In this episode I interview Chris Corrales, founder of MedicinEvolution and Gravity Meridians systems about his recent formation of the Gravity Meridians system of assessment models for bodywork and healing practitioners. Chris is a certified practitioner of Structural Integration, a classically trained Homeopath, and BJJ Practitioner. Join us while we deconstruct the Gravity Meridians system and show its breakthrough to both health practitioners as well as movement professionals.

 

A brief bio:

At 21 years old, after growing up with asthma and experiencing little to no help from conventional medicine, and sustaining a number of injuries from training and competing internationally in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, I was introduced to Structural Integration. After only a few sessions, a shoulder injury, remnants of a sprained ankle, chronic low back pain, neck pain, and surprisingly my asthma were all transformed. The results of Structural Integration were dramatically different from other types of bodywork I had experienced, and this time the changes were tangible and lasting. This life altering experience became my focus and passion.

In 1996, I completed the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine’s massage certification in San Diego, CA and also became a certified EMT. In 1998 I graduated from the world renown Guild for Structural Integration in Boulder, CO. At the Guild, my studies were highlighted with specialty workshops in energy medicine, the emotional body, and the dramatic effects of subtle spinal interventions.

I’ve studied with a number of Dr. Rolf’s original students to hone my skills of touch assessment, intervention, and integration. Jim Price privately mentored me through an entire 10-series which solidified my understanding and feel for the work. I went on to study homeopathy to deepen my knowledge of disease processes and healing. Continuing education has been important to me from the very beginning my most recent studies were with Ron Murray D.O.

Resources:

Chris Corrales clinic website: http://www.medicinevolution.com

Gravity Meridians Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1430044350632959/

In this episode I interview Isaac Osborne, Advanced Practitioner of Structural Integration, LMT, and creator and founder of imaging software Body Align Pro and inventor of the Sqr Shot device holder about his practice and his recent experience as an attendee and exhibitor at the 4th Fascial Research Congress in Reston Virginia.

 

A brief bio:

Isaac has 17 years in the chronic pain industry. He began his bodywork training while living on Kauai learning Hawaiian Lomi Lomi, Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Shiatsu, Lymph Drainage Massage, American and Russian Sports Massage, Craino-sacral Therapy, Thai Yoga Therapy, and Myofascial Release.

For 2 years Isaac was the lead medical massage therapist in a Physical Therapy Clinic where he focused on pre and post surgical care, work comp injuries and auto injuries. Realizing that the techniques he was using could be improved to help his clients (and himself because he was suffering from his own chronic low back and neck pain for over 12 years). He sought out the Rolf Method of Structural Integration to further enhance his training and address his pain. Isaac became certified in the method and incorporated the technique into his practice at his own clinic that he started after leaving the physical therapy clinic.

After a couple of years of practicing the Rolf Method and getting his advanced certification Isaac was invited to teach with his mentor Emmett Hutchins at the Guild for Structural Integration. Isaac has taught with them since 2005 with beginning, advanced classes, and workshops and also taught a class in Japan.

The next progression in his training occurred when Isaac discovered the Egoscue Method of Posture Alignment Therapy. Learning the Egoscue Method felt like the missing puzzle piece that allowed him total freedom from his remaining pain of over 16 years.

An Accredited Exercise Therapist from Egoscue University and former Instructor for Egoscue University, Isaac combines his extensive experience and passion for sharing his knowledge to help people free themselves of chronic pain, address their postural compensations, and improve athletic performance.

Isaac Osborne managed the imaging software for the Guild for Structural Integration for several years and has used imaging software in his clinic for over 10 years. He has reviewed thousands of photos with clients, students, teachers and mentors and recognized what a valuable teaching tool it was for them to see their photos. But this value is only realized when the camera is positioned precisely as possible and so Isaac created Body Align Pro® and SqrShot™.  Isaac uses the App every day in his clinic, Motion Unlimited, Santa Barbara. - See more at: http://bodyalignpro.com/#sthash.xw9gODS3.dpuf

Resources:

Isaac Osbornes clinic website: http://www.motionunlimited.net

Body Align Pro imaging app: http://www.bodyalignpro.com

Sqr Shot device positioning http://www.sqrshot.com

Episode #49 Kevin Lucas–

 

In this episode I interview Kevin Lucas, BCSI, LMT, about his many Structural Integration endevours- his school, teaching, his work with dogs, Healthy Paws Therapy, his work with athletes at Gonzaga University and elsewhere, and his innovative program for self care, Relief Through Rolling.

 

A brief bio:

Kevin Lucas, BCSIcm, LMT is a Certified Advanced Structural Integrator. He began his education at the Utah College of Massage therapy and received his advanced training at the Guild for Structural Integration. Kevin is the founder and director of Structural Innovations which is 1 of 22 recognized schools by the international Association of Structural Integrators to teach the Rolf Method of Structural Integration.

Throughout his career, Kevin has helped thousands of patients and specializes in working with people who have very severe conditions and diseases such as Scoliosis, Parkinson’s, Dystonia, Fibromyalgia, and Chronic Pain. Kevin also specializes in working with all levels of athletes and works on a daily basis with professional and collegiate level athletes from all over the country.

Kevin’s passion and obsession of helping people find relief from pain revolves around the principle of teaching people to fish instead of just giving a fish. By increasing people’s awareness whether it is his students, or clients and giving them effective tools they can use to help themselves is how he believes we will change the planet the most. This obsession with helping people help themselves drove him to create Relief Through Rolling which is one of the most simple and effective pain relief self-care methods that people can use to increase circulation, improve range of motion, improve posture and most importantly decrease pain on the market today.

The obsession that Kevin has to help people also extends to animals. Kevin is the creator and founder of Healthy Paws therapy which is a very effective and powerful tool that teaches dog owners and care givers how to perform myofascial work with their canine companions in a very fun, simple and highly effective way. Kevin believes that if you can pet your dog, you can work on your dog and help them find relief from pain and live the most vibrant, dynamic and healthy lives they are meant to live.

Resources:

Kevins Structural Integration website and school: http://structuralinnovations.us/

Healthy Paws Therapy: http://healthypawstherapy.com/

Relief Through Rolling: http://rtrolling.com/

In this episode:

 

Tons of athletes are using RockTape and KT tape these days- it looks great but what its all about?

According to RockTape, there are three types of taping- for slightly different applications.

1)      Pain Taping- to reduce pain. A subset of this is drainage taping for swollen areas to facilitate lymph drainage and reduce swelling. Another subset would effectively splint the injured area (minor injury) to get muscle groups surrounding a joint to work together more efficiently, better supporting the joint.

2)      Postural Taping- this is combined with a discrete assessment method like FMS, muscle testing, or SFMA to determine what muscles are not working enough and which ones are overworking. The goal is to create balance across agonist/antoganist muscles and muscular chains to facilitate functional strength and flexibility, balance, etc.

3)      Performance Taping- the focus here is to tape entire chains of muscles (for particular movements) to improve strength and endurance. This is movement specific and sport specific.

For example, crossfitters may tape the vertical muscles of the back and neck to help maintain the posterior chain while doing multiple rounds of overhead Olympic lifts- minimizing the need for or eliminating the need for a belt.

 

The research: Not much has been done and studies show conflicting results. RockTape specific studies are not robust enough to be considered rigorous enough to withstand scrutiny.

 

So- does it work?

 

In my clinical experience- it does work. It works very well.

 

Consider that the placebo effect has been shown to consist of up to 40% of the success of all interventions- across the board.

 

How the person, client, patient, etc FEELS about the tape is the placebo effect… 40%. So even if there is no other effect, if the person feels stronger, faster, has more stamina, etc- they will perform as if they possess what they feel they possess. The mind is a powerful driver of physiological performance!

 

That being the baseline- there are two additional aspects for how the tape actually works.

 

Quick case study (me)- Recently I went on a 20 mi very steep and rocky hike in very worn minimalist shoes- needless to say- my feet were pretty beat up by the time I was done and I was limping around at the end of the day.

 

After showering, I taped the soles of my feet and my arches in particular (as they were the sorest part).

 

The result- I experienced immediate reduction of pain of about 90%. I was not limping and didn’t feel the need to step carefully. Pretty huge for an immediate result.

 

So- why did that happen?

 

The tape itself has very particular properties- it stretches lengthwise (stretch and pre loaded stretch vary by manufacturer) but not widthwise. Some tape is stickier, or thicker than other tape- also varies by manufacturer.

 

Application of the tape takes these properties into account for the most efficient, effective taping results.

 

Tape is designed to stay on the body for up to 5 days- you can shower in it as long as you treat it gently.

 

The body responds to tape like it does to touch. Unlike physical touch, though, tape can stay in place for up to 5 days, magnifying its effects.

 

Tape, because it is stretchy and sticky, actually lifts the superficial layer of skin and fascia (underlying connective tissue) off of the lower layers, creating space for movement- this is the physical effect that improves flexibility and range of motion.

 

The secondary, and much larger effects are neurological. The tape stimulates local nerve endings in the skin and superficial fascia which signal the brain to downregulate pain, and regulate muscular function (ie. Activate underactivated muscles and deactivate  overactivated muscles). This creates balance, stability across a joint, and improvements in range of motion, and flexibility.

 

Additionally, once the brain decides that the area is stabilized and has greater balance, it will allow for longer active movement resulting in greater stamina, improved economy of movement and improved overall efficiency.

 

THAT is pretty cool in my book.

In this episode, I discuss and dissect the recent trending story about Esther Gokhale and her work with back pain- specifically comparing modern, first world, anatomy of the spine (she terms the “S- Shaped Spine) and the “J- Shaped Spine found in very old anatomy books in addition to modern indigenous peoples who live a traditional, non sitting lifestyle.

In this discussion I explain the reasons for the anatomical differences, their implication in poor posture, hip, SI, back, neck, and shoulder pain, and I offer a strategy for improving posture and banishing back pain.

Resources:

Esther Gokhale’s website: http://gokhalemethod.com

Exercise tips and movement cues:

 

1)   lift the collarbones (disengage your shoulder girdle- engage your core)

2)   build your glute medius (stand, balance, lunge- use your legs more often!)

3)   build your glute complex (min, med, max)- squat often

4)   Leg strength and mobility is important

5)   Keep a long neck (starts in the mid back- lumbo dorsal hinge)

6)   Get a Functional Assessment and tape the non or low functioning muscles

 

Exercises:

 

Overhead squat with broomstick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJxtDGOnCOk

Brick smash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVVWTIGTQ7I

Banded walking (sideways): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO6ppyR7lvI

Kettlebell squat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mfhy67CSxAI (deadlift, Romanian deadlift, hex bar deadlift)- prep hip thrusts, banded hip thrusts

Walking lunges (fwd/reverse): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYWhkctnP2o

 

1)   Book on head (to lift collarbones)- Do this first: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHIpxFCPn8Y

2)   Overhead squat with broomstick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJxtDGOnCOk

3)   Walking lunges: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYWhkctnP2o

4)   Reverse lunges with thrust: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPd0JVvR_gk

5)   Glute Bridge/Pelvic thrusts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvQXREKFfpY

6)  Lunge matrix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_79b0N8txI

Drugs that gobble up vitamins- in this episode, I discuss common pharma drugs that people are taking and the nutritional deficiencies that they drive. I also talk a bit about how to address the deficiencies and natural alternatives to the pharma drugs. Download the pdf checklist HERE

Edema and spider veins what they mean and what to do about them.

