East Meets West , Holistic Medical Systems: Ayurvedic Medicine

Good day,

Today I want to talk about one of the traditional holistic medical systems that our western system has been influenced by.

Ayurvedic medicine which is from India was developed at least 5000 years ago. This ancient Indian system believes and promotes holistic living, preventative medicine, and healing. The main idea is that we want to create a balance in the three energies or doshas called Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
Ayurveda teaches that a lifestyle that maintains the doshas in balance with our constitutional type will maintain health in the mind, body and spirit. Illness in Ayurvedic medicine is thought to be due to imbalances in the doshas. This could be caused by a number of things including; poor diet, emotional trauma, or a build up of toxins. 

At the centre of Ayurvedic belief are the three primal forces: prana, the breath of life; agni, the spirit of fire and light; and soma, the spirit of harmony and love. Along with these there are also five elements: earth, water, fire, air, and ether. The five elements influence health and temperament.

One of the most popular symbols for Ayurvedic medicine is the lotus. (Many of you reading this may have this tattooed somewhere.) Each of its eight petals represents an Ayurvedic discipline:

1. Internal medicine
2. Surgery
3. Treatment of ears, nose, throat, eyes, jaws, and teeth
4. Toxicology
5. Psychiatry
6. Gynecology & pediatrics
7. Nutrition, detoxification, and rejuvenation
8. Fertility and virility

Diagnostic tools include analysis of the:

• Body (pulse, tongue, iris, face, skin, urine, and stools)
• Mind, spirit and environment

Ayurvedic medicine has refined the pulse as a highly accurate diagnostic tool and in some cases may be the only diagnosis used.

Food is categorized into six tastes and act on the body to increase or decrease the three doshas. It is believed that if the body becomes imbalanced that illness will follow.
A good diet will contain a mixture of these six tastes:

1. Sweet
2. Sour
3. Salty
4. Pungent
5. Bitter
6. Astringent

Treatments use plants, strict dietary guidelines, and exercise.  In addition to the elements and the doshas, Ayurvedic medicine focuses on the chakras (energy centres) of the body. These follow a straight line down the centre of the body and can be linked to various organs and glands and can be stimulated by various herbs.

It is very interesting how this holistic system is similar in many ways to the TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) system which I will discuss in my next blog. I find it unsettling that these are two of the oldest systems known to man but in western culture many still believe them to be "unconventional".

Cheers,


bounce life

Morning Cardio, is it really better?

5a.m. and your alarm goes off. If you are anything like me you literally ROLL out of bed like the old guy from the movie UP because although your brain is awake and ready, your body is still stiff as a board. It takes about 10 minutes for you to loosen up and get your clothes on. After a glass of water and shot caffeine of coffee to get you going you head off to start your day off "right".  
So you ask, "Does the touted A.M. workout really make that big of a difference? I mean, come on!"
The answer is YES especially if you get that first workout in on an empty stomach. The reason for this is quite simple. You have fasted throughout the night 6, 8 even 10 hours for some of you lucky devils! So when you hit your workout your body is running on fumes because you have not replenished your glycogen stores by eating. The first thing your body does if try to figure out where the heck it is going to get the fuel from to POWER you through your workout. Here is where you are able to potentially use fat as your primary fuel source. Now, there is A LOT of debate over this so feel free to do some research. I personally and many of my clients have found that this does indeed work. I would only advise this for cardio and not for resistance training and I would only workout at about 65% of your maximum heart rate because this will spare your muscle tissue.
The other thing that morning cardio does is rev up your metabolism for the day which means more fat burning throughout the day!

Give the A.M cardio session a try and see how it works for you. If you can do it, you may make a huge difference in your battle against the bulge.


Cheers

bounce life

Pregnancy & Fitness

Good day,


Today I want to talk about how many of the old ideas about pregnancy and activity have changed. In the past it was advised that the pregnant woman was to stay off of her feet and make sure not to strain herself. Pregnancy was almost treated like a sickness instead of being celebrated as an amazing time of discovery and transformation.
We now know that a pregnant woman is capable of not only continuing to train if they are experienced in physical fitness but also start a new fitness program. There are some rules that should be followed to make sure that the mom as well as the baby are safe. Start slow and work your way into a new workout slowly if you are new to working out. If you are an intermediate or advanced trainee you are able to continue at close to pre-pregnancy levels. One of the biggest benefits of training during pregnancy is that it will help prepare you for the toughest workout of all... child birth.

