Day 61- Post Workout Nutrition

When I was younger I think I was one of those people that worked out so that they could eat whatever they wanted, but as my metabolism has slowed down over the last 10 years, I now have lost that power and must take into consideration what I feed my body. Food not only plays a role in how much energy that I will have for my workouts, but it will also determine how my clothes fit me and how I reach my goals. The problem is that feeding your body is complicated; you work out hard and then you need to refuel your body, but with what? What can you eat that is going to increase the benefit of your workout? Years ago I would have gone to the gym and not gave any thought to what I was to consume in the next few hours, now I know that the next meal after my workout may increase or decrease some of the results of my workout. If you work out until your are blue in the face, but never change your diet plan, that is only part of the picture. Exercise and nutrition go hand in hand if you want to see change.

So here's the dilemma; what do we eat that will either help us build muscle, burn fat, or improve our body?

The first thing that you want to consider is how soon after your workout you should eat, honestly if you just had a "kick-your-butt" type of a workout you most likely won't even be hungry for at least 30 minutes after your workout. While working out our body goes in sympathetic mode. At this time your digestion system does not function efficiently; blood is being pumped to your muscles so there is not an adequate amount that is going to be available to digest food directly after a workout. But you also don't want to wait to long to eat after your workout either, this can cause your body to go into starvation mode. Waiting any longer than an hour after your workout you are going to start loosing some of the benefits.

After an intense cardio workout aim to eat a meal between 45 minutes to an hour after a workout, so that you can still ride the fat-burning wave (research has show that only intense interval cardio training can cause the body to burn fat after a workout, with regular cardio once you are finished, so is the fat burning effect), but won't cause your body to go into starvation mode.

You should follow resistance training with a meal no longer than an hour post workout as well. You want to make sure that you replace the body with the diminished amino acids and glycogen so that they can help to repair the damaged muscles. Waiting to long will decrease the benefits from the workout.

A study showed that exercise enhances insulin sensitivity; meaning that it is easier for your body to take up blood sugar and use it in your muscles, where it can be stored or used as fuel. This study also pointed out that the food you ate after your workout had an effect on insulin sensitivity, particularly when the meals consisted of more protein and lower carbohydrates. Eating a low caloric meal had the same effect as a higher calorie meal in that it showed no effect in improving insulin sensitivity. In fact eating a low caloric diet or not eating anything post workout can actually slow down your metabolism!

For the most part after any workout it is important to eat a high quality protein (ex. free-range chicken, wild caught fish). Since muscles are being broken down you need to replenish the body by providing it with amino acids from protein and carbohydrates in the form of a vegetable. When you consume refined carbohydrates post workout they are absorbed to quickly, negatively impeding fat burning by giving your body glucose to use instead of making it work to burn fat. Protein seems to have a better effect on stimulating you insulin response, and getting glucose into your muscles, in order to refuel your body.

According to personal trainer, Darin Steen; people that are training more intensely with resistance training and trying to increase muscle mass, on the other hand may need to replenish their body sooner and with carbohydrates, since they only have a 1 hour window to feed their muscles in order for repair. Post resistance training will be the only time that you will want your meal to be absorbed rapidly. Within 15-30 a small meal, such as a whey protein (since it is already pre-digested) and a banana (since it is high glycemic) are a good choice. This will help to get the glucose in the muscles immediately. It will also take less digestion since you are consuming it close after a workout and your digestion make not be fully functioning still. For those consuming carbohydrates after a workout, you may develop the "swollen" look, since we store three grams of water for every gram of glycogen.

One thing to stay away from for anyone working out is sugar laden sports drinks and bars. These are full of excess sugar, calories, and junk that you should not be consuming. Instead stick to good quality proteins and if you need to replenish your electrolytes grab something better, like coconut water- which is full of natural electrolytes, unlike the sugary sports drink.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

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Day 60- Nutritional Supplements

As I may have mentioned before, I currently work for an amazing nutritional supplement company. Although I'm trying to keep this blog project separate from my work, the truth is a lot of the topics that I have discussed go hand in hand with nutritional supplementation. I've grown up taking nutritional supplements and see strongly the value behind incorporating them in a healthy lifestyle. I know there are people that are adamant that they can get all the nutritional requirements from the foods that they eat, but so much has changed over the years that I'm not so sure that this is true anymore. I've learned a lot about supplements over the last four years through not only my work, but through the nutrition program that I had the privilege to participate in as well. So although I will continue to leave out the mention of my company's supplements, I do want people to know that I strongly suggest working with a health care practitioner in order to find the right nutritional supplements for you.

