Rain, rain go away

Come again another day, about a month or two from now. Yep, it’s been raining a lot. Since we got here (to the Catskills) it has rained almost every day. Sometimes just a quick shower, other times a heavy downpour. In the first week, we got caught in the rain on our bikes twice. To put this in perspective, we haven't been caught in the rain in almost two years! Both Thursday evening group rides from Woodstock we got rained on.

Saturday morning we got out for a two-hour ride in the morning, returning home before noon. It rained 45 minutes after we got back. We timed that one well. The rain continued for the rest of the day, into the evening and heavier through the overnight. It rained all day Sunday but for one hour. With a dismal forecast for Monday, a little bit of cabin fever, and the blues, begin to set in.

Pleasant surprise! Monday morning we awake to blue skies. Temps have been cooler than normal so the 16 degree morning is fine.  Hottest day so far was 30 degrees but mostly it’s been in the mid-twenties. It’s amazing what a few rotten weather days will do to lower your expectations. The skies were clear and the day was warming up nicely with a cool breeze as we headed to Woodstock to ride Meads Mountain.

It felt good to be out riding in the warmth and sunshine after being cooped up for two days. The streams that snake along the length of so many of the back roads underneath the tall canopies – often dry this time of year – were gushing. Some patches of pavement still showed signs of last night’s rain. The legs felt fairly good after very little riding over the past three days, zipping up the steep sections of Whitfield and Upper Bone Hollow with ease. The sweat starting to trickle.

Some new pavement on Krumville, a road with a downward tendency in the direction we are headed, made for a fun blast into the town of Olive Bridge. As we continued on the road to Ashokan Reservoir, which the locals just refer to as “The Res”, the skies are clouding over. Still, the Res is always a feast for the eyes and some sunlight pokes through the clouds and shines a spotlight on the distant mountains across the water. It is a heavenly sight.

Once in Woodstock, we stop at Overlook Mountain Bikes, a shop that has been beacon of hospitality since we’ve been coming to this place for vacation. Billy, the shop owner, a young man in his thirties, has made a real go of this store since buying it from Vinny many years ago (I know it’s been at least 13 years because Billy helped Paul get his bike fixed up after his bad crash in 2002). Billy is the nicest guy among many nice guys in this area. In fact, we frequent three bike shops all within a thirty mile radius and each one of the owners are super guys. This is not a quality typical of bike racers but obviously there are exceptions.

While at Billy’s shop, our friend Bruce offers us cupcakes left over from his niece’s graduation. As luck would have it, we are in need of some sustenance for our impending climb. They are organic and, according to Billy as healthy as you’re going to get. Chocolate with white icing. Works for me! 

And off we go. Meads Mountain is only 5 minutes down the road. Paul takes off ahead and I go at my own take-off pace, after hitting the interval button on my bike computer. Twenty minutes and 3.1 kilometers later, the work is done. Not my best result but I gave it the best I had on the day. Legs were fairly good, lungs less so. Fitness needs some work.

Back down we go. The wind is a little chilly with the body still sweaty from the effort of the recent climb. Once at the bottom it starts to rain lightly. We beat it back to Billy’s shop and before long the rain stops, the roads dry up. With dark clouds looming, we decide to take the shortest route home to guard against further wet insults, but none appear. After a quick shower (of the indoor variety) we drive to New Paltz, a distant but favoured town, for dinner. Amazing: The sun is shining and nary a cloud in the sky. The evening is lovely and warm. It’s supposed to rain for the next two days. Will the forecast play out? All we can do is wait and see.

Psoriasis and allergy

Allergy is a grossly misunderstood condition that is rarely diagnosed. And it is becoming more common. It is related to environmental factors, food additives, diet, digestion, body chemistry, addiction, yeasts, molds, parasites and childhood illnesses. Very often, an allergic reaction manifests by releasing toxins through the skin resulting in any number of skin conditions from eczema to psoriasis. Being diagnosed with a particular skin condition is a first step but it does not tell us anything about why we have that condition. Taking drugs to mask the symptoms may provide relief but the underlying condition still exists.

The exact cause of psoriasis is unknown. However it is one of many conditions and diseases associated with leaky gut, a term which describes an increased and harmful permeability of the intestinal lining. Leaky gut is caused by inflammation. Once the gut becomes inflamed or damaged, proper function is disrupted. The spaces between the cells of the lining become enlarged, allowing large protein molecules and other substances to be absorbed through the intestinal wall.

