It’s interesting when I see a patient and go over their blood work. They’re always most concerned about one thing – their cholesterol. Other blood levels could be significantly out of normal range, but typically most are worried if their cholesterol level is high, or not. Medical doctors, the media, and of course the pharmaceutical industry has ingrained in each person (including children) the notion that cholesterol is bad and if you don’t lower it, you’re gonna die. Really? I’m doing everything I can to raise mine.
Every year we hear the same thing regarding turkey at Thanksgiving – it makes everybody sleepy because of the high tryptophan levels. Turkey, tryptophan (an amino acid), and sleepiness are so closely linked you’d think the birds would come with one of those, “Don’t operate heavy machinery” warnings you see on certain medications. Interestingly though is that the feeling of physical and mental fatigue so many get from Thanksgiving dinner has nothing to do with the turkey. Actually, tryptophan levels in turkeys are pretty much the same as in other meats, such as beef and chicken. Eggs have close to four times the amount of tryptophan but you don’t hear anyone talking about an “omelet coma.” (For the record I’m taking credit for coining that false term.) read more…
It’s here. Hopefully you haven’t been waiting for it, but the “Party Bear” has arrived. Yup, it’s a 26 pound gummy bear. That’s the size of my 3 year old boy. Whoever thought of this is part genius, part psycho, and clearly overrated for his/her job.
The giant gummy packs a whopping 32,000 calories and has a one year shelf life. It even comes with its own case – or is that a coffin? You’ll soon need one too if you decide to satisfy your corn syrup craving.
What else is there to say other than it comes in four flavors – raspberry, orange, red cherry, and (WHAT?) green apple. 26 pounds of green apple is just wrong. And I was so close to clicking ‘buy.’
Yeah, I know. That photo on the left of the kid getting the flu shot is really scary. It’s been about five years since I last wrote about the flu and the flu vaccine, and two years since I discussed the Swine Flu and its vaccine. I figured it was time to give a bit of an update, and Halloween was a good time to do so because I think the flu shot is really scary.
This post is not about whether you should get the flu shot or not. That’s not my job to tell you what you should do. Actually, it’s nobody’s job to tell you to get a flu shot (or not get one) and that includes your own primary care physician. I believe in informed consent and an individual making an informed decision based off unbiased information they have been provided and researched themselves. read more…
Get Ready for Your Vitamin D Winter
Winter is just around the corner so now is a good time to have your vitamin D level checked (via a blood test) if you haven’t done so recently. A healthy individual can typically store around a three month supply of vitamin D in their tissues so most will lose a substantial amount of stored vitamin D as they hibernate indoors over the winter and the UVB rays which provide vitamin D are low to non-existent in many areas. The time of day, season, altitude, latitude, and many other factors all determine the amount of UVB that reaches your skin. For many, supplementation may be a good idea to either raise levels back up to normal, or keep them from depleting over a long winter. read more…
This week’s post spans from teaching to training. A new article I’ve written is up on the MovNat site – Endurance Orientated MovNat Training – as well as an accompanying video. Click here. Why do I like MovNat so much? It’s a great addition to any and every workout routine to help develop overall conditioning, balance, strength, and well-being regardless of fitness level. Yes, it’s even great for endurance athletes, which is the main purpose of the post, as I receive many emails asking me how to make MovNat more aerobic/less anaerobic. Plus, MovNat incorporates true human movement patterns that goes far beyond developing fitness, as I discussed here in my first MovNat post. I’ll be working with the MovNat team next Summer 2012 at one of their West Virginia camps for a more endurance focused MovNat workshop week. More on that to come.
Last week I presented my gait evaluation, barefoot & minimalist shoe analysis, and some of my dysglycemia (blood sugar issues) therapies in Bordeaux, France, to over 100 doctors and students from the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia. I was all dressed-up but still ditched the shoes as you can see in the photo. My Powerpoint presentation can be found here (first in the list). If you’re not a physician or therapist you may still find it interesting, especially the first one-third which is about the benefits of barefoot and minimalist footwear. And even more information can be found here on the DRG site – a recent post on orthotics (yeah, I don’t like em’ too much) as well as proper/improper footwear.
Your digestive tract is said to be your second brain. It’s where many or your brain chemicals such as serotonin are made and is home to over half of your immune system in the form of healthy bacteria and gut associated lymphatic tissue. You don’t want to mess around with your gut, though many people do, often every time they put something in their mouth.
Digestive problems are a common complaint for most people. Whether it’s heartburn, bloating, gas, indigestion, constipation, or even more serious symptoms associated with diseases such as Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, or diverticulitis, often food plays a major role. Unhealthy bacteria, yeast, other types of fungus, parasites, and inflammation can result in an unhealthy immune system, and a poorly functioning body, including your brain. So yes you are what you eat, and your physical and mental performance relies heavily on what you consume. read more…
Many people suffer from hip pain, back pain, piriformis syndrome, and what is thought to be “sciatic pain”, which is often not true sciatica, but another type of pain known as sclerotenogeous pain. Hip flexion problems are very common in runners and those who use their bodies to jump and kick. Extension-type pains are very common too and can cause pain when you sit, walk, and climb stairs. read more…
“Itis” means inflammation usually as a result of trauma (such as a tendon strain) or infection. However inflammation can also occur from nutritional problems as well as local muscle and joint dysfunctions, and I’d say that this is much more common than actual trauma and infection. Think about how often a runner develops an injury to their foot or knee that suddenly creeps up on them and their physician diagnoses it as tendonitis. Or a tennis player or swimmer notices some shoulder pain that gets worse and worse and is eventually told they have bursitis. Read about why a person gets tendonitis or bursitis and how to treat and prevent these “itis” ailments naturally, here at Sock Doc.
