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No Sugar November – 2018 Edition

Luke Powell — Sat, 20 Oct 2018 12:23:53 +0000

October is coming to an end. So you know what that means? It’s time for “No Sugar November”! Can you go from November 1^st until Thanksgiving (that’s only 21 days this year) with no sugar? It might seem like a monumental task, but take a few minutes to read the rest of this post and I’ll guide you through the three weeks that will hopefully change your life.

Before getting into the details of the challenge, I feel like I should take a minute to remind everyone why sugar needs to be eliminated from your diet. Here are some of the things that sugar/sweeteners do:

Promotes fat storage and weight gain
Decreases your body’s production of leptin, a hormone critical for appetite regulation (i.e., it makes you not realize that you are full).
It thickens the blood
Compromises your immune system
Fuels cancer cells (cancer LOVES sugar)
Disrupts transfer of amino acids to muscles
Triggers inflammation
Causes Type 2 diabetes
Causes nerve damage
Causes Cardiovascular Disease
Has addictive properties
Causes tooth decay

If you want to know more about all of the horrible things that happen to your body when you consume sugar and/or artificial sweeteners, do a simple Google search.

So if you want to join me in the challenge, here’s what you do:

Starting now, look at the labels of everything that you eat. If the word “sugar” (in any form) is listed in the ingredients, don’t eat it. But it’s not that simple. Sugar can come in many forms. It can be very tricky to find hidden sugar in foods that you don’t even think of as being sweet. It’s obvious that candy bars and donuts are off limits, but would you ever think that pasta sauce, peanut butter and yogurt have added sugar? Even simply drinking a glass of sweet tea can trigger the release of huge amounts of dopamine into the brain. It’s the same chemical that causes people to become addicted to gambling, alcohol, drugs, sex, etc.. So when your brain gets this release from even a small amount of sugar, it makes you want it more. The only way to keep from getting cravings is to cut it out completely.

Hidden Forms of Sugar to Look For:

So what should you look for on labels other than just the word “sugar”? Check for sucrose, fructose, glucose, dextrose, galactose, lactose, maltose, dextrin, corn syrup, HFCS (high fructose corn syrup), fruit juice concentrate, cane crystals, and evaporated cane juice.

All of these are off limits. Even though the artificial sweeteners don’t have the calories of their natural counterparts, they are toxic to your body and send mixed signals to your brain. Artificial sweeteners cause you to actually eat more because they break the connection between a sweet sensation and a high-calorie food, thereby changing your body’s ability to regulate calorie intake naturally.

What about eating at a restaurant?

So what about when you are not buying your food from the grocery and you are out to eat at a restaurant? When you are not preparing the food, it’s a little more difficult to find the hidden sugars. I usually try and order a salad with oil and vinegar instead of the dressings listed on the menu. Nearly every salad dressing out there has added sugar. Many salads also have caramelized nuts, so look to avoid those or just pick them off. Ketchup and BBQ sauces will always contain sugar. Often, sandwich meats at fast food restaurants are treated or injected with a sugar solution to add to the flavor. It’s not easy, but it can be done if you take the time to look at the menu and ask the server questions. Things can be left off or put on the side very easily if you just ask.

Are you up for the challenge??

So if you are up for it, join me in going cold-turkey on sugar (and artificial sweeteners) from now until Thanksgiving. I’ve gone without sugar for weeks at a time before and while the first week or so is tough, it’s amazing how the body transforms and you no longer care about sweets. After going a few weeks without sugar, you will be able to walk by that vending machine or that plate of cookies without the slightest urge. If you slip up and have a soda on day three, don’t quit – just start over from that point. In order for this to work, you cannot have “cheat” days. Once you introduce that sugar again, the cravings will come back and it will be harder to get sugar off of the brain. It literally starts to control your thoughts and you will start thinking about that next sweet treat.

Hold yourself accountable

If you want some accountability, share this post on Facebook or Twitter and let everyone know that you are going to give it a try. Use hashtag #NoSugarNovember. We also have a Private Facebook group. If you would like to join, just send me a friend request. If your family members, friends and co-workers all know that you are avoiding sugar, you are more likely to stick with it. You must also remove all sources of sugar from your home and replace them with real, unprocessed foods. Out of sight – out of mind. If you have a craving during the first few days, eat some berries or a banana. If your immediate family is not on-board this could be a big test for your will power.

If you are still on the fence about cutting out sugar, here are some additional benefits that you may not realize will come once you eliminate it:

Clearer Skin – A study published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2006 showed that those participants who had a high-sucrose diet also had a higher level of systemic inflammation than those who had an overall decrease in sucrose consumption. Sugar spikes insulin levels—and more insulin and inflammation means more acne.
More Energy – You may think that without sugar, your energy levels will drop. Fact is, after a few days, your body will recognize that you are not going to pump sugar in every few hours like usual and it will start to switch to burning fat as fuel. This results in sustained energy, instead of a roller-coaster throughout the day as your blood sugar spikes and drops. You will notice this particularly in the afternoon when most people usually get an energy slump between 2pm-4pm that calls for a candy bar, soda or another cup of coffee to get them through the rest of the afternoon.

Motivation – Once you start reading labels and being mindful of sugar intake, you will find yourself making better choices in other areas of health and fitness. You will be motivated to eat the salad at lunch instead of the sandwich. You will want to exercise as you get more energy and see the pounds coming off!
Better Sleep – Sugar triggers the release of the hormone cortisol, which interferes with sleep. By giving up sugar, you should be more awake and alert during the day, and also better prepared to fall asleep at bedtime.
Clearer Thinking – Keep forgetting things? Sugar could be the culprit. A study at UCLA found that a diet high in sugar hinders learning and memory. Over time, eating sugar may actually damage communication among your brain’s cells, the study showed.

I hope you will give No Sugar November a try this year. Get your spouse or partner on board and make it a challenge. If you slip up, start again. Let’s take this journey together and see how much better it makes you feel. And you can still enjoy that pumpkin pie and sweet potato casserole on Thanksgiving!

Be sure and visit all of my sponsor’s websites. I sought out these companies because they provide great products and services.

Wishing you optimal health and peak performance,

The post No Sugar November – 2018 Edition first appeared on Holistic Athlete.

The post No Sugar November – 2018 Edition appeared first on Holistic Athlete.

Is Sparkling Water Healthy?

Luke Powell — Sat, 14 Jul 2018 23:29:19 +0000

Saying that sparkling waters are popular is an understatement. Nearly 574 million gallons of sparkling water — $6.1 billion worth — were sold in the U.S. in 2016, the last full year of data, according to Beverage Marketing. And that figure was expected to reach 790 gallons and more than $8.5 million in 2017. Compare that to about 263 million gallons and $2.6 billion in 2011.

Bottled water (still and sparkling combined) overtook carbonated soft drinks as America’s favorite drink for the first time in 2016 — 12.8 billion gallons sold versus 12.4 billion, Beverage Marketing reported. The gap between the two increased even further in 2017. Clearly Americans are realizing that sugar filled soft drinks are unhealthy and are opting to get their bubbly drink fix somewhere else.

