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02 Monday Jul 2018

Posted by in health, recovery

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Is it fair to say we idolize caffeine? We put in all sorts of beverages, foods, lotions and potions. It’s the most widely used legal stimulant on the planet. There are some good reasons why you may want to consider clearing this drug out of your system. One is that the impact it has on our brains can actually aggravate depression. Another is that you may simply want to get off the up and down rollercoaster caffeine use creates.

Regardless of the reason, let’s say you want to get free of caffeine, how can you do it? Here’s what I’ve found helpful which might get you through the process.

  1. In the morning, consume your usual dose of caffeine. Then that’s it.
  2. Be prepared for a wicked headache during the late evening/night. I use Naproxen or Ibuprofen to get through it. Drink lots of water.
  3. The headache might persist through the next day but it will pass.
  4. Hang on through the brain fog and lethargy that will last a few days until your brain and body adjust to not being on a drug. Exercise and naps help.

About 4 days after that last dose, the drug will be cleared out of your system. From there it’s the habit you have to change. Finding healthy replacements and distractions – new habits – will help you maintain your new lifestyle.

Carb Wars

20 Monday Nov 2017

Posted by in health, Observations

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I’m a big proponent of wellness and self-care, particularly when we are in recovery from emotional injury or any kind of abuse. I’ve shared about HALT so you might know that I believe a key component to care is eating well and healthy. To that end, I wanted to share some bits and pieces from an article I found over at Forks Over Knives.

The article is by someone named Garth Davis, MD and it starts like this:

“Can you believe people actually avoid fruit in an attempt to lose weight? There has never been a single credible study showing that fruit consumption leads to weight gain, and yet this concept is as prevalent as any nutrition dogma. I have treated people for obesity for years and I can tell you, nobody is coming to see me because they ate too many apples or grapes. Why do people think fruit leads to weight gain? The quick answer from my patients is because of the carbs.”

His article is worth reading. He notes how the misconnections many have concerning proteins, fat, and carbohydrates that may be negatively impacting our wellness journey.  He concludes with this statement:

 

“Traditional diets high in fruits, veggies and starches have worked for thousands of years, and continue to keep people slim and healthy. But our obsession with counting fat, carbs, and protein blinds us to this truth.”

A Meaty Topic

18 Monday Sep 2017

Posted by in health

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Have you heard how to tell if someone is vegetarian or vegan? Don’t worry they’ll tell you! This also applies to Mac users, people who stopped smoking, and various athletes like marathoners and triathletes. The best one I heard: If you are a vegan, marathoner, who adopted a dog from a rescue shelter how do you know what to bring up first?

It’s funny but the reality is when people are passionate about stuff they talk about it. I switched to a plant based diet in 2013 but I’ve tried to not be too obnoxious about it. With that said, it does push my buttons when people say a person needs to eat meat if they are athletic. “How do you get enough protein?” they ask with wonder in their eyes?

Without getting to technical on you, the data is, if a North American person eats a well balanced, adequate calorie, plant-based diet, they will get more than enough protein. In fact, it’s the meat eaters you need to worry about because generally they are the one’s missing something critical from their diet – fibre. Possibly why meat eaters tend to have way higher incidences of colon cancer than those on a plant based diet. Just a side bonus – a plant based diet is generally less expensive (unless a person shops at Whole Foods but that’s another rant for another day).

Anyway, because of the myths about athletics and a plant based diet, I like stories about people that not only do sports but excel at them all without an ounce of meat. To that end, check this one out.

Meet Dr. Heather Shenkman, Ironman Triathlete and Vegan Cardiologist

Here’s a quote:

“I exercise six days a week, usually doing two workouts per day. My typical weekday morning starts with Golden Road Aquatics, a master’s swim group, from 6-7AM. I shower at the pool and go straight to work. Then, in the evenings, I might go jogging, take a yoga class, or go to a class at Barry’s Boot Camp. Getting in my workouts can be challenging since I’m a busy cardiologist, but I schedule in the time to exercise. I look at my calendar and plan everything in advance so that I know what I am doing as I go into each week. I also do longer, more challenging workouts, like longer trail runs or bike rides, on the weekends.”

It’s a good article so give it a read and let me know what you think.