1)Edema is a swelling (usually in the lower extremities) resulting from poor circulation caused by a variety of factors (sitting, poor diet, nutrient deficiency, injury, etc) It is a result of pooling of liquids- blood, lymph, and interstitial fluids. Edema further slows fluid flow and can even block fluid flow. The risk of edema is blood pooling and clot formation. If the clots or micro clots become discharged into the bloodstream they create a high risk for stroke or heart attack.

2) Spider veins are blood vessels that have, due to nutritional deficiency of whole food vitamin C amongst other factors, lost their integrity, have swelled a bit and no longer move blood well. They are most visible in the sides of the heel, in the lower legs and legs and as people age, throughout the rest of the body.

3) Both of these conditions are manifestations of sub-clinical Scurvy- the degradation of the collagenous structures in the body due to deficiency in all of the 10 vitamin C factors (ascorbic acid is one of the 10 factors of vitamin C that the body needs to form the active compound.)

4) Insulin resistance and inactivity are the typical drivers for these conditions and additionally drive the increase in systemic inflammation in the body. High LDL and CRP (C-reactive protein- an inflammatory marker) are the typical result and are risk markers for cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke.

5) Herbal protocol to heal these situations (Oxypower- reduce systemic inflammation and CRP, Veinlite- repair blood vessels and reduce blood viscosity Asparagus Extract- for synergistic effect with the former two) along with an anti-inflammatory diet.) Bonus supplement for insulin resistence- Diabend – contains the herb Gymnema which has been shown to aid in balancing the blood sugar (key in lowering insulin resisitance).

6) Diet should be anti-inflammatory and low carb, ketogenic, or whole food paleo. This is key as one cant supplement their way out of imbalance when they continue to eat the foods that drove them to imbalance in the first place.

7) For athletes who are wary of taking herbal supplements- contact me directly through my contact page (http://therolfworkshop.com/contact.html) for the whole food supplement (non herbal) protocol.

Prostate health- nighttime urination, pain, inflammation, cherry angiomas

1)   Men- if you are peeing in the middle of the night (ie. getting up in from sleep to go pee), you are not experiencing several erections during the night, you have trouble emptying out your bladder fully, have a split urine stream, pain, ache, or discomfort in the lower abdominal area near your pubic bone (deep) or above your perenium (deep) you may have an enlarged prostate.

2)   If you are <50 years old and have a PSA test of above 0.06 you may be at risk for an enlarged prostate.

3)   If you have cherry angiomas (small red spots on the skin) across your abdomen, head, and or tongue, you may be turning your testosterone to bad estrogens that drive prostate enlargement and potentially prostate cancer 

4)   If you have abdominal fat – you may be hyperaromatizing your testosterone (turning it to bad estrogen)

5)   The converging factors of this are driven also by insulin resistance from too many carbs.

6)   Supplement protocol for repair (coupled with a low carb, paleo, or ketogenic diet is critical to stop this destructive process.

7)   Supplement protocol is as follows: Myomin and Zinc Liver Chelate (to stop the conversion of your own testosterone to estrogen,  Prosta Chi to repair your prostate, Diabend to repair your pancreas and balance the blood sugar, and Oxypower to cut the inflammation and repair the damage driven by insulin resistence and higher blood sugar.

8)   For athletes who are wary of taking herbal supplements- contact me directly through my contact page (http://therolfworkshop.com/contact.html) for the whole food supplement (non herbal) protocol.

9)   NOTE: Men who are taking supplemental Testosterone are high risk for conversion of testosterone to estrogen and thereby prostate pathology. Myomin is a must for any hormonal therapy to reduce the risks associated with HRT. Take Myomin to stop the conversion of valuable Testosterone to bad estrogens

 

Why you can’t lose that stubborn fat. Insulin resistance?

1) The roots of this are in too much cardio and carbs. Insulin resistance will drive inflammation which holds belly fat on the body. Cardio is catabolic and drives the conversion of testosterone to bad estrogen. Supplement protocol is as follows: (Diabend for insulin resisitence, OxyPower for systemic inflammation).

2)Couple this with a low carb, paleo, or ketogenic diet to get at the root of the problem

3) For best results use the 21 Day Purification Program.

What causes dry and flaky skin?

1)   Skin is a window to the body- it is the last organ of detoxification. The skin is also a very inefficient detoxifier.

2)   When the liver is congested, usually from eating the wrong foods for too long, it no longer functions efficiently- it gets overwhelmed and uses the lungs and skin as backup detoxifiers- hence the skin issues that show up as dry or flaky skin, excema, psoriasis, and the like.

3)   NOTE: Excema and Psoriasis  are considered autoimmune diseases, Acne is a manifestation of gut dysbiosis and subsequent skin infection.

4)   Because the skin conditions are driven by internal dysfunction, topical treatment such as lotion and crème are temporary solutions that don’t get at the root of the problem- metabolic overload of the liver and gut disbyosis.

5)   The solution for this liver congestion is to clean either the liver or the whole body out. 21 day purification program is preferred- another option is the following: (Liver Chi- for liver support, A-F Betafood for fat digestion, healthy fats such as Tuna Omega 3 Oil, low carb whole food diet or 21 day purification program)

6)   Athletes use the 21 day purification program. http://therolfworkshop.com/21day.html and ProSynBiotic http://therolfworkshop.com/contact.html

 

Cycling discomfort- Late in the race or during longer training hours

1)   This is qualified to athletes who have already had a professional bike fit (or several) and still have discomfort on the later hours on the bike. For triathletes, this is not only inefficient as the rider tends to slouch and collapse at the shoulder, the low back, or hip, neck, or knee.

2)   After being fit and experiencing continued discomfort our method evaluates the riders posture and power numbers at aerobic and zone 4-5  for 10 minutes. We then help the rider correct his posture and retest. Inevitably, the power numbers go up. Also inevitably, the riders posture falls apart after several minutes at zone 4-5.

3)   Thus, we know that the posture results in comfort and power at lower efforts but falls apart under higher effort. This is an example of the way the body exaggerates its structural imbalances under stress.

4)   Our method uses a targeted short series of structural bodywork to change the flexibility and fluidity of the body in the bike posture- rendering the riders body greater comfort at higher efforts.

5)   After each session, we measure rider output at both aerobic and zone 4-5 efforts. This time, the power numbers AND the comfort of the rider goes up- allowing the rider to stay comfortably at the higher effort for a longer period of time.

6)   This gives great postural, mental, and emotional preparation for the run portion of the race- allowing the runner to get greater leg extension and verticality in the structure allowing for a more efficient, comfortable run with less drama.

Interested parties fill out my contact form at http://therolfworkshop.com/contact.html    

In this episode I interview Rich Roll vegan ultra endurance athlete (bio below) about the benefits of a plant based diet, Rich’s tips for training and race fueling and recovery using whole, real foods, easy ways to incorporate more plant based food into one’s diet, and, the easy, inexpensive and stress-free way to make the conversion to a plant based diet, and the larger effects the transition has had on his family life and children.

 

A brief bio:

A graduate of Stanford University and Cornell Law School, Rich is a 47-year old, accomplished vegan ultra-endurance athlete and former entertainment attorney turned full-time wellness & plant-based nutrition advocate, motivational speaker, husband, father of 4 and inspiration to people worldwide as a transformative example of courageous and healthy living.

In 2012, Rich became a #1 bestselling author with the publication of his inspirational memoir Finding Ultra: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World's Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself (Crown Archetype).  Taking up where the book leaves off, in 2013 Rich launched the wildly popular Rich Roll Podcast, which persistently sits atop the iTunes top-10 lists.

In May 2010, Rich and his ultra-colleague Jason Lester accomplished an unprecedented feat of staggering endurance many said was not possible. Something they call the EPIC5 CHALLENGE - a odyssey that entailed completing 5 ironman-distance triathlons on 5 islands of Hawaii in under a week. Commencing on Kauai, they travelled to Oahu, Molokai and Maui before finishing on the Big Island, following the course of the Ironman World Championships on the Kona coast.

Rich’s plant-fueled feats of boundary-pushing athleticism have been featured on CNN and in the pages of the Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine, The Huffington Post, Stanford Magazine, Men’s Health Living, VegNews, Triathlete, Outside, 3/GO Magazine and Men’s Fitness Magazine, which named Rich as one of the “25 Fittest Men in the World.”Along with his wife and four children, Rich resides in Malibu Canyon outside of Los Angeles.

When he isn’t writing, podcasting or spending time with his family, you can find him lost on the remote trails of the Santa Monica Mountains..

Resources:

Rich Roll’s Website: http://www.richroll.com/

Rich Roll Podcast: http://www.richroll.com/category/podcast/

The Plant Power Way: http://www.richroll.com/the-plantpower-way/

Finding Ultra: http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Ultra-Rejecting-Becoming-Discovering/dp/0307952207/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y

 

In this episode I explore and answer the age old questions that many seekers ponder-

1)   What most people don’t know about core strength and do incorrectly- this is related to the next topic…

2)   What is postural imbalance, why its important, and how to determine and resolve your postural imbalances for better “core strength”, and physical performance.

3)   Why do we keep seeing articles on “Why Vitamins Don’t Work” and why that matters- In this segment, I demystify common tribal knowledge from experiential clinical knowledge to show you the best way to determine what nutrients you may be missing  and those you are likely taking that are causing problems.

4)   Plantar Fasciitis is a scourge to those who have it and most methods are relatively ineffective in resolving PF for more than a limited time. I identify the primary SYSTEMIC drivers of PF and explain how PF is simply a symptom of a greater imbalance pattern.

5)   Is arthritis curable?- First of all, what the heck is common arthritis? I explain how arthritis develops and why conventional treatments do no more than temporarily dull the pain. Once you understand how arthritis is caused, you will more readily understand the principles behind how to effectively resolve the underlying drivers of this painful condition.

Resources:

Upcoming Event: Dr. Tsu Tsair Chi live at Impact Health & Wellness- At Dr. Chi’s request we are unable to livecast and record this event for distribution. The live event is FREE and will be held in our teaching space Thursday Evening April 30^th at 6:30pm.

Those interested in attending this special event must reserve their seat- seating is limited and invitations are going out to over 10,000 people for about 30 seats.

Dr. Chi will also be offering personalized constitutional assessments ( 4/30, 5/1, and possibly 5/2) using his fingernail and tongue analysis method and clear western terminology to explain to clients the imbalances, the implications, and offer a personalized plan for resolution.

These 10 minute assessments are extremely limited in number and are significantly discounted for this event at ONLY $41.00 (normally he charges up to $300 for an assessment). As of this writing-2/3 of the assessments are paid for.

If you are not local- Dr. Chi is also offering a limited number of phone appointments.

Book your personalized, 10 minute assessment and/or reserve a seat at the free lecture with Dr. Chi HERE

If you are not local, our front desk will tell you what photographs you will need to send in for Dr. Chi’s analysis.

Once you have purchased your session please call our concierge at (949) 954-6225 to schedule and for any further instructions.

