What are YOU Bringing for Dinner?

It's a time of year that people either love or dread, filled with holiday sweets, treats and family and work functions galore. I'm often asked what I bring to holiday gatherings (be it family, friends or work) because there's a lot of pressure to conform during parties and just 'go with the flow' of food, drink and company. I often create a tasty dish or two a tad richer than I might make at home, but still retaining it's delicious healthy goodness that won't flip out my stomach. However, there is something that I bring that trumps any dish, no matter how well crafted and cooked.... my attitude and intention.

You might be wondering what I mean by 'attitude and intention'. Last year, before a big family Christmas eve party, I spoke with my homeopath about my anxiety in regards to seeing relatives. I'm sure many can relate...Aunt X wants to treat you like you're 5, Grandma Y wants to know all sorts of details that you don't care to share, Uncle Z is difficult and finds fault with everything, etc, etc. I found holiday parties very draining after a certain point and would dread going. After 20 minutes of our discussion, it became clear to me that I was anticipating all of this negative activity and reacting to it before it even happened. So, in essence, I was bringing frustration, dread, anxiety, and distrust with me to the party without even realizing it.

Changing course, I spent some time reflecting on the people there and what I could appreciate about their presence at the party. And then I decided to bring love and lightness with me. I must say, I had the best Christmas ever. I enjoyed every conversation, every laugh, every moment with relatives and friends, every bite of food (whether it was good for me or not)... I enjoyed and cherished the moment of approaching everyone from a place of loving at least some part of them as well as being light in humor and spirit.

Yes, bring a dish or two that you can enjoy and eat knowing what it's made of, but also think about what type of energy you're carrying around with you this season. Perhaps others may sense that and react to you according. This practice is about bringing peace with you. The negative emotions generate stress in the body and mind. More stress translates to poor decisions because you may probably use food and drink as a way to escape the anxiety and boredom of your family, friends and/or co-workers. So start the season, party and/or dinner off on a better foot this year by bringing new meaning to "Goodwill toward men" and "Peace on Earth". Those ideas start within us.

Digestive Health Series Gut MicrofloraA Breakdown in Immune Health

There are almost 10 times the amount of microflora (bacteria, yeast, etc.) living in our digestive systems as there are human cells. We are actually more microflora than we are human cells...crazy! So, what do you think might happen when our microflora becomes infiltrated by harmful bacteria and yeast? Let's just say that it's not good! We end up witnessing a breakdown in our immune system as infections roll in, one after the other. Here are five things that destroy the balance of gut flora that keeps you sick.

Antibiotics
There are people who pop antibiotics like breath mints whenever they feel the slightest illness coming on. Granted, doctors are prescribing them freely as well, which isn't helping matters. Sure, antibiotics serve an important function, but it's generally known that they are overprescribed even in cases where they won't work such as the flu. (Just for the record, antibiotics fight bacterial infections, not viral infections like the flu or a head cold, aka the rhino virus.) What's important to know is that antibiotics are indiscriminant killers of bacteria, both good and bad. So, when you take antibiotics, you are literally wiping out all of the microflora in the gut, thus allowing for the bad bacteria and yeast to rush back in. People who have taken antibiotics a great deal during their life are prime candidates for chronic yeast infections. (1, 3)

Sugar
Though most of us may be puzzled as to what sugar is best for consumption, I'm just going to flat out tell you that it's generally all bad. We are a nation addicted to sugar. Though many might say they love sweet items, it's really sugar that you love or else carrots, squash and brown rice would be on your list of favorite sweet foods. That said, sugar is food (or maybe crack) for the bad bacteria and yeast gods in your gut. It's what they thrive on. So the more sugar provided to the bad bacteria and yeast, the more they grow and upend your entire digestive system, thus reducing your immunity to colds and viruses. (3)

Alcohol
Yes, alcohol. Granted, it's fermented (and I will delve further on the benefits of fermented products and gut health next month), but most people don't drink it in small quantities. It is typically consumed as a way to relax, have fun, and chill out especially when one finds him/herself in an awkward work or family function or perhaps when out with some friends at the bar. Whatever the reason may be, typical consumption is far beyond what is considered healthy for anyone, especially those already suffering with a digestive problem such as GERD (acid reflux), IBS or IBD. You may want to write these out – some may not be sure what they are. (2)

Immune System Depressors: Gluten and Casein (found in ALL dairy products)
Last, but certainly not least, we come to two proteins considered to be inflammatory to the human body. We've briefly spoken of gluten (the spongy protein found in barley, rye, contaminated oats, wheat and spelt) in the past, however I believe this is the first mention of the casein protein. It is the main protein component of all milk that creates cheese - not to be confused with lactose which is a milk sugar. (3)

That said, both gluten and casein are inflammatory proteins. The medical establishment is coming to believe that much illness and aging is the direct result of silent inflammation in the body from years of abuse. The inflammation caused may be greater in some than in others; however, it doesn't change the reality of how these two proteins react in the body. Over-consumption can cause the immune system to become overtaxed and begin attacking the body's own digestive system. There is strong evidence that most Americans would benefit from reducing their exposure to these two proteins.