First of all let me start by stating that I'm not a fan of multivitamins. Yeah, I hear the gasp of disbelief. But think about it, no one person is the same, so how can there be a vitamin that supplies all the vitamins and minerals that a person needs? But I guess if it was the choice to take a multivitamin or nothing at all, I would hands down go with the multivitamin. I would prefer that people run a test to see where your nutritional deficiencies are in order to know what you should be supplementing with. Supplements, like the name states, are to supplement your diet and not to replace food. You also don't want to take a multivitamin that contains excess stuff that the body doesn't need.

Trying to receive all your vitamins and minerals from your diet is so hard; if not impossible for many people these days. There are so many reasons why this is the case. First of all how many of us actually get enough fruits and vegetables on a daily bases. A majority of the foods that we consume are processed and even when we do consume fresh fruits and vegetables they are often missing the nutrient content that was present years ago. The fact that many farms produce a constant supply of crops can deplete the nutrients in the soil. Fertilizers or insecticides that are used don't add many nutrients in the soil and insecticides can actually reduce the amount of nutrients in the crops. Then you have the differences in growing techniques used now of days, crops are being picked before they have had the chance to fully ripen. It is not until the fruit or vegetable has fully ripened that the nutrients become fully available.

Digestion and lifestyle are also a huge reason that we need to supplement our diet. So many people do not have a healthy working digestive system so a lot of the foods that are eaten can not be broken down correctly and the nutrients are not absorbed. Stress, drinking, smoking, lack of sleep, etc. can also cause the body to have nutritional deficiencies.

When picking the right supplement for you just remember a few things. Supplements come in different forms, there are capsules, tablets, liquid, powders, creams, and sprays. I've learned that tablets usually contain a lot of fillers, a main one being gluten, in order to get it in that tablet form, whereas capsules will most likely only contain the wanted ingredients. Creams are great, usually when applied to a vascular area because it doesn't have to go through the digestive tract in order to be utilized. A word to the wise, stay away from hormones creams, they will stay in your body fat and may rub off onto your loved ones, who most likely could do with out your excess hormones. Then there are also sublingual vitamins, you will see vitamin B12 sold like this a lot of the time. The benefits of taking B12 sublingually is that when you have problems with digestion a lot of the absorption on the vitamin will be hindered. Taking the vitamin sublingually, (liquid form under the tongue) it is able to go straight into the blood stream through blood vessels, therefore absorbing hopefully 100% of the vitamin.

What are some supplements that I suggest for daily maintenance?

• Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oils)
• Antioxidants
• Vitamin D
• Probiotics

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 59- Pop That Champagne!

I received the best newsletter from Dr. Al Sears today, it was about the nutritional benefits of champagne! Now that's what I'm talking about! I knew if had to have some benefits bottled in there, besides maybe a placebo affect, because every time I drink it, it makes me happy.

In the newsletter from Dr. Sears he points out that champagne, like wine, is packed with polyphenols, which is the antioxidant found in grapes. Polyphenols help to protect the brain and heart, and keep your blood pressure low, and increase the "feel good" chemicals in your brain.

He provides a few research journals showing the health benefits of consuming this bubbly treat. One journal shows that champagne increases nitric oxide in the body, which helps to relax blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. Another journal shows that champagne contains three types of phenolic acids - tyrosol, caffeic, and gallic acid, that help to protect the brain again damage from free radicals.

It was also noted that champagne can increase dopamine, which is the "feel good" neurotransmitter in the brain; helping you to think positively and experience pleasure. Maybe this is why I always relate champagne with celebration!

A German study showed that since champagne is a fermented beverage (it is actually fermented twice, unlike wine, in order to create the bubbles) it can increase gastric acid by as much as 95%, which helps with digestion.

Here's the kicker, you have to buy the right kind. Most of us know that there is champagne and there is sparkling wine. So what's the difference? Not much, champagne can only be called that if it is from Champagne, France. Much like whiskey vs bourbon. So although the bottle may not be labeled "champagne" there are still many wineries out there that make their sparkling wine just like the French do. Even the Italian version, Spumante or the Spanish version, Cava can all provide the same benefits. So when selecting your champagne or sparkling wine next time just make sure it has one of the above labels and stay clear from the bottles labeled "effervescent" if you want to get all the health benefits.

For more information on the benefits of champagne or to find more about how to select the right bottle, visit Dr. Sear's website for the April 28th newsletter, "Break Open the Bubbly."

Come quickly, I am tasting the stars! ~ Dom Perignon, at the moment he discovered champagne

Pura Vida!
Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 58- Slosh Pipes will be the Death of Me

What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger, right? Ain't that the truth, when it comes to slosh pipes! My arms and chest are SORE today! Another great thing about Innovative Results is not only their creative workouts, but their creative equipment as well. Yesterday I was put through a workout involving a slosh pipe.

What is a slosh pipe you ask?
Slosh pipes are PVC pipes (they can vary in length and width) that are filled part way with water and then capped at the end.

