Clubbell training

Kettlebells are quickly becoming part of the strength and conditioning vernacular. However, most people have not yet heard of clubbells. They are based on a similar principle to kettlebells but their unique attributes makes them quite different. Described simply, they are weighted clubs. The leverage disadvantage of the club makes it a highly effective training tool. Clubs are a rare artifact of old-time strongman physical culture, which by the way, was also utilized by women in the U.K. as early as 1835.

“The most ancient weapon, the club, evolved over millennia into a devastatingly effective martial arts tool. Cultural martial traditions across the planet utilized the club not just for combat but for restorative health, joint strength, grip development, and specific physical preparedness.” –The Big Book of Clubbell Training.

The history of this tool spans from Russia – the Russian Bulava, which was made of iron – to Iran – the Iranian Meel, which are usually made of wood, as are their close relatives the Indian club. The modern-day clubbell is more tapered and resembles a baseball bat. It is made of steel with a black urethane rubber coating.

The development of the modern clubbell resulted from the singular intent of gaining superior physical advantage over opponents in hand-to-hand fighting and combat sports. The clubbell is well-suited, but not limited to, performance enhancement in combat athletics.

Top 10 reasons for training with clubbells:

1. Build strength while enhancing mobility
2. Increase grip strength
3. Maximize the physical ability to resist, stop and overcome the application of submission holds, joint manipulations and hold-downs in fighting
4. Address this yield-halt-overcome protocol in dynamic ranges of motion
5. Increase the ability to function at extreme ranges of motion
6. Injury prevention and rehabilitation
7. Develop dynamic flexibility
8. Cultivate explosiveness through superior conditioning
9. Approximate the range, scope and depth of the motion of throws since most throws occur at extreme ranges of motion.
10. Develop the strength to continue to accelerate throughout the movements of a throw

Clubbells were designed to target the rotary and angular/diagonal muscles, to target grip, wrist and forearm strength, and to enhance shoulder synergy.

Specific attributes of a clubbell include:

• Displaced center of gravity
• Leverage lifting principle
• Pendulum swinging principle
• Adjustable grip

Whether for combat or for health restoration or strength development, clubs are a fun and effective blend of functional, full-range, three-dimensional muscular development. Practicing this system will:

• increase metabolism
• break up restrictive adhesions and calcium deposits around joints
• release bound tension
• generate energy and vitality
• increase bone density
• injury prevention  

 But most of all, clubbell training is a fun way to regain and improve your health.

What is holistic nutrition?

“The road to better health will not be found through drugs, doctors and hospitals. Instead it will be discovered through better nutrition and changes in lifestyles.” – William Crook, M.D.

As a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, I sometimes get asked what holistic nutrition means. If holistic can be defined as being characterized by comprehension of the parts of something as intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole, then holistic nutrition is the process of providing or obtaining the nourishment necessary for health and growth of the whole person - body, mind and spirit. Simply put, it takes into consideration not just food and liquid nourishment but also lifestyle factors such as exercise and stress management, as well as environmental, emotional and psychological factors.

As we begin to recognize that we are what we eat, we also begin to realize that food does not nourish the physical body alone. Mind, consciousness and body are interconnected. As spiritual beings, we can accept the significance of the spiritual dimension as it relates to overall health. Spirituality is not synonymous with the religious. There is no single, widely agreed-upon definition of spirituality but for the purposes of a discussion about health and well-being, I would simply define it as one’s belief system, one’s values and how one approaches life. Spirit can also be thought of as a form of energy. Illness often corresponds to a pattern of emotional and psychological stresses, beliefs, and attitudes that have influenced corresponding areas of the human body.

There is also a field of study that looks into optimum nutrition for the mind, which seeks to fight against mental disease. How we think and feel is directly related to what we take into our bodies. Just as food affects our bodies, so it affects our brains. Eating the right food has been proven to boost IQ, improve mood and emotional stability, sharpen memory, and keep the mind young. At the other end of the scale, the harmful things we take in to our bodies - artificial food including oxidants, alcohol, sugar, and stimulants, and certain chemicals – negatively impact mental health. Nutrition for the mind can help with beating addictions and overcoming eating disorders.

