Why We Believe Sugar is Evil

Why we believe sugar (and salt, saturated fat/cholesterol) is bad, when it’s not.
There’s a few reasons.
One common reason is that our mind has blind spots. We make mistakes in our logic and we don’t see them. Our pre-existing beliefs will affect what we see and don’t see. Most people do not understand this, much less see it play out in real life.
More so than ‘fat burning secrets’ you believe you’re missing, these hidden blinders and mistakes in logic will derail more people than undereating or overeating.
It starts when parents impose popper ideas on kids. But parents are doing it because It’s constantly affirmed in this  dysfunctional diet/image centric culture we live. No, I don’t see much hope on the horizon for this topic.
See this? Makes sense, right?

Why do so many people believe sugar (and salt, saturated fat/cholesterol) is bad, when it’s not? There’s a few reasons. For this article, the main focus is how our minds do not work the way we think they do. Your mind is playing tricks on you too.

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Is Sugar Addiction Real?

There are several parts to this series on Sugar Addiction. It’s a bit complex, so first things first. Let’s start with exaggerated claims and alarmist communication and why they suck, shall we?

sugar, sugar addiction, sugar detox, 21 Day Sugar Detox, Eating Disorder, orthorexia

The white devil. It’s evil, fattening, causing insidious weight gain, obesity and diabetes. It spikes blood sugar & insulin levels, makes your blood acidic, feeds cancer, makes you stupid and crazy. Sugar, apparently, is also addictive. In fact, some say more addictive than crack, cocaine and heroin.

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Misconceptions in Exercise and Stress

Exercise as Stress /// for Stress Reduction
Exercise can be powerful for stress reduction, improving health, strength and support fat loss, preventing premature aging. Just like diet, the myths and misconceptions are endless.
There is a point where your exercise becomes counterproductive. Many people are riding the thin red line; many go over and burnout. Their diet doesn’t help much either.
Here is how to use exercise intelligently to prevent, reduce stress and restore balance.
What many call adrenal fatigue, metabolic damage (hormonal, digestive), slow metabolism, etc has a metabolism that rehires a different approach to exercise.
Many times those in physical therapy, injury rehab, pre/post natal, those with a history of dieting, eating disorders, orthorexics are all attempting to do trendy workouts which are incongruent with their current state of metabolic health.
in a quick fix culture. These ‘less is more’ tips, may require some ppl to  do some mental/emo work to break past habits & dogmas that no longer serve them. Exercise myths die hard.  think f this article as a yoga class that chills you out…
I’ve been training clients along a spectrum of fitness models/methods from restorative to high performance for years.  Look at exercise along a spectrum from low intensity to high intensity.
Along the spectrum there are various methods, techniques, programs, philosophies. Don’t get hung up on the brand names or details & differences.
I like to use a modified Antifragile model (NNT) to explain this.
<–Fragile-Resilient-Robust-Antifragile–>
When you are healthy, your body encounters the stressor (exercise) and recovers. It not only rebounds, it gets stronger from the stressor = Antifragile.
When you are unhealthy, your body encounters this same stressor, but it depresses metabolic function, you don’t recover well or rebound = Fragile.

Exercise can be a powerful tool for stress reduction, improving health & strength. Done right, it builds metabolic strength, flexibility. It can help with fat loss and it’s preventative of premature aging and disabling later years. However, there is a point where exercise – especially the more popular, more intense workouts – can become counterproductive.

Here is how to use exercise intelligently to prevent, reduce stress, restore balance and progress to a more robust metabolism.

It’s not that exercise is bad; it’s that a person’s metabolism can not tolerate certain types of exercise (intense) at certain times (usually in a time of heavy stress in the wake of long term chronic stress). Stress is not only mental, it’s also physical. Its everything – your whole lifestyle, and a lot of people have physical stress like digestive issues and sleep issues; think the sum total chronic stress on your metabolism (Total Body Stress).

