Author Archives: Travis Wade

The Benefits of Bulletproof Coffee

bulletproof coffee

The Benefits Of Bulletproof Coffee

Discover the secrets behind Bulletproof Coffee!

bulletproof coffee

By Travis Wade

If you haven’t heard of Bulletproof Coffee yet, it’s a coffee recipe founded by Dave Asprey in 2009 and was featured on some very popular talk shows in 2014, causing it to gain a lot of popularity. Today, Dave has a number of New York Times best selling books: “Game Changers”, “Head Strong”, and “The Bulletproof Diet”.

A lot of people have been butchering the original Bulletproof Coffee recipe not knowing why the exact ingredients are in place. Some people that have heard about Bulletproof Coffee have been putting butter and coconut oil in their coffee hoping to lose weight. I’ve seen an intermittent fasting specialist talk about putting coconut oil in your coffee and skipping breakfast to keep your body in fat burning mode. As long as you’re not adding carbohydrates to your body you will be in fat burning mode; this is the basis of a keto-diet.

About Dave Asprey

Dave Asprey

I’m going to tell you straight up, Dave is the real deal and his recipe sounds way too tempting not to try. In this article, I’m going to tell you the real recipe to Bulletproof Coffee and why the ingredients are exactly the way they are. If you want to try it yourself you can order some with this link.

First, I have to tell you a bit about Dave Asprey: Dave’s not a doctor, he’s just a very brilliant man that had medical issues and learned how to overcome them. However, he is married to a doctor. He is also known as the original “Biohacker”. He is the man that coined the phrase “biohacking”.

Dave’s arthritis started at 14 and he was 300 pounds by the time he was in 4th year university. He had fibromyalgia, asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, and brain fog. Today, Dave weighs 200 lbs. at 6’4” and all of his other symptoms have been relieved. The remedy to Dave’s health problems is rooted in fixing his microbiome.

In time, Dave learned the importance of meditation and travelled to Tibet to improve his skills in this area. On a mountain in Tibet, Dave was given some yak butter tea in a bowl and it made him feel so awesome he had to recreate it.  Dave learned why the yak butter tea worked so well then came up with his own recipe and wanted to share it with the world.

The Bulletproof Coffee Recipe

bulletproof coffee

The first component of the coffee recipe is the beans, which Dave grows in Central and South America. The problem with even the best brands of coffee in North America is the mold toxins in them. The mold toxin, which is a metabolite of the mold called a mycotoxin, accumulates in the brain and affects the gut biome. In fact, these mycotoxins are so toxic they are limited in the parts per billion, (not parts per million) in other countries. As a result, Dave makes sure his coffee is toxin free with his processing, before lab testing it for 27 different toxins. (That was last count, maybe more now).

The mold toxins cause side effects like the jitters and a crash after the original caffeine high wears off, alongside food cravings. These mold toxins are banned in other countries in Europe and Asia, but are not regulated as much in North America. This means, coffee companies sell their toxin free coffee in other countries that have better toxin regulations. This doesn’t mean they throw out their toxic coffee – they sell it to us here in North America.

Furthermore, I have to mention that mycotoxins are also found in grains. People and cows eat the grains and breast milk/dairy products have mycotoxins. Also, antibiotics are a mycotoxin. Dave, myself, and a lot of medical professionals believe antibiotics are way overused and should only be used in emergency situations.

Grass-fed Butter

bulletproof coffee

The second component of Dave’s recipe is the grass-fed butter. There’s 3 ingredients in the butter that are important and that’s why it’s necessary for it to be grass-fed. In fact, Dave stresses the importance of not cheaping-out on proper butter. The first ingredient is saturated fat, the preferred energy source of the brain and body and an anti-inflammatory.

The second ingredient is butyrate or butyric acid, named after butter because that’s where it’s most commonly found. Butyrate is used to help increase good gut flora. Lastly, the third ingredient is CLA, or conjugated linoleic acid, which is commonly used as a weight loss supplement.

Plus, the antioxidants in the coffee and the ketones from the fat are anti-inflammatories. All in all, this whole combination turns down the bad and turns up the good bacteria. In a nutshell, this is one of the greatest things you can do to improve your overall health, performance, fat loss, and disease prevention.

Brain Octane Oil

brain octane oil

Finally, the last component of Dave’s Bulletproof Coffee is “Brain Octane Oil”, also known as C8 oil. There are 4 different medium chain triglycerides: C6, C8, C10, and C12, named for their length of their hydrocarbon tails. You’ll find all 4 MCTs in coconut oil, with C12 being the most abundant at 52% and C8 being the rarest at 5.5%. Dave’s C8 is triple-distilled in an oxygen free environment. Dave doesn’t give away all his secrets but he says if you get your C8 anywhere else you’ll get what he calls “disaster pants”. As you can imagine, it’s not good. That is all.

C8 and Weight Loss

bulletproof coffee

C8 is the key ingredient for people who want to lose weight. This is because its metabolized and used by the body a lot more efficiently than other fats. C12 is a longer chained fat. C12 will go through the liver and is stored there as fat that can be used when necessary.

On the other hand, C8 metabolizes a lot like a sugar, as it easily breaks down into ketones for your brain and body to use immediately. With 2 tablespoons of C8 and the absence of any carbs, you will immediately go into full ketosis in about a half an hour.

When I first started taking C8 I didn’t drink coffee and I put it in my soup. I remember one morning when I actually felt it kick in. My brain just felt like I snapped out of a day dream and was ready for the day.

Plus, you’ll think better and clearer without the crash you normally get with coffee and you won’t get hungry. The C8 puts you into ketosis and you’ll stay there until you eat carbohydrates. Better still, the butter is another source of fat that staves off hunger. As a result, if you drink Bulletproof Coffee in the morning, by lunchtime you may or may not be hungry. Coffee just happens to be another appetite suppressant.

Perhaps best of all, Dave also learned how to manipulate the microbiome to lose weight. C8 is an anti-fungal and works together with the coffee to induce a healthier microbiome. Thin people have more bacteroidetes and less firmicutes while obese people have the opposite.

Scientists have conducted studies where they put bacteroidetes in obese people, causing them to lose weight. While, on the other hand, they put firmicutes into skinny mice, causing them to gain weight. In short, C8 decreases the firmicutes, and the antioxidants in the coffee feed the bacteroidetes, (these are the 2 main types of bacteria in the gut).If you’re interested, you can have your own levels tested at viome.com.

How to Become Bulletproof

the bulletproof diet

In Dave’s New York Times best-selling book “The Bulletproof Diet”, he talks about foods you need to avoid to heal your body and to lose weight, as well as those you need to incorporate. Click here to view the Bulletproof DIet Road Map. Plus, if you want to try Dave’s Bulletproof Coffee, you can click here.

In next week’s newsletter, I will talk some more about the microbiome. I hope you liked this article and, if you did, then please forward it, like, and share. If you want more help with your health and fitness journey, contact me and I will help you.

I wish you lots of health, love and happiness!

Travis Wade

The only holistic personal trainer in Edmonton.

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My Philosophy

My Philosophy

My Philosophy

These are the secrets I’ve been keeping!

personal trainer Edmonton

By Travis Wade


After watching an episode of “Oprah,” my mom shared a philosophy she heard on the show. She said that everything we do is for our ego.

“No mom,” I said, “Not skydiving. Skydiving is not for the ego. It’s just amazing.” 

“It is for your ego,” she replied, “If you really think about it, it’s for your ego.”


Ego

I thought about it and, after a while, I began to believe she was right. A lot of bragging rights go along with skydiving. That realization brought on an identity crisis. As a result, I had to examine my own philosophy. I stopped being as adventurous as I’d been. Now, if you’ve seen my Facebook, you know what a thrill-seeker I am. Unfortunately, that all stopped for quite a while following my mom’s comments.

skydive

A little later, I went to a weekend summit with a lineup of great people. John Sinclair, Derek Price, Kevin Murray, and Jeff Aker were the hosts; all of whom are highly regarded trainers. I enjoyed a weekend full of fun and learning with a group of wise men and women.

