia
stiffness
restless legs
And — ugh — that’s just to name a few.
But there is one commonality among FMS sufferers, and that is pain.
The pain of FMS is widespread throughout the body, and it’s constant.
Unlike acute pain, which tells you that something needs immediate attention (like, you stepped on a nail or need your appendix removed), the chronic pain of FMS doesn’t seem to have a clear purpose. It doesn’t seem to signal any actual damage.
And though FMS has been studied for decades (in fact, similar conditions are noted in fairly old medical texts), there’s still no consensus about its cause.
Some theorize that those with FMS might have a lower threshold for pain due to certain changes in nerve cells, which would make it purely a physical problem. Others believe FMS could be a psychosomatic disorder.
In addition, pain itself is a highly subjective experience. Some folks seem to feel it more than others, or we may feel pain more in certain situations (such as when we feel emotionally stressed or socially isolated), but we’re not completely sure why.
So, yeah. We’re pretty far from fully getting it.
Unfortunately, not knowing what causes FMS means that, at this point, there’s no cure.
Pinpointing the problem
Many of the symptoms of FMS overlap with other problems and disorders, so trying to find the right diagnosis can be a confusing game of “chicken and egg”.
For example, sleep can affect pain and other things like energy levels.
If we don’t sleep well, our body chemistry changes. Inflammation can go up. Metabolism can be disrupted. Our hormones can go out of whack.
We end up feeling crummy – perhaps achey, low energy, plus other nagging complaints from the list above.
So is it just lack of sleep? Or is it FMS? (And what if FMS is causing the poor sleep… which makes things worse… and so on?)
To address this challenge, the American College of Rheumatology recently released revised diagnostic criteria for FMS.
Whereas previously doctors diagnosed FMS based on an examination of specific (and rather limited) tender points on the body, the new set of criteria offers a broad-based severity scale: If a doc pushes on 18 of the designated points, and someone has pain in at least 11 of them, they might have FMS. The revised recommendations also account for accompanying symptoms (like fatigue).
With ever-changing diagnostic criteria, it’s hard to pin down how many people suffer from FMS.
But current data estimate that 0.7% to 3.3% of adults have FMS globally, with 2% to 7% of populations in developed countries fitting the diagnostic criteria. Adult women are affected with FMS up to seven times more than men. In children, gender distribution appears equal.
Searching for reasons
As with any health problem that’s not fully understood, there’s lots of speculation about what causes FMS.
This is a pretty complicated list, and obviously it’s still a work in progress.
In general, though, the basic idea is that there’s probably something (likely several somethings) that affects our physical and psychological perceptions of pain.
Some of these theories include:
Bodily tissues’ inability to produce energy: Cells might be metabolically “shut down,” leading to muscle pain and symptoms of fatigue.
Central nervous system abnormalities: Congenital malformations of the brain may disrupt the blood-brain barrier, potentially changing how the brain functions and responds to pain. In this case, viruses, stress, cell signal problems, pharmaceuticals, and nutrient deficiencies might act as triggers.
Altered sensory response in the brain: Some brain areas that process pain may be over-active, sounding the alarm without a legitimate threat.
Sleep deficiency: Short or poor-quality sleep can change hormone levels and immune function, increasing pain.
Inflammatory-pathway abnormalities: Cytokines, compounds that regulate how our immune system responds to inflammation, may be out of whack, causing a trigger-happy immune response to your body’s own cells.
Too much stress: Allostatic load, or all of the stuff in your life that causes stress (workouts, kids, relationships, job, and so forth) might increase our pain perception.
Poor gut health: An imbalance of gastrointestinal bacteria (caused by an unhealthy diet or food intolerances) can lead to or worsen FMS symptoms including pain, fatigue and stress.
Use of antibiotics: There has been speculation that using antibiotics (or at least certain types at certain times) might contribute to the development of FMS by throwing gut bacteria off balance.
Hormone imbalances: Hormones — particularly from the thyroid — that are disrupted may cause hypersensitivity in the central nervous system, leading to the pain of FMS.
Pain-perception disorder: There may be an overproduction of pain-generating substances after injury (or even intense exercise).
Nutritional deficiency or toxicity: Pain may be triggered by deficiencies of B vitamins, vitamin C, and iron. And high levels of oxidative stress might play a role in the development of FMS (making dietary antioxidants important). Also, it might be worthwhile to check for candida overgrowth — excessive levels of yeast in the gut caused by corticosteroid use, eating too many refined carbohydrates, or taking antibiotics.
Breathing disorders: Altered breathing (caused by problems like asthma and allergies) might cause an oxygen deficit, throwing blood gases out of balance. This could mess with the brain’s processing of messages from pain receptors, leading to an FMS flare-up.
Infection: Getting sick (for example, with a virus) might initially trigger FMS.
A traumatic event: Adults with FMS report higher rates of childhood distress (e.g., maltreatment and abuse). Trauma might lead to FMS by causing endocrine disturbances or changes in the inflammatory system.
Where you live: Adults in the United States may be more than twice as likely to develop FMS compared to the global average. In China, for example, incidence of FMS is minimal, perhaps because of genetic differences or sociocultural norms that affect the perception and acceptance of pain.
Unlike, say, smallpox or lead poisoning, where we can clearly blame a specific disease on a particular, clearly recognizable pathogen or toxin, we don’t yet have a smoking gun for FMS.
FMS is probably the result of several factors, many of which are hard to measure or trace.
