Categories
All For your Info Performance Recommendations Success Story Tips

Do This One Thing For Overall Health

Tim Irvine

I’m often asked, “If you could make one recommendation for overall health, what would it be?”

Man, that’s a tough one. Sometimes being science and evidence based is restrictive. Each situation is different and my ‘one piece of advice’ would be different for everyone. Individuals require individual approaches.

There are an almost infinite number of possible answers to this, but I’m going to provide two personal favorites to this question: 1a and 1b.

1a is to move in nature. It doesn’t matter to me if you are walking, rolling, running, or biking. Just get out and move in nature. The movement and the greenery have been studied extensively and there is an overabundance of evidence 100% of the population will benefit from both.

1b is to sleep well. As with moving in nature, the benefits of sleep for body and brain are extensively proven scientifically. Recovery, emotional control, cognitive ability, hormonal profiles, etc. Good consistent sleep is incredibly beneficial to your overall health. It’s not up to me to tell you how much that is because everyone is different. If you want a guideline, I’d say 7.5 – 8 hours nightly, uninterrupted. If you are wondering what your natural schedule is, you would need to sleep without an alarm clock for at least a week or two, and on those last two days of the period, you would find out how many hours you sleep naturally. That would then become your nightly goal.

So, there you have it, my one-ish answer to the magical question. You are seriously ‘winning’ when you are doing both above well.

Now I have a question for you? Which one do you think you could improve the most on, and what will you do to take one small step in that direction? Information is power, but information and action is what really counts.

Categories
All Fitness For your Info King West Performance Tips

The spectacular benefits of “Most Of The Time’

Tim Irvine

When it comes to overall health, one particular theme continues to present itself to me. Do the right things ‘most of the time’. We spend so much time trying to ‘get it right’ or be ‘perfect’ and it’s just not realistic. Too many of us end up feeling excess pressure that can lead to giving up or getting disappointed in ourselves because we have not achieved the ideal. I say screw the ideal and give yourself some flexibility to do some things that you know aren’t perfect. 

I first noticed this with physical capabilities. Anyone who is consistent with their training retains their base even when they take a break from it. Yes, they become somewhat deconditioned, but their capacity to ‘get back in shape’ is there and makes the process quite efficient. Taking years or decades away from activity converts their system to an inactive one, and they lose their ability to rebound efficiently. 

I’ve observed the same phenomenon with people and their diets. Those that have consistently poor dietary habits generally have poorer health. Surprise, surprise. Overweight, high blood pressure, joint pain, less happiness, etc. not surprising. Those that have good dietary habits most of the time usually have good, general health. 

In the past several years, I’ve also noticed those that spending an ample amount of time outdoors has more positive health outcomes. Particularly psychologically. The plus is most people tend to be doing something physical when outside so their physical health benefits as well. This also applies to people who work in an office environment. If they get some weekly outdoor enjoyment most of the time, it seems to work as an antidote to their desk time. 

I know I’m simplifying ‘good health’ with this concept, but that’s the point. Let’s make it easier for ourselves instead of harder. The point of ‘most of the time’ is that it’s not rigid. I like sweets, and some beer and wine, but most of the time I eat well and don’t drink to much alcohol. 

Pursuing perfection in any health habit can have its drawbacks psychologically and that is what I see as a roadblock to getting started or continuing with any positive habit. To reiterate my earlier point, allow yourself to be imperfect. You are not a robot, nor should you aspire to be one. Just be yourself and do the right thing most of the time. Better health and happiness are sure to follow.

Categories
All For your Info Recommendations Resources Tips

Tighten Up Your Immune Defensive Line – Gut Health Series Part 2, Partners in Slime

Dr. Tamara Kung, ND

Humans are essentially a giant, elaborate tube. We have an outside layer (our skin), and an inner layer (our gut lining) that encases all our innards and protects us from the outside world. 

We are incredibly vulnerable organisms and need protection from the harsh external environment, so our skin which is multiple layers thick, and constantly regenerating, contains sweat, and specific pH levels to protect us and kill off any unwanted intruders. 

Our gut starts at our mouth and ends at our bum, and represents the inner part of the tube. Unlike our skin, our gut is only one cell layer thick! One integral layer that separates your blood and internal organs from the external environment.  If there’s so much as a tiny, inflicted wound, there’s no other cell layer there to stop food particles, waste products from bacteria metabolism, or toxins released from dying microbes from entering places they don’t belong. This can light up our immune system, and lead to chronic inflammation!

Common symptoms of a damaged gut barrier are food intolerances, excessive gas, bloating,  persistent or recurring skin rashes, breakouts like acne, eczema, psoriasis or rosacea, and autoimmune conditions (from a confused and inappropriate immune response) like hypothyroidism. 

While avoiding foods by following a LOW FODMAPS diet, or eliminating nightshades (tomatoes, eggplant etc), can provide temporary relief, it’s missing the root cause, resulting in a strategy that effectively “shoots the messenger”. Real food isn’t the problem. The lasting solution is to have a robust and healthy gut barrier that prevents these food proteins, molecules and toxins from getting into our bloodstream in the first place.