Trimester by Trimester Exercise Tips

Beginner 1^st Trimester

• Walk only
• Wait to start exercise program until 2^nd trimester
• Do not overheat or become fatigued

Beginner 2^nd Trimester

• Start with 15 minutes adding 5 minutes each week for a total of 30 minutes
• Mild, moderate, exercise
• Non weight bearing
• Avoid sudden changes and hi impact
• 3-4 days per week
• No supine positions after 14 weeks

Beginner 3^rd Trimester

• Do not increase in intensity
• Consistency stays up
• 3-4 days per week
• Likely nee to decrease intensity in late 3rd trimester

Intermediate/Advanced Trainees 1^st Trimester

• Continue at close to pre pregnancy levels
• 3-4 days per week
• Familiar forms of exercise
• Listen to your body
• Do not overheat
• Do not train for competitive events
• Weight bearing safe with low weights 12-15 reps

Intermediate/Advanced Trainees 2^nd Trimester

• Increase intensity
• Full range of activities
• No contact sports
• Weight training is OK
• No Supine positions after 14 weeks
• Avoid sudden changes and hi impact

Intermediate/Advanced Trainees 3^rd Trimester

• Encourage to slow down
• Non weight bearing
• Postural exercises
• Consistency stays the same 3-4 days

I hope this information helps you make a decision to start or continue a healthy, active lifestyle during pregnancy. 

Cheers

bounce life

Cholesterol. The good, the bad and the ugly

Today I want to talk about cholesterol and hopefully shed a little bit of light on this sometimes confusing topic.
So what the heck is cholesterol anyway? Well, there are different types of cholesterol and we put them into two groups, "good" and "bad". Now to get a little more technical the "good" cholesterol is called HDL and the "bad" LDL but before we go into this too far lets start at the beginning.
 Cholesterol is only found in animal products. Plants on the other hand do not contain cholesterol because they cannot produce it and do not need it to function. We can get cholesterol from two sources. The first is our body via the liver and the second via diet.
 I bet you would be surprised to know that cholesterol actually has  many important functions in the body:

1. found in every cell in the body
2. building block for estrogen testosterone, and Vitamin D produced via sunlight through your skin
3. major component of of the nerves in our brains
4. 0 calories, as it does not provide us any energy

So, contrary to popular belief cholesterol is not just an artery plugger!
OK, so lets get back to this good and bad cholesterol thing. Here is a simple breakdown of the two:

High-density lipoprotein (HDL)

• Helps remove cholesterol from the body by transporting it to the liver.
• Packets of cholesterol are formed to help move cholesterol through the blood.
• Some experts believe that HDL removes excess cholesterol from arterial plaque, slowing its buildup.
•  HDL can be increased with, exercise, the cessation of smoking and weight reduction.
• High levels of HDL seem to protect against heart attack.
• Low levels of HDL (less than 40 mg/dL) also increase the risk of heart disease.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)

• Builds up on the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain.
• Together with other substances, it can form plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can narrow the arteries and make them less flexible. This condition is known as atherosclerosis.
•  If clots form in the blood they can get caught in the narrowed artery and cause a heart attack.

I hope this information clears up some of the confusion out there on cholesterol. Just remember that not all cholesterol is bad and is needed for many essential bodily functions.

Cheers,

bounce life

The Power of Plants and Protein

Good day,

Today I want to talk about a topic that many people are confused on. The ability of plants to provide adequate protein in the diet of people who train infrequently as well as the well trained athlete. Most people believe that in order to get protein you MUST eat meat and that it is essential to have meat in the diet for strong muscles. This has been pounded into our "collective" heads in western culture for years from our parents, TV, and teachers. Here are some common myths concerning plants and protein:

• We need meat to get enough protein.
• Plant proteins lack essential amino acids and is poor quality.
• Vegetarians must carefully complement plant proteins at every meal.
• Most vegetarians end up iron deficient.

Each of these statements is based on misconceptions from a bygone era! No nutrient essential to humans is found in meat that is not also found in diets composed of only plants.
Why don't we take the elephant for example. These huge land animals derive ALL of their protein and iron from plants.

While I can't go into complete detail here in this blog as there is a tonne of info out there, I will leave you some key take aways that may get you to investigate further on your own:

1. All of the amino acids required by our bodies come from plant foods, or can be built in our bodies from other amino acids.
2. Too much protein is not good for you.
3. Meat-centred diets usually have a lot of saturated fat and cholesterol.
4. Protein rich plant food bring us an abundance of benefits not found in meats.

Below are some examples of high protein plant foods:

1. Soy
2. Beans
3. Lentils
4. Nuts

These are just a few of the protein power houses in the plant world.
A great book that I read in my studies is: "Becoming Vegetarian the complete guide to adopting a healthy vegetarian diet." by; Vesanto Melina, M.Sc., R.D. and Brenda Davis R.D.

Check it or other literature on this topic and you will be surprised as to what Mother Nature has packed into the plants we eat.


Cheers,

bounce life

Feed the Machine Called the Metabolism

Good Day,

Today I want to talk about the metabolism. I was chatting on MSN with a good friend of mine who brought up a very good topic and how people DO NOT understand how the metabolism works.
So, first I would like to start with a quick analogy that I use with all of my nutrition clients.
Your metabolism is like an old locomotive engine. In order for the train to move you have to feed coal (food) into the fire (metabolism). If you do not keep stoking (feeding) the fire, the train (metabolism) will stop.
Your metabolism starts with a roar in the morning because you have fasted overnight 6-10 hours. So your body is running at full tilt. If you do not eat right away your metabolism starts to slow down. This is a natural mechanism that we have had for 1000's of years. The body automatically goes into safe mode and slows down as it does not know when the next meal is coming. So, in order to keep the locomotive going you need to stoke the fire or eat every few hours from when you wake until a few hours before bed. In doing this we keep the metabolism thinking that it has plenty of fuel and it will use the fuel properly.

Throughout the day there will be peaks and valleys in your metabolism but eating every few hours will decrease the slowdown of the metabolism over the day.
If you do not eat you will not lose weight because your body will think it is starving and much of your calories will be moved to fat stores in for future use.
We need to trick the body and manipulate your metabolism in order to have successful weight loss.

Initially if you eat less your body will lose a bit of weight but it will come back with a vengeance because your body thinks it is in starvation mode and you will gain the weight back. This is why crash diets do not work over the long term with most people gaining all of the weight back and more when they go off of it.

I hope I have convinced you that not eating to lose weight is not an option.


Cheers,

bounce life

Mother Nature's Pharmacy

Today I want to talk about herbs and how Mother Nature provides us with everything we could ever need to survive on this planet. We have been using herbs for medicinal benefits for 1000's of years. Many herbs contain powerful ingredients, when used correctly have a positive impact on healing our bodies. Pharmaceutical companies have always focused on isolating theses ingredients to make them available in their purer form. Mother Nature put the ingredients together for a reason. The "other" components of an herb act as buffers, synergists, or counter balances working in harmony with the the more powerful ingredients. When used in their complete form, our body's healing process will utilize the "balance" of ingredients. Unfortunately these companies have made us quite dependent on their "drugs" created from isolated active compounds. With the increasing risk of side effects of these powerful drugs the medical community is finally looking a herbs as a whole for remedies.
Mother Nature's pharmacy eclipses man's with herbs being beneficial on tissues and organs and therefore, can be used to treat, cure or prevent disease. Herbalism is an essential part of Ayurvedic (Indian), Traditional Asian (TCM), Native American, and naturopathic medicines. Herbs come in many forms: essential oils, extracts, plasters, compresses, poultices, powders, salves, ointments, creams, syrups, teas, infusions, decoctions, tinctures, vinegars and wines. Wow, are you confused yet?
When used herbs do not have the dramatic effect that that we expect from prescription drugs. Herbs are balancers and work with the body to heal itself.
Remember that "natural" does not mean "safe" Herbal preparations may be toxic, cause allergic reactions, or affect your response to other medications.
We must use common sense, and care when we use herbs for either food or medicine.

Mother Nature is amazing in what she can do and provide for us. This is food for thought when we are continually struggling to stay in harmony with her.

A great book that I had the chance to go through in my studies and refer to quite often is "Prescription for Natural Healing" by Phyllis A. Balch.


Cheers,

bounce life