It's Time To Rethink Optimal Health

In was 2004 I was at the peak of my form as a competitive bodybuilder. My body was sculpted because I'd followed conventional nutrition and training wisdom to a T.  I'd cut down to the lowest body fat percentage I’d ever been and  I had a physique that most people would die for but yet I was miserable. I felt tired, depleted and depressed.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. I’d lost weight, yes, but I’d also lost my energy and vitality. Something was clearly off.  How could my body look so good, and yet I felt so bad?

The answer, it turns out, is that the fundamental thesis of the fitness and nutrition industry is flawed.

WE'VE COMPLETELY LOST SIGHT OF WHAT REALLY MATTERS IN HEALTH

Weight loss is the dominant focus of our nutrition and diet conversations.  Doctors are reminding you to lose weight, reality TV makes weight loss look desirable and quick, experts promise you that you can lose the weight fast if you buy their system and the supplement industry convinces you that their product is more nutrient dense than food. 

The problem with these so called "solutions" to weight loss is that weight loss is only a small part of the puzzle and quite frankly sustainable weight loss (without lean muscle mass loss) only comes when you have a sound nutrition foundation and a healthy metabolism. 

There's so much more to health than losing weight, yet we place all the importance on weight loss.  There's no better realization to this as to when you've tried everything and nothing works anymore.  You can even be in the "best shape" of your life and still feel miserable. 

You're missing the mark on the real reason you're not losing weight.  That foundation doesn't come by cutting macronutrients, fasting, supplementing, working out hard, detoxing or drinking green smoothies.  These short term "solutions" come with risky long term side effects and will slow down your metabolism over time.

Unfortunately the nutrition industry leads most people to believe that the end result (weight loss) is the journey when it's only a byproduct of a high functioning metabolism when done right. 

Since sustainable weight loss is a result of a healthy metabolism, you simply can't lose weight first to get healthy.

The truth is, weight loss is something that comes as a result of a pro-metabolic nutrition and fitness practice.  One that focuses on long term health building as opposed to a quick fix plan that won't last, leaving you more depleted than when you started. 

It's not about starvation, it's about building energy reserves with the right nourishment with food that's accessible and digestible. 

IT’S TIME TO DROP THE FAD DIETS AND EMBRACE OPTIMAL HEALTH: 

What if we thought about it differently.  What if instead of depleting the body of it's resources to lose weight or making the therapy more complicated, we approached nutrition as a means of supporting the body's recovery process so that your body could do the job it was meant to do naturally.

We call this approach Optimal Health. Optimal health is characterized by these three markers:

“I was in the best shape of my life. Why did I feel miserable?”

1. Abundant Energy:  You have enough energy to do what you want in life (taking care of self and living your dream) and to give to others (service to others, contributing to your community, parenting, etc.).  This also includes your libido.  Your sexual drive is a good indicator of your energy level.

2. Regenerative Capacity:  Your ability to recover and regenerate is swift.  Your injuries may not heal as fast as Wolverine's does but they do heal at a natural rate.  You’re recovering from your workouts without too much soreness (or none at all). You don’t get sick too often but when you do you’re not sick for more than a day or two.  You're not seeing signs of premature aging (muscle deterioration, hair loss, wrinkles, low libido, etc.) and you're sleeping soundly and throughout the night.  

3. A Healthy Disposition:  You have a consistent grounded mood and your outlook on life is balanced.  You wake up excited about your day.  You're able to handle most stressful situations without feeling overwhelmed and irritable, but instead with patience.  You respond instead of react.

This is a radical shift from the dominant weight loss mentality, but it doesn’t mean weight loss isn’t part of the equation. It just means that weight loss will happen in a sustainable way when the body is healthy enough to let go of body fat (not muscle mass) for good.

HOW DO WE GET TO OPTIMAL HEALTH?

In order to understand how we support our body in this process we have to understand how our bodies work at the cellular level.  Simply put, energy maintains structure and function at the cellular level.  Since your body depends on a constant energy source for structure and function, not fueling your body with enough frequency and accessible nutrients will lead to degeneration.

If we look at how our body regulates our temperature, circulation, our mood and our ability to recover from stress we can figure out what our body is missing.  Once we discover this it can only lead to faster recover, more energy and a positive outlook on life, aka, more fun.

