https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/

You may be wondering under which circumstance could a woman want or need gym equipment to assist her in the process of labor and childbirth. As it turns out, plenty!

Consider the following scenarios:

• Women wishing to labor in the comfort of their home for as long as possible before heading out to the hospital.
• Women who plan their home births.
• Women who may end up having accidental, unplanned home births (as is the case of those with a history of precipitous births; the health team will typically inform a woman when she is at chance of experiencing a fast birth).
• Women who have been experiencing insistent Braxton-Hicks contractions.
• Women who wish to create a mindfulness and movement practice as part of their preparation for birth.
• Women aware of the many benefits of remaining as mobile as possible during labor.^1,2
• Women who wish to increase their chance of fewer medical interventions and/or diminish the length of time of labor.
• You’re training a pregnant client and she goes into labor. (Joking! Totally a joke. Though hey, if it were to happen at least we got you covered, right? Ha!)

A little bit of background: I’m a fitness professional and I’m also trained as a doula (support person for the birthing woman). My third baby was born at home, accidentally. (Yes, I was one of those warned about a potential “precipitous” birth — that was an understatement!) I also co-authored the Coaching & Training Women Academy Pre- and Postnatal Coaching Certification, and I like to think I know a thing or two about meshing the worlds of birth and fitness.

Doulas are known for having wonderful tricks up our sleeves to make women’s birthing experience easier, better, and more in tune to their wishes. When financially and regionally available, we recommend pregnant women hire a doula!

There is some evidence to suggest women who have a doula present at the time of birth are less likely to experience a birth complication, are more likely to establish breastfeeding successfully, and have an overall better view of their birthing experience.³ Of course this isn’t always possible or accessible, and so we have some crafty ideas.

As fitness enthusiasts, most of us have some gym equipment at home. If you are an expectant mom, or you have an expectant mom in your life, this article will teach you what to use — and how to use it — during the process of labor and childbirth.

First, though, let’s take a look into an intrinsic component of labor and birth: rhythm.

Understanding “Rhythm”

Rhythm describes any kind of movement, breathing or sound pattern a laboring woman may find soothing or helpful in passing contractions. In birthing groups, this is sometimes referred to as “labor land,” i.e. the intimate mental zone a birthing woman can reach during labor.

Rhythm provides an anchor of sorts, something for the woman to focus on during the spike and intensity of sensations.

For most women, rhythm comes from a very instinctive and primitive part of themselves. They may not even realize they are doing it! For example, they may tap their hand on a table, rock side to side with each contraction, sway in a deep squat, or hum audibly as each contraction peaks. The repetition patterns of each woman’s rhythm can provide comfort, distraction or focus, and a sense of grounding.

Once a woman finds her pattern it tends to become a crucial part of her laboring experience. Regardless of how abstract or superstitious the concept of rhythm may sound to some, the reality is that logic and rational thought is hardly what rules a woman’s behavior during the intensity of labor.

A woman’s rhythm can be compared to the proverbial magic feather: it allows her to believe that “As long as I can do this, I can get through this next contraction.” In this sense, it is in her benefit and best interest that we facilitate and encourage for her found rhythm to continue throughout the process.

(As a side but very concerning note, this is but one important reason why the shackling of laboring inmates, still practiced in many U.S. prisons, should alarm and horrify us; it is barbaric to restrain a woman against what her body needs to do to birth her child, in addition to presenting a medical hazard for both mother and baby.⁴)

In my case in particular, during the birth of my second child my rhythm became pressing a hot water bottle against my belly with each contraction. There was a moment during which my doula took the bottle from me to replace the now lukewarm water and make it hot again. As I felt new contraction coming on, I experienced what could best be described as sheer panic: my safety anchor was gone!

Hearing the alarm in my voice she hurried back in time, but that moment has stayed with me clearly for years and I reflect back on it often — it demonstrates how strong is our pull, our instinct, our need to preserve what feels correct for us as we birth our babies.

How does all of the above tie into our topic at hand? Well, all of the following ideas are examples of ways in which birthing women can tap into their rhythm.

Swiss Ball

The Swiss ball allows for a variety of positions which may be beneficial for the laboring woman.

Sitting
A laboring woman may find comfort sitting on a large Swiss ball. Increased pressure and sensations on her bottom can make it very uncomfortable to sit on firmer surfaces. She may choose to sit upright, or lean forward resting her arms and head on a bed, the back of a chair, or her partner’s lap.

Bouncing
A slight bounce while sitting on the yoga ball may bring some relief to women during labor. This will depend entirely on how she’s feeling regarding feeling any pressure on her bottom.

Circling
The act of circling her hips while on the ball may help create her rhythm. The hips benefit also from the gyration, potentially loosening up or relaxing some.

Kneeling Forward
This position can feel very adequate at times. The woman can kneel on the floor and hug the yoga ball; here she can rock back and forth, allowing her hips to open if she’s keeping her knees wide apart.

Suspension Trainer

The following techniques have been adapted from what midwives in Mexico have done for centuries with their rebozos (shawls) — utilizing a secured, long fabric for support of the birthing woman as she moves freely and follows her body’s needs. Suspension trainers are a good substitute.

Hinge
Some women will opt to go into a hinge position during contractions. Others may want to do it in between, to rest their back and/or keep the flow of motion going.

Deep Squat
The deep squat is arguably one of the most helpful positions for a birthing woman. The opening of the hips, along with the natural downward pull of gravity make a great combination in helping labor progress. It’s even better when a woman can feel more stable in her position by holding on to a suspension system. A partner holding her hands works as well, although a partner may get tired and need a break, which in turn could impact the woman’s sensations and experience.