Postural Assessment: BodyAlignPro is the app and should be available on both the itunes app store and the android app store as well (ive used both versions). The app at ~ $4.99-$5.99 is an inexpensive tool for “seeing” postural imbalances- it comes with tutorial videos.

In today’s episode, I discuss a recent case study of a person who put in enormous time, effort, and money into her healing process only to see it flounder after a few years.

The foundation of healing processes is as follows:

1)     Eat the right foods for your body (foods, supplements, etc, proper  eating mindset, chewing, etc)

2)     Eliminate or minimize the impact stress has on your body. (Mindfulness, meditation, job change, relationship change, move location, etc)

3)     If there is an internal imbalance of flora- use various methods to restore balance (kill bad, promote good)- herbs, tinctures, RIFE, etc.

4)     Eliminate the toxins from the body (this includes destroyed flora, chemicals, metals, etc). Various methods/systems are available for this- stage 1/2 detox, lymph drainage, laxatives temporarily if necessary, gut cleanses, enemas, etc.

5)     Movement- move your body in varied ways over varied terrain, using varied strategies.

6)     Breathe

7)     Replenish the body with genuine replacement parts- food, supplements, etc.

 

All other strategies go on top of this base strategy. All other treatments go on top of these base strategies. 

 

If you’ve been paying attention to any of my social media posts and newsletter articles lately you probably know that I am a big fan of periodic metabolic body detoxification. And I have been just as guilty as most of the other authors out there in dumbing down the reasons why -honestly, I am pretty sure most of the authors out there don’t really know the specifics as to why detoxification is so important and beneficial- just that it works. So I am going to share with you today a few more wonky reasons why a regular, properly designed detox, makes you feel so good and makes your body operate at such a higher capacity than the vast majority of folks are used to.

Here are the 14 reasons:*

1)   The liver converts thyroid hormone thyroxin (T4) into its more active form Triiodothyronine (T3). When your liver is not operating at potential, your thyroid function and thereby your metabolism will not be operating optimally. This can lead to symptoms such as chronic fatigue, weight gain, poor memory and so on.

2)   The liver creates Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF) from chromium, niacin and possibly glutathione. GTF is needed by the hormone insulin to properly regulate blood sugar levels. It is also a necessary co-factor for Growth Hormone to be effective in promoting muscle growth in response to muscular training.

3)   The liver manufactures bile salts. These help you digest and absorb dietary fats. Bile is also a conduit for removing fat soluble toxins from the liver, draining them into the gut for excretion through defecation.

4)   The liver activates B vitamins into their biologically active coenzyme forms. Other active vitamin precursors such as beta carotene, iron, copper, etc. are also converted into biologically active forms in the liver. Without this function, even the most well absorbed supplement will be useless and possibly even mildly toxic. In short, a well functioning liver makes your expensive supplements actually work.

5)   The liver stores various nutrients like vitamins A, D, B12, and iron for release when needed.

6)   The liver manufactures carnitine from lysine and other nutrients. Carnitine is the only known nutrient which can escort fats into the mitochondria where fats are burned to generate ATP (cellular energy). Better liver function gets you more energy! Endurance athletes, like me, can improve both their power as well as their endurance by getting the liver functioning more efficiently.

7)   The liver converts lactic acid from a toxic waste to an important storage food. Lactic acid is a byproduct of cellular energy production and a build up can produce chronic pain and inflammation. The liver converts lactic acid dumped into the bloodstream by hard working muscles into glycogen.

8)   The liver serves as the main glucose buffer, preventing high or low extremes of blood sugar. It is a key regulator of blood sugar between meals, due to its manufacture, storage and release of glycogen. This helps prevent energy and mood swings that get most folks reaching for coffee and sweets mid morning and in the afternoon. This also helps keep endurance athletes chugging along without “bonking”.

9)   The liver can make glucose (used for energy production in the body) from dietary or body derived amino acids. This process is called glucogenesis (glucose making) and it ensures adequate brain and muscle carbohydrate fuel supplies even when the diet provides little are no carbohudrates. The liver produces as much as 20-25% of the blood sugar that endurance athletes during intense training or competition by converting the amino acid alanine (released from muscle tissue) into glucose.

10)  The liver is the chief regulator of protein metabolism. It converts different amino acids into each other as needed. The liver also synthezes creatine from the amino acids glycine, arginine, and methionine. If not for the super high energy biochemical creatine phosphate, sprint- type athletics would be biologically impossible.

11)  The liver produces cholesterol and packages it into different forms for blood transport: HDL, LDL, VLDL. Essential fatty acids, such as linoleic acid, GLA, EPA, and DHA, must also be properly packaged by the liver ito appropriate lipoprotein forms (VLDL) to allow transport through the blood to the 50 trillion cells using the fatty acids.

12)  The liver is the main poison-detoxifying organ in the body. It must break down virtually everything toxic to the body- from metabolic wastes, to insecticide residues, drugs, and alcohol, industrial and food processing chemicals, etc. Failure of this liver function will usually cause death in twelve to twenty-four hours.

13)  The liver must dispose of ammonia, an extremely toxic by-product of protein metabolism. The amino acids arginine, and orthinine are used by the liver to control ammonia levels. Ammonia can cause brain irritation and even death- even at low levels.

 

14)  The liver is the main organ for breaking down hormones after they have served their messenger function to their target cells. For example, if the liver dies not break down insulin quickly enough, hypoglycemia results as the still circulating insulin continues to lower blood sugar. If the liver dies not metabolize estrogen properly, PMS will result. Failure to dispose of adrenaline (the fight or flight hormone) after it has outlived its usefulness may lead to chronic irritability and temper explosions.

In this episode, I interview Katy Bowman, Biomechanist, Author, Blogger, Podcaster and Founder of the Restorative Exercise Institute in Ventura, CA. Katy and I talk about the effects of "living in a human zoo", how to stop using exercise like vitamins, why sleeping surfaces matter, and how to determine an appropriate "movement diet" for your body. We also delve into the intricacies of cellular loading and how the loading of each cellular cytoskeleton impacts cellular health and epigenetic expression of your DNA.

Resources are below the bio

A brief bio:

A biomechanist by training and a problem-solver at heart, Katy’s ability
to blend a scientific approach with straight talk about sensible solutions
and an unwavering sense of humor have earned her legions of followers.
Katy is the founder and director of the Restorative Exercise Institute,
which teaches the biomechanical model of preventative medicine to health
professionals and laypeople worldwide, both online and in live seminars.
She is also the creator of the popular Aligned and Well DVD series, a
step-by-step visual guide to learning the basics of skeletal and body
alignment. Katy’s groundbreaking work in pelvic floor restoration has made
her particularly popular with midwives, OBGYNs, and others concerned with
pelvic mobility, strength, and health. Her award-winning blog and podcast,
Katy Says, reach hundreds of thousands of people every month, and
thousands have taken her live classes. Her books, the bestselling Move
Your DNA (2014), Every Woman’s Guide to Foot Pain Relief: The New Science
of Healthy Feet (2011), and Alignment Matters (2013), have been critically
acclaimed and translated worldwide. In response to great demand for
additional information on foot care, she released a practical exercise
guide Whole Body Barefoot: Transitioning Well to Minimal Footwear in 2015.
In between her book writing efforts, Katy travels the globe to teach the
Restorative Exercise Institute’s courses in person, and spends as much
time outside as possible with her husband and two small children.

Resources:

Katy Says Blog: http://www.katysays.com

Restorative Exercise Institute: http://www.restorativeexercise.com

 

Katys Books: http://www.restorativeexercise.com/read/

▪   Part II of a two part series on the 5 essentials to holistic healing and how they work synergistically to produce a result greater than the sum of the parts.

Download the guide for free here: Download The Guide

In this episode, I interview Jason Lewis, Author and the first person to circumnavigate the globe by human power. We discuss topics ranging from his ocean crossings, cycling through Europe, rollerblading through America, and Pedaling through the Pacific.

 

Jason’s Bio:

 

“Arguably, the most remarkable adventurer in the world today.”

                                                                                         —THE DAILY MAIL

Jason Lewis is an award-winning author, adventurer and sustainability campaigner specializing in human-powered expeditions. He is recognized by Guinness World Records as the first person to circumnavigate the Earth without using motors or sails[1]: walking, cycling, and inline skating five continents, and kayaking, swimming, rowing, and pedalling a boat across the rivers, seas, and oceans. Taking thirteen years to complete, the 46,505-mile journey was hailed “the last great first for circumnavigation” by the London Sunday Times.

RECORDS
Jason has set three additional records: the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean from mainland Europe to North America by human power (February 1995, Lewis and Smith); first crossing of North America on inline skates (September 1996, Lewis); and first crossing of the Pacific Ocean by pedal power (August 2000, Lewis).

MEDIA & HONOURS
He was nominated The Times inGear Man of the Year (2007), the Land Rover Toughest Sportsperson of the Year, and featured as one of Sport Magazine’s Athletes of the Year. A Fellow of London University, the Royal Geographical Society, and The Explorers Club, he has appeared on numerous television and talk shows, including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC), CBS This Morning, and Long Way Down with actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman.

 

CAUSE
Being an adventurer is about much more than just records or firsts for Jason. Visiting more than 900 schools in 37 countries to date, involving thousands of students in a variety of programmes in conjunction with UNESCO’s Associated Schools Program Network, he uses human-powered journeys and his profile as an adventurer to promote world citizenship, zero carbon emission travel, and awareness of individual lifestyle choices on the health of the planet. In addition, tens of thousands of dollars have been raised through his 501(c)(3) non-profit organization for humanitarian causes — orphanages such as The Hope Orphanage in East Timor, and hospices for people living with HIV and AIDS (Rumah Solehah, Kuala Lumpur; Father Joe’s Mercy Centre, Bangkok).

BOOKS & AWARDS
A frequent contributor to outdoor magazines (Men’s Fitness, Sports Illustrated, Outside Magazine, Geographical) and travel books (Chicken Soup for the Traveler’s Soul, HCI, 2002; Flightless, Incredible Journeys Without Leaving the Ground, Lonely Planet, 2008; The Modern Explorers, Thames & Hudson, 2013), Jason is the author of The Expedition trilogy (BillyFish Books, 2012/3): Dark Waters*, The Seed Buried Deep, and To The Brink.

* WINNER of the 2013 Benjamin Franklin Award, Eric Hoffer Award, National Indie Excellence Award & 2012 ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year.

Jason Lewis- resources

Jason’s book page:

http://www.billyfishbooks.com/Books.html

Jason’s Website:

http://www.jasonexplorer.com

Expedition 360 website- website of The Expedition- with video of The Expedition

 

 http://www.expedition360.com/

In today’s episode, I discuss two specific topics:

1)     On Feb 2, 2015 the NY Atty General Accused major retailers like Walgreens, GNC, Target, and Walmart of selling a number of store brand dietary supplements that were fraudulent and in many cases contained ingredients not listed on the labels. He demanded that the retailers remove the products from their shelves in the state of NY. The NY Times and many other major news outlets ran prominently placed stories about the action.

2)     The 5 Pillars of Healthy Athletic Success- or the 5 Pillars of Holistic Healing as I practice it – where to start, why, and how and why the various pillars work synergistically together to produce a result greater than the individual parts.