As one day of the summit was coming to an end, Caitlin Thola, another skillful trainer, helped me with some relaxation techniques. Following the summit, I immediately booked an appointment with her.

The good news is, my appointment with Caitlin clarified my thoughts. I told her about the philosophy my mom had shared with me and how it made me feel empty, bummed, and that I’d lost my lust for life. In response, Caitlin shared a variation of that philosophy with me:

Caitlin said, “You either do things for your ego, or you do them for love; it’s your choice.”

I left feeling rejuvenated!

Vulnerability

Then, I discovered Brene Brown. Now, if you haven’t heard her Ted Talk, about vulnerability, it’s well worth a listen. In it, she explains that vulnerability isn’t comfortable. Though we like to avoid it – it’s necessary. Also, she mentions at one point that we’re all here for connection. She believes:

Connection is why we breathe;
it’s why we get up in the morning, and
it’s what makes us tick.

After hearing that, I thought about her philosophy – it was so cool. It wasn’t even the main topic of her talk (which is also really profound). In short, whether we do things for our ego or for love, in both cases, we are really doing it for connection. We want to be liked and admired, and we want to connect with people who believe in the same things as us, think like us, and live life like us.

What’s more, Brene’s philosophy talks about how vulnerability helps us connect with others. She talks about how in order to have or show vulnerability, we must have confidence. It takes courage to display your vulnerability. In the end, that’s the difference between people who have great connections and those who don’t; it comes down to confidence.

My Philosophy is the Source of My Confidence

The question is, how do you gain confidence? Now, I can’t speak for others but fitness has worked amazingly well for me. I think it’s pretty badass to be 47 and have abs. Better still, my philosophy on health and fitness has lead me to be in better shape than most 20 year-olds. I’m not trying to stroke my ego, I’m just pointing out some of the sources of my confidence.

That being said, I’ve not just seen it in myself but in others as well. The fitness industry creates people who are beautiful on the inside and out. Sure, people get thinner, stronger, faster, and more muscular, as well as achieving all kinds of physical feats. However, it really produces so much more – including the boost in endorphins (and better mood it produces), a community of like-minded people that help each other, and overall confidence and self-esteem. That’s where true sexiness comes from.

I once read about an experiment where people were given equal sums of money. One group was instructed to buy something for themselves. The other group was instructed to buy something for someone else. I’m sure you can guess which group received more enjoyment from the experiment. I don’t remember the exact results but, as you can imagine, the group that spent money on someone else was much happier with their purchase.

Time is money, my friends. So, if you’ve never experienced the joy of volunteering, I highly recommend giving it its day in court. Let’s spread the love. Studies show there is nothing sexier than altruism – do you suppose that’s because of the amazing confidence it instills?

Build your confidence, show your vulnerability, and build amazing connections! It doesn’t have to be scheduled volunteering, it can be just random acts of kindness or just being there for someone else.

Health and Fitness is Part of My Philosophy

Personally, I believe health and fitness is a huge part of this equation. That’s why it’s one of my core values. If you ever want help with your health, happiness, and fitness, please drop me a line. I am more than happy to help out when I can.

One last thing… I heard a podcast where a doctor was talking about joy. She said doing things that create joy also contribute to our happiness. So seize the moment. Go skydiving! You’ll love it!

I wish you lots of health, love and happiness!

Travis Wade

The only holistic personal trainer in Edmonton

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Chronic Mental Stress

stress

Chronic Mental Stress – An Overlooked Danger

These are the secrets personal trainers use to avoid and treat chronic mental stress!

stress

By Travis Wade

Understanding Stress

Stress is one of the biggest obstacles in fitness and health and it is the number one cause of workplace absenteeism all over the world. Ironically, work is the major contributing factor for it’s increased load. The issue can evolve into chronic mental stress if it continues piling up and becomes a daily part of life. The Japanese actually have a term, “karoushi”, which defines death due to workplace stress.

chronic mental stress

Stress is a normal response to what we see as “dangers”. The sympathetic nervous system kicks in and the blood pressure goes up, the heart rate goes up, adrenaline and cortisol gets released from the adrenal glands, the liver burns its energy stores, and the body gets more oxygen and glucose. We call it “Fight or Flight”. To put it simply, the body gains more energy, focus, and efficiency.

Short Term Stress vs Chronic Stress

Short term stress is beneficial for improving performance. This morning I had an hour to get ready and I did what usually takes two hours in one hour. Once I was out the door, I could relax and my normal state was returned. However, chronic mental stress is the problem; which could be from the workplace, home, or financial.

These types of stresses tend to keep the stress hormones at a higher level and not let the body return to normal.  The hormonal and energy stores get exhausted.  Eventually the threat is there but the body is too exhausted to adjust to it.  It’s kinda like holding a light object in the air; it’s really easy at first, but at some point your arm will get sore and you’ll need a rest before you can continue. This is why chronic mental stress slowly but surely erodes the mind and body if not diagnosed on time.

Symptoms of Chronic Mental Stress

Symptoms of chronic mental stress are feeling worn out, tense, frustrated, unable to concentrate, accident prone, weight gain or weight loss, crying, antisocial behavior, loss of self esteem, resorting to substance abuse, and ultimately depression, loss of libido, suicidal or homicidal thinking. A couple of the first things you will notice in chronic stress, are trouble sleeping and elevated resting heart rate.

chronic mental stress

Rather than suppressing the feelings that come under pressure, we need to identify the stresses, express our feelings, and take proactive steps to dissipate the stress. Find a way you can talk about the issues contributing towards your chronic mental stress with an understanding colleague, friend, or even your boss.

Treatment

The first step towards treating stress is to accept the condition. Patients often suffer in denial, which consequently isolates them from the treatment they need. Following some of the first but most powerful steps you can take to combat chronic mental stress.

exercise heals chronic mental stress

Physical Exercise

The single most effective antidote to chronic mental stress is physical exercise. Proper exercise takes your mind off issues and burns off your stress hormones. I recommend a sport; make it fun hey?

Positive Attitude

Attitude is a really big deal. As Michael Hyatt recommends, write your eulogy and work towards it. If we define ourselves by what we do for a living, we add to our stress. Cultivating strong character and close relationships builds our self-image in healthier ways than redoubling job-performance. Volunteer, do random acts of kindness, and be there for others.

optimism-810x502

Take Care of Yourself

Chronic mental stress feeds on the thought that the world around us rests primarily on our shoulders. I talked to a nice person who worked in emergency communications at a government level. She made herself available 24-7 and took care of her son’s newborn. She told me how others in her position died of heart attacks and when I asked her what would happened if she continued living the way she was, she told me she would die – “karoushi”.  We need to realize we are not indispensable. “Let go and let God” I think is a great motto even though I’m not religious.

Optimize Schedule for Reducing Stress

I talked to one of my clients who told me about their stress. I asked them if they could go talk to their boss and tell them about their stress and see if they could stop doing overtime. They talked to their boss and stopped the overtime. Their stress went down significantly and 10 lbs of fat fell off their body. These are the kind of steps you need to take in order to treat chronic mental stress.

Some Easy Tips for Beating Stress

exam_stresssss

Some other common methods of stress relief are; eating healthy, listening to good music, practicing yoga, meditation or tai chi, going for a walk, talking to friends about problems, playing games, and playing with kids. For some people it’s adventure and for others it’ll be relaxation. In either case, it will be things that take your mind off whatever stresses you out. If the stress is accumulated, you’ll need longer to destress.

Chronic mental stress is obviously a very serious entity that needs to be looked after very carefully. You don’t want this to get away from you. Recognize it early and take action to nip it in the bud.

I wish you lots of health, love and happiness!

Travis Wade

The only holistic personal trainer in Edmonton.