Deep Lunge
Similar to the squat, a deep lunge — often a side lunge — can help open up the hips and offer some relief from contractions.

Lacrosse Ball or Tennis Ball

Keep in mind the lacrosse ball tends to be denser than the tennis ball, and thus its pressure may be more intense. This may be perfect for some women, but it will be too much for others for whom a tennis ball may be a better option.

Back Labor Pressure Point
Some women will experience what is called “back labor.” Back labor refers to intense sensations on the woman’s lower back, just above the tailbone. Using a tennis ball or a lacrosse ball to counteract the pressure felt on that particular area with each contraction can offer some release.

Massage
A gentle massage with rolling the ball over the birthing woman’s back may be welcome. However, plenty of women cannot stand the feeling of being touched at all, and others who welcomed the massage initially may refuse the touch as labor progresses. Both situations are normal, as labor can be an intensive process where certain stimuli can feel overwhelming.

Walking and Climbing Stairs

Although this is not strictly gym equipment, we couldn’t pass the opportunity to mention the great benefits of the cheapest and most readily available form of fitness there is: walking.

Mobility during the early stages in labor is linked to reduced interventions, lowered chances of a C-section, and speedier deliveries.² In a similar way, although potentially a little bit more challenging for some birthing women, is climbing stairs. Upright positions and plenty of movement ideally will be part of a pregnant woman’s laboring plan.

In Conclusion

Numerous articles we own already for our fitness and wellness can double up as handy laboring tools. A variety of movements and positions will be beneficial to birthing women, and potentially have positive impact in her experience delivering her baby.

References

1. Ondeck M, Healthy birth practice #2: walk, move around, and change positions throughout labor. J Perinat Educ. 2014;23(4):188-93. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4235058/
2. Lawrence A, Lewis L, Hofmeyr GJ, Styles C, Maternal positions and mobility during first stage labour, Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Aug 20;(8):CD003934. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003934.pub3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23959763
3. Gruber KJ, Cupito SH, Dobson CF. Impact of doulas on healthy birth outcomes. J Perinat Educ. 2013;22(1):49-58. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3647727/
4. Clarke JG, Simon RE, Shackling and Separation: Motherhood in Prison, AMA Journal of Ethics, Virtual Mentor. 2013;15(9):779-785. 10.1001/virtualmentor.2013.15.9.pfor2-1309. https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/shackling-and-separation-motherhood-prison/2013-09

The post What Gym Equipment Can Be Used During Labor and Childbirth? appeared first on Girls Gone Strong.

Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss

I definitely want to give credit where credit is due for this exercise. I didn’t invent it but I did learn it from Kassem Hanson. It is a phenomenal triceps builder. When I saw him demo the exercise I thought, “That’s brilliant! Why didn’t I think of that?”

The exercise is deceptively simple, but there are a series of brilliant elements that come together to make it so effective.

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Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss

Photo by Bev Childress of Fort Worth, Texas

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http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

Question: “Can I eat fruit on a ketogenic diet?”

Answer: “Sure, if you want!”

I’m kidding, of course. I know why people ask this question. It’s because in the keto world fruit is a confusing, often contentious topic. You’ll sometimes see keto folks draw a hard line in the sand, saying that all fruits, or sometimes specific fruits, are “not allowed” on a ketogenic diet. I’ve written before about why I feel it’s inappropriate to label foods as “keto” or “not keto.” People need to consider their own goals, health, activity level, and food preferences when formulating their eating strategies.

Nevertheless, it’s true that it can be hard to figure out how to incorporate fruit into your keto diet. On the one hand, it’s “real” food: unprocessed, “whole,” and full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients. It’s also Primal/paleo approved in moderation. On the other hand, the carbs in a typical serving of fruit can amount to a considerable chunk out of one’s daily carb allotment, especially for people who adhere to a very strict version of keto that only allows 20 to 30 grams of carbohydrate per day (as opposed to the Keto Reset Diet’s 50 gram per day suggestion).

So where does fruit fit for the average person following a Keto Reset Diet?

Keto People CAN Eat Carbs

Sometimes you’ll hear someone say that keto-ers can’t eat fruit because they “don’t eat carbs.” They really mean that keto folks don’t eat sugar, which is still a gross oversimplification because keto people absolutely do eat carbs. If you’re eating according to the Keto Reset Diet, you’ll start by aiming for 50 grams of carbohydrates per day—perhaps somewhat less if you are dealing with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome—with some wiggle room if most of your carbs come from above-ground veggies and avocados.

From the point of view of the Keto Reset, we want you to choose your carb sources from among those included on the Primal Blueprint Food Pyramid. That means no grains or added sugars, but eating nutrient-dense vegetables and, yes, even some fruit if you wish.

What Fruits Are Best For Keto?

When picking the “best” fruits for keto, it comes down to how many carbs are in a serving. Higher carb fruits are going to be harder to incorporate into a keto diet while still allowing room for the liberal intake of vegetables and avocados encouraged in the Keto Reset.

The information below is taken from the Cronometer database. Make sure you pay attention to the serving size. I selected what seemed like reasonable servings of each by volume instead of weight (who knows what 100g of grapes looks like compared to 100g of watermelon?). I also provided the weight for reference, as well as the fiber content. The Keto Reset Diet does not recommend counting net carbs for fruit though.

Before getting to the data, note that this list omits foods like tomatoes and olives because that’s not what people mean when they ask about fruit.