We see this with high performance athletes who overreach into overtraining…or corporate professionals who burn the candle at both ends until they burnout. Exercise is not a cure-all, intense exercise can be too stressfull, especially for women with hypothyroid tendencies or menstrual irregularities.

This is especially pertinent to people with ‘adrenal fatigue’, or variations of ‘metabolic damage’, sluggish metabolism, those with a history of dieting, orthorexia, eating disorders and infertility. These unique forms of chronic stress are often coupled with high intensity workouts and can suppress metabolic function – add to that a new intense workout plan, and you can dig deeper into a mental & metabolic black hole.

A Fitness Continuum

I train clients along a continuum of fitness techniques from restorative to fitness to strength to high performance. From lower intensity on the left to higher intensity on the right, depending on a few things and it’s not entirely linear. People have different goals at different times and life is dynamic, ya know?

Along this continuum there are various goals, methods, techniques, programs, and philosophies; don’t get hung up on the brand names or details & differences. Instead, see it as an Antifragile Metabolic continuum (inspired by Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s Antifragile) to explain this spectrum of metabolic strength & flexibility and it’s relation to exercise:

When you are healthy, your body encounters the stressor of exercise, it recovers. Not only that, it rebounds and gets stronger from the stressor = Antifragile.

When you are unhealthy, your body encounters this same stressor, instead it depresses metabolic function, you lack resilience, you don’t recover well or rebound = Fragile.

Simply put: The higher your stress, the softer your workout. The lower your stress, the harder your workout.

Now it’s easy to misinterpret or misuse that, but it makes the point that some people are better off with a less intense workout for either a session, a week or a phase of restorative work.

In order to restore metabolic strength, robustness and flexibility, you need resilience first. Resilience makes it easy for you to build robustness, metabolic strength and be flexible enough to tolerate those same stressors, plus new ones.

In our quick fix culture, the ‘harder is better’ or ‘more is better’ attitudes are pervasive and they make it difficult for many people to grasp preventive or restorative concepts.

These ‘less is more’ tips may serve you better though by reducing total body stress, alleviate some of these symptoms. Many people will have to get past some old dogmas before this makes any sense.

If your sex drive drops, energy tanks, sleep is disturbed, menstrual cycle irregular, have low temps – these symptoms are showing you that your metabolism is fragile. The goal of restorative work is to move along the continuum towards antifragile. Restorative work deloads the total body allowing for more resilience. You can use food really well to support metabolic robustness - you just have to get out of the way and your metabolism restores itself.

An initial restorative phase builds resilience as you move along the spectrum towards robustness, strength and flexibility. Intermittent use of restorative/recovery strategies can be completely unique to each person, and a phase may not be required, only better recovery strategies or a better diet maybe.

“The anti-fragile is beyond the resilient or robust. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the anti-fragile gets better and better.” Nassim Nicholas Taleb

If you are Advanced…

You’ve trained consistently for at least 2-3 years, for preventative measures and for better performance: you can simply program a deload week into your training schedule. I’ve used similar techniques here: DELOAD. You may not need to take the entire week off lifting, you can lighten the load, reduce volume, or do bodyweight workouts, mobility work, or a variety of less intense workouts. You can (and probably should) also seek out therapeutic bodywork. It’s also a good time to try something new like MovNat, Capoeira, dance, hiking, etc.

If you are Advanced or Intermediate…

You don’t have to go hard 6 or 7 days a week. I know a lot of people say ‘but I want to arrgghhh…’. You’d get healthier from the rest and can get 3 or 4 total body workouts and get the same results, if not better.

For Beginners…

In the past twenty years, injuries from working out have increased, and shoulders are a common injury. Interesting, injuries in women are rising faster than in men. Weight Lifting Gains Bring Pains, Too. Please get professional movement instruction. Sounds odd, doesn’t it? Something so normal, yet so foreign.

A lot of beginners can get great results, so do it right. Don’t too much too soon. You do not need more than one hour of training. Many out-of-shape beginners can do 20-30 minute workouts and do just fine.  Please learn how to move properly, before you start blasting your legs with 3 sets of 20 fast lunges 3 times a week. Seek education in movement, get some skills training, not just a workout. You’re in it for the long haul, learn how to train, don’t just get trained…and of course, train don’t drain.