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The Hunger Hormones

cck

The Hunger Hormones

Beat your hunger hormones (ghrelin, leptin and CKK) with these secrets to prevent overeating!

cck

By TRAVIS WADE

I’ve heard a lot lately how it’s not your fault that you’re fat but that hunger hormones (leptin, ghrelin and CKK) are getting the best of you. Now, I don’t want to enable addictions but if you’re going to blame somebody else – blame the food industry.  Here’s why:

Ghrelin

Leptin, ghrelin and CKK (cholecystokinin) are 3 of the hormones which need to be manipulated in order to control weight. Ghrelin is the hunger hormone and was first discovered in 1996 and reported in 1999. Ghrelin increases exponentially until you eat, with the highest increase just before eating. It is primarily created in the stomach and stops releasing after the stomach gets stretched. For this reason, eating is the best way to bring down ghrelin levels. Proteins are the most effective macronutrients for reducing their secretion.

ghrelin, leptin, CKK

The easiest way to manipulate ghrelin for weight loss is by having a glass of water before each meal. The good news is, ghrelin is also the thirst hormone.  You may have heard that if you feel hungry, you might just be thirsty. This is due to the effects of ghrelin in your body. That’s a little behind the scenes info on why water might help bring down your food cravings.

Now, if you’re going to drink a glass of water before a meal (which, I have to add, has shown to significantly decrease the amount eaten during a meal ), then you’re on the right track to curb those hunger hormones. However, why stop at that when there is much more you can do? Like eating some fibre too.

Fibre

fibre hunger hormones

Fibre is such an important and profound pre-meal weight loss macronutrient. Moreover, it has so many other benefits, such as aiding peristalsis movement and cleansing the colon, to name but a few. However, you need to eat it with at least one glass of water, as you certainly don’t want to find out what happens if you don’t.

Ok, I guess I should tell you: Fibre absorbs water and takes up space,  thus stretching your stomach. Ultimately, this slows down ghrelin production. If you don’t increase your water intake with fibre intake, you will inevitably get constipated.

The benefits of fibre are too vast to explain here, but here’s a quick list: it absorbs calories, improves motility, increases good gut flora, makes you feel full, is anti-inflammatory, reduces chances of contracting diseases (especially those of the digestive tract) and helps cure what ails you. In short, this whole list contributes to health and weight loss.

Overall, there’s nothing bad to say about fibre except we don’t get enough in our diet. If you follow paleo, I have to mention cavemen in the paleolithic era had about 10 times the fibre most people get these days. Take the fibre! Dr. Mark Hyman recommends Glucomannan fibre from Konjac root a.k.a. PGX fibre. For more weight loss tips see my article on how to cheat a cheat meal.

Leptin

While Ghrelin is the least complicated out of the hunger hormones, Leptin is more difficult to conquer. Leptin was reported in 1994 and was the first discovered fat cell releasing hormone. Plus, the word leptin comes from the Greek word leptos, meaning thin.

Leptin is primarily created in fat cells and its main function is to tell the body not to eat more, due to sufficient fat storage.  This means more fat cells equal more circulating leptin accordingly. Here, is where the food industry becomes the enemy…

Leptin Resistance

In the same way you can become insulin resistant (as seen in type 2 diabetes), you can also become leptin resistant. Incidentally, the two problems are often seen together due to a lot of the same causes. Leptin resistance is found in obese people. They exhibit high leptin levels but their bodily receptors aren’t functioning properly for signalling the body to stop eating. Unfortunately, this lets hunger hormones rampage unchecked, eventually wreaking havoc on both their diet and health.

leptin hunger hormones

The causes of leptin resistance and type 2 diabetes lies in a diet of highly palatable, high calorie foods. Fructose should be especially mentioned here, but more importantly, without the fibre from fruit. Fructose is an extremely sweet tasting sugar and that’s why the food industry uses it to increase the addictive properties of food. It gets modified along with other extra high glycemic sugars which are seen in most packaged foods. For example, these sugars include high fructose corn syrup, maltose, and maltodextrin.

How it Affects Health and Fitness

Sadly, other things that cause leptin resistance are the things that cause many epidemic diseases of today. I covered them in detail in my article on Leaky Gut Syndrome. However, another quick list is sugar and sweeteners, gluten, dairy, grains, prescription and nonprescription drugs, lectin, GMO foods, chlorine and fluoride, yeast, preservatives and flavorings, processed foods, mercury, pesticides, BPA from plastics, and infections. Now, I know that’s a big list but it should be obvious why obesity and diabetes is an epidemic in North America. Needless to say, the food industry is my enemy in my fight to contribute to a healthy, happy, and fit society.

The way to beat leptin resistance/diabetes/Leaky Gut Syndrome/depression and everything that ails you, is to cut back on the above mentioned causes as much as you can. In addition, adopt a balanced diet and consume vegetables, healthy fats, and meats/seafood along with proper exercise. I recommend the “10 Day Detox Diet Cookbook” by Dr. Mark Hyman for healthy eating.

Cholecystokinin (CCK)

Lastly, cholecystokinin or CCK is another hormone that makes you feel full, countering hunger hormones. CCK is released in the gut and brain when fats and certain amino acids from protein are present. CCK slows gastric emptying or stomach emptying into the intestine. It also stimulates the release of pancreatic enzymes into the duodenum, which is the first part of the intestine after the stomach. CCK also releases bile from the gallbladder and stimulates bile salts from the liver into the duodenum.

Though CCK hormone makes a person feel full ,overweight people do not produce much CCK. Consequently, most weight loss diets fail because a 400 pound person, for instance, turns into a 200 pound person. But they’ll still have the appetite of a 400 pound person. My favourite weight loss diet increases a person’s CCK as they lose weight so a 200 pound person will have the appetite of a 200 pound person.

CKK hunger hormones

Hunger Hormones and Health and Fitness

For more on how to implement a healthy diet and exercise routine contact me. It is important to note that when you start losing weight your body will start producing less leptin and more ghrelin, but it will level off and you will become more responsive to insulin and leptin.

Another factor in initial weight loss is a decrease in thyroid hormone, sympathetic tone, and energy expending along with increases in parasympathetic tone. This means your metabolism will slow down and you’ll have a decrease in energy.  This isn’t permanent.

However, care needs to be taken to increase thyroid hormone and reduce cortisol. There are methods to that madness and and you can read my article on thyroid hormone. Also, the best way to control cortisol is to implement stress management techniques.

I wish you lots of health, love and happiness!

Travis Wade

The only holistic personal trainer in Edmonton.

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Leaky Gut Syndrome

leaky gut syndrome

What is Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Learn all about Leaky Gut Syndrome before it becomes mainstream knowledge!

leaky gut syndrome

By Travis Wade

“We don’t know a lot, but we know that it exists. In the absence of evidence, we don’t know what it means or what therapies can directly address it.” Linda A. Lee, MD, gastroenterologist and director of the Johns Hopkins Integrative Medicine and Digestive Center.

Dr. Oz says leaky gut syndrome is a clinical diagnosis.

Wikipedia says it’s not.

How does a person know who or what is the more reliable source?

Amazingly, the medical profession is just now agreeing this condition even exists. Yet, “intestinal permeability” has been discussed in medical literature for over 100 years!

The medical field is a rapidly advancing field. It seems like the functional medicine doctors are moving forward while your family doctor follows their protocol. However, we can’t be too upset with our family doctors, but you might consider adding a high-quality functional medicine doctor to your team, to ensure good health.

As an EMT, half the people I see going to the emergency room are there for abdominal problems. Worse still, half of those people leave the hospital undiagnosed. While your family doctor argues with an alternative medicine practitioner about whether leaky gut syndrome exists, let me explain what it is, what causes it, and what to do about it. Leaky gut syndrome is nothing like the sasquatch: you see it every day, it has a profound effect on our society, and you probably have it to some degree.

Conversely, the other half of the argument is there are no studies that prove what to do about it. The pharmaceutical companies are working on a medication to treat leaky gut syndrome. When they develop it, they’ll monetize leaky gut syndrome and it will become mainstream knowledge. Remember, you heard it here first!