Let’s also get two items out of the way that always appear on “keto approved fruits” lists:

Avocados: Is there any question about them being keto-friendly? So you know, one whole avocado (136 grams) has 12 grams of carbs (9 grams fiber), as well as 21 grams of fat.

Lemons: Most people aren’t eating lemons but juicing them, right? The juice from one whole lemon has 3 to 4 grams of carb (about 1 gram per tablespoon).

Now for the rest…

Berries:

• Blackberries (½ cup, 72 grams): 7 grams carb (4 grams fiber)
• Raspberries (½ cup, 62 grams): 7 grams carb (4 grams fiber)
• Blueberries (½ cup, 74 grams): 11 grams carb (2 grams fiber)
• Strawberries (½ cup halves, 76 grams): 12 grams carb (3 grams fiber)

Stone Fruits:

• Apricot (each, 35 grams): 4 grams carb (1 gram fiber)
• Plum (1 medium, 66 grams): 8 grams carb (1 gram fiber)
• Peach (1 medium, 150 grams): 14 grams carb (2 grams fiber)
• Nectarine (1 medium, 142 grams): 15 grams carb (2 grams fiber)

Melons:

• Watermelon (1 cup cubed, 152 grams): 12 grams carb (1 gram fiber)
• Cantaloupe (1 cup cubed, 160 grams): 13 grams carb (1 gram fiber)
• Honeydew (1 cup cubed, 191 grams): 17 grams carb (2 grams fiber)

Tropical Fruits:

• Papaya (1 cup cubed, 144 grams): 16 grams carb (3 grams fiber)
• Pineapple (1 cup cubed, 165 grams): 22 grams carb (2 grams fiber)
• Banana (1 small, 101 grams): 23 grams carb (3 grams fiber)
• Coconut meat (½ cup, 163 grams): 25 grams carb (15 grams fiber)
• Mango (1 cup sliced, 165 grams): 25 grams carb (3 grams fiber)

Other Fruits:

• Clementine (each, 74 grams): 9 grams carb (1 gram fiber)
• Fig (1 medium, 50 grams): 10 grams carb (2 grams fiber)
• Kiwi (1 each, 69 grams): 10 grams carb (2 grams fiber)
• Orange (1 small, 96 grams): 11 grams carb (2 grams fiber)
• Apple, green (1 small, 144 grams): 20 grams carb (4 grams fiber)
• Grapefruit (1 small, 200 grams): 21 grams carb (3 grams fiber)
• Pear (1 small, 148 grams): 23 grams carb (5 grams fiber)
• Apple, red (1 small, 158 grams): 24 grams carb (3 grams fiber)
• Cherries (1 cup, 154 grams): 25 grams carb (3 grams fiber)
• Grapes (1 cup, 151 grams): 27 grams carb (1 gram fiber)

You can see why it is difficult to work fruit into a ketogenic diet, and also why blackberries and raspberries are the most often recommended fruit for keto-ers. Nevertheless, it’s possible.

Just for comparison, the 7 grams of carbs you “spend” on ½ cup of blackberries could also be allocated to any of the following:

• 1 cup of cooked whole Brussels sprouts
• 1 cup cooked chopped broccoli
• 2 cups of raw chopped broccoli
• 1¾ cups raw shredded cabbage
• 8 medium baby carrots
• 4 cups of baby spinach
• 5 cups of raw kale
• 1 whole small cucumber
• 1 medium red bell pepper

Tips For Incorporating Fruit Into Your Keto Diet

1. Select lower-carb fruits and limit portion sizes.
2. Eat whole fruit, not fruit juices. Whole fruits induce a smaller glycemic and insulin response. Smoothies can quickly become carb bombs, and they are generally less satiating than their ingredients eaten separately because you don’t have to chew them. Include smoothies mindfully.
3. Consider timing them strategically around the times when you are most insulin sensitive: in the morning and especially after exercise. (This is solid advice for any higher carb food or meal.) Likewise, you might save fruit intake for designated higher carb meals (“carb ups”) if this is part of your routine. However, if you struggle with insulin resistance, any kind of carb ups might not be appropriate for you at this time.
4. Eat seasonally and locally. This recommendation isn’t unique to keto dieters, but eating seasonally and locally will automatically limit your consumption of fruits for much of the year unless you live someplace warm (in which case, hopefully you’re getting lots of outdoor time and sun exposure year round, too!)

But I Heard I Need to Avoid Fructose For Health?

Fructose is often demonized because it’s thought (incorrectly) that fructose uniquely contributes to de novo lipogenesis. As Mark has written previously, although fructose and glucose are metabolized differently in the body, it is probably splitting hairs to argue that one is more or less healthy than the other when they are considered in the context of one’s entire diet. And while reducing sugar intake has been shown to improve various health markers, this usually means cutting back on high fructose corn syrup and other added sugars, not eliminating a green apple and a serving of berries. If you’re eating a Primal-aligned ketogenic diet and are already limiting your total sugar intake, it’s probably not necessary to specifically avoid fructose that comes in the form of whole fruit.

That said, some of the GI disorders that are so common nowadays might be attributable at least in part to issues of fructose malabsorption. If you have been diagnosed with IBS or otherwise experience chronic GI symptoms, you might consider asking your doctor for a hydrogen breath test to detect fructose malabsorption. You can also try eliminating and then reintroducing fruit to see if it affects your symptoms.