New ways to treat FMS
Years ago, people with FMS suffered in silence and/or shame.
They were often dismissed by doctors. Confused by symptoms that seemed vague, inconsistent, and puzzling. Labeled crazy, hypochondriac, whiny, neurotic or “hysterical” (a very common catchall “diagnosis” for diseases that preferentially affect women).
They might have been prescribed tranquilizers and sedatives, opioid painkillers, muscle relaxants, anti-depressants, anti-inflammatories, hormonal birth control, and a host of other medications that rarely addressed the underlying problem.
Nowadays, even with modern understandings of FMS, the condition still disrupts people’s routines, wellbeing, and lives.
Many sufferers end up quitting the gym, ditching dinner plans, skipping holidays, and otherwise curtailing many of the activities that they enjoy. Now they’re not only in pain, they feel miserable and isolated too.
And health care providers are struggling to help. Given that most drugs to date have been ineffective, and the ones that were previously prescribed can have nasty side effects, doctors are increasingly recommending lifestyle solutions to help their FMS patients.
In fact, with the right holistic treatment plan, many people with FMS can reduce or eliminate their symptoms.
There is hope.
You, your support team, and life after fibromyalgia
Although there is a lot we still don’t know about FMS, there are steps that you can take — starting today — to potentially improve, or even get rid of, some FMS symptoms.
You, your doctor, your fitness trainer and nutrition coach can work together to improve your quality of life.
But first — keep it simple.
We’re giving lots of recommendations here. And we know that can be overwhelming, especially when you’re already dealing with the psychological and physical load of a chronic illness. (And since one of the symptoms of FMS can be “brain fog”.)
So take it slow. One thing at a time.
We’ll explain how, below.
And reach out for help. A coach or health care provider can help you organize your treatment steps into a clear, simple, do-able plan. You don’t have to do this all yourself — in fact, you probably shouldn’t try.
Awareness
This is something you can tackle all by yourself, immediately.
Get to know your own body and the ebb and flow of your health.
Grab a notepad, or set up a little diary app on your smartphone, or use any other tool you like that will help you record your daily physical, mental, and emotional fluctuations as well as any factors that seem relevant.
Book a few minutes every day to check in.
Start to observe, like a detective or a scientist. And record.
Here are some things you can track. Symptoms: What’s happening today? Capture as much as you notice, even stuff that might not seem relevant right away (e.g. bowel habits, skin rashes, whether your hair or nails seem brittle, etc.). Pain: On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being no pain and 10 being the most horrible pain you can imagine, how is your pain today? Where is it? What is the quality of it — achey, burning or stinging, sharp, diffuse, etc.? Does it move around or settle in a particular area? Sleep: How many hours? Did you have trouble drifting off, or wake up often? Etc. Digestion: How does food feel in your body? Do you have stomach upset, digestive problems, etc.? Mood and cognition: Are you feeling mentally sharp or dull today? How would you describe your mood or emotional state? Are you having trouble remembering things, or is recall coming easily? What’s your overall outlook on life today? Etc. Energy levels: What’s your energy like today? Do you have bursts and then crashes over the course of the day? Or is it a more constant low or high (e.g. “good days” and “bad days”)? Do you notice yourself affected by things like the weather or light? Etc. Food and appetite: What did you eat today? Did you notice that anything seemed to affect you? Are you hungry? Exercise and movement: How did you move your body today? How did that feel? Did you struggle to recover or have more sustained energy afterwards? Etc. Menstrual cycles: If you normally menstruate, how are your cycles? Where are you at in your cycle today? If you’re perimenopausal or menopausal, do you notice any hormone-like symptoms (e.g. bloating, cravings, etc.) without actually getting a period? Etc. Other life demands and stressors: What was work like today? How are things with your family? Finances? Etc.
First, just get to know how your unique body responds, and how things might change (or not) over hours, days, weeks, and months.
Second, start to look for patterns. Can you notice regular ebbs and flows, or things that might seem to go together (e.g. “When X happens, my pain is worse” or “Eating Y seems to make it flare up”)?
Exercise
Exercise is powerful medicine, but like all medicines you have to get the right type and dosage.
If you’re dealing with FMS, your recovery ability is probably lower.
That means no “beast mode”, no Ironman triathlons, no “pump till you puke” workouts. (Your body will probably kibosh that stuff pretty quickly anyway.)
And you’ll want to avoid anything that “amps you up”, stresses you mentally, and/or activates your “fight-flight” sympathetic nervous system.
Your goal here is happy, easy, relaxed movement that gets the juices flowing, calms the stress response rather than activating it, and makes you feel good, without overly depleting your limited reserves.
For instance:
Moderate aerobic exercise has been shown to alleviate anxiety, depression, poor pain tolerance, poor sleep, elevated inflammation, and decreased mood in FMS patients.
According to one study, progressive exercise three times per week in a support-group setting increased strength and function while decreasing pain and fatigue.
Qigong, yoga, stretching, tai chi, and meditation appear to address FMS by promoting muscle relaxation and deep breathing.
Some guidelines:
Start slow.
Avoid increasing exercise volume by more than 10% in one day.
When possible, go for lower-impact exercise (water workouts, cycling, walking, yoga, bodyweight resistance work).
Prioritize aerobic capacity, focusing your efforts at one or two steps above “easy.”
Take one day off for recovery between the more intense structured workouts.
After a month of consistent aerobic work, start to build in strength training.