What's so great about a workout involving slosh pipes?
Well if you ask me, nothing (that's just because I struggle with them), but I have to admit they make for a pretty well rounded workout. They are such a simple piece of equipment, but they can be used for so many different workouts and are quite an effective training tool. Yesterday the workout involved 100 bench presses with a slosh pipe, but we have done walking lunges, shoulder presses, squats, or just walking with the slosh pipe straight above our head. What makes the workout so tough is that since the tube is only partially full when you move the water sloshes around (hence the name). "This creates an extremely variable load on the entire system as the water never stays in place. Continual load shifting requires micro-adjustments from every muscle in your body, which puts more demand on your system, and recruits far more muscles than any traditional version of the same exercise would." - Slosh pipe training

For an example, image just the simple act of walking. Now add a slosh pipe in your hands and raise your hands above your head. As you move even slightly all the water moves towards whichever end of the pipe is lower. If the right side is lower, then all the water will slosh to the right end of the tube, so now you have to use your right arm muscles, to push that side up and your left arm muscles to pull that side down. The whole time you are using your core to stabilize you, and your leg muscles to keep you walking in a straight line. Not to mention your shoulder muscles from trying to keep the tube above your head. The simple act of walking has turned into a synergistic movement, which is recruiting every muscle in your body.

Here is a video to illustrate some of the workouts involving the slosh pipe. In my opinion he makes the workouts look way to easy! But he is also using a much smaller tube than I am use to.

Pura Vida!
Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 57- Birth Control- not the "magic" pill you may have thought

Let me start this blog with a disclaimer: I do not believe in birth control, but it's your prerogative. I, like the majority of women out there was sold to believe that the benefits of birth control outweighed the cons, but the more that I learned the more I know this is false. I had been on three different forms of birth control, on the journey to find the "right one for me." One of the forms was the patch, which I stayed on for around 6 months. During my journey on the patch I gained around 15 lbs and for the following two years I experienced abnormal pap-smears that were unexplained by my doctors. I also began seeing a lot of legal claims regarding the patch, due to adverse side effects and even death. For over three years now I have been off any form of birth control; I have a normal menstrual cycle, no PMS, remain a pretty consistent weight, and have prevented any unwanted pregnancy. I just wanted to use this blog to illustrate some facts about birth control that you may or may not have known.

Whatever your reasoning is for birth control, whether you were told it would make your menstrual cycle more regular, clear up acne, reduce cramps and PMS, or to purely prevent pregnancy; it may not be the magical pill that you had thought. Yes, it is a convenient option, with promising results, but bottom line whether it is the high or low dose form, birth control is still a form of synthetic estrogen. Hence the reason that birth control can cause symptoms such as weight gain, mood swings, and breast tenderness. Birth control pills have also been suggested to be related to a higher risk of blood clots, cancer, thinner bones, cardiovascular issues, Alzheimer's, etc. Many of the symptoms associated with your menstrual cycle, cramping, irregular periods may just be a deficiency of progesterone and an excess of estrogen. So then why would birth control methods containing estrogen be thought to be the answer for these symptoms?

A women's natural menstrual cycle is based on the rising and falling of estrogen and progesterone. The pill works by tricking the body to think that it is pregnant, by keeping a continuous high level of estrogen and progestin in the body. The synthetic progestin can actually stop the natural production of progesterone, whereas the body will continue to produce estrogen, even when synthetic estrogen is present. The end result is a excess of estrogen in the body, and if you recall one of my previous blogs, this is a big cause of weight gain.

Some birth control methods out there actually prevent women from ever having a period, or having one only four times a year. Yeah, that sounds great! No woman enjoys that time of the month, but that is the way we were designed and I'm pretty sure that it wasn't just for the hell of it. As women, we are actually pretty lucky; every month our body goes through a natural cleanse, expelling bacteria from the reproductive system, as well as iron from the blood (excess iron can cause free radical damage).

Birth control pills can also affect thyroid function, elevating the Thyroid Binding Globulin, which cause a reduction in the amount of free thyroid hormones that can enter the cells. In the brain estrogen has been shown to modulate serotonergic function, which can show a link between birth control and depression.

One of the biggest damage done by birth control is to the liver, which is the organ that detoxifies the excess hormones from the body. When taking pills that contain hormones, the liver has to work even harder to break down these hormones to get them out of the body. This process requires extra amounts of B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, and zinc. This is dangerous, especially when it comes to increasing your chances of cardiovascular disease. We know now that a deficiency in B vitamins (mainly B12) can lead to an increase in the amino acid homocysteine, which has been linked to cardiovascular disease (next time you are at the doctor's ask them to test your homocysteine level for you).

What are the alternatives to birth control?