 

NY Atty General’s accusation and action against retailers – my thoughts.

·         If true- they should be punished

·         Unlikely to be true- there is much more to the story – ie, the testing methods used  to back the accusation are faulty for various reasons I discuss in the podcast.

·         This is a big attack on the credibility of the supplement industry.

·         Separate articles are part of a narrative to discredit the industry- an imperfect industry like any- that is hugely profitable and therefore a huge target of ambitious parties from all angles.

·         A common accusation is that the supplement industry in the US is unregulated. This is untrue. The supplement industry is directly regulated by the FDA- albeit to the standard of food and supplements not to the drug standard.

·         If a company makes a specific health claim about their products effectiveness- the FDA now considers that product to be a drug and therforth the company must meet all of the requirements of a drug. This is a huge regulatory fence- companies do sometimes make claims but they are eventually forced to retract or be shut down. Same for pharma manufacturers.

·         Having worked directly in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry for over 15 years, I can speak directly to the stringency of the cGMP requirements laid down by the FDA in regards to manufacture and testing for adulteration and potency. US supplement manufacturers must adhere to cGMPs and the FDA holds them to this. This is massive regulation.

·         The NY Atty Gen relied on the results from only one lab- using a type of test called “DNA barcoding”- a type of assay that is not industry standard and does not come close to being as comprehensive an assessment method as other assays currently used by the industry to determine purity and potency per the FDA cGMP requirements.

·         Link to article on the problems with DNA Barcoding assay: https://www.standardprocess.com/getattachment/7b7eadca-3517-4b2b-95d9-ccaafed0b787/ENEWS-KB-ARTICLE-JAN-14-V1.pdf

·         Link to an industry cGMP quality control assay cascade from supplier to finished product: https://www.standardprocess.com/getattachment/fc16a9d0-9c7e-4a61-bfbf-70b7dd63dd1a/MediHerb-Page-16-and-25.pdf

·         More info on the questionability of the accusations as well as the assay method, lab, and scientist used to perform the DNA barcoding assay for the NY Atty General:

·         The American Botanical Council: http://cms.herbalgram.org/press/2015/ABCSaysNYAttyMisusedDNA.html?ts=1423152994&signature=3b16657d129e2e83c507ed18b7eae2f0&ts=1424905615&signature=16be51dd398dfa3008bf8b202164d8f2

·        Nutra Ingrediens.com http://mobile.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/NY-AG-takes-on-GNC-Walgreens-Walmart-Target-on-herbal-supplements/?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=03-Feb-2015&c=%2BDGisBY2pXRtF%2FI2bLsgY%2Bplvk%2BxC3OJ#.VO5WFoY76nM

 

Part II 5 Pillars of Holistic Healing And Athletic Success

·         Part I of a two part series on the 5 essentials to holistic healing and how they work synergistically to produce a result greater than the sum of the parts.

·         Download the guide for free here: (insert as HTML code- make sure you test the link once you insert the code- use “text mode” like when you are inserting the podcast player)

HTML code:

 

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In today’s episode, I discuss the various scientific studies that quantify the positive effects of a regular meditation practice.

Remember meditation helps to balance out the nervous system response- in study speak, it induces the Relaxation Response (RR). In my own language, it down regulates the stress response (sympathetic nervous system or fight or flight response) and up regulates the rest and relaxation response (parasympathetic nervous system response or healing, digesting, and rebuilding response). See episode #35 on mindfulness which has a similar but not as powerful response as meditation. (http://therolfworkshop.com/blog/podcast/episode-35-is-mindfulness-bogus-new-age-science-2/)

Meditation has been shown in studies to improve everything from digestion to sports performance, to healing and athletic recovery (by lowering inflammation response)  to recovery from serious diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Additionally, meditation has been shown (in studies) to actually change gene expression and epigenetic gene expression (which passes down through your progeny for up to 4 generations).

Study: PLOS One: Relaxation Response Induces Temporal Transcriptome Changes in Energy Metabolism, Insulin Secretion and Inflammatory Pathways

Link: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0062817

Study reveals gene expression changes with meditation

Link: http://www.news.wisc.edu/22370

Meditation: Healing more than just minds? Mindfulness intervention for people with diabetes, coronary heart disease

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140529142313.htm

SCIENCE SAYS MEDITATION IMPROVES BOTH HEALTH AND PERFORMANCE

Link: http://breakingmuscle.com/mind-body/science-says-meditation-improves-both-health-and-performance

Can Meditation Soothe Your Stomach?

Link: http://www.everydayhealth.com/digestive-health/can-meditation-soothe-your-stomach.aspx

 

Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers- Robert Sapolsky: http://www.amazon.com/Why-Zebras-Dont-Ulcers-Third/dp/0805073698/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424287203&sr=8-1&keywords=why+zebras+don%27t+have+ulcers

Mindfulness is often described in terms of meditation protocols and in a somewhat mystical way. That is a misnomer perpetuated by folks in the media who would rather relabel meditation by calling it something different. Mindfulness is not meditation.

The mindfulness I am going to talk about today is actually a form of paying attention.

Paying attention to what we are feeling inside and making behavioral changes on the outside to get a positive response of what we feel on the inside. That is the mindfulness I am going to discuss today.

We can use mindfulness in myriad ways- from mindful movement, mindful communication, mindful eating, etc. Mindfulness is a base skill upon which we can build powerful pillars for living.

Today we are going to discuss how to use mindfulness to heal and nourish your body.

Mindful of mindset- Mindset helps us to regulate the way we experience and respond to stress- whether emotional stress, food stress, chemical stress, and physical stress.

Our bodies were designed with only one stress response- the fight or flight response of our Sympathetic Nervous System.

Sympathetic Nervous System- designed to save our life in the event of an emergency (tiger on the savannah)- The SNS shuts down our higher functions like digestion and healing in order to focus all of our energy on a physical threat- for a very short period of time. Once the threat is over, our body relaxes as our Parasympathetic Nervous System begins to dominate.

Parasympathetic Nervous System- is designed to nourish and heal our bodies- it keeps us relaxed and responsive without being reactive. A reactive body is in fight or flight mode. A responsive  body is in rest and relaxation mode. The PNS keeps us alive and in shape for the long haul.

In theory, both the Sympathetic Nervous System and the Parasympathetic Nervous System exist in balance- most of the time our Parasympathetic system is activated with a certain level of alertness driven by the SNS.

When we are under constant threat (worrying, living in a bad neighborhood, etc) our SNS is activated- ultimately this depletes our body in several ways:

1)     Keeps us from properly digesting food (and thereby absorbing nutrients)

2)     This leads to malnutrition over a longer term that cascades in to diseases.

3)     Glandular exhaustion. Constant taxing of the glands- digestive, adrenal, thyroid, hypothalamus, pituitary, sexual glands, etc- depletes them. This also leads to a degenerative cascade of diseases.

What you can do:

1)     Of course you can meditate/pray/visualize.

2)     Plan meals and eat sitting down undistracted.

3)     Pray or give thanks prior to the meal (bless the food)

4)     Eat with friends and family

5)     Chew your food

6)     No eating on the go, no reading or tv at the table, no eating in the car

 

I am going to do this for the next month and report back

In this episode I discuss how to tell if you have GERD, Reflux or Hiatal Hernia

GERD has become somewhat of a catch all these days- but the real problem may, in fact, be Hiatal Hernia- a condition where your diaphragm becomes strained and the stomach or esophagus becomes kinked or trapped above the diaphragm muscle resulting in things like palpitations, difficulty breathing, and reflux.

If you have Hiatal Hernia, taking drugs for GERD or reflux will not solve the problem and will, over the long term exacerbate your health issues as you will no longer be able to properly digest food in the absence of sufficient stomach acid. Additionally, your mineral stores will become severely depleted as sufficient stomach acid is required to activate and absorb minerals from food. As a result, cavaties and osteopenia and osteoporosis, depression, cardiovascular problems, amongst other degenerative diseases driven by malnutrition may develop in your body.

Even if you have been diagnosed with GERD- you may, in fact,  have Hiatal Hernia instead as doctors aren’t trained to diagnose Hiatal Hernia. Even if they do an endoscopy…

If you have signs of GERD or reflux, first test for acid sensitivity using the HCl test

If you are HCl sensitive- use the Hiatal Hernia assessment and maneuver until you feel a change. Retake the HCl Test. If you are still sensitive- your stomach and esophagus may have been damaged from organic acids and your tissues need to heal. Take the Zypan Test (contact me for this free assessment) and follow the instructions for HCl positive results.

If you are not HCl sensitive- take the ZYPAN Test (contact me for this free assessment) to optimize your digestion.

Additionally, digestive enzymes are generally depleted and your digestion, assimilation of nutrients, and thereby your health will greatly benefit from taking a broad spectrum digestive enzyme like Multizyme from Standard Process (order from me- Orders over $20 shipping is free)

“No one knows for sure what causes GERD. However, we have found that many GERD sufferers have inadequate digestive enzymes (acids) or faulty digestive enzyme production and distribution in their stomach and intestines. For most sufferers, the cause of the problem falls into one or more of four general categories:

•                Poor diet, poor food combining, overeating, and a high refined-carbohydrate-sugar intake.

•                Poor or inadequate digestive enzyme function in the stomach, pancreas, and small intestine.

•                Prescription drugs that contribute to reflux problems.

•                Mechanical problems in the diaphragm like a hiatal hernia or diaphragm strain (as discussed previously).

For numbers one and two, relief is pretty easy. Number three can often be readily solved by working with your MD to get off the offending medication. And even if you have mechanical problems (as in number four), or a combination of problems, relief is most often possible. In most cases, it boils down to whether or not you can break bad habits to solve the problem and prevent serious throat disease. “ – Dr Bruce West, Health Alert Newsletter

Additionally, it is important to consider the likely causes of Hiatal Hernia are structural in nature- just like a string-  if your esophagus or stomach, have any slack in them, you may develop a pouch in the tube, making a Hiatal Hernia much easier to occur.

The Basic 10 Series has, in the past, resolved Hiatal Hernia by doing what it does best- lengthening and organizing the body’s structure along its central, vertical axis. This literally “takes the slack out” of your internal structures like your esophagus, stomach, diaphragm, etc. This also has a whole body benefit by making you more efficient, taller in appearance, pain free, etc.

Many times those who suffer from chronic Hiatal Hernia will need regular weekly or more treatment to relieve the situation. The Basic 10 series eliminates the need for regular care for this issue in most cases.

“Mechanical Problems (Hiatal Hernia)

Nowadays, thousands (perhaps millions) of people are being treated with drugs and even surgery to correct GERD, while no attention is paid to the mechanical or structural causes of the problem. Even those doctors who suggest a nutritional/dietary approach generally ignore mechanical/structural causes. That’s not surprising since probably not one in 1,000 physicians knows how to detect and correct the underlying and mechanical causes of GERD.

Thanks to people like George Goodheart, DC, and in particular the now deceased Richard Van Rumpt, DC, the critical information needed to detect and correct hiatal hernia and mechanical causes of GERD is available. It is usually a chiropractor or kinesiologist or a practitioner of Structural Integration who knows how to perform this service. But you can often detect and treat a GERD problem yourself with the right data.

