Late back from work on Wednesday night it felt too late to cook but I wanted something so I opened a can of coconut milk. Lovely. Within 15 minutes my gut was bubbling. In the middle of the night - 3am - I got up and had an explosive liquid shit. Fantastic. Final dribble first thing in the morning......
Interesting listening the next day to the superb Paleo-Nerd-A-Thon! podcast with Robb Wolf, Matt Lalonde and Chris Kresser, Matt mentioend that some people struggle to tolerate coconut milk, not due to the milk itself but the guar gum ingredient which is a legume.
Time to check the labels more closely in future.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Looking Forward to getting back to Krav Maga Edinburgh
once work quietens down after these elections, I am looking forward to getting back to training with Krav Maga Edinburgh
Exercise: it is not about doing something....but not doing nothing
Interesting little abstract here in that the implication is that it is not about exercise per se but about the dangers of inactivity.
Lack of regular physical exercise or too much inactivity.
PURPOSE
To discuss the current data that acute periods of physical inactivity are harmful to health.
RECENT FINDINGS:
Bed rest prescribed for recovery from clinical conditions causes changes in thousands of mRNAs in leg muscles within days. Humans genetically more susceptible to metabolic disorders (low birth weight babies and type 2 diabetic offspring) are as, or more, susceptible to further metabolic dysfunction by the environmental perturbation of bed rest, as compared with healthy controls without these risk factors. High daily accumulations of sitting are not only associated with enhanced metabolic risk, but current findings report that increased sitting time leads to a reduction in insulin sensitivity. Reductions in walking or in ambulatory activity (lower step numbers taken by healthy humans) reduce insulin sensitivity and insulin signaling through Akt in skeletal muscle.
SUMMARY:
New findings using human models of physical inactivity (bed rest, increased sitting time, and reduced daily ambulatory activity), extend pre-existing research showing that transitioning to physical inactivity rapidly reduced metabolic health. Modern technological advances that remove standing, walking, and major limb movement initiate metabolic dysfunctions that likely play a fundamental role in the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Lack of regular physical exercise or too much inactivity.
PURPOSE
To discuss the current data that acute periods of physical inactivity are harmful to health.
RECENT FINDINGS:
Bed rest prescribed for recovery from clinical conditions causes changes in thousands of mRNAs in leg muscles within days. Humans genetically more susceptible to metabolic disorders (low birth weight babies and type 2 diabetic offspring) are as, or more, susceptible to further metabolic dysfunction by the environmental perturbation of bed rest, as compared with healthy controls without these risk factors. High daily accumulations of sitting are not only associated with enhanced metabolic risk, but current findings report that increased sitting time leads to a reduction in insulin sensitivity. Reductions in walking or in ambulatory activity (lower step numbers taken by healthy humans) reduce insulin sensitivity and insulin signaling through Akt in skeletal muscle.
SUMMARY:
New findings using human models of physical inactivity (bed rest, increased sitting time, and reduced daily ambulatory activity), extend pre-existing research showing that transitioning to physical inactivity rapidly reduced metabolic health. Modern technological advances that remove standing, walking, and major limb movement initiate metabolic dysfunctions that likely play a fundamental role in the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Tony Blauer interview - good self defence thinking
CrossFit Huntington Beach Interview with Coach Tony Blauer from Tony Blauer on Vimeo.
via Brian
Really good stuff in there about avoiding complex motor skills in self defence
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Great Fat Debate
Does anyone have access to the Journal of the American Dietetic Association? Looks like they have an interesting feature on Fat this month:
The Great Fat Debate: A Closer Look at the Controversy—Questioning the Validity of Age-Old Dietary Guidance
Fasting and cellular protection
For those of us with an interest in fasting - like the 2 Meal Solution for example -will find this interesting. I've pointed in the past (here and here) to studies that indicate that fasting might be a good tactic in caner treatment.
Fasting vs dietary restriction in cellular protection and cancer treatment: from model organisms to patients.
Fasting vs dietary restriction in cellular protection and cancer treatment: from model organisms to patients.