Here are some ideas for distributing your weekly exercise patterns.
Try this simple regimen that alternates days:
Or, mix it up a bit: Monday: 5-10 minutes warm-up, 20-30 minutes aerobic work Tuesday: 60 minutes gentle yoga Wednesday: 5-10 minutes warm-up, 20-30 minutes strength work Thursday: Normal everyday activities Friday: 5-10 minutes warm-up, 20-30 minutes aerobic work Saturday: 5-10 minutes warm-up, 20-30 minutes strength work Sunday: Normal everyday activities
Be prepared to nix any part of a session if you’re having an FMS flare-up or when your stress level is unusually high. Don’t try to be a hero.
Nutrition
Though we don’t know exactly what causes FMS, we do know that being overweight increases your risk.
Compounds secreted by body fat may cause inflammation — a potential FMS trigger. In one study, women who were overweight or obese were up to 70% more likely to develop the disorder than those with a body mass index in the normal range.
Of course, regardless of weight, making healthy choices is always a good idea.
Start with how you eat: thoughtfully, mindfully, slowly, and in response to real physiological hunger (here’s how to distinguish between real, physical hunger and emotional hunger).
And track any ups and downs in hunger and appetite in your awareness journal.
Then:
Prioritize whole foods: Processed ones contain too many needless sugars, fats and additives.
Eat plenty of plants: More plants in the diet means more antioxidants. And more antioxidants might mean less pain (in fact, some research indicates that a vegan diet may offer short-term benefits to FMS victims).
Drink water and tea: Try to avoid juices and sodas, which increase your sugar intake.
Avoid caffeine and tobacco: These are associated with sleep problems and increased pain in FMS sufferers, respectively.
Limit alcohol: In a recent study, FMS patients who were moderate drinkers (consuming 3-7 drinks per week) experienced less pain that heavy or non-drinkers.
Eliminate food allergens and intolerances: Obvious, right? But it might be worthwhile to get a work-up (ALCAT’s a good one) and find out if you have sensitivities you weren’t aware of. Common culprits include wheat, dairy, sugar, caffeine, aspartame, alcohol, and chocolate.
Beware excitotoxins: These are amino acids and brain-stimulating neurotransmitters found in MSG, aspartame and protein-dense foods that may worsen FMS pain, perhaps by increasing cerebrospinal fluid (the stuff in your brain and spine). In certain case studies, eliminating excitotoxins alleviated FMS symptoms, especially in folks who are particularly sensitive to these chemicals.
Don’t overdo sugar: When added sugars make up more than 10% of your total calorie intake, you might experience candida overgrowth (see above).
Supplements
Certain nutrients may help fight the symptoms of FMS. When possible, try getting them from food first.
If you choose to supplement:
Pick reputable brands, and introduce supplements one at a time.
Always check for interactions with other supplements and medications first.
Here are some options that you may consider.
Probiotics/prebiotics: These bacteria boost the health of your gut, which can influence your whole body. Sources: sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, yogurt, kefir.
Ribose: This simple sugar is involved in energy production, potentially improving problems related to fatigue and sleep. Sources: milk, cheese.
Magnesium: This mineral seems to be low in some folks with FMS; getting enough might help relieve muscle spasms and cramping. Sources: almonds, spinach, cashews, peanuts, beans.
Melatonin: It’s the hormone we produce to make us sleepy; supplementing might help promote natural sleep cycles.
CoQ10: Coenzyme Q10 acts as an antioxidant and may offset dysfunction of mitochondria (cell parts responsible for energy production) noticed in FMS patients. Sources: fish, liver, whole grains.
SAMe: Taking supplements of this naturally-occurring bodily chemical might help with mood and sleep.
Quercetin: This powerful antioxidant might fight FMS symptoms by tamping down on inflammation. Sources: citrus fruits, apples, onions, parsley, tea.
5-HTP: The body converts this naturally-occurring neurotransmitter into serotonin, a hormone that helps regulate mood, appetite, and sleep. Supplements may improve related FMS symptoms.
Carnosine, BCAAs, creatine: These body compounds might help with muscle energy production. Sources: beef, chicken, pork.
Acetyl-L-carnitine: A synthesized amino acid derivative, ALCAR might assist in mitochondrial function.
Turmeric: This delicious spice — found on its own or as an ingredient in curry — might help buffer inflammation.
Ashwaghanda: An exotic herb available in pill form, it may help improve sleep and anxiety.
Capsaicin/capsicum: Ingested or used topically, this compound that gives many spicy foods their kick might help decrease pain. Sources: chili peppers.
Iodine: Deficiency in this mineral may lead to chronic fatigue. Sources: seaweed, scallops, cod.
Zinc: Not getting enough can lead to low immunity and brain fog. Sources: Oysters, cereal, veal.
Iron: Low levels of this nutrient, necessary for delivering oxygen throughout the body, is associated with significantly elevated risk of FMS. Sources: egg yolk, liver, dried beans, dried fruit.
Vitamin D: Low levels of D — only available via fortified foods, supplements and natural sunlight, are common in FMS patients. In a 2014 study, vitamin D supplements significantly decreased FMS pain.
Selenium: One study noted low levels of this mineral in FMS sufferers. Sources: tuna, shrimp, sardines, salmon.
Vitamin B1: Deficiency of this vitamin — needed for energy production and brain function– is associated with poor memory, fatigue, irritability and sleep disturbance. Sources: beef liver, pork, egg, legumes, nuts, seeds.