Intestinal inflammation can be caused by any, or a combination of, the following:

• Bacterial, fungal, viral or parasitic infections which create tissue damage either directly or through the toxins they excrete
• Drugs
• Allergic reactions created by foods, beverages and or chemicals in foods and beverages
• Nutritional deficiencies created by diets high in sugar and refined foods
• Incomplete digestion
• Heightened exposure to environmental toxins
• Stress

Intestinal permeability is corrected by following three steps:

1. Rid the digestive system of all known irritants such as unfavourable bacteria, fungus, food allergens, chemicals among others.
2. Repair the intestinal lining through proper diet, herbs, and supplements.
3. Replace the beneficial colon bacteria with probiotics in food and supplement form.

Psoriasis is associated specifically with protozoal infestation. This type of parasitic infection is usually transmitted in the form of a cyst. The cysts are small, light, and easily ingested. Human digestive juices do not destroy the cysts. They are capable of infecting every tissue in the body and they have an intensely rapid reproduction rate. Protozoa generally reproduce in the intestinal tract and migrate to other organs and tissues or to the red blood cells. Those with weakened or stressed immune systems are at higher risk.

Parasites are one of the three most commonly overlooked conditions leading to allergy, yeasts and molds, and digestive difficulties being the other two. When these are removed or improved, allergic symptoms tend to disappear.

These associations with psoriasis are not definitive. Each person is unique. But these connections provide avenues for investigation when searching for root causes of this increasingly common skin condition.

Allergy is multi-symptomatic, and has no single cause. Allergy is an inflammatory condition in the body. If the immune system can produce inflammation and allergy, then the immune system can also correct it. But you cannot recover from allergy by treating one part of the body. You treat allergy by normalizing body functions. In other words, restoring balance in your body's systems.

Benefits of barefeet

On the weekend I got into a debate with an old friend about wearing shoes while working out. She noticed that in the pictures of my classes and seminars, people were primarily barefoot. I said that I encourage going barefoot. Generally speaking, it is healthier for the feet. She disagreed and said she would prove it to me. This blog is my attempt at putting forth the argument in favour of training and being barefoot as much as possible.

Being barefoot is our natural state of being. I am lucky because I have perhaps more opportunity than most to be barefooted: martial arts and strength training (indoors and out). Leave it to the martial artists of old to pass on the practive of training barefoot; they knew it to be optimal for the human body. Read on to find out why.

There are countless reasons for going barefoot as much as possible. Putting shoes on confines your feet and over time results in restricted movement. If you’ve ever tried to move your feet through their full range of motion through mobility exercises such as such as toe curls, arch flexing, and foot pivoting, you probably found out some movements weren’t possible. Or your feet hurt like hell. These are all natural movements everyone should be capable of but most of us are not. My mobility teacher calls shoes coffins for the feet.

Your feet provide the foundation for your entire structure, which, if not stable and strong, can result in problems further up the body. The soles of your feet have hundreds of nerve endings and joint motion receptors that send constant feedback to your brain about the environment and your body position. Without these signals, you risk ending up with pain and fatigue throughout your body, and an increased likelihood of injury when you push your limits. Often knee and back pain stem from improper foot mechanics. Artificial support from shoes can place unnatural pressure on the knees, spine and neck. Foot mechanics affect our whole posture.

This feedback system also effects balance. Your brain is constantly comparing your desired and current balance, and enacts changes accordingly through your motor neurons to achieve and maintain your desired balance condition.

Shoes hurt this system because they limit the motion the joints in your feet experience, they cause your muscles to atrophy, and they reduce the quality of the sensory input that your feet return to your brain. Because your feet are bound to the same surface all day long, the signal your brain receives about the current state of your foot activity is flattened. This will also cause your muscles to over- or under-react when an adjustment to your balance is needed, and it actually causes the brain to work harder.

Yes, going barefoot can affect your mental functioning by as much as 10%!

Beyond proprioception, injury prevention, balance, and mental performance, following is a short list of advantages to being barefoot.

• Strengthens the stabilizing muscles of the ankle and foot and makes them stronger
• Improves muscle alignment
• Strengthens the arches of the foot
• Greater mobility and flexibility of the foot
• Healthier feet: shoes often lead to bunions, corns, athlete’s foot, hammer toes, ingrown toe nails and fallen arches.
• Grounding: receiving potential energy from the earth. Living in direct contact with the earth grounds your body, inducing favourable physiological and electrophysiological changes that promote optimum health.

So there you have it: Bare feet can affect mental and physical performance on many levels. Shoes are prisons for the feet. They weaken, restrict and deform the foot. If your feet are declining due to over-wearing of shoes you may want to consider increasing the time you spend barefooted. Please do so gradually. Your muscles, tendons and joints will take time to adjust and but they will strengthen and eventually feel much better. Enjoy – we are entering the best season for bare feet!