Fall Fit Challenge Intro – Repeat

30 Wednesday Aug 2017

Posted by in Beginnings, health, recovery

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Just in case you missed it last week, here’s my Fall Fit Challenge Intro.

We always want to get fit for spring or summer or maybe in January when we are deep in shame from the holidays. However, being active is part of overall health and wellness and it’s best as a year round lifestyle. Not only is exercise good for the body, it’s good for the mind, too. Did you know that being active can alleviate depression by up to 30%?

fitness-1625279_1280

To that end, you are invited to join me on a 12 week, open to anyone, fun for all ages, Fall Fit Challenge starting Sunday, September 3. Each day will consist of a handful of bodyweight only exercises that focus on our large muscles and core and can be done in about 20 minutes. The goal is to be stronger and more fit while increasing stability and flexibility. These exercises will be a good place to start if you’re just beginning or you can add them into your current workout to give you a little boost.

On Saturday, September 2, I will post the Fall Fit Challenge page. My crazy, never tried before by me, idea is I will update the Fall Fit Challenge page as we go. Each day, to the same blog post, I will post the next set of exercises for the next day. So on September 2, I will post the exercises for September 3. Then, on September 3, I’ll post the exercises for September 4, and so on. That way, you don’t need to wait for me to post the latest exercises – you’ll have them and be ready to go at the time that works best for you. The link to the page will stay the same so you can save it and you won’t have to hunt down new pages. Also, my plan is to post the new day’s exercises at the top so you won’t have to scroll through all the previous days to find it.

Why 12 weeks? Don’t these things only last 21 or 30 days? Studies have shown that strength immediately improves once we become active but we don’t normally see any physical changes until 9-12 weeks. So… you’re welcome.

I look forward to your company on this journey and appreciate any comments along the way. Feel free to invite friends and family but don’t shame them if they can’t keep up with your amazing progress.

This will be the link to the page once it publishes: Fall Fit Challenge

exercise-1203896_1280

Like all otherfitness stuff, make sure you are able to start a beginner to intermediate intensity fitness program. See your doctor if you have any health conditions that could be aggravated, injuries that could be affected, or any medications that may need adjustment. Modify the exercises as needed to ensure they are the correct intensity for you. If at any time you feel sharp pain, experience dizziness or shortness of breath, please stop immediately and get checked out to ensure you’re safe. If you  begin to feel sexy and you want to get amorous with your partner, please go ahead in an appropriate manner.

Fall Fit Challenge Intro

23 Wednesday Aug 2017

Posted by in Beginnings, health, recovery

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We always want to get fit for spring or summer or maybe in January when we are deep in shame from the holidays. However, being active is part of overall health and wellness and it’s best as a year round lifestyle. Not only is exercise good for the body, it’s good for the mind, too. Did you know that being active can alleviate depression by up to 30%?

fitness-1625279_1280

To that end, you are invited to join me on a 12 week, open to anyone, fun for all ages, Fall Fit Challenge starting Sunday, September 3. Each day will consist of a handful of bodyweight only exercises that focus on our large muscles and core and can be done in about 20 minutes. The goal is to be stronger and more fit while increasing stability and flexibility. These exercises will be a good place to start if you’re just beginning or you can add them into your current workout to give you a little boost.

On Saturday, September 2, I will post the Fall Fit Challenge page. My crazy, never tried before by me, idea is I will update the Fall Fit Challenge page as we go. Each day, to the same blog post, I will post the next set of exercises for the next day. So on September 2, I will post the exercises for September 3. Then, on September 3, I’ll post the exercises for September 4, and so on. That way, you don’t need to wait for me to post the latest exercises – you’ll have them and be ready to go at the time that works best for you. The link to the page will stay the same so you can save it and you won’t have to hunt down new pages. Also, my plan is to post the new day’s exercises at the top so you won’t have to scroll through all the previous days to find it.

Why 12 weeks? Don’t these things only last 21 or 30 days? Studies have shown that strength immediately improves once we become active but we don’t normally see any physical changes until 9-12 weeks. So… you’re welcome.

I look forward to your company on this journey and appreciate any comments along the way. Feel free to invite friends and family but don’t shame them if they can’t keep up with your amazing progress.