• Condoms (Male)
• Calendar Method
• Contraceptive Foam
• Diaphragm
• IUD
• Contraceptive Sponge
• Cervical Cap
• Female Condom
• Withdrawal
• Abstinence
• Sterilization

The take home message here is that birth control contains synthetic hormones, which can disrupt the body's natural hormone production, causing serious issues such as blood clots and frustrating issues such as weight gain. If you choose to get off birth control, make sure that you go through a liver detoxification protocol to help your liver remove the excess hormones, and to supplement with vitamin B12 to reduce an increase in homocysteine.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

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Day 56- Dinner for those without much time

After a long weekend and another hectic day of running around we needed something easy for dinner...but still somewhat nutritious and healthy.

So I decided to try a Masala simmer sauce from Trader Joe's; which is basically just an Indian tomato sauce with spices like turmeric, paprika, coriander, cumin, etc. The only ingredient that I could do without was the canola oil (which I will explain my dislike for in a future blog). We added chicken breasts to the Masala and put it on top of quinoa with a side of bok choy.

1/3 Cup has 90 calories, 5 g of fat, 11 g of carbohydrates, 9 g of sugar, and 2 g of protein.

I sautéed the bok choy in coconut oil, sea salt and black pepper.

Final product and it was delicious!

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 55- 46 Days without Gluten

I did it, I completed 46 days sans gluten! I write this blog after eating pizza, my celebration gluten food choice. I have also decided to continue without gluten in my diet, I honestly didn't really even miss it. The reason for the pizza splurge was just to see whether or not I notice any reactions after eating it. So far so good, but reactions can show up even 72 hours after the consumption of an allergic food. Symptoms can be in multiple forms; brain fog, bloating, digestive issues, rash, swollen joints, etc.

During the 46 days without gluten, I didn't really notice any difference, even though I figured I would. No weight loss, no reduction of swelling in my fingers, and the red marks on my neck still showed up periodically. So why am I deciding to continue on with this gluten-free diet? Why not? On my journey to become the healthiest I can be and helping others with their own journey, I figure I should practice what I preach. Gluten is not like it use to be, and it's definitely something that I don't need to have in my diet. So although the pizza that I ate was delicious, I'm sure I'll be fine with out it. On the upside there are a growing number of gluten-free pizza places popping up, so I will still be able to get my pizza fix when I need it. Or you can always make your own at home to ensure that there is no contamination. Here is a website for gluten-free pizza crust recipes.

Happy Easter!

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 54- Sin City Workout

Wanna look like a Las Vegas rock star?

Try this workout on for size:

• Push-up to single arm row (video) 15x each arm
• Triceps on the ball (Video) 15x
• Mountain Climbers (Video) 30x each leg
• Lower abdominal leg raises (Video)
• Side plank 30 sec hold each side

4 times through

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 53- Grass-Fed vs. Corn-Fed Beef

I went for over 10 years without eating red meat (well occasionally I had beef jerky), not for really any other reason other than I just didn't like the taste, smell, or texture of red meat. I grew up with beef that my family raised, so I knew what good quality meat was at a early age. Yeah, the butchering process disgusted me, and the cow hides that we had hanging in our garage, but I didn't decide to stop eating meat for those reasons.

Over the last few years, I have really changed my views on food and eating, and during this new transformation I decided that I was missing red meat from my diet. My husband who has always been a big meat eater, was stoked at my decision, and commended me when I started bringing home beef when I would go grocery shopping. But what we didn't see eye to eye on, what the type of meat that we would bring home. To me if I am going to eat red meat, I'm only going to buy good quality meat. He on the other hand went for whatever was on sale in the meat section.

So hence the purpose of today's blog. I have been working with my husband on learning how to read labels on meat, but the truth is there are so many other people out there, just like him, that don't know the difference between the types of meat that they are purchasing or the benefits from buying good quality meat. When it comes to grass-fed vs corn-fed beef, the difference can be surprising.

First of all, a little anatomy of the cow's digestive system. Grazing animals, such as cows and sheep, are designed to convert grasses into food that we can digest. Their rumen (cow's stomach) ferment the cellulose from the grass into protein and fats, due to the natural bacteria that resides there. Unlike the human stomach, the pH of the rumen is neutral. When cows are feed a corn diet, the rumen becomes highly acidic, which causes heartburn in the animal.

