Jump to content

Did you find yourself sweeter and kinder after Whole30 reintro?


MeadowLily

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 4k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

SOMETIMES, IT IS HARD

 

2 April, 2012

 

Last month on the Whole30 page, our most famous tough-love phrase was taken to task by two Whole30 participants. Today, we’d like to address their concerns, and share our thoughts on taking on the Whole30 while battling an eating disorder or food addiction.

 The Quote

 
“It is not hard. Don’t you dare tell us this is hard. Quitting heroin is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard. You won’t get any coddling, and you won’t get any sympathy for your ‘struggles’.”

This is by far the most famous line of the Whole30, often cited as the main motivator for getting folks on board. But for two Whole30 participants, this line very much rubbed them the wrong way.

From HillyRu: “Actually, you could not be more wrong. Especially if you understood the complexities of those of us who battle an eating disorder every day. If you look around and notice those with weight problems and consider what the food industry has done to mess with our minds, you might have a little more compassion. You’d think it wouldn’t be that hard to try something new for 30 days, but when sugar cravings come on, I can assure you they’re every bit as ridiculously real as a craving for heroin or cocaine or tobacco.

From Casey: “To a point, I agree with HilaryRu. I’ve quit meth before, but I’ve also had an eating disorder. Quitting meth took four weeks of withdrawals, including a stroke. Recovering from an eating disorder took many more months and was much harder, even though I didn’t have the extreme physical symptoms. Saying “this isn’t hard” is supposed to be meant as tough love, and for some who don’t have true food addictions, it works. But I also see how to some, it is like telling the alcoholic that quitting isn’t hard – that would not work to motivate.

 

The Intention

 

First, we’d like to point out that the Whole30 was not designed to help those recover from eating disorders or food addictions. Despite the fact that many have reported it’s been the only program that has helped them kick their addictions and disorders, we designed the Whole30 language to reach and appeal to a broad population. We were targeting everyday folks (athletes to office workers, teenagers to grandmothers), and that population has responded amazingly well to our tough love approach. In general, participants appear to have taken the message as intended – a well-meaning kick in the pants to put our program into perspective, stop complaining, stop making excuses, and start owning the changes you want to make in your life.

However, this language is not right for everyone. We understand why those of you who are battling eating disorders or food addictions would bristle at the idea that it’s really just that easy. We’re sorry if the program’s language offended you, or made you feel even worse about an already difficult and painful situation. But we didn’t write this program specifically for you. If we did, we’d have taken a much different approach.

 

Everybody Eats

 

For those of you with disordered eating histories, this is

hard. In fact, it’s even harder for you than it was for Melissa or Casey to kick their drug habits. You know why?

Because we can’t go into 7-11 and buy heroin. We don’t see television commercials of happy families laughing, having fun and snorting lines. We don’t have to use drugs three times a day in a moderate fashion just to survive. But everybody eats.

 

So for you, the anorexic, bulimic, binge-eater, sugar or carb-addict, this is hardWe’re asking you to do what no alcohol or drug rehab center would ever think to ask their addicts to do – to use in moderation. And yet, you have no choice. You must find a way to come to terms with your drug of choice – hunger, fullness, control, sugar – and make peace. And none of that is easy.

 

Your Language

So today, for you, we re-write the tough-love portion of the Whole30, in the hopes that this language will resonate, and encourage at least one of you to give our program a try.

 

This will be hard. You will not be perfect. Don’t even try to be perfect. No one is judging, no one is keeping score, and there are no penalties for acknowledging that you are struggling. Be kind to yourself, be patient with yourself, and remember that it’s not 30 days – it’s just one day. Onemeal. One bite. Do this one bite at a time, if you have to, because it’s for the most important and worthwhile cause on earth –  you.

 

Don’t even consider the possibility of “failure.” Right now, you aren’t sure you even want to try to do this program, because you’re not sure if you can succeed. And you would rather not try at all than suffer yet another disappointment – actually trying, allowing yourself to be hopeful, and then failing yet again. But this is not a pass/fail endeavor. This is not a test. It’s just a framework for change. Stop putting so much pressure on yourself, and just try it, for a month, a day, a meal. And if you need to relax the “rules” to get yourself there, do that.

 

il_340x270.579631089_ihym.jpg

 

 

You never, ever, ever HAVE to do something just because we told you to. You know your context better than we do, so if scrutinizing every single label is going to make you obsessive, then don’t. If eating the same healthy foods every day makes things easier, do it. If writing down your meals gives you a sense of pride and accomplishment, keep a journal. But the one rule you must stick to – do not weigh yourself. What the scale says is not important right now. This is not about weight loss, this is about health, sanity, grace. Do not allow the scale to determine your self-worth during this time period. You deserve better.

 

This does require a bit of effort. Treat this program like you would any rehab program for addiction. We highly recommend seeking professional counseling during this time period; we are not doctors or addiction counselors, and our program was not designed by one of those professionals. Joining a community, whether it’s ours or one in your local town or school, can help, too. And you’ll have to pay attention to other areas of your life – devote time and energy to sleep, stress management, and regular exercise or movement, to better support your efforts to recover and rebuild. Improved health and recovery doesn’t happen overnight – but starting requires just one step forward. Take that step here, today, now.

 

HQ%206%20copy.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LESSONS-LEARNED-WHOLE30.jpg

FIVE THINGS MELISSA HARTWIG LEARNED FROM THE WHOLE30

 

29 September, 2014

 

written by the co-creator of the Whole30, who still does her own program about once a year 

 

Mid-August, I decided it was time for me to do another full Whole30 (my seventh, I think). I hadn’t done one in about a year, and although I’d thrown lots of Whole5’s and Whole7’s into the mix to keep things on track before or after a vacation or special event, sometimes a more serious intervention is needed. (I’d call sitting in bed reading a book while eating the tops off of mini-gluten-free cupcakes “intervention-worthy.” This is a thing that actually happened.)

 

Lots of you asked me, “Why would you, of all people, need to do more Whole30’s?” It’s an easy answer—because no matter how strong you are in your Good Food foundation, life has a way of throwing you off your game. And no one is immune.

 

These last 30 days have been the best I’ve had all year. I’m a ninja-cat holding a light saber riding a unicorn breathing fire in a field of rainbows. (Seriously, this is an accurate depiction of how good I feel.) Going back to the Whole30 was the best move I could have made, and I’m surprised by how many things I learned, even on my seventh rodeo.

 

Since so many have asked how things went and why I did it and where to get that ninja cat unicorn graphic… here you go.

 

Lesson #1: Stress ruins everything.

Ironically, just a few months after presenting a lecture on stress and cravings at PaleoF(x), I found myself being manhandled by my Sugar Dragon, thanks to my old friend stress. First, Dallas and I took on too many work projects at once (changing the Whole30 program rules, releasing the second edition of It Starts With Food and recording the audio book version, writing our next book, shooting video for an upcoming Whole9 project, and traveling for various media appearances). This proved a stupid overestimation of time and capacity.

 

Oh, and we have a baby now. Who needs full-time, around-the-clock supervision. (Babies are so needy.) Also, we have to eat, and inconveniently, that means actually cooking real food. And selfishly, we also want to sleep, and exercise, and maybe if we’re lucky, spend five minutes sitting down staring at each other.

 

So, there’s been some stress in my life, which makes me crave sugar. It’s biology. I can’t out-willpower it, I can’t out-reason it, and I can’t tell it, “Yeah, but I’m WHOLE30 MELISSA, so, you know, just walk on by, stress-craving connection.” Which is how I found myself eating the tops off gluten-free cupcakes while riding a Sugar Dragon thinking to myself, “This is not okay. Delicious, but not okay.”

 

The take-away: Stress is a sure-fire return to old, unhealthy habits and cravings. It can happen to anyone, and it will happen to you, and that’s okay if you’re prepared for it and know what to do (i.e., get back on the Whole30).

Lesson #2: No matter how much you know, there are times when you still need help.

