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Not Eating Enough Protein Can Lead to Early Death

Studies have shown that strength is an even more important predictor for longevity than any other factor, other than single leg balance. Fortunately, single leg balance can be improved more efficiently with a greater strength base.

As we age, our bodies go through significant changes. Around the age of 30, our metabolism begins to slow and our strength and power numbers begin to decrease. By the age of 60, we experience significant decays in strength and power; so much so, that strength into old age equates to living longer and happier lives. This means that it is vital to build a base of strength at younger ages.

Newer research has pointed to the need for greater quantities of daily protein intake. The previous minimum recommended intakes are completely insufficient! This new research suggests consuming quantities of a minimum of 1 gram per pound of body weight desired, especially into older age. As we age, digestion and absorption decrease, which leads to a further increased need for protein. Unfortunately, most people do not realize how little protein they are actually consuming on a regular basis. If you have never bothered to track the amount of food you eat on a regular basis, I dare you to do so, even for one day. I’ve seen regular protein intakes of less than 30 grams a day! Further, it’s often even more difficult for vegetarians and vegans to obtain enough protein. Plant foods are also less bioavailable than meat, which creates a roughly 15% additional deficit.

Lots of people often supplement their diets (yes, I said ‘diet’, that’s because what a person eats on a regular basis is the true definition of a diet) with powdered protein supplements. This is one such way, although not ideal, to get that much closer to their goal. Nothing can beat whole, non-processed foods, but sometimes, getting enough protein is so difficult and limiting for a person, that this is the way to go.

I’ve had tremendous success boosting my client’s amino acid consumption using powders, but especially through the use of a product called Perfect Aminos. Perfect Aminos provide a significant amount of the amino acids that are necessary for building and repairing skin, muscle and tendon strength. Amino Acids are what comprise protein, so this product allows a person to acquire more of their necessary amino acids to maintain their muscle mass into old age, or help build more in young age.

Try out these two amazing protein products to help you with your goals!

Perfect Aminos by Body Health

Organic Whey Protein Isolate from Grass Fed Cows

Better Sleep Tonight!

Many of us experience problems sleeping from time to time. In fact, studies show that there is a correlation between instances of overweight populous in every country in the world and poor sleep; these percentages often equate to nearly identical.

Sleep is the most important thing we can do for our bodies. We repair our brain and our body while sleeping and it is nearly impossible to make up any lost sleep in the future, which causes a compounding affect. Here are my top recommendations for sleep.

Temperature:

Studies show that ideal room temperature when attempting to sleep is 60-68 degrees. Anything above or below could compromise sleep quality and ability to fall asleep.

Avoiding extended rigorous activity:

Can coincide with temperature. Internal body temperature can rise with activity. Most people experience difficulty sleeping after physical activity.

Diaphragmatic breathing:

Can help put one in a state of relaxation after activity or improper breathing throughout the day, which puts the nervous system into fight-or-flight mode. I like to practice this with what is called box breathing.

Meditation:

Can help calm the mind and focus on relaxing, instead of mind wandering thoughts.

Electro Magnetic Frequencies:

Keep cell phone, ideally turned off or as far away from the body as possible late at night and while attempting to sleep. Many hotels have regulations that reduce the electrical frequencies that escape wires in walls, but as soon as something is plugged into a wall socket, that socket becomes active and releases electrical frequencies into the room (try to unplug everything in your room when traveling before bed). At home, a great option would be to install an electrical kill switch in each room of the house that deactivates all electrical flow to that specific area when deactivated. Bluetooth signals should be turned off at night and WiFi signals including both electronics and routers should deactivated be as well.

Blue light:

Any light exposure prior to bed will reduce the bodies ability to produce melatonin (sleep hormone) for up to 2 hours and increases internal cortisol levels (wake up/stress hormone). Blue light especially is effective at this. This specific ray of light is produced in significant amounts by electronics. Try to turn off cell phones, computers and televisions several hours before bed. This is often challenging for most so some minor compromises can include dimming a screen to an orange hue, wearing blue light blocking glasses and using blue light blocking screens. Many LED lights are produced in this hue, so attempt to purchase those with “natural lighting.” iPhones have this option built in and can even be adjusted in settings to more efficiently block out more blue light. F.Lux is an app for PC and Mac that can help with this as well. A great company that produces light bulbs with low blue light is Lighting science.

Here is a link to some blue light blocking glasses that work great and look good!

Supplementation:

Yin Reserve by Charles R. Poliquin is an amazingly effective supplement that helps to sleep without addictive properties or severe side-effects. It is designed around reducing anxiety and certainly does the job.
Melatonin should be used sparingly since dosages on packaging are often far greater than necessary and can cause the body to produce lesser amounts naturally. For melatonin supplementation, I recommend using a rub on cream and using between the thighs for better absorption.
Cannabidiol (CBD) can be effective at helping to sleep. This is a non-psychedelic and extremely healing component of hemp that can reduce cortisol and inflammation. Can be purchased at nearly any health food store now.