The dietary recommendation for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, as described by the American Cancer Society, is to increase calorie and protein intake. Yet, in simple organisms, mice, and humans, fasting-no calorie intake-induces a wide range of changes associated with cellular protection, which would be difficult to achieve even with a cocktail of potent drugs. In mammals, the protective effect of fasting is mediated, in part, by an over 50% reduction in glucose and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I) levels. Because proto-oncogenes function as key negative regulators of the protective changes induced by fasting, cells expressing oncogenes, and therefore the great majority of cancer cells, should not respond to the protective signals generated by fasting, promoting the differential protection (differential stress resistance) of normal and cancer cells. Preliminary reports indicate that fasting for up to 5 days followed by a normal diet, may also protect patients against chemotherapy without causing chronic weight loss. By contrast, the long-term 20 to 40% restriction in calorie intake (dietary restriction, DR), whose effects on cancer progression have been studied extensively for decades, requires weeks-months to be effective, causes much more modest changes in glucose and/or IGF-I levels, and promotes chronic weight loss in both rodents and humans. In this study, we review the basic as well as clinical studies on fasting, cellular protection and chemotherapy resistance, and compare them to those on DR and cancer treatment. Although additional pre-clinical and clinical studies are necessary, fasting has the potential to be translated into effective clinical interventions for the protection of patients and the improvement of therapeutic index.Oncogene advance online publication, 25 April 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Chek on the core
Paul Chek can be completely barmy, but he knows his stuff. Here he is on core strength when lifting
Monday, April 18, 2011
POSE walking
I am still thinking through the material for the Hillfit series I am writing for TGO. One of the topics is the skill of walking. For this I think there is a lot to learn from POSE. We know of POSE mainly from running style but they also have an approach to walking:
Walking in this case is no different from running. Despite the fact that in walking we always have a ground contact with one or two feet we still need to fall forward in order to move forward and change the support during falling from one leg to the other. So our speed of walking depends on the degree of falling (leaning forward, which is the degree of deviation of the GCM of the body from the point of support) and the frequency of changing supports (stride frequency).
The following premises basically define the major requirements to efficient walking technique.
Increase your walking speed by leaning forward more and more often by changing support quicker.
- Fall forward only from the ball of the foot.
- Don’t push off with the support leg or foot.
- Keep knees very slightly bent or just not locked.
- Touch the ground with the rear part of the foot, but then quickly transfer the body weight on the ball of the foot.
- Pull the support foot from the ground and bring the swing leg to midstance (Walking Pose) to fall forward again.
Keep your body straight, arms bent in elbows according to your speed and stride frequency.
Avoid efforts beyond necessary to keep your body on support and to change support.
Do not bend in your hips. Strong and formed hips (position and strength) are the base of efficient falling and changing support.
Do not worry about stride length – it is a function of leaning forward.
In walking, even at the fastest speed, you can’t bring your cardio-vascular system to the level of exhaustion as in running, but it gives a good load on the body and could be a good base for your further conditioning. The PW technique allows you to avoid an unnecessary load on your joints and muscles, but gives you all the benefits of an aerobic exercise.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
World's oldest man did intermittent fasting
World's oldest man dies at 114 - Walter Breuning was born in 1896 and put his longevity down to eating just two meals a day and working for as long as he could
Sounds like the 2 meal solution works....
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Robb Wolf's Paleo Solution - spoof
I love Robb Wolf's paleo solution podcasts. I have listened to them all. Every week downloading it and listening on my way to and from work on Tuesday or Wednesday as soon as I get it. But sometimes I wonder if there is anything left for them to say. Still I always look forward to listening to them (and still miss Andy Deas)
>So Dude, what's happening?
>>Hey the sun is shining in Chico! I'm stoked! Sweet. What a gig man.
>You been busy?
>>Rollin on the mat with some jits, learning some MovNat with Erwan. Actually speaking now from a motel in DC where I am doing a seminar with Xfit. Had a great time. Bit of a gluten hit in a restaurant but over it now. Tired man, dragging my sorry butt through this.
>Wow man. Legit. Any more work on the website?
>>Amber is developing a new interactive approach - we are transcribing the old podcasts and then Andy D will read them personally to you in your car as you drive to work. It will be awesome. What about you Gregg / Andy?
>I am so tired man. Too much coffee. Been hitting the snatch balance moves pretty hard working on getting under the bar. No metcon.
>>Yeah. Caffeine is cool. Gluten is death. Metcon sucks.
>Word! Time for some questions?
>>Hit it!
>Sweet.
Here is one from Cindy
>>Sheesh! You need to get this dialed in with all your ducks in a row there Cindy. I am shooting for 100% grain, legume dairy free for 30 days and see if you look / feel and perform better. There are serious lectin issues there. Major, major cortisol shenanigans there too. Any thoughts Greg?
>It might be about her snatch. What about metabolic derangement Robb?
>>Definitely. She needs to read Lights Out. 9 hours sleep a night in a pitch black room. Maybe more.
>What about those enzymes Robb?