Essential fatty acids: Making sure you get enough, perhaps through supplements, may help with FMS-related nerve pain. Sources: flaxseed, chia seeds, salmon.
This is, obviously, a long and complex list. Consider getting guidance from a qualified naturopath or nutrition coach who can help you assess your needs, and put together an appropriate plan.
Bodywork and therapeutic touch
Whether you’re healthy or well, these therapies feel amazing, but there’s evidence they can really help FMS patients.
There’s a saying among body workers: “Mechanoreception inhibits nocioception.”
Catchy, right?
In English, it means that therapeutic touch can alleviate pain by competing for the same nerve signals, sort of like jamming up a highway with cars.
Effective bodywork may include:
trigger point therapy
craniosacral therapy
hydrotherapy
foam rolling
dry needling
biofeedback
acupuncture
chiropractic
massage
Keep it gentle; if bodywork is too intense, it’ll work against your anti-pain efforts.
Again, keep track of what interventions seem to improve your symptoms.
Keeping stress to a minimum can go a long way toward reducing FMS hell by helping improve your mood and sleep habits. Decreasing stress and developing effective ways of coping may help build resilience in the body.
A couple tips:
When you rest, really rest: Hint! TV and books require energy. That’s work, not resting.
Try yoga and breathing: These can take FMS sufferers to a tranquil state, perhaps by delivering oxygen to the tissues and relieving fatigue.
That’s the warmup. Here’s the real game: Chronic illness often forces us to re-evaluate our relationship to stress and life demands.
Obviously, life happens. We can’t control all of our circumstances or stressors — a sick child, a nasty boss, etc.
However, we do have control over many other stressors, and we also have control over how we respond.
For instance:
We may take an unflinching assessment of all our expectations, commitments, and responsibilities, and decide to let go of some of them.
We may opt for work, family, and/or school arrangements that help us get more recovery time or assistance with daily-life tasks.
We may choose to be compassionate rather than critical with ourselves.
We may practice mindfulness and relaxation techniques to help regulate and calm ourselves when the poop hits the fan.
Social support
We’re social beings. And pain isn’t just an individual experience; it’s a social one too.
Social isolation and loneliness can make us sicker, feel more stressed, and die sooner. This is especially poignant for chronic illness sufferers, who may already feel alone or unsupported (or have trouble asking for help).
Conversely, there’s evidence that when we have a happy, healthy and thriving social support network and relationships, it can help decrease pain, inflammation, and stress. And of course, this can also cut down our isolation.
Research on emotional attunement shows that when someone we love and feel connected to is close to us or touching us (such as holding our hand), it can actually decrease our perception of pain. (Apparently kissing the boo-boo really does work.)
And luckily, even if you don’t have close friends and family nearby, the same holds true for regularly being around animals. Consider Fido or Fluffy part of your health care plan.
What you can do
There’s a lot of information here. This can seem pretty overwhelming, especially if you’re already dealing with the mental, emotional, physical, and other demands of a chronic health problem.
So take a deep breath.
And start slowly and simply.
What you can do right now
Start to build awareness. Take notes on how you feel and what you notice, every day. Learn how FMS lives in your body, and over time, look for patterns.
Think about who you can recruit for your health care and support team. Whether it’s your doctor, a naturopath, your personal trainer or nutrition coach, family members, friends, etc. — look for allies, supporters, and helpers. Don’t suffer alone.
Ask for help. Even if it’s something small and simple, like someone else picking up a few groceries for you, or letting you have some quiet time for a nap.
Decide to be kind to yourself. Illness is not a moral failure or a sign of weakness. Choose to be gentle and compassionate with yourself.
What you can work towards, gradually
Go see your doctor: If you suspect FMS, or have already been diagnosed but want to explore some new treatment options, go see your doc and ask tons of questions. Your M.D. is doubtless a skilled, experienced, caring professional, but no one can advocate for your best interest better than you.
Talk to your coaches: Complex health problems like FMS require extreme care, and what you eat and how you move your body are at the front lines of your battle against the pain. Enlist your personal trainer and nutrition coach to help you develop an anti-FMS plan that works for you, then revise together as you go. And if you don’t have these coaches yet, consider hiring some! Life’s too short to feel terrible.
Start a simple workout routine: Getting back into an exercise groove can seem daunting when you’re feeling gross, and especially if you’ve been sedentary of late. Start slow with an easy alternating-days regimen of light cardio (see above for a sample schedule).
Cut down foods that actively subtract health: I know I offered a lot of tips for proper diet, but one tip rises above the rest for me: eliminating toxins. Putting unhealthy “food” in your body can have countless negative consequences– both known and unknown. Clean up your plate, prioritize whole foods, and the rest will fall into place a lot easier than you think.
Get serious about recovery and replenishment: Don’t try to muscle through or be a martyr. Recognize that this health condition requires you to actively “fill your tank”. That may mean offloading some responsibilities, commitments, or life demands. Or purposely scheduling additional recovery activities rather than waiting to someday “have the time” for them.
Go get a massage: Hey, you deserve it. We all do.
Do more of the good stuff: Use your awareness journal to look for “bright spots” as well as problems. Notice especially what seems to make you feel better, even just a little bit, and build a bank of “success strategies”.
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References
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Certain foods are packed with massive amounts of nutrients that help you achieve a lean and muscular physique. Eating these superior foods won’t save you from a poor diet or regular over eating, but they can give that extra boost when trying to get lean, while feeling energized throughout the day.