Fortunately, there are studies on what improves the gut lining and what to do to maintain a healthy gut.  The theory is these methods of improving the gut lining will fix leaky gut syndrome.

 WHAT IS LEAKY GUT SYNDROME?

We have junctions in our gut linings that act as “gates” in cells at the molecular level. In the gut, they carry nutrients across to the bloodstream. These gates usually allow small molecules to pass while holding larger molecules back to break them down further before also allowing them to pass.

leaky gut syndrome

Leaky gut syndrome exists when the permeability of the gut lining has been compromised. The gut lining may be damaged in many ways: This includes cell death, damage to junctions, and the destruction of microvilli, all of which cause the gut to be much more permeable. As a result, when the gut becomes hyper-permeable, larger molecules and toxins may enter the bloodstream and start doing damage.

Ultimately, the liver is forced to work harder to destroy toxins and larger molecules while the immune system takes on foreign invaders in the bloodstream.  As a result, the body experiences full-blown, system-wide inflammation.

SYMPTOMS OF LEAKY GUT SYNDROME

Symptoms include autoimmune diseases, allergies, skin problems, candida (yeast) overgrowth, digestive issues, depression, and all kinds of other unexplained issues. Also, I should add that there is an unusually massive surge in these types of problems in our society. Sadly, almost everybody I know has at least one of these symptoms.

HOW TO TEST FOR LEAKY GUT SYNDROME

According to Robynne K. Chutkan, MD, FASGE Assistant Professor of Medicine, Georgetown University Hospital Founder and Medical Director, Digestive Center for Women, there’s a simple test for leaky gut syndrome: a urine test.

Mannitol is a small molecule that passes through a healthy gut. On the other hand, lactulose is a larger molecule that doesn’t normally pass through. After drinking the mixture of mannitol and lactulose, we wait six hours and do a urine test. If there are high levels of both mannitol and lactulose, this indicates leaky gut syndrome.

CAUSES OF A LEAKY GUT

Glyphosate

Glyphosate is the active ingredient in the herbicide “Roundup” which has recently been publicized as a cancer-causing agent. Originally patented as an antibiotic, glyphosate has instead proven to be the cause of many devastating issues, from depleting vital minerals and good bacteria to causing leaky gut syndrome.

dead zones of the ocean

Monsanto is the company responsible for creating glyphosate. “The Monsanto Papers” shows lawsuits against the company, who eventually sold out to Bayer. A weird thing in the United States is if you change the name of your company, anyone with a lawsuit against you has to start their lawsuit from scratch. These lawsuits are mostly cancer patients who will likely die before any settlement. Monsanto also created things like artificial sweeteners, Agent Orange, DDT, dioxins (PBCs), phthalates, and polystyrene (Styrofoam).

Worryingly, glyphosate has been sprayed by the tons all over North America and many other parts of the world where it isn’t banned. It’s in every American-made wine, our waterways, almost all of our food, and GMOs, of course. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to avoid but do your best to consume as little as possible.

In addition, because glyphosate has been sprayed so much, it’s killing our reed wildlife, which is detrimental to our ecosystems. Obviously, it’s going to settle where water settles, and that’s where reeds usually grow, but glyphosate kills them. Ultimately, no more reeds = no more ecosystems.

I had an environmentalist come see me for a consult one day. I asked her if she heard of the “Dead Zones of the Ocean”. She had learned about them in school. I asked her what they told her caused the dead zones of the ocean and she said “agricultural runoff”. I asked her what exactly is agricultural runoff. She said “You know, pesticides and sprays”. I asked “Can you name any?” She said “No”. She had actually never heard of Glyphosate before!?

Her job was to count up the reed wild life along the North Saskatchewan river and map them because we are losing them rapidly. She told me the prevention strategy our government came up with is nobody is allowed to build on the reed wildlife. My heart sank.

Plant Toxins

blackberries

Lectin and phytate or phytic acid are plant toxins. Because plants can’t run or fight like the rest of us, they have thorns or toxins as their defense against predators. Of course, we eat lectin all the time. In low doses, we are fine. In high doses, on the other hand – not so much.

Dietary sources high in lectin include soy, grains, seeds, beans, dairy – specifically, the casein which is the protein in the curd of dairy – and the highest in lectin is food containing GMOs and gluten. Gluten is the protein you’ll find in rye, wheat, barley, oats, kamut, and spelt. Lectin will bind to your gut lining and damage or kill the cell causing a leaky gut.

Dysbiosis

Dysbiosis is an imbalance between good bacteria and bad bacteria in the body. In theory, dysbiosis is one of the leading causes of leaky gut. Glyphosate, prescription antibiotics, chlorine and fluoride in water are the biggest contributors that kill healthy bacteria. This imbalance, along with sugar, increases yeast in your gut. In the end, yeast attaches to your gut lining and does damage in the same way as lectin. Anyone want some bread?

leaky gut syndrome

Inflammation

Inflammation exacerbates the issue. When the body is in attack mode, our cells often get caught in the crossfire. Unfortunately, the antigens our bodies create through inflammation actually attack our own cells.

Worse still, inflammation also makes the body weak and allows all kinds of problems to occur, just as mental stress is the number one cause of medical problems in North America. Things that cause inflammation are another type stress on the body.

Some causes of inflammation include medications, NSAIDs or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (like Tylenol, Advil, Motrin); processed foods, preservatives and flavorings, mercury, pesticides and BPA from plastics. Obviously, infections and other sicknesses are in there too. Also, importantly, I’d like to point out that some functional medicine doctors believe NSAIDs are the number one drug that kills people.

Looking at all of the above, it’s clear that your gut is under constant attack. For most people, this is happening at a higher rate than the repair. And, of course, age contributes to leaky gut syndrome as well. I’m sure with all the undiagnosed abdominal problems coming through the emergency room, we can all agree it’s a big deal to take excellent care of your gut. Let me tell you how.

leaky gut syndrome

HOW TO FIX YOUR LEAKY GUT

Step 1: Eliminate Causes

Many studies have been done to learn what repairs and maintains a healthy gut. As a result, the four R’s (Remove, Replace, Reinoculate, Repair) is the agreed treatment among functional medicine doctors for leaky gut syndrome. The idea is twofold: First, to heal inflammation and then to restore the integrity of your gut lining.

For a start, eliminating sugars, starches, grains, and other irritating foods alleviates inflammation and starves out yeast overgrowth. The most common allergens are gluten, dairy, sugar and other sweeteners, soy, corn, peanuts, and egg whites. No processed foods either. Almost any food that comes in a package is processed.

What’s more, artificial sweeteners deserve special mention because they kill the good bacteria (flora) in your intestine. We want to grow the good bacteria for protection against bad bacteria that destroys our gut.

Worse still, artificial sweeteners are more addictive than sugar, which lights up the pleasure centers in the brain four times as much as cocaine. On top of that, artificial sweeteners cause diabetes faster than sugar because they spike your insulin even more than sugar. Also, sweeteners increase your pallet for sweet foods which isn’t good for someone who may be addicted to sugar.

leaky gut syndrome

Step 2: Add the Repair

Now that you’ve eliminated things that cause leaky gut syndrome, you can work on healing the gut with proper diet and supplements.

The next thing to incorporate is the GAPS diet by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. It starts with soup and Dr. Josh Axe recommends 3 cups of bone broth a day. Moreover, Dr. Natasha advises eating nothing but soup at first; then you can incorporate other foods after your gut heals a bit.

The bone/meat broth is the key ingredient, as it contains collagen, minerals, and the amino acids proline, L-glutamine, and glycine that can help heal your damaged cell walls. The good news is, all these nutrients are great for the gut and all the body’s connective tissue, including the skin.

After incorporating a healthy diet, you may want to consider some supplements to help maintain a healthy gut. I have to mention that taking some of the supplements listed below may do more damage than good, and you should contact a doctor before taking any supplements. However, the bone/meat broth naturally contains a lot of the desired nutrients, so you can consume it safely.

