A Case For Eating More Carbs

Carbs aren’t bad. Especially when your working out or doing something energy intensive. I’ll admit that I’ve dabbled in the Keto, Intermittent Fasting and Paleo world and through it all I’ve realized how important carbs are to the body (both positively and negatively). This holds especially true if you’re training at a high level. You just can’t recover and be explosive without carbohydrates. I have nothing against the Keto crew whom run primarily on fat, but when I was doing it, I had to re-assess why I was doing it. I wasn’t preparing for a marathon nor was I battling any blood sugar issues. I do know that I was training at a high level and not recovering. Was it because I wasn’t fasting properly or eating enough fat? No. It was because I wasn’t sleeping enough, but more importantly, not eating enough.  Let’s say sleep and stress are in check and the missing link here is a lack of calories. What are some tips to re-establish the metabolic fire?

1.     Start eating breakfast. Since the intermittent fasting craze emerged, people who neglected breakfast rejoiced and said “hey I’ve been something right this whole time”. While it may hold true fore some people, the majority of people I’ve met who skipped breakfast were not doing it therapeutically or as a specific lifestyle change, but simply doing it because they didn’t have time to eat breakfast in the morning….and lunch.

2.     If you’re training, eat some carbs after you’re workout and don’t be shy about it. Assuming you have tracked the appropriate amount of macronutrients you need for the day, take advantage of the post workout window to ingest a higher amount of good quality carbs. Fruits are a great way to replenish glycogen stores immediately after your workout.

3.     If you’ve been on a calorie-restricted diet for whatever reason, don’t stay on it for too long. The body has a system in place that will adapt to lower calorie intake and your fat loss dreams will come crashing down after a while.

4.     Not everyone needs to lower his or her carb intake on non-training days. You will not get fat in one day. 

I'm not saying it's the answer to all of your problems, but it could be one of them.

Should we drink our water hot or cold?

I remember the time an Ayurvedic practitioner told me that hot water was a simple way of losing fat. I never forgot when he said this because of his reasoning for fat loss. He asked me “have you ever tried cleaning grease/fat off a stove with hot water instead of using cold water?”

At the time I was skeptical because I kept saying that adipose tissue was different from grease on someone’s stove and the mechanism of shedding fat had to be a little different. It was like someone telling me eating “mussels” lead to more muscle in the body.

Obviously I’ve changed my stance on this. There is definitely truth to this warm to hot water on fat loss theory. It’s by no means an aggressive approach to fat loss, but it’s a routine worth throwing into the mix if fat loss is a goal. This extends to overall health, as warm water should be consumed over cold water.

So what are the benefits?

1.     Warm water increases metabolism by heating the body, which leads to calorie expenditure.

2.     Warm to hot water actually breaks down excess phlegm and in the case you’re suffering from congestion, it can help eliminate excess phlegm. This also aids in digestion and bowel movement.

3.     Warm water supports digestive enzyme activity. What happens when we put food in the fridge? It slows down its rate of breakdown because we slowed down the enzymatic activity of that food. The same happens when we’re chewing our food and drinking cold water at the same time.  Digestive enzymes are slowed down.

Let’s not overthink this and forget that proper hydration is a staple to overall health and supports the body during movement and exercise, which (under the right conditions) leads to fat loss. The reason it was worth making a blog post about drinking warm water is that we seem to have it backwards in North America.

Usually, we take our showers hot and drink our water cold. The effects of a cold shower include improved circulation, immunity and recovery from intense workouts. Not to mention the practice of being uncomfortable which, can build some beneficial psychological benefits.

This, of course, is a guideline and drinking cold water will not make you a bad person. Putting Perrier in your vodka will.

Jokes aside, it would be hard to follow through with this as refraining from a hot shower and ice water both feels and tastes good. Let’s just think twice before we ask for ice in our water while at a buffet and utilize contrast (hot/cold) showers more often.

Remember: Drink your water warm and take your showers cold.

Here are my recommendations for clean pre-workout supplements.

Who says pre-workout supplementation can't be healthy? In this video I share with you some of my favorite workout supplements. 

Sinus Infections Suck. Let's Deal.

Allergy season is here… and I’m sick right now. I’ve recently been feeling the effects of a sinus infection. I used this opportunity to play around with herbs, supplements and foods in order to nail down a solid game plan the next time this happens. If anyone’s not sure what a sinus infection feels like, it’s usually associated with cold like symptoms with pressure felt in the nasal and frontal forehead area. Runny noses, coughing are all possibilities but don’t appear in all sinus infections. Right now I have some body aches that are also associated with sinus issues.