 

It wasn’t like these old, unhealthy foods crept back into my life and I woke up one day saying, “What the heck happened?” I knew exactly what was happening. I knew the mechanism, I saw the signs (sleep disruption, cravings, energy fluctuations, feeling sad, negative self-talk)—I could practically predict what would happen next in my life. But despite everything I know and all the help I’ve given to others, I was feeling powerless to help myself.

 

I tried moderation. That doesn’t work for me (or just about anyone). I tried willpower. Stress laughed and handed me another cupcake. So I followed my own advice and decided to return to what I knew would work.

I took charge of my life where I could (my food), and I recruited help from others. I made a very public declaration that I was starting the Whole30. I asked Dallas and my friends to hold me accountable no matter what. I hid my off-plan food, stocked up on healthy stuff, and committed to eating three meals a day, exactly as our Meal Planning templatedescribed. I used the rules we created and the support of the Whole30 community we built to help me.

 

The take-away: Knowing what you should do and being able to do what you know you should are not the same thing. Everyone needs help sometimes. If you’re stuck and down about it, do what you know works for you (the Whole30) and recruit as much support and help as you can. There’s no shame in saying, “I can’t do this on my own right now.” 

 

Lesson #3: The Whole30 is MAGIC.

I know I’m biased and everything, but this program is magical. Not in the literal sense, like, “Whoa, that was my card, how did they do that?” We do understand how and why it works, and you’d think after reading literally thousands of testimonials and talking to hundreds of people about their results, I wouldn’t be surprised at my own experience. But I still found myself surprised at exactly how good I felt on Day 5*.

 

So energy. Such happy. Very Tiger Blood. WOW.

I know that’s the point, but no matter how many Whole30’s I do, the program still flips a switch in me and transforms my energy, mood, and self-confidence from pretty-good-okay to HASHTAG WINNING—and in between programs, I always forget how remarkable the Whole30 makes me feel. This feeling stuck with me through my entire Whole30, and is still with me today (as I have yet to go majorly off-plan—more on that soon).

 

The take-away: So the Whole30 isn’t actually magic, but this program is the real deal, people. THE REAL DEAL. I’m high-fiving myself right now. Self-five. It’s that good.

 

*The more Whole30’s I do, the faster the Tiger Blood appears.

Lesson #4: My version of “worth it” should always be evolving.

Another surprising thing I figured out during this Whole30—most things I would have sworn in a court of Sisson were “worth it” pre-Whole30 turned out not to be worth it at all post-Whole30. Heavy cream in my coffee—not worth it. The tortilla chips with my Red Iguana cochinita—not worth it. The tiny bit of parmesan in my Whole Foods kale salad—so not worth it.

These things were “regulars” in my diet before I took on this Whole30, because after the last Whole30, I decided they were worth it. And at the time, they were. But they aren’t now, because after comparing how I feel now (without those foods) and how I felt then (with those foods), there’s just no contest.  I’m glad I challenged myself to go without those foods I “knew” were okay for me for 30 days, and reevaluate whether I wanted to include them as part of my regular daily diet going forward.

One thing that’s here to stay (as soon as I decide I really, really want it)? Popcorn, covered in lots and lots of butter.  And I’m not even going to clarify it.

 

The take-away: Your definition of “worth it” should be critically evaluated on a regular basis. Don’t be afraid of flip-flopping here—you’re the one who calls the shots, and your favorite “treat” today may be tomorrow’s “this just isn’t doing it for me.”

 

Lesson #5: The “slow roll” may be prove even more helpful than the 10 day reintroduction.

This article might as well have been “Dear Melissa, from Melissa,” because in our new “slow roll” reintroduction schedule, we basically outlined a road map for myself post-Whole30. (I’m glad it helped some of you too, though.)

The 10-day reintroduction schedule is perfect for those itching to get back to some of their regularly scheduled foods and drinks, and anxious to ditch the training wheels and ride their own bikes. For the rest of us, though, who just can’t imagine forcing themselves to reintroduce bread, milk, or sweets at this point in our transformation, we gave you the “slow roll.”

And that’s exactly where I am right now—slow rolling.

 

Since my Whole30 has been over, I’ve eaten chicken sausage with added sugar, non-clarified butter, ketchup, and the regular old (cane sugar-added) Sunbutter. Not exactly what I’d call “going off the rails,” but I feel SO GOOD (did I mention that?) that nothing I’ve come across—nothing—has been worth it yet. So I’m just going to keep on keeping on right where I am, relaxing on the added sugar rule, but sticking to the Whole30 for everything else.

 

This has proven incredibly effective at solidifying my return to healthier habits. I’ve had an extra week of Whole30-ish, still feeling amazing, not feeling restricted at all (thanks to a slight relaxing of the rules), and feeling totally in control of deciding for myself whether something is worth it or not. I feel like I can keep this up indefinitely, and that when something amazing-special-delicious-worth it does come along, I’ll be fully capable of enjoying it without disturbing my slumbering Sugar Dragon.

 

The take-away: We’ll be recommending this “slow roll” approach a lot more often going forward, especially for people who are nervous about sliding back into automatic eating habits.

 

Whole30 For the Win!

 

So there you have it—five things the co-creator of the Whole30 learned from her own program. Does this motivate you to do another Whole30, finish the program you started (a few times), or slow your reintroduction roll? Share your experience in comments.

Melissa-head-shot-small-150x150.jpg

Melissa Hartwig is a Certified Sports Nutritionist, an RKC-Certified Kettlebell instructor, and the author of the New York Times bestselling book It Starts With Food. She co-founded Whole9 and the Whole30 program with her husband Dallas in 2009. They live in Salt Lake City, UT

- See more at: http://whole30.com/2014/09/five-things-melissa-hartwig-learned-whole30/#sthash.CNnd8P3v.dpuf

Link to comment
Share on other sites

dear-melissa-header.png

DEAR MELISSA: EXPLAINING THE WHOLE7

 

20 October, 2014

 

Welcome to Dear Melissa, where we answer your questions about transitioning into or or maintaining a healthy Whole9 life, helping you make what you learned during the Whole30 work in the real world. Today, we’re talking about shortened versions of the Whole30 program and when it’s appropriate to take on a mini-reset.

 

Dear Melissa,
I haven’t been able to find information on doing a “Whole7″ or a “Whole10.” What exactly are they, and when should I be doing them-N.D.

Dear N.D.,

When you see someone mention a “Whole7″ or a “Whole10,” they’re talking about taking on the Whole30 rules for a shortened period of time—less than the prescribed 30 days. There are times when this approach is really helpful, but it should be used carefully—and it’s not a replacement for a full Whole30. Here’s what I mean.

What is a Whole7 or Whole10, and why would you do it?

 

The rules for these mini-30’s are the exactly same as the rules for our original 30 day program. No added sugar in any form, no grains, no legumes, no dairy, no recreating baked good or treats, and no scale. The only thing different is the time frame—you are deliberately following these rules for less than the prescribed 30 days.

 

People take on a shortened version of the Whole30 for many reasons. Maybe that sneaky Sugar Dragon starts to breathe fire again and you feel like a quick craving reset will send it back to sleep. Maybe you’ve got a vacation or important event coming up, and you want to look and feel your best heading into it. (People also take on shortened versions aftera vacation, to ensure they quickly get back on track with their healthy habits.) Or perhaps you have a stressful situation (new baby, job change, etc.) coming your way, and you want to be mentally and physically prepared, feeling a solid sense of self-efficacy. Some people just throw them in regularly for good measure, as a way to keep their healthy habits solidly in place.

 

One caveat—doing a Whole5, Whole7, etc. only benefits those people who are able to quickly jump back into the Tiger Blood stage (where you’re feeling awesome, self-confidence is high, cravings are under control, and you remember exactly why it is you love eating this way)getting there way faster than the two weeks it usually takes. Generally, that means it only works for people with a whole lot of Whole30 experience.

 

When is (or isn’t) a mini-Whole30 a good idea?

It’s only appropriate to do an abbreviated version of the program after you’ve successfully completed at least three by-the-book Whole30s and reintroduction periods.

 

First, a shortened version of the program won’t ever give you anywhere near the benefits of a full 30 days. You can read our answer to the question, “why 30 days?” in It Starts With Food, but long story short: these changes take time. In reality, a week simply can’t accomplish the same healing process or change your habits the way a full Whole30 will.