Remember, Constant Ketosis Is Not Required

If you’re avoiding fruit because you’re afraid to get knocked out of ketosis, remember that once you’re keto-adapted it’s unnecessary to stay in ketosis 100% of the time unless you’re using a therapeutic keto diet to treat a serious medical condition. Also, if there’s a fruit you especially want to include in your keto diet, you can also test your individual physiological response to it using a blood ketone meter.

A final word: When considering whether to add more fruit to your keto diet, ask yourself whether you’re still at a point where you would be better off abstaining in order to avoid triggering cravings for sweet foods. This is an n=1 situation. If you feel like some fruit would add to your general enjoyment of your keto way of eating, or you’re looking for ways to incorporate more Primal-approved carbs, go for it. If you’re still struggling to break the sugar habit, perhaps hold off for now, knowing you can always choose to add fruit later.

References:

• https://nutritionandmetabolism.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/1743-7075-10-45
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10683091
• http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/41/6/750.short

The post Can I Eat Fruit On a Keto Diet? appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

http://chriskresser.com/

In my recent debate on the Joe Rogan Experience with Dr. Joel Kahn, I touched briefly on the carnivore diet. I’m a huge believer that meat is an essential part of a healthy diet, but eating an all-meat diet is an entirely different subject, and I think we need to be very careful about assuming that an intervention that works well in the short term will also be safe and effective in the long term.

In this article, I’ll discuss the diets of ancestral populations, how the carnivore diet affects the body, my concerns about the potential consequences of such a restrictive diet in the long term, and alternative dietary approaches that might offer the same benefits without having to go pure carnivore.

Are you considering going carnivore? The all-meat diet is trending, but completely dropping plant-based food off your plate could have a significant impact on your health. Check out this article for a breakdown on the strengths and weaknesses of the carnivore diet. #chriskresser

What Is the Carnivore Diet?

The carnivore diet is pretty straightforward: eat only animal foods and stay away from all plant foods. This means that you are primarily getting your energy from protein and fat and are consuming close to zero carbohydrates.

Many people who have adopted the carnivore diet report faster weight loss, improved mental clarity, healthier digestion, and even improved athletic performance. I certainly don’t doubt the anecdotal reports of people that have found remarkable relief from debilitating chronic health problems with this diet. For many of these people, nothing else they had tried worked.

Were Any Ancestral Populations Carnivores?

Let’s start with a brief look at the diets of some supposedly “carnivorous” ancestral populations. Indeed, many ancestral groups thrived on large quantities of animal products. However, every single one of these groups also took advantage of plant foods when they were available:

• The nomads of Mongolia nourished themselves on meat and dairy products, but also gained nutrients from their consumption of wild onions and garlic, tubers and roots, seeds, and berries. (1)
• Gaucho Brazilians consumed mostly beef, but they supplemented their diet with yerba mate, an herbal infusion rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. (2)
• The Maasai, Rendille, and Samburu from East Africa primarily ate meat, milk, and blood. Young men almost exclusively ate these animal products but also occasionally consumed herbs and tree barks. Women and older men consumed fruit, tubers, and honey. (3)
• The Russian Arctic Chukotka subsisted on fish, caribou, and marine animals but always ate them with local roots, leafy greens, berries, or seaweed. (4)
• The Sioux of South Dakota ate great amounts of buffalo meat, but they also ate wild fruit, nuts, and seeds that they found as they followed the buffalo herds. (5)
• The Canadian Inuit lived primarily on walrus, whale meat, seal, and fish, but they also went to great lengths to forage wild berries, lichens, and sea vegetables. They even fermented some of these plant foods as a way of preserving them. (6)

Five Reasons Why the Carnivore Diet Works

When any diet, drug, or other intervention “works,” it’s important to try to understand the mechanism behind it. In the case of the carnivore diet, there are several reasons that might explain the benefits people report.

1. The Carnivore Diet Can Restrict Calories and Mimics Fasting

Ever felt stuffed after you ate a huge steak? Protein is very satiating, meaning it fills you up and sends signals to your brain that you’ve consumed enough food. It’s no surprise that people report not feeling very hungry and start eating less frequently when they adopt an all-meat diet.

Food habituation may also play a role here. When you eat the same thing day after day, your brain doesn’t get as much reward value from food, so you start to eat less food overall—even if the food is usually something you find rewarding, like a big juicy steak.

The ultimate result is unintentional caloric restriction. Caloric restriction sets off a number of changes. When caloric intake drops, the concentration of insulin, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and growth hormone are significantly reduced. This condition triggers autophagy, which literally means “self-eating”—an internal process of cleaning up old cells and repairing damaged ones. Autophagy is also induced during fasting.

This may be why caloric restriction is so effective at reducing inflammation and alleviating symptoms of autoimmune disease. (7) Of course, caloric restriction also results in weight loss. These are arguably the two primary reasons that people seem to be drawn to the carnivore way of eating, but these effects might also be achieved through simple caloric restriction.

2. The Carnivore Diet Is a Low-Residue Diet

“Residue” is essentially undigested food that makes up stool. A low-residue diet is a diet that limits high-fiber foods like whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. It is often prescribed for people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to alleviate symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, gas, and abdominal pain. (8)

Meat is made primarily of protein and fat, which are absorbed high up in the GI tract, leaving little residue leftover to irritate or inflame the gut. In other words, an all-meat diet is effectively a very low-residue diet and gives the gut a rest.