There are brands that were not even in existence a few years ago that are market leaders in the sparking water beverage segment. Brands such as Sparking Ice, La Croix, Klarbrunn and Perrier are big players, but there are so many private label brands out there now that it seems like everyone makes a sparkling beverage. Kroger, Walmart and Meijer all have their own brands. You can even make your own sparking water at home with products such as SodaStream.

While sparkling water has gained popularity, people don’t exactly know where carbonated water — also commonly called club soda, seltzer, seltzer water, soda water, fizzy water or mineral water — stands in regard to health.

If you are looking to find the most natural form of sparkling water, look for sparkling mineral water, which not only naturally contains minerals, but also can be naturally carbonated from gases that are naturally occurring in the water. However, not all sparkling mineral water is naturally sparkling, and some companies add carbon dioxide to make it even more bubbly. Minerals that are found in sparkling mineral water can include magnesium, sulfate, calcium and potassium…all of which have amazing health benefits. Examples of good sparkling mineral water brands are San Pellegrino, Gerolsteiner, Topo Chico and Perrier.

So are there any possible side effects to drinking sparkling water? Depends on the brand and type.

Some companies have put additives and sweeteners in their sparkling water. Flavored sparkling water provides soda drinkers with the fizz they love and comes in a range of fruit flavors. While most brands refuse to disclose exactly how their water is flavors, most just list “naturally flavors” on the ingredients label. La Croix’s website says they are sourcing their natural flavors from essential oils, which is what I would use if I were making flavored water at home. Be aware that there are some flavored waters that just add plain sugar or artificial sweeteners such as sucralose and acesulfame potassium to their water. Just read the label. Brands such as Propel Fitness Water and Vitamin water are usually loaded with artificial junk.

Stay away from this stuff!

Some experts says the carbonation, over time can wear at the enamel on teeth and potentially contribute to tooth decay. The carbonic acid found in sparkling water lowers the pH of water, making it more acidic, and one of the things that causes dental erosion is the acid in food and beverages. Keep in mind that soda is a lot more acidic that sparking water. Also note that sparkling mineral water contains minerals that can actually offset some of the potential damage caused by the low pH.

All this being said, I would still put plain (distilled, filtered, spring and even tap) water ahead of sparkling water, but if you need your carbonation fix, it’s a good option.

The bottom line is that if you’re currently drinking regular or diet soda, you should switch immediately to drinking sparkling water. But you have to read the label. As long as the sparkling water doesn’t have any unhealthy additives, it beats out soda (“coke” if you are from the south and “pop” if you are from the north) every time.

Be sure and visit all of my sponsor’s websites. I sought out these companies because they provide great products and services.

Wishing you optimal health and peak performance,

The post Is Sparkling Water Healthy? first appeared on Holistic Athlete.

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The U.S. Dietary Guidelines

Luke Powell — Sat, 07 Apr 2018 18:11:13 +0000

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are the cornerstone of Federal nutrition policy and nutrition education activities. Since 1980, the Guidelines have been jointly issued and updated every 5 years by the Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS). The current version was issued in 2015. You can find it here.

The Dietary Guidelines is:

Designed for professionals to help all individuals ages 2 years and older and their families consume a healthy, nutritionally adequate diet.
Used in developing Federal food, nutrition, and health policies and programs.
The basis for Federal nutrition education materials designed for the public and for the nutrition education components of HHS and USDA food programs.
Developed for use by policymakers and nutrition and health professionals.
Used to develop programs, policies, and communication for the general public include businesses, schools, community groups, media, the food industry, and State and local governments.

So as you can see, what the USDA and HHS decide should be in the Dietary Guidelines determines what doctors, nutritionist and dieticians recommend, what is served for school lunches, what foods will be served in feeding assistance programs, what smaller nations will recommend, and historically what the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will recommend.

The guidelines are in the process of being revised right now as they are due to come out with an updated Dietary Guideline at the end of 2020.

Before we talk about what might be coming, let’s take a look at what has been in the Guidelines in the past.

The original guidelines issued in 1980 called for a diet lower in fat and higher in carbohydrates, and by 2010, Americans had indeed brought their fat consumption down below 35 percent (was above 40% in 1965), and increased carbohydrates to 55 to 65 percent (was only 40% in 1965).

I looked up the 1980 Guidelines and found these little gems:

Really? Hard to believe they didn't know the connection between sugar and Type 2 Diabetes!

Nope. All calories are NOT equal. And increased activity is not a good way to lose weight.

Wrong. It's not just about the calories!

I could understand if maybe the overwhelming research in the 38 years since this was published would lead you to give them the benefit of the doubt, but the problem is…the current guidelines haven’t changed much! The basic advice to eat more carbs and less fat has been followed ever since. They also continue to tell people to try and burn more calories than you take in. This is bad advice.

None of this would be a big deal if there were not are serious consequences to getting the dietary guidelines wrong. The fact is that since the beginning, the guidelines have discouraged eating fats, specifically saturated fats. That left us with polyunsaturated fats, which can be healthy as we need some omega-6 fats, but not in the form of most readily available - processed vegetable oils. After reading Cate Shanahan's book, Deep Nutrition, I believe that vegetable oils have likely caused more harm to humans than the increase in carbohydrates.

The spike in heart disease among Americans follows right along with the spike in vegetable oil consumption. Since 1980, when the government issued its first set of dietary guidelines, the number of Americans who are obese or have type-2 diabetes has more than doubled. Roughly half of all American adults now live with one or more chronic, preventable diseases, and rates of childhood obesity have reached “epidemic” proportions, according to the National Institutes of Health.

The 2015 dietary guidelines still recommend capping saturated fat consumption at a maximum of 10% of your daily calories. In the last ten years (even prior to the release of the 2015 guidelines), dozens of systematic reviews and meta-analyses have concluded that saturated fats have no adverse effect on cardiovascular mortality. The guidelines, which call for avoiding saturated fats, have led to a 91% increase in unsaturated fat consumption (mainly vegetables oils) over the past three decades

I think we can all agree that any policy should be based on the best possible science available at the time. At this moment in time, medical literature and the rising obesity rates have shown that the previously recommended low-fat diet is ineffective.

Will the dietary guideline committee review this evidence and change their stance for the 2020 edition? Not likely…and here’s way.

The guidelines are finalized by a committee largely made out of appointees from the food industry and not actual scientist. Back in 2009, then-President Barack Obama issued an executive order on ethics that barred lobbyists from joining agencies they had lobbied in the previous two years. But current President Donald Trump weakened that order shortly after becoming president, allowing lobbyists to join agencies they recently lobbied so long as they recused themselves from working on specific issues on which they had lobbied within the previous two years. The Trump administration has been sidestepping even that stipulation — in some cases by ignoring it, and in others, by granting ethics waivers.

For instance, appointed to the Dietary Guidelines review committee in 2017 were a former lobbyist for the Snack Food Association and, more recently, for the Corn Refiners Association (think High Fructose Corn Syrup), and the National Grocers Association (think processed food). The Agriculture secretary has ownership stakes in grain company AGrowStar LLC, Houston Fertilizer and Grain Co. and ProAg Products LLC. Another member of the committee recently resigned from positions at the National Grain and Feed Association and the Georgia Agribusiness Council.

There are also major industry interests at stake. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, the guidelines are part of the USDA, and part of the USDA's mission is to promote agriculture. Seems like a conflict of interest.

