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.

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 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.