Quercetin

Quercetin is a plant pigment (flavonoid) and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. It is used as a supplement for many ailments. According to Dr. Axe, it’s also been shown to improve gut barrier function by supporting the creation of tight junction proteins.

L-glutamine

L-glutamine is an essential amino acid and an anti-inflammatory. It has many benefits, including assisting brain function, promoting muscle growth, preventing muscle wasting, enhancing athletic performance in endurance sports like snowboarding, improving metabolism, curbing cravings for sugar and alcohol, fighting cancer, improving diabetes and blood sugar, and dramatically decreasing recovery time. I wish I had been taking it before squat day on Tuesday…

leaky gut syndrome

The main benefit of L-glutamine is how it helps build and repair the intestines.  L-glutamine coats your cell walls and acts as a repellent to irritants. Also, L-glutamine has been shown to repair the gut after damage from chemotherapy and radiation and, in theory, is beneficial in leaky gut syndrome.

Coconut Oil

Similar to omega 3s, coconut oil comes with a long list of benefits, one of which is its positive influence on weight loss. When it comes to improving lifestyle, its anti-inflammatory properties make it one of the healthiest disease fighting sources of energy for your body. It is also easy for the body to use.

Omega 3s

The list of benefits of omega 3s is far too long to duplicate in this article. Instead, please visit my article specifically on omega 3s. For now, I’ll just state omega 3s are high in beneficial anti-inflammatory properties and reducing cortisol. This reduces stress but ultimately, omega 3s are building blocks of the body and help in the repair and maintenance of a healthy gut.

Fibre

Fibre also offers many benefits, including weight loss; but here, I’ll just talk about its contribution to a healthy gut. Your gut is a muscle that is activated by the parasympathetic nervous system or the digestive system. In other words, you can’t work this muscle the same way you can work your biceps.

The way you work the smooth muscle of the intestines is to consume insoluble fibre. It improves motility or the wave action of the tube moving contents through it. Another thing fibre will do for you is maintain a fresher environment – out with the old; in with the new – less time for things to ferment.

leaky gut syndrome

Probiotics

Doctors recommend that you have 85% good bacteria in your gut. If you have lots of bad bacteria, nothing you do will heal your gut because the bad bacteria will continue to destroy it. Yeast overgrowth (Candida) or SIBO (small intestine bacteria overgrowth) are common problems that cause leaky gut syndrome.

Unfortunately, most probiotics are completely ineffective. Dr. Kellman interviewed a guest doctor who conducted a study in Africa and Canada; and, according to this doctor, taking a probiotic is like sending an army out without weapons! Consequently, you need the medium that a bacterial culture grows in, like yogurt. When bacteria take up residence in the gut, it’s like equipping the bacteria with weapons. So, eat fermented foods!

Your microbiome is essentially an ecosystem in your gut. There are trillions of bacteria in there, outnumbering your own body cells by approximately 10 to 1. Fermented foods, including kimchi, sauerkraut, and homemade yogurt and kefir, will improve your microbiome. This has so many benefits that another article will have to be written…

leaky gut syndrome

A Good Multivitamin, Vitamin D, and Zinc

One of the things I’d like to mention is how zinc improves dry skin (it’s the active ingredient in dandruff shampoo but you’re probably better off getting it in your food) and prevents prostate cancer in men.

Chronic skin problems are rooted in gut problems. Zinc improves gut health as well so if you have dry skin and you add it to your diet, you get treatment for all of your connective tissue. Sadly, Zinc is typically lacking in a North American diet. It can be found in grass-finished red meat and, of course, wild meat is best. Don’t bother with zinc-oxide as your body doesn’t absorb it. (It does make a great sunscreen, however!) Inasmuch, zinc-citrate isn’t good either; citrates are good for bowel movements but not for absorption.

A high-quality multivitamin has many benefits. Your body needs nutrients; and when you get those nutrients your body functions at a much higher capacity. The same can be said for vitamin D which is the leading nutrient deficiency in North America. Over 95% of us are not getting enough. Conversely, do not over do it on these vitamins. Too much is just as bad as not enough. For more on vitamin D, see my article on it. I take my multivitamin once every 3 days or sometimes after a good sweat at hockey.

Digestive Enzymes

Digestive enzymes ensure full digestion of our food, decreasing the chance that partially digested food particles will damage your gut lining. Most people have low digestive enzymes which causes acid reflux. Acid reflux is usually treated with medication to lower stomach acids. Although this relieves symptoms, this just increases the cause of the problem. A natural substitute is to take lemon water or apple cider vinegar water in the morning or before meals. It is also a great additive to improve digestive enzymes for anyone looking to improve gut health.

I KNOW THIS WAS LONG BUT HERE IS MY CONCLUSION

In closing, maintaining a healthy gut is imperative to your health. Spend five minutes in an emergency room. “Unexplained abdominal problems” are an epidemic which is often treated with pain meds and the old phrase, “We will have to keep an eye on that.”

Functional medicine doctors highly recommend a detox to kick-start your journey to a healthy gut. I mean a proper detox – not some gimmick you buy. If you want me to hook you up with a proven detox, DM me or see me in person for a free transformation session.

I wish you lots of health, love and happiness!

Travis Wade

The only holistic personal trainer in Edmonton.

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What’s With Beans?

beans

What’s with Beans?

This article is about the little known controversy around beans.

beans

By Travis Wade

Vegans- “Eat them.”

 Paleos- “No way!”

Timothy Ferris, author of “The 4-Hour Body“- “Eat them.”

Dr. Mark Hyman- “Don’t eat them.”

Every article I’ve read says something different about beans. Who’s right? Well, that depends on what you want to accomplish with your diet.

Vegans Love Beans

beans

Vegans will tell you they choose beans because they’re high in protein, fibre, and carbohydrates. Plus, they contain nutrients such as iron, folate, magnesium, potassium, and, to a lesser degree, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese, and vitamins B1, B3, B5, and B6. However, it’s a little misleading to claim nutrients as an advantage because the processing required to make beans edible removes many of them.

The Paleo Beans Debate

beans

Generally, paleo peeps don’t even agree with each other on what to eat. Today’s paleo experts believe we must study ancient teeth to discover what cave dwellers ate to learn what’s in a paleo diet. Some will say that beans are included, while others will say they are not. Incidentally, the tooth study determined that troglodytes from the Paleolithic Era indeed ate beans. So, if you’re on a paleo diet, your people say beans are ok.

Timothy Ferris Loves Beans

beans

Timothy Ferris, the author of “The 4-Hour Body, swears by beans. He claims they’re the magic ingredient for weight loss. The high carbohydrate/fibre/protein and low glycemic index of beans make them a “slow-carb” and thereby attractive to the weight loss community. Ferris claims that in his study, adding beans to a diet and not changing anything else substantially improved weight loss. Does it work? It actually does!

The glycemic index of beans is very low keeping us feeling satiated a long time. The high fibre and high protein will do the same. When we stay feeling full longer we eat less causing weight loss.

According to experts, the glycemic index depends on how the beans are prepared. The more you soak the beans and cook them, the higher the glycemic index. Mom’s baked beans with bacon and brown sugar were delicious, but they are among the highest glycemic index foods. In other words, they make you fat.

Dr. Mark Hyman on Beans

Dr. Mark Hyman

The photo was taken from https://drhyman.com

Dr. Mark Hyman is the reason I’m writing this article. He isn’t a fan of beans, but I hadn’t read much on why he didn’t like them. However, the more digging and reading I did, the more I agreed with Dr. Hyman. Mm-hmm…it turns out these little suckers can be pretty toxic and cause all kinds of mischief in your body.

Plants cannot run or fight, so one of the ways they defend themselves is to produce toxins or poisons. Phytic-acid or phytate is one such poison. It binds with specific minerals and prevents their absorption into the body. Phytate is more of a concern to vegetarians as meat-eaters tend to get more minerals from animal products. Furthermore, beans don’t taste great anyway; they are considered the least addictive food on the planet.