Did you know that there are numerous plants and nutrients that can have a dramatic effect on fat loss? This list only includes the most promising nutrients that support fat loss in multiple ways. I favor nutrients that can be simply added to your diet rather than supplemented, although in certain cases it's worth it to use a more concentrated extract or supplement form.
These fantastic nutrients can help you tighten up your efforts to get lean via the following mechanisms:
Decreased fat absorption The fat you eat is not directly absorbed into the body unless it interacts with an enzyme called pancreatic lipase. A number of nutrients inhibit pancreatic lipase, making the fat calories you've eaten irrelevant.
Suppressed food intake
Certain foods raise levels of the chemical transmitters and hormones that help you avoid sensations of hunger, while enhancing energy and motivation. Distinct nutrients such as green tea control levels of serotonin, 5-HTP, ghrelin, and dopamine to lead people to eat less.
Enhanced energy expenditure
Your body is capable of regulating the amount of calories burned for optimal body composition, assuming you're not assaulting it with excess calories, chemicals, and processed foods. Fish oil, for example, is extremely effective at increasing energy expenditure through something called uncoupling proteins.
Stimulating fat burning and "turning off" fat storage
Certain nutrients can inhibit the storage of fat. These tend to be antioxidant-rich nutrients that simply stop the body from storing fat, while decreasing inflammation.
All of these processes depend on those tried and true habits for fat loss: High-protein eatin', regular activity, stress reduction, and the restriction of foods that stop fat loss in its tracks (fructose, refined grains, trans-fats). Throw in high-intensity exercise and you have a formula for success.
#1: Fish Oil and CLA The omega-3 fats from fish and conjugated linoleic acid from dairy and meat are superior fat loss nutrients. They improve insulin sensitivity by building the outside layer of cells, which makes them more receptive to insulin. They decrease inflammation—CLA is a potent cancer fighting nutrient—and have a stress reducing effect, lowering cortisol.
Most compelling, fish oil and CLA stimulate thermogenesis, or the burning of calories, by enhancing the activity of the uncoupling protein genes 1 and 3. Simply, the uncoupling proteins lead to excess calories to be burned by raising body temperature. This is why "healthy" fats don't make you fat, but can make you lose fat.
Take Away: Get fish oil and CLA from cold water fish, wild meat, pastured meat, and whole fat dairy. Eat a serving at each meal, supplementing with fish oil when necessary.
#2: Yerba Mate/Green Tea If you're going to take one new habit from this list, let it be that you start getting some green tea in your diet. Green tea and yerba mate come from different plants, but they both contain extremely high levels of the catechin antioxidants that promote fat loss.
The catechins inhibit lipase, decreasing fat absorption, and can suppress food intake. They also enhance energy expenditure via greater thermogenesis, improve liver function, promote the use of fat for fuel rather than carbs, and lead to the death of fat cells (apoptosis).
An example of green tea at work is a study that had overweight women go on a diet for 4 weeks to lose weight. Then for 8 weeks they strength trained and took 10 grams of green tea powder twice a day, losing nearly 10 kg of body fat compared to a placebo group that lost only 3.2 kg of fat, indicating the benefit of green tea for sustaining metabolism as body weight is reduced.
Take Away: Drink tea daily—avoid adding sweeteners or milk. Watch out for bleached tea bags. Quality green tea supplements are pricey, but can provide a profound metabolic boost, making them worth the investment.
#3: Hot Peppers
Hot red peppers have been rumored to have fat loss properties for years due to the bioactive compound capsaicin. Simply cooking with whole hot pepper or adding hot pepper extract or spice to food may decrease hunger and reduce energy intake, while stimulating fat burning and overall calorie burning in the body.
For example, in one study that had 24 individuals drink tomato juice containing 0.9 g of red pepper before a meal led them to eat less, while feeling more satisfied with the meal.
Take Away: Add hot peppers to salad dressing, veggie or meat dishes, or eggs—peppers are a hot thing in Paleo cooking. If spicy food is not your thing, capsaicin is available in supplement form.
#4: Pomegranate
The pomegranate is impressively high in rare antioxidants, ellagic and tannic acids, that have multiple fat loss effects. These antioxidants inhibit fat absorption and suppress energy intake. The pomegranate has also been shown to improve cardiovascular health when on a high fat diet and it may have anti-tumor properties for cancer fighting.
Take Away: Eat and cook with pomegranates whenever they are available. People with heart disease or metabolic problems could benefit from a pomegranate extract or pure, organic pomegranate juice that is not sweetened or blended with other juices.
#5: The Meat Nutrients: Glycine, Glutamine, Carnitine
Meat, eggs, and some dairy foods, such as whey protein, provide superior nutrients to aid fat loss, prevent food cravings, and maintain brain concentration. Carnitine is a potent fat burner because it is responsible for the transport of fats into the cells to be used for energy in the body. It works best when ingested with the omega-3 fats to ensure that it loads in the muscles.
Glutamine and glycine are both amino acids that raise your natural antioxidant levels, promote tissue repair and muscle building, thereby raising metabolism, while eliminating food cravings—good stuff!
Take Away: Get these three from pastured or wild meat. Strategically boosting intake can help, depending on training phase, the strength of your immune system, or cravings: Use carnitine capsules during high-intensity training phases such as with sprint intervals; go for glutamine if you are suffering cravings or difficulty sticking with your eating plan; use glycine powder in your post-workout shake to improve tissue repair and raise immunity if you feel burnt out.
