8 Fitness-Boosting Foods and Nutrients

If optimal fitness is your goal, there's no getting around your diet. That’s right, fitness is not all about designing the ideal workout plan, as your diet can easily make or break an otherwise excellent regimen.
Knowing which foods and specific nutrients deliver the most bang for your buck in terms of supporting your fitness goals can go a long way.
First and foremost, however, keep in mind that while pre-packaged processed foods may be convenient, cooking from scratch using fresh unprocessed ingredients is an absolute must if you want to improve your health.
Processing tends to denature nutrients, so what you end up with is typically a far inferior version compared to the real thing.

Fitness-Boosting Foods and Helpful Supplements

Here, I’ll review eight of my top picks for “most valuable fitness foods,” and the featured article in Men’s Fitness magazine lists another 20. I don’t agree with all of their selections however, such as pasteurized milk and yoghurt, unfermented soy products, and whole wheat bread. To find out why, check out the hyperlinks provided.
The following eight however, are foods and specific nutrients that I believe are among the most helpful, in terms of supporting your fitness and overall good health. Aim to incorporate as many of these foods into your diet on a daily or weekly basis, and you'll be off to a great start. Keep in mind that all of the items on this list should be organic, and if possible grass-fed/pastured or wild.
If you're like most people—including many athletes—you're probably eating too many carbs. Your body's need for sugar is, biologically, very small. And when you consume more than you need, your body turns it into fat.
Remember, you do not get fat from eating healthy fats—you get fat from eating too many carbs (sugar). Hence, what you’ll find on my list are primarily healthful fats, which is what you’ll want to replace the lost carbs with for energy, along with high-quality proteins and a couple of specific nutrients that are particularly beneficial for boosting athletic performance.
Remember: you cannot exercise your way out of a bad diet, and the first step toward improving your diet is to cut out as much sugar/fructose and grain-carbs as possible, and replace the carbs with healthful fats, and a moderate amount of high-quality protein.

#1 Whole, Fresh Avocado

Avocado, which is classified as a fruit, are rich in monounsaturated fat that is easily burned for energy. As I’ve mentioned before, eliminating grain carbs is one of the best ways to support your health and maintain your weight, but when you cut down on carbs, you need to increase your intake of healthy fats. Avocados are an excellent source, along with organic raw butter, coconut oil, and organic pastured eggs, just to name a few.
Healthful fats provide an ideal form of fuel for sustained energy during a workout. It’s far better than carb-loading for most people. I’ve previously written about the importance of avoiding fructose and grains before and after a workout, as sugar will negate many of the benefits you reap from exercise.
This is especially true if you do high intensity exercises, which will boost your body’s production of human growth hormone (HGH). Consuming carbs within a couple of hours prior to or after such exercise will effectively prevent HGH from being produced.
There’s also evidence suggesting that limiting your intake of protein can be helpful for long-term good health and the prevention of cancer. At the very least, most people are consuming far too much poor-quality protein, such as beef and animal products from livestock raised in confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Here again, if you cut down on protein, you need to replace lost calories with healthy fats such as avocados, coconut oil, olives, olive oil, butter and nuts.
Overall, most people would do well to get upwards of 50-70 percent fat in their diet (along with high amounts of vegetable carbs, moderate-to-low amounts of high-quality protein, and very little, if any, carbs). According to the California Avocado Commission, a medium Hass avocado contains about 22.5 grams of fat, two-thirds of which is monounsaturated. They’re also very low in fructose, which is yet another boon.
Avocados are also very high in potassium and will help balance your vitally important potassium to sodium ratio, and it enables your body to more efficiently absorb fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha- and beta-carotene and lutein, in other foods eaten in conjunction.  You can review additional information on avocados by visiting my What are Avocados Good For page.

#2: Organic Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is nature's richest source of healthy medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), which your body sends directly to your liver to use as energy.¹ This makes coconut oil a powerful source of instant energy to your body, a function usually served in the diet by simple carbohydrates. Numerous studies have shown that MCFAs promote weight loss² and help improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. Additionally, research has demonstrated that, due to its beneficial metabolic effect, coconut oil also increases the activity of your thyroid. A sluggish thyroid is one reason why some people are unable to lose weight, no matter what they do.
Half of the fat content in coconut oil is lauric acid—a fat rarely found in nature—that could easily qualify as a "miracle" ingredient because of its unique health promoting properties. Your body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoa properties, for example.
You can add raw organic coconut oil to green juices, smoothies, and even coffee (in lieu of sugar). It’s also the ideal choice for all types of cooking. In fact, it's the only oil stable enough to resist mild heat-induced damage. So, whenever you need an oil to cook or bake with, use coconut oil instead of butter, olive oil, vegetable oil, margarine, or any other type of oil called for in recipes.

#3: Wild Alaskan Salmon

Wild Alaskan salmon is an excellent source of essential animal-based omega-3 fats (EPA and DHA), high-quality protein, as well as astaxanthin and other antioxidants—all of which are important nutrients for fitness. Over the last several years, I’ve vigilantly warned against eating most fish, as virtually all fish these days contains dangerously high levels of mercury and other toxic contaminants. If it wasn't for the health risks posed by this contamination, fish in general would be among my absolute most recommended foods for their outstanding nutritional benefits, including high levels of omega-3 with DHA and EPA, which most people are desperately lacking in their diets.
However, there are still some exceptions, and wild Alaskan salmon is one of them, as long as its purity can be verified. This was so important to me personally; I did loads of research to find a trusted source of Wild Alaskan salmon that passed third-party testing by an independent lab. I strongly recommend avoiding farmed fish though, particularly farmed salmon, and even more specifically genetically engineered farmed salmon.

#4: Organic Pastured Eggs

Proteins are nutrients that are essential to the building, maintenance and repair of your body tissues such as your skin, internal organs and muscles. They are also the major components of your immune system and hormones. Proteins are found in all types of food, but only foods from animal sources, such as meat and eggs contain complete proteins, meaning they provide the eight essential amino acids.
Eggs, as well as the chickens they come from, are both healthful sources of protein but ONLY if raised the way nature intended. True free-range eggs, now increasingly referred to as “pasture-raised,” come from hens that roam freely outdoors on a pasture where they can forage for their natural diet, which includes seeds, green plants, insects, and worms. Barring organic certification, which is cost-prohibitive for many small farmers, you could just make sure the farmer raises his chickens according to organic, free-range standards, allowing his flock to forage freely for their natural diet, and aren’t fed antibiotics, corn and soy.
Testing³ has confirmed that true free-range eggs are far more nutritious than commercially raised eggs. The dramatically superior nutrient levels are most likely the result of the differences in diet between free ranging, pastured hens and commercially farmed hens. Besides high-quality protein, pasture-raised eggs also contain healthful saturated fats and cholesterol—both of which your body actually needs for optimal health.
You can usually tell the eggs are free range or pastured by the color of the egg yolk. Foraged hens produce eggs with bright orange yolks. Dull, pale yellow yolks are a sure sign you're getting eggs form caged hens that are not allowed to forage for their natural diet. Cornucopia.org offers a helpful organic egg scorecard that rates egg manufacturers based on 22 criteria that are important for organic consumers.
Ideally, you’ll want to eat your eggs raw, or as close to raw as possible. Keep in mind that the closer to raw you eat them, the more important it is to make sure the eggs are truly organic and pasture-raised, as CAFO-raised eggs are far more prone to be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria like salmonella. If you choose not to eat your egg yolks raw, poached or soft-boiled would be the next best option. Scrambled or fried eggs are the worst, as this oxidizes the cholesterol in the egg yolk. Egg yolks also contain valuable antioxidants,⁴ which are reduced by as much as 50 percent when the egg is fried or boiled.