Michael Pollan, author of "Omnivore's Dilemma," "In Defense of Food," and several others, wrote an interesting article in the New York Times regarding feeding cows a grain-based diet:

"Perhaps the most serious thing that can go wrong with a ruminant on corn is feedlot bloat. The rumen is always producing copious amounts of gas, which is normally expelled by belching during rumination. But when the diet contains too much starch and too little roughage, rumination all but stops, and a layer of foamy slime that can trap gas forms in the rumen. The rumen inflates like a balloon, pressing against the animal’s lungs. Unless action is promptly taken to relieve the pressure (usually by forcing a hose down the animal’s esophagus), the cow suffocates.
A corn diet can also give a cow acidosis. Unlike that in our own highly acidic stomachs, the normal pH of a rumen is neutral. Corn makes it unnaturally acidic, however, causing a kind of bovine heartburn, which in some cases can kill the animal but usually just makes it sick. Acidotic animals go off their feed, pant and salivate excessively, paw at their bellies and eat dirt. The condition can lead to diarrhea, ulcers, bloat, liver disease and a general weakening of the immune system that leaves the animal vulnerable to everything from pneumonia to feedlot polio.
Cows rarely live on feedlot diets for more than six months, which might be about as much as their digestive systems can tolerate. “I don’t know how long you could feed this ration before you’d see problems,” Metzen said; another vet said that a sustained feedlot diet would eventually “blow out their livers” and kill them. As the acids eat away at the rumen wall, bacteria enter the bloodstream and collect in the liver. More than 13 percent of feedlot cattle are found at slaughter to have abscessed livers.
What keeps a feedlot animal healthy—or healthy enough—are antibiotics. Rumensin inhibits gas production in the rumen, helping to prevent bloat; tylosin reduces the incidence of liver infection. Most of the antibiotics sold in America end up in animal feed—a practice that, it is now generally acknowledged, leads directly to the evolution of new antibiotic-resistant “superbugs.” In the debate over the use of antibiotics in agriculture, a distinction is usually made between clinical and nonclinical uses. Public-health advocates don’t object to treating sick animals with antibiotics; they just don’t want to see the drugs lose their efficacy because factory farms are feeding them to healthy animals to promote growth. But the use of antibiotics in feedlot cattle confounds this distinction. Here the drugs are plainly being used to treat sick animals, yet the animals probably wouldn’t be sick if not for what we feed them."

So why is it that we feed cows a corn based diet rather than what they were designed to eat? Because it's not only cheaper, but it's faster as well. Instead of waiting until the cows are large enough, say around 4 to 5 years, corn fattens them up faster so that they can be ready at as young as 14-16 months.

Alight, we already know that feeding cows corn-fed includes the use of antibiotics and increases the chances of disease being transferred to us, but what we haven't covered yet is the nutritional differences in grass-fed vs corn-fed beef. Grass-fed beef not only is lower in overall fat and in saturated fat, but it also provides more Omega-3 fatty acids, more conjugated linoleic acids (CLA), and more vitamin E. Corn-fed beef actually typically contains only 15-20 percent as much Omega-3 fatty acids as does grass-fed beef.

Now the hard part, where do we find this kind of beef? When shopping for beef, there are a couple of key words: Organic, Grass-fed, Free-range, and Hormone/Antibiotic free. Just because the label contains one of these key words, does not mean that the rest are just understood to be there as well. If a label states that it is "organic" and "hormone/antibiotic free," you still need to confirm that it was grass-fed, since even on organic farms cows can be feed grain, especially in their last few months. Then you have labels that only state that it was grass-fed, without the organic label. In this case you have to be carefully since the grass it was grazing on could have been treated with synthetic fertilizers and herbicides. So the end result to look for? Grass-fed and finished, organic meat is your top option!

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 52- Fresh Produce Delivered to Your House

My friend, Sheila Hernandez, recently shared with me information on a great service; fresh produce delivered right to your house. The company is called Farm Fresh to You, and is available in California.

What's so great about this service?

All the produce is certified organic and comes from their own farm called, Capay Organics. The deliveries can be to your home, office, or for retail. You have options for either fruit or vegetables only, or a mixture of both. There are also different delivery sizes depending on the size of your family. As an extra bonus, recipes are included on their website as well as with your delivery.

If you are interested in joining Farm Fresh to you, please help my friend out and use her name and number when signing up. By using this information you will receive a discount as well.

Name: Sheila Hernandez

Number: 6164

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 51- Could peanut butter be bad for you?

We already know that many people have very severe allergic reactions to peanuts, but did you know that peanuts may also carry toxins? The soft shell of the peanuts allows contaminants such as pesticides and naturally occurring fungi to get inside to the nut.

The most concerning is a chemical that is produced by the fungus, Aspergillus flavis and is called, aflatoxin. Aflatoxin has been linked to liver cancer in developing countries; although no studies so far have concluded this in the U.S. In studies done on rats it has been shown to have a potent carcinogenic effect as well as having acute poisonous effects in humans.

"It has been established by previous studies that the occurrence of afatoxins is influenced by favorable conditions which include high moisture content and high temperature. Hence, the extent of contamination will vary with geographic location, agricultural and agronomic practice, and the susceptibility of the peanuts to fungus before they are harvested, and during storage, and the processing periods under favorable temperature and humidity conditions these fungi grow on stored peanuts. The toxins are particularly carcinogenic in humans and eating contaminated peanuts often results in liver cancer, amongst other diseases."