Which means if you’ve gone completely off the rails since your Whole30, you’re still pretty new to the program, or your medical condition or symptoms are presenting again, doing another full Whole30 is your best option. In fact, an abbreviated Whole30 will do you more harm than good, as 7 days is probably just long enough to remind you how hard the first week of a Whole30 can be, but not long enough to have you seeing the benefits. That sounds like a losing situation to us! So if this is your context, do yourself (and your body) a favor and reboot for the whole 30 days.

 

In addition, you need some experience with how the Whole30 feels to be able to jump into that Tiger Blood feeling in just a few days. Only those really familiar with the program and how it affects them will be able to recognize the more subtle changes that happen early on (sleeping better, cravings lessening, energy improving, self-confidence boosting), and be able to use just a few days of those feelings as a springboard to getting back on track. During your first Whole30, this is all new. During your second, you’re (surprisingly) still figuring things out, and may find it’s even harder (and slower to show benefits) than the first. By the third, you’ve got it pretty well down, and are far more aware of the subtle effects of food and drink during your reintroduction period. At which point, you can feel free to throw in some Whole7′s or Whole10′s if you need them.

 

Finally, one more word of caution: don’t even think about taking on a mini-Whole30 as a crash diet plan. It won’t work, because that’s not how our program is designed—in fact, every crash diet backfires, leading to weight gain, worse cravings, and a return to the guilt-shame-regret spiral that got you into trouble in the first place. But you already know this, which is why we don’t crash diet anymore, do we?

 

Are you ready to try a Whole5, Whole7, or Whole10?

If you’ve done at least three full Whole30 programs, been working hard to maintain your new healthy habits, and just need a little reminder/pick me up/kick in the pants, a shortened version of the Whole30 may be just the ticket to help you accomplish some short-term health and habit goals. This mini-reset will help you nix some bloating and digestive discomfort, settle your moods, reduce your cravings, and remind you that you’re in control of the food you eat, not the other way around.

I wouldn’t recommend doing less than 5 days, as 2 or 3 aren’t going to be long enough for most to really recapture that Tiger Blood, so start with 5, and feel free to extend your commitment if you feel like you’re still not where you want to be when Day 6 rolls around. Who knows—you may just end up happily doing a full Whole30 again, and reaping all the benefits of the full program!

 

Best in health,
Melissa

Got a question for Dear Melissa? Submit it using this handy form.

Remember, we aren’t answering questions about the Whole30 rules via this column (use the forum!), nor are we able to offer you specific advice about your medical issue, health condition, or body composition.

Melissa-head-shot-small-150x150.jpg

Melissa Hartwig is a Certified Sports Nutritionist, an RKC-Certified Kettlebell instructor, and the author of the New York Times bestselling book It Starts With Food. She co-founded Whole9 and the Whole30 program with her husband Dallas in 2009. They live in Salt Lake City

- See more at: http://whole30.com/2014/10/mini-whole30/#sthash.C0HN5fVB.dpuf

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How did I reverse the habit of bulimia?


 


 


By not acting on my urges to binge many times.


 


 


It was straightforward: to reverse my bulimia, to undo my habit, I had to stop following my urges to binge. That was the simple truth that often eluded me in therapy as I was focusing on the deeper emotional meaning of my binge eating. No matter how much progress I was making dealing with emotional issues in therapy, my urges would never go away as long as I kept acting on them; because acting on them allowed my brain to keep strengthening the neural connections and pathways that produced those urges.


 


The good news for me was, when it comes to the brain, what you no longer use, you lose – not in a metaphorical sense, but in a real, physical way. The brain is an extremely efficient organ. It builds and fuels the neural connections and pathways that are frequently used, and it weakens and prunes the ones that aren’t. From the first time I had an urge to binge and didn’t act on it, I began teaching my brain that my habit was no longer necessary. In turn, my brain began to weaken the neural connections and pathways that supported the habit, and gradually shut off my urges to binge.


 


But, how did I stop acting on my urges? There were five things I did (listed below) that allowed me to refrain from following urges to binge:


  1. I viewed my urges to binge as neurological junk. (This means I quit believing the urges signaled a real need – physical or emotional – and stopped assigning the urges any value whatsoever. I viewed them as automatic brain messages generated in my lower brain that had absolutely no significance.)
  2. I separated my highest human brain from my urges.(This means I realized the urges weren’t really me, but instead were generated in brain regions inferior to my true self. My true self resided in my prefrontal cortex – my highest human brain – and it gave me the ability to say “no” to binge eating. I had to know my urges were powerless to make me binge, and my true self had ultimate control over my voluntary actions.)
  3. I stopped reacting to my urges. (This means I stopped letting my urges to binge affect me emotionally. I simply let them come and go without getting wrapped up in them. This made the urges tolerable and actually rather easy to resist.)
  4. I stopped acting on my urges. (This was the cure for my bulimia, made possible by the three steps above. I didn’t have to substitute any other behavior or emotionally satisfying activity for binge eating. I only had to refrain from binge eating.)
  5. I got excited. (This was a bonus. By rejoicing in my success, I sped along the brain changes that erased my bulimia.)

Together, the five steps above comprise what I mean by “brain over binge.” This concept is definitely an offshoot of “mind over matter” because it was my mind – my true self, my prefrontal cortex, my highest human brain – that had the capacity to override the harmful matter – my urges to binge – coming from my primitive, lower brain. The prefrontal cortex – the seat of the true self – lies structurally above and forward of (over) the lower brain; therefore, my recovery was not only mind over matter, it was quite literally – brain over binge.


 


My urges to binge went away quickly after I stopped acting on them, and soon my bulimia was a distant memory. Today, I might not be the perfect, successful, confident, shining example of what I once thought a recovered bulimic should be – in love with life and in love with myself, but each day, I do have the opportunity to live a real life, with all the joy and pain it brings. I have some faults, problems, and weaknesses like everyone else in the world; but without the bulimia, those problems are immeasurably more manageable. Without an eating disorder consuming me, I am better able to tackle the daily challenges that I face, even if I don’t always cope perfectly.


 


Brain Over Binge


Kathryn Hansen


Link to comment
Share on other sites

Starving Cancer: Ketogenic Diet a Key to Recovery

 

 

Many people are frustrated with today's cancer treatments. They are expensive, painful and often just don't work.

However, there is a new cancer treatment that is free, has virtually no side effects, and can be used in conjunction with other cancer treatments.
It involves cutting out carbohydrates, beginning with the worst carb of all - sugar.
 
Killing Cancer
Dr. Fred Hatfield is an impressive guy: a power-lifting champion, author of dozens of books, a millionaire businessman with a beautiful wife. But he'll tell you his greatest accomplishment is killing his cancer just in the nick of time.
 
"The doctors gave me three months to live because of widespread metastatic cancer in my skeletal structure," he recalled. "Three months, three different doctors told me that same thing."
His wife Gloria remembers it well.
 
"It's a horrible, horrible feeling to have someone tell you that the person you love only has three months to live and you're not going to be with him any more," she said.
While Hatfield was preparing to die, he heard about an anti-cancer diet, also known as metabolic therapy. With nothing to lose, he gave it a try and was shocked when it actually worked.
"The cancer was gone!" he exclaimed. "Completely. To this day there's no trace of it. And it's been over a year."
 
Starving Bad Cells
 
Although it wasn't easy, Hatfield stopped eating carbohydrates, which turn into glucose inside your body. Cancer cells love glucose and need it so badly, that if you stop giving it to them, they die.
"It just absolutely amazes me that medical science is just now finding this out," he said.
Hatfield's cancer recovery, however, was not a surprise to Dr. Dominic D'Agostino, who researches metabolic therapy. When he and his team of scientists at the University of South Florida removed carbohydrates from the diets of lab mice, the mice survived highly aggressive metastatic cancer even better than when they were treated with chemotherapy.
"We have dramatically increased survival with metabolic therapy," he said. "So we think it's important to get this information out."
 