3. The Carnivore Diet Is Often Ketogenic

If you’re eating large amounts of meat but are only eating once or twice a day and adding extra fat to the meat, your diet is likely ketogenic. A ketogenic diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein diet, with:

• 60 to 70 percent of energy from fat
• 20 to 30 percent of energy from protein
• 5 to 10 percent of energy from carbohydrates

While the carnivore diet has no such macronutrient ratios, it’s likely that some of the benefits that come with eating meat alone are due to the body being in a state of ketosis.

Ketogenic diets have been shown to be helpful for a wide variety of conditions, including multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. (9, 10)

4. The Carnivore Diet Changes the Gut Microbiota

Switching to an all-meat diet can also rapidly alter the gut microbiota. A 2014 study found that putting healthy human volunteers on an animal-based diet resulted in significant changes to the gut microbiota in less than 48 hours. (11) The animal-based diet increased the abundance of bile-tolerant organisms and decreased the levels of microbes known to metabolize different plant fibers.

The gut microbiota has been linked to virtually every chronic inflammatory disease that has been studied, so it’s no surprise that an intervention that drastically changes the gut microbiota could have significant implications for health. (12)

The Biggest Potential Problem with This Diet: Nutrient Deficiencies

The short answer is that we really don’t know, since there are no long-term studies that have tracked large groups of individuals on carnivore diets for any significant length of time. One of my chief concerns about it is that it lacks several nutrients that are crucial for health.

There are four micronutrients that are especially difficult to obtain on a meat-only diet. Based on a typical carnivore diet and the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) established by the Institute of Medicine, these include:

• Vitamin C: An antioxidant that boosts immune cell function and is important for stimulating collagen synthesis
• Vitamin E: An antioxidant that prevents the oxidation of lipids and lipoproteins
• Vitamin K2: A fat-soluble vitamin that reduces the calcification of blood vessels
• Calcium: A mineral required for healthy bones, muscle contraction, and nerve transmission

If dairy is included in the diet, this will cover vitamin K2 and calcium. However, if you don’t like organ meats, the number of potential micronutrient deficiencies increases significantly. In that case, you can add to the list:

• Vitamin A: A fat-soluble vitamin important for proper vision and maintaining immune defenses
• Folate: A B vitamin important for cell growth, metabolism, and methylation
• Manganese: A trace mineral needed for the proper function of the nervous system, collagen formation, and protection against oxidative stress
• Magnesium: A mineral that supports more than 300 biochemical reactions, including energy production, DNA repair, and muscle contraction

It’s also important to note that vitamin C is extremely heat sensitive, so only fresh or very gently cooked organ meats will have appreciable amounts.

Many carnivore dieters claim that the nutrient requirements for the general population simply don’t apply to them. Anecdotally, I know of several individuals who have consumed a carnivore diet for three or more years without any overt signs of nutrient deficiencies.

Still, we’re lacking data. Currently, the DRIs are the best we have to go off of, and I don’t think we have enough evidence to unequivocally say that this diet has no risk of producing nutrient deficiencies in the general population.

Should We Be Aiming Higher Than the Daily Recommended Intake?

Even if the carnivore diet were sufficient to prevent outright deficiency, we should also consider metabolic reserve. Metabolic reserve is the capacity of cells, tissues, and organ systems to withstand repeated changes to physiological needs. In other words, it’s having enough nutrients “in the bank” to be able to deal with a major stressor, injury, or environmental exposure. (13) So if an all-meat dieter manages to meet a recommended nutrient intake, it still may not be enough for optimal health.

Other Reasons an All-Meat Diet May Not Be Healthy

It Lacks Beneficial Phytonutrients

Phytonutrients are chemicals that are produced by plants to protect against environmental threats, such as attacks from insects and disease. They can also have major benefits for our health. Curcumin, beta-carotene, quercetin, and resveratrol are all examples of common phytonutrients.

Some proponents of the carnivore diet suggest that phytonutrients are toxic to humans, and that it’s best to eliminate them completely from our diet. However, many of these “toxins” act as acute stressors that actually make us stronger through a process called hormesis.

Much like resistance training is an acute stressor that leads our muscles to adapt and get stronger, exposure to small amounts of phytonutrients is a hormetic stressor that activates several different pathways in the body, ultimately serving to reduce inflammation, enhance immunity, improve cellular communication, repair DNA damage, and even detoxify potential carcinogens. (14, 15)

It Might Affect Hormones, Fertility, and Thyroid Function

We have zero long-term data about how an all-meat diet impacts hormones, thyroid function, and fertility. I have written before about why carbohydrates are particularly important for female fertility and why very-low-carb diets may not be the best choice during pregnancy.

Carbohydrates are particularly important for supporting thyroid function since insulin stimulates the conversion of inactive thyroid hormone T4 to active T3. In fact, traditional cultures that ate largely animal products and had little access to plant foods often went to great lengths to support fertility, including eating the thyroid glands of the animals they hunted. (16)

My guess is that most modern “carnivores” are not consuming the thyroid glands of animals and are therefore at risk for suboptimal thyroid function and (at least temporary) infertility.

It Could Overtax Your Liver (If You’re Eating Lean Meat)

When you don’t eat sufficient carbohydrates and fat, your liver can make glucose from protein via a process called gluconeogenesis. This process creates nitrogen waste, which must be converted to urea and disposed of through the kidneys.

While this is a normal process that occurs in every human being, there is a limit to how much protein the liver can cope with safely. More than 35 to 40 percent of total calories as protein can overwhelm the urea cycle, leading to nausea, diarrhea, wasting, and, potentially, death. For pregnant women, this threshold may be as low as 25 percent of total calories. (17)

Interestingly, anthropological evidence suggests that hunters throughout history avoided consuming excess protein, even discarding animals low in fat when food was scarce. (18)

In short: When eating meat, it’s important to have a good amount of healthy fats or quality carbohydrates as well.