Holistic nutrition respects the fact that the only person in charge of us, as individuals, is us and that no one knows more about what’s good for us than we do. This is the foundation of holistic nutrition counselling. The upshot is that there is no one diet that is right for everyone all of the time. And there are no miracle ingredients that will cure all ills. Because we are unique, we must use our own judgement about what is right for our own well-being. This is where the nutritionist comes in. While seminars help to educate a mass audience about general guidelines for healthy living, a nutrition counsellor will help you achieve your specific personal health goals based on your input and feedback.

Holistic nutritionist is based on nutritional symptomatology, the study of symptoms as they relate to nutrition. Nutritional symptomatology is the preferred method of testing because as practitioners in the holistic field, we recognize that it is the client who ultimately holds the key to his/her own well-being. This testing or information-gathering process involves asking the client to rate various symptoms, if they exist, and the nutritional counsellor will tally the scores to come up with a number for a given system of the body. This number, meaningless on its own, gives a basis for comparison of one system to another.

The ratings are then used in combination with the client’s expressed concerns about their own state of health to determine a course of action to bring the systems most out of balance, back into balance. Examples of some health concerns might be frequent headaches, joint pain, weight loss, indigestion, malaise, fatigue, and so on.

In addition to nutritional assessments there are questions about lifestyle, environment, habits and state of mind and spiritual inclination, all of which affect overall well-being. And of course, the client is asked to keep a daily log of food and drink consumed throughout the day and how they feel before and after eating. These responses can provide valuable information about blood sugar regulation, digestion, elimination and allergies. 

Other questions that the client is asked include medical and family history, exercise, hobbies, vacations and spiritual discipline, which reveal a person's priorities and important grounding factors that are part of their life. 

Clearly the client's active participation  is crucial for accurate assessment, as is the practitioner's knowledge, understanding and empathy. It is, in fact, the role of the nutritionist to teach the client and guide them on a path to achieving balance and ultimately, to rebuild optimum health.

Nutrition - Back to basics

We hear a lot about nutrition in the media and maybe the very sound of the word is getting on your nerves. But the fact is, malnutrition is one of the most serious problems of modern civilization. This fact may seem counter-intuitive to most Canadians and other rich nations but the truth is dietary abuse is rampant in our culture. There is enormous suffering caused by the way we feed ourselves to the point that we are dying of malnutrition.

It is ignorance and lack of interest in the needs of our own bodies that is bringing us to the brink of a "disease care" crisis. Fortunately, there is hope. Modern society is waking up to the importance of nutrition. People are becoming more curious about the sphere of nutrition that encompasses not only the characteristics of food, but also the quality of food and where it comes from, as well as holism of the individual.

Science has dominated the civilized world for the past half century. If something is not demonstrated scientifically, it is claimed to be invalid and unworthy of our attention. While this seems perfectly reasonable, it can also work against us: Food manufacturers are exploiting this phenomenon to their advantage. The marketplace is swamped with supposedly beneficial artificial foods. We have become a generation of gullible consumers. Many dietetic associations are backed by large processed food corporations, and are therefore unlikely to give us objective advice.

By getting back to basics this damage can be undone with the simplicity of live, natural, good-quality food. The quality of the food eaten affects the degree of health experienced. Changes in our nutrition can sometimes have immediate results but more often it takes time to notice the affect. And other times, you may not notice anything at all other than general well-being. If one considers things like long-term health, immunity, and well-being as being as important as the absence of the many ill-effects of poor quality food choices.

“Only natural, wholesome food can produce the degree of health that brings peace of mind and enjoyment of life. In our society, this requires constant vigilance as to what we choose to eat.” – Danielle Perrault.

With so much artificial food surrounding us, this statement has never been truer. Part of the solution is to avoid those establishments which cater to the convenience mentality that pervades consumer society.

What do these words really mean - live, natural, good-quality - in this context?

Live - food that still contains live enzymes, such as fruit, vegetables and sprouts

Natural - food in its natural state, as in unprocessed, unrefined foods like whole grains and legumes

Good quality - food grown in soil rich in essential nutrients such as organically grown crops free of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers

Awareness and understanding of the simplicity of our nutritional needs - live, natural, good quality - will inevitably lead to individual and collective good health. We need to look at nutrition, not only as a means to prevent disease, but also as a way to create our own immunity and overall good health.