It's not just lab mice. Dr. D'Agostino has also seen similar success in people - lots of them.
"I've been in correspondence with a number of people," he said. "At least a dozen over the last year-and-a-half to two years, and all of them are still alive, despite the odds. So this is very encouraging."
 
The Ketogenic Diet
 
All cells, including cancer cells, are fueled by glucose. But if you deprive them of glucose, they switch to the alternate fuel, ketone bodies.
Except cancer cells. A defect prevents them from making the switch to using ketone bodies as fuel and therefore, cancer cells can only survive on glucose. All other cells can use either glucose or ketone bodies.
 
"Your normal cells have the metabolic flexibility to adapt from using glucose to using ketone bodies. But cancer cells lack this metabolic flexibility. So we can exploit that," Dr. D'Agostino explained.
 
People like Hatfield, who want to deprive their cells of glucose and fuel them with ketone bodies instead, eat what's known as a ketogenic diet. It consists of almost zero carbohydrates, but lots of natural proteins and fats.
 
Gloria said the food on the ketogenic diet is in every grocery store and is pretty easy to prepare.
"You can go online and there's cook books," she said, "It's clean eating. Just very clean eating, none of the sugars, the salts, the trash food."
 
"Natural" proteins are ones that are in their original form. On the other hand, "processed" meats, like cold cuts and hot dogs, are off-limits because often carbohydrates have been added to them.
Similarly, "natural" fats are whole foods, like olive oil, avocados, and nuts. Stay away from "trans" fats, such as shortening or margarine, any oil that is hydrogenated. Trans fats are man-made.
 
Safe & Healthy
Sometimes people are afraid to try the ketogenic diet because they think eating fat like this is bad for your heart. But more doctors say as long as it's natural, fat is good for you, even saturated fat like coconut oil and butter.
 
"Is cholesterol the major cause of heart disease?" cardiologist Dr. Stephen Sinatra asked. "Absolutely not."
 
In his book, The Great Cholesterol Myth, Dr. Sinatra said the real cause of heart disease is inflammation, which comes from eating too many carbohydrates.
"We need to coach our patients and empower our patients about the dangers of sugar," he said. "Unfortunately, they're not hearing that. They're hearing the converse, the dangers of fat. Fat is healthy for you, as long as you avoid trans fats."
So by cutting back on carbohydrates and eating natural fats and proteins, you could improve your heart health and even wipe out cancer.
 
Additional Information:
The ketogenic diet has also proven successful in treating epilepsy. For more information, go to The Charlie Foundation.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

DEAR MELISSA: SLOW MY (REINTRODUCTION) ROLL

 

2 September, 2014

 

Welcome to Dear Melissa, where we answer your questions about transitioning into or or maintaining a healthy Whole9 life, helping you make what you learned during the Whole30 work in the real world. Today, we’re helping a guy who feels so awesome after his Whole30, he’s not sure he event wants to reintroduce anything back into his diet.

 

Dear Melissa, 

I finished my Whole30, and I feel amazing! I lost 12 pounds, my energy is up, I’m sleeping better, and my sugar cravings are gone for the first time in my entire life. I totally got the “tiger blood!” But now I’m nervous to reintroduce anything because I don’t want to go back to where I was. Help me! –Alan, Atlanta, GA 

 

Dear Alan,

I totally understand where you are coming from. After the Whole30, some people know exactly what they’ve been missing and want to dive into reintroduction ASAP, to know whether some of their favorite foods will still be “worth it.” Others aren’t missing any food as much as they are loving how wonderful they feel, and they’re hesitant to change anything for fear it’s going to knock them off their game.

This scenario is very common with those battling a chronic illness, where there are serious repercussions for going off-plan. (Think joints swollen and aching, migraines returning, or psoriasis flaring—not something you’d be in a hurry to return to.) It’s also common with someone who has battled a vicious Sugar Dragon, are finally free of the cravings that once ruled their life, and have a really thin margin between “in control” and “sugar-inhaling-autopilot.”

 

Fear Not!

 

Note, there’s a difference between being afraid to change anything, and not feeling the need to change anything. The former (being afraid) is not our intention. The Whole30 is designed to teach you how foods interact with your unique body and brain, so you can take that information out into the real world and apply it in a fully sustainable fashion—riding your own bike, as we call it. To stay on the Whole30 indefinitely out of fear is missing the whole point of our program. Is the idea of eating a small piece of your Mom’s once-a-year holiday dessert (your favorite food ever) giving you anxiety? Do you really want to reintroduce something you’ve been missing (cream in your coffee, hot buttered popcorn on movie night, or a glass of wine on date night) but you just won’t let yourself? Do you feel lost, without a sustainable plan for eating in the real world, because you’re not really on the Whole30, but you won’t really come off it, either? If this is your story, then hold on the rest of this advice and read the above-referenced Ride Your Own Bike article first. You need to get over that fear, because it’s holding up your progress! You’ll never find a healthy, balanced, sustainable way to eat—a way that works for you—if you blindly follow our rules for the rest of your life.

 

The Conservative Whole30 Reintroduction

We understand your hesitance to (potentially) sacrifice some of the awesomeness you’re feeling right now for a few bites of ice cream—so let’s talk about a more conservative plan to reintroduce foods mindfully, while still using ourreintroduction schedule as a template.

First, to give yourself a little breathing room, relax on the “no added sugar” rule. This doesn’t mean you’re eating cupcakes washed down with energy drinks, but if you want some maple chicken sausage, bacon with your eggs, ketchup on your burger, or the vinaigrette dressing that comes with your restaurant salad, go right ahead. Note that we’re not actually changing your diet much here—you were already eating meat, condiments, and salads with dressing on the Whole30. We’re just broadening your choices a bit, in a way that is unlikely to send you running for the nearest donut shop.

Whew. That already feels a little more sustainable, doesn’t it?

 

Sugar Caution:

Note, if there are some foods you suspect (or know) will be “triggers” for your Sugar Dragon, don’t slack on the no added sugar rule with them. Sweetened nut butters, coconut butters, dark chocolate, or coffee creamers may lead you down the path of “food with no brakes” in a flash.

Next, you’re going to follow the general reintroduction schedule and order, but you’re not going to eat things you don’t really, really want to eat. Just because it’s Day 31 doesn’t mean you have to have a legume-filled day. If you wake up and don’t feel like eating beans, tofu, or peanut butter, then don’t! If your “relaxed Whole30” is working great for you and nothing is calling your name, then there is no reason to change anything.

 

However, the day will come when the idea of something bean-y sounds really delicious. When that happens, you reintroduce. Enjoy the soy sauce at sushi, slather some peanut butter on your celery, or add some black beans to your deconstructed taco salad. (Or do all three!) The point is that you decided this could be worth it—not that our reintroduction schedule said you had to.

Next step: prepare yourself for some potentially not-so-awesomeness. There’s a chance that what you chose to introduce will knock you off your Tiger Blood high—but we’ve got you covered, so if it happens, don’t panic. Remember, part of the reintroduction is to return to 100% strict (including no added sugar) Whole30 eating for the next two days, so you can evaluation the results of your experiment. So even if you get digestive distress, your tummy bloats, your migraines return, or your energy tanks, you’ve got the next two days to do a mini-reset and get back to Whole30 awesomeness. The important part?

Take longer if you need it.

 

There’s nothing that says you have to do your reintroduction in just 10 days. If your legume experiment went horribly wrong and you feel like you really need extra time to get your Tiger Blood back online, take it! Five days, a week, ten days… what’s important is that you only reintroduce one food group at a time, and that you allow yourself enough time between food groups to be able to effectively evaluate each of the independently. And if you decide to take longer than two days between reintroduction groups, feel free to go back to a “relaxed Whole30,” if that was working for you.

 

So, you’re back on the Whole30 for a few days (or more), and then you keep your eyes peeled for some kind of non-gluten grain calling your name. If some popcorn during your movie sounds delicious, you want a corn tortilla with your fajita, or you’re dying for a rice-wrapped sushi roll, go for it whenever you’re ready.

Wash, rinse, repeat with dairy and gluten-grains. Get it?

 

Order, please.