Copper Toxicity from Beans

beans

Another problem vegetarians face is copper toxicity. This is because many beans are very high in copper. Copper is a necessary nutrient in minimal amounts, but too much from beans, combined with too little zinc from lack of red meat, can lead to copper toxicity.

In theory, anyone with a high copper diet can end up with copper toxicity, not just vegetarians. If you have copper poisoning, you’re likely to hate red meat because it stimulates the thyroid and adrenal glands, releasing the stored copper. Consequently, this induces copper toxicity symptoms, including headaches, emotional instability, fatigue, insomnia, depression, skin rashes, brain fog, learning disorders, and premenstrual syndrome. Fortunately, once copper toxicity is overcome with enough small doses of red meat, the symptoms go away.

Lectin in Beans

stomach ache

Ever heard of lectin? This is important, my friends, it causes all kinds of problems. Lectin contributes to what is known as Leaky Gut Syndrome. Some doctors still say Leaky Gut Syndrome is nonexistent, but it’s getting more difficult to deny its harmful effects.

Lectin binds to human body cells and kills them. When this happens to the lining of the gut, the gut becomes much more permeable. Lectin can then leak through the intestine and link to cells in the bloodstream and kill those cells. We’re talking system-wide inflammation. While lectin is present in all plants, it is grains, GMOs, pasteurized dairy, beans, nuts, and seeds that have a very high content. 

Genetically Modified Organisms

GMOs are genetically modified organisms. One of the ways the food industry has changed foods is by increasing their “natural” toxins to keep bugs away. In other words, they made them extremely high in lectin.

My friends planted organic potatoes and non-organic potatoes on their farm in large amounts. The bugs didn’t touch the GMO potatoes and ate the organic ones completely. Now, if bugs won’t eat it, you shouldn’t either! There’s an absurd amount of problems with GMOs, but I’ll stop there for now.

Almost all soybeans and soy products are GMOs, along with corn, grains, and sugar. If you’re eating packaged foods, you’re eating corn, soy, grains, and frightfully modified sugars. Sugar synergistically magnifies all the inflammation and harmful bacteria/yeast in your gut. Not to mention the preservatives and other toxins in packaged foods.

Processing Beans

chilli beans

Fortunately, you can neutralize the phytate and lectin in beans by soaking them in water, sprouting them or fermenting them. You can also boil them at 100 degrees Celsius for at least 10 minutes. However, soaking and boiling them will also remove nutrients in the beans and increase their glycemic index.

Inasmuch, if you cook your beans at too low a temperature, they can be more dangerous. For instance, shockingly, people die every year from lectin poisoning when slow cooking chilli. That’s because kidney beans are among the foods highest in lectin, and slow cooking does not reach temperatures high enough to reduce the lectin.

Didn’t think beans were so bad? Studies show that beans have been linked to IBS, Crohn’s disease, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, peptic ulcers, allergies, and type 2 diabetes.

Phytoestrogen in Beans

soy beans

Another unusual defence mechanism employed by plants is to cause infertility in predators. Phytoestrogen is not estrogen, but it mimics estrogen and causes a hormone imbalance that can generate impotence in many male predators. High estrogen levels are not suitable for men or women for various reasons. One reason is low thyroid, which kills metabolism. Regrettably, soybeans are high in phytoestrogen.  

FODMAPs

beans

FODMAP is an acronym for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols. These carbohydrates are hard to digest and turn into fermentable sugars that cause numerous issues in the GI tract. For some, it’s much worse than for others. Unfortunately, a lot of beans are a source of FODMAPs. When something gets fermented, a by-product is always some type of gas. Pardon me; my friend’s an A-hole.

Table 2

FODMAPs4,11

High FODMAP foodsLow FODMAP foods
Asparagus, artichokes, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, garlic, leek, onion, sugar snap peasAlfalfa, bean sprouts, green beans, bell peppers, bok choy, carrots, celery, cucumber, eggplant, kale, lettuce, radish, spinach, squash, tomato, turnip, zucchini
Apples, blackberries, pears, mango, watermelon, nectarines, peaches, plums, dried fruitsBanana, blueberry, cantaloupe, honeydew, grapes, kiwi, orange, pineapple, raspberry, strawberry
Milk (cow, goat, sheep), yoghurt, soft cheese, cream, custard, ice creamLactose-free milk, lactose-free yogurts, hard cheese
Legumes/pulsesMeats, fish, chicken, eggs, tofu, tempeh
Rye, wheat breads, wheat-based cereals, wheat pastaGluten-free bread and pasta, sourdough spelt bread, oats, rice, quinoa
Cashews, pistachiosAlmonds, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds walnut, macadamia, peanut, pecan, pine nut
Sauce, jam, salsa or salad dressing with high fructose corn syrup, honey, agave, carob powder, artificial sweeteners (mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol)Jelly, marmalade, butter, nut butters, mustard, mayonnaise, olives, cocoa powder, vinegar, soy sauce, cooking oils

Table taken from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4944381/

Aflatoxins and Beans

peanuts

Peanuts are a type of bean – they’re not actually a nut. Peanuts carry all the toxins other beans have, and also, they have aflatoxin, a metabolite of mould. Aflatoxin is the most potent carcinogen known to man. It’s another toxin your body has to deal with and fight off. Who needs more inflammation? The lectin in peanuts and peanut oil is potent, and roasting them does not neutralize the toxicity.

Soy Beans

tofu

If I haven’t turned you off of soy yet, then let me revisit this. I mentioned that soy is high in phytoestrogen, but it also contains a trypsin inhibitor. Trypsin is an enzyme that breaks down protein. A trypsin inhibitor prevents trypsin from breaking down protein to be absorbed

Soy protein and soy milk are two things that should never be considered food. In fact, I cringe when I hear the process of how the stuff is made. I hope that’s enough to beat all the great marketing in favour of soy.

The Good Beans

bean sprouts

Green beans are rich in folate, fibre, and many other vitamins and minerals. They also have much less of the toxins mentioned above, and they are low FODMAP. Green beans are a slow-carb, which means a low glycemic index and an excellent carb for weight loss.

Green peas are very rich in vitamins and minerals along with phytonutrients that help prevent many diseases, including heart disease and cancer. They are also a slow-carb.

If you are going to choose any other bean, then non-GMO sprouted beans are the best.

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How To Cheat A Cheat Meal

cheat day

How To Cheat A Cheat Meal

Can you outrun a bad diet? Kinda…

cheat day

By Travis Wade

We all need a cheat meal, even if it’s just for the sake of enjoying ourselves. Sometimes, cheat meals are necessary to level off hormones, like when you do a keto diet. Whatever your reasons, here are my suggestions on indulging as much as you want while gaining the least amount of weight.

#1 Preparation

cheat meal

Because of the highly addictive properties of a cheat meal, try to eat out for a cheat meal. For instance, if you have ice-cream in your house (the second most addictive food), eating the whole container is very tempting. Chocolate is the most addictive food, by the way.

The good news is, when eating these cheat meal foods, there are proven methods for damage control: You’ll need PGX fibre, alpha-lipoic-acid, green Tea, and cinnamon pills.

#2 Before the Cheat Meal

cheat meal

PGX fibre slows the rate at which glucose enters the bloodstream and speeds up the calories exiting the body. This helps eliminate toxins from the body, reduces your appetite by filling you up, and causes less uptake of calories into the body.

Dr. Mark Hyman recommends PGX fibre as a daily supplement, especially for those looking to reduce weight. However, it also has many other health benefits. For best results, take the supplement about a half-hour before a cheat meal.

Fat blunts jumps in blood glucose levels more than protein. For an appetizer, don’t go for flour or sugar, go for fat and protein. Most importantly, avoid deep-fried foods because of the trans-fats they are fried in!

Trans-fats are incredibly toxic, and you should never consume them in any situation. The government has agreed that food companies need to eliminate trans-fats. Still, they’ve given food companies as long as they need to find a replacement.