This will be the link to the page once it publishes: Fall Fit Challenge

exercise-1203896_1280

Like all otherfitness stuff, make sure you are able to start a beginner to intermediate intensity fitness program. See your doctor if you have any health conditions that could be aggravated, injuries that could be affected, or any medications that may need adjustment. Modify the exercises as needed to ensure they are the correct intensity for you. If at any time you feel sharp pain, experience dizziness or shortness of breath, please stop immediately and get checked out to ensure you’re safe. If you  begin to feel sexy and you want to get amorous with your partner, please go ahead in an appropriate manner.

Busting 8 Myths

19 Friday May 2017

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I believe that there’s plenty of evidence that a plant based diet is healthiest and actually is good for mental health, too. As I was making the transition to a mostly meat diet to a plant based diet I had to wade through a lot of myths. Fortunately for you, I just came across a short article called Top 8 Myths About Eating Vegan, Busted by Naomi Imatome-Yun that covers the main ones. You’re welcome.

Here are some highlights:

MYTH: It’s hard to get enough protein on a plant-based diet.

MYTH: There is no proof that a plant-based diet is healthier than other diets.

MYTH: You’ll get weak and frail on a vegan diet.

 

MYTH: We need milk and dairy products for strong bones.

 

If you haven’t tried going plant based, I suggest you give it a try for a few weeks or even a month. See what happens.

 

Magic Beans

21 Friday Apr 2017

Posted by in health, Observations, Rants, recovery

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Do you ingest supplements – vitamins, amino acids, etc? I have. I’ve tried all sorts of supplements for all sorts of reasons – muscle building, fat losing, more energy, and so on. I believe none of them have ever made a difference or manifested the results promised on the bottle.

I recently shared an article by Alex Hutchinson on water and exercise. I also found this article on supplements called, “The Pills We Pop.” I encourage you to read the whole article but here are a few quotes that stood out to me.

“In 2002, a high-quality randomized trial published in the journal JAMA assessed the supposed memory enhancement powers of ginkgo biloba, and found no benefits.
Similarly, a large trial in 2006 tested the effects of glucosamine and chondroitin against painful knee osteoarthritis; the results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found no benefits.

…the supplement industry has mushroomed since a 1994 law that effectively hobbled Food and Drug Administration oversight of the industry…

There were an estimated 4,000 supplements on the market in 1994, he notes, compared to 55,000 in 2012.

…the National Institutes of Health was investing $250 million to $300 million per year in supplement research, the vast majority of which found no benefits (or, in a few cases, increased risk).

…advertising claims don’t have to be vetted by the FDA, and you can choose whatever flimsy evidence you want, even if it’s contradicted by a mountain of evidence.”

Alex Hutchinson also wrote the book, “Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights? Fitness Myths, Training Truths and Other Surprising Discoveries from the Science of Exercise.” Hutchinson takes 111 common (and uncommon) questions about fitness and digs up the current state of peer-reviewed knowledge. If you’re into exercise, I recommend the book because it cuts through a lot of junk.

(Just in case you are wondering, that’s not me in the picture.)

 

Hydration and Dehydration

14 Friday Apr 2017

Posted by in health, Observations, recovery

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One of the things that I’ve heard concerning self-care is, drink lots of water. The same goes for exercise. While it’s still good to drink water (especially instead of sugar drinks) the idea of “lots” of water is being called into question. Basically, you don’t need to drink buckets of water each day. In fact, drinking buckets of water each day may be detrimental (besides having to pee every 15 minutes). Anyway, I just stumbled across this article on water intake and exercise: Do You Need to Drink During a One-Hour Run?

The article was written by Alex Hutchinson who also wrote the book, “Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights? Fitness Myths, Training Truths and Other Surprising Discoveries from the Science of Exercise.” Hutchinson takes 111 common (and uncommon) questions about fitness and digs up the current state of peer-reviewed knowledge. If you’re into exercise, I recommend the book because it cuts through a lot of junk.

So what about the water question? If you don’t have time to read the article, here’s the bottom line:

“The shift in thinking about hydration over the past few years has involved a greater recognition of perceptual variables—how you feel—in addition to physiological variables; a realization that the body can adjust and cope with surprisingly high levels of temporary dehydration; and a move away from the idea that you should always aspire to replace every drop you sweat as soon as possible.”