For the Busy…

You can get great results with 20-30 minute workouts in midday instead of rushing to squeeze it in late night. If your sleep is compromised, try switching your evening workouts to morning or lunch time and see if it helps you sleep better.

For the Stressed…

Do not workout on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. You can also use juice (OJ, salt, gelatin) during the workout to maintain stable blood sugar levels.

For Everyone…

Misconception: when I say ’stress’ most people assume that I mean their mental/emotional health. Many are still unaware of how stress affects the body.

I am not the first to write about this, Paul Chek pioneered this concept n the fitness industry of matching the right workout to the person’s stress level. His zone exercises are still an integral part of my fitness solutions.

I recently found this article which is the first to mention the Antifragile concept. I was thrilled to discover the author eloquently explains this continuum in health, fitness & well being: The Porcelain Doll Diet

Another misconception with people labeled ‘adrenal fatigued’ or ‘damaged’ or ‘broken’ is that they somehow failed. They’ve tried every diet and now that they’re in their mid 30’s, things are slowing down. I’ve heard this often, but it is simply not true. It’s usually the unrealistic comparison to the social standard perfect body fantasy, which doesn’t exist. This whole health & fat loss thing in America is one big psyco-social mess.

Your Metabolism on Stress

You can get an idea of how stress is affecting your metabolism with biofeedback like temperature or noticing symptoms (poor digestion, low sex drive, cold hands/feet, irregular menses). Many of these symptoms are taken for granted and seen as a ‘normal part of living’, that is a misconception.

Low temps and symptoms give us an indication of total body stress and whether your body needs rest, recovery or restorative work. This will help you plan your workouts and know when to take it easy and when to turn it up.

Stressed is ‘Desserts’ Spelled Backwards

When we are stressed, the brain & body use more energy and carbs. Stress is a tremendous waste of energy, and it can create cravings. So when you get cravings, instead of fighting it – see it instead as a sign of stress or low blood sugar and your body needs to replenish. That’s next level ‘listening to your body’ right there. Cravings are your body calling out for the sugar energy you’re avoiding – feed that sexy beast!

You can use food, in particular carbs/sugar, to restrain the stress response when training hard and also therapeutically to recover from chronic stress. Antifragile foods include ice cream, salt, saturated fat like coconut oil, orange juice, chocolate, fruits and mineral-rich shellfish.

Misconception: Most people will have just read ‘Antonio just said eat an all-sugar-junk-food-diet! Ahhhhh….’ In similar ways people say ‘Antonio just said exercise is bad…Arghhhh’

No, I didn’t. I’m saying you can enjoy carbs & sugar and not only will it NOT ruin your health, it will help lower stress and boost metabolism.

If you want to know more about the physiology of why I tell people they shouldn’t try to burn fat in these circumstances, read this: How To Burn Fat and Why You Shouldn’t

Conclusion

At this point, the people that need this work seem to be the most resistant to the idea of working less and possibly eating more & enjoying food more.

The people I’ve worked with in restorative fitness phases came to me after they’ve burned out, so take heed: prevent the excess stress, burnout, overtraining or exhaustion before it happens. By learning a little about stress, using exercise as a tool to enhance the quality of your life, not a weapon to punish yourself you can easily improve overall health, metabolic strength & flexibility.

Use exercise and carbs wisely and you’ll have a whole new exciting experience not just with food, but life itself. You can go far no matter where you start along the metabolic health continuum using a ‘less is more’ approach. You can go from fragile to more resilient to more robustness to antifragile, without working too hard. Learn how to read your temps, know thyself and choose exercise carefully.