The food and agricultural industries also have the ability to influence the guidelines. As it stands, the industries benefiting from the guidelines include makers of carbohydrate-based foods, as well as the corn and soy industries, as corn and soybean oil are used in most processed foods.

Another major factor that keeps the guidelines from changing is the professional investment that has grown out of the advice. What would happen if the new guidelines make wholesale changes and basically had to admit that they have been wrong all along and have cost people their lives by recommending the wrong things? The American Heart Association (AHA) and The American Diabetes Association (ADA) closely follow the Federal Dietary Guidelines and tell those suffering from heart disease or diabetes that this is how your should eat.

What would happen if the AHA and ADA suddenly came out and said they were wrong? Not going to happen. There would be hundreds of lawsuits filed the next day. I don’t see them backing out of any advice that might be found incorrect.

My point in telling you all of this is to remind you that you should not blindly trust what the government tells you when it comes to what to eat. There is a lot at play behind the scenes when any new guidelines or regulation is issued. Will the 2020 Guidelines make any major changes? Highly unlikely.

My recommendation is simple and is always the same: eat real food. By eating real food, as close to its natural state as possible, you're likely to be much healthier simply because you'll avoid a lot of processed foods. Unaltered foods contain all the nutrients your body needs, and in far more ideal ratios than even the best scientists and estimate.

Be sure and visit all of my sponsor’s websites. I sought out these companies because they provide great products and services.

Wishing you optimal health and peak performance,

The post The U.S. Dietary Guidelines first appeared on Holistic Athlete.

The post The U.S. Dietary Guidelines appeared first on Holistic Athlete.

What Is Fasting and Should You Be Doing It?

Luke Powell — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 02:37:02 +0000

Fasting is getting a lot of press these days. But it’s nothing new. Fasting was a normal practice even as long as 2000 years ago. There are many stories in the Bible of people (including Jesus) fasting for forty days or longer.

In January of both 2016 and 2017, I did a week-long water fast. You can read about my experiences here and here. What exactly is fasting?

According to gold ‘ol Websters (now a website and not a book), the definition of a “fast” is to

1. to abstain from all food.

2. to eat only sparingly or of certain kinds of food, especially as a religious observance.

So why would anyone want to eat sparingly or abstain from food all together? Doesn’t the human body need food to survive?

To answer that question, you have to take a look at the science behind fasting. You need to know how fasting benefits your body, and what meal frequency allows you to take maximum advantage of that.

Science has found the following benefits to fasting:

Increases insulin and leptin sensitivity – reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Increases ghrelin levels, which reduce overeating
Increases your ability to become fat adapted, which allows your body to burn stored fat for energy.
Decreases triglyceride levels, which lowers your risk of heart disease
Decreases inflammation in the body and damage caused by free radicals
Decreases weight gain and metabolic disease risks

The practice of fasting essentially gets rid of the old mitochondria and at the same time stimulates new growth. This process of renewing your mitochondria may play a huge role in the prevention of many of the diseases we currently have no acceptable treatment for, diseases of excess growth.

There are several types of fasts. The extreme is obviously going for days or even weeks on just water. A more manageable approach is known as Intermittent Fasting. Let's take a brief look at some of the most notable Intermittent Fasting (IF) regimens.

Alternate day fasting. This is a form of Intermittent Fasting where you do not eat for 24 hours, then eat as you normally would for the next 24 hours. Alternating eating and not eating.
Once a week or twice a week fasting. Both once or twice a week seem to be easier to follow than the alternate day fasting, but really doesn’t offer much benefit as you are likely to splurge on your non-fasting days.
Skipping dinner. This one is tough for lots of reasons and it’s likely to lead to sleep disorders and similar side effects as the alternate day fasting diet, only that skipping dinner is less effective than the alternate day fasting due to its shorter fasting time.
Skipping breakfast. Skipping breakfast is certainly a better idea than skipping dinner. I’ve implemented this IF strategy for years, especially on days that I do not do a morning workout.

Advocates of skipping dinner argue that breakfast is an important meal and should not be skipped. Despite hearing this our entire lives, the science clearly indicates the opposite. There is growing evidence that the typical breakfast is the most harmful meal of the day. A recent study indicated that the typical breakfast caused major adverse effects in the short and long terms. The typical breakfast composition in the study: 12% of calories from protein, 25% from fat and 63% from carbohydrates.

Other reports indicate that eating a high carbohydrate breakfast (oatmeal, toast, bagels, cereal, fruit juice, etc.), leads to a significant higher food consumption for the whole day. Furthermore, a big breakfast has shown to yield only a limited satiety effect which lasts merely 2 hours after breakfast. Overall, science confirms that the typical high carbohydrate breakfast tends to increase fat storage, increase body weight, and increase the risk for cardiovascular disease and long term health.

It’s worth noting that eating a meal in the morning is a fairly new phenomenon. There isn't a single mention of breakfast in the new testament; supper was the main meal of the day. The ancient Greeks and Romans were also very particular about eating their main meal at night.

The One Meal Per Day Plan. The one meal per day yields 14-16 hours of net fasting time after you factor in digestion. The most effective way to implement this IF plan is to eat your main meal at night to accommodate your circadian clock.

I recently tried out this one meal a day plan. For two weeks, I did not eat breakfast or lunch. What I found was that while I did lose a few pounds, and had plenty of energy during the day, I ended up over eating at dinner. Unlike the water fast I've done in the past, I knew that I would get to eventually eat each day, so skipping breakfast and lunch was pretty easy to stomach (see what I did there?). However, I found myself eating a lot more at dinner, and after dinner, than I normally would. So overall, I don’t think my total daily caloric intake was that much lower than if I would have eaten a breakfast, lunch and a normal sized dinner.

The key to any of these Intermittent Fasting approaches is to not only omit food, but to also omit anything with calories or caffeine. The goal is to give your digestive system a break and even caffeine has to be digested. So stick with water or caffeine free tea.

I’ve also read about “The Fasting Mimicking Diet”. This involves restricting your calories to 800 to 1,100 calories per day for five days each month, opposed to no-calorie fasting. It was primarily developed to improve compliance, as many find a five-day water-only fast to be too difficult. The low-calorie strategy also helps reduce the likelihood of adverse side effects, while retaining most of the benefits.

People are always shocked when I talk about my fasting, whether it’s a week-long water fast or going two weeks on just one meal a day. They wonder how I’m not just lying in bed completely out of energy. But think about the math. A pound of fat is around 3,500 calories. It takes close to two full days of fasting to burn a single pound of fat. If you're trying to lose 100 pounds, you could theoretically go 200 days of fasting just to burn all that fat. So trust me, you will be fine going a day without eating!

While the majority of the population would likely benefit from some form of fasting, there are several groups of people that should not consider fasting. If you are underweight, malnourished, under the age of 18, pregnant and/or breastfeeding, or on medication prescribed by a doctor, I would not recommend fasting.

If you're overweight or struggle with chronic illness, I highly recommend getting "The Complete Guide to Fasting," written by Dr. Jason Fung. It will walk you through the entire process and answer all of your questions. I truly believe that most diseases we face as a society are related to or can be changed by diet. Fasting, in it’s many forms, may be the key to healing the human race.

Be sure and visit all of my sponsor’s websites. I sought out these companies because they provide great products and services.