-Current research

The government does do testing on raw peanuts and do not allow more then 20 parts per billion in the peanuts. Although, tested when raw, the processing procedure does not destroy the aflatoxin, which can continue to grow. Studies have not been done to see if there are long term effects of minute exposure to aflatoxin. One study showed that the most popular store brands of peanut butter, such as Jif, have the least amount of aflatoxins. While the health food brands where you grind them in the store, contain the most.

These toxins aren't only found in peanuts, corn is another popular carrier of this toxin. Other nuts, grains, and dairy may have traces of the toxin as well.

Peanuts are known to contain good healthy monounsaturated fat, but you can also get this fat in foods like avocados and olive oil. If you just can't get rid of your peanut butter and jelly sandwiches then I suggest switching to a nut that doesn't carry as much toxins. Almond and cashew butters for example are a healthy alternative.

If you still would like to stick to peanut butter, remember to choose organic peanut butters, to help avoid pesticides, since peanuts are one of the most highly pesticide contaminated crops. I also highly suggest eating ones where the only ingredient is peanuts; staying away from any that contain hydrogenated oils, sugar or additives.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 50- Trying to loose weight? Check your estrogen...that goes for you too gentlemen!

Estrogen is the essence of femininity; it is what gives women their sexy curves. It also builds up bones and the uterine lining, increases fat stores, reduces muscle mass, and regulates the menstrual cycle. Estrogen is also an important hormone in men, supporting the maturation of sperm and healthy libido.

The problem that arises is when estrogen is found in excess in the body; this is known as estrogen dominance and can be seen in both men and women. High estrogen can cause extra weight gain, particularly in the hips, thighs, and butt. It has also been linked to other issues such as, breast cancer, heart disease and infertility.

How does one become estrogen dominant?

There are several factors that can cause excess estrogen in the body, such as birth control pills, hormone replacement, phytoestrogens, and body fat. Excess body fat can influence a process called aromatization which converts testosterone into estrogen in both men and women. This is also why I don't recommend testosterone creams.

What are phytoestrogens?

Phytoestrogens are compounds that are very close in structure to estrogen and are able to bind to estrogen receptor sites and either inhibit or produce estrogen effects in the body. A common natural phytoestrogen is soy. There are also chemicals that act in the same way by blocking the natural balancing effect of hormones and that can act as estrogens. They are known as "endocrine disruptors." These compounds can be found in our water, food, make-up, cleaning products, containers, etc. A big concern is plastics, which contain a substance called bisphenol A.

Tips to reducing your estrogen exposure:

• Avoid birth control- I want to dedicate an entire blog on this subject, but the synthetic estrogens in birth control (even in the low dose) can cause way more issues than it is worth. Plus if you are trying to loose weight, this is going to be the an important place to start
• Avoid plastic bottles- try to drink and eat out of glass containers and if you can't avoid it, then at least NEVER heat your food in the plastic container!
• Purchase organic meat- look for free range, hormone free meat
• Purchase organic produce- try to avoid produce that has been treated with chemicals and pesticides
• Check out your skin care and beauty products- many of them contain estrogens, avoid ones that contain parabens and phthalates.
• Avoid phytoestrogens such as soy
• Use natural cleaning products in your home

So bottom line if you are struggling with weight loss, check your estrogen levels. I suggestion saliva when testing hormones, but a thyroid panel (blood work), especially the T3 uptake marker can show high levels of estrogen or testosterone as well.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 49- I warned you I was hooked!

Alright, I'm already starting to plan my next relay race! I am definitely hooked! The next race I want to do is the Ragnar relay from San Francisco to Calistoga. You end up in the Napa Valley area...does it get better than that????

Last date to sign up under the early registration price is May 20th, so if anyone is interested in joining our relay team let me know ASAP.

It is a little shorter than the one that we just completed; around 184 miles, but I imagine that the scenery will be even better. Running across the golden gate bridge, vineyards, and rivers; yes please!

For more information or to find a location closer to you, visit the Ragnar website.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 48- Baby got back!

Workout of the week #3

• Walking lunges, 25 each leg
• Jump squats, 15 times
• Mountain climbers, 20 each leg. Video
• Bicycle crunches- 15 each side. Video

Do each workout 4 times through

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 47- 12 people, 200 miles, 2 hours of sleep

I finished my first relay, and just like I was warned I would be, I'm hooked!! What an amazing experience. A team of 12 (unless you are running an ultra- in which case there would be 6 of you) starting at the Huntington beach pier and ending on Coronado island. The first 6 in one van and the second 6 in another; running continuously day and night.