Anti-anxiety based herbs:

Valerian Root
Chamomile
Ashwaganda
Lavender
Passionflower
Magnolia bark
California poppy

Grateful log:

A grateful log has been scientifically shown to actually begin to change the mind and it’s focus. If we are stressed and angry throughout the day, a grateful log can help reset the mind and put you into a happy relaxed state, allowing for greater restfulness. Write in your log prior to bed, try writing 3 things you are grateful for on a daily basis. You can also write, one thing good you did, one good thing someone did to you and one good thing you observed today.

Carbohydrates before bed:

Try to include with fat to increase the time of release of glycogen. Low levels of insulin at night can cause a spike in cortisol and cause you to wake. Further, insulin helps to clear cortisol from the body. Consuming these macronutrients can help to keep you slightly more satiated throughout the night and prevent a spike in cortisol.

Consistency:

Another challenging one, but consistency with sleep helps immensely. Attempting to go to sleep at the same time every night helps. Studies have shown that our brain heals itself best between the hours of 10 PM and 2 AM and the body heals best between 2 AM and 6 AM. These times are very important, so try to get to bed by 10 PM at the latest when possible.

Caffeine:

Caffeine has a half-life of 6 hours, which means that after 6 hours, the caffeine you consumed has only half dissipated from the body. If you have a 300mg of caffeine beverage at 12 PM, by 6 PM you will have 150mg still circulating in your system; by 12 AM, there is still roughly 75mg floating around. Try to keep caffeinated beverages to a minimum and the earlier the better. Although some people do not have problems sleeping after consuming caffeine, it can still have a negative affect on the body, such as increasing cortisol, increasing inflammation, decreasing quality of sleep, etc. If a person is experiencing symptoms related to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, often times they attempt to remedy this issue with more caffeine which can cause a compounding affect. Be careful with this amazing drug!

Back Pain!

Back pain is a b****!

It affects nearly everyone in the United States at some point or another.

Here are a few statistics to mull over:

There are over 650,000 surgeries annually in the US related to back pain alone.

Over $20-billion is spent on back pain in the US annually.

Back pain is the number one reason people miss work.

Economically, this affects the US by as much as $215-billion annually.

85% of people in the US experience substantial back pain at some point in their life.

Back pain can stem from a multitude of factors. These can include the obvious two, holding on to excess weight and having a weak core. The core consists of more than your visible 6-pack, but the portion I am referring to here includes the entire musculature surrounding your mid-back, frontal abdominal region and gluteal muscles. Beyond these, reasons can include stress, which can have an impact on many other areas of your body and life that can all lead back to pain in the back. Try to find an activity that allows your to relax, such as meditation, Tai Chi, Qigong or positive talk.

Injury to the front of your abdominal region can affect internal organs, which can then lead to pain in surrounding areas. This occurs when inflammation or pain occurs, which can lead to poor activation of musculature in the related regions. Specific exercises to help reactivate these muscles, once the injury is healed is necessary. Similarly, if the stomach is not functioning well, it can negatively affect musculature in the surrounding areas. This means that if the diet is poor, this can lead to significant inflammation and digestive issues; the core musculature then can become weak and inactive.

Although this next part may sound slightly unbelievable, if you take into consideration the power of placebo, it makes perfect sense. Negative self-talk, such as saying “pain in my a**” too often can actually lead to issues in itself. Learning to repeat positive self-talk is important to creating healthy body image, happiness in daily life and patience, including on the road! More on this in future posts.

Constant seated positions and poor posture are also major contributors to back pain. When we sit too long, our hip flexors (illiacus and psoas) can become tight. These two muscles attach from the thigh, into the lumbar spine (lower back). If these muscles become stiff, then some movement can begin to pull on the spine, which can cause pain. Stretching properly, along with fascial release (massage) can assist at reducing this cause.

The vertebrae due to spinal loading over the course of long periods can also compact the spacing between each and eventually deteriorate the liquid filled disks that help to function as impact bags to prevent grinding of the bone. When these compact too much and severely deteriorate the disks, osteoarthritis and other issues can arise. Exercises such as ELDOAs can reestablish spacing between the vertebrae, which can reduce this stress. These exercises are performed by the individual, but can be incredibly complex, challenging and harmful if performed incorrectly. Search for a provider near you online!

Of course, we can’t forget the unfortunate accident. Often times people can develop back pain post vehicular accident, fall or awkward movement. Sometimes, the previously mentioned ELDOA exercises can help to relieve pain from these causes. These injuries can also lead to lack of muscular activation, as previously mentioned.

You can fix or reduce your likelihood of back pain by working with a professional, on top of the aesthetic and health benefits! Take action and start feeling better today!

Kaizen Athletic Performance