Upwards of 50% of the general population over age 60 may have the structural weakness likened to a hiatal hernia, when a portion of the stomach or stomach contents are allowed up through the diaphragm into the chest cavity or esophagus (see schematic). The general complaints of this condition are indigestion, heartburn, angina, vomiting, ulcers, left-arm pain, palpitations, difficult breathing, or just plain chronic fullness and bloating.” – Dr Bruce West, Health Alert Newsletter

For the Hiatal Hernia Assessment go to my blog page and scroll down to the bottom.

In this episode I discuss the rampant, undiagnosed, malnutrition that permeates our society and some of the common ailments that people perceive as “normal” but that are actually red flags for poor digestion, poor diet, and malnutrition. These symptoms are usually the result of years, decades even, of malnutrition- the body’s stores of certain nutrients exhausted, it can no longer function optimally and begins to fail.

Some of the red flags:

•    Adrenal exhaustion and insufficiency

•    Adult acne

•    Allergies to foods

•    Anemia, pernicious

•    Appetite, excessive

•    Asthma

•    Atherosclerosis

•    Autoimmune diseases

•    B12 Deficiency

•    B6 Deficiency

•    Bacterial Dysbiosis

•    Broken capillaries

•    Calcium deficiency leading to insomnia, cramps, nervousness

•    Chronic infections

•    Chronic weakness

•    Conjunctivitis

•    Constipation (with liver/gallbladder involvement)

•    Delayed gastric emptying (food feels like it’s just sitting there in your stomach for hours)

•    Diabetes

•    Diarrhea (with inflammatory bowel disease) or chronic diarrhea

•    Dizziness

•    Drowsiness after meals

•    Dysbiosis (bowel flora is out of balance)

•    Eczema, psoriasis or the history of eczema

•    Emaciation (a protein deficiency)

•    Environmental Chemical Sensitivities

•    Feeling too full

•    Flatulence in general

•    Food cravings for sour foods

•    Hair dry and brittle (nails too)

•    Hair falling out

•    Halitosis

•    Heartburn/GERD/Acid reflux

•    Immunity decreased

•    Intestinal damage

•    Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

•    Leaky gut

•    Loss of taste for meats

•    Malabsorption/maldigestion

•    Meal related bloating or burping

•    Mucoid Colitis

•    Nails, thin/weak or dry and brittle

•    Obesity

•    Offensive smelling stool

•    Pallor

•    Pimples turning into boils (can also indicate low exocrine pancreas function)

•    Poor memory

•    Poor muscle tone

•    Rheumatoid Arthritis

•    Swollen tongue

•    Thyroid problems

•    Ulcer like pains

•    Vision disturbances

•    Vitamins B3 (Niacin) deficiency—also called Pellagra

•    White spots on nails

•    Yeast/Candida

 

Digestion (food selection and diet is a whole different but related topic that we aren’t covering in this episode) starts in the mouth. In the mouth:

·         Chewing the food to liquification allows the sensors in your mouth to send signals to the brain telling it what types of nutrients you have consumed and how much. The brain uses this information to tell your stomach and intestine, pancreas, gallbladder, and so on, what enzymes to secrete and how much to secrete to prepare the food for absorption.

·         Insufficient chewing short circuits this brain pathway- leading to insufficient secretions of stomach acid and enzymes.

·         Insufficient chewing also leads us to drink liquids (particularly cold liquids) with the meal thereby diluting the action of acid and enzymes on food.

·         Cold foods and liquids must be warmed by the body (stomach) before they can pass to the intestine- this leads to fermentation of the foods creating organic gasses that burn the valve at the top of the stomach and if it happens often enough, weakens the valve and burns the esophageal lining (GERD).

·         Minerals need a very low pH (strong acidic environment) to properly break down so that they can be absorbed and used by the body. Insufficient levels of stomach acid can lead to minerals being absorbed into the blood stream but not being sufficiently activated, they remain in the bloodstream and are eventually excreted rather than being incorporated into the bones, teeth, and tissues.

·         Sufficient stomach acid kills bacteria, viruses, yeasts, molds, candida, and parasites before they get far. Insufficient stomach acid allows them to live and gives them access to the lower gut and body interior. Many autoimmune issues result from a cascade of issues following chronic insufficient stomach acid.

·         Tums, Rolaids, and proton pump inhibitors like Protonix, and other PPIs actually suppress or absorb the stomach acid- severely impacting digestion negatively and perpetuating an already pressing problem.

·         To test whether or not you are sensitive to HCl (and for the presence of ulcers) take the HCl Sensitivity Test HERE.

·         For those who FAIL the HCl Sensitivity test, shoot me an email (manny@therolfworkshop.com) and I will make recommendations to resolve the issue.

·         For those who PASS the HCl Sensitivity test, shoot me an email and I will send you the follow up test: The Zypan Test for optimal digestion.

·         To order Zypan (free shipping from me) in either 90Tablet or 330Tablet size- call my concierge at (949) 954-6225.

 

·         All other questions- email me directly at manny@therolfworkshop.comdi

Episode #32 Show Notes:

In this episode I interview PJ O’Clair, Owner of ClubXcel and of Northeast Pilates- In this episode I speak with PJ about the emerging field of Fascial Fitness, what it is, why its imperative that any serious athlete incorporate it into their program and the logistics of HOW athletes should incorporate this vital, 4^th pillar of sports science, into their training program for long term results.

NOTE: Resources are below PJ’s Bio

A brief bio:

PJ O’Clair is the owner of ClubXcel and of Northeast Pilates, an award winning STOTT PILATES® Licensed Training Centers.  PJ teaches a variety of group classes at the club and sees a full schedule of private clients.  She conducts numerous teacher-training courses in a variety of different movement modalities.  In addition to owning her training center PJ is an acclaimed leader in the fitness industry. 

She is a Merrithew Health & Fitness™ Master Instructor Trainer and an integral member of their internal programming and presenting team representing ZEN●GA™ Mindful movement, STOTT PILATES® and CORE™ Athletic Conditioning & Performance Training™ programs.  PJ has been presenting at conferences for fitness professionals since the late 1990’s.  She has presented on behalf of MH&F on an international level in more than 14 countries and throughout the USA, and has programmed and starred in over 60 of MH&F’s DVDs.   

PJ is a Senior Master course instructor for TRX® and teaches many of the Suspension and Rip Training courses.  She is the recipient of the prestigious IDEA “Program Director of the Year” award for 2008. PJ continues to be a sought-after speaker and consultant at fitness conferences and spas worldwide – and has written numerous articles for industry publications.

Experience and Excellence in Fitness and Wellness Training

Specializing in both post-rehabilitation and athletic performance, PJ O’Clair has been teaching group classes and training private clients for over 25 years. With a multifaceted background of fitness and movement, she has been named a STOTT PILATES® Master Instructor Trainer and is a featured instructor within the STOTT PILATES video library. Additionally, she holds certifications with ACE, Spinning® and Zumba® and is currently working on her Yoga Certification with Embody Yoga®.

Success Story

PJ’s dedication extends beyond her businesses and members to reach fitness professionals, students and consumers worldwide. She is a highly-requested presenter, teacher trainer and a program innovator who has been featured in numerous fitness DVDs and has partnered with such industry leaders as Reebok, Resist-a-Ball, STOTT PILATES®, Healthworks, Canyon Ranch, and Stoweflake Resort and Spa. She has authored numerous industry and consumer-based articles for publications such as IDEA’s Fitness Journal and Pilates Style Magazine.

 

PJ receiving the IDEA Program Director of the Year Award.

Outside of the studio, PJ is an avid cyclist belonging to the Essex County Velo (ECV) Cycling Club. For fun she races in the ECV Time Trials throughout the summer months and participates in the Pan Mass Challenge with her husband — the PMC is a 200 mile charity bike ride for the Dana Farber Cancer Center in Boston, MA. Her longest one day bike trip to date is a 158 miles which went from Boston to Vermont. The longest multi day event she’s done is 500 miles in 5 days in the mountains of New Mexico.

A woman of boundless energy, PJ is also involved in numerous community charitable initiatives and her personal fundraising efforts for the Dana Farber Jimmy Fund have raised more than one hundred thousand dollars to date.

Personally, she was a finalist in 2007 for the IDEA Program Director of the Year and won the Award in July of 2008 – one of the most prestigious awards in the fitness industry.

Resources:

PJ O’Clair’s website: http://www.pjoclair.com

PJ on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pj.oclair?fref=ts

Fascial Fitness website: http://www.fascialfitness.com

Merrithew Health & Fitness’s ZEN-GA: http://www.merrithew.com/zenga/about

A few YouTube videos of Fascial Fitness:

Self Myofascial Release:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44jOOrIB1_0

(Embed code for blog: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/44jOOrIB1_0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>)

Rebound Arms from Fascial Fitness:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjKQ46uzLbY

(embed code for the blog: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yjKQ46uzLbY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>)

TRX Hip Hinge:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5RmKdLK1BE

 

(embed code for the blog post: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a5RmKdLK1BE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>)

In this episode I interview Myofascial Specialist, David Lesondak about the mysterious organ of structure called fascia and its relation to human performance.

This is a must listen to interview for athletes: David talks about integrating fourth pillar into any, three pillar, sports science training program, for any type of sport. The current three pillars are cardiovascular training, strength training, neuromuscular training, and the fourth pillar- fascial fitness training- for greater resiliency, and greater movement economy with less effort by way of improving the elastic rebounding capability of the fascial system.

 

Resource links below the bio.

 

A brief bio:

David Lesondak, KMI,CSI, LMT,

David is the CIO (Chief Instigation Officer) of fascialconnections.com.

He is a member of the Allied Health Professional Staff in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. David is a Myofascial Specialist and Structural Integrator at UPMC’s Center for Integrative Medicine in Shadyside. He also maintains a private practice at AmeriFit in Greentree.  He specializes in chronic pain, pre and post-surgical issues, physical  performance enhancement and treatment for those suffering with cancer.

David has been in private practice in the greater Pittsburgh area since 1992.

He teaches and lectures internationally about all things fascia.

David attended CCAC and accomplished his formative training in Structural Integration at Kinesis, under the tutelage of  their director,  Tom Myers. He went on to serve for 5 years as an associate faculty member and media consultant/producer for Kinesis. He continues to advance his craft through continuing education for advanced  SI approaches and visceral manipulation at the Barral Institute.

Leveraging his previous life in the video arts, in 2009 David  released Anatomy Trains Revealed, a 3 DVD  set that explores fascial anatomy and took 5 years to complete.  The success of that project (co-produced with Tom Myers) led to a continuing collaboration with Robert Schleip and the Fascia Research Project at Ulm University, Germany – their most recent release being “Fascia & Sports Medicine”.  He filmed and produced the proceedings of the Third International Fascia Research Congress  in 2012 and has been invited to reprise his role at the next Congress in 2015.

His educational programs can be found at fasciadvds.com.

David’s video company, Singing Cowboy Productions, specializes in crafting educational videos for all things fascia but also produces music, promotional and public service spots. You can see some of that work here.

Previously he enjoyed careers in television, advertising, the funeral arts and a 10 year stint on public radio with WYEP. David still has a passion for music and songwriting and his currently working on his first album. He also luvs himself some Joss Whedon and Doctor Who.