Here is van #1, right before my first leg

We ran in over 80 degree temperatures, through the middle of the night with only the light of a head lamp, along beautiful scenery, and through not so beautiful scenery. We ran with groups of other runners, or in areas where we were the only ones for long stretches. It is amazing what your body is capable of doing; with only 2 hours of sleep and sitting in a cramped mini van with 5 other people, then getting up exhausted and beat and running another leg of the relay. What a mind game relays are. Holding yourself back to not exhaust yourself for your other legs, fighting the exhaustion, the heat, and the pain and putting in your all.

Van #1 after we each finished out first leg of the relay

Saturday afternoon, van #1 after we completed all 3 of our legs (man was it hot!)

Tara and I, first 2 done for our team.

We may not run for fun, but we sure will run for free beer! Wait, did we really just run 200 miles for 1 free beer?

The whole team at the end of the race!

I can't wait for my next relay! Dave, both Taras, Maria, Clif, Trent, Scott, Lacie, Brooke, Matt, and Beau thanks for an unforgettable experience. We rocked it!

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 46- Leave Me Alone I'm Running

Today is the Ragnar relay!!!!

Our race starts off at 10:30 am from the Huntington Beach pier. I run the first leg for the team, which is a moderate level leg, at a distance of 4.9 miles. Below are the details of this leg. If you would like to see more information about the different legs, click here.

Here is an overview of our total run

My bags are packed with sunscreen, deodorant, change of clothes, coconut water, regular water, Nitric balance (supplement from my company that contains nitric oxide and ATP), whatever snacks I could find that were gluten free, and my IPOd with a brand new running play list. Let's just say I'm ready for 2 days of no sleep and lots of running.

Let the race begin!!!

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 45- Antacids

How many people do you know that run to the medicine cabinet for their bottle of TUMS every time they have a little stomach upset? After all it didn't become the #1 antacid for nothing! And if 4 our of 5 doctors recommend Antacids for heartburn, they can't be wrong...right?

The problem with antacids is that they don't fix the underlying problem, all they do is mask the symptoms, and may cause more serious problems to arise down the road. Antacids work by reducing the acidity of the stomach by neutralizing the Hydrochloric acid (HCL).

Instead of masking the issue, why not figure out what is causing the symptoms. Heart burn, although the name implies, has really nothing to do with the heart. It was given the name, because most people with heart burn feel a burning pain in the middle of their chest. Contrary to what most people think, the burning sensation can actually be due to insufficient levels of HCL, instead of too much. It is actually very uncommon to produce too much stomach acid.

Hydrochloric acid serves several functions in the body, it helps to aid as a disinfectant, killing bacteria and parasites. It also begins to break down protein, while in this process turning food into a food bolus, referred to as chyme.

So what happens to digestion if there isn't enough HCL in the stomach, or if people take antacids? Digestion is a step by step process, so when one step isn't working correctly it causes problems at all the steps further down in the process. If HCL isn't around to begin the break down of a meal once it hits the stomach then food tends to stay in the stomach. The acidic nature of the chyme in healthy digestion would trigger the next step in digestion; stimulating the release of secretin and CCK, which then in turn stimulates the gallbladder and the pancreas.

Even though the stomach isn't acidic enough to break down the food and move it to the next step, it is still too acidic for the esophagus. So if the chyme can't move into the small intestine it ends up just sitting in the stomach. The mound of food begins to purify in the stomach (yummy, huh?) causing the contents of the stomach to reflux into the lower part of the esophagus. This is when people feel a burning sensation, and run for their antacids. It also can cause other symptoms such as gas and bloating.

What are some causes of low HCL?

• Unhealthy eating habits: eating to fast, eating to large of portions
• Tobacco
• Heavy exercise, tight clothes
• To many caffeinated beverages
• Eating refined carbohydrates
• Alcohol
• Certain foods
• Stress
• Pregnancy
• Medications

Here are some steps to improve digestion:

• Avoid eating overly large portions
• Avoid eating a large meal 2-3 hours before bedtime
• Avoid any foods that you notice give you heart burn
• Avoid drinking ice cold beverages or too many beverages with meals
• Avoid refined sugars
• Avoid smoking
• Avoid alcohol
• Eat in a relaxed state
• Take your time and chew each bite fully
• Add digestive enzymes or HCL with your meals

Another misleading claim made by the manufactures of antacids is the idea that they are a great source of calcium, which aids in the fight against osteoporosis. What the companies fail to inform us is that your stomach needs to be acidic for calcium to be ionized, and therefore absorbed. So their product, while it does contain calcium, actually hinders its absorption, rendering it useless for the very purpose it is intended.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 44- Sometimes we just need to be happy with what we got

What compels people to reduce their caloric intake so low that they starve themselves, to work out so hard that it takes the joy out of it, to use their hard earned paycheck for unnecessary cosmetic surgery, to worship models because they are a size 0? I know many of us women are guilty of this, but why?