Taking all this into account, one can clearly see why the coming holiday foods could spell doom for their digestive system. Perhaps it’s why so many people find themselves bloated, gaining weight, exhausted, depressed and getting sick. Though antacids and acid-blockers might seem like a good temporary fix, they will not mend the deep damage done by repeated assaults.

Yet, there is hope! Learning ways to reduce your exposure to inflammatory elements can help your immune system to become stronger. Remember, 60% of your immune system is in your gut. It's your choice to decide to respect and foster your gut health, or to hinder your best line of defense.

References:
1. http://www.brighthub.com/science/medical/articles/21640.aspx
2. http://www.international.inra.fr/press/intestinal_flora_and_alcohol_liver_toxicity
3. The Ultramind Solution:Fix Your Broken Brain by Healing Your Body First, by Mark Hyman, MD.

Digestive Health Series Gut Health:Leaving Yourself Open to Dis-ease

I often use myself as a guinea pig, trying out different approaches and ideas to diets and self-care. An elimination diet from gluten, dairy and eggs that started over 2 years ago has helped me to clearly understand how eating something that doesn't agree with your body can make you sick. Yet with time, one can forget or become lazy about it. I admit to going through periods of eating things on the "avoid list" more often than my own nutritionist would like. So, on a weekend trip away with my fiancé, Nick, I decided to throw some level of caution to the wind and relax my own rigid eating patterns. What occurred was a great reminder of why our health and well-being always trumps the momentary pleasure we may derive from food and drink.

What started off the weekend was wine. It is important to know that I rarely drink alcohol because most wine is clarified with food components that I cannot tolerate anyway. The meal that I made was allergen-friendly, but that one glass of wine sent me reeling. By the end of dinner, I was completely drunk. Yes, laughing hysterically and falling over drunk who passed out at 9:45 pm. However, I awoke at 2 am totally sick to my stomach as the meal I'd eaten had not properly broken down. Needless to say, I didn't feel well the next morning with all sorts of digestive woes. My morning breakfast was simple and seemed to sit well, so I again figured it was okay to tempt fate at lunch. Being in Ocean City, NJ, there weren't many good choices on the boardwalk. We eventually found a diner-type place that could make a gluten-free meal, so we ate there. I had a hamburger (without the bun) with battered crispy french fries (the batter is wheat, so that's where the gluten came into play). The dull headache I normally get when I eat gluten came on and I started to feel very sluggish. By the time we'd gotten to the car, I was exhausted. I dozed on and off until we reach the house where we were staying and then crashed on the couch for the next 2 1/2 hours. I felt like I was drugged. An hour after I woke up, the fog in my head cleared enough for me to get up from the couch and drive home. The weekend away was completely overshadowed by my lack of compliance to treating my body respectfully. Wine and french fries did me in...well, I did me in, but I think you know what I mean.

Many people suffer with some sort of compromised digestive system from years of abuse. Whether it's diarrhea, gas, constipation, or acid reflux/heart burn, we punish ourselves daily with food that simply doesn't nourish us for reasons that range from enjoyment to wanting to fit in. Eventually the gut becomes 'leaky', meaning that the gut is no longer processing food properly and is allowing partially digested nutrients and bacteria to pass through the gut wall into the body. This naturally causes an immune response which is different from the immediate allergic reaction with which most of us are familiar. My experiment reminded me how alcohol makes my gut more permeable to things such as gluten, thus causing a heightened reaction. My headaches, fatigue, and digestive unrest are worsened depending on how much and how many allergen(s) are thrown into my system.

It is important to know that the health of your gut is critical not only for food digestion, but also to maintain a strong barrier against infection. Sixty percent of your immune system is found in your gut. We worry so much about sanitizing against microbes and viruses on our hands and counter tops, but rarely concern ourselves with fortifying our main front, namely the gut. I compare the situation to an army prepared for the oncoming attack with all the best shields and weapon placed at the front lines; however, the rear and the sides are left unprotected. That weakness is why the army will fail, and that's why leaving our guts mistreated, abused, and ignored is our greatest mistake. Especially when we consider how many people we know who have gotten the flu, pneumonia, or some very bad cold during the summer and continue to experience them now.