#5: Organic Pasture-Raised Chicken

The foods you eat after exercise produce different effects on your body's metabolism, so planning your post-workout meal is an important factor. Research has shown that aerobic exercise most effectively enhances insulin sensitivity when your post-workout meal has relatively low carbohydrate content.
After a cardiovascular workout, wait 30-45 minutes, and then consume a high-quality source of protein (whole food) along with a vegetable-type carbohydrate. An example would be a spinach salad and some chicken. The reason why you'll want to wait a bit after the session to eat is to ride the fat burning wave of your cardio session. However, waiting more than an hour is typically too long, and can start to slow down your metabolism because your body goes into starvation mode.
As mentioned above, organic free-range chicken is an excellent source of protein and essential amino acids for muscle growth and maintenance. Organic chicken is also raised without the use of antibiotics (which are often used to promote growth in confined animal feeding operations, aka CAFOs). This is another important aspect, as over half of the antibiotics fed to mass-produced farm animals, including chickens, are identical to the ones administered to humans, and overuse of such antibiotics is the primary driver of antibiotic-resistant disease. Antibiotics also kill off beneficial bacteria in your gut, which can lead to chronic gut problems when consumed on a regular basis.

#6: Antibiotic Free, Grass-Fed Whey Protein

Whey protein, which is derived from milk, is considered the gold standard of protein by many, and is one of the best types of foods you can consume before and after exercise. This is particularly true after a resistance or strength training workout, when you need a meal that can be rapidly absorbed. Here, whey protein is an ideal choice, along with a higher glycemic (fast released, starchy) carbohydrate, such as a banana. The potassium in the banana seems to help with recovery. Ideally, you'll want to consume it 15-30 minutes after your intense weight training session.
If you want, you can take 20 grams of whey protein (make sure there’s no added sugar) 30 minutes before exercise, and another serving about 30 minutes afterward. This can help increase both fat burning and muscle building. According to a 2010 study,⁵ consuming whey protein (20g protein / serving) 30 minutes before resistance training can boost your body's metabolism for as much as 24 hours after your workout.
If you are only going to do one whey meal, then your post-workout meal is the most crucial, especially if your aim is to increase your muscle growth.
It appears as though the amino acids found in high-quality whey protein activate certain cellular mechanisms (including mTORC-1), which in turn promote muscle protein synthesis, boost thyroid, and also protect against declining testosterone levels after exercise. This is in stark contrast to athletes who load up on carbs to fuel their workouts. As mentioned earlier, “carb loading” is a mistake, particularly for people engaged in intense strength training, as you will burn carb fuel very quickly and then “hit the wall.” The same goes for most people who start their day with muffins, bagels, or pancakes for example. This type of breakfast typically ignites a vicious cycle of hunger and snacking on even more carbs. And the more you continue eating these carb snacks, the more insulin resistant you become.
Since whey protein is a by-product of dairy, it’s important to make sure it’s derived from grass-fed, non-hormonally treated cows. It should also be minimally processed in order to preserve beneficial immuno components such as immunoglobins, bovine serum albomin, lactoferins, and other key amino acids and nutrients.
Most commercial whey products are derived from pasteurized dairy and processed with heat and acid, which destroys the whey's fragile Immuno components and damages important amino acids. Many of them also contain chemical additives, detergents and artificial sweeteners, which are known for their health shattering effects. And contrary to popular belief, artificial sweeteners actually sabotageyour weight loss efforts by impairing your ability to regulate your appetite naturally.

#7: Astaxanthin

Astaxanthin is a natural compound that clinical studies have shown helps increase strength and stamina, decrease post-exertion recovery time, and decrease soreness after physical activity, which is why it’s on this list. It’s also thought to be one of the most potent antioxidants currently known, with a wide range of health benefits over and beyond those mentioned here. One of the benefits of astaxanthin that has piqued the interest of researchers though is its ability to enhance athletic performance.
Reports of significant health improvements from astaxanthin supplementation have come in from athletes all over the world. For example, Tim Marr, a professional triathlete in Honolulu, Hawaii, suffered from overuse injuries and sun overexposure from rigorously training in the intense Hawaiian sun. Since starting a natural astaxanthin supplement, he's experienced significantly fewer overuse injuries and fewer adverse reactions to the sun. Marr credits astaxanthin with helping him achieve his goals and says the supplement is now one of his favorite tools as a professional athlete. I'd say it's working—he went on to win the 2006 Pan American Long Distance Triathlon.
There are only two main sources of natural astaxanthin—the microalgae that produce it, and the sea creatures that consume the algae (such as salmon, shellfish, and krill). Most of astaxanthin's benefits come from its powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Inflammation can slow an athlete down and cost him or her valuable training days. If you are a professional athlete, you can't afford to take time off to recover from fatigue or sore joints and muscles. So anything that can reduce inflammation will undoubtedly augment your athletic capacity—and astaxanthin is one of the most effective natural inflammatories there is. It has the ability to travel to every cell, tissue and organ in your body and helps your physical performance in the following ways:

Scavenging free radicals in your energy-producing mitochondrial cells	Decreasing muscle inflammation	Improving visual acuity and depth perception
Decreasing oxidative damage to your cell membranes and DNA	Reducing lactic acid in your muscles (a byproduct of physical exertion)	Improving sun tolerance and reducing your tendency to sunburn

#8: Rhodiola Rosea

The perennial plant Rhodiola Rosea has also been found to have exercise benefits. It’s known as an “adaptogen,” which can help your body adapt to physical, chemical, and environmental stress, and is used by many athletes for improving athletic performance⁶ and shortening recovery time between workouts. According to a 2004 study,⁷ extracts of Rhodiola rosea radix had an anti-inflammatory effect on healthy untrained volunteers, before and after bouts of exhausting exercise. It also protected muscle tissue during exercise. According to the abstract:

“Professional athletes effectively use Rhodiola rosea ('golden radix') extract as a safe nonsteroid food additive improving endurance and rapid recovery of muscles during several decades. Rhodiola rosea extract improves muscle work due to mobilization and more economic expenditure of energy resources of muscles. The use of adaptogens including R. rosea improved physical endurance of male athletes, reducing blood lactate level and accelerating recovery after exhausting exercise.”

Other studies have similarly found that Rhodiola can significantly increase time to exhaustion during exercise,⁸ reduce C reactive protein levels and improve neuromotoric fitness.
For example, a 2003 animal study⁹ found that rats given 50 mg/kg of Rhodiola rosea extract along with the same amount of Rhodiola crenulata root, prolonged the duration of exhaustive swimming the rats were capable of by nearly 25 percent. This improvement was found to be due to the extracts’ ability to activate the synthesis or resynthesis of ATP in mitochondria. The extracts also stimulated reparative energy processes that take place post-exercise. Rhodiola rosea was determined to be the most effective of the two extracts for improving physical working capacity.

Remember: Avoid Sugar Before, During and After Exercise!