But what if something gluten-filled appears first—before legumes? We’ve created the reintroduction schedule in this specific order, going from food group least likely to mess you up (legumes) to most (gluten-grains). However, the order is really most important if you’re going to reintroduce all food groups in just ten days. If you decide to stretch it out longer, feel free to reintroduce out of order—but know that if dairy or gluten comes early in the process, you may need extra-extra days to recover.

 

Proceed with (Craving) Caution

Finally, an important point, and something that trips up many Whole30’ers during their reintroduction. If at any point, you start to feel out of control (like what you’ve reintroduced woke up your Sugar Dragon), get back on the Whole30 for as long as it takes to stabilize. This is most common with the reintroduction of sugary foods or gluten grains—eating muffins, chocolate, “dessert,” or bread again can make some people rabid with desire for processed carbs and sugar again. So be on the lookout for cravings rearing their ugly heads, and halt that process before it takes over your brain by returning to a strict Whole30.

 

Does this advice sound a little… extreme? Like, really, will I feel out of control after just a day of off-plan food? Yeah, you might. And we take sugar and carb-addiction very seriously around here so please, listen to us, and don’t feel like a failure if you have to jump back on the Whole30 for a few days to calm things down. You’re actually succeeding, because you’re not afraid to do the best thing for you, your long-term health, and relationship with food. Winning!

 

The good news? Chances are it will only take a few days before you’re breathing easy again, and will know to be even more careful when reintroducing those “trigger foods.”

Best in health,
Melissa

Link to comment
Share on other sites

U.S News A World Report

 

Comparison of Obesity Surgeries Turns Up Surprising Results More popular method is less successful for maintaining weight loss, study says

 
HealthDay Sept. 17, 2012 

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers who compared two types of weight-loss surgery found the less popular method -- called the duodenal switch -- results in better maintained weight loss than gastric bypass.

Gastric bypass, considered the gold standard of obesity operations, involves reducing the size of the stomach and bypassing the pyloric valve, which separates the stomach from the small intestine. In a duodenal switch, surgeons leave the pyloric valve intact. This prevents some complications associated with gastric bypass and allows for more normal digestion, which preserves vital nutrients, the researchers said.

 

"Surgeons are seeing ... a significant number of patients with weight gain after gastric bypass," said Dr. Alec Beekley, associate professor of surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals in Philadelphia and author of an editorial accompanying the study, which was published in the September issue of the journal Archives of Surgery. Beekley was not involved in the study.

 

Maintaining weight loss after gastric bypass surgery is a challenge, and over time the weight loss is not nearly as dramatic as after the initial operation, he said.

"Duodenal switch has superior weight loss and may be more appropriate as the primary bariatric operation in carefully selected patients," Beekley said.

Risks early on are higher with the duodenal switch, but the absolute risk of complications is low, the study authors said. Surgeons also have been reluctant to use duodenal switch because the nutritional requirements and need for follow-up are much higher with this procedure, he said.

"Yet, given the clear outcome advantages in terms of weight loss, perhaps it is time more U.S. surgeons considered this option," Beekley said.

 

For the study, a team led by Dr. Daniel Nelson of Madigan Army Medical Center in Fort Lewis, Wash., compared outcomes of more than 77,000 patients who had a traditional gastric bypass and an average body-mass index of 48 with more than 1,500 patients who had a duodenal switch and average body-mass index of 52. Body-mass index (BMI) is a measurement of body fat based on height and weight. A BMI over 40 is considered morbidly obese. More than three-quarters of the patients were women, and their average age was 45.

 

The duodenal switch procedure takes more than 20 minutes longer to perform on average and is associated with more blood loss and longer hospital stays -- 4.4 days vs. 2.2 days. Nearly all of the gastric bypass patients had laparoscopic surgery, while half of the duodenal switch patients underwent open surgery, which poses a longer recovery time.

The duodenal switch, however, resulted in greater sustained weight loss, the researchers found.

 

This result was especially noticeable among the most obese patients, called the superobese, the researchers said. Two years after surgery, 79 percent of those who had a duodenal switch still had a significant weight loss compared with 67 percent who had gastric bypass.

 

In addition, almost 20 percent of patients who had a gastric bypass failed to lose at least 50 percent of their body mass at the two-year follow-up, compared with 6 percent who underwent a duodenal switch, they noted.

 

Moreover, patients who had a duodenal switch had greater improvement in obesity-related conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and sleep apnea, the researchers found.

Dr. Mitchell Roslin, chief of obesity surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said patients gain weight after a gastric bypass because they suffer from low sugar and get instantly hungry.

 

"We do not see that in the duodenal switch nearly as much, because the pyloric valve is preserved," he said. "It is far better to preserve the pyloric valve and do your bypass underneath it, although it's technically more challenging than to do the gastric bypass."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Miracle Weight Loss that Isn't

 

The unadvertised complications

 

 By Sabrina Rubin Erdely

 

Operating on the obese always presents major challenges. “One of the first tenets you’re taught as a surgical trainee is to fear fat,” Dr. Hutcher says, in part because it crowds the organs and makes it hard to see. Twenty-two percent of bariatric-surgery patients experienced complications before they even left the hospital, findings in the journal Medical Care reveal. Those problems ranged from the life-threatening — such as infection and respiratory failure — to milder complications such as vomiting and diarrhea. And a 2005 Journal of the American Medical Association study found that 20 percent of gastric-bypass patients were rehospitalized the year after surgery, sometimes for follow-up operations. (Those same patients’ hospitalization rate averaged 8 percent in the year before the procedure.) “It’s those additional surgeries you worry about, because there’s a significantly increased risk in repeat operations,” largely due to internal scarring, points out Mass General’s Dr. Kaplan.

 

In September 2006, 37-year-old Jennifer  of Jacksonville, Florida, was one year post-op, having shed an astonishing 200 pounds, when she was struck to the floor by a bolt of pain. “It was excruciating, right in the center of my breastbone and straight through to my back,” she remembers. “It felt like everything inside me had ruptured.” re so common that many bariatric surgeons remove the gallbladder during the initial surgery. After all, bypass surgery makes that organ irrelevant:A trip to the emergency room revealed she had gallstones — a condition shown to strike about 40 percent of gastric-bypass patients — and would need another surgery to remove them. Ironically, gallstones are a sign of weight loss success, because rapid weight loss crystallizes cholesterol in the gallbladder, forming hard deposits. They are so common that many bariatric surgeons remove the gallbladder during the initial surgery. After all, bypass surgery makes that organ irrelevant: Its job is to store bile, whose destination — the first portion of the small intestine — has been wiped off the anatomical map.

 

Gallbladder flare-ups are the least of a patient’s post-op worries. Bowel obstructions, a risk in any surgery, are an especially serious danger for those who have gastric bypass. “What you have then is a blind loop: The intestine is obstructed in one direction and partitioned in the other direction, so there’s no exit,” Dr. Higa explains. “If they don’t get surgery within 12 hours, the bowel could dilate and explode,” potentially killing them.

 

Tammy  of  Louisiana, found that out the hard way. In October 2003, doctors diagnosed a bowel obstruction after she developed the worst pain of her life. “It was worse than childbirth,” she remembers. Doctors knocked her out and wheeled her into surgery to resolve the problem. But a month later, she was out to dinner with friends when she again cried out in stomach-clutching agony. In the hospital, tests revealed another bowel obstruction. The last thing she remembers is being rushed into surgery. She woke up three days later in intensive care, hooked up to a ventilator. She recalls, “It was traumatic, one of the most horrible experiences of my life,” leaving emotional scars so deep that recently, while on a Caribbean cruise for her honeymoon, a cramp in her side brought on a full-blown panic attack. “All I could think about was ending up back on that ventilator,” she says.