As consumers we must demand the quality of food that we are entitled to. Only then will the food suppliers begin to provide it. We will then see a significant move towards the prevention of disease based on a foundation of natural nutrition.

Chick peas for baking

Chick peas make a great base for healthy baking. Recently I made granola bars and this weekend I made these cookie dough bites. I found the recipe for vegan cookie dough bites on inhabitots.com. They are gluten-free and sugar-free but they are vegan as well since they don't contain any dairy products either. I know, sounds horrible right? But I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Here's what you'll need:

16 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
1 1/2 tbsp coconut sugar
4 tbsp nut butter (I used Rainforest Nut Butter with coconut, which is more fluid than some nut butters)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients except for chocolate chips in a blender. Blend until consistency is smooth and creamy. You can scoop the dough into a bowl or do like I did and add the chocolate chips to the blender and stir. I also added half a cup of chopped pecans.

Using an ice cream scoop or measuring spoon, scoop out the dough onto a cookie sheet. Being a no bake recipe, the bites are like eating regular cookie dough, very soft and gooey. If you are adventurous, you might want to try baking them, but this recipe may be no-bake for a reason. I put them in the freezer over night and ate them frozen.

My husband Paul tried both and preferred them thawed. He said they had more flavour. He was skeptical when I first offered him some telling him they were healthy. Given that the whole batch disappeared in one day, I'd say these were a success. The chickpea base, which you cannot taste, is a good source of protein and fibre as well as manganese, phytonutrients and folate. And their low GI (glycemic index) won't spike your blood sugar like most treats.

They are quick and easy to make. Give them a try and see what you think.

Patience in practice

It is said that patience is a virtue. But it is more than that: it is also a necessity when it comes to achieving your goals. I am not always the most patient person (in certain circumstances) but by training toward specific physical goals I am learning a lot about patience. Anything worth having is worth the time and effort it takes to get it.

We have all seen those ads selling gimmicks that promise quick results, like magazine ads claiming washboard abs in under 8 weeks. This stuff sells because it appeals to our need, especially in today’s society, for instant gratification. But anyone who has sufficient experience knows it is all a hoax.

People can be in such a rush for immediate results that they're even willing to sacrifice their health and longevity to achieve them. If you follow a program of incremental progression, not only will you achieve your goals, but you may even surpass them.

Patience is vital. Find a good program from a source you can trust to achieve your goal and follow it.

Some of the steps to achieving your physical goals might include:

• Mobility
• Flexibility
• Strengthening the muscles needed to accomplish the skill you are working on
• Maintain focus on the goal; follow steps in the proper order
• Don’t try to jump ahead to something more difficult (walk before you run)
• Work on progressions
• Practice good form
• Train consistently and regularly
• Guard against overtraining
• Active recovery
• Vary your training every 4-6 weeks, depending on your level of experience, to avoid getting stale. Once your body adapts to a workout, it will not progress further until you change it up.

Variety can be achieved by increasing intensity, load/weight, volume, and the type of exercise. If you put these steps in place and follow them, then add in a hefty dose of patience, you will be able to do tomorrow what you cannot do today.

My own goals are incredibly challenging for me and they seem so far off in the distance, these things I cannot do yet. Yet is the key word. Every day I remind myself to persist and have patience, remembering that everybody progresses in a predictable pattern. Growth is a universal, predictable process. That being said, each of us progresses through the predictable sequence in his or her own unique time. So be patient with yourself, and keep working at it! You will get there!

Ramblings on sports psychology

This post might not make sense to everybody, but read on and see what you think. It’s about the mind/body connection and the psychology of training.

As I was riding back from Merrickville yesterday, my legs were becoming sorer with each passing kilometer and I began to revise my plan to do another long, hard ride the following day. It was this revision in my thinking that made me consider how intimately connected the mind and body really are. Let me explain. Lately, I have been doing one hard, long ride and taking it easier for the next two days before riding long and hard again. Makes sense: My legs are sore after one of these rides so I allow them to recover.

However, I have done many tours where we ride long and hard two days in row, sometimes three or four days in a row. So how does that work? The only difference is that my mind (and therefore my body?) knows that I will be riding again the next day. Usually there is not much choice because you are away from home and you have to ride to get back home. So the mind is prepared, resolved, and resigned if you will, to the idea of doing another big ride the next day. Physically, there is very little difference.