If you continue to use more energy than you take in you run into issues like fatigue, autoimmune response, inflammation, nagging injuries, a slow metabolism, slow digestive motility, depression, weight gain and the list goes on.  It doesn't matter if the energy is used in a workout or sitting at the computer it's all the same to your body because you're using energy for all of it. 

And certainly your body will not prioritize when it comes to aging (like hair loss, grey hair or wrinkles), your body has bigger priorities.  It'll conserve your energy and use it for more important jobs like pumping the heart and feeding the brain. 

The truth is our bodies have a high capacity to regenerate at any age, as long as we are living and creating new tissue, we can recover.  A body that's low in energy and is not receiving the nourishment to recover will stay in a constant state of inflammation or injury.  But if you have the energy reserves to make new tissue your aging slows and your injuries and inflammation get better because your body now has something to work with.

So how do we practically support this and integrate it into our lives?  We do it through:

• The right kind of food practices

• The right amount and kind of movement

• Giving our bodies enough rest.  

So why trust me... because I've been there and I've lived it.  I was in the best shape of my life and felt miserable.  I was depleted energetically and nutritionally with nothing left to give.  Like many people I talk to, I felt tired, depressed and out of ideas about what to do next because I'd tried every type of elimination diet that I thought might work.  

Then I started to study and really understand how the body works at the cellular level. I found life can be so much easier if you can support our body in it's natural processes, support it so it can do it's job better.  So I did intensive research and tested ideas on myself and when they worked, I shared my practices with my clients.

As a result I've seen phenomenal results from myself and countless others.

Getting to know your own body's physiology and nutrient needs will give you a clear direction and create focused specific steps you can take to create a body you feel great in.

If you're interested to learn more about Optimal Health,

Sign up for my Creating Your Food Foundation online course here.

Dairy's Not So Scary

Food sensitivities are a big deal and it seems the amount of people with food sensitivities are growing every day.  Since many issues are linked to food sensitivities, food elimination seems to be the most common approach, but I think there's so much more to consider first.

How Food Elimination Works

A food elimination diet works by taking the foods out of the diet that seem to be causing digestive distress for a certain period of time and then working the foods back into the diet one at a time, noticing any change in digestion during the process.  While this gives a person temporary relief, it doesn't really address the bigger issue... why can't this person digest and metabolize their food?  In other words, what's the root of the problem. 

My Experience With Dairy Intolerance

Years ago I believed I was intolerant to dairy, but looking back on it, I had a blood sugar handling issue.  I'd been eliminating so many foods and I remember feeling like I needed to make a switch with my approach, but I wasn't sure where to go since the only recommendations about inflammation were to eliminate the foods that are causing you distress.  Losing inches initially was great, because inflammation would go away, but I was still feeling fatigued and run down all the time.  I felt like I was missing something, I wasn't feeling good anymore and had zero energy.  I eventually had to come to accept that my approach wasn’t working for me anymore and it was time to make a change.

Could the issue be blood sugar?

Soon after I was introduced to Ray Peat’s research and it simply blew my mind.  Mainly because his ideas about nutrition were so hard to wrap my head around and so completely opposite to what I'd learned about nutrition.  I remember thinking I could eat dairy and sugar again, how liberating, but how does that work?  After a while, his ideas started to make sense and I was soon compelled to try it out on myself.

I realized I'd had a blood sugar handling issue the whole time.  It wasn't diary's fault, it was my body not being able to metabolize natural sugars very well for energy.  I discovered when I eliminated sugar I felt a lot better at first and many of my issues subsided, but after a while I started to run out of energy, my metabolism slowed down( I lost muscle) and many of my issues came back.  I didn’t gain weight per say, instead my digestive motility slowed down, I developed a small pooch (distended belly) and I was tired and depressed. 

What I found...

According to Dr. Peat, food intolerance lab tests are a vague indicator of an actual food intolerance.  Mainly due to the fact that your immunity responds to everything you're exposed to.  Finding the particular antibodies to that substance actually means that you've become tolerant to that food, not the other way around.  Because of this, most blood tests end up being a very poor indicator of a food intolerance.

Other Reasons For A Perceived Dairy Intolerance

According to Dr. Ray Peat, dairy’s not the problem, it’s the degradation of our food supply, and I tend to agree.  If you’re eating toxic food with preservatives, there’s a greater chance you’ll end up with food allergies, sensitivities, bloating, gas, vitamin D deficiency, parasites, etc.  Even if you’re eating organic you can still get some toxic preservatives that may irritate and inflame your body. 