Besides knowing which foods will help you optimize your exercise efforts, you also want to pay careful attention to what NOT to eat. To maximize the benefits of exercise, including weight loss benefits, you'll want to carefully avoid fruit juices, energy drinks, sports drinks, most energy bars, and other sweetened beverages like Vitamin Water.
These, and virtually all other processed foods and beverages, contain high amounts of sugar, including fructose, which will effectively sabotage your efforts and nullify many of the benefits of exercise. Remember, 80 percent of the benefits you reap from a healthy lifestyle comes from you diet, and the remaining 20 percent from exercise. Exercise cannot counteract the harmful effects of a high-fructose diet.
Fructose fools your metabolism and essentially tricks your body into gaining weight by turning off your body's appetite-control system. It also rapidly leads to weight gain and abdominal obesity ("beer belly"), decreased HDL, increased LDL, elevated triglycerides, elevated blood sugar, and high blood pressure -- i.e., classic metabolic syndrome.
Additionally, consuming fructose, including that from fruit juices, within two hours of a high-intensity workout will decimate your natural human growth hormone (HGH) production - a MAJOR benefit of interval training. This happens because fructose increases production of the hormone somatostatin, a primary purpose of which is to inhibit the production of HGH...
Granted, there is a small group of elite and highly competitive athletes for whom increasing growth hormone is not a primary goal. For these athletes, consuming some carbs, preferably dextrose-based, in the recovery period is probably a good idea to improve their recovery time and will help to maximize their athletic performance. Since they're competing, they're less likely to be concerned about long-term growth hormone levels. But for most others, increasing HGH through high intensity interval exercise is an important factor for optimizing health, so most of my readers will want to heed to the sugar and juice restriction.
Aside from avoiding fructose like the plague, remember to combine a quality protein with a veggie-type carb in every meal, no matter whether it's a resistance training day, an interval cardio day, or a non-workout day. However, after strength training (as opposed to cardio training), your body tends to need more rapidly absorbed nutrients and a higher glycemic (fast released, starchy) carbohydrate. Another slight difference between interval cardio and strength training days is the timing of your meal.

• After cardio, you want to wait 30-45 minutes, and then consume a high-quality protein (whole food) and vegetable-type carbohydrate. (An example would be a spinach salad and some chicken, or high-quality whey protein).
• After a resistance workout (muscle-building day), the ideal time to consume your post-workout meal is 15-30 minutes after finishing your session, in order to help repair your damaged muscles. Here, whey protein is an ideal choice as it’s predigested and therefore rapidly digested and easily assimilated, along with a higher glycemic (fast released, starchy) carbohydrate, such as a banana.

6 Truths About Exercise That Nobody Wants to Believe

Success in the gym, as with most things in life, comes down to mastering the basics.
With that in mind, here are six exercise tips, weight lifting basics and training essentials that nobody wants to believe, but everyone should follow.
Take these ideas to heart and you'll reap major benefits. While most people waste time debating the endless stream of supplements, "new" workout programs and diet plans, all you really have to do is focus on these simple concepts and you'll see results.


1. You need to commit for the long term.
Most people work out with a short-term goal in mind. I like looking at health in a different way.

• The goal is not to lose 40 pounds in the next 12 weeks. The goal is to regain your health for the rest of your life.
• The goal is not to bench press 300 pounds. The goal is to be the guy who never misses a workout.
• The goal is not to sacrifice everything to get your fastest time in next month's race. The goal is to be faster next year than you are today. And faster two years from now than you will be next year.

Ignore the short-term results. If you commit to the long-term process, the results will come anyway.
Furthermore, stop acting like living a healthy life is a big deal. You can go to the gym every week. That can be "normal" for you. Not a sacrifice. Not an obligation. Normal.
What's funny is that when you commit to being consistent over the long term, you end up seeing remarkable results in the short term. That's the power of average speed.


2. You need to set a schedule for your training.
Most people never train consistently because they are always wondering when they are going to train next.
They are always wondering:
"Will I be motivated to work out when I get home from work?"
"Will I have enough free time to exercise today?"
"Will I have enough willpower to wake up early and run?"
In other words, most people train when they feel motivated or inspired.
Here's a better idea. Stop treating exercise as something to do when it's convenient and start setting a schedule for yourself to follow. This is what makes the difference between professionals and amateurs.
For example, I train every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 p.m. I don't have to think about when I'm going to train. I don't sit around and wonder which days I'll feel motivated to lift. I don't hope that I'll have some extra time to work out today. Instead, I put it on the schedule and then organize my life and responsibilities around it (just like you would organize your day around your class or your meeting or your kid's baseball game).
Setting a schedule for your training becomes even more important when life gets crazy. There will always be occasional emergencies that prevent you from working out. It's part of life. The problem is that most people miss one workout and before they know it, they haven't been to the gym in four weeks.
But when you have a schedule for your training, you have a way of pulling yourself back on track as quickly as possible.
Top performers make mistakes just like everyone else. The difference is that they get back on track quicker than most. Miss your workout on Friday because you were traveling for work? Guess what? Your next training session is already scheduled for Monday at 6 p.m. I'll see you there.
Let your schedule govern your actions, not your level of motivation.


3. You need to focus on the best exercises.
Great results come from great focus, not great variety.
Too many people waste time in the gym because they bounce around without any real goal, doing a little bit of this machine and a little bit of that machine. Thankfully, there is a simple rule that will always guide you toward the best exercises: the more an exercise makes you move, the bigger the benefits it will deliver.
This is why the clean and jerk and the snatch are the kingpins of weight lifting. They are the exercises that force your body to move the most (and the quickest). As a result, the people who do these exercises see incredible results.
Here's a short list of the best exercises. In my opinion, at least one of the first five exercises should be included in every workout.

1. Squat


2. Deadlift


3. Bench press


4. Clean and jerk


5. Snatch


6. Sprints


7. Overhead press


8. Good mornings


9. Pull-ups


10. Push-ups

4. You need to start light and train for volume before intensity.
Ask most people if they had a good workout and they'll say things like, "Oh yeah, it was so intense." Or, "I'm going to be so sore tomorrow." Or, "I finished my workout by doing a set to failure."
It's great to push yourself, but the biggest mistake that most people make is not building a foundation of strength. Everyone wants to jump in and max out with a weight that is "hard." That's exactly the wrong way to do it. Your workouts should be easy in the beginning. (See: "How to Start Working Out.")
Training to failure is a good way to wear yourself down, not build yourself up. You should have reps left in you at the end of your workout (and at the end of each set). Take point #5 (below) to heart, and your workouts will get hard enough, fast enough. Trust me.
The phrase that I like to keep in mind is "train for volume before intensity." In other words, I want to build the capacity to do the work before I start testing my limits.
Just to be clear. Volume doesn't have to mean "do sets of 20 reps." (I rarely do more than 10 reps in a single set.) Instead, I like to think of volume over a period of weeks and months.
For example, right now I'm doing a 5 x 5 squat program (five sets of five squats). I started light. The first week, I lifted with a weight that was very easy for me. Then, I slowly added five pounds each week. For weeks, it was still easy. Eventually, when I built up to a weight that was heavy, I had the capacity to handle it because I had already done dozens (if not hundreds) of sets over the previous weeks and months. Focusing on volume now allows you to handle the intensity later on.