Another example of the same concept is an instance where the distance or route gets changed mid-ride. One can get quite upset by this. Usually, one sets out – at least on a group ride - with a planned route in mind. In effect you ‘sign up’ for a given distance and speed, implied consent as it were, to the quantity and quality of effort you are willing to put out. If something goes off the rails for any reason and the distance becomes longer or the speed becomes faster than expected, it can be difficult.

And that’s what it all comes down to: expectation. The mind prepares the body for what’s coming. Having said that, it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t train for the unexpected. After all, that’s what life hands us sometimes. So those little surprises may hurt and piss us off, but you will be undergoing an exercise in adaptability, and that’s a good thing. So whether your training goes as planned, or is unexpected, you can rest assured that you are benefitting either way, the latter just feels harder than the former.

What experiences have you had that illustrate the interconnection between mind and body?

No more ALS

The recent onslaught of videos of people taking part in the Ice Bucket Challenge has brought much-needed attention to the dreaded disease commonly called ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis – also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the famous baseball player who had the disease in 1938.

My late aunt, an upbeat, effervescent woman whom I remember always having a smile on her face, developed the disease in her fifties, which was a common age for ALS to appear. My father developed ALS in his eighties,which was a very uncommon age to get this disease. Gratefully, he only lived with the disease for just over a year.

To say the prognosis for ALS was grim would be an understatement: rapidly increasing paralysis, difficulty swallowing, speaking, eating and drinking; and a life expectancy of three years on average. These are all symptoms of the motor function of the nervous system being gradually destroyed while the mind remains fully aware to the very end. It is a relatively painless, non-contagious and yet cruel disease.

I applaud the creativity and popularity of the Ice Bucket Challenge as a vehicle to spread awareness of the disease. While I am concerned that not enough money goes towards research (only 27%), I can attest that the assistance provided by the ALS Society of Canada is top-notch. The staff are caring, hard-working people and they do their best to help out during a very difficult time. (20% of funds raised is spent on care and support.) There is no cure for ALS and research is desperately needed but there is the immediate need to assist those living with the disease.

Prevention is also a consideration not to be overlooked. Emerging discoveries into the possible causes can tell us something about how we may be able to help prevent the disease. Prevention recommendations include:

• Avoiding pesticides by eating organic foods
• Avoiding MSG by eating whole, unprocessed foods (MSG is hidden in many packaged foods), and stay away from fast foods restaurants
• Detoxifying your body. Lead exposure has been found to be a contributor to the origin of this disease.
• Consuming foods rich in anti-oxidants, particularly vitamin E like nuts, green leafy vegetables, seeds, whole grains, tomatoes and carrots.
• Consuming foods high in B-12 including wild salmon, organic grass-fed beef, yogurt, eggs, clams, crab, fermented foods and nutritional yeast.
• Consuming colourful foods high in beta-carotene (sweet potato, carrots and squash) and lutein (deep green vegetables like kale and broccoli).

Detoxifying can be achieved in a number of ways, including getting regular exercise and choosing cleansing foods from the following list:

• artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, cabbage, dandelions, kale, lemongrass, seaweed, wheatgrass, watercress
• avocados, apples, blueberries, cranberries, grapefruit, goji berries, lemons, pineapple
• basil, cilantro, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, parsley, turmeric
• Brazil nuts, flaxseed, hemp, sesame seeds
• olive oil
• clay
• filtered water

Both pesticides and MSG are FDA and Health Canada approved additives found in many foods even though they have many deleterious health consequences. And they are not always listed in the ingredients. Heavy metals such as lead can build up in the body and they will remain there unless we eat the right foods to remove them. 

Our bodies are equipped to transfer and eliminate toxins naturally. However, we need to learn how to strengthen and support this protective mechanism and, in some cases of toxicity, we have to take supplementary steps to detoxify. Without optimal detoxification, your body will not efficiently remove harmful toxins. The detoxification of stored toxins involves several stages and can depend on the individual's biological makeup. For more detailed information about detoxification, please consult a naturopath or holistic nutritionist to help you with your specific requirements.

Once again, disease prevention comes back to nutrition. Eating organic whole foods can be your preventive medicine to not only ALS but a myriad of other diseases as well. Let’s reduce the occurrence of this awful disease by doing what we can to keep our systems in balance.