See more at: http://fascialconnections.com/about#sthash.q5MfKdcY.dpuf

David’s blog for affascianados is http://www.fascialconnections.com

David’s professional practice website: http://www.davidlesondak.com

For all books and DVDs on fascia including Robert Schliep’s and Leon Chiatow’s new books on fascia: http://www.fasciadvds.com

For Fascial Fitness training information and certified trainers: http://www.fascialfitness.com

For super geeky affacianados who want to know the latest- up-to-the-minute fascial science and discoveries: The Fascial Research Congress website: http://www.fasciacongress.org (full disclosure: I’ll be attending- Yipee!)

In this episode I interview Gray Graham, Author of Pottengers Prophecy about the emerging understanding of the epigenetic effects of food, proper food quality, nutrition and physical degeneration and how to provide your body with the deep nutrition that it is yearning for- to improve your mental and physical performance, lower your injury rate,  improve recovery, and quality of life.

A brief bio:

Gray Graham has been an international consultant and teacher in the field of clinical nutrition for almost 20 years. Gray received his Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis on Nutrition and Natural Health from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. He was an Adjunct Professor at the South Puget Sound Community College, where he originally developed and taught the Nutritional Therapist Training Program. During his career, he has taught numerous seminars on nutritional therapy to physicians and other healthcare practitioners worldwide.  Gray also serves on the Advisory Board of the Price Pottenger Nutritional Foundation (PPNF).  In 2001, he founded the Nutritional Therapy Association (NTA). NTA has certified more than a 1,600 Nutritional Therapist Practitioners (NTPs) throughout the United States.

Nutritional Therapy Association website: http://nutritionaltherapy.com/

Gray Grahams book Pottengers Prophecy (sample the first 20% free): http://pottengersprophecy.com/

Other sites of interest:

Price Pottenger Foundation website: http://ppnf.org/

Weston A Price Foundation website : http://www.westonaprice.org

Gray Grahams 10 Green Gene Food Guidelines (excerpted with permission from Pottengers Prophecy and not in the free section)- see show notes at: http://therolfworkshop.com/blog/podcast/episode-30-interview-with-gray-graham-author-of-pottengers-prophecy/

·        “Discovered in the late 1930’s- 80 initially identified- today we have discovered over 5,000 different enzymes.

·        Enzymes are complex proteins that act as catalysts in almost every biochemical process that takes place in the body.

·        Their activity is dependent on the presence of adequate vitamins and minerals, particularly magnesium.

·        Many enzymes incorporate a single molecule of a trace mineral, such as manganese, copper, iron, or zinc- without which the enzyme cannot function

Three types:

·        Biggest group is metabolic enzymes- play a role in all bodily functions like breathing, talking, moving, thinking, behavior, maintenance of the immune system.

1.     Poison neutralizers – poisons and carcinogens like DDT and tobacco smoke- changing them into less toxic forms that can be excreted.

2.     Digestive enzymes – about 22 total- most of which are manufactured by the pancreas- secreted in the duodenum- upper small intestine- and help to break down the bulk of partially digested food leaving the stomach.

3.     Food enzymes- cooked and processed foods are devoid of these active enzymes- need to supplement and eat raw foods to get them- proteases for digesting protein ,lipases for digesting fat, amylases for carbs. Amylases in saliva start to break down carbs while chewing- make sure you are chewing properly and enough (30-50 times per bite) to break down the food and mix the Amylases in- will cut down on intestinal gas- stomach churning helps to distribute and mix enzymes in with food.

 

Research:

·        Enzyme research has revealed that raw and fermented foods are needed to supply certain enzymes- these foods reduce the body’s need to produce digestive enzymes- a strain of the pancreas, stomach, and other glands that produce and distribute enzymes in the body.

·        Enzymes are deactivated at temperatures over 118 F wet heat and 150 F dry heat.

·        A good measure is that foods at 117 F can be touched without pain but liquids over 118 F will burn. This is a built in mechanism to help us not overcook foods (low and slow…) and kill the activity of the enzyme content.

·        Much more in the podcast.

 

Source: Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

 

·        Minerals are just as important as vitamins to the proper function of the human body

·        There are 7 Macro minerals (major minerals) and at least 27 trace minerals (30 total) currently recognized as critical to human functionality.

·        An insufficient supply of any one of these 30 minerals can impact the health of the body resulting in disease (if not immediately, then chronically)

 

·        Minerals can be ingested in a number of different forms- the two best, and most effective forms of mineral ingestion are ingestion of food based minerals (in whole foods) and ingestion of mineral salts (that disassociate in ionic solution)

 

·        Minerals must be digested in a highly acidic environment in order to ionize them so they can be absorbed by the gut

 

·        The Gut produces mineral specific binding proteins in response to internal need of specific minerals.

 

·        The internal biome (bacterial balance of the gut and body) helps to determine the health of the gut AND whether certain nutrients are absorbed- (ie minerals through the mineral specific binding proteins that transport specific minerals across the gut lining and into the blood).

 

·        Mineral transport and uptake by the gut and into the bloodstream is highly dependent on a health endocrine system and response.

 

·        This is in turn dependent on sufficient intake and absorption of fat soluble vitamins and sufficient dietary cholesterol.

 

·        A low fat diet precludes the proper function of the endocrine system and thus the creation of hormones, absorption of minerals, etc.

 

·        Minerals have a specific biological balance whereby they work best. Excess of a particular vitamin or mineral in relation to all others can impact mineral uptake, absorption, and conversion internally.

 

·        The 7 Macro minerals are as follows: (and what foods they can be found in…)

 

·        Calcium: Calcium is important because it strengthens bones and teeth, aids the heart and nervous system, and allows for muscle growth and contraction. It can be found in dairy products and bone broth. Calcium also works hand in hand with Vitamin D as Vitamin D is needed for proper calcium absorption.

 

·        Chloride: Chloride helps balance the acid-alkaline balance in the blood as well as aids the passage of fluids across cell membrane. It is also vital in the processes of proper growth and function of the brain. Salt, lacto-fermented beverages, and bone broths all have good sources of Chloride.

 

·        Magnesium: Magnesium plays a role in enzyme activity, calcium and potassium uptake, nerve transmission, bone formation, and metabolism of carbohydrates and minerals. It also helps form hard tooth enamel, creates a resistance to heart disease, and also helps regulate the acid-alkaline balance in the body. Magnesium can be found in dairy products, nuts, vegetables, fish, meat, and seafood.

 

·        Phosphorus: Phosphorus is the second most common mineral found in the body and is needed for bone growth, kidney function, and cell growth. It is important that it is in proper balance with magnesium and calcium in the blood and it can be found in animal products, whole grains, legumes, and nuts.

 

·        Potassium: Potassium is important for many chemical reactions within the cells. It works hand in hand with sodium as inner cell fluids are high in potassium and fluids outside the cell are high in sodium. Potassium can be found in nuts, grains, and vegetables.

 

·        Sodium: Sodium is very important as it is needed for many biochemical processes including water balance regulation, fluid distribution on either side of the cell walls, muscle contraction and expansion, nerve stimulation, and acid-alkaline balance. It also is very important for the proper function of the adrenal glands.

 

·        Sulphur: Sulphur helps protect the body from infection, blocks the harmful effects of radiation and pollution, and slows down the aging process. It also aids in many biochemical processes and can be found in cruciferous vegetables, eggs, milk, and animal products.

 

 

*Source: Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

In this episode I interview Jill Miller, founder of Yoga Tune Up , Coregeus, and The Roll Model- about her new book: The Roll Model- a step by step guide to eract pain, improve mobility and live better in your body.

here’s a brief bio:

Jill Miller is the co-founder of Tune Up Fitness Worldwide, creator of the corrective exercise format Yoga Tune Up® and The Roll Model® Method. With more than 27 years of study in anatomy and movement, she is a pioneer in forging relevant links between the worlds of fitness, yoga, massage, and pain management. Her signature classes and programs are taught at studios, clubs, rehab clinics and medical facilities throughout the world including Equinox Fitness Clubs, 24 Hour Fitness, Yoga Works, Cedar's SInai Medial Center, multiple CrossFit Boxes and more . She has presented case studies on pain at the Fascia Research Congress and the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Known as the Teacher’s Teacher, she has trained thousands of movement educators, clinicians, and manual therapists to incorporate her transformational approach in fitness and medical facility programs internationally. Jill has been featured in O Magazine, Men's Journal, Yoga Journal, Shape, Self, and on the Today Show and Good Morning America. She is creator of the DVDs Yoga Tune Up® and Yoga Link. Jill is a contributing expert on the Oprah Winfrey Network's OWN Show and sits on the Advisory Board for Natural Health Magazine. She is the bestselling author of The Roll Model- A Step by Step Guide to Erase Pain, Improve Mobility and Live Better in Your Body www.yogatuneup.com www.therollmodel.com

Some of Jill’s upcoming workshops include:

 

Hips Immersion

Instructor: 

Jill Miller, Creator Of Yoga Tune Up®

Location: 

West Hollywood, CA 90046

Schedule: 

Thursday, February 19, 2015 - 12:00pm to 7:00pm

Friday, February 20, 2015 - 10:30am to 5:30pm

Saturday, February 21, 2015 - 11:00am to 6:00pm

 

The Roll Model® Method - Ball Sequencing and Innovation

Instructor: 

Jill Miller, Creator Of Yoga Tune Up®

Location: 

West Hollywood, CA 90046

Schedule: 

Sunday, February 22, 2015 - 12:00pm to 8:00pm 

Empower! Fusion Fitness Convention

Instructor: 

Jill Miller, Creator Of Yoga Tune Up®

Location: 

Rosemont, IL 60018

Schedule: 

Thursday, March 5, 2015 - 12:00pm to Sunday, March 8, 2015 - 12:00pm 

The Strength Matters Summit (US)

Instructor: 

Jill Miller, Creator Of Yoga Tune Up®

Location: 

San Diego, CA 92108

Schedule: 

Friday, March 20, 2015 - 12:00pm to Sunday, March 22, 2015 - 12:00pm 

Toronto Yoga, the Conference & Show

Instructor: 

Jill Miller, Creator Of Yoga Tune Up®

Location: 

Toronto, ON M5V 2W6

Schedule: 

 

Thursday, April 9, 2015 - 12:00pm to Sunday, April 12, 2015 - 12:00pm

Episode #26 A Brief Primer On Vitamins, And Where To Find Them in Food

 

·        Vitamins were discovered in the early 1900s’ and began the era of modern interest in diet and nutrition.

·        Early chemists found that certain “unknown substances” in foods were essential to life.

·        Vitamins such as vitamin D and B were necessary to prevent diseases such as rickets, beriberi, and pellagra and that vitamin C, a factor present in many fresh foods, prevented scurvy.

 

Why we need vitamins:

·         Consumption of sugar, refined flour and hydrogenated fats, and of alcohol, tobacco, and many drugs, depletes the body of nutrients, resulting in higher vitamin and mineral requirements for users.

 

·        Stress of any sort (food, chemical, emotional, physical, etc) causes the body to use up available nutrients at a faster than normal rate.

