Tips for Handling Holiday Stress!

 

Although the holidays are a fun time of year they are also a very stressful time of year!   45 percent of Americans say they would prefer skipping the entire season because of financial pressure.   Most Americans feel that the stress really starts to build around December 13^th, grows worse through the 18^th and peaks on Christmas Day.

This holiday stress can be highly detrimental to your health, and it is sad but true that many take their lives during this season.   The physiological impact of this stress manifests as increased cortisol which boosts blood sugar levels, helps drive weight gain, and breaks down muscle.

Here are some tried and true ways to combat the holiday stress syndrome:

Get your workouts in!  Now is NOT the time to skip workouts – even a short one can have an immediate and lasting effect in reducing your mental and physiological stress response.    A quick high intensity workout - just three 20 second sprints with one – four minutes of active recovery – is all it takes!   Remember something is always better than nothing when it comes to working out.

Get your Sleep!   Easier said than done, but focusing on when you eat and when you go to bed and wake up can keep your body in a good rhythm.   A simple way to do this is to get up and go to bed at the same time every single day regardless of the day of the week – do NOT change your schedule on weekends. 

Then try to keep your food and beverage intake (except for water) in a 12-hour window so that you are NOT eating or drinking anything (except for water) for 12 hours.   For example, if you wake up at 6am and drink a cup of coffee at 7am (the clock has started at 7am).   That means you want to take in your last food or beverage no later than 7pm.  If you know you are going to go out to parties try to take in your first food and non-water beverage later in the morning.   If you start at 8am – 9am this gives you until 8 or 9pm to finish all food and beverage intake.   By keeping your sleep/wake cycle consistent along with your eating and not-eating schedule you allow your body to recover better.

If you are going to go out to parties – start early and leave early or just start drinking water and nothing else once you hit the end of your 12-hour window.

Set an alcohol budget – and switch to water after you hit it.     Doing this along with scheduling your wake/sleep cycle and food intake cycle can prevent a lot of issues while allowing you to have a great time!

Do not overbook yourself or your family – plan on downtime and keep it simple.  Less is often more in life the holidays are no exception!

How to Enjoy Alcohol and Minimize Weight Gain During the Holidays!

 

The holidays are a time of celebration, and assuming you do NOT have a problem with alcohol and can drink responsibly, it is okay to imbibe!    The key to not getting fat from alcohol is to understand the calorie and carb content of alcoholic beverages and plan your intake ahead of time in terms of exactly what you chose to drink and how much you have.   

All alcoholic beverages tend to drive insulin production so they are a big no, no for diabetics and other people taking certain medications.   ALWAYS check for drug and alcohol interactions before drinking any alcoholic beverage.

It is also important to understand that in addition to the alcohol content itself alcoholic beverages are often full of sugar which further drives insulin and fat production.  The good news is that there ARE alcoholic beverages that are much lower in sugar/carb and calories.

 Champagne

One of the best deals for a low carb holiday beverage is champagne!   Champagnes have the lowest carb and calorie content of any wine so are a great choice – particularly dryer champagnes.   A 4-ounce serving contains just 1.6 grams of carb and only 84 calories making Champagne the best choice for holiday cheer!

Common White Wines

After Champagnes the next best choice is white wines (NOT including ANY dessert wines!)

Per 5 Ounce Serving Size:

Chardonnay -   120 calories and 3.43 grams of carb

Sauvignon Blanc – 120 calories and 3 grams of carb

Reisling – 120 calories and 5.54 grams of carb

Pinot Grigio – 122 calories and 3 grams of carb

Common Red Wines

Merlot – 118 calories and 4 grams of carb

Cabernet Sauvignon – 130 calories and 3.82 grams of carb

Burgundy – 122 calories and 5.46 grams of carb

Pinot Noir – 116 calories and 4 grams of carb

Shiraz – 116 calories and 3.79 grams of carb

 Low Carb Beers

 Bud Select 55 – 55 calories with only 1.9 grams of carb

Miller64 – 64 calories with 2.4 grams of carb

Michelob Ultra – 95 calories with 2.62 grams of carb

Becks Premier Light – 64 Calories with 3.2 grams of carb

Miller Light – 96 calories with 3.2 grams of carb

Amstel Light – 95 calories with 5 grams of carb

Coors Light – 102 calories with 5 grams of carb

Bud Light – 110 calories with 6.6 grams of carb

Mixed Drinks

Liquor such as gin, vodka, scotch and rum, but are full of calories and to some extent act as a “super” carb driving insulin and hunger.    That being said they do not contain any carb whatsoever so as long as you mix them with no sugar/calorie mixers you can keep your carb and calorie intake somewhat under control.