Wishing you optimal health and peak performance,

The post What Is Fasting and Should You Be Doing It? first appeared on Holistic Athlete.

The post What Is Fasting and Should You Be Doing It? appeared first on Holistic Athlete.

Why Counting Calories Doesn’t Work

Luke Powell — Sat, 13 Jan 2018 02:08:59 +0000

We’ve all heard that the key to losing weight is to simply burn more calories than you take in. Calories in < Calories out. Part of this thinking is that consumed calories, regardless of their sources are equivalent; i.e., a calorie is a calorie. Historically, calorie-focused thinking has been biased against high-fat foods, many of which may be beneficial against obesity and related diseases, and in favor of starchy and sugary replacements, which are likely leading to obesity and chronic disease.

Many (most) of the “diets” and public health initiatives are based around tracking your calories. This is simply not a healthy way to live, much less lose weight. These programs treat calories like units of body weight and units of body weight like a reflection of health. So if you are overweight, simply consume fewer calories than you burn and you will achieve healthier weights and better health. Wrong.

Although such logic might make sense on the surface, reality is not quite so simple and existing evidence challenges calorie-focused weight loss plans. A plan focused more on food quality, rather than caloric quantity, may help better explain and better address the growing problems of excess weight, or more precisely excess fat and related conditions that come along with it.

By this logic, a calories worth of salmon, olive oil, white rice or vodka would each be equivalent and each expected to have the same implications for body weight and health. But a calories worth of salmon (largely protein) and a calories worth of olive oil (purely fat) have very different biological effects from a calories worth of white rice (refined carbohydrate) or a calories worth of vodka (mostly alcohol) particularly with regard to body weight/body fatness.

Some calories introduce metabolic pathways and hormones that squelch appetite and promote energy use, others stimulate pathways that promote hunger and energy storage. Even controlling for total calorie intake and energy expenditure from physical activity (calorie in / calorie out), differences in calories have different implications for obesity. A calories worth of one food is not the same a calories worth of another.

The following list was taken from a University of Cambridge commentary on Public Health Nutrition.

Here are some common notions from a calorie-focused logic:

A calorie is a calorie
Eating less and moving more to achieve calorie deficit will produce weight loss
Consuming more calories than expended causes obesity
High-calorie foods/diets (i.e. high-fat foods/diets) are undesirable
Low-calorie foods/diets (i.e. low-fat foods/diets) are desirable
Low-fat foods without empty calories are best

What science and real-life tests show:

Calories from protein, fat, carbohydrate and alcohol each stimulate different physiological pathways and have different metabolic effects
Trying to under consume calories (without paying attention to qualitative differences in calorie sources) will result in hunger and fatigue, generally with little weight/fat loss in the short term and rebound weight gain in the long term
Energy consumption and expenditure are dependently linked; consuming more calories than needed results in energy expenditure (e.g. reduced metabolic efficiency) and/or reduced appetite and subsequent intake. If calories are consumed in excess of calories expended in some kind of sustained way, then such imbalance is the result not the cause of developing obesity (and of the hormonal changes that underlie it)
Many foods that are higher in fat may protect against obesity, lead to favorable metabolic indicators and help protect against chronic diseases and early mortality.
Low-fat foods and diets are often high in the most rapidly absorbable sugars and starches, which may be distinctly detrimental for obesity and related diseases
Even for foods that have vitamins, minerals, fiber, and various other constituents believed to be healthy, if they are concentrated sources of rapidly absorbable sugars and starches, they are likely to cause metabolic dysfunction and harm

I recognize that there has been some progress in shifting dietary focus toward actual foods, there is still too much focus on eating “too much”. Focusing on the calories available from specific foods fails to recognize the metabolic effects of foods themselves. Foods that are highly processed and made up of mostly sugars and starches should not be part of any normal diet. Such carbohydrates may induce hormonal changes that might, in turn, help produce overeating and inactivity.

So unhealthy foods may be the double-whammy. Those who consume them might not only become obese by eating them but also see an increased appetite and lack of motivation as a result.

We should be improving the quality of the foods available that provide our calories. We should be promoting foods that do not prompt, or even program us to overeat. Working towards improving the quality of foods that are produced and working to support the consumption of whole/minimally processed products will change the current trend of overweight people in the world.

If nothing else, it would be nice if calorie tracking programs like Weight Watchers and public health initiatives did not continue to promote messages that create and blame victims. Not only are they making people feel like they are failing, they are keeping people sick.

I'll say it again. Eat whole foods in their most natural form and your weight and health with normalize and you will feel amazing as the result!

Be sure and visit all of my sponsor’s websites. I sought out these companies because they provide great products and services.

Wishing you optimal health and peak performance,

The post Why Counting Calories Doesn’t Work first appeared on Holistic Athlete.

The post Why Counting Calories Doesn’t Work appeared first on Holistic Athlete.

More Nutritional Myths and Misconceptions

Luke Powell — Sat, 09 Dec 2017 12:49:52 +0000

I’m not a Doctor. I’m not a Nutritionist or Dietician. I do not have a degree in nutritional science. I am not registered, licensed, and/or certified in anything related to health or nutrition. BUT, I have spent the last eight years learning as much as I can about the human body and how what, when and how much we eat effects health and wellness. I read research studies, I listed to countless podcasts, I spend hours digging into topics so that I can write blog posts here that are based on the most accurate information I can find. I have become a resource and consultant to many people when it comes to nutrition, diet and overall health. I love helping people that are trying to do the right thing, but are having trouble navigating all of the information that is out there. There are tons of myths and misconceptions out there on nutrition. I even hear people that have all the credentials that I don’t have spreading information that was debunked years ago. So, I wanted to take this opportunity to list a few of the most common myths and misconceptions that I see when it comes to nutrition.

1. You Need to Eat Every 2-3 Hours

You really don’t need to be constantly eating in order to lose weight. Studies have actually looked at this and found that smaller, more frequent meals have no effect on fat burning or body weight. Eating every 2-3 hours is inconvenient and completely unnecessary. In fact, just eating 2 or 3 times a day allows your digestive system to reset between meals. If nothing else, just eat when you’re hungry and make sure to choose healthy and nutritious foods. Don’t just eat because the clock says it’s lunch time. If you are not hungry at noon…wait until you are hungry to eat.

2. The Mainstream Media Can be Trusted For Nutrition Information

The media is part of the reason for all the nutrition confusion out there. With the ability to get clicks based on a catchy headline, media outlets often just pick up stories that they think will get your attention. I often find that most of them are inaccurate and are based on flimsy research or they just take one small piece of the findings and ignore the rest. Without even trying very hard, you can find two articles that directly contradict each other on the same media website.

3. Eggs (or Egg Yolks) Are Unhealthy

Eggs were unfairly demonized because the yolks are high in cholesterol. However, studies show that cholesterol from eggs doesn’t raise blood cholesterol in the majority of people. Furthermore, your body needs cholesterol and there is no evidence that the cholesterol that you eat raises the cholesterol that your body naturally makes. New studies that include hundreds of thousands of people show that eggs have no effect on heart disease in otherwise healthy individuals. When people talk about the so-called “bad” and “good” cholesterol, they’re referring to the proteins that carry cholesterol around. LDL stands for Low Density Lipoprotein and HDL stands for High Density Lipoprotein. If you do your own research, you will find that cholesterol is not the enemy. The main determinant of heart disease risk is the type of lipoproteins that carry cholesterol around, not cholesterol itself.

If you are sourcing pasture-raised, organic eggs, they are among the healthiest and most nutritious foods you can eat. And guess what? Almost all the nutrients are found in the yolk, so if you hear someone tell you to just eat the egg whites, consider them out of touch with the latest nutritional studies.

A deep orange yolk means the egg is from pasture-raised hens. This color egg yolk indicates a well balanced and healthy chicken diet and an egg with excellent nutritional value.

4. Fruit Juice is Good For You

A lot of people believe that fruit juices are healthy. I can understand why. They come from fruit after all. But even if you know to avoid juice boxes and Sunny D and get the 100%, all-natural, “Simply” fruit juice, they usually still contain as much sugar as a soft drink! The issue is that when you extract the juice from fruit, you also remove the fiber. You also tend to consume way more juice that you would if you were actually eating a piece of fruit. A single serving (8 oz.) of orange juice contains just as much sugar (23 grams) as 2 whole oranges. It's also only 3 grams less sugar than 8 ounces of Coke! If you’re trying to avoid sugar (maybe you are doing No Sugar November or the Holistic Hundred Challenge), then you should avoid fruit juice as well. It is just as bad, and the small amounts of antioxidants do not make up for the large amounts of sugar.

23g of Sugar per 8 ounces

26g of Sugar per 8 ounces

5. Body Mass Index (BMI) Is a Good Indicator of Health

Health is About Way More Than How Much You Weigh. Everyone (doctors, health insurance companies, people in general) focuses way too much on just weight. The truth is that while for some people their height to weight ratio (aka BMI) can be an indicator that they need to lose weight, by itself, it is not a complete indicator of health. Many obese people are metabolically healthy, while many normal weight people have the same metabolic problems associated with obesity. Focusing just on body weight is counterproductive. I know several people that look healthy on the outside, but are suffering from metabolic diseases on the inside. So look beyond the scale. Have some bloodwork done once a year. Monitor how you feel. Eat whole foods and remove processed carbs and sugars from your diet. Focus on these things and you will be healthy, regardless of what your BMI is.

6. Carbohydrates Make You Fat

I think most people know that eating healthy fats will not make you fat. This has been a huge shift over the last 10 years, but I think most people know this now. However, I’m now hearing more and more people say that they are “cutting out” or “limiting” carbs to lose weight. Plenty of populations have eaten high-carb diets but remained healthy. But as with everything in nutrition, this depends on the context. Just as the wrong kinds of fat can be fattening, the wrong kinds of carbs can be fattening as well. It all depends on what type of carbs you are consuming. Sure, bread and pasta are classified as carbohydrates. But so are carrots and broccoli. If your goal is the lose some weight, you can accomplish your goal with a high-carb diet…but it has to be non-processed carbs. If it’s a carbohydrate in a package, it’s your enemy. If it’s a carbohydrate that came out of the ground or off of a tree or vine, it’s your friend!

7. Claims on Packaging Must Be True (The Government Regulates This, Right?)

People are more health conscious than ever before. But guess what? Food manufacturers are well aware of this, and have found ways to market the same old junk to the health-conscious population. You It’s not hard to find unhealthy junk food with health claims on the label, such as “whole grain”, “paleo”, “keto”, “essential vitamins”, “gluten free”, “organic” or my favorite, “natural”.

These labels are almost always misleading, and are used to trick people into thinking that they’re making the right choice for themselves (and their children). You can make all sorts of junk foods out of organic ingredients. If the packaging of a food tells you that it is healthy, then it probably isn’t. In fact, if it’s even in a package at all, it’s likely not good for you!

Be sure and visit all of my sponsor’s websites. I sought out these companies because they provide great products and services.

Wishing you optimal health and peak performance,

The post More Nutritional Myths and Misconceptions first appeared on Holistic Athlete.

The post More Nutritional Myths and Misconceptions appeared first on Holistic Athlete.

2017 Ironman Louisville Race Preview

Luke Powell — Mon, 09 Oct 2017 10:27:50 +0000

If all goes as planned, exactly a week from when I’m typing this, I will be starting the run portion of Ironman Louisville 2017. This will be my fourth time toeing the line of my hometown long-course triathlon. The question has come up more this season than in any of the previous three…”why”. Why do a fourth? Why continue to do Ironmans? What's the motivation?

These are all legitimate questions and ones that I’ve even asked myself a few times over the last 9 months. My Ironman-specific training is a 36 week (9 month) plan that started back on February 6^th. Some simple reasons as to why I’m doing it again are that I have four children and I want to have done an Ironman when each was alive (my youngest was born last August). I also want to see what I'm physically capable of. I love to test this body that I've been put in charge of and see what it's limits are. I've turned down sweets at parties, beers at the game, drinks with dinner and scrutinized everything I've eaten for the last 3 months so that I know when I finish this race, I can honestly say that this is the best I could have done. Another reason is that I’ve done this race every other year since 2011 (so, I gotta stick with tradition, right?).

Another good reason is that I would love to prove to people once again that my unconventional approach to long-course triathlon training actually works. As in the races I completed in 2013 and 2015, my average training plan was less than 7 hours a week this time around. I followed the training plan, recovery techniques, dietary considerations, supplements and other wellness practices that I describe in detail in my book The Balanced Approach. My hope is that after another injury-free season and coming into the race in great shape and health, I will be able to convince even more people that they can do a full-distance triathlon without sacrificing their family, career or health.

I also like to try new things every time I race an Ironman. I’ve raced by heart rate, pace and power. I’ve also tried new things each time in regards to nutrition. In 2011, I fueled with Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem, Clif Shot Blocks and Gels (this is typical for most athletes). In 2013, I switched to a custom mix from Infinit, but still added in some gels. For 2015, I wanted to try and fuel myself during the race the same way that I eat the rest of the time. Which meant no sugar or artificial sweeteners. That meant no off-the-shelf drink mix and certainly no gels. So after working for 18 months to become fat adapted, I was able to complete the race sugar-free by using UCAN Superstarch, Coconut Water and Justin’s Almond butter packets. The plan for this year is to try something called Phat Fibre for my drink mix and use a new Almond butter blend that contains some flax seeds sea salts as well. Still planning to go no sugar again!

While I’ve been pretty strick about my diet in the weeks/months leading up to the race in the past, this year I decided to eliminate all sugars, grains and vegetable oils for the 100 days preceding the race. It’s been challenging at times, but I feel stronger and more fit because of it. I’m also likely going to be 5-7 pounds lighter on race day than I have ever been, so we’ll see how dragging a lighter body around translates on the course.

2011

2011 Results

2013

2013 Results

2015

2015 Results

As 2017 progressed, I never wavered from my desire to do the race, but this year was much harder than any of the previous three. The workouts were the same, but the external stressors were much more than I’ve ever had to deal with. Unexpected anxiety at work came early and lasted through the beginning of the summer. Then there was the stress of dealing with some serious health issues in the family (both extended and immediate) that put all of our lives in turmoil for most of the Spring and Summer. All this on top of having a baby that had me up 2-3 times every night. I had never had this many stressors weighing on me at once and my body started expressing it through patches of Seborrheic Dermatitis on my upper legs and digestion issues. I was able to get it under control with the help of Chinese Herbs, but it never went away because the stress never completely went away either. I’m aware that my workouts were adding stress (albeit a different kind of stress) to my body, but I also needed the alone time each morning to gather my thoughts and seek wisdom from God on how to handle the situations I found myself in. While I was still able to complete almost all of my scheduled workouts, I had to alter some of them in order to stay closer to home. So my runs consisted of short, 1-2 mile loops through my neighborhood. I did my 200, 400 and 800 meter sprints around the block instead of at the track. I had to do my one long bike ride and run during the week because I couldn’t be away from home for multiple hours on the weekend. Thankfully, my training style didn’t call for these long training events every or every other weekend - otherwise, they just wouldn’t have happened. Yet another reason I’m thankful that I came up with an alternative training style to the normal 15-20 hours a week most people train.

All that being said, I’m just as excited this year as any of the previous three Ironman Louisville (IMLOU) races. One of the keystones to my training plan is that I only have 10 different workouts for each disciple (swim, bike and run). And one of each is an endurance workout that is only completed 1-2 times. So doing the same workouts every few weeks allows me to track my progress and increases in fitness throughout the 36 weeks leading up to the race. Here are a few of my key workouts and how I have improved this season:

Swim Workout #3 – 5 x 500 with 30 second rests

Feb 16 – average 500 meter time = 9:47

May 3 – average 500 meter time = 9:38

July 6 – average 500 meter time = 9:33

Aug 20 – average 500 meter time = 9:30

Swim workout #8 – 10 x 200 descending with 20 second rests

April 27 – 3:52 slowest -> 3:42 fastest 200 meters

July 15 – 3:48 -> 3:33

Sept 14 – 3:43 -> 3:28

Sept 29 – 3:50 -> 3:22

Bike Workout #7 – 3 x 20 minutes hard/steady effort after warm-up

Feb 18 - average 20 minute interval – 226 Watts / 143 bpm Heart Rate

April 22 – average 20 minute interval – 233 Watts / 145 bpm Heart Rate

July 8 – average 20 minute interval – 248 Watts / 139 bpm Heart Rate

Setp 15 – average 20 minter intervals – 261 Watts / 142 bpm Heart Rate

Bike Workout #9 - 10 x 1 min. sprints with 1 min. recoveries

Feb 6 – average 1 minute interval – 330W / max HR = 165 bpm

Mar 23 - average 1 minute interval – 333W / max HR = 156 bpm

April 12 - average 1 minute interval – 348W / max HR = 162 bpm

June 1 - average 1 minute interval – 362W / max HR = 166 bpm

Aug 14 - average 1 minute interval – 365W / max HR = 165 bpm

Run Workout #2 – Progression Run (increase effort with each mile)

April 13 – 6 miles (8:15 -> 7:17)

May 12 – 8 miles (8:23 -> 7:22)

June 18 – 10 miles (8:19 -> 7:14)

Aug 31 – 8 miles (8:29 -> 6:57)

Sept 14 – 10 miles (8:25 -> 6:52)

Run Workout #3 – Long Hill Repeats (6-8 times)

April 18 – 6 repeats, average time 3:07 / 158 bpm Heart Rate

May 31 – 6 repeats, average time 3:04 / 156 bpm Heart Rate

June 30 – 8 repeats, average time 3:07 / 158 bpm Heart Rate

Sept 24 – 8 repeats, average time 3:05 / 156 bpm Heart Rate

So as this race week progresses, my workouts will become even shorter than normal, but the high intensity will remain. I’ll spend some extra time on the foam roller this week as well. The plan is to try and get to sleep 30 to 60 minutes earlier than usual each night too. I’ve already stated to write down checklists for things I need to do this week and what I need to put in each gear bag once I pick them up on Thursday.

I’m getting excited for another (and likely final) Ironman! My goals this year are pretty simple. To push myself and find out just how fast I can do an Ironman on my style of training. The “A” goal is to set a PR, which would be anything under 11 hours and 32 minutes. My “B” goal is to set a PR on the run, which would be anything under 4:03. My “C” goal is to just finish the damn race! I sure as hell don’t want to go out with a DNF (Did Not Finish).

I’ll check in later this week with some videos and pictures, so stay tuned and good luck to everyone that will be out there with me next Sunday!

Be sure and visit all of my sponsor’s websites. I sought out these companies because they provide great products and services.

Wishing you optimal health and peak performance,

The post 2017 Ironman Louisville Race Preview first appeared on Holistic Athlete.

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7 Rules for Eating Healthy at Work

Luke Powell — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 21:04:27 +0000

According to the most recent US News report that I could find, 86% of American workers sit all day for their job, I assume almost all of them sit at a desk or some sort of work station. I also assume that most people have heard of the health risks associated with prolonged sitting (it’s the new smoking), but there is another rick involved with being in an office environment 40 or more hours a week – bad eating habits.

Most office buildings have a vending machine or two full of chips, crackers, candy bars and soda. The calories we consume are far more than the energy we expend sitting all day, thereby making us pile on the unwanted pounds.

In this office environment, it is critical to find foods and drinks that keep us hydrated, but that are good for you and easy on the stomach. How is this possible when there are so many bad foods all around us? I’m going to try and help you navigate eating healthily during office hours.

Rule 1. Cut the Junk

Junk food options like candy and chips are the ones that are stocked by most offices for their employees. Not to mention the constant barrage of treats and goodies that employees and vendors/reps bring in (as a Sales Engineer, I’m guilty of this as well). While completely eliminating these may not be the solution, it is a good idea to keep a check on the amount you take in and how often. Daily snacking on junk is the unhealthiest habit possible, so be mindful of it.

Rule 2. Pack Home-Cooked Meals

This is the fool-proof way to make sure you cut down on junk. Taking home-cooked food to your office makes sure the food is healthy and fresh. And it's likely that the food cooked at home best satisfies your taste buds. You can customize it according to your own tastes and preferences. We have left-overs from dinner most nights, so packing up a lunch-sized or snack-sized portion to eat at work is usually pretty easy to do. This assures me of making a good choice and also limits portion size.

Rule 3. Stay Hydrated

The importance of drinking water at work cannot be overstated. A water bottle (Stainless Steel or Glass) at your desk is an absolute must. Make sure you drink enough with each meal, and keep drinking through the day as well. Water will help you stay energized and fresh throughout the day. In the summer time, the air-conditioning will remove the moisture from the air, dehydrating your skin. So it’s important to stay hydrated year-round.

Rule 4. Avoid Liquid Junk Food

Some people are able to completely avoid eating junk, but will pour junk down their throat all day. It’s equally important to avoid drinking caffeinated drinks, sodas, energy drinks, packaged juices and lattes. These drinks contain heavy amounts of sugar or artificial sweeteners, which kills your diet and makes you crave sweets even more. Don’t even get me started on “Diet” or “Zero” labeled drinks. They are often worse than their regular counter parts. If you want something other than plain water, go for for coffee with a little cream, green tea or sparkling water as a viable alternatives.

Rule 5. Keep Snacks at Your Desk

Stock your desk with plenty of healthy snacks. This will be an added incentive to eat well, and will prohibit you from reaching out to the vending machine or box of donuts every time. Raw nuts and seeds, fresh fruits and veggies, no-sugar added yogurt, dark chocolate, hummus, cheese and grain-free crackers are good options.

Rule 6. Limit Cravings

Controlling your food cravings is critical to eating healthy in the workplace. I’ve found that if there is nothing available to satisfy your craving, you will end up relying on sugary foods that are convenient. You can often get past cravings by drinking water or going to one of the healthy snack options listed in Step 5.

Rule 7. Check Portion Sizes

It is always a good idea to snack and satisfy your hunger rather than intentionally deprive yourself of food. However, the key element here is not to go overboard with any snack you eat. Be it simple mixed nuts, dark chocolate or even vegetables and fruits, it is essential to control the portions you eat. Excess of anything can derail your efforts. While it’s much harder to eat too many baby carrots than it is to eat that whole bag of M&M’s, you can still overeat healthy food. So I recommend that you eat a few pieces or bites, put it away for 15-20 minutes and then see if you are still hungry for me.

Hopefully by following these rules, healthy eat during the workweek is not as difficult as it seems on the surface. It is simply a combination of switching to the right foods and a little bit of self-control. Give it a try and let me know how it works for you.

Be sure and visit all of my sponsor’s websites. I sought out these companies because they provide great products and services.

Wishing you optimal health and peak performance,

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The post 7 Rules for Eating Healthy at Work first appeared on Holistic Athlete.

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Holistic Hundred 2.0 & 2.1

Luke Powell — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 15:34:19 +0000

Last year I created the “Holistic Hundred”. It was a 100-day challenge to eliminate all sugars and grains from my diet and do 100 body-weight exercises every day. I invited people to join me and we ended up having around a dozen people that set the goal to not eat sugar or grains from August 16^th through the day before Thanksgiving (November 22nd). You can read all about that journey here & here.

I’ve been asked several times when I was going to do another challenge and guess what boys and girls? It’s time!

I’m changing things up slightly this time around though. I’m going to have two options for your 100 days. Option 1 (Holistic Hundred 2.0) will start this Friday (July 7^th) and go through the day before Ironman Louisville (October 14^th). I’m obviously being selfish with this option as I’m participating in the race and I want to show up on race day in the best shape possible. Option 2 (Holistic Hundred 2.1) will once again end the day before Thanksgiving and will start 100 days prior, on August 15^th.

But before you decide to join me this time around, let me first tell you what the new challenge will be. I just finished reading Deep Nutrition by Catherine Shanahan. This book took a deep, very deep, dive into nutrition and the human body – over 450 pages worth of knowledge that took Dr. Shanahan over 10 years to write! This book was the inspiration for round two of the Holistic Hundred.

For those of you that know me, hearing that I read a 450-page book about nutrition won’t be a surprise. But there were some things that this book shed some light on that I hadn’t known before. At some point, I may do a full book review on all that this book discusses as I think it could change the life of many people. But right now, I’ll just hit some highlights to explain why I made a change to the rules of the 100-day challenge.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that I disagree with conventional wisdom that fat and cholesterol are the cause of the many health and overweight issues that currently plague our society. It’s been 50 years since we were told to stop eating eggs, butter and red meat and replace them with low-fat foods or artificial chemicals (aka margarine). Guess what has happened to our health in the last 50 years? You already know that despite all the advancements in modern medicine, people are sicker and move overweight than at any time in human history! So, what’s really the cause behind this health epidemic? Vegetable oils and sugar.

While limiting grains is important as I still think that people eat too many grains, after reading Deep Nutrition, I’m convinced that vegetable oils are more dangerous to consume than most grains.

Most of this was not new to me. I’ve known of the dangers of vegetable oil for years. In fact, they were #1 on my list of The 5 Worst Things You Can Eat. Dr. Shanahan does a masterful job of explaining why vegetable oils are toxic to our arteries because they contain delicate polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that are particularly prone to oxidative damage, especially when exposed to heat and when separated from the antioxidants that would otherwise help protect them from that oxidating damage. She uses good science to back up the claim that the historically resent rise in heart disease is the result of the recent invention of refined, bleached, and deodorized vegetable oils (see chart below). The food industry has been adding these oils to our foods without much fanfare and we are suffering because of it.

In order to make things simple, here’s a short list of good oils and bad oils:

BAD (these are industrial fats that cannot handle the heat involved in processing and cooking)

Canola Oil
Soy Oil
Sunflower Oil
Cottonseed Oil
Corn Oil
Grapeseed Oil
Safflower Oil
Non-butter spreads (Margarine)

GOOD (these traditional fats can handle the heat involved in processing or cooking)

Olive Oil
Avocado Oil
Peanut Oil
Butter (the real stuff)
Macadamia Nut Oil
Coconut Oil
Animal Fats (Lard, Tallow)
Palm Oil

You may notice that the bad oil list is mostly seeds. These oils are particularly temperature sensitive because seeds stay dormant over the cold winter. But come the spring thaw, the heat-sensitive PUFAs wake up in response to warming, facilitating germination. In order to protect the seed and allow it to grow in nature, the seeds are loaded with antioxidants. Unfortunately, refining these oils ultimately converts these antioxidants into distorted, unhealthy molecules that the human body cannot handle. If you are cooking with any oil, be sure and look up the smoke point. Even some of the good oils have low smoke points, so they should not be used for high temp cooking.

So what are some common foods that are typically loaded with bad vegetable oils? Salad dressing, rice milk, soy milk, soy cheese, soy-based meat products, breakfast cereals, roasted nuts (only eat seeds and nuts raw), any fried food, crackers and chips, granola, breads, buns, frozen pizza, cakes, pies, cookies, frosting, coffee creamers, muffins, I even found it in organic baby food! Basically, anything that can sit on a shelf for a long time allowing manufacturers to keep food around longer before it must be sold, will likely contain a form of vegetable oil.

If you need more reasons to cut out vegetable oils, consider that they destroy your brain. They do this both directly and indirectly by impacting the gut, your arteries, your white blood cells, the cellular architecture of your nerves and your gene replication. If you have heartburn, gastritis or other digestive symptoms, try eliminating vegetable oils. By inciting chaos, vegetable oil confuses the immune system and ultimately gets the body to turn on itself in ways that can lead to auto-immune brain disorders like multiple sclerosis, Lou Gehrig’s disease, Parkinson’s and all the other neurodegenerative processes we now understand result at least in part from auto-immune attacks. In addition, if you suffer from migraines or Alzheimer’s, vegetable oils are likely making things worse.

I’ve been anti-sugar for many years now and there are numerous blog posts on the subject if you would like to search and learn more about the dangers of sugar and added sweeteners. Here are a couple that I would recommend:

No Sugar November

No Sugar November 2.0

No Sugar November 2016

I’m not going to go through that all again in detail, but I just want to point out a few new things about sugar that I learned while reading Deep Nutrition.

The first was that sugar weakens bones and muscles. We all know that sugar is sticky. Simply lick a lollipop (or a ring pop is you prefer) and then feel how sticky it gets. Sugar gets sticky because it reacts with the proteins on the surface of your skin to form a chemical bond. This bond is called glycation. The same thing happens when sugar is inside your body. The sugar sticks to your cells and tissues, making them stiff and brittle. It clogs nutrient channels, slowing communication. It stiffens the collagen in your tendons, joints, and skin, causing arthritis and premature wrinkling, while interfering with the production of new collagen.

She also cited a study that showed something that I think we all already knew. The more sugar people tended to consume, the less they were able to taste it. Sugar literally will dull your senses. I’ve mentioned before that after doing “No Sugar November” and cutting out added sugar for over three weeks, things like carrots and beets taste very sweet. So the good news is that if you require three packets of sugar in your coffee, with time, you can reduce the amount that is required to achieve the same taste.

Cutting both vegetable oils (unnatural fats) and sugar from your diet will not only protect your heart, but it will protect you from all other chronic diseases. And if that’s not enough to convince you, Dr. Shanahan also sited multiple athletes who made incredible performance gains in strength simply from by cutting out vegetable oils. This athletic improvement is likely possible thanks to an improved blood flow and maybe even some improved mental focus.

Before you start to panic and think that you will starve to death once you eliminate foods that contain these dangerous oils and sweeteners, keep in mind that most processed foods that contain vegetable oils are typically also loaded with sugar. So, you will be killing two birds with one stone. If you stick with whole foods like vegetables, organic meats and fish, free grange eggs and some fruit…you will likely not have to worry vegetable oils or sugars at all.

Just like last time, the goal is not to never eat vegetable oils or sugar again for rest of my life. The goal is to go without it for 100 days to bring attention to how many “foods” contain these dangerous substances and to see how much better I feel and perform once I go 100 days without them. With this knowledge, I will be able to make better choices about what I eat going forward.

So if you want to join me and try to eliminate all unhealthy vegetable oils and added sugars from your diet for 100 days, comment on this post or on social media. We’ll get a group page set up on Facebook where I can answer questions and we can offer each other encouragement!

Be sure and visit all of my sponsor’s websites. I sought out these companies because they provide great products and services.

Wishing you optimal health and peak performance,

The post Holistic Hundred 2.0 & 2.1 first appeared on Holistic Athlete.

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Healthy Food Swaps

Luke Powell — Wed, 24 May 2017 00:55:47 +0000

The world of food is confusing. There are conflicting messages everywhere when it comes to what and how much you should eat. I read research and listen to experts talk on podcasts every day and there are still times where I come across contradictory information within a 24-hour period!

So what do I do? I just try to stick with real food whenever possible. To me, this means something that is unprocessed. If it’s been in a factory for any reason or comes in a box or package with a label, I try not to eat it.

I wanted to take this opportunity to list a few common foods that people eat and show you what I swap out in their place. You have probably heard of some of these or even tried them yourself. Hopefully there will be a few that you haven’t. I encourage you to give them a try and if you like it, share it with friends and family.

Pasta -> Spaghetti Squash

Due to the squash’s low calorie content, substituting spaghetti squash in place of spaghetti pasta dramatically reduces the calorie content of your meal. It’s easy to fix and looks just like angel hair pasta. Just bake the squash in the oven for 45 minutes at 400F. Take it out, cut it in half and then gently scoop the seeds out with a fork. Once they are out, take the fork and just start scraping along the walls of the inside of the squash. You will get stringy goodness. We like to eat ours with meatballs and spaghetti sauce. This squash contains vitamin A, several B vitamins, as well as vitamins C, E and K. In addition, spaghetti squash provides a source of the essential minerals calcium, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium.

Gatorade/ Powerade -> Coconut Water

I tried this swap while training for Ironman Louisville in 2015 and found it to be an even better option. I’ve even heard coconut water called “nature’s Gatorade”. It is a natural isotonic drink that provides many of the same benefits as formulated sports drinks, including the electrolytes calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium, but in their natural form. As a bonus, you don't ingest all of this artificial junk:

Sugar -> Cinnamon

I won’t waste your time going into the harmful effects of sugar, but if you still like to have it in your coffee or tea, or even on certain foods, try substituting cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon is the “true” cinnamon and the one you want to look for when shopping. Cinnamon contains large amounts of highly potent polyphenol antioxidants. In a study that compared the antioxidant activity of 26 spices, cinnamon wound up as the clear winner, even outranking “superfoods” like garlic and oregano. It contains anti-inflammatory properties, which may help to lower the risk of illness and disease. Cinnamon has been shown to significantly increase sensitivity to the hormone insulin. Cinnamon has been shown to both reduce fasting blood sugar levels, having a potent anti-diabetic effect at 1 to 6 grams per day (or roughly about 1/4 teaspoon to 1 and 1/4 teaspoons).

Rice -> Cauliflower Rice

This cruciferous veggie has been linked to cancer prevention due to its nutrient support to three body systems closely related to cancer – detox system; antioxidant system; and inflammatory/anti-inflammatory system. Imbalances in any of these systems can increase the risk for cancer, but this awesome veggie supports them all! To make cauliflower rice, start with a box grater that has medium-sized holes (or a food processor with the grater attachment). Grate the cauliflower into the size of rice. Take the grated cauliflower and sauté it in a large skillet over medium heat in 1 Tbsp of oil. Cover with a lid so the cauliflower steams and becomes more tender. Cook for a total of 5-8 minutes, then season as desired (such as with soy sauce or salt and pepper).

Milk Chocolate -> Dark Chocolate

Milk chocolate is just sugar milk. Dark chocolate (anything over 70% cacao), on the other hand, is actually good for you! The really good dark chocolate contains fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese and other minerals. It’s full of antioxidants, which protect you from free radicals. It’s definitely a different taste than milk chocolate, but do yourself a favor and try the dark stuff next time you have a craving.

Milk Shake -> Smoothie

I used to like milkshakes. If I was to slurp one down now, I would likely experience sever stomach issues within 30 minutes. So what I do now is make a smoothie. But I have a tip for getting it to the consistency and texture of a milkshake – add an avocado! Here’s my recipe. Start with plain coconut or almond milk. Add in either a half or whole avocado. Add in your favorite flavor (banana, strawberry, some chocolate or vanilla protein powder, a few drops of orange, mint or lemon essential oils, etc.) and voila! I usually mix it up and then add in some more coconut or almond milk a little at a time to get the consistency right. You can add in some ice cubes as well if you like it cold.

Be sure and visit all of my sponsor’s websites. I sought out these companies because they provide great products and services.

Wishing you optimal health and peak performance,

The post Healthy Food Swaps first appeared on Holistic Athlete.

The post Healthy Food Swaps appeared first on Holistic Athlete.

sweeteners - Holistic Athlete

No Sugar November – 2018 Edition

Is Sparkling Water Healthy?

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines

Designed for professionals to help all individuals ages 2 years and older and their families consume a healthy, nutritionally adequate diet.

Used in developing Federal food, nutrition, and health policies and programs.

The basis for Federal nutrition education materials designed for the public and for the nutrition education components of HHS and USDA food programs.

Developed for use by policymakers and nutrition and health professionals.

Used to develop programs, policies, and communication for the general public include businesses, schools, community groups, media, the food industry, and State and local governments.

What Is Fasting and Should You Be Doing It?

Why Counting Calories Doesn’t Work

More Nutritional Myths and Misconceptions

2017 Ironman Louisville Race Preview

7 Rules for Eating Healthy at Work

Holistic Hundred 2.0 & 2.1

Healthy Food Swaps