5. You need to make slow progress each week.
Most people walk into the gym every week, do the same exercises with the same amount of weight, and wonder why they aren't getting stronger. You'll see people step onto the same treadmill, run two miles like they always do and wonder why they aren't losing weight.
Here's a little story that explains the problem and the solution.
Imagine that you are in a quiet room and someone turns on a loud and noisy fan. At first, it's obvious and irritating. But if you are forced to stay in the room long enough, the fan starts to become part of the background noise. In other words, your body registers the sound at first, but eventually it realizes "Oh, this is the new normal for this environment."
Your body adapts and the noise fades away. Something similar happens when you exercise.
When you start to train, it's like turning on the fan. Something new is happening in the environment, and your body registers the change by getting stronger and leaner. But after a few workouts, your body realizes "this is the new normal." Your body finds a way to adapt to this new environment, just like it did with the noisy fan. As a result, you stop getting stronger and stop losing weight.
What got you here won't get you there. If you want to see different results, you have to do something different. If you want to see progress each week, then you have to progress each week.
This is actually very simple to do. Add five pounds each week. Add an extra set this week. Do the same exercise, but rest for 15 seconds less between sets. These are all ways of changing the stimulus and forcing your body to slowly and methodically get better.


6. You need to record your workouts.
What gets measured, gets managed. If you can't even tell me how many sets and reps you did with a particular weight two weeks ago, how can you guarantee that you're actually getting stronger?
Tracking your progress is simple: get a small notebook and write down your workouts. (I use a little black Moleskin notebook that I bought a bookstore.)
At the top of the page, write the date of your workout. Then, simply write down the exercise you are doing. When you finish a set, record it in your notebook while you're waiting to do the next one.
Recording your training is especially important because it brings all of these points together.
You can look back and see how you're making long-term progress (point #1). You can see on which dates you trained and how often you were on schedule (point #2). You can verify that you did the best exercises each workout (point #3). You can see how you are slowly building up volume and developing a foundation of strength (point #4). And you can prove that you're making slow methodical progress each week (point #5).
What You Should Do Now
Your could spend your entire life mastering these six points, but these are the basics that will make a real difference in your training.
Here are your action steps:

• Set a schedule. When and where, exactly, are you going to train?


• Get a notebook and pen to record your training.


• Focus on the best exercises that make you move a lot.


• Start with a weight that is very light and train for volume before intensity.


• Slowly increase the weight each week.

Happy lifting.

ADHD Drug Emergencies Quadrupled in 6 Years

According to a 2010 US government survey, 1 in 10 American children now has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)—a 22 percent increase from 2003. ADHD makes it hard for children to pay attention and control impulsive behavior.
About two-thirds of the children diagnosed with ADHD are on some form of prescription medication, and according to data recently released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), ADHD drugs such as Ritalin, Vyvanse, Strattera, and Adderall (and their generic equivalents) were responsible for nearly 23,000 emergency room visits in 2011.
This is a more than 400 percent increase in ER visits due to adverse reactions to such drugs in a mere six years! According to the featured article in Forbes Magazine¹:

“The population group studied was 18-34, but the rise was most dramatic among 18- to 25-year-olds, Federal officials say.

The report, which was published August 8th in The DAWN Report², a SAMSA publication, also warned that heart and blood vessel damage has been linked with 'nonmedical' use of the stimulant drugs, based on a 2012 study reported in Brain and Behavior³.”

This, I think, should demand the attention of politicians like Senator Durbin, who claims to be oh-so-concerned about the dangers posed by supplements. But no, hypocritical to a fault, Durbin is nowhere to be found when the issue of dangerous drugs come to the fore.

Misuse of Behavior-Modification Drugs Is Rising Dramatically

The DAWN report highlights the growing trend of prescription drug abuse, and reveals that more than half of these youngsters—primarily college-aged—obtained the drug either from a friend or relative, free of charge. Seventeen percent purchased them from someone they knew.
Other reports also show a dramatic spike in ADHD drug abuse.

“Data from I.M.S. Health⁴ found that 48.4 million prescriptions for ADHD stimulants were written in 2011, a 39 percent jump from 2007. More importantly, close to 14,000 new monthly prescriptions were written for ADHD stimulants, up from 5.6 million in 2007,” the featured article states.

Far from being recognized for their potential health hazards, these kinds of stimulants have gained a reputation as “cognition enhancers” among students and young professionals seeking to gain an edge.
Unfortunately, it’s exceedingly easy to fake ADHD symptoms in order to secure a prescription, and as noted in a 2008 study published in the Journal of American College Health⁵:

“Of the study participants, 34 percent reported the illegal use of ADHD stimulants. Most illegal users reported using ADHD stimulants primarily in periods of high academic stress and found them to reduce fatigue while increasing reading comprehension, interest, cognition, and memory.

Furthermore, most had little information about the drug and found procurement to be both easy and stigmafree.”

Meanwhile, the potential side effects of ADHD drugs are actually quite serious. Certainly, no one should take them without being under a competent doctor’s care:

Permanent brain damage	Cardio toxicity, and liver damage	Cancer
Changes in personality, depression, and/or hallucinations	Heart attack and stroke	Sudden death and suicide

In related news⁶, US health officials have launched a federal probe into the use of antipsychotic drugs on children in the Medicaid system. According to a study of data from 2004, kids using Medicaid were prescribed antipsychotic medications four times more often than those with private insurance. In 2008, more than 19,000 children under the age of five received Medicaid prescriptions for antipsychotics. Most shocking of all, the study also found that Medicaid prescriptions for antipsychotics were issued to children younger than one year old!
It’s exceedingly difficult to fathom a situation that would actually warrant giving a toddler an antipsychotic drug... After all, medications cannot address the underlying cause of aberrant behavior.

What Is ADHD, and What Causes It?

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) involves a cluster of symptoms that include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behaviors. Often, children with the conditions may struggle in school and with relationships, and suffer from low self-esteem. The similar term attention deficit disorder (ADD) has largely been replaced with ADHD, as it describes two of the most common symptoms of the condition, inattention and hyperactive-impulsive behavior. Most children display a combination of these two traits, along with the following symptoms⁷:

Frequent fidgeting or squirming	Has difficulty playing quietly	Always seems on the go
Feels restless or often runs and climbs excessively, or leaves his or her seat in the classroom when not appropriate	Talks excessively, interrupts often, and may blurt out answers to questions at inappropriate times	Has difficulty waiting his or her turn
Frequent daydreaming	Frequently has problems organizing tasks or activities	Difficulty following through on instructions and apparently not listening

As you can see, many of these “symptoms” could describe virtually any child, or most children, at one time or another. As such, those who display these symptoms at school but not at home or with friends are not considered to have ADHD. Ditto for children who display symptoms at home but not at school. Only children who struggle with inattention and hyperactive or impulsive behaviors around the clock are deemed to have ADHD—although a 2010 study published in the Journal of Health Economics⁸ determined that about 20 percent of children are likely to have been misdiagnosed...
The cause of ADHD remains elusive, and according to psychiatrist Leon Eisenberg, who was hailed as the “scientific father of ADHD,” the disorder is “a prime example of a fictitious disease.” Eisenberg made this confession in a 2012 interview with the German paper Der Spiegel, just seven months prior to his death⁹ at the age of 87.
Still, behavioral problems, just like emotional problems, do exist. The question is, why does it seem to affect so many these days?
One plausible theory places the blame, at least in part, on exposure to environmental toxins. For example, a 2006 study¹⁰ found that a mother's use of cigarettes, alcohol, or other drugs during pregnancy could increase the risk for ADHD. The study also suggested that exposure to lead and/or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can cause ADHD symptoms. Pesticide exposure has also been linked with ADHD.
Unfortunately, few are focusing on basic nutrition, which I believe is a key factor. We know that the food choices of most children and adults today are incredibly poor, and how can you possibly expect a child to have normal behavior if he is fed refined grains, sugars, and processed foods loaded with chemicals and largely devoid of natural nutrients? Four dietary factors of particular concern are:

• Too much sugar
• Gluten sensitivity
• Too few beneficial bacteria
• Omega-3 deficiency

Too Much Sugar and Gluten Can Trigger ADHD Symptoms

The number of children being harmed, perhaps for life, by unnecessary drugging is truly heartbreaking. Especially when there are so many simple and safe, not to mention healthier, alternatives. Many are reluctant to adopt unproven strategies, but the great news is that many of these non-drug alternatives are indeed supported by science. Besides, why would you opt for a drug that is similar to cocaine as the first-line of treatment for your child—or for yourself?!
The two most oft-cited dietary villains that can trigger ADHD symptoms are sugar and gluten. This automatically makes grains of all kinds a primary food to avoid, as most grains not only contain gluten, but also turn into sugar in your body. There is evidence^11,12 suggesting that gluten sensitivity may be at the root of a number of neurological and psychiatric conditions, including ADHD, is quite compelling. As stated in one 2011 study¹³:

“Celiac disease is markedly overrepresented among patients presenting with ADHD. A gluten-free diet significantly improved ADHD symptoms in patients with celiac disease in this study. The results further suggest that celiac disease should be included in the ADHD symptom checklist.”

Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, rye and barley. In those with celiac disease, gluten triggers an immune reaction that damages the small intestine and prevents absorption of nutrients. People with gluten sensitivity, which may comprise 10 percent of the US population or more, experience many of the same symptoms that celiac disease causes, including headaches, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, gas and more.
Scientists now recognize the deep interconnectedness between your gut and your brain, and there’s little doubt that chronic inflammation in your body can wreak havoc on your brain function. Hence, reducing inflammation in your gut is imperative when addressing mental health issues,¹⁴ and it’s quite common for people to experience a wide variety of mental and emotional health improvements once they eliminate gluten from their diet.

Behavioral Problems Are Closely Linked to Poor Gut Health

The gut-brain connection is well recognized as a basic tenet of physiology and medicine, and there’s a wealth of evidence showing gastrointestinal involvement in a variety of neurological diseases, not just ADHD. Your gut and your brain are actually created out of the same type of tissue. During fetal development, one part turns into your central nervous system while the other develops into your enteric nervous system. These two systems are connected via the vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve that runs from your brain stem down to your abdomen. So in a very real sense you have two brains, one inside your skull and one in your gut, and each needs its own vital nourishment.
As explained by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, a medical doctor with a postgraduate degree in neurology, toxicity in your gut can flow throughout your body and into your brain, where it can cause symptoms of autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, depression, schizophrenia and other mental disorders.

Total Video Length: 1:13:21
Download Interview Transcript

She believes the epidemic of autism and other learning disorders originate in the gut, and manifest as a condition known as Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS). GAPS may manifest as a conglomerate of symptoms that can fit the diagnosis of either autism, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), attention deficit disorder (ADD) without hyperactivity, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, just to name a few possibilities... Fortunately, it is possible to identify GAPS within the first weeks of your baby's life. (This can also help you make better informed decisions about vaccinations, as if your child has the metabolic characteristics of GAPS, he or she should NOT be immunized until that is reversed.)

How to Optimize Your Gut Flora

To reseed your gut with the healthy bacteria (probiotics) necessary for optimal gut health, I recommend the following strategies:

• Avoid processed, refined foods in your diet.
• Eat traditionally fermented, unpasteurized foods: Fermented foods are one of the best routes to optimal digestive health, as long as you eat the traditionally made, unpasteurized versions. Some of the beneficial bacteria found in fermented foods are also excellent chelators of heavy metals and pesticides, which will also have a beneficial health effect by reducing your toxic load. Healthy choices include:
• Fermented vegetables
• Lassi (an Indian yoghurt drink, traditionally enjoyed before dinner)
• Fermented milk, such as kefir
• Natto (fermented soy)
Ideally, you want to eat a variety of fermented foods to maximize the variety of bacteria you’re consuming. Fermented vegetables, which are one of my new passions, are an excellent way to supply beneficial bacteria back into your gut. And, unlike some other fermented foods, they tend to be palatable, if not downright delicious, to most people.
As an added bonus, they can also be a great source of vitamin K2 if you ferment your own using the proper starter culture. We tested samples of high-quality fermented organic vegetables made with our specific starter culture, and a typical serving (about two to three ounces) contained not only 10 trillion beneficial bacteria, it also had 500 mcg of vitamin K2, which we now know is a vital co-nutrient to both vitamin D and calcium.
Most high-quality probiotic supplements will only supply you with a fraction of the beneficial bacteria found in such homemade fermented vegetables, so it’s your most economical route to optimal gut health as well. We hope to have the starter culture that will make high amounts of K2 in the near future. In the meantime, you can use our Complete Probiotics, two capsules per quart, until the new one comes out.

• Take a high-quality probiotic supplement. Although I'm not a major proponent of taking many supplements (as I believe the majority of your nutrients need to come from food), probiotics are an exception if you don’t eat fermented foods on a regular basis

The Importance of Omega-3

Our modern diet contains an overabundance of highly processed, damaged omega-6 fats while being deficient in omega-3s. As mentioned earlier, this too may be a contributing factor in ADHD, and taking a high-quality animal-based omega-3 fat, such as fish oil, or better yet, krill oil, may help to reverse such symptoms.
For example, research by the University of Adelaide in Australia found that fish oil improves the symptoms of ADHD more effectively than drugs like Ritalin and Concerta. They gave daily fish oil capsules to 130 children diagnosed with ADHD, ages 7-12. Within three months, the children’s behavior improved dramatically. They also found that:

• After seven months, the children were not as restless and showed improvements at school
• Improvements in concentration and attention improved by one-third
• After 15 weeks, 30-40 percent of the children taking fish oil had improvements
• After 30 weeks, 40-50 percent improved
• Children taking placebo capsules were later switched to fish oil and subsequently also experienced improved behavior

Improvements were still being seen after the study ended, which suggests that fish oils may have long-term effects. Another clinical study of children with ADHD showed that they significantly improved both their clinical scores and identified EEG patterns when krill oil was added to their diet for a period of 13 weeks.
I first started hearing about the benefits of krill oil for ADHD back in 2006. The following year, in 2007, a clinical study¹⁵ examining the effects of krill oil on adults diagnosed with ADHD also showed positive results. In that study, patients improved their ability to concentrate by an average of over 60 percent after taking a daily 500mg dose of krill oil for six months. They also reported a 50 percent improvement in planning skills, and close to 49 percent improvement in social skills.