“It was like surgically induced bulimia,” says a 46-year-old data entry specialist in Houston. “No matter how small a bite I took, no matter how much I chewed, I would feel it just sitting there — a pain in my chest like a heart attack. Then it would come right up.” She managed to tough it out for 20 months because, she says, her surgeon urged her to stick with it, continually telling her to chew her food more thoroughly. Finally, when her esophagus felt scarred from vomiting and the enamel had worn off her teeth, a second surgeon advised removing the band. She readily agreed — “I think I would have taken it out myself if I had known how,” she says. Still, she considers herself lucky. Her best friend had a similarly unhappy gastric-band experience but was determined to give surgery another try. In September 2005, her friend underwent a duodenal switch — a relatively uncommon form of weight loss surgery that involves removing a large portion of the stomach and bypassing a significant section of the small intestine — and developed a leak in her bowel. She died days later of sepsis.Because gastric bypass rearranges the digestive tract, it’s unsurprising that patients can find themselves rife with gastrointestinal complaints. Eighty-five percent of people who have gastric bypass experience “dumping syndrome,” when sugary, undigested foods empty directly into the small intestine, causing nausea, light-headedness, cramping and gas. And then there are the true GI disasters, such as the horror she went through. Almost immediately after her banding procedure in January 2003, she started having trouble keeping food down.

 

When the fat makes its way back 
Some bariatric-surgery patients may rationalize any suffering they experience as the cost of losing weight. But even so, they may not keep the pounds off — and the svelte ideal they’re aiming for may be a pipe dream in the first place.

 

Lisa  of  Oregon, had high expectations when she had a duodenal switch at age 38. “I’m a big believer in the surgery,” she avers — and remains so despite having to fight through a post-op nightmare of a hernia and a reaction to pain meds. In the first 18 months, she dropped 100 pounds from her 325-pound frame. From there, however, her weight plateaued — and then, to her horror, the pounds began creeping back on. “I didn’t do anything differently!” she says. “I still ate tiny meals!” Nevertheless, six years post-op, she has leveled off at 240 pounds, a net loss of 85 pounds.

 

The greatest period of weight loss is the 12 to 18 months after bariatric surgery, after which you start to see weight regain, according to Meena Shah, Ph.D., an obesity researcher at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Her 2006 review of the controlled studies done on the issue revealed that the disease-fighting properties of both bypass and banding surgery go down as patients’ weight goes back up.

 

Why isn’t weight loss more lasting? More evidence is needed, but one possible explanation is physical: If you keep overfilling the stomach, it can stretch from its tiny postsurgical size to perhaps double its size. In the case of gastric bypass, hormones may also play a role: Researchers have found that the surgery alters the balance of hormones such as ghrelin that regulate hunger and fullness. “For the first four or six months, we actually have to remind patients to eat,” says Sandra Arioli, a registered nurse who runs a gastric-bypass support group at the Renfrew Center eating disorders clinic in Coconut Creek, Florida. Six months later, hormonal balance shifts again and the appetite returns, sometimes with a vengeance, Arioli says. “That’s when they have to start listening to their body because it becomes harder to change their eating behaviors.” Patients need to get into the exercise habit — a task easier said than done — and come to terms with life after food. “Post-op, these people grieve for the loss of food,” Arioli says. “Food is their comfort. And if you don’t figure out how to find comfort in other ways, you’re going to go with what you know. These are some serious eaters.”

 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

WHOLE30-SUCCESS-STORY.jpg

WHOLE30 AND WEIGHT LOSS: KATIE K.’S STORY

 

27 October, 2014

Sometimes, we are completely astounded by the stories our Whole30 Program participants send us. (And yes, Melissa reads every single story you send us personally). Today, we’re featuring Katie K. from Davenport, IA, who used the Whole30 Program and a Whole9 lifestyle to lose more than 100 pounds and gain the energy and confidence to live live to its fullest.

Katie’s Story

“I had a baby in April 2011. With all that goes along with a new baby and not having enough time for myself, I had let myself get to an unhealthy place, somewhere I had never been before. I knew I needed to change my ways, but was not sure how.  I had tried Weight Watchers in the past and gained back everything I lost and then some. I tried to find to motivation to exercise but always found an excuse not to.  I was tired of going shopping and never finding anything, always shopping on the plus-size side of the store. All these things were spiraling me into a depression, feeling like I was not good enough for anything.

Katie-06.01.2014.jpgWhen my friend told me about It Starts With Food in May 2013, I immediately ordered the book and decided that I was going to read it and find a way to make it work in my life. I was tired of being tired, lazy, overweight, and not able to keep up with my daughter. I read the book over a few days, printed off the food lists, and went shopping. I was determined to find the foods I could eat! That grocery store trip took me several hours and I read so many labels my head was spinning, but I had accomplished my first step. I prepped food for what seemed like hours, and made some recipes that I could put in the freezer for easy dinners when the week got crazy. I had my last Diet Mountain Dew on May 30, 2013, and never looked back.

Katie-05.11.14.jpgDuring my first Whole30, I found that I slept better, my face was bright and clear, and I could perform better at work. Because of the foods that I was eating, I found I never had the bloated tummy feeling. I also was able to continue running during that time. My times got faster and running was getting easier as the pounds fell off. During the month of June, I lost 20 pounds and several inches, and I was motivated to continue with my Whole9 lifestyle, I would get a smile on my face every time I had to enter my weight on the treadmill, and each time it was just a little lower!

Katie-08.2014.jpgWhile following the Whole9 lifestyle, the pounds and inches continued to come off, and I was building muscle with the running. I did my second Whole30 in September 2013. I lost 15 more pounds and (again) countless inches. My weight loss total at that point was 50 pounds, and I was feeling on top of the world ! I was actually accomplishing something! People were noticing the weight loss and asking what I was doing to lose weight. I could not wait to share It Starts with Food with all of them! I was able to share my knowledge with friends and family, and helped motivate some.  I loved seeing their results and sharing their success as well.

Katie-Oct-2014.jpgI returned to my Whole9 lifestyle in October 2013 and have not stopped. My weight loss to date is 126lbs (and counting)! I am more confident, stronger mentally and physically, and I credit it all to the Whole30 program and Whole9. Without It Starts With Food and the support I have received along the way I would not be where I am today, living life to the fullest. Even if I do not lose another pound, I am happy with my results, thanks to the lifestyle changes I made and continue with even today.”

Share Your Story

To share your Whole30 success story with our readers, email [email protected].

- See more at: http://whole30.com/2014/10/whole30-weight-loss-katie-k-s-story/#sthash.IMFUjeru.dpuf

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This year, I've lost a loved one due to the complications from a gastric bypass surgery.  She was young.   She never regained the health she was hoping for after surgery.    I have two other relatives that are still struggling after their gastric bypass surgeries.  

 

Do they have radiant health?  No, they do not.   One has regained half of all of the initial weight loss back.

 

The other is fighting with it... every single day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
green-exercise-360x360.jpg

4 Benefits of Green Exercise

 

 

A Whole9 guest post by James Murphy, a self-described nature-loving-hippie currently living in New Zealand who loves to play outside.

When I step outside into nature, it’s as though I’m stepping into a world that was designed for me to play and move in. There are trees that seem made for climbing, taunting me with their low-hanging branches. Rocks that have been set up with the perfect jumping distance between them daring me to give it a go. Fascinating trail heads that pique my curiosity asking me to figure out where the path leads to.

 

I’ve written previously on some of the benefits of spending time outsideNature by itself is good for restoring your focus, helping you relax, improving cognitive function, and making you happy.

There’s an expanding body of evidence discussing how spending time in nature will improve our health, which I’ve both spoken and written about for the Ancestral Health Society of New Zealand.

One of the easiest ways to follow through on the intention to spend more time outside is to combine time in nature with physical activity.

 

You need to exercise to be healthy. The exact amount and version of exercise that you undertake is up for individual debates, as different people have different requirements with different lifestyles to work around; but one thing is certain: the way you move is turning out to be pretty important.

One of the most interesting things highlighted in the Whole 9 movement series was the way the experts that were interviewed would program training (though they had the caveat of only selecting 5 movements). If the goal of training was simply for health and well-being the program was different than what they might program for somebody looking exclusively for performance and aesthetic goals.

 

Home1.jpg

 

 

So if you are training only for general health and fitness goals, there is no reason to focus entirely on performance and outcomes when it comes to physical activity. We need variety and an incorporation of various planes and axes of movement. You don’t need to spend all of your physical activity time in a gym.

Exercise outside?

 

Secret_South1.gif

 

 

Imagine, if you will, how you may have ascertained a decent level of fitness and strength even a few generations ago before you would have had easy access to the modern gyms on every corner of every street in every town. Certainly the average fitness level was much more impressive than it currently is. This is highlighted in the consistent decline in strength noticed when testing the physical capacity of kids. 

 

Think about the extremes to both the low end (how common sedentary behaviour is) and the high end (think professional athletes) today compared with, say, the amount of physical work your grandparents were required to perform daily. Since the industrial revolution, our requirements for physical exertion have been declining.Despite the lack of abundant indoor training facilities we see today, from most all generations preceding us, people were likely to be more fit.

 

 

Barbells are awesome, but you can activate and overload muscle fibres by other means . You could pick up a log or rock, or sprint. These activities would stimulate muscle protein synthesis and induce adaptations. Our muscles don’t know the difference between a barbell and a log.

 

 

I’m not saying you should neglect the luxury of a well-equipped fitness centre, or change the base of your regimen from these fantastic locations; I’m simply shedding light on the fact that it is entirely possible and highly beneficial to train outdoors as well.

 

There are specific benefits from incorporating green exercise habits that extend beyond the basic benefits of physical activity.

 

1) It Makes You Feel Better About Yourself

Physical activity by itself tends to improve your mood, and we usually intuitively understand this to be true. With dopamine and endorphins flowing freely when we move our bodies, this positive feedback is often a sought-after reason for chasing down a good workout. Who doesn’t feel good after a good movement session?

As it turns out, exercising outdoors increases this effect, producing improvements in mood and increases in self-esteem above and beyond that of exercise alone. Green exercise makes you feel better than the same exercise performed indoors.

 

0608-hiking-redwoodsW-1024x682.jpg

 

 

You might think that this requires you to spend a very long time outside or that you have to go on an epic journey through the woods and up over mountain passes to feel the awe and wonder than beautiful Mother Nature has to offer. But actually, this effect can be seen quickly, and even short bouts of exercise work done outside can result in more positive feelings.

 

If one of the reasons you’re moving and exercising in the first place is to improve your mood, add some outdoor movement in place of part of your current routine in order to get more bang for your buck. If you’re using exercise as a “stress-relief” then you should check your current baseline stress levels and adjust some other factors too.

green-exercise3.jpg

2) It’s Easier

Exercise outdoors may reduce your rating of perceived exertion. This means compared to how you’d feel on a treadmill, walking at a brisk pace outdoors may feel less strenuous.

The environment you spend time within has a substantial effect on how you feel. If you don’t feel good, what you’re doing feels harder. How does carrying a load of heavy groceries to your car feel if you’ve just had an awesome day versus how it feels when you’re exhausted and just want to get home already? Hard. Annoying. Terrible. Your rating of perceived exertion is high.

D%20Cape%20brett%20area-bay%20of%20islan

 

 

Occasionally the sole purpose of physical activity is for fun – and it’s hard to enjoy what you’re doing when it feels like the activity you’re attempting is too hard to continue doing! Take your fun sessions outdoors and the natural environment is likely to catalyse this fun by making it feel less difficult.

 

This actually makes good sense from a psychoneuroimmunological perspective, when you consider that our thoughts result in neural chemical reactions which drive immune inflammatory responses, that inflammation makes us want to quit moving (aka makes movement feel harder), and that nature often makes you think happy thoughts.

green-exercise4.jpg

3) You’re More Likely to Keep It Up

Exercising outdoors makes you more likely to continue to participate in physical activity in the future, and more likely to adhere to a program in general.

 

When it comes to exercise, consistency is key. Improving the likelihood that you’ll engage in regular physical activity and as a long-term practice is very important. It’s something that many practitioners and public health programs struggle with on a daily basis. Physical activity levels, on average, are declining despite increasing efforts of public health guidelines.

 

Take some of your exercise outside and it may improve your exercise frequency, enjoyment and adherence. If it’s more likely to make you participate often, and it makes you happy, this seems like quite a strong positive feedback loop!

green-exercise1.jpg

4) It Adds Some Variety and Fun

When you think of exercising outdoors you may first imagine running or cycling through the city or a park. I’m not here to tell you that’s necessarily a poor choice – but there are better places to move, and more ways to do so.

A trail run is different than running on a sidewalk or footpath, just as cycling on the road is obviously different than mountain biking. It’s difficult to just go through the motions when you’re moving outside on a trail. If you were zoned out while running on a sidewalk, not having to think about where you place your foot, you’re not going to be able to enjoy what you’re doing because you’re barely even aware of what you’re doing. Moving on a trail stops you from mindlessly exercising and increases the likelihood that you’ll pay attention to your surroundings.

 

Walking through the woods is a great idea, whether the scenery is constantly changing or it’s just a change from your urban habitat. Doing some hill sprints is a good way to change things up too.

Have you ever tried practicing parkour or climbing a tree? I personally really enjoy these activities as they’re both fun and challenging. Rock climbing, swimming, playing ultimate Frisbee at a park – the options for trying something new outside are limitless.

20130506103150814.png

 

 

 

You can even attempt to emulate what you would normally be doing, but outside; you don’t have to lift logs and rocks (but it is fun). Bring a Kettlebell or a sandbag outside, lift a tire or push a sled, or just do a regular bodyweight circuit out there.

Training in a sustainable way means training in exciting, novel, and varied environments  – natural environments.

 

Convinced of the need for physical activity done in nature? Then switch out one of your indoor workouts this week for some outdoor activity. Or if you’re growing bored of your exercise routine, give yourself the freedom to engage in more playful, varied healthy movement out in nature.

james-murphy.jpgJames is a nutritionist and lifestyle consultant who works using a holistic (integrative) approach toward understanding human health. He is also a member of the Ancestral Health Society of New Zealand.

As an amateur adventurer, James spends much of his time outdoors playing and exploring nature, which helps to fuel his appreciation for the importance of natural environments in improving our health as humans. He writes at EvolvedHuman.com. Follow him on Instagram: @PrimalRush)

Share this:
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mount-Johns-summit-360x360.jpg
4 Reasons to Go Outside (if you care about your health)

 

A Whole9 guest post by James Murphy, a self-described nature-loving-hippie who loves to play outside.

When was the last time you went outside? No, not just to walk to the mailbox… really went outside, on purpose, for the pure enjoyment of it?

 

Many people probably couldn’t answer that question with any recent date. In this day and age, many of us think of the “great outdoors” as something that’s nice to think about or view from afar, but to actually participate in getting outside? Some people think about spending time in the great outdoors as a special occasion, not a part of our regularly scheduled programming.

 

It’s a mistake to view nature as an occasional vacation destination. By neglecting natural environments as an integrated part of our habitat, we are not only missing the resulting health benefits, but may actually be experiencing some negative downstream health effects.

 

Hiking%20NZ1%20(512%20x%20340)%20(384%20

 

Bottom line, studies show that spending time in “green spaces” is good for your stress levels,  happiness, and health. And “green” isn’t limited to grassy fields and parks—you could be outside in blue (rivers, lakes, streams, or oceans), brown (beaches or woods), white (snowy fields or mountains), or any other colour nature could imagine.

Top 4 Reasons to to Go Outside: 1. Nature can restore your focus.

4-reasons-to-go-outside1-300x298.jpgWe often take our ability to focus and exert willpower for granted. We treat it as something that should just happen when we need it to. But what allows it to happen in the first place?

Ultimately, the parts of your brain responsible for directing your attention rely on a source of energy in order to function. And like your muscles, your brain runs out of energy if it’s in constant use without a break. Urban environments constantly demand focus and attention, and seldom give us a break. Billboards, television, smartphones, neon signs, traffic jams, crowds of people, lines, noise pollution—all incredibly mentally fatiguing!

 

ballpass_ballridge3.jpg

 

To restore focus and willpower, you need to give your brain regular recovery time by immersing yourself in natural environments. Nature is restorative in its ability to catch your attention in a passive manner, stopping you from draining your brain, and allowing the energy supply to recover. It’s like recharging your battery.

For more, check out The Experience of Nature, The Restorative Benefits of Nature, and this environmental psychology study.

 

2. Nature helps you relax.

Our modern lifestyles can get pretty hectic if we let the stress build up unchecked. In fact, being stressed is now just the norm—so much so that it can easily go unnoticed. Being in a natural environment or a green space can give us a feeling of relaxation that combats anxiety and stress.

Going for a walk along a river, through a park, or up in the hills is a sure-fire way to de-stress. In fact, this effect is so powerful that simply viewing the outdoors or pictures of beautiful natural scenes can affect our thought patterns in a helpful way.

reasons-to-go-outside.jpgA mental break to relax and de-stress could be as simple as a quick walk, looking at the awesome nature scenes screensaver you’ve got on your computer, eating dinner at a picnic table in the park instead of in front of the TV, or gazing at the flowers sitting on your kitchen table.

(For more, see this study and this study on stress and the environment

3. Nature is good for your brain.

Spending all of our time in the concrete jungle can quickly become monotonous and depressing. Artificial environments are ultimately boring to our innate need for novelty. Although they can be exciting and stimulating in the short-term, they don’t tick all the boxes in the list of things our brain requires for novelty and excitement.

walk.jpg

 

Nature can give us a sense of being away from it all, either mentally or physically. The natural world is absolutely fascinating! Because natural environments are so rich in scope, they very easily capture our imagination. This doesn’t stop with just visually-fascinating environments either. Nature provides a myriad of sounds, smells, and textures, all of which are vastly different than a city environment.

(For more, check out http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3724873/)

 

4. Nature makes you happy.

Spending time in a natural environment can surely boost our mood—but do we really appreciate how much? We tend to underestimate the benefits that nature can have on our happiness and state of mind. Studies show that activities in nature make us feel more happy than those same exact activities performed indoors. For example, walking through a park makes us a lot happier than walking on a treadmill in the gym.

EASTHOOKER.JPG

 

 

 

We can all relate to this idea—you’re thinking about going for a walk, but you don’t really want to leave the comfort of the couch. Somehow, you work up the motivation to change your clothes, drive to your favorite trail, and start hiking. Lo and behold—you immediately feel amazing! You wonder why you don’t do this more often!And when you’re done, you think, “I am so glad I did that.”

 

 

 

 

It’s easy to forget how happy getting outside makes us—but the more often we practice, the easier it will be to remember.

(For more, see this study and this study on nature and happiness.)

We are a part of the natural world

We are part of nature—we instinctively know this to be true. We’ve even given it a name (“Mother Nature”) that inherently means we were born from our environment. We cannot separate ourselves from nature no matter how hard we may try.

 

Swing%20Bridge%20NI.jpg

More and more, however, we are isolating ourselves from the natural world—the real worldThere is a mismatch between the environmental inputs our biology expects, and those we currently surround ourselves with. Including more time in natural environments is getting back to the real world and experiencing the things our biology dictates we should be experiencing.

 

Looking at the big picture, health involves more than just food and exercise (though it’s accurate to say that It Starts With Food). It’s critical that you consider the environment in which you live as a key factor in reclaiming your health and living a happy life. If there is one takeaway message from all of these points, it is simply:

Go outside and play — it’s good for you!

(For more, read The Biophilia Hypothesis)

james-murphy-150x150.jpgJames is a nutritionist and lifestyle consultant who works using a holistic (integrative) approach toward understanding human health. He is also a member of the Ancestral Health Society of New Zealand.

As an amateur adventurer, James spends much of his time outdoors playing amongst and exploring nature, which helps to fuel his appreciation for the importance of natural environments in improving our health as humans. He writes atEvolvedHuman.com. (All photos by the author. Follow him on Instagram: @PrimalRush)

Share this:
 
Self-Tramping-NZ.jpg
 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

The Truth About Cholesterol

 

A Whole9 guest post by Dr Sult, medical doctor, medical educator, inspirational speaker & the author of Just Be Well: A Book For Seekers of Vibrant Health.

The Inside Story on Cholesterol

Looking to lower your risk of heart disease? Conventional wisdom says you should exercise regularly, eat well and keep your cholesterol levels in the recommended range. Sounds simple, right?

 

cholesterol2.jpg

Not so much. Cholesterol is actually a lousy predictor of whether you’re going to have a heart attack. In fact, lowering cholesterol has been shown to reduce your risk of heart attack only if you’ve already had a heart attack. If you haven’t, lowering cholesterol as a whole doesn’t affect your risk. Instead, we need to look more closely at cholesterol levels to determine what they can—and cannot—tell us.

What is Cholesterol?

 

low-cholesterol-diet.jpg

 

 

Cholesterol itself isn’t a bad thing. It is a waxy, fat-like substance naturally found in all human cells. It helps make hormones, vitamin D, and other substances that help us digest food. Although our bodies make cholesterol, it is also found in foods, such as fatty meats, saturated fats like butter, and trans fats, which are often found in crackers and cookies.

Cholesterol travels through the bloodstream in carriers called lipoproteins. Two kinds of lipoproteins provide this transportation, LDL and HDL. LDL is commonly known as “bad” cholesterol because too much of it results in a buildup of cholesterol in the arteries, making it more difficult for blood to squeeze through and deliver oxygen to the cells. HDL, or “good” cholesterol, acts like a garbage truck: it brings cholesterol from other parts of the body to the liver, where it leaves the body.

 

mixed_berries.jpg

 

The higher the LDL or bad cholesterol, the greater the chance of getting heart disease. The higher the level of HDL (the cleanup lipoprotein), the lower the chance of getting heart disease.

citrus-fruits.jpg

 

So it’s not just your cholesterol level that makes a difference in your risk of a heart attack—it’s the numbers inside.

cholesterol-360x360.jpg

 

 

 

HDL v. LDL

For many years, the medical community has focused on advising patients to decrease the LDL or bad cholesterol. But newer studies have shown that it’s more important to have a high level of good cholesterol than it is to have a low level of bad cholesterol. In his article “Forget LDL—Think HDL,” cardiologist Stephen Sinatra says that even when heart patients have tremendously lowered their LDL, they are still at significant risk for heart problems. In addition, he says that many patients who have coronary artery disease have low HDL levels, and that a higher level of “good” cholesterol could help keep the “bad” cholesterol moving on out of the body.

 

ed7aa88e36d34d7db790e8344248fc01.PNG?ito

 

Understanding Your Cholesterol Levels

The typical blood test that tells you your total cholesterol level will not give you enough information to understand how LDL and HDL are operating in your body. If you’re concerned about your risk of heart disease, stroke, or your level of cholesterol, talk with your doctor about getting one of the new-generation lipid teststhat delve deeper to look at LDL and HDL numbers, as well as LDL particle numbers and size.

 

Although finding out your individual cholesterol levels is helpful, it’s even more important to look at your actual cardiovascular function. Many functional medicine doctors can measure the compliance of the “cardiovascular tree” in the office, determining the elasticity, or compliance, of the veins and arteries.

2ada326355e41b3a4893cfc47ab4f250.jpg

 

The buildup of plaque or cholesterol can make the arteries stiffen, increasing the risk of blood clots, stroke, heart attack, angina and other coronary diseases, as well as kidney disease.

 

1012cholesterol.jpg

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that one in six American adults has high cholesterol levels, meaning high levels of “bad” cholesterol. Most people who have it don’t even know it, because few symptoms may precede a cardiac event, such as a heart attack.

heart_disease_map1-137402_406x226.png

 

 

By consulting with a doctor to get the inside story on your cholesterol levels and cardiovascular function, you can understand what risks you might face, and develop an effective strategy to improve your health.

dr-sult.jpgTom Sult is a medical doctor, medical educator, inspirational speaker & the author of Just Be Well: A Book For Seekers of Vibrant Health. Board-certified in family medicine & integrative holistic medicine, Tom is on faculty with theInstitute for Functional Medicine and maintains a private practice in Willmar, MN. Join Tom’s crusade to change the way doctors treat their patients at www.justbewell.info. For more information on Tom’s practice please visit the 3rd Opinion website.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...