#6: Seeds: Sesame, Cumin, Chia, Pumpkin, Flax, Watermelon Seeds are jam packed with an array of nutrients that support leanness and energy, but the irresistible thing about seeds is how the improve hormone levels. Seeds tend to be high in zinc, boosting testosterone production. They also contain compounds that promote the elimination of estrogens from the body. Supplementation with flax seeds, for example, has even been shown to decrease belly fat gain on a high-fat, high fructose diet.
Take Away: Use seeds mashed into tahini, ground into a protein shake, or mixed into a buttery paste--they make any meal more delicious, especially this Flank Steak recipe.
#7: The Spice Bundle: Cinnamon, Black Pepper & Turmeric
All three of these are anti-inflammatory and there's promising, if peripheral, evidence that cinnamon, black pepper, turmeric, and various other spices support fat loss.
For example, curcumin improves enzyme activity involved in fat burning and supports the death of fat cells, even when on a high-fat diet. Black pepper raises metabolism by stimulating central nervous system and hormone activity. Cinnamon improves insulin sensitivity and makes just about any dish or protein drink more delicious.
Take Away: You can get extra antioxidant benefits from these spices by supplementing, and make it a habit to use a few sprinkles of cinnamon, black pepper, or turmeric at every meal.
#8: Fenugreek Fenugreek is a spice that deserves special attention because it is so effective at improving insulin health and energy use, while increasing free testosterone when combined with strength training. A study of young men showed that supplementing with 500 mg a day while training for 8 weeks led to significantly greater improvements in strength, fat loss, muscle gain, and free testosterone over a placebo group.
Take Away: Fenugreek can be used in place of carbs when you need an insulin boost, such as when loading creatine or carnitine into the muscle. It also helps "grab" sugar from your blood to burn for fuel or store as glycogen so it doesn't get stored as fat. Get this benefit in supplement form, but you can also bake with it too: One study showed that bread baked with fenugreek produced better insulin response and glucose tolerance compared to regular bread.
#9: Ginger
Ginger improves thermogenesis just like hot peppers, and studies report that cooking with ginger can decrease appetite.
Take Away: Ginger is antioxidant-rich, easy to find in the grocery store, and can make a delicious difference when cooked with collards, kale, organic tempeh, or pureed with post-workout protein drinks.
#10: Garlic Garlic has been found to increase calorie use in the body by raising the ratio of brown fat to white fat (brown fat is considered good, white is very bad).
Animal studies show garlic is particularly effective in reducing fat gain from a high-fat diet that is intended to cause obesity. Along with being called an anti-obesity food by scientists, garlic improves blood flow, decreasing risk of heart disease by lowering triglycerides, cholesterol, and reducing plaque in the arteries.
Take Away: Use fresh garlic with all meals. Consider trying raw garlic to get a larger dose of active compounds during fat loss.
I use kettlebells a lot with my clients who have shoulder issues. In this interview, Rick Kaselj and Chris Lopez talk about why it is such a great tool for shoulder corrective exercise... Chris Lopez: One of the baseless assumption that I find is that people get scared training with kettlebells initially because of shoulder issues or maybe because of low back pains as well.
We are going to talk about the shoulder and using kettlebell why is it a great tool or equipment to use especially if you got bad shoulders if you want to get stronger shoulders.
If you will take a look at the way the kettlebell is shaped the way it fits in your arm when you are holding it especially if you are holding it on top. Unlike a common dumbbell it is not straight up and bound and the weight if the bell is not pushing straight down vertically on your arm. It is actually forcing your arm to a come a little bit further back and pull you into alignment because it’s the way it develops the weight it behind the bar not right on the top.
By doing that what it does is it automatically gives you that stretching on the rib cage, a little bit of stretching in your lat, and then you find it all automatically pushing you into alignment. It pushes your shoulder into its sock.
It is the same as where you can see your ears and shoulders are placing and you find people pressing them and do everything overhead they have the tendency to shorten their shoulders up. If your shoulders are shorten up then as you know it kind of pulls it out of the center.
So by using the kettlebell and focusing on the packing your shoulder and using that alignment with the kettlebell when you are lifting it over your head it naturally pulls you into alignment and it centers your shoulder and really gets you to focus on keeping your shoulder locked-in in its sock. Rick Kaselj: Awesome. Thank you very much Chris, so where can people get more information on your? Chris Lopez: It’s www.kettlebellworkouts.comthat’s where you can find me, lots of great information there.
There are many ways to increase your metabolism. For most people it starts with the right diet and exercise. An efficient metabolism also requires the smooth running of many complex body processes that rely on sufficient antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin C and the B vitamins, and sometimes supplements are required to correct any deficiencies. There are also a variety of herbs and spices that can boost your metabolism. Here are eight of them:
Tumeric
That spice that’s in almost every curry — that’s turmeric. It has been reported to increase metabolism by increasing bile production within the body, as well as lowering blood sugar levels. Be careful with curry, though. Curries are full of creams and fats that do anything but increase your metabolism. Further Turmeric (or Curcumin) benefits are that it can help detoxify your blood and support a healthy inflammation response. Turmeric or Curcumin should be taken with peperine or black pepper to help with bioavailability.
Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper helps support body fat by increasing oxygen consumption. Cayenne pepper may also support blood pressure, blood circulation, and digestion. Capsicum is a natural stimulant without the threatening side effects (palpitations, hyper-activity or rise in blood pressure) like most other stimulating agents. Cayenne’s primary chemical ingredients include capsaicin, capsanthin, beta carotene, flavonoids, and vitamin C. Cayenne Pepper is a very high source of Vitamins A and C, has the complete B complexes, and is very rich in organic calcium and potassium.
Cinnamon
It is known as an “insulin mimicker” meaning it minimizes the amount of insulin your body produces after a meal by transporting sugar molecules into cells within the body.Cinnamon also may slow down the emptying of the stomach after a large meal, leaving you to fill fuller and less likely to snack. Now, cinnamon rolls don’t count.
Kelp
Kelp is a natural thyroid stimulant, which may support metabolism. Kelp, as well as other seaweeds, raise metabolism in two ways: they affect the thyroid gland and they increase basal metabolic rate (the speed at which your body burns calories while at rest). Iodine, an important component of kelp, has a direct effect on basal metabolic rate. Kelp is believed to stimulate a thyroid hormone which is responsible for boosting metabolism. By returning the iodine levels to normal, it can help alleviate low-grade hypothyroidism. Kelp contains large amounts of potassium, and naturally varying amounts of trace minerals, which may be useful in maintaining proper glandular function and metabolism. Some medications for high blood pressure can increase potassium levels in the blood. Taking Kelp along with some medications for high blood pressure might cause too much potassium in the blood.
Ginger
Studies by ICMR(Indian Council of Medical Research) show ginger supported the digestion process by absorbing the necessary nutrients into the system and regulated the metabolism cycle. The gingerol is the majorly active component in ginger. Such active components in ginger activate the muscular activity in the digestive track and stimulate the chemical reactions in the digestive system. Ginger is an important ingredient used in the traditional Ayurvedic medicines to support the metabolism and digestive system. Researchers have found that ginger may help settle the stomach during times of occasional nausea, motion sickness and morning sickness.
Yerba Mate
A stimulant similar to caffeine, this herb can also increase blood pressure. Yerba Mate is also is a good source of antioxidants. It also contains many nutrients like potassium, chromium, iron, niacin and magnesium. Yerba Mate suppresses your appetite and increases energy levels, therefore stimulating the ability to burn unwanted calories faster. Yerba Mate contains a content named mateine, which increase metabolism and energy. It also help you to get rid of allergy symptoms, act as a gentle diuretic and colon cleanse, nutritionally speed up the healing process and decrease stress. Yerba mate can be used in as a tea drink. It is also found in a supplement pill or energy drink. Those who are on blood pressure medication or are sensitive to stimulants should avoid Yerba Mate.
Green Tea
Green tea is a thermogenic agent, which means, that you may burn more calories. Green Tea is also a stimulant which contains powerful antioxidant, as well as, caffeine. The antioxidants found in green tea also aids in energy production. It can also be found in capsules for those who do not wish to make tea. The chemical in green tea, or Green Tea extract, known as EGCG (or epigallocatechin gallate) is known to speed up your metabolism, among many other benefits.
Bitter Orange
Bitter Orange which is an extract of Seville oranges is a stimulant and works on receptors in fat tissues.
Get the best body composition and health by eating a diet that optimizes hormone levels. From a sports performance perspective, meat is an essential part of the ideal diet, but so are abundant vegetables and certain fruits. Research shows that the best approach to diet, especially for strength and power athletes, is to combine the best of both vegetarian and omnivorous eating!
You’ll get the optimal hormone response for body composition by including the following in your diet: 1) Grass-fed, organic and wild meats.
2) A daily dose of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and bok choy
3) A daily dose of high-antioxidant fruits such as blueberries and raspberries
4) Adequate fat that includes a majority of omega-3 fats as well as saturated and monounsaturated fats
5) Protein to meet your body composition and health needs. Higher protein and low-glycemic carbs will produce best results, but based on age, gender, and goals, protein needs will vary.
6) Supplement to avoid deficiencies in nutrients that will alter optimal hormone production and keep you from making gains from training. Everyone needs to get enough B vitamins, omega-3 fats, vitamin D, zinc, and magnesium. Vegetarians need to pay special attention to B12, calcium, and iron, especially females.
What Does It Mean To Have Optimal Hormone Levels?
Optimal hormone levels for body composition and success in strength and power sports come from having adequate anabolic hormones such as testosterone, growth hormone (GH), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), while minimizing the cortisol stress response. You want to create an anabolic environment during and after exercise, and for nutrition can help keep the whole endocrine system working like a well-oiled machine.
For example, higher cortisol is okay in the morning to get you going, but you want it to be low after training and in the evening so you can sleep. You need melatonin and serotonin up at night to be able to sleep deeply so that growth hormone can do its magic to repair tissue and muscle overnight.
Your cells need to be as sensitive as possible to insulin because if they are, insulin will actually improve the anabolic effect of food and training. But, too much insulin is a bad thing because your cells will become resistant, and you will get fat.
You need adequate testosterone for training drive, tissue repair and recovery, and you want to minimize estrogen for metabolism and overall health. This is true for men as well as women, but women have more estrogen and much, much less testosterone than men. Still, ladies will be leanest and healthiest if you support estrogen detoxification and get the small boost in testosterone that is available to you through diet and training.