Spicy chick peas and sweet potato

I'm not cooking as much these days. The change of seasons means a change in habits and eating more salads. But I recently discovered a tasty and nutritious way to cook chick peas that I just had to share. Combined with sweet potato and spices, this is no ordinary dish. The key to the unusual and irresistible flavour is the apricots. The sweetness from the fruit offsets the heat from the red chili peppers, making this a very delicious and satisfying vegetarian meal. And of course as usual, this recipe is quick and easy to make.

Ingredients

4 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp red wine cooking sherry
1 red onion chopped
1 sweet potato - cut into bite size chunks
1-398 mL can chick peas - drained
1-398 mL can apricots
1 tbsp garlic
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp red chili peppers (to taste)
1 tsp paprika
Pinch of salt
One cup (250 mL) liquid: water, liquid from chick peas, juice from apricots, or a combination

Melt the coconut oil on low heat. Cook the onion, garlic, ginger and cooking sherry over low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the spices and cook for another minute. Add the sweet potatoes and your choice of liquid.  Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are cooked, about 15 minutes. Add the chick peas and apricots and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until chick peas are heated through.

Makes enough for 6. Enjoy!

Heart disease mysteries

Heart and Stroke Foundation researchers work tirelessly to improve the health of Canadians every day. Their discoveries prevent disease, save lives and promote recovery. There are many exciting studies in the works. The following are just a few examples:

• A ground-breaking new study is aimed at revealing the root causes of chronic disease. The answers could save lives for generations to come.
• Dr. Karin Humphries is studying why women lag behind men in recovering from a heart attack, and how we can close that gender gap.
• Dr. Gordon Francis changed our understanding of cholesterol’s role in heart disease. Now he’s building on that work to prevent heart attacks.
• Dr. Andrew Krah is working to save lives by uncovering the DNA sequences behind LQTS, a rare condition that puts healthy people at risk of sudden death.
• Dr. Edward Pryzdial is studying a new clot-busting drug with the potential to give stroke patients safer, faster, and more effective treatment.

Yet despite our best efforts to live a healthy lifestyle and follow a proper diet, for many, heart problems persist. Puzzles remain unsolved. I know of several people in the cycling community who in the past year have discovered heart problems. One is a former professional triathlete and current coach. His story was profiled in the Ottawa Sun last week leading up to the Ottawa Race Weekend.

A couple hours before Rick Hellard found out he had a potentially life-threatening heart condition, he had been out running. When his doctor called to tell him he needed to rush himself to the emergency room, he was preparing to head out for a bike ride.

According to the article:

There was no collapse. No ambulance ride. Hellard walked into the hospital himself. A few years earlier, he had been diagnosed with first-degree atrioventricular block, a condition where the signals from the atria to the ventricles, which sets the pace at which the heart beats, are interrupted. A year later, Hellard’s condition was downgraded to a second-degree blockage.

A year ago, when he arrived at the hospital, things had gotten much worse. He had to have a pacemaker implanted in his chest to correct his heart rhythm. Hellard is now back to training as he did before.

I have a friend who is dealing with the frustrations of an improperly functioning heart. It won’t allow her to do everyday activities, let alone exercise the way she would like. She feels fatigue from the slightest effort. Taking the stairs is not an option. Despite many tests, the results have yet to resolve the problem.

My chiropractor was struck down with a stroke as a young man in his thirties. More than ten years later he still does not have the use of his left arm and his left leg is not fully functioning.

I highlight these stories not to be pessimistic but simply to underline the fact that more research is needed. These are not cases of personal neglect or lack of self-care. These people got a raw deal. Their heart issues are likely genetically predetermined. Nevertheless it is possible, even likely, that one day there will be answers for why these heart conditions occur and measures can be taken to prevent them. It is amazing how far we have come but we still have a ways to go. Let’s help the Heart and Stroke Foundation keep working toward a world free of heart disease and stroke by supporting their cause with our fundraising dollars and events like Kettlebells for Heart. See you on Sunday!

Creative kettlebells

For the uninitiated, kettlebells might seem intimidating. Indeed training with kettlebells requires some instruction, preferably by a certified instructor. Kettlebell certification teaches you not only proper form and technique, but it ensures you are training safely because training safely means you can continue to train over the long-term without layoffs due to injury. And training safely means enhanced enjoyment of the activity. As Shawn Mozen, Canada’s premier kettlebell instructor of instructors says, “without a well-designed training system, a tool is just an expensive paper weight.”

That being said, once you understand the basic movements and you develop body awareness and a strong foundation, the possibilities are limitless. Kettlebells are such a versatile tool, they can be adapted to almost any sport, or any training goal. You can train strength, conditioning, endurance, coordination, build muscle and work specific skills using kettlebells.

Case in point: this winter, as a personal trainer I trained a triathlete looking to build strength specific to her sport, during the off-season. And currently I am working with a junior hockey player training the many attributes specific to hockey. Kettlebells also complement the strength, coordination and movement patterns used in the martial arts.