Alpha-lipoic-acid has many benefits, which is why Dr. Mark Hyman recommends it as a daily supplement. Timothy Ferriss (author of the “4 Hour Body”) uses it for fat loss. It works by diverting calories into muscles instead of fat cells. For best results, take 600 mg about 10 minutes before a cheat meal.

#3 During the Cheat Meal

Green Tea contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). ECGC also diverts calories away from fat cells and into muscle cells.

Apoptosis is the natural death of mature cells. ECGC increases the apoptosis of fat cells, which Dr. Mark Hyman recommends for daily health. However, as suggested above, you’ll have to invest in some pills when eating a cheat meal. Timothy Ferriss recommends 750mg dosage for the best effect.

Cinnamon slows the uptake of sugars and other fast-acting carbs (flour and other grains), to the blood and helps level off our blood glucose level. You can get cinnamon in a pill form to take with your meal.

cheat meal

Eating slow is the easiest way to decrease glucose spikes, yet it is foolishly overlooked. However, it has a profound effect, so always savour your desserts if you choose to have one. ‘Eat your veggies fast and savour your desserts,’ is one of my life’s mottos.

Citrus helps reduce insulin. Now, I realize a whole lemon is a lot, but if you can handle the juice from an entire lemon in a tall glass of water, that might be better than a shot of lemon juice. Essentially, it’s lemonade without the sugar. Also, make a special effort to drink more water with your cheat meal.

#4 After the Cheat Meal

Exercise after a cheat meal is the number one thing you can do for damage control! To keep things simple, plan a walk or some activity after you eat. However, if you’re motivated, do a full-body workout: squats, band-pulls, and push-ups.

cheat meal

Bonus tip: When you exercise, it produces chemicals in the body that store energy in muscles as opposed to fat cells. This is something Timothy Ferriss would do before and after cheat meals. I believe this is where most of his weight loss came from. It’s a type of frequency training.

Frequency training is exercising many times throughout the day. Mainly, the idea is to increase the heart rate as high as possible, keeping your metabolism consistently high. You can do this on a rebounder (mini-trampoline), or whatever exercise you choose as long as it increases the heart rate quickly. You can do 4 minutes once an hour, but I find that too much for me. Once after or before meals is all I could handle or I would be too hungry.

I wish you lots of health, love and happiness!

Travis Wade

The only holistic personal trainer in Edmonton.

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Strength Training Tips

strength tips

Strength Training Tips

These are the strength training secrets the strongest men in the world keep!

strength tips

By TRAVIS WADE

I first got interested in strength training about fifteen years ago. The gym was still full of people who were into bodybuilding or athletes. I admired the heavy lifters in the gym because they weren’t all show. So this is the story of how I became one of the strongest guys in the gym.

When I decided to start strength training, I hired a strong personal trainer because only a strong personal trainer knows how to strengthen properly. I learned a lot of strength training tips from him and I worked hard.

At the same time, I read a book called “The Naked Warrior.” Pavel Tsatsouline explained the different aspects of strength training in that book. I also read many articles on strength training and learned a lot from my own experiences. In the years to come, I hired many personal trainers and read books on the subject. However, at the time, it took me about 4 months to become one of the strongest guys at the gym.

We did a powerlifting routine and I learned how to put a program together. After that, I hired a few other strength training coaches and they helped me with a few more powerlifting concepts. I learned a lot of tips that instantly increase strength and mastering these techniques while you strength train will improve your lifts too.

I think Mr. Miyagi from “The Karate Kid” said, “All strength comes from learning to use the power from within.” Karate people are like that. Here are a few tips expanding on what I think he was trying to explain.

Pushing

strength training

One of the first exercises I ever did when I was a kid was the push-up. I didn’t have equipment in my room so I did sit-ups and push-ups. Grip the floor during a push-up. When pushing, twist the hands out. Feel it in the shoulders.

Unilateral Strength Training

strength

I got into unilateral (one-sided) exercises for a while because they are great for the core. You always have to stabilize with your core when you do unilateral exercises. Grip your free hand during a unilateral strength training exercise. I still use unilateral exercises on a regular basis for the same reason; they are great for stability of the core and other accessory muscles that stabilize.

Your Feet During Strength Training

strength training

When I first started strength training, my first focus was the squat. I thought squats were the true test of strength and I still believe that. Squats are known as “the king of all exercises.” They seem to take the most out of me when I do them. Grip the floor with your toes to strengthen your squat. Barefoot is best for optimal force transfer and balance.

Your feet have many proprioceptors. Proprioceptors are nerves that send messages to the brain. They feel around for balance and detect where you are in space.  You always see a tight rope walker barefoot because of proprioception.

What happens at the feet happens exponentially at the chest and shoulders. If you have cushiony shoes, it can influence your balance just a smidge at the feet, which will sway your whole body enough to ruin your lift. While strength training, the less you have under your feet, the better.

Strengthen Inter-Abdominal Pressure

strengthen

Tense your abs to increase the power of any strength training exercise. It’s called intra-abdominal pressure, and it’s where all strength originates. The pelvic floor is where we have our kegel muscles and sphincter muscles. We have the diaphragm at the top, the transversus abdominis acting as a girdle around the whole mid section, obliques on the sides, the quadratus lumborum in the back, and rectus abdominis in the front. There are other muscles in this area that contribute, but the ones I have mentioned are the leading players.

I remember reading in “The Naked Warrior,” Pavel talked about how you contract all of these muscles to increase the pressure in the stomach area. He said, “It’s like you are blowing up a balloon, and the balloon starts in the stomach and expands out to the arms or legs, depending on the exercise you are doing.”

When I was talking to a yoga instructor who mentioned her plethora of past injuries, I asked her about injury prevention. She said the number one way to prevent most injuries is to strengthen your core muscles.

I read an article a powerlifter wrote about improving his lifts. He said it took him a bit to figure it out, but when he started increasing his core strength, his lifts got way better. Most of these core suggestions are in our personal-training textbook as well. You can imagine if your core is like a tree trunk, you will be able to lift a lot of weight.

Pavel Tsatsouline also said to tense the glutes to increase any exertion. I think this is also part of increasing intra-abdominal pressure. When you squeeze the glutes you clamp the pelvic floor. I have followed Pavel’s advice, and it works.

Lifting

strengthening

Pre-tense the muscles before lifting weight. Arm wrestlers do this. For example, during a deadlift, the bar should come off the floor as slow as possible; never jerk the bar up. Increase abdominal pressure; tighten pelvic floor, abs, and diaphragm. Feel the abdominal pressure first and then feel that tension radiate outwards from the middle of your body. Squeeze your grip strength and tense all the muscles before you start your lift.

Breathing in Strength Training

breathing during exercise

Are you the strongest when you are breathing in, breathing out, or holding your breath? The order is you’ll be your strongest while holding your breath. You’ll be weakest when breathing out. It comes back to the abdominal pressure required on every lift. It’s like bracing yourself when you are about to take a punch in the stomach. When you hold your breath you will be your strongest because you can clamp down with your core muscles the hardest.

When you take a breath before your lift, never exhale or inhale all the way; approximately 50%. If you breathe in too much, you won’t be able to brace, and if you breathe in too little, you will run out of oxygen.

I know this isn’t a program or strength training guide; that’s a whole separate article with a lot to it. That’s actually a book. I will write that book after the one I am writing now. Until then, if you need a program or details on strength training, you can contact me, and I will help you out.

I wish you lots of health, love and happiness!

Travis Wade

The only holistic personal trainer in Edmonton

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Glycemic Load, Glycemic Index, and Insulin Index – Travis Wade Fitness

glycemic load

Glycemic Load, Glycemic Index, and Insulin Index

3 Terms You Need To Know If You Are Looking To Lose Weight!

By Travis Wade

Glycemic Load, Glycemic Index, and Insulin Index are three terms people watching their weight and diabetics will need to know. I feel the urge to explain each term.

glycemic load

Glycemic Index

The glycemic index is a scale from 0-100, which is used to measure how fast blood glucose level rises after food has been consumed compared to pure glucose. Glucose has arbitrarily been given 100 on the glycemic index scale. The index is a way to distinguish between fast-acting carbs and slower acting carbs. Some common types of carbohydrate-rich food that have a high glycemic index are bread, potatoes, rice and pasta.