 

·        Food science is much more complicated and nuanced than we first imagined- it is an ongoing and emerging field (even after 100 years!)

 

·        US RDA has set minimum daily requirements for a frew vitamins and minerals, but for the vast majority of people, the minimum requirements might support average health while individual needs keep folks taking the minimum RDA from optimal health.

 

·        Athletes need more - sometimes vastly more.

 

·        ·        Vitamin A – Vitamin A is needed so that certain nutrients, including protein, minerals, and water-soluble vitamins, can be utilized by the body and also helps protect the body against unwanted pollutants by acting as an antioxidant. The proper consumption of Vitamin A can lead help improve bone structure, wide handsome faces with plenty of room for the teeth, and ample protection against stress of all types.

 

·        Vitamin B – Vitamin helps promote healthy nerves, skin, eyes, hair, liver, muscle tone, and cardiovascular function. This vitamin can also help fight against mental disorders, depression and anxiety. Vitamin B can be found in a variety of foods including whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, seafood, and organ meats. Vitamin B is also important because it helps in the process of cell metabolism and cholesterol production.

 

·        Vitamin C – While Vitamin C is mostly popularly known as a vitamin used to treat a common cold, it also aids in tissue growth and repair, strength of capillary walls, lactation, and adrenal gland function. It helps wounds heal more quickly and, similarly to Vitamin A, is an important antioxidant.

 

·        Vitamin D – Vitamin D helps build strong bones, healthy teeth, and allows for normal growth as it helps encourage calcium and phosphorus absorption, which are both essential for building strength. Vitamin D has also helped fight against cancer and multiple sclerosis. While spending time in the sun can help your body absorb Vitamin D, you can also find this vitamin in butterfat, eggs, liver, organ meats, marine oils, and seafood, specifically shrimp and crab.

 

·        Vitamin E – Vitamin E has been shown to help slow down the aging process, aid in circulation, tissue repair, and healing, and also strengthen the treatment of fibrocystic conditions, sterility, PMS, and muscular dystrophy. Vitamin E can be found in unrefined vegetables oils, butter, organ meats, grain, nuts, seeds, legumes, and dark leafy vegetables.

 

·        Vitamin K – Vitamin K is found in liver, egg yolks, butter, grains, dark leafy vegetables, vegetables of the cabbage family, and fermented soy foods like miso. It is needed for blood clotting, is vital for the process of bone formation, and helps postmenopausal women to prevent bone loss.

 

·        Vitamin P – Vitamin P supports Vitamin C and allows for it to be absorbed more quickly which in turn helps promote healing and protect the structure of blood capillaries. It also helps stimulate bile production, lower cholesterol levels, regulate menstrual flow, help prevent cataracts, and have antibacterial effects. Vitamin P can be found in foods including peppers, grapes, buckwheat, and the white peel of citrus fruits.

 

·        CoQ10 – CoQ10 is vital for the process of producing energy and can also be used as an antioxidant.  It has been known to help treat cardiovascular disease and periodontal problems and it can be found in all animal products, specifically heart meat.

 

·        Activator X – Activator X can be found in organ meats, fish, shellfish, fish eggs, and butter from grass fed cows.

 

 

Source: Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

In this episode I discuss the health benefits of organ meats like brains, liver, kidney, heart, and similar foods.

Organ meats (from pastured animals- not from conventionally grown animals) are exquisitely nutrient dense- they pack a powerful punch of minerals, fat soluble vitamins, protein, enzymes and fat- all things that are sorely lacking in the typical modern diet. Below, I list different Beef organs one can sample (same goes for pastured pork, game animals and pastured poultry.

Liver- This is the big guns of all of the organ meats as it contains nutrients that are difficult to obtain from other sources. Liver is high in the precursor to vitamin A, retinol ( food sources are safe and superior to synthetic sources of vitamin A), B12, Folate, and choline (good for fat metabolism). Liver is revered by boxers as the ultimate endurance food- perhaps all of the B12 ( up to 17 times as much as ground beef)

Beef liver pate: http://www.almostbananas.net/simple-and-best-liver-pate/

Heart- Has a texture and taste similar to muscle meats like brisket so the “organ meat factor” is purely visual as opposed to liver or brain for example. That said, heart is a good source of iron, zinc, selenium, B vitamins, and CoQ10. CoQ10 is one of the primary factors in mitochondrial energy production and a powerful antioxidant (helps clean up oxidative residue from exercise and metabolic functions). Beef and pork heart have the highest concentration of CoQ10 and contain up to 5 times as much CoQ10 per gram as beef and pork muscle meat.

Beef Heart with Herbed Vinaigrette and Arugula: http://blog.ruhlman.com/2011/08/how-to-cook-beef-heart/

Tongue- one of the best tasting and most tender cuts of meat, tongue is also a good source of zinc, iron, choline, B12 and B vitamins in general as well as trace minerals.  Its also composed of up to 70% fat- making it very juicy and tender.

Beef Tongue Recipe: http://thecuriouscoconut.com/blog/how-to-cook-beef-tongue

Kidney: Is probably the most labor intensive organ to prepare- requiring soaking and trimming but it is also loaded with protein and vitamin B12. Cooked properly, the flavor is mild and the texture soft and chewy like mushroom

Deviled Beef Kidney: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/09/nasty-bits-offal-deviled-kidneys-recipe.html

Brain- Probably the one folks are most squeamish about, brain takes a little prep but can pay off in nutritional value. High in Omega 3 fatty acids and minerals (the very things nerve cells are composed of) brain provides the raw materials for our nervous system to repair itself.

Scrambled Brains:

1 set of brains (beef or pork)

1tbsp organic grass fed butter

4 pastured eggs

2 tbsp chopped parsley

Unrefined mineral salt

2 tbsp organic grass fed milk

Parboil brains gently. Drain. Saute gently in butter until browned. Add eggs to milk and beat, lightly  scramble and garnish with parsley.

Don’t discount the value of a good diet that includes raw animal products like pastured eggs, raw cream, and even raw meat and organ meats (from healthy pastured animals- and prepared properly) to not only nourish and rebuild your body but actually correct what didn’t grow correctly in the first place- more on that in my next podcast.

In this episode of the Structural Performance Podcast, I interview Bob Metzler, Long time Iyengar Yoga teacher, Chinese martial artist, and Certified Foundation Training instructor.

Bob and I discuss the various aspects of both yoga and the internal martial arts and their applications for both athletes as well as regular, health minded folks. Bob helps to uncover the seemingly complicated web of styles, family lineages, fighting styles and martial base building styles like Qi Gong and Nei Gong.

Bob explains the the reasoning behind the methods that he has brought together and “renamed” as Internal Power Training- the most useful parts of internal base training simplified and taught as a single system which he teaches at various levels to people ranging from martial artists to athletes, to retirees.

I have included a link to the pdf of a flyer for an upcoming introductory Internal Power Training workshop HERE. NOTE: this flyer explains much better than I the details of Internal Power Training.

In this episode, I explore a little noticed topic of breathing efficiency and its effect on overall brain function, health, and physical performance.

Although there are various ways to improve cellular energy production and explosive peak energy production, the untapped element in this equation is structural impediments to actually getting air into your lungs.

Any restriction in the tissues is going to 1) limit volume of inhalation and thereby limit the volume of oxygen getting into the body and 2) Necessitate additional energy expenditure to overcome the tissue restriction and/or compensate by increasing breathing frequency (thereby additionally increasing energy expenditure required for breathing and subsequently limiting energy availability to the brain, muscles, etc.)

If you have a tight back, neck, knots, tight quads, glutes, hamstrings, ITB, jaw, etc, you have tissue restrictions in your trunk that are impeding your breathing efficiency and your health, sleep, and physical and mental performance.

Multiply any percentage inefficiency by the 17,280 breaths you take every day and the wasted energy starts to add up!

Take the Breathing Efficiency Assessment HERE: http://therolfworkshop.com/blog/articles/are-breathing-restrictions-affectingyour-brain-performance/

Microlife portable spirometer: http://www.amazon.com/Microlife-PF-100-MeterSpirometry/dp/B000BH8TUA/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1419020964&sr=8-4&keywords=spirometer 

Listen to today’s episode to listen to an interview with Corey Beasley, the co-owner of Innovative Results, in which we discuss how focused daily training can positively affect more than just the physical parts of your life.

Control Food Group A) Raw meat, viscera, bones, raw milk, cod liver oil (run of the pen cats)

Experimental Diet Foods) a. Raw Meat b. Cooked Meat c. Raw Milk d. Pasteurized Milk e. Evaporated Milk f. Sweetened Condensed Milk

Once assigned, the animals food group was held constant.

Two Basic studies- One focused on Milk (raw/cooked), the other on Meat (raw/cooked) had almost identical results.

Study #1 ( 1/3 A 2/3 of one of the Experimental Diet foods)

Studies recorded numerous physiological changes in the animals and their offspring

Milk Study:

Raw milk cats- move about the pen with grace and nimbleness- land on their feet when they were thrown a short distance, sexually interested in the opposite sex, they have a sheen on their coat. Dentition was perfect.

Cooked milk cats, are lethargic, develop arthritis, move more tentatively, when thrown a short distance they show slightly impaired sense of coordination (don’t always land on their feet and appear weaker). Dental deterioration was also common (abcesses above the molars, redness of gums, softness of gingiva)

Evaporated Milk cats showed greater deterioration.

Sweetened Condensed Milk animals exhibited nervousness, purple tone to mouth, abcesses, poor dentition.

In a confrontation between raw milk and pasteurized milk females, the raw milk cat gets in 20-30 hits for every one by the cooked milk cat.

All of the above cats started the study in perfect health, and in similar physical condition to one another.

The results in offspring become more pronounced.

Gen 2 cats:

Raw meat cats appeared larger than cooked meat cats (@ 16 weeks raw meat cat @ 2 Kg while the cooked meat cat weighed 1.6kg)

Skeletal analysis revealed more complete development of the skull of:

 raw meat cat: (fully developed zygomatic arch, fully formed sinus, Fully developed orbital arch). Bone structure constant over generations. Calcium content of bone: 12-17%

Cooked meat cat: heads have begun to flatten and head smaller than raw meat cat. Zygomatic arch, sinus and orbital arches are not fully developed. Calcium content of bone has fallen to 10%

Cooked meat animals started to look androgenous.

 

Gen 3 Cats:

Cooked Meat: Most remarkable development of change. Skull considerably smaller, flat with pointed features. Skull shows poorly developed zygomatic arch. Bones are paper thin and soft like sponge rubber. Sinus shows deviated development. Calcium content of bones has fallen to 3%

Allergies, parasites, and fleas are all present in 3^rd generation cooked meat animals. These are not present in the raw meat animals.

Lethargy and impaired coordination are the norm for 3^rd generation cooked meat animals

Cooked meat cats were unable to successfully reproduce after the 3^rd generation.

Void of sexual interest. When able to mate only stillborn litters were produced.

 

Raw Meat continued to produce healthy offspring generation after generation.

 

Reversal is possible but it takes 4 generations to fully regain wellbeing.

One cooked meat cat escaped its pen and recovered considerably while living in the wild.