There is no other tool that is as effective as kettlebells at developing strength and power along the posterior chain, that chain of interconnected muscles that runs down the backside of the body. Kettlebells are also well suited to working transverse rotation in the body. If you’re not sure what that is, think spiral or corkscrew-like movement. These two areas are sadly lacking in today’s fitness industry, and yet they are the basis for building full body strength and power in a functional setting. Just think of all the movements we are required to do in our daily lives (assuming we are living as the highly functional, mobile beings we were meant to be). They are not all frontal (left/ right) or sagittal (forwards/backwards).

Using kettlebells rarely do you isolate just one muscle or muscle group. Rather, most kettlebell exercises work a combination of muscle groups all at one time. This makes for a more efficient workout. It also adds intensity by demanding more of the cardiovascular system. As an example how demanding are standing biceps curls, a common dumbbell exercise, compared to a kettlebell snatch. Not very. Plus, you get the added benefit of working a more complex skill which means you are making new neurological connections benefiting the brain as well as the body.

This is not to say that you couldn’t work on isolating muscle groups if you wanted to. But the nature of the kettlebell lends itself to working the whole body as a unit, so why not take advantage of that?

From competitive sport to fitness tool, kettlebells are designed to deliver strength, endurance and, let’s not forget, an incredible calorie burn. In fact, a study done by ACE tested kettlebell training against other popular fitness modalities and found kettlebells burned more calories per minute than any other method: An incredible 20 calories per minute! This fact alone may account for the growing popularity of kettlebells with trainers and fitness enthusiasts.

On Sunday, May 31^st, you will get the opportunity to test your endurance at the Kettlebells for Heart marathon being held in Clarke Fields in Barrhaven behind the building where Stronger You Martial Arts is located. There will be something for everybody. Some will swing for the whole two hours with short breaks every quarter hour. Others will rotate out and let team members take a turn. The option is yours. Work to your ability. Challenge yourself. Have fun. And best of all, you will be helping earn important research dollars for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. I hope you will join us! 

Heart healthy diet

We know that there is a certain percentage of the population at higher risk for heart disease than the general population due to genetics, diet, lifestyle, age and stress. But this does not mean that the risk cannot be reduced. If you have suffered a heart attack, or if you are considered at risk for a heart attack, modifications to your diet can make a significant difference to your health and longevity. Important dietary measures include:

• Ensuring you are getting enough fiber. The most beneficial type of fiber to help decrease the risk of heart attack comes from whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
  
• Eating lots of foods that are rich in vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid, which help to keep homocysteine levels under control. These two vitamins are found in leafy green vegetables and fruits. Folic acid can be found in some breakfast cereals, asparagus, spinach, chickpeas, and beans.

• Including almonds, brewer’s yeast, grains, and sesame seeds in your diet. (Be sure you are not allergic to brewer’s yeast. If you are not sure, start with a small amount and discontinue if it does not agree with you.)

• Eating onions frequently, especially red ones. They contain valuable antioxidants.

• Including kelp and sea vegetables in the diet for necessary minerals.

• Drinking fresh vegetable juices.
  
• Avoiding eat red meat. Too much red meat can elevate homocysteine levels. Eat soy-based protein instead to help lower high LDL cholesterol.

• Avoiding salt, sugar and white flour. Refined sugars produce adverse reactions in all cells causing wide fluctuations in blood sugar.

• Eliminating fried foods, coffee, black tea, colas, and other stimulants from the diet.

• Limiting alcohol. In moderation, alcohol may be heart healthy, but excessive alcohol use has an adverse effect on the heart.

• Sipping barley water (not beer!) throughout the day for its healing and fortifying properties. These include improving regularity, lowering cholesterol and providing intestinal protection. Barley water is easy to make yourself with barley, water, lemon, honey, cinnamon and ginger.

• Eating a daily serving of whole grains such as barley is recommended especially for postmenopausal women with high cholesterol, high blood pressure or other signs of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
  
• Eating an ounce of walnuts a day may reduce the risk of heart attack by 8-10 per cent.
  
• Taking sufficient amounts of the omega-3 fatty acids (DHA) and (EPA).
  
• Carnitine, coenzyme Q10, fish oil, magnesium, and antioxidants for the prevention of cardiac arrhythmia, heart attack, and angina.

If you think you may be having a heart attack, do not waste any time seeking medical assistance. Any delay in obtaining help can result in greater damage to the heart. Dietary and nutritional recommendations are for the purpose of prevention, or to support recovery from, a heart attack. Dietary and lifestyle recommendations can mean the difference between a life threatening incident and living a long and healthy life.