Is the Carnivore Diet the Ideal Human Diet?

In the last section, I outlined several potential concerns with the carnivore diet. But this leads me to another important question: even if the carnivore diet is safe, is it really the best diet for optimal health?

While you might be able to get away with a vegetarian or carnivorous diet for a short while, the evidence suggests that the ideal diet includes both animal and plant foods. Dr. Sarah Ballantyne broke this down in part three of her series “The Diet We’re Meant to Eat: How Much Meat versus Veggies.”

Five Alternatives to the Carnivore Diet

Here are some options that might provide the same therapeutic benefits that the carnivore diet can offer—but without as much potential risk.

1. A Low-Carb Paleo Diet

Some people trying a carnivore diet are going straight from the Standard American Diet to pure carnivore. Oftentimes, a low-carbohydrate Paleo template might provide some of the same benefits, including weight loss, improved insulin sensitivity, and an alleviation in autoimmune symptoms. (19, 20, 21)

2. A Fasting Mimicking Diet

A fasting mimicking diet can reverse type 1 and type 2 diabetes, alleviate age-dependent impairments in cognitive performance, and protect against cancer and aging in mice. (22, 23, 24) In humans, the fasting mimicking diet was found to significantly reduce body weight, improve cardiovascular risk markers, lower inflammation, and potentially improve symptoms of multiple sclerosis. (25, 26)

3. Periodic Prolonged Fasting

Undergoing a 72-hour fasting once every few months could also achieve many of the benefits boasted by the carnivore diet. Prolonged fasting causes organs to shrink and then be rejuvenated as damaged cells are cleared out and stem cell pathways are activated. (27)

4. A Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet has been very well studied and has documented benefits for epilepsy, neurodegenerative disease, and autoimmune disease. Ketones themselves are potent anti-inflammatories. (28, 29)

5. Addressing Gut Pathologies

If a healthy lifestyle coupled with the dietary approaches above is insufficient to control your symptoms, consider working with a Functional Medicine practitioner who is knowledgeable about gut health. If you’re thinking about becoming a strict carnivore because you’re experiencing adverse reactions to even very small amounts of plant foods, that’s likely a sign of an underlying gut infection that should be addressed.

Share this with friends and family who might be considering an all-meat diet, and be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below.

The post The Carnivore Diet: Is It Really Healthy? appeared first on Chris Kresser.

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For over 40 years, mammography screening (which is essentially an X-ray of the breasts) has been used almost exclusively as the primary form of breast cancer detection in women.  In recent years, however, numerous studies have brought this practice into question and mammography has become a hotly debated topic. What does the science say? While […]

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Thanks for giving Jessica Gouthro from Paleohacks such a warm reception last week. I’m glad you found her “13 Ways To Move More At Work” useful. She’s joining us again today to offer tips for those who are looking to ease joint pain. Enjoy!

It sounds counterintuitive, but it’s true: one of the best ways to ease joint pain is to exercise!

Whether you’re feeling aches and pains in your elbows or your lower back and hips, the key to managing and preventing joint and muscle pain is to exercise in the right way. If you have existing pain or joint discomfort, then you need to keep your workouts low-impact, but that doesn’t have to mean easy or ineffective.

You can keep reduce impact and lower your risk of injury by performing exercises that place less stress on the joints.

Some of the most popular low-impact workout options include:

• Cycling
• Swimming
• Elliptical cardio
• Incline walking
• Controlled light-resistance weight training
• Stretching and yoga

Aside from keeping your workouts low-impact, you can also start doing simple exercises to ease discomfort in specific parts of your body, like these 13 stretches for lower back pain or these 13 feel-good hip openers.

Try all 10 of the following exercises to relieve different forms of joint pain. You’ll need a chair, a small hand towel, a light dumbbell, and a resistance band for some of these moves. Remember your favorites and include them in your workouts anytime you feel discomfort in your joints.

1) “Wring the Towel” Wrist Stretch | 10 reps

Roll up a small towel and grab the ends with both hands.

Hold your arms out in front of you with palms facing down.

Slowly and with control, pretend you are wringing water out of the towel. Tilt one wrist up and the other wrist down at the same time, then alternate sides.

Continue wringing the towel in both directions for 10 full reps.

2) Dumbbell Wrist Curl | 10 reps per side

Sit on a chair or bench. Hold a light dumbbell in one hand and rest your elbow on your knee.

Keeping your arm still, exhale to flex your forearm and bend your wrist towards you to curl the dumbbell up.

Inhale to relax your wrist back to the starting position. .

Repeat for 10 slow and controlled reps, focusing on full range of motion with your wrist. Then switch sides.

3) Elbow Compression with Small Towel | 3 reps per side

Hold your arm out long. Roll up a small towel and place it right over your elbow.

Make a fist and curl your arm towards you, bending your elbow all the way closed on the towel. Aim to reach your knuckles to your shoulder.

Use your other hand to gently press inward on the back of your wrist to increase the compression. Breathe deeply as you hold for five seconds, then switch sides.

Complete three reps per side.

4) Narrow Grip Wall Press Tricep Extension | 10 reps

Place your palms flat on the wall at your chest height.

Step back a few feet so your body is at a slight angle. Ensure that your palms are flush against the wall.

Bend your elbows to lower your body towards the wall, keeping your elbows pointing straight down.