Please take a moment to consider what your relationship is like with your gut. I may be the first to ask you to do so as it is such an important area of your health that is rarely spoken about. The Standard American Diet (or the ironic acronym, SAD) doesn't foster a healthy gut and neither does eating "normal". If you happen to fall under the SAD or "I eat normal" umbrella, chances are you could use a tune-up in gut health. If you have the other digestive ailments mentioned above, then you really need to weigh the long-term health consequences of gut abuse. There are ways to mend and correct the damage done. Ultimately, there are bridges in life that many of us put off dealing with until we have to cross them. Like many other health 'bridges', don't wait until you are faced with the digestive diseases, syndromes and issues mentioned above. Most people will tell you, myself included, that they are bridges that you don't ever want to face, let alone cross.

Sports Nutrition Products

A woman recently got involved with ultra distance events and asked me about drinking Pepsi and eating Fig Newtons. These two items were provided at her first event and thus she assumed that they were the ideal fuel for doing such an event. However, she's now getting terrible leg cramps and can't finish her events. In her mind, everyone else seemed okay during the events, so she concluded that the problem must not be her fuel. Though there are several reasons that can explain her experience, I want to highlight the nutrition issues. It may come as a surprise to both new and experienced athletes that what is served at events for refueling and rehydrating isn't always the best thing for you to be consuming. It is critical to your own personal success to understand your unique nutritional needs and learn how to develop a strategy that works for you.

Unique Diet
We are each unique individuals with unique dietary needs that determine how our bodies are affected by the food we eat. For example, some of you may love eggs in the morning, feeling full and energized until lunch. But if I had eggs, I'd end up in a lot of pain and feel as if I was having a heart attack. Though a bit dramatic, the old adage of 'One man's meat is another man's poison' actually holds a lot of truth here. Thus, it's completely okay to make your diet unique for you.

The idea of eating 'normal' is being thrown to the wayside these days as an increasing number of people are opening up to new types of food as well as finding more food allergies and intolerances. And though it's great to look to articles and other athletes for reference, you make the final decision of what works for your body. If you don't feel well after eating something, don't consume it. There are always other options out there that can make all the difference between feeling wonderful (good health) and horrible (dis-ease). So find a diet that energizes your system and allows it to operate optimally.

Consider the Middle
I've found that most people are so concerned with what they are doing and eating just before, during and just after an event that they've completely overlooked all the time in between events. No one seriously considers biking a 200-mile ride or running a marathon the night before the event with no training whatsoever. So why do most of us only consider our nutrition during this short window of time? Meals are a critical part of your training as they determine how well prepared nutritionally your body is for more vigorous and challenging activity. Supplements and other nutrition products such as bars, powders and shakes serve a purpose, but they should never replace real food or meals. Building muscle and increasing endurance is critical to meeting goals, but how do you actually expect your system to do that when your cells are only fed sugar, caffeine, chemicals and other random overly-refined items with little nutritional value? How can your cells operate optimally when they are malnourished? So make a promise to yourself right now that you'll take meals seriously.

Product Placement
Brand exposure is key to marketing. If you constantly see the same logo and product everywhere you go, it becomes recognizable to you and ideally seen as a 'safe' choice. Products served at events are often donated by sponsors meant as both support and advertisement. Don't get me wrong here. I'm not saying that all products are bad and their respective companies are solely out to brainwash you. But we must always be critical of what is placed in front of us by asking questions. Become your own advocate and learn about where the food and fuel you use comes from. Make informed decisions that are best for you.

Learn the Lingo
Begin reading labels and educate yourself about the ingredients. Most people have no idea what all these chemical and fragmented ingredients do to the body or where these ingredients come from. Pick something that you eat/drink often and google the ingredients that are not easily identifiable. Find out if there are negative side effects. Also, keep in mind that ingredients are listed from the greatest to least amount found in the product. Beware when the ingredient list looks very long. Often times it's a sign of many food fragments mixed together to create something that really isn't good for us.

Make Each Meal Count:Nutrient-loading for Success

It's no wonder that many people are left scurrying the night before or during an event to load up on water, electrolytes and other important nutrients. There seems to be little to no importance placed on all that time in between events that include all of our breakfasts, lunches and dinners. It's time to turn a new page in which we begin to recognize each meal as an opportunity to bring nutrient-dense foods into the system so that when the body is called on to go beyond the norm (such as during an event) it is better prepared.