References

Adrenal Fatigue as a Cover for Starvation

http://www.functionalps.com/blog/2012/04/23/exercise-and-effect-on-thyroid-hormone/

http://www.amazon.com/Antifragile-Things-That-Gain-Disorder/dp/1400067820

http://co2factor.blogspot.com/2012/04/practical-ways-to-lose-fat.html

http://www.myosynthesis.com/adrenal-fatigue-revisited-recovery

http://www.myosynthesis.com/cns-handle-stress

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The Truth About Carbs & Sugar (part 1)

carbs, low carb diet, paleo low carb, glucose, diabetes

Humans have a long, fascinating journey on this planet. Carbs and sugar are totally normal, healthy, and a natural part of this journey. Here’s why you shouldn’t freak out about them.

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New Year 2013

TRENDS
because ppl seek quick fixes and short cuts,
trends will come and go every year.
nothing new in these ‘headline’ stories  ..careful  don’t get suckered into shiny new things that you;re not missing and have nothing to do with your health/fitness
Eugene Sandow image
http://www.eugensandow.com/story1.html
didn’t use iPhone Apps or Protein Powders to get fit
Jack Johnson
Forged Elite Fitness before it was cool
http://druhepkins.hubpages.com/hub/Top-Ten-Greatest-Boxers-of-All-Time#
The press abused and discredited him, He received death threats, and was incarcerated because his wife was white, but for over a decade, nobody could beat him. ‘He humiliated his opponents, holding them up and kept them from being knocked out so he could keep beating on them. Johnson made a mockery of most of his opponents and angered white America with his defiant “in your face” antics.

Because stupid fitness/diet trends come and go each year, every year, forever, and they almost always suck, I have pout together this short list with better ideas.

In about 6 months, the vast majority of new year dieters & gym goers will begin the downward spiral. You know how all these people are joining the gym/health clubs right now? Roughly 60% will dropout.

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A Call for Compassion (and Action)

By now you are aware of what happened in Connecticut on Friday. My clients & friends in CT all have children (many in elementary school) just minutes from this town … they’re all OK thankfully, but this could have been any one of us. My heart is still heavy; there will be 26 funerals this week before Christmas. This is just so sad and so close to home.

This event should make every parent everywhere come together and address the real issues at hand. We really need to come together. Instead, some took advantage of the moment to spew their political or religious ideology. Distracting the conversation, clouding the truth.

Similar to health & weight loss, everyone is now an expert on topics they know little about. The media had it’s standard speculation-fest and vampire-like sensationalism. CNN immediately blamed the wrong person. KMART exploited the moment to promote products. The NRA was silent, then took down it’s Facebook & Twitter page.

A heated ‘gun rights’ debate ignited and will now be at the forefront of our collective discussion for awhile. This is a good thing, because it needs to happen. Is it too early to talk about gun laws or is it already too late?

1) Mental Health

Often overlooked, yet integral to human health & wellbeing, it is something only a few of us discuss in nutrition/fitness. Yes, we need to talk about gun laws, but people need to mourn first, and we really need to talk about mental health and community.

It is normal to grieve and mourn. And when the parents are ready to speak, we must listen carefully. Don’t jump the gun sharing opinions and politicizing tragedies.

Don’t speculate untill we have answers, but the shooter so far has been described by friends/relatives as a loner, a social outcast. He may have been autistic and brilliant, but remote. Like physical health, there are several elements to the causes & consequences of an incident like this, so: don’t jump the gun and get all heated up untill you’ve done more research and more information becomes available.

The salient points are many, don’t blame one thing (like guns, meds, media or god). Think holistically and focus on practical solutions.

Mental illness is stigmatized in this culture; many are afraid to talk about it and people don’t get the help they need, especially children. It’s common knowledge that our healthcare system is broken, but few people know anything about mental health. While people waste precious hours of their lives watching TV, they could be reading, learning, sharing and uplifting. This world – every nation, religion, culture – can benefit from more compassion, empathy and education on mental health. And it starts with each one of us.

Solutions are not out of reach. Read a book, raise your voice, listen carefully, practice and encourage compassion. Pay attention.