Stop when your elbows are about 3 inches from the wall and press back to straighten arms, flexing your elbows all the way.

Continue for 10 reps.

Tip: For a greater challenge, you can try this exercise with palms on a bench.

5) Hip and Low Back Compression Stretch | 3 reps per side

Lay flat on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the ground.

Lift one knee towards your chest, using your hands to pull it in towards you. Actively work to ground your hips.

Take five deep breaths, then switch and do the same on the other side.

Continue alternating sides to complete three reps per side.

6) Pelvic Tilt | 10 reps

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.

Hinge at the hips and place your palms on your knees.

Lift your sitting bones and tilt your pelvis forward to create an arch in your lower back and stretch your hamstrings. Keep your neck in neutral and shoulders relaxed. Hold for a few breaths.

Next, round your lower spine and tuck your pelvis under to form a round shape. Hold for a few breaths.

Alternate between tilting forward and back for 10 reps, holding each pose as long as you like to relieve the pain and pressure in your low back and hips.

7) Single Leg Toe Touch | 10 reps per side

Stand on one foot and look down towards the ground to get balanced.

Hinge at the hips as you raise your back leg behind you, reaching your fingers toward the toes of the standing leg. Get as parallel to the ground as you can.

Slowly rise back up with control.

Repeat 10 reps on one side, then switch to the other side.

8) Glute Kicks | 10 reps

Kneel down on all fours and flex your right foot. Keep your left foot relaxed.

Lift your right leg up to form a straight line from your right knee to shoulders, with your right foot facing the ceiling.

Hold at the top for three seconds while engaging your glutes, then relax your knee back to the ground.

Repeat on the same side for 10 reps, then switch to the other side.

9) Resistance Band Knee Extension with a Chair | 10 reps per side

Loop a resistance band around one leg of a chair, and place the other end of the band behind one of your knees.

Grab the seat of the chair with your hands. Then step back until you feel a good amount of tension on the band.

Your banded leg should be directly below your hips.

Straighten your leg fully, resisting the tension on the band.

Then relax the knee. Keep your foot flat on the ground the entire time.

Repeat for 10 reps, then switch legs.

10) Isometric Quad Flex | 6 reps per side

Sit on the ground and place a rolled up bath towel under your right knee.

Place your hands on the ground behind you for support and sit up tall.

Flex your right leg to lift your heel off the ground. You should feel all the muscles surrounding your knee fire up.

Hold this flex for five full seconds, then relax.

Repeat six times on this side, then switch to the left leg.

Tip: For a challenge, increase the number of reps or increase each hold to eight seconds.

Revisit these helpful exercises anytime you feel joint pain or discomfort. As always, be smart about working through an injury. If your body is telling you to rest, do it. When the time is right, apply these gentle exercises to help you get stronger and feel better.

Thanks again to Jessica Gouthro for these tips and to Brad Gouthro for demonstrating them. Questions or comments about exercises or treatment for joint pain? Share them below, and thanks for stopping by.

The post 10 Moves To Help Ease Joint Pain appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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I remember it like it was yesterday: I was 18 weeks into my first pregnancy. A little slower, but still bound and determined to run through all of it.

As I headed out on my first mile towards the Potomac River trails — I live in the DC Metro area — I had to stop every few minutes because of intense urinary urgency and excruciating pressure in the front of my pelvis. I had peed before I left but it didn’t make a difference, subsiding a little when I stopped running, but starting back up immediately with a run (I use the term running lightly — it was more like a loping waddle).

I reached a small parking lot along the river and sat down on a rock. I called my husband, and through the tears told him I was done running. He needed to come retrieve me as I couldn’t go any further or get back home. There was no way I could keep running anymore. I was defeated.

What had I done wrong? Why could other pregnant women seemingly prance through pregnancy and this rock was where my dreams would end?

(For my second pregnancy, I would love to tell you I put my big girl panties and ran entirely through with a devout sense of determination, due to my significant preparation, except that I don’t think I ever even ran during my second pregnancy — there’s something about the fatigue that comes with chasing after a never-sleeping 2-year-old boy that makes the joys of independent exercise a figment of one’s imagination.)

I still can’t go past that rock along the Potomac River without thinking of the day when my pregnancy running dream abruptly ended. I know the decision I made for my own training was what was right for me considering what I knew about my body and what I felt.

Many of you might be saying, “Well that’s not my story or my client’s story!”

To that, my response is, you might be right. You might also be wrong. As with everything I’ve learned about how women make our way through pregnancy, the answer is always “it depends.”

What the Research Says

I generally like to turn to the existing research, but here I’ll candidly admit that it’s not particularly helpful in guiding exercise programming during pregnancy. Why? Because it would be completely unethical to do a study on the premise that a specific intervention done in the context of that study will harm the baby.

Therefore, while there is a good amount of literature looking at high-intensity exercise (vs. high impact) and pregnancy in the context of health of the mother, delivery mode and health of the baby, most of this is retrospective research, like the recently published article in the CrossFit Journal about CrossFit training during pregnancy.¹

Here are some examples that look specifically at high-impact exercise:

• “Women who exercise regularly and engage in high-impact exercises before the first pregnancy may have a reduced risk of pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy.” — British Journal of Sports Medicine²
• “Compared with non-exercisers, regular exercise and high-impact exercises during pregnancy are associated with reduced risk of having an acute Cesarean delivery in first-time mothers.” — American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology³
• “Skydiving is not recommended during pregnancy.” — Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine⁴

What this tells us is that:

• If you do high-impact exercise prior to pregnancy, you might have less pelvic pain during
• If it’s your first pregnancy, movement can reduce your risk of having to go straight to a C-section. (All bets are off after the first kid!)
• Don’t jump out of a plane when pregnant. (The good news is that there is a recommended lesser-risk alternative to skydiving: wind tunnel training. Totally sounds like a scaled activity!)