Why Is Meat Necessary For Optimal Hormone Levels? It is possible that a very carefully planned vegetarian diet could produce optimal hormone levels for strength and power athletes, but we have no research-based evidence of this. On the contrary, there is abundant evidence that omnivores have higher testosterone than vegetarians, and it’s certainly easier to get all the nutrients from meat, such as creatine, carnitine, omega-3 fats, glycine, taurine, and carnosine, which will give athletes a competitive edge over vegetarians. Greater work capacity, strength gains, faster recovery, more explosive power, and better endurance capacity are all benefits of these animal-derived nutrients.
Research suggests there is something about the protein from meat that leads to greater muscularity, leanness, and the outcome of better athletic performance. For example, a study that compared strength and muscle gains in men doing resistance training who were either on a vegetarian diet or an omnivorous diet, found that the meat eaters lost 6 percent fat mass, gained 4 percent of muscle, and increased Type II fiber (these necessary for strength and power athletes) by 9 percent relative to the vegetarians.
It’s possible that aside from elevating testosterone, the reason meat eating promotes optimal muscle development is that animal protein is of a higher quality than that which is gotten from vegetables. Research suggests that even if the amino acids in the vegetarian diet are in the same ratio and quantity as an omnivorous diet, the body is just not as efficient at using them to make the amino acid derivatives that are so essential for muscle growth, tissue repair, and hormone production.
Any imbalance in the amino acids, which is very common since the most important ones are found in extremely limited quantities in vegetables (for example, glycine and glutamine), can throw off the homeostasis in the body. A common outcome for vegetarians is elevated homocysteine, which is a serious risk factor for heart disease, and decreased muscle mass development.
Not only do you want to avoid an imbalance in amino acids, you want to make the most of the protein you eat. The higher the protein intake—especially if protein intake exceeds carb intake—the lower the total testosterone. But, it’s not that simple, because what really matters is the amount of testosterone that is not bound to sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG). SHBG makes testosterone unavailable for anabolic purposes and SHBG will be much higher when you eat more carbs, and it’s also much higher in vegetarians. The key is to get quality animal protein for low SHBG and higher free testosterone. ?
Eat Fat and Cholesterol for Optimal Testosterone Levels
Testosterone is made out of cholesterol in the body via a complicated process, meaning eliminating cholesterol with low-fat eating will lower your anabolic environment. Eating enough cholesterol is not a problem for most people, and this is not a situation in which more is better. You just need some cholesterol.
Eating healthy fats is the best way to get it and raise testosterone. A number of studies have shown that eating between 30 and 40 percent of the diet from fat, of which the majority is monounsaturated and saturated, will produce the highest testosterone levels.
Vegetarians tend to consume less fat overall, and they eat significantly more polyunsaturated fat, which is not beneficial for testosterone production. Low saturated fat and high polyunsaturated fat in the typical plant-based diet is a primary contributor to lower testosterone.
Eat Low-Glycemic Carbs For Results with GH, IGF-1, and Estrogen
Eat low-glycemic carbs such as vegetables, nuts, and some fruits to support an anabolic fat loss environment. All staples of a healthy vegetarian diet, the high vegetable, fruit, and nut intake is the reason for reports that vegetarians eat more nutritious diets or have lower disease risk. Think about how the average omnivorous Westerner eats—nonorganic grain-fed meat (possibly fried), lack of veggies and fruits, refined carbs, lots of processed and additive-filled foods—and you can see why the average vegetarian diet results in less disease and lower body composition.
Athletes will have best results by rounding out diet with green leafy and cruciferous vegetables, berries, some fruit, nuts, and seeds because they help detoxify estrogen, while supporting GH and IGF-1 levels. Estrogen is a problem for both male and female athletes because of all the environmental estrogens we are exposed to that enter the body and act like regular estrogen, hampering anabolic response, metabolism, and performance.
Excess estrogen can lead to cell damage and cancer development and is linked to increased risk of breast and prostate cancer. Another reason science often finds vegetarian diets to be healthier is that they can help eliminate estrogen, and a better body pH, which is preferable for health.
You also want to block an enzyme called aromatase that turns testosterone into estrogen in the body, and this is best done by ensuring you have adequate zinc, b vitamins, selenium (a mineral), and green tea and citrus flavonones (antioxidants). Eating to block aromatase requires the best of an omnivorous diet since bioavailable zinc comes from animal sources, selenium from animals, nuts, and fish, and the rest from plants.
Low-glycemic carbs are best for GH and IGF-1 because when you eat high-glycemic carbs and have a big insulin spike, the body stops producing GH. When insulin and blood glucose are low, the body will produce more GH, which will trigger the liver to release IGF-1 (muscle also releases IGF-1 during training when you do eccentric-enhanced lifts or manipulate tempo).
The take away is that there are nutrients only found in animal sources that will enhance performance for strength and power athletes, and that can help everyone achieve optimal body composition and hormone balance. Animal protein is more bioavailable as seen by increased strength and mass gains in various studies, making an omnivorous diet a good choice, especially if you include the best of vegetarian nutrition. Loyal vegetarians can do the same—supplement with the best nutrients (creatine, carnitine, glutamine, etc.) that give your meat eating competitors the edge.
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"The best way to make the switch at home is in baby steps over the course of a month," says Shanahan, author of Food Rules, A Doctor’s Guide to Healthy Eating, and Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food. To get started, stick to Shanahan’s three guiding principles for designing low-carb meals (or go to her website, drcate.com, and click on “What’s To Eat?”), and follow her four-week plan.