The changes in the cats are comparable to the changes in human beings over since the industrialization of food production (starting roughly 1900. For example, My great grandmother grew up on a farm, and moved to the city when she married. Her daughter was relatively healthy. My mother has scoliosis and osteoporosis. My sister and I have more severe scoliosis- all three of us have cavity prone teeth.

These findings parallel those of Dr. Weston A Price in his study of the health emerging societies and its relation to change in diet from traditional diet to modern processed diet.

 

Optimal diet for humans is minimum 50% Raw. (fish, meat, eggs, vegetables, etc)

In episode #20, I discuss the possible causes of myopia (nearsightedness) and one method for improvement.

Myopia can be genetic (inherited) but expression is enhanced by epigenetic (environmental and lifestyle) factors. Additionally, Myopia can be non genetic but induced by epigenetic (environmental and lifestyle factors)

Epigenetic factors include close work such as study, poor diet, and lack of outdoor exercise, poor illumination, and poor eye care.

Dietary factors such as that are associated with myopial development and progression are:

Hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistence

Excess intake of carbohydrate and whole grains

Deficiency of fish oil and essential fatty acids

Deficiency in fat soluble vitamins

Mineral deficiency or excess

In a study by Loran Cordain, Children in the the islands of Vanatu have 8 hours a day of compulsory schooling, yet their rate of myopia is only 2% (very low!) Their native diet consists of fish, yam, and coconut (and no grains)

Those with strong myopia >2.0 diopters (>20/150) are genetically predisposed. Mild myopia < 2.0 Diopters (<20/150) are non genetically predisposed (as a rule)

Early myopia results from the spasm of the ciliary muscles of the eye (which shape the lens) causing the focus point to fall in front of the back of the eye in far vision. This is temporary but with repeated close work, spasm becomes continuous.

Putting a minus lens in front of the eye simply makes the eye grow longer over time leading to the same problem- and more stronger lenses to get proper focus- a vicious cycle.

Myopia can be reversed by doing specialized eye exercises (not the Bates Method) daily, and eventually driving the compensation of eye length towards better vision. 20/20 vision is attainable! (see video below for details on how to do this).

Todd Becker, M.S. Website: http://www.gettingstronger.org

Video of Ancestral Health Symposium Lecture on how to cure your myopia: http://gettingstronger.org/2014/08/myopia-a-modern-yet-reversible-disease/

 

Research Citations: http://gettingstronger.org/2014/08/myopia-a-modern-yet-reversible-disease/  Slides 39-40

It can be hard to stay focused during an endurance workout for various reasons. Google Glass has found a way to help you stay focused and improve your mental and physical performance!

 

Listen to this week's podcast to hear about how Google Glass can improve your endurance exercises!

In episode #18, I discuss the possibility that the foods you are eating are disrupting your gut biome, thereby driving patterns of insomnia.

Additionally, I explore the how the common use of stimulants and other common foods disrupt the stability of your blood sugar, hormones, and sleep.

Common caffeinated stimulants:

Coffee, tea, chocolate, caffeinated sodas, energy drinks

Common blood sugar disruptors:

Too much carbohydrate at dinner

Insufficient Protein at dinner

Insufficient Fat at dinner

Food sensitivities and allergies

Foods that foster dysbiosis (negatively impacting gut bacteria associated with disease, etc)

High glycemic foods: http://www.texasgrassfedbeef.com/grass-fed-meat-education/food-analysis-gi-gl-fat-ratio-nutrient-load-and-inflammation

Recent study showing shift in gut biome associated with high fat, high sugar diet and circadian rhythm shift: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0097500

Typically, to improve your health, emotional, and performance potential, you'd have to work on each individual area separately. However, with understanding your physical symmetry, you can tackle all three at the same time!

 

Listen to this week's podcast to learn about body symmetry and how it can help improve your life!

head forward posture is at epidemic levels due to laptop, tablet and smartphone use.

Sitting for more than a few minutes at a time results in slouching, and, over time, vertical postural misalignment.

Postural misalignment literally takes more energy to do day to day tasks- less efficient- an energy suck

This in turn leads to higher physical stress on the body.

Additionally, a greater emotional stress response is constantly generated in head forward posture

Cortisol levels rise in response to body stressors like physical stress and emotional stress- therefore- poor posture leads to higher cortisol levels

Cortisol levels have been directly linked to systemic inflammatory levels in the body- therefore- chronic poor posture results in chronically elevated levels.

Targeted exercise and specific strength training can improve posture but often takes years of effort.

 

Postural Specific Structural Bodywork can speed the process of postural improvement dramatically- In just 10 weeks- most people experience dramatic improvements in their posture.

 

“Good Posture is correlated with improved health, movement efficiency, gracefulness, and improved sleep.

 

Tolerance for risk taking improves with the posture

 

“Bad Posture has been linked to a host of medical problems including headaches and other neurological problems, depression, constipation, heart disease, rotator cuff, shoulder, knee and back problems.

 

Benefits of Structural Integration (resulting in improved posture):

 

A.     A natural, side-effect-free response to stress, headaches, “computer screen neck pain,” back pain, etc. – instead of pills, drugs, etc. Structural Integration literally “calms your nervous system” down. Making you more able to respond rather than react. When you feel better in your body, you are more calm and happier overall.

B.     Improves circulation. Every cell in the body is dependent on blood and lymph flow to provide oxygen and nutrients, and to eliminate metabolic waste. Structural Integration increases circulation, assisting and speeding up these processes. This means the body performs with better efficiency; resists or recovers from disease, injury, or exceptionally arduous activity; and quite simply makes you feel better, be more productive. Photographic evidence shows: Structural Integration enhances youthful appearance.  A more upright body, exudes the confidence of youth, the ease of movement, the vitality of a healthy, balanced body.

C.     Replaces fatigue with energy. If you are frequently tired….”drained” at day’s end…you’ll find that regular Structural Integration can make a big, positive difference. This is because your body moves with less restriction, and more efficiency. Graceful efficient movement is the hallmark of this work.

D.    Release of muscular tension. During Structural Integration, there is a release of “endorphins”…your body’s own pain, natural pain-killers. This relaxes muscles, calms nerves, and diffuses built-up stress.  Muscular tension is caused by our response to stress and mis-alignment of the body in the gravitational field- causing certain muscles to have to work hard just to hold us upright. SI re-aligns the body, minimizing and even elimination common excessive muscular tension in the back, shoulders, neck and legs.

E.     Improves Stamina- through increasing oxygenation of the tissues and oxygen efficiency of the body. One of the most basic fundamentals of Structural Integration- increasing the “vital capacity” or breath intake volume- is one of the most powerful- more oxygenation = better brain and body performance, better recovery, greater vitality, etc. SI literally changes your body chemistry by increasing your vital capacity.

F.     Saves energy- not only does re-aligning the body in the gravitational field help you to move with more grace and ease, when you are aligned, you don’t have to use excess energy to “hold yourself up” against the gravitational field! The more your body is aligned with the downward pull of gravity (in a straight line) the better the earths counter force is able to transmit upward thrust forces through your body- literally supporting you for “free”.

G.     Breath Efficiency- as the tissues in and around your ribcage, back, and neck are freed up and become more elastic, your vital capacity increases and so does the efficiency of breath (the amount of muscular energy used to inhale actually decreases!) Think about this for a minute- even if your vital capacity and breathing efficiency improve by only 1% (an understatement at minimum) how much energy is saved over the course of a day? You breathe average 12/min, 720/hr, 17,280/day, 6,307,200/yr…you get the picture. How much energy have you saved? How much more energy can your body now contribute to health and vitality?

H.    Improves your sleeping patterns. By calming the nervous system, improving the circulation, and evening out the muscular tension in the body, hormonal changes take place that actually improve sleep! Many clients who on their first visit to our office listed “insomnia” or “sleep problems” as one of their top 5 issues, now report sleeping much more deeply and continuously through the night- waking up feeling refreshed and rarin’ to go!

I.      Lowers raised blood pressure- by removing muscular tension, improving breathing efficiency (greater volume, less effort), and calming the nervous system, Structural Integration helps clients maintain healthy blood pressure levels- thereby minimizing stroke and cardiovascular risk.

People have varying ideas of when to eat in relation to exercising. Some like to eat a little something right before while others wait until after their workout to have a recovery snack, but which is better?

Listen to this week's podcast to learn about "intermittent fasting" and how it affects your workout!

Grabbing a cup of coffee on the way to work is a part of a morning routine for many people. It tastes great and provides that extra kick some need to get started, but did you know that drinking coffee, or any other kind of caffeine, can actually make you gain weight?

Breathing is an innate activity that is vital to our every day lives. From the moment we are born, our lungs expand and collapse in order to provide the oxygen we need to function. But did you know that you could be breathing incorrectly?

Listen to this week's podcast to learn how to improve your breathing which will, in result, increase your quality of life!

Have you ever heard of "The Human Cashew" or the "4Cs"? Would you like to learn some great exercises that will help you strengthen your body with minimal effort?

 

Listen to this week's podcast to hear Aaron Guyett, owner of Innovative Results, discuss these topics and how they effect structural performance!

No matter what time of day it is there always seems to be a line at coffee shops, but did you know coffee may be doing more than giving you that extra pick me up?

Listen to this week's podcast to learn more and also hear about the relationship between exercise and your teeth, hormones, the perfect exercise, and those annoying muscle cramps we all get!

Everyone knows how important a good recovery is, but how would you like some fresh ideas that'll help you recover faster and help you become stronger?

 

Listen to this week's podcast to learn some new, quick, and easy ways to recover like a beast!

In this week's podcast, I discuss the following topics:

 

What is muscle testing and is it bogus?

What kinds of things can be assessed using muscle testing?

How to tell if your liver is congested.

How to tell if you are at risk for stroke?

How can you resolve IT band syndrome? What are the causes?

Is there a cure for dandruff? What causes dandruff?

Episode #7 How to tell if scars are getting in the way of your healing process, The little known way to unleash your body's healing potential, How to tell if hidden food sensitivities are driving disease in your body, Are beets the best food for boosting endurance?

In this podcast I discuss the following questions:

·      Athletes foot cure

What is athletes foot? 

·      What causes gray hair-Science says it is not directly caused by stress. But what does stress do to the body? 

Are Poor digestion, poor sleep, poor healing, low regeneration, increases aging response, signs of a depleted adrenal function?

How can you tell if your adrenal function is compromised?

·      What fingernail moons represent and how their condition can predict your performance efficiency.

 How to build blood- oxygen carrying capacity using food and herbs. 

·      What foods help to keep your libido up?

        Obesity/ excess weight tied to lower brain volume and brain degeneration

new study. Simple tricks to drop excess fat and stimulate your body to become a fat burning machine.

 

In this episode, I interview Coach Stephanie Havelka of The Surge Method of Swimming (https://www.facebook.com/surgeswimmethod) to uncover some of the most common fundamental errors and missing elements of water skills, swimming form and mindset that hold age group and elite level swimmers and triathletes back from performing to their potential. Most swimmers and coaches focus training on top of poor fundamentals- which retards improvement and generates frustration and hopelessness. Many swimmers could be much faster by focusing their efforts on their weaknesses instead of their strengths. Listen to the interview to find out what fundamental skills may be holding you back.

Interview with Jay Dicharry PT, owner of REP Performance Lab, Bend, OR