Compassion: a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

2) Gun Laws
Instead of jumping on the ‘ban all guns’ vs. ‘need more guns’ argument (both fauty assumptions), we need a mature discussion based on FACTS. I’ve had weapons my whole life, I was on the rifle team in military school, I played with Chinese stars, Samurai swords & nunchucks since I was 8 years old. I grew up with handguns and shotguns (in Florida in the 80’s, btw). At 16 I renounced violence and embraced vegetarianism for it’s principle of non-violence. I’ve been through several natural disatsers and near death experiences. I’m not against responsible gun ownership. But most of the rhetoric about gun control is coming from a oversimlified, paranoid perspective and based in fear.

The shooter had hundreds of rounds of ammo, high powered clips and the assault weapons that were obtained legally. Keep in mind gay marriage and marijuana is still illegal in most states. Our priorities as a socety – and the whole world recognizes this – are totally screwed up. Our culture is broken. But nobody needs an arsenal of assault weapons for ’sef-defense’.
  • Bushmaster .223 assault rifle,
  • Sig Sauer 9mm,
  • Glock 9mm,
  • .45-caliber Henry repeating rifle,
  • .22-caliber Marlin rifle
  • .30-caliber Enfield

Collecting assault weapons because you fear the end of the world (Doomsday Preppers) is not a hobby, it is a thought disorder.


When rational people demand BETTER gun laws/restrictions, WE ARE NOT TRYING TO TAKE YOUR GUNS AWAY. We are addressing one imoprtant factor in this issue. It is easier to get guns than it is to get a driver’s license in some states.

Better regulations can include child-proof safety lock, loading indicator, background/criminal record check, advance registration/waiting period, Social Security Number, competency test, vision test, limits on purchases, mandatory education & safety training, for example. This is common sense.

When it comes to gun violence, rather than resorting to emotion, fears or speculation, we can look at the science, which gives us better, more rational answers.

In the US, stricter gun laws = less gun violence, get the facts: smartgunlaws.org

Twelve facts about guns and mass shootings in the United States
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/12/14/nine-facts-about-guns-and-mass-shootings-in-the-united-states/

Twelve facts about guns and mass shootings in the United States

The gun ownership and gun homicides murder map of the world

‘In general, guns don’t induce people to commit crimes. “What guns do is make crimes lethal’ http://harvardmagazine.com/2004/09/death-by-the-barrel.html

‘Conclusions. Although our study cannot determine causation, we found that in areas where household firearm ownership rates were higher, a disproportionately large number of people died from homicide.’   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1447364/

‘15 of the 25 worst mass shootings in the last 50 years took place in the United States. America is an unusually violent country. But we’re not as violent as we used to be…’ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/12/14/nine-facts-about-guns-and-mass-shootings-in-the-united-states/

Americans constitute one of the most heavily armed societies in the developed world, with 40% of households containing guns. U.S. homicide rates are two to ten times higher than in other developed countries.   http://www.smallarmssurvey.org

- Where there are more guns there is more homicide

- Across high-income nations, more guns = more homicide.

- Across states, more guns = more homicide

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/research/hicrc/firearms-research/guns-and-death/index.html

This is a call to action so we can get a grip on this problem. It starts with us practicing more compassion, not getting irrational with wanna-be-Rambo or apocalyptic fantasies..

Here is one way you can help:

Demand A Plan to End Gun Violence

3) God & Religion

This is the best article I’ve found thus far, written by clergy: Dealing With Grief: Five Things NOT To Say And Five Things To Say In A Trauma Involving Children

The religious fanatics took to the airwaves & interwebz to push thier ideas ‘if prayer wasn’t taken out of schools, this wouldn’t have happened.’ The human waste project known as the Westboro Baptist Church started tweeting and plans to picket. The mother may have been involved in an extremists survivalist group.

To my religious readers, I care less about what you believe and more about your extremist brethren with big mouths. I implore you, hold your brethren accountable.

Violence

It will probably never end, but WE CAN REDUCE HARM IN THIS WORLD when you care and make an effort.

What can WE do?