I workout, I eat healthy, and I have a healthy love life, but why am I still obsessed with loosing weight or changing characteristics of my body? Why do I care if a certain pair of jeans make by butt look big? Or that I will never look like a Victoria Secret's model in a swimsuit. In all honesty does anyone notice or care besides me?

How has ones own body image become so distorted? Why can't we be the strong independent women like we fought to be, when it comes to loving our body? Why can't we workout because we love the way it makes us feel, or order the salad because that is what we want to eat and not what we "should" eat.

How many times have you compared yourself to other women? I wish I had her long legs, I wish I had her beautiful hair, I wish I had her boyfriend. Why do we focus so much on what we don't have, instead of being grateful for what we do have.

How can we so quickly tear ourselves apart, but find it so hard to give ourselves a compliment? And when a compliment is given to us, we don't even know how to accept it.

The point of my ramblings today, is that I am surrounded by beautiful, intelligent women every day, but so many of them are so caught up in a body image. They feel guilty when they enjoy food that maybe they shouldn't be eating, or if they miss a day at the gym. They cover themselves up when in a swimsuit, or wear clothes that hide their body instead of embracing who they are.

I think the most beautiful women out there are the ones that are happy with who they are. The ones that do things that make them happy and don't obsess over things that are out of their control.

I am as guilty as most of the women out there, if not more so. I could write a huge list of things that I would change in a heart beat about my physical appearance and a very short list of things that I love about my body. But face it, I was born the way I am, and I am surrounded by amazing people not because of what I look like, but for who I actually am. I am not defined by my looks, except for in my own head.

Today, I take a vow, I will love my body for what it is. I will not obsess over things that I can not change and I will be grateful for all the positives in my life. I will work out because I can and I love the way I feel when I do. I will eat a salad because that is what sounds good. I will not let an outfit wreck my day. I will "drop it like it's hot," not for anyone else or for any other reason than for me.

I will learn how to be happy with what I got, because really that is all I need.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Picture website

Day 43- Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution is back on TV!

Over a year ago Jamie had a short series on TV called, "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution." He picked the unhealthiest city in America, Huntington, Virginia and tried to education the population on how to eat healthy. I personally thought the show was fantastic.

In Virginia he chose one family and went through with them what a regular weeks worth of meals looked like in their household; their favorite kitchen appliance was a deep fryer, so you can only image what their meals looked like. After a sedimental burial of the deep fryer, Jamie prepared an outline of a week's worth of meals, as well as provided all the fresh ingredients for these meals. When checking back with the family at the end of the week, we saw that none of the fresh ingredients had been touched, and when asking the daughter her favorite meal of the week her response was, "pizza."

Although the entire family was morbidly obese, they did not make any effort to learn how to eat healthier; even when provided with all the tools. Not until their son was taken to the doctor's office and had his HbA1c checked did they start to realize the repercussions of their dietary habits.

This was only one of the stories that Jamie captured in his show. Another one that stood out to me was when he went to visit an elementary school. He brought with him all different types of fruits and vegetables, and when going into one of the classrooms he quizzed the children on the names. When holding up a potato, not a single child knew what it was; that is until he asked them if they knew what french fries were. Same with a tomato - until he asked if they knew what ketchup was.

It amazes me that parents can care so little about what they are feeding their children. Children are growing up on processed junk with little to no nutritional value. They are feed what has been chemically made to taste good and that is convenient. They have no taste for "real" foods and can't even name simple fruits and vegetables.

When Jamie took on the school lunches, and tried to banish fried or microwaved foods and flavored milk as a lunch option, there was negative responses. First of all the budget was not available to support healthier lunch options, and secondly children always picked the unhealthy options over the alternative.

Healthy eating habits start at home. If you don't teach children the importance of eating healthy then they aren't going to know how to make those choices on their own when faced with other unhealthy options. I am thankful to have grown up with such health conscious parents; who knew the importance of fresh good food. I was raised with meat and eggs that my family raised and a garden full of fresh fruits and vegetables. I can't image growing up with meals that came in a box or not being forced to eat my broccoli before I could leave the dinner table.

It's scary to think that one day I will be raising my own children and that they will eventually have to make their own healthy choices in the sea of unhealthy ones. But I know that I have been able to do it, as I have grown up, through the lessons I was taught as a child. Nutrition starts at home. Look at how obese our population has become; this is not the children's fault, it is their parent's fault for not setting a better example.

I have gone off on a tangent, when all I really wanted to say is everyone should watch the new season of "Jamie Olive's Food Revolution." He might be fighting up against a brick wall, but at least he is doing it with passion. In season 2 he will be filming in my backyard, LA.

If you are interested in helping Jamie in his fight to teach the importance of healthy eating, visit the Jamie Oliver Foundation to find out ways that you can join his movement.

Here's a clip of an episode from season 1:

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP