Ms. Muscles Fitness Blog

Randell's Revolution

2010-07-30T13:18:00Z

The town of Flaxmere is changing drastically due to an increase in healthy foods such as sausage, bacon, eggs, and butter. People are eating more fat, losing weight, and curing diabetes; all as a result of eating fat.

Truly amazing. Check out the story here.

Wicked News

2010-07-30T00:50:00Z

I am so excited to share the fantastic new of one of my all-time favorite comedians has dropped 80 lbs. and cured his diabetes simply by cutting out carbohydrates.

Drew Carey is actually skinny now. As a matter of fact, I would hope Drew will start eating some fat and lifting weights. From the story , he does a lot of cardio and eats low-fat foods such as egg whites.

All's well though, he's lost a ton of fat, he is exercising, and he is happy. Let's hope this changed man keeps learning and growing.

Another Reason To Ditch Toxic Sunscreeen

2010-07-29T13:03:00Z

Did you know that vitamin D is a steroid hormone that you can not live without? It is synthesised by your body as you receive it from the sun and certain foods. Vitamin D promotes health, bone density, immune system function, and muscle contractions and development.

Don't buy into the sunscreen hype, enjoy the sun in moderation to stay healthy.

Check out this great information on the development of melanoma and epidemic of vitamin D deficiency diseases.

Thanks R. Nikoley

Barefoot is Best

2010-07-28T22:30:00Z

As you are investing time and preparation into your health, isn't it great to know you are already well equipped to exercise in a manner consistent with nature? Walking, running, and just about any activity are most beneficial and least injurious if performed with bare feet.

Here is a great post from Matt Metzgar showing you how (and why) to do this. These are the key points he discusses:

1. Run barefoot

2. Run on natural surfaces

3. Run with correct form

4. Run at the optimal pace

5. Take walk breaks

6. Run in a fasted state

7. Breathe in through the nose

Personally, I am always barefoot in my home, I sprint barefoot in my gym, and I enjoy walking barefoot time to time. It feels wonderful as it strengthens my feet, legs, and my posture.

Thank you Matt Metzgar

Now's The Time; Modern Conveniences Make Paleo/Primal Living Easy

2010-07-26T15:00:00Z

Check out this very informative diagolue of my friend Karen De Coster and Mark Sission as they dispell several myths on healthy living, diet, and exercise.

Here is a few comments to get you intreged, Karen is in bold.

The common belief is that goals, measurements, and routines are necessary to keep one on track toward personal fitness improvement. This idea has people wasting their time trying to adhere to schedules and keep meaningless records, both of which are a deterrent to a regular fitness program...

...Many people in gyms and on the roads have a similar Spartan approach, as if completing this onerous task or racking up x number of calories on the LED readout will somehow earn them the right to feel good about themselves for the rest of the day. Conversely, many people beat themselves up or feel guilty for skipping a workout or cutting their planned hour run back to 30 minutes. It’s crazy. I say life’s too short to struggle and suffer in the name of fitness and health. Why can’t this process be about joy, fun, pleasure, and satisfaction...

...One myth that keeps people making excuses for their bad food choices is that junk food is cheap and real food – like vegetables and meat – is expensive. As one who shops for food several days a week, at various markets, and maintains a cost-per-meal mentality (I’m an accountant), I know that is a fallacy...

...As you have noted, however, when you have the time and inclination to shop farmers’ markets, CSAs, co-ops, and buy in bulk, real food can be cheaper than buying typical processed or supermarket fare. It becomes a simple issue of priority; if you have made the commitment to eat healthy and are willing to plan meals and do research on shopping, you can probably even save money eating Primally over what you’d spend eating the SAD...

...I am seeing a food revolution ahead of us, with you being among the leaders in supplying information and resources, and building a network of like-minded people. It seems that at least once a week, some mainstream publication or newspaper is publishing an article presenting ideas that are friendly to the paleo-primal lifestyle and question the old platitudes of the SAD (Standard American Diet). Little by little, people are catching on and learning the truth. Do you believe we are on the verge of a massive primal "revolution" where long-held myths and misinformation campaigns will be turned on their head..?
...Absolutely. The whole Primal/Paleo/Evo (and low-carb) movement has been gathering steam for a few years now...We’ve built a huge community of true individuals who have decided that the only route to health and happiness is through taking full responsibility for what they eat and how they view fitness, health, and longevity...We’ve brought in significant numbers of scientists, physicians, teachers, media, and other influential people who have embraced this direction and have begun endorsing it to the masses. I think we’ll see a major paradigm shift in the next few years.

Now, scoot on over and read the interview , it is quite entertaining.

Informative Cholesterol News From Preventative Medicine Expert

2010-07-24T11:48:00Z

Be sure to read Dr. Mercola's comments

Thank you Lew Rockwell

More on Thyroid and Carbohydrates

2010-07-23T11:33:00Z

Wheat, gluten, processed and other carbohydrates are regarded as the culprit to many autoimmune diseases, allergies, and can cause much pain and discomfort. Here is just another reason to avoid it altogether. That's right, not moderate it, but absolutely eliminate wheat, grain, and processed food.

Even worse, the immune response to gluten can last up to 6 months each time you eat it. This explains why it is critical to eliminate gluten completely from your diet if you have AITD. There’s no “80/20″ rule when it comes to gluten. Being “mostly” gluten-free isn’t going to cut it. If you’re gluten intolerant, you have to be 100% gluten-free to prevent immune destruction of your thyroid.

But wait, there's more.

One reason gluten intolerance goes undetected in so many cases is that both doctors and patients mistakenly believe it only causes digestive problems. But gluten intolerance can also present with inflammation in the joints, skin, respiratory tract and brain – without any obvious gut symptoms.

What's this all mean? "foods that contain gluten (both whole grains and flours) contain substances that inhibit nutrient absorption, damage our intestinal lining, and – as I’ve described in this article – activate a potentially destructive autoimmune response. What’s more, there are no nutrients in gluten-containing foods that you can’t get more easily and efficiently from foods that don’t contain gluten."

Thanks The Healthy Skeptic

Fasting and Exercise; Do They Work Together?

2010-07-22T11:14:00Z

Just a quick note to steer you in the right direction on working out on an empty vs. full tummy. Here is a new study concluding the benefits of fasting before endurance exercise such as running. From the study, "Minimising carbohydrate (CHO) status in the peri-training period may accelerate the training adaptations normally observed."

That is quite amazing, since conventional wisdom has us believe that we must fuel up before exercise and that eating carbohydrates before exercise is the only way to obtain enough energy to get you through the session. Check out their conclusion.

The FAST group showed a significantly greater training-induced increase in VO(2max) and resting muscle glycogen concentration than FED (P=0.014 and P=0.047 respectively), but there was no gender interaction. In conclusion, these results suggest that (a) meal ingestion prior to daily exercise can modify some of the exercise training-induced adaptations normally seen with endurance training compared to when daily exercise is undertaken in the overnight-fasted state; and (b) the extent of these adaptations in skeletal muscle differ slightly between men and women.

Athletes got better results with fasting, but men even more so than women, most likely due to the higher testosterone a man carries.

Thanks Matt Metzgar

A Great Idea

2010-07-21T12:07:00Z

To lose fat, lower cholesterol, and reduce your risk of heart disease and metabolic syndrome all you need to do is reduce your insulin levels.

So, I am purchasing a glucometer today so I can play around with it. I will be checking my blood glucose response to typical foods I eat and that will give me an indication of whether the food in question will have a high insulin response, and in turn, a tendency for fat storage and increasing VLDL cholesterol.

Dr. Davis at Heart Scan Blog wrote this informative piece the other day and got me excited.

We know that foods that trigger insulin lead to fat storage. Putting a stop to this process allows you to mobilize fat and lose weight. If you're starting out from scratch, rapid and dramatic weight loss can be experienced, as much as one pound per day.

So how can you stop triggering insulin?

The easiest way is to eliminate, or at least minimize, carbohydrates. My favorite method to restrict carbohydrates is to eliminate wheat and minimize exposure to other carbohydrates, such as oats, cornstarch, and sugars. All these foods, wheat products worst of all, cause blood sugar and insulin to skyrocket.

Another way is to check your blood sugar one hour after completing a meal and keep your after-eating, or "postprandial," blood sugar 100 mg/dl or less. Let's say you are going to eat stone ground oatmeal, for example. Blood sugar prior to eating is, say, 90 mg/dl. One hour after oatmeal it's 168 mg/dl--you know that this is going to trigger insulin and make you fat. Oatmeal should therefore be eliminated.

Keeping blood sugar to 100 mg/dl or less after eating teaches you how to avoid provocation of insulin. A shrinking tummy will follow.

I do not eat wheat, grains, rice, or carbs, except for occasional berries or a piece of fruit, but I'd still like to see what my response is to such things as eggs whites and other foods are. The cost of the device and test strips is irrelevant, it is an investment in my and my children's' health.

I'll keep you posted of my findings. In the meantime, consider one for yourself. You just may find that something you are eating is sabotaging your efforts.

Maybe It's Your Thyroid

2010-07-19T19:00:00Z

As America gets sicker, fatter, and more depressed could it be that we are missing an important piece of the puzzle? As it turns out, hypothyroidism has reached epidemic proportions , causing lowered metabolism and body temperature, disease, fatigue, and depression. "Other symptoms include inexplicable weight gain, painful premenstrual periods, fertility problems, muscle weakness and cramps, dry skin, yellow bumps on the eyelids, hair loss that includes the lower third of the eyebrows, susceptibility to infection, migraines, hoarseness, constipation, depression, difficulty getting words out when speaking, and goiter.

Miscarriage, fibrocystic breast disease, ovarian fibroids, cystic ovaries, endometriosis, and PMS are caused or aggravated by hypothyroidism, especially when it's coupled with estrogen dominance, a condition of hormone imbalance that happens as progesterone levels decline starting as early as the late 20s. This is because estrogen inhibits thyroid secretion, while progesterone stimulates it."

One reason for this trend is the propensity for hypothyroidism to be misdiagnosed .

The problem with this approach is that thyroid physiology is complex. The production, conversion and uptake of thyroid hormone in the body involves several steps. A malfunction in any of these steps can cause hypothyroid symptoms, but may not show up on standard lab tests. It’s incorrect and even negligent to assume that all cases of hypothyroidism share the same cause and require the same treatment. Yet that’s exactly what the standard of care for hypothyroidism delivers.

The Healthy Skeptic has an ongoing series to help you understand this complex condition, how to get it properly diagnosed, and how to combat it.

Thanks to Mark Sisson

Touring The Mitten 2010

2010-07-18T19:32:00Z

I took a few days off from all the hustle and bustle of school, work, and writing to hit the open road on my Harley with my friend Karen. We had an incredible time riding great roads, eating at the best greasy spoons, and even working out on the beach. Here's a few pictures:

More to come...

Very Interesting

2010-07-18T16:28:00Z

Wise Traditions UK - Barry Groves from Wise Traditions UK on Vimeo.

Barry Groves shows how we are designed to eat fat. As he puts it, "Civilised humans are the only the only chronically sick animal on the planet."

The Evidence is Clear; The China Study Has Been Debunked

2010-07-12T00:02:00Z

Richard Nikoley at Free The Animal posted this great piece pointing to astounding evidence uncovered by one of his readers. Richard notes, "There is no critique of The China Study that comes anywhere close to the exhaustiveness of Denise's work. Sorry, but Chris Masterjohn and Anthony Colpo must now take a back seat. But given the undue, misguided popularity of Campbell's book, combined with the dated nature of those past critiques (in calendar terms only), I doubt either of those guys are going to be dismayed at this new and astounding work."

The China Study can be seen here. But, most importantly is the work of Denise Minger; The China Study: Fact or Fallacy ? Bookmark it, read it, and link it.

Here is her summary:

Apart from his cherry-picked references for other studies (some of which don’t back up the claims he cites them for), Campbell’s strongest arguments against animal foods hinge heavily on:

Associations between cholesterol and disease, and
His discoveries regarding casein and cancer.

For #1, it seems Campbell never took the critical step of accounting for other disease-causing variables that tend to cluster with higher-cholesterol counties in the China Study—variables like schistosomiasis infection, industrial work hazards, increased hepatitis B infection, and other non-nutritional factors spurring chronic conditions. Areas with lower cholesterol, by contrast, tended to have fewer non-dietary risk factors, giving them an automatic advantage for preventing most cancers and heart disease. (The health threats in the lower-cholesterol areas were more related to poor living conditions, leading to greater rates of tuberculosis, pneumonia, intestinal obstruction, and so forth.)

Even if the correlations with cholesterol did remain after adjusting for these risk factors, it takes a profound leap in logic to link animal products with disease by way of blood cholesterol when the animal products themselves don’t correlate with those diseases. If all three of these variables rose in unison, then hypotheses about animal foods raising disease risk via cholesterol could be justified. Yet the China Study data speaks for itself: Animal protein doesn’t correspond with more disease, even in the highest animal food-eating counties—such as Tuoli, whose citizens chow down on 134 grams of animal protein per day.

Nor is the link between animal food consumption and cholesterol levels always as strong as Campbell implies. For instance, despite eating such massive amounts of animal foods, Tuoli county had the same average cholesterol level as the near-vegan Shanyang county, and a had a slightly lower cholesterol than another near-vegan county called Taixing. (Both Shanyang and Taixing consumed less than 1 gram of animal protein per day, on average.) Clearly, the relationship between animal food consumption and blood cholesterol isn’t always linear, and other factors play a role in raising or lowering levels.

For #2, Campbell’s discoveries with casein and cancer, his work is no doubt revelatory. I give him props for dedicating so much of his life to a field of disease research that wasn’t always well-received by the scientific community, and for pursuing so ardently the link between nutrition and health. Unfortunately, Campbell projects the results of his casein-cancer research onto all animal protein—a leap he does not justify with evidence or even sound logic.

As ample literature indicates, other forms of animal protein—particularly whey, another component of milk—may have strong anti-cancer properties. Some studies have examined the effect of whey and casein, side-by-side, on tumor growth and cancer, showing in nearly all cases that these two proteins have dramatically different effects on tumorigenesis (with whey being protective). A study Campbell helped conduct with one of his grad students in the 1980s showed that the cancer-promoting abilities of fish protein depended on what type of fat is consumed alongside it. The relationship between animal protein and cancer is obviously complex, situationally dependent, and bound with other substances found in animal foods—making it impossible extrapolate anything universal from a link between isolated casein and cancer.

On page 106 of his book, Campbell makes a statement I wholeheartedly agree with:

Everything in food works together to create health or disease. The more we think that a single chemical characterizes a whole food, the more we stray into idiocy.

It seems ironic that Campbell censures reductionism in nutritional science, yet uses that very reductionism to condemn an entire class of foods (animal products) based on the behavior of one substance in isolation (casein).

In sum, “The China Study” is a compelling collection of carefully chosen data. Unfortunately for both health seekers and the scientific community, Campbell appears to exclude relevant information when it indicts plant foods as causative of disease, or when it shows potential benefits for animal products. This presents readers with a strongly misleading interpretation of the original China Study data, as well as a slanted perspective of nutritional research from other arenas (including some that Campbell himself conducted).

In rebuttals to previous criticism on “The China Study,” Campbell seems to use his curriculum vitae as reason his word should be trusted above that of his critics. His education and experience is no doubt impressive, but the “Trust me, I’m a scientist” argument is a profoundly weak one. It doesn’t require a PhD to be a critical thinker, nor does a laundry list of credentials prevent a person from falling victim to biased thinking. Ultimately, I believe Campbell was influenced by his own expectations about animal protein and disease, leading him to seek out specific correlations in the China Study data (and elsewhere) to confirm his predictions.

It’s no surprise “The China Study” has been so widely embraced within the vegan and vegetarian community: It says point-blank what any vegan wants to hear—that there’s scientific rationale for avoiding all animal foods. That even small amounts of animal protein are harmful. That an ethical ideal can be completely wed with health. These are exciting things to hear for anyone trying to justify a plant-only diet, and it’s for this reason I believe “The China Study” has not received as much critical analysis as it deserves, especially from some of the great thinkers in the vegetarian world. Hopefully this critique has shed some light on the book’s problems and will lead others to examine the data for themselves.

Don't miss the rest of her exhaustive on this study here.