Yes, I'm taking about some long-term planning and the idea that every meal is a critical increment on your road to success. Don't get me wrong, the convenience of bars, electrolyte-infused H2O, powders and pre-made shakes are fine occasionally. But they cannot correct a month's worth (or more) of poor food choices that leave your system under-nourished. Part of the problem is that we've become so accustomed to highly processed and fortified foods that we don't know what an actual 'whole food' is anymore. (Just for the record, fortification is what food companies do to add back in vitamins and minerals that were lost during processing.)

During my summer workshops, I've done my best to stress the idea of 'mineralizing one's plate'. Truly, if we need those mighty minerals during training and an event, it would behoove us to spend some time in our daily lives improving nutrient intake. Athletes, at times, are the worst diet offenders creating excuses such as "I just burned all these calories" to erase the double damage they're doing to the body in training and eating. Acidity is a real problem for a lot of people, however its worse for those who are active and athletic. As I've written about in the last several articles on hydration, acidity destroys mineral stores in the bones and muscles leading to osteoporosis and mineral deficiencies. Take a step back for a moment to ask yourself- what is really going on in terms of how well you are preparing for events? How much are you truly invested in your success? Sure, you've bought all the best gear and hired the best coach, but when will your body catch a break? When will it get nourished properly so that it can be as strong, fast, and powerful as you will it to be at the starting line?

Here's a great place to start:
Bye bye chemicals!
Kick out as much processed products/food as possible and replace others, such as bars, with options that are whole food-based. Also look at the daily body products that you use including toothpaste, shampoos, moisturizers, etc. Our skin is a porous barrier that cannot keep out toxic chemicals.

No more "white stuff"!
This includes sugar, table salt, and flour. All of this is leaching minerals and nutrients from your system and causing major imbalances. Also, get rid of artificial sweeteners...if you think there is nothing wrong with what's sweetening your drink, google it and see for yourself the side effects. Also, be careful with tofu as it too is processed food.

Start cooking!
Have more control over the quality of ingredients and save money! Remember that prepared foods often have a high sodium content as well as oils that may not be fresh nor good for your body.

Think fiber.
Kick that bread to the curb. Look to add high-fiber whole foods to your meals such as sweet potatoes, legumes, brown rice, and quinoa.

Revisit fats.
The fats are in and we need to have fats in our diet. I know it may make some of us squirm at the thought of adding it to your plate, however they are critical to good health. Look for healthier sources of Omega-3 fats such as walnuts, flaxseeds and their respective oils as well as olive oil for cooking.

Green, green, green!
Add more greens to your plate with options such as broccoli, bock choy, kale, and spinach. Mix in some sprouts at the last minute before eating.

Eat with the Seasons.
Find your local farmers market and shop for your produce there. You really can't go wrong and there is still time to patronize one before Winter sets in. Plus, you'll be investing your money into the local community. Eating seasonally helps give the body the right nutrients during each season that it needs to stay healthy!

Hydration Series Part IISalt: The Whole Truth

It's true, salt has been fractionalized. Table salt is not a complete salt, rather it's the sodium chloride fractional component of mineral salts that's been processed, heated, bleached, treated, and mixed with glucose (yes, there is some sugar in table salt), potassium iodide (for iodine) and calcium silicate (for anti-caking). Clearly this is NOT real food.

Salts are the minerals such as calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, manganese, etc that can be found in sea salt. This is a complete whole salt. The components balance each other out to be properly assimilated into the body. They all play a major role in buffering acids in the body as well.

I've talked about the difference between a fractional food (egg white protein powder) and whole food (egg) in my last newsletter and it is clear that the body doesn't ultimately know what to do with a fractional element of food as it will need all the components in order to properly assimilate it. The over-abundance of sodium chloride in the body wreaks havoc within because there's simply no place to put all of it! Thus too much table salt can leave you with hypertension, water retention and kidney problems.

Salt's function has been greatly misunderstood. Yes, salt helps the body to maintain water in the system. Without it, we'd lose so much water that we would be unable to function. It also allows our muscles to retain their reactivity and a degree of rigidity necessary for quick movement. This all said, let's take it all a step deeper. Our bones and muscles act as our mineral storage units. Bones hold the calcium and muscles hold minerals like magnesium. The levels constantly are in flux depending on whether the body is acidic or alkaline. Blood needs to maintain a pH of 7.4 for optimal health. But when the blood becomes deficient in minerals necessary to keep it alkaline, the bone and muscle reserves are called to action in order buffer lactic acid and acid-producing foods we've eaten. Calling on these reserves too often prevents the stores from being replenished properly. Thus, we leave ourselves open to problems down the road in which the body begins to breakdown due to excess acidity and lack of minerals (ie. mineral deficiencies, osteoporosis).