>>Dude I think definitely some ox bile, Now Food Superenzymes are always good.
>What about the training Robb?
>>Man, she is seriously over-reaching. Lift some weights and walk a little. Look back at some old school Art DeVany hierarchical training. That guy has it dialed in. This sort of training is killing people. Crossfit needs some basic periodisation.
>Diet Robb?
>>OK. lowish carb, well carbs correlated to activity levels. You need some carbs in the post workout window - yams, sweet potatoes - I've been having some good results with some locally sourced tapioca pudding.
>Will this diet get her pregnant Robb?
>>Dude - 30 days of this and she will be carrying a little bugger.
>The finger Robb?
>>Well weird, but it you do some Google-Fu for "finger" and "hyperinsulinemia" and "gluten" there are a number of studies out there which are seeing high activation of the innate immune system - thinking Th1 here - coupled with some of that lectin shit and insulin what-not leading to the loss of fingers. Scientists are not linking it yet, but in an email I had from Loren Cordain we were discussing this paper from a Spanish study where going wheat free had grown back some limbs. In sheep.
The spleen and gall bladder I think probably just shrivelled due to gluten and caused the car crash. It is always the gluten bro'
>Coolio.
>>Sweet
>That is dialed in man.
Cheat day?
>>Greg we always say, no hookers and cocaine binge.
>Booze?
>>NorCal margaritas are the mega legit way to get your head change dude.
>Well Cindy. Try it out. Let us know how it goes. Now the next question.....this is from "paleogeek" from Dublin Ireland - nice handle there fella - Robb, I am confused about fish oil......
and so it goes on! I do love these guys.
>So Dude, what's happening?>>Hey the sun is shining in Chico! I'm stoked! Sweet. What a gig man.
>You been busy?
>>Rollin on the mat with some jits, learning some MovNat with Erwan. Actually speaking now from a motel in DC where I am doing a seminar with Xfit. Had a great time. Bit of a gluten hit in a restaurant but over it now. Tired man, dragging my sorry butt through this.
>Wow man. Legit. Any more work on the website?
>>Amber is developing a new interactive approach - we are transcribing the old podcasts and then Andy D will read them personally to you in your car as you drive to work. It will be awesome. What about you Gregg / Andy?
>I am so tired man. Too much coffee. Been hitting the snatch balance moves pretty hard working on getting under the bar. No metcon.
>>Yeah. Caffeine is cool. Gluten is death. Metcon sucks.
>Word! Time for some questions?
>>Hit it!
>Sweet.
Here is one from Cindy
Robb. You are awesome. I have read your book and for the last 3 days I have been 73.5% paleo. Although I am still having some quinoa and soy milk. Ok maybe 64.2% compliance. I am 5'6" and 120lb. Also doing Crossfit 7 days a week plus yoga and am training for a triathlon. I have been experiencing some concerns with tiredness. I have some thyroid issues and my gall bladder and spleen removed after a period of veganism. Also I had a finger amputated after a car crash. Is this OK? :-) Also what about cheat days? and booze?
>>Sheesh! You need to get this dialed in with all your ducks in a row there Cindy. I am shooting for 100% grain, legume dairy free for 30 days and see if you look / feel and perform better. There are serious lectin issues there. Major, major cortisol shenanigans there too. Any thoughts Greg?>It might be about her snatch. What about metabolic derangement Robb?
>>Definitely. She needs to read Lights Out. 9 hours sleep a night in a pitch black room. Maybe more.
>What about those enzymes Robb?
>>Dude I think definitely some ox bile, Now Food Superenzymes are always good.
>What about the training Robb?
>>Man, she is seriously over-reaching. Lift some weights and walk a little. Look back at some old school Art DeVany hierarchical training. That guy has it dialed in. This sort of training is killing people. Crossfit needs some basic periodisation.
>Diet Robb?
>>OK. lowish carb, well carbs correlated to activity levels. You need some carbs in the post workout window - yams, sweet potatoes - I've been having some good results with some locally sourced tapioca pudding.
>Will this diet get her pregnant Robb?
>>Dude - 30 days of this and she will be carrying a little bugger.
>The finger Robb?
>>Well weird, but it you do some Google-Fu for "finger" and "hyperinsulinemia" and "gluten" there are a number of studies out there which are seeing high activation of the innate immune system - thinking Th1 here - coupled with some of that lectin shit and insulin what-not leading to the loss of fingers. Scientists are not linking it yet, but in an email I had from Loren Cordain we were discussing this paper from a Spanish study where going wheat free had grown back some limbs. In sheep.