Key Dietary Changes for ADHD

It is my sincere hope that people will begin to realize that drug therapy, if necessary, should be a very last resort, after all other options have been exhausted. Instead, I advise using the following dietary changes as the first route of treatment for attention and behavioral problems associated with ADHD. For more comprehensive details on what makes for a healthful diet, please see my optimized nutrition plan:

• Eliminate most grains and sugars, including fructose. Grains and sugars both tend to cause allergies in sensitive individuals. Even organic, whole, sprouted grains can cause problems in many children so it would be wise to give them a “grain holiday” and see if their behavior improves.
• Replace sweetened beverages (diet and regular), including fruit juices and also pasteurized milk, with pure non-fluoridated water.
• Avoid all processed foods, especially those containing fructose, trans fats, artificial colors, flavors and preservatives, which may trigger or worsen symptoms. Gluten is also commonly hidden in processed foods like ready-made soups, soy sauce, candies, cold cuts, and various low- and no-fat products, as well as refined grain products like bread, pizza crust, pasta, cookies and pastries.
• Increase omega-3 fats by taking a high-quality animal-based omega-3 oil. In my view, krill oil is the best option for this. It contains essential EPA and DHA in a double-chain phospholipid structure that makes it far more absorbable than the omega-3s in fish oil.
• Eat traditionally fermented, unpasteurized foods, as described above, or take a high-quality probiotics supplement

Additional Strategies to Relieve ADHD Symptoms

Besides addressing your or your child’s nutrition, I also recommend implementing the following strategies:

• Clear your house of dangerous pesticides and other commercial chemicals.
• Avoid commercial washing detergents and cleaning products used on clothes, and replace them with naturally derived cleaning products free of added perfumes, softeners, etc.
• Spend more time in nature. Researchers have found that exposing ADHD children to nature is an affordable, healthy way of controlling symptoms.
• Investigate sensory therapy and emotional wellness tools. Instead of looking for a quick fix, encourage ADHD sufferers to talk, and find out what emotions are causing issues. You may also want to consider energy psychology tools such as the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to improve emotional coping and healing.

Chilies: The pain, the pleasure and the health benefits

When you think of vitamin C, do you think of oranges or chilies? The surprising fact of the matter is that chilies have more vitamin C and beta carotene than oranges. Surprising fact number two: Red hot chili peppers are actually fruit from plants that are members of the nightshade family. This quirky product of nature has healing properties you wouldn’t normally associate with a hot bite that causes a distinct pain and burning sensation in your mouth, or for that matter, with something as ordinary as a chili. Exotic though it may be in some parts of the world, chilies have now become commonplace as a medicine. Fact is they are packed with nutritional and medicinal properties and it is said that including chili regularly in your diet can effectively control many an illness.
Let’s start at the very beginning. Chili is loaded with Vitamin A and C with a good measure of bioflavinoids. These nutrients enable blood vessels to cope with variations in blood pressure by increasing their elasticity. According to studies chilies have pain relieving abilities and their consumption could potentially relieve migraine and sinus headaches. It has been recorded that chilies can control the transmission of pain to the brain by virtue of a chemical substance in it called capsaicin. This chemical substance helps combat upper respiratory congestion and helps clear mucus from the throat. Chili is endowed with anti-bacterial properties and can prove itself in the treatment of sinus infections. The heat of chili is meant to prevent the spreading of cancer cells, more specifically to do with prostrate cancer.

According to current scientific thinking, capsaicin could be useful in the treatment of painful bone and joint conditions such as arthritis due to its powerful anti-inflammatory properties. And what with its ability to prevent or manage nervous debility, it may be a blessing for those suffering from diabetic neuropathy and has even been suggested for the treatment of herpes. Skin conditions such as psoriasis are also meant to be relieved by chili.
Chili for better digestion, increased metabolism and weight control
According to a study conducted by Duke University in North Carolina, USA, the chili pepper could be handy in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. It acts against H. Pylori bacteria and could be the best preventive therefore for stomach ulcers. There is also evidence to show the effectiveness of chili in weight control. Capsaicin can increase the body’s metabolism and the heat it generates can burn fat (this process is called thermogenisis), while the vitamin C and the beta carotene make it essential for maintaining the health of the mucus membrane in the nasal passages, lungs, intestinal tracts and urinary tracts. They are unique in their ability to build the body’s defenses against pathogens. New research has identified that chilies in your meal can reduce the amount of insulin your body needs to convert sugar to energy.
Of course, as always, it is good to exercise caution in the consumption of chilies. You don’t want to eat too much of it. And chili therapy may or may not be a good enough substitute for proper medical advice. That said, chilies are great for cooking with, adding a touch of flavor, healthfulness and even color to your meal. And an unexpected gift of the chili is that is stimulates the release of endorphins, the pleasure hormone.



Rachel C. , PhD
Research Scientist Consultant @ U-VIB
PhD, Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling
NREMT-P (National Registry of Paramedics)

Top 5 Reasons You're Not Seeing Result In Gym

After over 20 years in the personal training business, I've come to realize that many people still have problems achieving their personal fitness goals. While this is good for my business, the vast majority of people will be training on their own without a trainer. So it’s with these folks in mind that I'm writing this.
Regardless of the goal (fat loss, muscle gain, or performance), I believe there are a few commonalities to the lack of results the average trainee experiences.
Here are my top 5:

1. Trying to create the perfect workout
While knowledge is a great thing, many trainees experience “analysis paralysis." The Internet age has made this a bigger problem than ever before.
Simply put, there is too much information available. We are constantly being bombarded by the latest tips, tricks and secrets to six-pack abs or buns of steel. And it all sounds good.
The result of this information overload is generally an over-complicated, convoluted, impossible to maintain program. By the time you’ve sprinkled in a little of program A with a dash of program B to an already too long program C, the resulting workout is a Frankenstein-like behemoth that takes too long to get through. You’re going to lose your mind for sure!
Do yourself a favor ... pick one program that fits your goals and sensibilities and don't add anything to it.
2. Program Hopping
Similar to the above advice, once you’ve picked a program, stick to it.
Your program may be perfect, but you need to give it time to actually let the results come to fruition. The old adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" comes to mind.
I think most people worry too much about a program becoming stale. Stick to a program for the length of time the creator of the program suggests. This could be as little as 4 weeks or as long as a few months.
3. Forgetting the Basics
With a plethora of YouTube videos, exercise books and fitness DVDs all around, it's easy to fall prey to a "newer is better" mentality. Cool gadgets and intense-sounding routines with never-before-seen exercise secrets can be seductive, but they pale in comparison to old standbys like squats, deadlifts, bench presses and pull-ups.
There are many variations of these lifts that you can apply to help counter the boredom that can arise from doing the same exercises all the time. But remember the 80/20 rule: 80 percent of your results are going to come from 20 percent of the exercises you use. Make sure the basics are your 20 percent foundation.

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4. Lack of Intensity
Intensity simple means how hard you are training. Everyone (except perhaps CrossFitters) seems to be concerned with overtraining, when in fact, they are more likely undertraining.
If my years in the public gym setting taught me anything, it's that far too many people go through the motions when they are at the gym. They do the same workout routine with the same weights week in and week out and wonder why they aren't making progress. It's simply not enough just to show up (although there are days when just showing up is what matters!)
Intensity can be achieved by lifting more weight, lifting the same weight for more sets or reps (called "volume"), decreasing rest periods, and even lifting a weight faster (only appropriate for certain exercises).
5. Lack of Progression
Closely linked to intensity, progression simply means that you are trying to get better.
Progression is not always linear (in fact, except in rank beginners, it’s rarely linear), but it does have to be a goal.
Again, think more weight, sets, reps; and/or less rest. Also experiment with more difficult exercises and routines as you master the current ones. (But remember number 3 ... the basics should always be a cornerstone of your program.)
In closing, if you find your training has lost its mojo, it's time to re-boot. Pick a sound training plan based in the "big" exercises from an expert in the field and stick to it. Focus on intensity and progression and take your results to new levels.