One major disruptor of our thin intestinal lining is protein gliadin found in seemingly benign wheat. Hang on! Isn’t wheat a real food? Yes, but modern-day modifications to this food have left us in an evolutionary mismatch, with our body having little to no time to adapt to these new structures of wheat.  As a result, modern wheat can increase the permeability of our gut lining by loosening up the tight bonds that naturally help keep our single-cell layer tightly bound together. 

For this reason, sticking with our real, unprocessed foods (no package, no problem, and your 5-ingredient rule, you know the drill), help us prevent gut damage. To take it one step further, here are specific nutrients we want to include to give our delicate intestines all the support they need.

Game Plan: Building a tight defensive line

  1. Fiber again! All plants contain fiber, and help build up and maintain a strong healthy, tightly packed intestinal cell layer! Growing healthy intestinal cells require short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), which are a by-product made when healthy bacteria get enough fiber to eat (best sources are vegetables, lentils, legumes, fruits, nuts, seeds).
  2. Curcumin, a compound found in turmeric root, is one such gut healer. It helps repair the tight junctions between our gut cells, so that the single layer remains tight and less penetrable. However, curcumin needs to stay in our gut for it to work its healing touch. That means we are looking for turmeric that is NOT absorbable as curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory and can help reduce inflammation in our body which is helpful for conditions like pain and arthritis. This is more of a band aid solution compared to helping our gut lining stay healthy, strong which will in turn reduce and prevent inflammation from happening in our blood in the first place. When looking for curcumin, or eating turmeric, avoid those that are combined with black pepper (aka. bioperine). Add turmeric to your avocado with some salt, paprika, and cumin for a quick snack or roasting veggies.
  3. Vitamin D is deficient in over 70% of Canadians, and integral not just to bone health and our immune system. But new studies are showing how it positively impacts the growth of healthy gut bacteria, who in return make butyrate (another favourite food for growing healthy intestinal cells), and protective mucosal layers (as described in part I).
  4. Omega 3 is showing similar benefits in terms of optimizing the growth of healthy gut bacteria that give the gift of mucosal protection, and intestinal rejuvenation fuel sources such as butyrate and SCFA. Omega 3 has the additional benefit of reducing inflammation and protecting and increasing the resilience to intestinal damage. 

Begin incorporating more of these defense mechanisms and you will begin to feel the differences. Happy eating!

Reference:

Costantini, L., Molinari, R., Farinon, B., & Merendino, N. (2017). Impact of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on the Gut Microbiota. International journal of molecular sciences18(12), 2645. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18122645

Lammers, K.M., et al. (2008). Gliadin induces an increase in intestinal permeability and zonulin release by binding to the chemokine receptor CXCR3. Gastroenterology, 135(1), 194-204. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2653457/

Markowiak-Kopeć, P.; Śliżewska, K. The Effect of Probiotics on the Production of Short-Chain Fatty Acids by Human Intestinal Microbiome. Nutrients 202012, 1107. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12041107

Schwalfenberg GK, Genuis SJ, Hiltz MN. Addressing vitamin D deficiency in Canada: a public health innovation whose time has come. Public Health. 2010 Jun;124(6):350-9. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2010.03.003. Epub 2010 Apr 21. PMID: 20413135.

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-624-x/2013001/article/11727-eng.htm

Coates, M. et al., (2019). The skin and intestinal microbiota and their specific innate immune systems. Frontiers in Immunology. Retrieved from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2019.02950/full

Singh, P., Rawat, A., Alwakeel, M. et al. The potential role of vitamin D supplementation as a gut microbiota modifier in healthy individuals. Sci Rep 10, 21641 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-77806-4


Wang, J., Ghosh, S. S., & Ghosh, S. (2017). Curcumin improves intestinal barrier function: modulation of intracellular signaling, and organization of tight junctions. American journal of physiology. Cell physiology312(4), C438–C445. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpcell.00235.2016

Categories
All For your Info King West Performance Promotions Recommendations Resources Tips

RunSmart!

Are you or someone you know hitting the pavement or trails this spring? If so, we have two awesome resources for you.

RunSmart Workshop

We are hosting a RunSmart workshop on May 10th, 6pm at our King location. Our running physio, Victoria Lavinskas, and our running nutritionist, Tara Postnikoff, will help you…

  • Run Faster
  • Run farther
  • Stay injury free
  • Nutrition, technique, resistance work, and more

There is no cost to the workshop, but all attendees will receive 15% off a massage. Sign up here

RunSmart Immersive

If you are looking for the latest and most comprehensive look at running performance from all angles, we have you covered. Whether you are just getting started with running or you are experienced and looking for an edge, this program is a great match.

  • 20+ videos
  • Nutrition advice
  • Warmups
  • Injury prevention
  • 5k and 10k programs
  • Direct access to our professionals

Find out more or sign up here.