The spleen and gall bladder I think probably just shrivelled due to gluten and caused the car crash. It is always the gluten bro'
>Coolio.
>>Sweet
>That is dialed in man.
Cheat day?
>>Greg we always say, no hookers and cocaine binge.
>Booze?
>>NorCal margaritas are the mega legit way to get your head change dude.
>Well Cindy. Try it out. Let us know how it goes. Now the next question.....this is from "paleogeek" from Dublin Ireland - nice handle there fella - Robb, I am confused about fish oil......
and so it goes on! I do love these guys.
Lower Carb diet better for fat burning from exercise
Just spotted this abstract yesterday
A comparison of normal versus low dietary carbohydrate intake on substrate oxidation during and after moderate intensity exercise in women.
We compared the effects of consuming a 2-day low-carbohydrate (CHO) diet (low-CHO; 20% CHO, 40% protein, 40% fat) versus an isocaloric 2-day moderate-CHO diet (mod-CHO; 55% CHO, 15% protein, 30% fat) on substrate oxidation during and after exercise in ten active, young women.
Subjects were 24.9 ± 6.2% body fat with a VO(2max) of 68.8 ± 13.8 ml/kg FFM/min. For 2 days prior to exercise, subjects consumed either the mod-CHO or the low-CHO diet and then completed treadmill exercise at 55% of VO(2max) until 350 kcal of energy was expended. During exercise and for 2 h post-exercise, expired gases were analyzed to determine oxidation rates for CHO (CHO-OX) and fat (FAT-OX).
Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between diets for CHO-OX and FAT-OX (mg/kg FFM/min) during exercise, 1 h post-ex, and 2 h post-ex. During exercise, FAT-OX was higher (low-CHO 8.7 ± 2.2 vs. mod-CHO 6.2 ± 2.2) and CHO-OX was lower (low-CHO 25.1 ± 5.6 vs. mod-CHO 31.1 ± 6.2) following the low-CHO diet. A similar trend was observed during 1 h post-ex for FAT-OX (low-CHO 2.2 ± 0.5 vs. mod-CHO 1.6 ± 0.5) and CHO-OX (low-CHO 2.5 ± 1.2 vs. mod-CHO 4.1 ± 1.9), as well as 2 h post-ex for FAT-OX (low-CHO vs. 1.9 ± 0.5 mod-CHO 1.7 ± 0.4) and CHO-OX (low-CHO 2.5 ± 0.9 vs. mod-CHO 3.1 ± 1.1).
Significant positive correlations were observed between VO(2max) and CHO-OX during exercise and post-exercise, as well as significant negative correlations between VO(2max) and FAT-OX post-exercise in the low-CHO condition.
circumference and FAT-OX exhibited a significant negative correlation during exercise in the low-CHO condition. Dietary macronutrient intake influenced substrate oxidation in active young women during and after moderate intensity exercise.
A comparison of normal versus low dietary carbohydrate intake on substrate oxidation during and after moderate intensity exercise in women.
We compared the effects of consuming a 2-day low-carbohydrate (CHO) diet (low-CHO; 20% CHO, 40% protein, 40% fat) versus an isocaloric 2-day moderate-CHO diet (mod-CHO; 55% CHO, 15% protein, 30% fat) on substrate oxidation during and after exercise in ten active, young women.
Subjects were 24.9 ± 6.2% body fat with a VO(2max) of 68.8 ± 13.8 ml/kg FFM/min. For 2 days prior to exercise, subjects consumed either the mod-CHO or the low-CHO diet and then completed treadmill exercise at 55% of VO(2max) until 350 kcal of energy was expended. During exercise and for 2 h post-exercise, expired gases were analyzed to determine oxidation rates for CHO (CHO-OX) and fat (FAT-OX).
Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between diets for CHO-OX and FAT-OX (mg/kg FFM/min) during exercise, 1 h post-ex, and 2 h post-ex. During exercise, FAT-OX was higher (low-CHO 8.7 ± 2.2 vs. mod-CHO 6.2 ± 2.2) and CHO-OX was lower (low-CHO 25.1 ± 5.6 vs. mod-CHO 31.1 ± 6.2) following the low-CHO diet. A similar trend was observed during 1 h post-ex for FAT-OX (low-CHO 2.2 ± 0.5 vs. mod-CHO 1.6 ± 0.5) and CHO-OX (low-CHO 2.5 ± 1.2 vs. mod-CHO 4.1 ± 1.9), as well as 2 h post-ex for FAT-OX (low-CHO vs. 1.9 ± 0.5 mod-CHO 1.7 ± 0.4) and CHO-OX (low-CHO 2.5 ± 0.9 vs. mod-CHO 3.1 ± 1.1).