High glycemic foods are a problem for those looking to lose weight because they get absorbed into the blood quickly. We have approximately 5 litres of blood in us and it can only hold about three teaspoons of sugar at a time. High glycemic foods cause a massive increase in your insulin to promptly store the sugar in muscle or fat cells. After the surge in insulin is a crash in blood sugar. We end up feeling tired, hungry, and low in energy.

Conversely, low glycemic types of food increase blood sugar slowly. Insulin levels also increase gradually. It takes a lot longer to feel hungry and tired. Some examples of these kinds of foods are beans, lentils, asparagus, spinach, kale, cauliflower, cucumbers, broccoli, tomatoes, onions, and zucchini.

FOODGlycemic index (glucose = 100)
HIGH-CARBOHYDRATE FOODS 
White wheat bread*75 ± 2
Whole wheat/whole meal bread74 ± 2
Specialty grain bread53 ± 2
Unleavened wheat bread70 ± 5
Wheat roti62 ± 3
Chapatti52 ± 4
Corn tortilla46 ± 4
White rice, boiled*73 ± 4
Brown rice, boiled68 ± 4
Barley28 ± 2
Sweet corn52 ± 5
Spaghetti, white49 ± 2
Spaghetti, whole meal48 ± 5
Rice noodles†53 ± 7
Udon noodles55 ± 7
Couscous†65 ± 4
  
BREAKFAST CEREALS 
Cornflakes81 ± 6
Wheat flake biscuits69 ± 2
Porridge, rolled oats55 ± 2
Instant oat porridge79 ± 3
Rice porridge/congee78 ± 9
Millet porridge67 ± 5
Muesli57 ± 2
  
FRUIT AND FRUIT PRODUCTS 
Apple, raw†36 ± 2
Orange, raw†43 ± 3
Banana, raw†51 ± 3
Pineapple, raw59 ± 8
Mango, raw†51 ± 5
Watermelon, raw76 ± 4
Dates, raw42 ± 4
Peaches, canned†43 ± 5
Strawberry jam/jelly49 ± 3
Apple juice41 ± 2
Orange juice50 ± 2
  
VEGETABLES 
Potato, boiled78 ± 4
Potato, instant mash87 ± 3
Potato, french fries63 ± 5
Carrots, boiled39 ± 4
Sweet potato, boiled63 ± 6
Pumpkin, boiled64 ± 7
Plantain/green banana55 ± 6
Taro, boiled53 ± 2
Vegetable soup48 ± 5
  
DAIRY PRODUCTS AND ALTERNATIVES 
Milk, full fat39 ± 3
Milk, skim37 ± 4
Ice cream51 ± 3
Yogurt, fruit41 ± 2
Soy milk34 ± 4
Rice milk86 ± 7
  
LEGUMES 
Chickpeas28 ± 9
Kidney beans24 ± 4
Lentils32 ± 5
Soya beans16 ± 1
  
SNACK PRODUCTS 
Chocolate40 ± 3
Popcorn65 ± 5
Potato crisps56 ± 3
Soft drink/soda59 ± 3
Rice crackers/crisps87 ± 2
  
SUGARS 
Fructose15 ± 4
Sucrose65 ± 4
Glucose103 ± 3
Honey61 ± 3
Data are means ± SEM.

* Low-GI varieties were also identified.

† Average of all available data.

Reprinted with permission from Fiona S. Atkinson, RD, Kaye Foster-Powell, RD and Jennie
C. Brand-Miller, PHD: International Tables of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values: 2008
Diabetes Care 2008 Dec; 31(12): 2281-2283. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc08-1239. Copyright
2008 by the American Diabetes Association

Glycemic Load

Glycemic load is a number used to depict the impact that food will have on a person’s blood glucose level over some time. It is calculated by multiplying the weight in grams of the carbohydrates in the food with the glycemic index divided by 100. [(grams of carbs) x (glycemic index)] ÷ 100.

For example, let’s say you had a meal that weighed 1 kg, but there were only 500 grams of carbohydrates in it. We would need to know the glycemic index of each of the different types of food in the meal to get an average. For the sake of this example, let’s say the average glycemic index of the meal was 52. The glycemic load is then calculated as 52×500/100=260.

Glycemic load depends on the glycemic index and the amount of carbohydrates consumed. If you only eat a little bit of pasta, which is very high on the glycemic index, you won’t raise your blood sugar too much due to the small amount of food you ate. You can calculate the glycemic load of a specific type of food (e.g. pasta or broccoli) or a whole meal, or all the food you ate in a day.

How To Calculate Glycemic Load

how to calculate glycemic load

Insulin Index

The insulin index is the number representing the increase in insulin in the blood within two hours after food has been consumed. Food that has a high glycemic index is going to have a much more significant impact on insulin levels than the same quantity of food with a low glycemic index.

However, certain foods that don’t have that high of a glycemic index can also massively increase insulin, such as fish, oranges, or yogurt. This is because the insulin index takes into consideration the glucose contribution from the breakdown of other types of food, not just carbohydrates. Glucose from the conversion of protein, alcohol, and to a much lesser degree, fat can increase insulin levels as well.

The insulin index is probably the most important of the three measures. This is because the more you increase your insulin levels, the more you are storing calories in your cells. If your muscles don’t need energy because they are full, then the calories get stored as fat.

Good, Healthy Foods

Protein

chicken

insulin index

glycemic load

Poultry: chicken, turkey, duck, pheasant, Cornish game hen, look for hormone and antibiotic-free.

Seafood: mackerel, anchovies, clams, cod, crab, flounder/sole, herring, small halibut, mussels, wild salmon (canned or fresh), sardines, sable, shrimp, scallops, trout.

Eggs: Up to 8 per week, organic or omega 3 eggs only.

Red or Wild Meat: lamb, beef, bison, venison, ostrich, deer, elk.

Soy: tofu or tempeh, organic non-GMO only.

Nuts: almonds, Brazil, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia, pecans, pine, pistachios, walnuts, raw cacao.

Seeds: chia, flax, hemp, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower.

Nut/Seed Butters: Almond, cashew, pecan, macadamia, walnut.

Nut Flours: almond meal, coconut flour.

Fruit

glycemic load

Blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, kiwi, lemons, limes, raspberries.

Fat

insulin load

For cooking with high heat: grass-fed butter, grapeseed oil, avocado oil.

For cooking with moderate heat: grapeseed oil, coconut oil, unrefined sesame.

Preparation without heat: flaxseed, extra virgin olive.

Nuts & Seeds: (See above).

Fish: mackerel, sardines, trout, herring, anchovies.

Produce: avocado, olives, raw cacao, coconut.

Beverages

insulin index

Purified water, herbal tea, seltzer, mineral water (in moderation).

Non-Starchy Vegetables

glycemic load

Artichokes, arugula, asparagus, avocado, bean sprouts, beet greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, chives, collard greens, cucumber, dandelion greens, eggplant, endive, garlic, ginger root, green beans, hearts of palm, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, onions, parsley, peppers (bell, chilli, etc.), radicchio, radish, rutabaga, seaweed, shallots, snap beans, snow peas, spinach, summer squash, Swiss chard, tomatillos, tomatoes, turnips, turnip greens, watercress, zucchini.

From Dr. Mark Hyman’s “10 Day Detox Diet

Remember, we have a minimal amount of calories we can take in, and we need to maximize the nutrients in those calories. Avoid empty calories and get as nutrient-rich foods as you can. Get a variety to try and meet your body’s needs.

I wish you lots of health, love and happiness!

Travis Wade

The only holistic personal trainer in Edmonton.

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