 

Treadmill Sessions

28 Tuesday Mar 2017

Posted by in health, recovery

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Did you know that treadmills were invented as a way to punish prisoners? It makes total sense, doesn’t it?  Maybe you don’t like the mindlessness of it. Maybe you fell off one and now you have distress whenever you look at a treadmill. Fortunately, with modern technology, the treadmill is a blessing… no wait, sorry I can’t say that without laughing. Nobody in their right mind likes the treadmill; it’s a necessary evil for people who like (need) to run and hate cold weather, rain, bugs, cars, dogs, or people.

I confess I run on the treadmill. I actually prefer to run outdoors but not during the winter. As such, I keep an eye out for ways to keep things fresh.

I found this article at triathlete.com. Even if you’re not a triathlete (yet!!) I recommend you check them out for training, gear reviews and race info.

4 Treadmill Sessions For Triathletes

Four purposeful workouts to help you use the treadmill to your training advantage.

Whether you’re waiting for cooler weather to arrive or simply need more of a focus indoors, the treadmill is a useful tool to maximize your run training. Coach Brad Seng of D3 Multisport in Boulder, Colo., designed these quality sessions to keep the fun factor intact for when the treadmill gets daunting or mentally stale.

Buffer Buffs Hill Reps

Warm-up
15’ easy jogging with 4×20’’ bursts and 40’’ easy for recovery at the end

Main set
Repeat the following pattern 3–4 times. Do the strength exercises off to the side of the treadmill.
45’’ hard Zone 3–4/5K effort at 4–6% grade
5 squat jumps
15’’ sprint Zone 5 at 4–6% grade.
20 high knee skips
45’’ moderate Zone 2–3/half-marathon effort at 4–6% grade
10 push-ups
45’’ fast uphill Zone 3/10K effort at 4–6% grade
10 split squat jumps
45’’ moderate Zone 2–3/half-marathon effort at 1% grade
10 double leg hops
1:30 fast Zone 3/10K effort at 1% grade
Walk 2–3’ or stand on edge of treadmill to recover

Cool-down
10’ easy jogging with final 2–3’ walking

Key: ’ = minutes | ” = seconds

 

Ramp-Ups

Warm-up
15–20’ building effort to top of Zone 2/RPE 3–5

Main set
Starting at the speed where you ended your warm-up, increase treadmill speed by 0.5 every quarter-mile until you max out.
Note that speed and then run 5’ easy.
Complete 4–6 × 45’’ intervals at your max. Recovery is 1’ easy jogging.

Cool-down
Easy jogging for remainder of time

Key: ’ = minutes | ” = seconds

 

1’ Efforts + 1K

Warm-up
10–15’ easy with 4×20’’ bursts and 40’’ easy jogging for recovery

Main set
2x(4×1’ moderate/RPE 3–7 with 30’’ rest after each. Include 1K at 5–10K pace after #4 of each set).
Walk/jog easy for 2-3’ between sets.

Cool-down
5-10’ easy

Key: ’ = minutes | ” = seconds

 

Split Tempo Run

Warm-up
15’ easy jogging

Main set
10’ Zone 2/RPE 3–5
5’ Zone 3/RPE 6–8
2’ Zone 1/RPE 1–2
5’ Zone 3/RPE 6–8

Cool-down
10–20’ easy

Key: ’ = minutes | ” = seconds

 

Seng’s Treadmill Tips

– Set treadmill at a 1 percent grade for all runs aside from any specific hill reps. This will ensure you are running closer to the feel of running outdoors.
– Always have a towel and water or electrolyte drink on hand with increased sweat rate.
– If possible, use a small fan to help keep you cooler and more comfortable, and be sure you have good ventilation.
– Don’t “race” your neighbor. Stick to your specific workout and don’t worry about what speed or grade the person next to you is running.
– Include some light stretching after your warm-up and a few minutes of easy walking as a cool-down before you get off the treadmill to re-establish your equilibrium.

3 Strength Exercises That Are a Waste of Your Time

24 Friday Mar 2017

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Good mental health is supported by being active. For me, that means preparing for and participating in triathlons. I found an article in Triathlete magazine called: 3 Strength Exercises That Are a Waste of Your Time.  I encourage you to read the whole article for their reasons and the benefits to the alternative exercises they suggest. Here’s just the highlights:

 

Don’t: Calf Raises

Do: One-Leg Hop

Don’t: Smith Machine Squats

Do: Regular Squats

Don’t: Curls

Do: Pull-up/Chin-up