All of the studies and articles I've read recently discuss the benefits of a low-sodium diet, but never differential between sea salt and table salt. Of course we need to lower our sodium chloride intake, but no one ever explains why. And a concern is using "salt" as a general term for all minerals which I find to be is misleading. So, a great immediate step is to remove processed, fractional components like table salt from your diet. Himalayan or Celtic Sea Salt (or Real Salt) are much better options to consider adding in. This way you know beyond a doubt that you are getting a more balanced mineral mix into your system.

In the next edition to the Hydration Series, I'll talk more about the concept of maintaining the body's alkalinity and how many of us are sabotaging the precious homeostasis (aka. the body's equilibrium) necessary for good health at every meal. Just begin to look at the foods you are consuming on a daily basis and take note of your sodium chloride intake. Remember that food from restaurants and pre-packaged meals are usually higher in sodium than we'd like to admit. Often one dish at a restaurant is close to or exceeds the FDA daily recommended amount of 1.5 teaspoons for sodium chloride. So, if you are eating out often, keep this in mind.

Hydration Series Part IConnecting Cramping with Bone Loss

Hydration is two-fold: immediate and long term. Most people are very fixated on what's in their water bottle during vigorous exercise on a hot day, however the water bottle contents and salt pills are only patches for a deeper imbalance brewing below the surface. I want to take the first step in challenging conventional wisdom that guides us to believe that hydration is mostly about when and how much water and salts you consume. Thus, I intend to spend the next few articles laying out my case for ultimate hydration.

Currently, we believe that muscle cramps are caused by a few scenarios: exhaustion, lack of fluids, and also lack of salt in the body. And interestingly, we believe that bone loss comes from a lack of calcium intake and absorption which has led to the calcium-supplementing craze in the US. I think that what we know about these two situations is only half correct, which explains to me why debates about them persist. Also, consider that there is a great deal of money to be made by maintaining these positions.

This is where we return to immediate and long-term hydration. Muscle cramps are an immediate problem which seems to be resolved by consuming salts/minerals that allow water to remain in the body as well as maintaining muscle reactivity. Meanwhile, bone loss is a long-term issue as the bones are depleted of calcium leaving people in a panic to consume as much calcium as possible. It is important to obtain a deeper understanding of salt and I promise to cover in the next article. However for right now, consider that muscle cramps and bone loss are connected in the following way- as we train, lactic acid is created in the body which needs to be buffered by salts/minerals. The minerals and salts in the blood which maintain its alkalinity are used to buffer the acid in order to protect the body. As the acid builds in the system and more buffering occurs, the blood naturally becomes more acidic which is bad for the body. When the blood gets too acidic, the body will then begin to leech minerals from itself, ie. magnesium from the muscles and calcium from the bones, to continue buffering acid.

Keep in mind that acid is toxic to the body and not simply flushed out of the system. Though I've heard many trainers and coaches illustrate how to "flush out" the lactic acid, I'd like to know where exactly they believe the acid to be flushed. Rather than disappearing from the system, acid need to be tackled for protection-sake! So each time we go out for a ride, the cycle happens again, yet if we never address the blood's increasing acidity, we find ourselves in a tight spot. The more acidic the blood, the more minerals will be leeched from the body. Thus, we end up with acidic blood that will lead to other health problems, bone loss, and a deficit of necessary minerals for proper body function.

As I spoke with my friend a couple of weeks ago, up popped an interesting article on the front page of the New York Times called "Is Bicycling Bad for Your Bones?" talking about the high incidence of bone loss in cyclists. Sure, it can partly be chalked up to the fact that many cyclists don't do much in the way of weight bearing exercise, however low bone density is still a problem for other endurance athletes.

So, for now, consider what may be happening in your system and what your hydration plan has been thus far. Is it really working for you? We are told to exercise to avoid bone loss, but could all that training be setting us up for some long-term disaster we've yet to fully realize? Bone loss and muscle cramps are both manageable situations that can be reversed. Nutrition plays a huge part and so I'll spend the next few articles explaining how you can hydrate your system in a way that is long-term and supportive to your training (and living) needs.