One of the best choices is Vodka and Soda Water with Lime or Lemon coming in with zero carbs and about 100 calories!   Other examples are whiskey and diet coke, Seagram's 7 and Diet 7-up, Rum and diet cola, or Spiced Rum and Diet Ginger Ale.

 What to avoid!

Watch those mixers when it comes to mixed drinks – most standard mixers such as all sodas, fruit juices, and tonic are full of sugar unless you use the diet versions.    All your Caribbean and Tropical drinks such as Pina Coladas, Daiquiris, Mai Tai’s, and Margaritas, etc. are chock full of sugar and calories.

Set a Budget for Your Intake!

Set a budget on your intake of alcoholic beverages and actually keep track as you drink them making a point of knowing how much you have had each hour.     Remember each beer, glass of wine, and mixed drink takes one hour to process for the average male (and longer for females) so anything above 1 per hour is getting you inebriated at some level.  

In addition to budgeting your intake drink a glass of non-alcoholic, no calorie beverage such as water or club soda for each drink/beer/glass of wine you have to slow yourself down and stay hydrated.

 If you want to catch a buzz drink your limit and switch to all non-alcoholic beverages for 2 – 4 hours before driving.     

Even better – get a designated driver or use Uber or Lyft for travel to and from Holiday Parties!

Proven Methods to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain!

 

As we head into the holidays most Americans will gain between 8 and 12lbs between Halloween and New Year’s Day.  However, there are ways to avoid this weight gain!

Here are some key tips:

Eat before you drink and celebrate and before holiday parties.     Going into a holiday party on empty and hungry is a sure-fire way to overeat.   Alcohol intake boosts appetite to begin with and if you start out without anything in the tank it just gets worse!    This does not mean overeating – eat a sensible meal about 2 hours before you go to the party.

Try to choose higher protein foods first because protein helps with satiety (feeling satisfied and not hungry).

Fill up on Fiber Rich Foods – which also help with satiety and help create a feeling of fullness when consumed with water.  Focus on the raw veggies and yes you can dip them in some dip that has some fat because together fiber and fat can really assist in managing hunger along with protein.

Eat some fat – that’s right eat some fat!   Fats also are key for satiety.   That being said a little goes a long way so watch how much!

Bring your own food to a party.   Rather than having only high calorie, high sugar and high fat foods bring something you enjoy that is also healthy along with you!

Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly – seems simple and it is.   It is also VERY effective for limiting food intake!

Use smaller plates, bowls and glasses – all of which help to slow down food and beverage intake and make you more conscious of how much you are consuming!

Try to Minimize Sugar and Starch Intake – both sugar and starch wind up as glucose (blood sugar) and high intakes drive insulin which results in rebound hunger.    High sugar and starch intake drive hunger – particularly when drinking alcohol because alcohol acts like a super sugar and also drives insulin response.

Pause before getting seconds – as with slower eating and deliberately chewing food this can give your body time to realize it is no longer really hungry.

If you are doing the entertaining have extra containers you are ready to give away so guests can leave with some of the extra food!

Try not to eat in front of the T.V. which distracts you from how you feel and results in mindless eating!

Consider planning a cheat meal but have a plan for how much you are going to eat!   One meal can knock you off course but most of the holiday weight gain comes from completely giving up on healthy eating for many meals.   Planning one cheat meal every week and planning on eating a set amount of the foods you may be craving can work for many people rather than mindlessly eating.    If you plan your meal including your portions of alcohol, sweets, fat and sugar you can limit the damage and still have a great time!

Drink Water.   Often quoted and still true water is the best beverage and avoiding sugar laden drinks in favor of still or sparkling water can make a big difference in minimizing holiday weight gain.

Workout!   Working out improves mental outlook and burns some calories while reducing stress levels!   When we are stressed we overeat!   Just 10 minutes a day can make a big difference!