In Kate Deering's book, "How To Heal Your Metabolism", she states that it's a matter of the kind of dairy you choose which determines if you're intolerant or not.  The culprit may actually be the preservatives and not the milk itself.  One harmful allergen that's added frequently to dairy, almond and coconut milk  is carrageenan.  This preservative originates from seaweed and can cause digestive distress and inflammation.  I also found carrageenan in foods like soy milk, ice cream and yogurt, it’s in just about everything.

Poor blood sugar regulation can be another reason for food intolerance.  According to Dr. Ray Peat, you have the potential to be sensitive to just about any food when you're in a state of low blood sugar.  A solution to a food sensitivity can be as simple as keeping your blood sugar more regular on a daily basis, by eating more frequently, slowing down (make mealtime sacred), calming the nervous system before meals and chewing your food.  Breathing more mindfully (taking your breath in through the nose and expanding your ribcage and diaphram) and including a daily meditation practice can even improve your ability to digest your food.

dairy is a nutrient dense food

Dairy contains a balanced ratio of phosphorus (essential mineral for bone development) and calcium (needed for healthy bones, nerve function, blood clotting, muscle and heart contractions). According to Kate Deering, this is important because the ratio of phosphorus to calcium in dairy aids in calcium absorption and that's why including dairy in the diet is so important as you get older.  Even more so since we're more susceptible to osteoporosis as we age.  The good news is we can essentially side step this issue if we're absorbing calcium properly which dairy can provide.  

Dairy's incredibly nutrient dense and a complete food, providing all three macronutrients (protein, fat and carbohydrates) your body needs to metabolize your food and keep your blood sugar regulated.  Dairy contains magnesium, potassium, selenium and iron, vitamins A, B2, B12 K and D.  These vitamins and minerals are all needed for a healthy fully functioning metabolism.

This superfood is worth reconsidering.

References:

http://www.raypeat.com

http//www.eastwesthealing.com

http//www.katedeeringfitness.com

"How To Heal Your Metabolism", by Kate Deering pg.141-142

5 Simple Strategies For Increasing Your Metabolism

When I talk to my clients about nutrition initially, the first question I ask them is,

“How frequently are you eating?”  

They usually say not frequently enough and some even admit to waiting up to five hours between meals.

Could the key to a healthy metabolism really be as simple as food frequency?  

I find it’s the most underestimated factor in most people's nutrition programs. Many people are simply not eating enough throughout the day.

Maybe it’s our busy stressful lives or fad diets (like intermittent fasting and keto) that promise instant results or maybe we’re just totally distracted and forget to eat all together. 

Whatever the reason is, the consequence of doing this over and over again will lead to a metabolic slow down. And trust me, when that happens it’s hard to get back up.

Let me explain… the issue is blood sugar regulation.  

I think eating clean organic foods is incredibly important, but if your metabolism is slow and you’re not already eating consistently enough to balance your blood sugar (to avoid hypoglycemia) on a daily basis, you’re simply not going to be able to meet your body’s metabolic needs (energy requirements).

This creates inflammation and a perfect storm for metabolic slow down.

It’s a problem because chronically stressing your systems day in and day out (with a byproduct of adrenaline and cortisol) leads to a whole cascade of symptoms. Many of which you’d be pretty surprised to know.

• Irritability

• Mood swings

• Brain fog

• Low energy/fatigue

• Digestive issues

• Bloating

• Muscle mass loss

• Sleep issues

• Rapid heart beat

• Diminishing ability to recover

• Low thyroid function

• Skin issues

• Hair loss

• Weight gain

• Can’t gain weight (depleted state)

• Severe issues, like fibromyalgia, diabetes, MS, etc.

And the list goes on

The simple act of not eating frequently enough puts you at risk for chronic hypoglycemia.  This sets the stage for hormonal imbalance, severe mood swings (we call this getting hangry at our house) autoimmune disease and hypothyroidism which can make it basically impossible to lose weight.  

Dr. Broda Barnes talked about this in his book, “Hope For Hypoglycemia”. He discovered after seeing many people who had been turned away from their doctors (telling them either nothing was wrong with them or that they were clinically crazy) that it had more to do with blood sugar regulation and supporting the liver by supplying it with enough glucose for hormonal conversion.