  • STAND UP for what’s right. STOP playing small and LET THE WORLD HEAR YOUR VOICE.
  • STOP people (make them accountable) when they are being insensitive assholes.
  • LOVE more than you think you can.
  • TEACH your children to not laugh at the suffering of others and turn the garbage TV off.
  • TEACH your children to not bully and don’t tolerate bullying in their community.
  • STOP tolerating ignorance & bigotry in your community.
  • INSPIRE & EMPOWER those around you, especially children, let them know they are LOVED and ALLOW them freedom to express their own unique awesomeness.
  • At your holiday parties, have fun responsibly AND discuss solutions for human health & wellbeing. All of you already have a positive influence on others in your community.
  • Do not support mainstream media that sensationalizes death/destruction and fuels fear.
  • Every child should learn jiu jitsu. Self-defense and (self-control) is NOT violence. Extremism leads to violence.
  • Leanr the facts and get political active on these issues, take a stand. It works.

Human health & wellbeing extends far beyond food & fitness. There are more important issues that we need to discuss. Stigmatizing mental illness, a lack of concern for others wellbeing and fear of speaking out are all too common. This is a call to action to be bold, practice compassion, cooperation & express the morality which resides in your heart.

In times like these, it helps to reflect with gratitude for our loved ones & community. It helps to mourn, then take action. My deepest condolence goes out to these families in Sandy Hook and all families of innocent victims everywhere.

As far as your diet or health go, don’t freak out or panic over the holidays. Check out secrets of centenarians, to help balance your perspective.

If you want to be inspired, please take 5 minutes to watch this: It’s Always Now

Links:

Parnets and fitness/healthcare professionals, please read this: http://www.drkwamebrown.com/sandy-hook-shooting/

http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-gun-policy-and-research/publications/WhitePaper102512_CGPR.pdf

http://smartgunlaws.org

http://www.demandaplan.org/newtown

Replying to my pro-gun friends - http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/progun_friends

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/12/14/nine-facts-about-guns-and-mass-shootings-in-the-united-states/

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/09/map-gun-laws-2009-2012


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The Diet-Haunted World

The holidays are upon us, which means one thing: everyone reading this knows someone who is about to start a diet.

Between Thanksgiving and New Years, most people will gain weight. Then come New Year, they will start a diet and FAIL. Going on a restricted diet to ‘improve health’ or ‘lose weight’ seems like a great idea and feels awesome at first, but often ends up disastrous. For many, it’s just a simple misunderstanding, but for others it’s fantasy ideal that pulls your strings with false hopes and fear of punishment. That New Year’s enthusiasm eventually wanes or gives way to anxiety, guilt, shame, body image distortion, compulsive behaviors and hormonal issues for what seems like an eternity in bodymind-hell. Many of these diet beliefs are false. Most of the diet Gurus are lying their asses off. Behold the Diet-Haunted World.

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White Devils & Witch Hunts

Mayor Bloomberg wants to ban sodas over 16 ounces in restaurants & other fun places because people are too damn fat! And fat asses need to be taught a lesson!

Mayor Bloomberg: We’re Simply Forcing You To Understand’

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Brooklyn Food Conference

I am speaking on a panel at the Brooklyn Food Conference this Saturday, May 12 from 2:00 PM -3:15PM.

Concepts and Controversies In Modern Nutrition

Traditional diets of the world—Paleo, Mediterranean, Japanese, French or Indian—offer healthy alternatives to the Standard American Diet, but they all have potential challenges. Discover a variety of solutions for *improving health and vitality* and learn why you should never diet if you want to lose weight.

Antonio Valladares, Fitness Expert, Certified Nutrition/Lifestyle Coach

Michele Jacobson, Certified Clinical Nutritionist and Author

2:00pm-3:15pm 6E16

They are expecting a big turn out. Workshops in cooking, local/urban farming, school projects, local/real food, farming, food politics and lots more.

Here is the schedule of workshops.

http://bkfoodconference.org

Brooklyn Technical

High School

29 Fort Greene Place,

Brooklyn, NY 11217

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