One of the most valuable lessons I learned throughout this whole experience is that my sinus infection is heavily tied with seasonal allergies. For anyone unaware of why we get allergies, the basic explanation is that the symptoms we get are a result of the inflammation that our bodies produce by our immune system responding to allergens. An allergic response will release histamines and inflammatory markers. The sinus infection follows after these symptoms. Swelling of the sinus and nasal membranes serve as the perfect environment for bacterial infection to fester.

There are three things we need to remember when tackling a sinus infection.

1.     Loosen up the mucous that’s stuck in the nasal region. Nothing scientific her. Break the mucous down so its easy to move and flush it out (Blow your nose, spit, whatever it takes)

2.     Reduce Inflammation. Remember that inflammation as a result of a histamine response (more specifically of the mucous membranes which line the nasal and sinus areas) is what got you here in the first place.

3.     Rest. This is easy. If your allergies have turned into an infection, then the immune system will need support.

So the big question is how do we fix it? Here are some of the things that I found that helped me in combating a sinus infection.

Supplements to consider:

When dealing with thick mucous, proteolytic enzymes also known as protein digesting enzymes, help break mucous down into a thinner consistency. These enzymes have the ability to break down complex proteins at the site of inflammation, while having some anti-microbial properties.

Bromelain (an extract of pineapple stem) – Helps to breakdown thick consistency of mucous.

Silkworm enzyme – in nature this enzyme breaks down the cocoon of silkworms and serves as an anti-inflammatory as well.

Goldenseal and Echinacea - These are herbs both used in immune boosting formulas and can serve you best with your cold like symptoms.

Quercetin: Quercetin decreases allergic response by keeping histamine in the cell.

Vitamin C: Pairs well with Quercetin as an antioxidant that also supports the immune system. .

I’ve also found that some physical intervention is required. While I was sick I used a neti-pot at night followed by some coconut oil mixed with peppermint up my nose. You can use your pinky finger to dab some oils into your nostril region.

Give the body some time to rest and you should be up and running in no time. 

Routine can be good sometimes

I used to think routine was boring. Instagram is littered with inspirational quotes telling you to quit your job and move to Thailand while living amongst nature and all its abundance. The thing is, without some aspect of routine, our lives are a mess. Jobs are routine, but they provide financial stability. Dietary structure is boring, but in some circumstances they’re required in order to bring your health back to a baseline. Where am I going with this? It’s actually unrelated to a job or diet, but rather how you carry yourself when working out. I have a couple rules that I try to enforce for myself when it comes to movement and exercise.

What to do:

1. Always pickup the barbell and dumbbell off the floor the same way you would as if it were 500lbs. That means your somewhat braced and aware at all times. I’ll even utilize this rule when doing something as simple as picking groceries up off the floor (the brace is a little unnecessary, but the movement mechanics should be the same).
2. Put your weights away. It’s the principle that matters. It creates a lifelong habit of simplicity. Use a weight, put it back. Eat from the plate, wash that plate. The habit eliminates unnecessary excess and keeps you from looking like a douche at the gym.
3. Drink water like a draught is coming. Obviously this rule can be taken to an extreme, but I’ve never found myself on the verge of over consuming water.
4. Eat after your workout. I’m not concerned with timing, but I’ll shoot for that 1-hour window after your workout.

My point here is that there are two types of routines. One is the type that keeps you stagnant and comfortable while the other type of routine keeps you consistent and accountable.

Are Beans All That Bad?

To tell someone whose staple diet includes legumes, that their diet is inadequate or anti-nutrient is plain stupid. Foods, diets, lifestyles are all relative. When it comes to beans and I, my relationship is conditional. I can definitely say that I have an upper tolerance to beans (which basically means I can eat a bowl of chili and enjoy it, but if I overdo it, I can start to feel gassy).

When I’m eating beans, I simply have to utilize the saying “in excess, anything can be bad for you”. With that being said, there are some benefits to adding the odd bean dish to your diet.

I won’t make you a long list of the benefits of beans in this post, but I will briefly explain to you something called “The Second Meal Effect”. This was something introduced to me by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. The premise is based on two facts. Firstly, when we eat beans along with a starchy carb, it can lower the insulin spike or blood sugar spike of let’s say rice.

This is simply due to the fact that beans are high in fiber and in most cases, fiber, when eaten with higher glycemic food, slows down the absorption of sugar. Want to lower the insulin spike of rice? Eat some beans with it.

Studies have also shown that eating a higher fiber-containing food and/or lower glycemic food at dinner can affect the glycemic load of what you eat at breakfast (It lowers the glycemic load in the morning).

Also, the beans we eat are not so quick to empty out of our digestive tract. Instead, it hangs out a little longer and feeds our gut bacteria (sort of like prebiotic food).

So are beans bad for you? Everything has to be looked at in context, but people looking for another tool to hack insulin levels may want to add this to the arsenal.

Beans Beans the magic fruit,

The more you eat,

The more you lower insulin and dietary fiber…. (See what I did?)

Video: How To Make Pho (Chicken)

Here's the recipe for the chicken pho that I've made in this video.

2 whole chickens feed around 5 people.

Step 1: Broth - Star Anise (4-5), Ginger (1), Onion (1), Cloves (1 tsp) and Cinnamon (1 Stick), Salt (1tbsp), Sugar (1tbsp), Pepper (1 tsp).

Step 2: Cook the chicken in boiling water for 30 mins (with the spices in step 2 added). Remove the chicken, remove the meat and place the bones back into the broth for at least another 30 minutes (the longer the better).

Step 3: Garnish - Basil, Cilantro, Chili Peppers, Lime.

Step 4: Rice Noodles (Soak them in cold water before putting into hot water).

Enjoy the benefits of this soup. It'll definitely keep you warm during the winter months, serve as a post workout meal or keep your heart warm during a cold break-up.

Video: Why Deep Squats are Good For You

Vlog: Yerba Mate, Sushi and Workouts

How Protein Can Support Liver Function

Detoxification is synonymous with holistic nutrition. I always find that when the topic of holistic nutrition comes up, a question or comment in regards to detoxification makes its way into the conversation. I’m ok with this because supporting the detoxification and elimination process is a large part of what we as nutritional practitioners do. The downside to this is that there are many misconceptions regarding liver detoxification.

Also, for some reason, a lot of people assume that I walk barefoot and put flowers in my hair while sipping kombucha as I talk to the birds because I’m involved with holistic nutrition. This I can live with because it actually sounds like a really cool thing to assume of someone. Anyways, in this post, I wanted to set two things straight.

First, I don’t walk barefoot in the streets, and secondly, I don’t believe a low protein diet is required in order to maintain a healthy liver. I guess I should address the second statement before someone assumes I’m applying “bro science” to detoxification.

I do believe that in some cases protein should be restricted when liver function is taxed and that fasting has its time and place in jumpstarting liver function. However, long-term protein reduction is definitely not the answer to everyone’s problems.

A little insight into how the body uses protein with regards to liver function (I promise this won’t bore you with this).

In the liver, toxins are neutralized in two phases. To keep things simple, just know that phase 2 of the liver detoxification entails something called “conjugation”. This is where the toxin that leaves the liver is accompanied by a conjugate before being excreted into our waste.

Think of a really drunk girl at the club. She can’t leave alone, she’ll need someone to accompany her out of the club, into the taxi and finally into the toilet. The same thing goes for toxins. Literally. See what I did there? Amino acids can serve as the friend that attaches to the toxin and out the body.

The liver uses glycine, taurine, glutamine arginine and ornithine (all amino acids). This is why a balanced diet of protein is actually required for normal liver function. It’s also an important aspect of methylation but we’ll leave that for another post.

The main point I wanted to get across is that protein is not all that bad! Normally, we’d be hard-pressed to find blog posts that preach about protein being a supportive macronutrient to the liver. I understand that we live in a society where overconsumption is more widespread than underconsumption, but amino acid conjugation is just one thing to consider when looking at the overall function of liver detoxification.

Some tips on choosing protein sources…

1. Opt for organic and sustainably farmed meats.

1. If organic is too expensive, keep in mind that you won’t be buying the same amount of meat if it were commercially farmed. Higher quality = better bioavailability (usability).

1. Avoid overconsuming protein. You can easily come up with your protein amount using apps or websites that will calculate Macros for you. Consult a nutritionist if you’re totally in the dark about the amount.

Eat your protein.

4 Tips to Consider when Supplementing with Iron.

Iron absorption isn’t the sexiest of topics, but the topic seems to have come up more recently for me. It also happens to be the number 1 deficiency on the planet.

I recently ran into a friend who mentioned that her iron supplement doesn’t make her feel any better or worse than when she didn’t take one. As such, I thought I’d share my recommendations for anyone who is not absorbing iron efficiently.

This post may be geared towards my female friends, as the need for iron supplementation isn’t as prevalent in males. Sometimes though, an iron supplement may be necessary for high-level athletes or anyone experiencing leaky gut.

It’s also worth mentioning that this friend of mine happens to lift heavy weights at the gym!

Here are some things to consider when it comes to iron supplementation:

What type of Iron Supplement are you using?

There are two types of iron forms (Ferrous and Ferric form). Most supplements use the ferrous form, as it’s most effectively absorbed and stored. However, the ferric form of iron isn’t useless altogether.

The ferric form acts as a transporter type of iron. This is because it binds to transferrin (iron binding blood plasma). Since iron shifts between the two forms - it might be worth your while to supplement using both forms and assess your symptoms.

Check your gut.

As with all minerals, iron requires an acidic environment. This point comes back to the gut. To effectively absorb food a healthy amount of stomach acid is needed and this is the same for proper iron absorption. Do you need to increase stomach acid?

Try a zinc supplement and pair your iron with a non-buffered Vitamin C. The use of Vitamin C is due to its ascorbic acid. Are you using over the counter antacids?

The overuse of antacids to counter things such as heartburn may affect acidity in the body as it has an alkalizing effect (something not beneficial in the case of low stomach acid). A digestive enzyme with HCL (hydrochloric acid) may also be helpful.

Do you even Paleo?

I know the topic of Paleo has been overdone and the health field has poured out tons of work on the pros and cons of the Paleolithic style of eating, but it’s definitely relevant in this case.

I’m going to add to this when I say that grains and legumes (frowned upon in the Paleo community) can be a possible factor in affecting iron absorption.

The reason? Phytates. Without drowning you with information on phytates, I will simply say that phytates inhibit iron absorption (and other nutrients as well), causing the body to excrete the mineral as waste before it is properly absorbed.

You’re anemic, but are you actually low in iron or are you just drama?

Why you always lyin? Why you always lyin? Ok Just kidding, you’ve done medical tests and you’ve concluded that your definitely iron deficient, but what if you’ve self-diagnosed yourself and display anemic symptoms?

Did you know that fatigue (something heavily tied with anemia) could be a cause of things such as b-vitamins, Zinc, Copper (which also plays a role in iron transport) and Vitamin C (to name a few)

Our bodies are complex. There’s definitely a lot more to iron absorption than what I’ve written here, but I hope this serves as a starting line in your pursuit for better iron absorption.

Aside from supplements, some good iron sources include…

• Liver (Beef, Chicken, Lamb)

• Steak

• Prunes

• Cooked Greens

Till next time,

Marc

How to Properly Deadlift: Video Movement Series #1

In this video, I’m hanging put with powerlifting coach Paul Hynes. Watch the full video for cues on how to properly set up, hinge and pull for a safe and powerful deadlift.

How to start Meditating

I remember being in a meditation class in St Lucia where the experience was so relaxing that it made me unaware that people started leaving the room while I lay unaware of my surroundings. I remember the meditation instructor nudging me.

I wasn’t asleep, I knew we were in class, but I had to be physically nudged to get out of that zone. Meditation isn’t necessarily a process where it gives you anything. Rather, it’s a process that takes away. The process brings you back to a balanced place where you become aware of your body, it’s sensations and it all starts with your breath.

By no means have I studied the art long enough to call myself an expert, but that’s the beauty in meditation. Its practice isn’t owned by any school of thought nor is it exclusive to anyone who has reached the “Super Saiyan” level. The experience and benefit are created by the individual.

Where to start: 

The process and experience may be different for everyone, but here’s where I started.

1. Lay a mat down on the floor and lay in a supine position. Don’t lie on your bed. It doesn’t create the grounding feeling and connectedness that the bare ground will.

2. Set up in a quiet room or spot. Lighting a candle could be an awesome way of setting the mood/environment. Depending on how forward-thinking your workplace is, some companies have even invested in meditation/prayer rooms.

3. Close your eyes and start focusing on your breath. Your mind may run and you might start using this time to think about all the things you need to do, but let those thoughts pass and keep coming back to your breath focusing on the depth of your breath (how hard you inhale) and the rhythm of your breath.

4. As you breathe pull the air into your belly and let it expand and contract as you exhale.

Practice:

Don’t get too hard on yourself if the process seems pointless at first. The art of meditation takes practice. The biggest struggle will be your ability to truly let go of unnecessary thoughts during meditation. As I said before, don’t stress about this, it will only create an overactive environment in your mind. Focus on the sound, rate, and depth of your breath.

Green Banana Benefits

We all do it. We go to the grocery store and when its time to pick up bananas, we make our picks of the bunch based on how yellow the bunch of bananas are or will be. Ingrained in our minds is the idea that the yellow ripe banana is the best banana. I don’t blame you. The ripe banana is sweeter and often tastier. If you’re struggling with high cholesterol and unstable blood sugar levels, then I’ve got news for you. Adding the green banana to your arsenal in the fight against high cholesterol and blood sugar could be worth your while. Here’s the short and sweet science behind it.

For My High Cholesterol Friends…

The less ripe banana separates itself from the ripened banana as it’s considered a “resistant starch”. Basically, this means that the starch “resists” being digested in the stomach or small intestine. By this occurrence, the banana isn’t completely broken down and doesn’t enter the bloodstream (This is worth noting if blood sugar management is a priority for you). Instead, the banana works more like a fiber. Here’s my tip of the week…. The key to lowering cholesterol is to pooh it out. One could argue that cholesterol-lowering medications could be avoided if regular bowel movements were maintained. Fiber = Regular Bowel Movements. Get the picture?

For My Diabetic Friends….

The banana in its green and less ripened state isn’t going to spike your blood sugar and insulin levels the way a ripened banana would. The riper the fruit, the higher it spikes your insulin levels. This goes for cooking fruits down as well. The breakdown of the sugar makes it more simple and faster when entering the blood. It’s also worth noting that the banana is a prebiotic, which means it feeds the good bacteria that exists in our gut. We can recolonize, but we should look to feed the colony as well!

Food is Medicine.

Post-Workout Nutrition Exaggerated

As I look at Instagram, I’ve noticed something trending amongst many fitness enthusiasts. Last year, gourmet hipster burgers and candied bacon seem to be the toast of the town, but something more enticing, fatty, and calorically dense has arrived.

The “post, peri, pre-workout” donut has arrived. I don’t know when it started but the donut has parked its beautiful one-eyed head in the fitness world for the time being. It’s almost become a cool thing to brag about how poorly you eat while lifting copious amounts of weight while maintaining ideal body composition.

Keep in mind the donut is being used as an example. Pizza and cookie ice cream sandwiches could be your weapons of choice when it comes to post-workout “feeding” as well. I think we’ve come along way from “whole wheat” and salad being staples of healthy nutrition.

Counting macros, carb-backloading, and ketogenic diets have shown us ways of manipulating our diet and calories so that we can eat like Vikings while not being featured on the next episode of My 600lb Life. Here’s my problem. I love all things pizza, donut, cookie ice cream, and the list goes on.

The reason why I can’t fall in love with the ideology of smashing crazy amounts of calories and spiking my insulin level with donuts and cookies is that it leads me into territory that I’m afraid I won’t be able to get out of later on in life.

I’d love abs and I’d love to attain them while eating donuts, but I also value the longevity of life. I know personally, if you tell me that pizza and ice cream were ok to eat on a daily basis, I’d find ways of deviating from moderation and it would affect my nutritional consistency.

I can almost guarantee that most people who have adopted IIFYM (macro counting) have one time or another questioned whether or not they should at least dial back on some of the donuts. Not only because of body composition but because they’re probably starting to feel the effects of suboptimal nutrition.

Measuring calories can be important, but the source of your calories matters just as much. 2000 calories of pizza vs. 2000 calories of salmon and rice are definitely difference makers.

Again, I’m speaking from personal preference and experience. I saw powerlifters crushing anything for there post-workout and I think myself along with many others jumped on the bandwagon. Here’s the thing, my squat isn’t 500lbs yet and I’m not deadlifting 800lbs either so it doesn’t make sense for me to knock back 800 calories post-workout just because I worked out.

At this point, I’m trying my best to match my nutrition with the amount of volume in the gym, so please don’t tease me with your bacon peanut butter donut. This post isn’t meant to be a rant. In moderation, I’ll have something extremely good after my workouts, but this post is more for the people in the fitness industry that forgot about the fact that this industry should be based on health and longevity.

Going down the post-workout donut road makes it hard to rebuild good habits as our goals change in the gym.

The solution is simple. If you're struggling with your weight or energy in the gym and you've adopted the macro lifestyle, then dial it back and rethink post-workout food sources. When you've reached a good baseline, then it shouldn't be an issue playing around with tasty things.

Just keep in mind that what you put in your body should help you in your goals in the short and long term.