Get Your Sleep.   Lack of sleep is terrible for your health and particularly bad for driving appetite and overeating.   Lack of sleep causes hunger and excessive eating because the normal feedback mechanisms that tell you that you are full do not work properly when you are tired.   Basically, a tired brain tells you to eat to feel better and it is VERY hard to resist these urges when tired!

Mastering the Kettlebell Swing

Kettlebells are all the rage in fitness, and when used properly they are fantastic tool!   However not everyone needs or should do all the exercises possible with a kettlebell and like all things a mastery of the basics is the necessary foundation for advancement.     For the kettlebell that foundation is all about mastering the Kettlebell Swing.

The swing is a hip hinge movement NOT a squat!    Most people do not know the difference which is the first challenge.    The following shows an unloaded hip hinge using a dowel (can use a broomstick or anything light) to keep the spine in perfect alignment which is key!

Start by doing hip hinges holding a rod held at hips and head to groove hip hinge pattern – you should feel it in hamstrings (back of your leg) and butt! Also notice how the knees do NOT move forward over the toes showing that all the movement is occurring at the hip joint.  Do NOT progress until you are reps like this correctly and have fully grooved the movement pattern.

                                   

Next drop the rod and pick up the kettlebell holding it to your chest and repeat the hip hinge – if you feel it in your back you are doing something wrong!    See the picture below:

To insure you really feel the proper mechanics put toes/ball of foot up on thin board which forces weight into heels and repeat movement – you should really feel it now in hamstrings and glutes and be hinging NOT squatting!  This should really help to lock in the right technique.    See picture below:

Then progress to kettlebell deadlift – stand over kettlebell with bell between heels – hip hinge (do NOT squat) to grip kettlebell handle with arms straight and shoulder retracted.  Stand-up squeezing glutes and drive hips forward but do not hyperextend.   Repeat until they have this movement grooved.    See picture below:

Once you have mastered the deadlift you are ready to do swings!  Start with kettlebell on the floor in position like you are going to hike a football then  hip hinge with back flat, hips back knees NOT flexed forward with hands holding top of kettlebell handle in hook grip and head in neutral position.  Head neutral shoulder back and down with lats tight like the picture below.

“Hike” kettlebell back between legs bracing core so that kettlebell is ABOVE the knees! Should brace core as kettlebell hits bottom position and drawn in belly button slightly.

Then extend the hips – arms DO NOT lift kettlebell – they go up from the hip snap – keep shoulders down and retracted and lats tight – bell should not rise above shoulders.

Let kettlebell fall back and as it reaches the hips hinge the hips back again.

At end of swing replace bell in front of body in hike position THEN relax body and release bell – VERY important to keep hinge position and brace until bell is back in starting position.   To see a great video on this progression click here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYHbu2LRqD0 This video made by Mike Boyle is one of the best there is to teach a kettlebell swing progression.

Once you have mastered the swing movement begin to link your breathing with the movement:  Inhale as you swing down and exhale sharply at top of swing.     Remember to brace you core as you hit the bottom of the swing.    Recommended starting weights are about 36lbs for men and 25 pounds for woman or if you have access to kettlebells marked in kilograms use 12 for woman and 16 for men.   Then slowly progress.

Once you have the movement do big sets of 20 – 40 reps and build to the point where you can complete 200 – 300 repetition in a workout 2 – 3 days per week.      When you get here you and everyone around you will start to notice a difference!

The Benefits of Theragun Percussive Therapy!

Percussive therapy has actually been around for a long time, but it was reinvented thanks to the invention of the Theragun.   Most of us have seen or experienced a massage where a therapist delivers rapid taps to the body and know how good this can feel.

Theragun is the world’s first handheld Percussive Therapy Device.  Percussive Therapy can be defined as the rapid and repetitive application of pressure perpendicular to the body.    This percussive stimulus produces tissue pressure and vibration.  The stimulation distracts the brain from pain while delivering deep and effective treatment every time you use it.

The amplitude and frequency with which the Theragun comes on and off the body keeps the brain from acclimating to the stimulus so it keeps working over time.  Amplitude is how far the head of the Theragun moves with each revolution and frequency is how many times per second a revolution is completed.   Amplitude and frequency combined with how much pressure the user or therapist applies determines the level of tissue vibration, pressure and percussive stimulus.

Theragun Percussive Therapy is massage reinvented.   Theragun percussive therapy devices are calibrated with a 16mm amplitude and 40 times per second frequency to reach deep into muscles and stimulate heat and blood flow - helping to bring oxygen in and flush waste products out - improving the health and function of your muscles.  Theragun devices reach 60% deeper into muscle than the typical massage gun.  This means greater therapeutic benefits!

Another great feature of Theragun products is their triangular handles which allow a person to self-administer a customized level of percussive stimulus to almost any area of their body without the need for another person!

Proven benefits of Percussive Therapy include:

Decreased soreness and stiffness

Increased blood flow

Maximizes warm-up and recovery

Decreased Lactic Acid

Enhanced recovery between work sets and intervals allowing a better workout

Ideally Theragun should be used before, during and after your workout.    To learn more about Percussive Therapy and Theragun see a Workout Anytime Coach!    To get a sense of how the Theragun works check out this short video:    https://youtu.be/TCn0dtnhknM

 

How Much Exercise Does It Take to Burn Off Halloween Candy?

 

In the big picture of weight loss it is not what we do on the occasional holiday that really determines our weight - it is the week in week out eating and drinking habits that determine our weight.  That being said if you are not careful you can eat/drink a ton of calories in one day which then turns into weeks of too many calories during the holidays starting with Halloween.

The key is to plan and know what you are eating!   Candy can be confusing because of all the different snack sizes that are so prevalent during Halloween.   It is very easy to assume because you are eating snack size candy that it is not that bad, and this is true if you are not eating many pieces!    Before you eat candy see how many calories you are eating – it takes less than a minute to google calorie, sugar, and fat content for just about any common Halloween Candy.

Here are some examples:

Nestle’s Crunch Bar (60 calories) - 6 minutes of brisk aerobic exercise to burn off!

Kit Kat Bar (70 calories) - 8 minutes of brisk aerobic exercise to burn off!

4 Snickers Mini Bar (170 calories) - 18 minutes of high intensity exercise to burn off!

Full Size Twix Bar (80 calories) - 6 minutes of continuous kettlebell swings to burn off!

4.2 Oz Candy Corn (450 calories) - 4 – 5 miles of walking to burn off!

2 Peanut Butter Cups (210 Calories) - 2 miles of running to burn off!

Eating a little candy is no big deal, BUT if you are not watching how many pieces/containers you eat you can quickly rack up a ton of calories that would take more than an hour of vigorous exercise to burn off!

Plan your candy intake and know what you are going to eat and enjoy it!   The other key is have candy after a meal so you are not really hungry – candy and hunger make for a really bad combination!

Mushrooms - Key for Improved Health, Longer Life, and Increased Exercise Capacity!

 

Multiple studies have confirmed amazing benefits to the regular consumption of mushrooms:

1.     Eating two or more servings of mushrooms each week has been shown to reduce your risk of cognitive impairment by more than 50%.

2.     Regular mushroom consumptions boosts your immune system and reduces your risk of infections.

3.     Mushrooms can boost cardiovascular health by reducing oxidative stress, inflammation and lipid peroxidation.

4.     Mushrooms can help improve atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

5.     Mushrooms can help protect skin and mitochondrial DNA from UV-Related damage.

6.     Mushrooms can promote eye health and protect against age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and vision loss by reducing free radicals in the retina.

7.     Mushrooms can protect and maintain the health of your central nervous system by promoting neuronal steam cell differentiation.

8.    Mushrooms can lower your risk of cancer – including breast and prostate cancer.

9.     Regular mushroom consumption has been shown to lower all cause mortality.

10.Mushrooms can dramatically boost exercise capacity.   The supplement Peak 02, which combines six forms of organic mushrooms, has been shown to improve oxygen utilization and work capacity!   Research on Peak 02 shows it significantly increased peak power, maximum oxygen consumption and lowered lactate levels in response to intense exercise.   For more information go to https://youtu.be/Fw3ld1M2QOs?si=O1oLA__Ag7pEquag  Peak 02 can be purchased on Amazon and is a very reasonably priced option!

Key Mushroom Compound

While there are many beneficial phytochemicals in mushrooms one that is particularly potent and relevant is called Ergothione.   Ergothione is a powerhouse for promoting health and longevity.  Out of 112 measure plasma metabolites, ergothione is the one most associated with lower risk of heart disease, stroke and death of all causes.

Scientists have discovered that we actually have a specific transporter for Ergothione which suggests that we are designed to eat mushrooms which are the source of this potent compound!   While all edible mushrooms have significant Ergothione levels – Porcini, Shiitake, Oyster, Maitake, King Oyster, and Lion’s Mane varieties contain the highest levels.

Cooking mushrooms actually boosts the absorption of key mushroom compounds – and Ergothione levels are NOT affected by cooking.    So, make sure to eat your mushrooms!

 

How to Prevent Sleep Problems from Fall Time Change!

 

It’s that time of year again – on November 5th we will be setting our clocks back one hour.  Resetting clocks in devices is simple.  Unfortunately, your body clock is not nearly as easy to reprogram.  This comes with some serious health consequences.  An hour time shift does not seem like a lot, but your body runs on a tight schedule and this one-hour change throws us off.

Scientists have documented that the shift to daylight saving time in the spring, when we lose an hour of sleep, is linked to an a much higher rate of attacks and car accidents.  Although we gain an hour to sleep during the fall time change – the change throws off the sleep cycle and that is where all the problems come from.

Over the last 20 years, scientists have documented that, in addition to the master clock in our brains, every cell in our body has a circadian rhythm and time-keeping mechanism. The body and cell’s circadian rhythm help regulate important functions such as sleep and metabolism. And increasingly, there's evidence that when our habits — such as when we eat and sleep — are out of sync with our internal clocks, it can harm us.

When we disrupt our routines with erratic sleep or eating habits, it can increase the risk of metabolic disease. For instance, overnight shift workers are at much higher risk of developing diabetes and obesity. Research also shows that kids who don't have set bedtimes and mealtimes are also more likely to become overweight.

As days get shorter with less daylight, it's easy to fall into bad habits, and regulating light exposure is key to regulating circadian rhythm.    

Maximize Exposure to Bright Light During the Day

Maximize your exposure to daylight in the morning hours since it gets dark so early in the evening.   This simple step is every bit as powerful as avoiding blue light at night.   Ideally get outside immediately upon waking – just five minutes of outside light can do the trick!    

Outdoor sunlight is about 1500 lux on a cloudy and 100,000 lux on a sunny day while indoor lighting typically maxes out at 500 lux!    Bright OVERHEAD light is the primary signal to shut-down melatonin production and wake up.    

If it is too cold to go outside consider buying a 10,000-lux UV free light – ideally one that you can set to shine down on your face from above you.    

Minimize Evening and Nighttime Light

Exposure to light and electromagnetic fields from computers, phones, tablets, and T.V.’s all act as a stimulant, so it is important to minimize nighttime light exposure and blue light exposure in particular.  Blue light comes from artificial lighting.   Blue wavelengths – which are beneficial during daylight hours because they boost attention, reaction times, and mood – are disruptive at night.   Energy efficient lighting is packed with blue light as are our electronics.

Turn off lights or dim them as much as possible.   If you must use a computer or your phone install blue light filtering programs on both that will adjust the amount of blue light emitted by your computer, phone, and tablets.    Flux – https://justgetflux.com is a free program for your laptop or tablet and the Twilight app for your phone.   Both allow you to set times and adjust blue light output of your devices automatically based on time of day! 

You can also buy blue blocking glasses to use in the evening.   This may seem gimmicky but there is very well-done research supporting the effectiveness of reducing blue light in the evening through these and other measures!

For night-time bathroom trips use a red-light nightlight as redlight does NOT disrupt sleep which is why you see it used by the military on ships and submarines!

Avoid Alcohol!

Alcohol intake is extremely disruptive to sleep and for many just eliminating it results in much higher sleep quality within a week. Consider cutting down or completely eliminating alcohol intake particularly during the work week!

Stop all food and beverage by 8pm!

Ideally stop all food and beverage intake 3 hours before bed – late food intake can create digestive issues and late beverage intake can force bathroom trips disrupting your sleep.

Stay on a consistent sleep/wake cycle!

Get up and go to bed at the same time each day – this trains the body and mind.   It is NOT a good idea to sleep in on weekends – this just disrupts your circadian rhythm.

Minimize Caffeine intake after 10am!

There are slow and fast caffeine metabolizers and if you are a slow metabolizer it is critical to stop any and all caffeine intake by 10am!   

Exercise!

Yes – it’s true – for many a consistent exercise habit will dramatically improve sleep quality and duration!

Finish your morning shower with a cold shower!

While this may seem unpleasant at first cold showers dramatically ramp up the secretion of norepinephrine which is the brains primary stimulant.  See this blogpost for the many benefits of cold showers:  http://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2022/04/can-cold-showers-improve-exercise.html

Your Genetics are NOT Your Destiny!

 

We all see and experience the reality of how genes from our parents produce specific characteristics such as eye color, hair color, height, weight, etc.  Based on this experience most of us conclude that our genes determine our destiny, but is that really true?   The short answer is an emphatic NO.  While there are genetically determine characteristics that not alterable and fixed from birth, gene expression is actually quite variable and changes based on your lifestyle.

The process of gene expression is what determines which genes are actually expressed by cells in your body.  The key to gene expression is epigenetics which consists of physiological mechanisms that silence or activate genes, and encompasses process which alter gene function without changing the sequence of nucleotide base pairs of our DNA.   There are many such physiological processes which are activated by changes in our environment caused by many factors including exercise, diet, medications, sunlight, smoking, meditation, etc.  

All of your lifestyle choices play into your risk of disease through epigenetics.  Nearly all cancers, respiratory illnesses, autoimmune disorders, and cardiovascular disease are controlled through epigenetic changes.  Simply put – genes load the gun but the environment (your lifestyle) pulls the trigger!

Most disease-causing gene expression is activated by epigenetic factors meaning you CAN control it!  In fact, the Centers for Disease Control states that genetics account for only 10% of diseases.

Transgenerational Inheritance of Epigenetic Change

Amazingly epigenetic changes that occur in one generation can be passed down to future generations.  For example, it is known that changes in fertility initially causes by chemical exposure caused epigenetic changes can be handed down to the next generation.  This is also true of traumatic experiences.   

Characteristics of a parent’s sensory environment that occur before conception can remodel the sensory nervous system and neuroanatomy in future conceived generations.  An example of this is the fact that descendants of holocaust survivors show abnormal stress hormone levels which put them at greater risk for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

Lifestyle Choices Count for you AND the next Generations

Realize that the air we breathe, the food we eat, the thoughts we allow, the toxins to which we are exposed, and the experiences we undergo may be passed on to our descendants.  Our genes are not our destiny – the choices we make are!

Does Aspartame Really Cause Cancer?

 

Recently, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (the IARC) – a branch of the World Health Organization announced it had designated the artificial sweetener aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”   This sounds ominous but the truth is much less scary!

There are 5 different classifications that relate to the potential cancer causing properties of a given substance:

Carcinogenic to Humans

Probably Carcinogenic to Humans

Possibly Carcinogenic to Humans

Not Classifiable as to its Carcinogenicity

As such the designation of Aspartame as “Possibly Carcinogenic to Humans” does NOT mean it is a clear and definite cancer causing agent at any dose!   It just means that there is reason to study this further.

Like all potential carcinogens the details matter such as how much of a substance do you need to be exposed to in order to initiate cancerous cellular changes.   Keep in mind our bodies are constantly exposed to poisons both natural and man-made, and our bodies have evolved to handle this or none of us would be here today.

For example – alcohol from alcoholic beverages – is a known carcinogen at high doses on a regular basis!  On the other some research shows that small daily doses may in fact be beneficial.

So the take home message on Aspartame is it is smart to consider how many artificially sweetened beverages you take in on a regular basis and try to limit them daily.    

To get a detailed review of the science on aspartame and cancer check this great article out from Dr. Peter Attia:   https://peterattiamd.com/aspartame-and-cancer/?utm_source=weekly-newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=230806-NL-aspartameandcancer&utm_content=230806-NL-aspartameandcancer-email-nonsubs&mc_cid=044a15ec2a&mc_eid=c0f54eddcb