Study links intensive exercise to diabetes remission

High intensity interval training and other forms of exercise resulting in weight loss could lead to the remission of type 2 diabetes, even for those who have had the condition for several years, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
"Whether it's preventing type 2 diabetes or preventing its complications, a healthy diet and an active lifestyle can make a difference," said study lead author Edward Gregg, Ph.D., chief of the epidemiology and statistics branch in the division of diabetes translation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to Gregg and his colleagues, exercise as part of a total lifestyle intervention program was effective in improving the overall wellness of more than 10 percent of those who followed the regimen, Health Day News reported.
From decreased blood pressure to greater fitness and endurance levels, the intervention program set target weight-loss and physical activity goals, as well as caloric intake restrictions.
The program ultimately resulted in multiple benefits for the estimated 1,850 men and women who were recruited for the study, which spanned four years. At a mean age of 59, most of those who participated had lived with diabetes for five years and had an average body mass index of 36 - well within the obesity category.
"These findings are encouraging given the common belief that once you have type 2 diabetes, unless you have obesity surgery, you can't change diabetes if you've had it for a while," Gregg added.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that impacts the way a person is able to metabolize glucose, or sugar, which is a primary source of energy for the body, the Mayo Clinic reported.
Aerobic and strength-training exercises while using commercial gym equipment can be a great way to stay active. For those with type 2 diabetes, working out can effectively help burn calories, boost endurance and build bone and muscle strength, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Banish Pain by Relearning Proper Posture

An important principle to embrace is that pain is typically a good thing as it can help us identify something in our lives that is not good for our long term health.
Back pain is one of the most common pains that people experience and some experts estimate that around 80 percent of us will experience back pain at some point in life. I was certainly in the 80 percent, largely as a result of the time I spent working at the computer. My exercise regimen was not enough to compensate for the damage I was doing while sitting.
I have recently learned that non-exercise movement and posture are two incredibly important yet sorely neglected baselines for health. The more I learn about them, the more convinced I am that posture and non-exercise movement are every bit as important as regular exercise in terms of importance.
Of course, you need both, and I’m not advocating giving up your fitness routine for postural exercises. But proper posture and properly using your body to work against gravity is the foundation upon which everything else related to your health is built.
We know about the importance of diet, exercise, and emotional health, but the fourth pillar, structural health, has for the longest time remained off the radar.
Esther Gokhale’s mission is to educate people on the importance of good posture, which is actually quite different from what is normally taught, such as “sit up straight,” “stand up straight,” and “tuck your pelvis.” According to Esther, virtually all the current guidelines are problematic.

Back Pain Can Be Eliminated Through Simple Posture Training

An estimated 80 percent of the US population will experience back pain at some point in their life, and learning proper posture is crucial if you want to avoid this fate. Esther was herself a statistic, as she developed severe back pain during her pregnancy.
She ended up having back surgery in her 20’s to remedy the problem, but soon thereafter the pain came back. Rather than opting for a second surgery, she began her quest to discover the root of her problem.

“The directions that made sense to me were looking for something in my own body. It had to be something about the way I was using my body, rather than looking for a patch, looking for something to alleviate the symptoms alone. I wanted a solution that addresses the root cause,” Esther says.

Her journey has taken her around the world—to India, Brazil, and Europe—and incorporating her knowledge of yoga, pilates, Indian dance and Chinese Medicine, she eventually created the Gokhale Method.
Esther is no stranger to Mercola.com either. She tells me she’s been following the newsletter for a while now, and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to share her knowledge and wisdom with you as this is such a crucial component of staying healthy.
I’ve been a big fan of exercising my whole life, but the principles taught not only by Esther, Dr. Joan Vernikos and Dr. Eric Goodman, are crucial for optimal health. The interaction with gravity is crucial, and- exercise movements that act against gravity while maintaining proper posture are important for all of us.
Everyone wants to age gracefully and be flexible and pain-free, and I think applying what Esther teaches is a profoundly important tool to achieve that. As Esther states:

“The point is, if you have healthy posture, everything you do becomes exercise in some measure. Every step you take, if you’re doing it in a healthy way, becomes a rep for your glute strengthening and becomes a stretch for your calf, your soleus, and so on. Healthy posture makes everyday life into exercise—into therapy even.”

Rediscovering Your Primal Posture

Esther wisely sought answers among the most functional populations; people who do not suffer back pain and have a very low incidence of arthritis in their spines, for example. And that’s where she discovered most of her techniques. Experimenting on herself, she was able to avoid the second surgery, and she has been pain free for over 20 years.

“I’ve not had a back twinge or ache – nothing, zero. Now I get to teach other people how to be empowered in their bodies and how to get there quickly,” she says.

A testament to the effectiveness of her techniques is how quickly you can get lasting results. Her course is just six lessons long, each lesson lasting about 1.5 hours if done in a group, or 45 minutes when you do one-on-one sessions. Part of the beauty of her method is that she teaches you everything you need to make you completely independent. You don’t have to see a chiropractor on a regular basis or hire a Pilates trainer for the rest of your life to keep your pain under control.
By understanding the functional biomechanics of your body and working with gravity instead of against it, you learn to optimize the way you move about your life all the time. And, it works! I’m integrating her method with a few other things, such as Foundation Training and standing up at regular 10-minute intervals as advised by Dr. Joan Vernikos, author of Sitting Kills, Moving Heals. They do make a difference. I recently went hiking in Yosemite National Park for five days and remained completely free of low back pain. In the past it was hard to do one hike without back pain.

The Difference Between Flexibility and Laxity

Esther was a yoga teacher before her back pain set in, over 20 years ago, and there’s a lot of wisdom in any discipline that’s been around as long as yoga has. However, she points out that yoga is often misunderstood in the modern context.

“People are going for touching their toes rather than the principle of extending your limits and while keeping your baseline sound,” she says. “You want the integrity of your structure to remain intact. For example, your spine, it has a certain baseline shape that’s healthy. You don’t want to round your back just to make sure you touch the floor or your toes.”

There’s a big difference between developing flexibility, which would be in your muscles, and laxity, which occurs when your ligaments are no longer intact. As Esther points out, the danger of repeatedly rounding your back in one spot is that it creates ligament laxity. You really do not want your back to be curved. You want to maintain a straight spine with strong ligaments.

Most people reading this either have a desk job or is sitting down most of the day. This is absolutely true for me. I’m in a chair for at least 12 hours a day. I noticed that my health was starting to decline – not my biological health, but my structural- or musculoskeletal health – even though I was exercising; doing a lot of strength training, and what I thought was flexibility training. Now I know why. I simply didn’t know how to maintain proper posture. Improper posture not only affects you while sitting, but it can also make you more prone to exercise injuries and/or pains resulting from exercise.

Roll Your Shoulders Back

One of the first techniques Esther teaches her students is the shoulder roll. It’s easy, effective, and virtually impossible to mess up. Doing one shoulder at a time, simply bring your shoulder forward a little bit, then bring it upward a little, and then bring it as far back as you can. Then, totally let it go and relax.

“You’ll find that your shoulder will actually remain back,” she says. “So, forward, up, back, and then totally let go. Let go of any effort to hold your shoulders back and to stand up straight or sit up straight. Those are, by the way, very counterproductive guidelines, in my view.”