What This Means for Trainers and Coaches

Research aside, how do we choose to jump or not to jump? To go for impact or not? There are typically a few categories of pregnant clients:

• Moms-to-be who don’t want to do high-impact at all, and find brisk walking to be enough.
• Women who start to do high-impact early on, and then (like my own experience) find that their body is giving them signs to stop.
• Women who can perform most activities asymptomatically throughout their pregnancy, with or without scaling.

The question remains: where to we step in to regulate when the body isn’t showing signs of distress with high-impact activities? Do we have evidence to suggest that continuing high-impact during pregnancy will ultimately result in pelvic floor dysfunction or diastasis recti postpartum?

The answer is a cautious and thoughtful “No, but…” No, we don’t have the concrete evidence, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be making educated, common-sense decisions during this impactful time (pun intended).

What we do know is that pressure control is important in pregnancy. With extra weight comes extra pressure (think outward on the belly and downward on the pelvic floor), and how our bodies manage that pressure can impact our muscle function after pregnancy. We also know that breath-holding increases intra-abdominal pressure, and that high-impact exercise requires above-average pressure management strategies.

Here’s some recommendations on how to provide better guidance to our moms-to-be with high-impact exercise:

Always Ask and Look

A wise 4-year-old once told me, “If you don’t ask, the answer is always no.”

Take the time to ask your client the following:

• Are you having leakage of any fluid during or after exercise?
• Do you have pressure in your pelvis, pubic bone or tailbone?
• Are you noticing any protrusion of organs outside your body? (This could be a sign of herniation or prolapse).

While it’s important to ask your client about what they’re experiencing, it’s also crucial to use your own powers of observation:

• Is there excessive doming or coning in the abdominals when your client is performing certain movements?
• Is breath-holding a primary strategy to during effort in exercise?
• Does their movement change to show signs of discomfort or favoring a body part?

Scale as Required

There is no reward for pushing beyond a client’s physiological capabilities, no matter what their Instagram says. Some women are simply more genetically predisposed in the biology department than others.

Genetically, some bodies and tissue types can withstand greater challenges and some bodies succumb to the influences of pregnancy hormones and weight gain. Some women may have enough training and movement background to be able to continue training with less scaling than others.

You may want to remind your client that there’s nothing inherently “wrong” with scaling movements, and that it’s not a sign of failure or of weakness.

Choose Teamwork

Teamwork with your client and their pregnancy team is vital. It’s imperative to have an open dialogue about your client’s expectations for movement in pregnancy as well as what they’re experiencing with each progressive week (or prior pregnancy history).

It’s also important to be well-versed in scaled movement options that are considerate of the challenges of progressing pregnancy as well as knowing when to refer to pelvic health experts for medical management in problem areas! It’s incredibly helpful to have resources who support your mutual goals!

You can find a pelvic physical therapist by using some of the resources listed below. Be sure to talk with them ahead of time to ensure a good fit for you and your client’s movement needs!

As movement experts, we’re best when we work with our clients using our knowledge and resources to help them make the best choice during their pregnancy experience.

Resources

To find a pelvic health physical therapist in your area, search one of the following websites.

• Australian Physiotherapy Association
• Canadian Physiotherapy Association
• Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (UK)
• Physiotherapy New Zealand
• Section on Women’s Health, American Physical Therapy Association

If nothing comes up in your area, a general Internet search using one of the following terms: pelvic health, pelvic floor, women’s health physical therapist, or women’s health physiotherapist and the name of the city will provide some leads. In the U.S. use the term physical therapist. Outside of the U.S., use the term physiotherapist.

References

1. Perkins C, Dewalt H, CrossFit Training During Pregnancy and Motherhood: A New Scientific Frontier, The CrossFit Journal, November 17, 2017. https://journal.crossfit.com/article/crossfit-training-during-pregnancy-and-motherhood
2. Owe KM, Bielland EK, Stuge B, et al. Exercise level before pregnancy and engaging in high-impact sports reduce the risk of pelvic girdle pain: a population-based cohort study of 39184 women. Br J Sports Med. 2016. Jul;50(13)817-22. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26435533
3. Owe KM, Nystad W, Stigum H, Vangen S, Bo K. Exercise during pregnancy and risk of cesarean delivery in nulliparous women: a large population-based cohort study. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2016 Dec; 215(6):791.e1-791.3.13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27555317
4. Ebner F, Wockel A, Janni W, Paterson H. Parachuting and pregnancy: what do we know about pregnant skydivers and the risks they are taking? Clin J Sport Med. 2014 Nov;24(6):468-73. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24637924

The post Should Pregnant Clients Do High-Impact Exercise? appeared first on Girls Gone Strong.

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I’d like you to step outside the box and take a look at life through a different set of lenses. This article is meant to pertain to the fitness lifestyle, but it also has carryover into the application of everyday life. Understanding how to not take life so seriously and manifest whatever your dreams and desires are is a crucial part of the human experience, yet many of us don’t know how to make these things become our reality. 

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Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss

At the beginning of each year, I am super busy with writing personalized plans for people who want to start the year off fresh with goals they want to achieve. They are feeling excited and positive for the changes ahead.

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