It goes to show you that most conventional wisdom has been misleading, misquided, and generally wrong.

67 Year Old Wonder-Boy

2010-07-09T21:09:00Z

Dominic calls it "Low Tech High Effect" and it's worth noting!

via Ross Enamait

You've GOT To See This! Totally Amazing; "Unsinkable"

2010-07-08T11:41:00Z

There is nothing Craig can not do, even with such limitations.

So, what is holding you back?

Thanks Ross Enamait

FDA Urging For Less Antibiotics in Meat

2010-07-07T12:20:00Z

This is great news for consumers.

Reporting from Washington — Meat producers should use certain antibiotics only to assure animal health and stop using the drugs to increase production and promote growth, the Food and Drug Administration said Monday.

The recommendation to cut back on the use of antimicrobial drugs comes amid rising concern that extensive use in animals contributes to antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria afflicting humans....

The FDA statement upset a leading meat industry group and disappointed a key nonprofit science organization calling for sharper restrictions on the use of antibiotics. The recommendation could fuel legislative efforts to more strictly regulate the use of antibiotics in the food chain.

Sounds great, but we also know not to trust the FDA .

Thanks Mark Sisson

FDA Urging For Less Antibiotics in Meat

2010-07-07T12:20:00Z

This is great news for consumers.

Reporting from Washington — Meat producers should use certain antibiotics only to assure animal health and stop using the drugs to increase production and promote growth, the Food and Drug Administration said Monday.

The recommendation to cut back on the use of antimicrobial drugs comes amid rising concern that extensive use in animals contributes to antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria afflicting humans....

The FDA statement upset a leading meat industry group and disappointed a key nonprofit science organization calling for sharper restrictions on the use of antibiotics. The recommendation could fuel legislative efforts to more strictly regulate the use of antibiotics in the food chain.

Sounds great, but we also know not to trust the FDA .

Thanks Mark Sisson

Have You Heard of Badwater 135?

2010-07-04T00:10:35Z

This amazing story is described by Wikepedia as: "The Badwater Ultramarathon describes itself as "the world's toughest foot race". It is a 135 mile (215 km) course starting at 282 feet (85 m) below sea level in the Badwater Basin, in California's Death Valley, and ending at an elevation of 8360 feet (2548 m) at Whitney Portal, the trailhead to Mount Whitney. It takes place annually in mid-July, when the weather conditions are most extreme and temperatures over 120 °F (49 °C), even in the shade, are not uncommon. Consequently, very few people—even among ultramarathoners—are capable of finishing this grueling race."

So, are they crazy or are those 40 people the toughest folks alive? Either way you describe them, they are amazingly unique.

Workout On An Empty Stomach and What Do You Get?

2010-06-30T00:15:00Z

Why, you get accelerated fat loss . Skipping breakfast (or any meal prior to working out) allows your body to burn it's stored fat for fuel rather than food.

"When you exercise (after fasting), your adrenalin is high and your insulin is low," said Peter Hespel, a professor of exercise physiology at the University of Leuven in Belgium. "That ratio is favorable for your muscles to oxidize (break down) more fatty acids." Hespel said that people who exercise without having eaten burn more fat than they would if they had grabbed a bite beforehand.

This approach is a learned technique and you may want to start by cutting your breakfast to a small snack initially so you can gradually introduce a fasting state for exercise. But, eventually you will get there, if you just stick to your guns and practice discipline.

Daniel Kobbina, a personal trainer who also runs a martial arts school in London, said the method requires discipline — but it works.

"If you train on an empty stomach, you'll see that six-pack a lot sooner," he said.

Eventually you won't be hungry in the morning and all will come together. Go for it, it's worth it

Thanks Dr. Mercola

Sitting At Work Is Bad For Your Back

2010-06-27T21:55:00Z

We do an awful lot of sitting these days, even though the human body was clearly not designed for it (sitting shortens lives).

In order to compensate for this sedentary behavior, we can promote a healthy back by sitting on a 135 degree angle to lessen pain and strain. Check out this BBC report and study.

"As to what is the best angle between thigh and torso when seated, reclining at 135 degrees can make sitting more difficult as there is a tendency to slide off the seat: 120 degrees or less may be better."