This technique repositions your shoulders, and the soft tissue of the back of your shoulder maintains it, unless, of course, you reach forward and displace the tissues.

Otherwise, your shoulders will easily remain in their proper position for some time, which will improve other biological functions, such as your breathing and blood circulation to and from your arms. It also helps prevent repetitive stress injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome, as well as cold hands and dry skin.

“It takes a little getting used to,” Esther says. “Because when people first do this, they feel like they have little dinosaur arms that don’t reach very far. But it is actually the natural way to use your arms. Every one of your great, great grandparents had their shoulders parked in this baseline position that is quite far back. If you look at the back, the shoulder blades should protrude from the torso; they should not be flush with the torso.”

How to Improve Your Head, Neck and Spine Posture

Esther refers to proper posture as primal posture, because it’s the posture of infants and native hunter-gatherer’s. One of the most troublesome postures of modern society is keeping your head thrust too far forward. Ideally, your ears should be above your shoulders, and to get there, you want to pull your head and neck back—typically about 45 degrees, depending how far forward your head is.

“One technique I like better than just telling people to push back is to pull back, because then you’re not tensing up some muscle to try to fight some other type of muscle. It’s like having the break and the accelerator on at the same time. You don’t want to sustain this tension,” Esther explains. “Instead, grasp a clump of hair, then very gently pull back and up, and then just relax your neck. Let your chin relax down rather than pushing it down and pushing it back.”

Another crucial area is your spine. You want to lengthen or elongate your spine, and maintain your buttocks out behind you rather than tucked in. Most conventional advice tells you to tuck in your pelvis to maintain an S-shaped spine, but a far more natural spine curvature is what Esther refers to as a J-spine. Here, your back is straight and your buttocks protrude slightly.

“There are two areas of the spine that get into more trouble than any other: (1) cervical spine and (2) lumbar spine. A lot of the problems that occur here are compression-related problems: stenosis, sciatic pain, and scoliosis even. So, lengthening is a really, really good first measure,” Esther says.

Maintaining this J-curve, which she describes really well in her book, 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back, is really crucial for good posture. You can also find free PDF downloads describing this posture on her website, GokhaleMethod.com¹. Again, the body part of the “J” corresponds to your behind, slanting out behind you. If you examine how toddlers stand, they stand with a straight back, the lumbar area remaining relatively flat, with their bottoms out behind them. This posture is maintained into adulthood by many tribal peoples.

Remember Primal Posture when Sitting, and Stand up Frequently

Research has repeatedly shown that prolonged sitting has detrimental effects on your body even if you’re exercising regularly. I recently interviewed Dr. Vernikos on this topic and what she refers to as gravity habits or “G habits.” Her job as a NASA doctor was understanding how microgravity situations affect health, because it ostensibly appears to rapidly speed up the aging process. G habits are movements that are quantified as non-exercise activities, and the challenge is to get more of them into your daily life.
One such movement is standing up from a seated position—ideally around 35 times a day—to counteract the cardiovascular health risks associated with sitting. This amounts to standing up about every 10 minutes or so throughout your workday, for example. I set a timer to go off at regular 10-minute intervals, and while I’m at it, I do some jump squats or one-legged squats as well.
Based on double-blind research, Dr. Vernikos discovered that standing up once every hour was more effective than walking on a treadmill for 15 minutes for cardiovascular and metabolic changes. She also found that sitting down and standing up repeatedly for 32 minutes does NOT have the same effect as standing up once, 32 times over the course of a day. To get the benefit, the stimulus must be spread throughout the day. Hence the suggestion to set a timer to remind you to get out of your chair at regular intervals.
Now, in addition to getting out of your chair frequently enough, maintaining proper posture while sitting can also make a significant difference, as poor posture might play a significant role in sitting’s detrimental effects on health. As Esther explains:

“For example, in our stack sitting method (which is really healthy sitting, primal sitting, if you will), you have your behind out behind, but not exaggeratedly. That’s very important. Then your bones stack well and the muscles alongside your spine are able to relax. They’re not obliged to be tense. Now when you breathe, your whole spine lengthens and settles, lengthens and settles. There’s this movement which stimulates circulation and allows natural healing to be going on as you sit.

If you sit poorly, whether relaxed and slumped or upright and tense, you’ve lost all of that. So do we want to blame [all the adverse health effects] on sitting, or do we want to blame it on the poor sitting form? That’s my question.”

Techniques to Elongate Your Spine

Esther recommends using your back rest as a traction device to help you elongate your spine. You can see her demonstrate this move toward the end in the video above. She also sells a specially designed traction cushion and even a chair for this purpose, but you could also use a rolled up towel.

“It’s a one- to two-second maneuver to bring your back away from the back rest, lengthen, and then root yourself a little higher against the back rest. Now, the whole time you’re sitting, your lower back is getting a little bit of traction. That is such a powerful way to change sitting into something that’s actually beneficial in some part rather than entirely damaging.”

By using some traction device in your chair to help you elongate your spine when sitting, you will start flattening out your lumbar area. This alone can sometimes provide immediate relief if your pain is due to compression of your sciatic nerve roots. Her Stretch Sit cushion is designed to “hitch” your midback so your L5/S1 and L4/L5 discs, which are the discs that cause the most trouble for the most people, are decompressed.

By getting traction on those discs, you allow them to rehydrate and prevent the nerves from being impinged between your vertebrae.
Anyone suffering with back pain would be wise to consider Esther’s advice on posture. One of the key factors for treating your pain is to elongate your spine as much as possible. So be mindful to use her “stretch sitting” technique demonstrated above regardless of where you sit. Do it while driving, while at your desk, and on the couch. You can also add some length to your spine while lying down. Esther calls this “stretchlying,” and the technique is demonstrated in the video below.

Develop Your Inner Corset

Esther also teaches a technique she calls “the inner corset,” where you engage your deepest layer of abdominal muscles and your deepest layer of back muscles. This technique, when applied, actually has a slenderizing effect, and makes you taller.

“I call that the inner corset because it’s different from what people teach under the name of core strength,” Esther explains. “It does not involve rectus abdominis. You’re not tucking your pelvis. You’re keeping your J-spine while going slender and tall.”

This takes pressure off the nerves in your spine and allows for your discs to rehydrate.

Be aware that in the beginning, you will not be able to hold this posture all day long. But eventually, as your abs and back muscles get stronger from repetition, this posture will become quite natural.
Good posture is the foundation of physical health, musculoskeletal health, and even psychological health. The reason for this is because it allows your body to operate as it was designed to, providing an ideal architecture for your lungs to move freely and for your digestive organs to function without blockages for example. By tucking your pelvis, you lose about a third of the volume in your pelvic cavity, which squishes your internal organs. This can compromise any number of them in a variety of ways.

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Remember, proper posture and properly using your body to work against gravity is the foundation upon which everything else relating to your health is built. Relearning proper posture can feel odd at first, especially if you’re severely out of alignment. But if you stick with it, the results can be life-changing.

“When we place people [in proper posture], they say, “Whoa, this feels so weird. I feel like I’m falling flat on my face. I feel like I’m a Neanderthal.” It takes us showing them their reflection in the mirror to be astonished. They may feel weird, but they don’t look weird. It isn’t weird, but it’s so far away from what they’ve been doing,” Esther says.