Glucose is also our major fuel for the brain.

Your brain only runs on glucose so it makes sense that you begin to lose cognitive abilities and get irritable when you need fuel.

When you get foggy brain, your brain is talking to you. It’s telling you it needs more fuel.

There's a chance you may drop some weight with diets like intermittent fasting and keto, but it’s due to you putting your body under an unnecessary stress that will slow your systems (digestive, thyroid, metabolic rate) down to conserve energy (because your body thinks it’s starving)

There’s then a greater chance you’ll gain the weight back and it becomes harder to keep it off because now you’ve damaged your metabolism.

It’s a pretty significant sacrifice with dire consequences if you if you ask me.

I’m here to tell you there’s an easier way to do this.

I think what sounds like a more viable solution is to heal your metabolism by gradually training your body use energy more efficiently again (like you did when you were a kid).

If you do this first, excess weight will come off when the metabolism and thyroid are healed and the liver is working efficiently again.  You can do this simply with the right foods in the right amounts and at the right times.

Here’s my simple strategy for increasing your metabolism

1. Eat Frequent smaller meals: 

I know you’ve probably heard this one before but it’s true. The quickest and most easy way you can begin to raise your metabolic rate it to eat every two hours or add a snack between your meals.

When you’re training your body to run on glucose (for more efficient energy production) instead of adrenaline it’s important to eat every two hours until your body is able to run more efficiently.  If you go too long without food you run the risk of going into a stress hormone mode, raising your cortisol levels. Doing this too often and you can slow your thyroid which regulates your metabolism.  You can avoid this hormonal fluctuation by eating frequently enough to meet your body’s metabolic needs on a daily basis.

2. Eat Breakfast:

You’ve probably heard this one too.

Eating breakfast will break the fast of the night and help you curb your cortisol response so it's at a manageable level for the morning time.  If you drink coffee, eating food with your coffee in the morning helps you offset the adrenaline response after you've consumed caffeine. 

Adding organic heavy cream or half-n-half and gelatin to your coffee will slow down the adrenalizing effects of the caffeine.  The fat you get from the heavy cream and the protein you get from the gelatin will help your body better metabolize the caffeine and you’ll reap the benefits.

3.  Food Prep:

I can not stress this more. Getting prepared ahead of time can be what saves you in the end.

Plan ahead so you’re prepared for anything.

Prepare your meals and snacks for the week.  So many times we end up in a situation where we find ourselves unprepared with no food (aka, hangry)  

You can easily avoid those moments where you find yourself suddenly in a panic with nothing to eat. By planning ahead, shopping on the weekends and having enough snacks on hand to keep your blood sugar regular throughout the day you’re golden. 

I also suggest organizing and cleaning out your kitchen from time to time or even seasonally. Cleaning out your fridge and pantry pretty often so you can reset and feel more clarity when it comes to your food preparation.

4.  Don't skip a macronutrient

This one you may not have heard before but I assure you it’s one of the most important factors.

Mainly because there’s so much promotion in the way of cutting a macro out to gain quick results (example, cutting your carbs)

The simple truth is that your body needs all three to function optimally. Now can you make better choices when it comes to the types of macros you choose, yes you can.

Mind you, the better choices for carbs that will not fluctuate blood sugar are fruits, roots and dairy (not grains).

My recommendations regarding macros initially are to include 1 serving of protein from clean animal sources (not just meat, dairy and eggs too), 1 serving of saturated fat and 1 serving of the carbohydrates I listed above in every meal.  

As you get to know your metabolism, you can begin to play around with the ratios a bit.  Keeping a balance of macronutrients helps you avoid any unnecessary blood sugar fluctuations.

Fun fact: You can get lots of accessible protein from white potatoes and mushrooms too.

5.  Keep your body fueled when you exercise:

This is important because your blood sugar will drop when you workout.

Eat before, during and after your workout.  

Exercise has the potential to create inflammation and lactic acid in the body and cause a temporary drop in blood sugar.  In order to minimize this response I always suggest eating a small easy to digest meal 30 minutes before your workout.  

You could even sip OJ with gelatin added to it during your work out and eat a meal right after. 

Some suggestions for what to eat before your workout can be: 

• Fruit and milk (smoothie)

• Eggs, Cheese and fruit

• Cottage cheese and fruit

• Greek yoghurt and fruit