Significant positive correlations were observed between VO(2max) and CHO-OX during exercise and post-exercise, as well as significant negative correlations between VO(2max) and FAT-OX post-exercise in the low-CHO condition.
circumference and FAT-OX exhibited a significant negative correlation during exercise in the low-CHO condition. Dietary macronutrient intake influenced substrate oxidation in active young women during and after moderate intensity exercise.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Telomere length
I just wanted to point to a couple of interesting stories I'd come across about telomeres. The first was on the consistently excellent Perfect Health Diet: Paul talks about What Telomeres Tell Us About Human Disease It is a fascinating post.
At the same time, I also saw this in Scientific American, My, What Long Telomeres You Have
Definitely worth reading.
At the same time, I also saw this in Scientific American, My, What Long Telomeres You Have
Telomeres are caps on the ends of chromosomes, protecting them much as plastic tips on the ends of shoelaces keep the laces from fraying. Whenever chromosomes—the store houses of our genes—are replicated in preparation for cell division, their telomeres shorten. That shrinking has led many scientists to view telomere length as a marker of biological aging, a “molecular” clock ticking off the cell’s life span, as well as an indicator of overall health. Studies comparing the telomere length of white blood cells among groups of volunteers show distinct correlations between telomere length and lifestyle. Those who exercise regularly have longer telomeres than those who do not. Folks who perceive themselves as the most stressed have shorter telomeres than those who see themselves as the least.
Definitely worth reading.
Barefoot running is more efficient
Here is another one for the barefoot supporters.
Oxygen Cost of Running Barefoot vs. Running Shod
..............For the overground and treadmill conditions, recorded VO2 while running shod was 5.7% and 2.0% higher than running barefoot. It was concluded that at 70% of vVO2max pace, barefoot running is more economical than running shod, both overground and on a treadmill.
There is something more efficient about being barefoot.......talk about economical, you don't even ned to buy shoes!
Oxygen Cost of Running Barefoot vs. Running Shod
..............For the overground and treadmill conditions, recorded VO2 while running shod was 5.7% and 2.0% higher than running barefoot. It was concluded that at 70% of vVO2max pace, barefoot running is more economical than running shod, both overground and on a treadmill.
There is something more efficient about being barefoot.......talk about economical, you don't even ned to buy shoes!
Tell the fat kids to step away from the cake....
......or they will never burn fat!
Carbohydrate intake reduces fat oxidation during exercise in obese boys.
.........carbohydrate (CHO) intake attenuates whole body fat oxidation during exercise in healthy children and may suppress fat metabolism in obese youth. ............. CHO intake markedly suppresses fat oxidation during exercise in obese boys.
True for the rest of us too.
Carbohydrate intake reduces fat oxidation during exercise in obese boys.
.........carbohydrate (CHO) intake attenuates whole body fat oxidation during exercise in healthy children and may suppress fat metabolism in obese youth. ............. CHO intake markedly suppresses fat oxidation during exercise in obese boys.
True for the rest of us too.
Monday, April 4, 2011
More fasting research
I spotted this one today.
Periodic Fasting Improves Blood Lipids
More support for the benefits of intermittent fasting (like the 2 Meal Solution or Eat Stop Eat)
Periodic Fasting Improves Blood Lipids
More support for the benefits of intermittent fasting (like the 2 Meal Solution or Eat Stop Eat)
Defence against chokes
My job is really busy at the moment (hence the sporadic and rare posts). I am working late most nights - and have been for a couple of months - so I have not been able to get along to the regular Krav Maga classes that I attend (Krav Maga Edinburgh).
This is what I am missing. I know most of these moves already and already have grade 1, but I miss the classes and the laughs.
This is what I am missing. I know most of these moves already and already have grade 1, but I miss the classes and the laughs.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
A new world record deadlift: 1015lb!
Iceland’s Benedikt Magnusson smashed the world deadlift record on Saturday at MHP’s Kings of the Bench V & Clash of the Titans IV. He made an incredibly easy looking pull of 460kg (1015lbs), performed raw, (well he used a belt but no suit).
I bet that activated his glutes.
He is the second man in history to break through the 1000lb barrier after Andy Bolton pulled 1008.9lb in 2009
I bet that activated his glutes.
He is the second man in history to break through the 1000lb barrier after Andy Bolton pulled 1008.9lb in 2009
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