Hidden causes of GERD!

“Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), a more serious form of acid reflux.  It is the most common digestive disorderin the United States. Studies show that 10-20% of individuals experience symptoms at least once a week, and prevalence of GERD is increasing steadily.”  Personally, I experienced for many years issues with digestion.  It’s not that I was irresponsible with my diet (even though I was), More importantly, no one was pushing that diet could fix the problem for good.

“Recent studies also show that the damage from poor stomach function and GERD not only extends upward to the sensitive esophageal lining, but also downward through the digestive tract, contributing to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and other gastrointestinal problems. IBS is now the second-leading cause of missed work, behind only the common cold.”

Bacterial overgrowth + maldigested carbohydrates = GAS! Though microbes are able to metabolize proteins and even fats, their preferred energy source is carbohydrate. The fermentation of carbohydrates that haven’t been digested properly produces gas. The resulting gas increases intra-abdominal pressure, which is the driving force behind acid reflux and GERD.

Article 1 includes what it is and why it’s a problem: article 1

Article 2 includes how it becomes a problem because of what we eat:  article 2

Coconut Milk

 I was referred by a close friend to take a look at this natural Coconut Milk.  There’s no additives to it and claims 100% coconut.  Prices include 6 boxes (small) 8.5 oz Aroy-D All Natural Coconut Milk, $11.89.  November 2012 Expiry Date.  

       

February Paleo Challenge winners! Audra S. and Mike R.

Testimonial from February Paleo Challenge Winner, MIKE R.

Id like to start of by saying the paleo challenge is no joke. It was tough to stay on track with it but the results are amazing.  I can truly say that paleo is they way to eat and live. My energy level has been at a all time high this month. In the gym all my wod times are going down and i can finally do double unders. The biggest changes I’ve notice since starting the challenge are at home.Tv time is almost at 0 and since I’m having more energy my house has been cleaner then ever and my grads have even shot up. Im not content with just siting relaxing anymore which kind of forces me to study. Which i really needed the help there. Im more then satisfied with my results. This has been the healthiest I’ve ever been and it took a little dedication and eating paleo. It almost seems to simple of eating style to work but it really does with out compromising on taste.  I recommend that if you haven’t tried it you need to. You feel 1000 times better at the end of the month and you look just as good as you feel. Im going to stick with the paleo lifestyle. Going back to the junk food and fast-food isn’t even an option now. But don’t take it from me try it yourself and you wont be disappointed.

Before/After

Testimonial from February Paleo Challenge Winner, Audra S.

I’ve had some personal goals for a while now that I wasn’t putting enough effort into.  I knew I needed more veggies in my diet.  I wanted to lose weight, and while I work out more than enough to lose weight, I knew my diet was holding me back.  I’m also an emotional eater and wanted to gain control over my relationship with food.  The paleo challenge in February seemed like a great time to work on each of those goals.  This was my second challenge, and I wanted to approach it the right way this time (i.e. not sustain myself on paleo desserts).  I went into it with an open mind, focused on achieving my goals, and achieving them is exactly what I did.  I have never consistently eaten this many veggies, and I haven’t felt deprived.  In 30 days I lost several pounds and inches, and there is no stopping me in the gym.  I’ve found that I don’t crave the same crappy foods I used to crave, and my mentality is shifting to “food is fuel” instead of an emotional/stress response.  I’ve become more thoughtful and selective with the foods I buy at the grocery store.  One of the best results is my confidence.  I feel good physically, and I’m proud of myself for making so much progress on my goals.  I’m fueling my body with quality food, and seeing my own progress gives me confidence and motivates me to continue on this healthy route.

Take a Look at Audra’s Before & After Challenge Pics! They are AMAZING!

Lost in 30 Days

Weight – 8.6 lbs

Waist – 1 inch

hips – 1.75 inches

chest – 1 inch

Right bicep – 1 inch

Left Bicep – 1 inch

Right thigh – .75 inches

Left Thigh – .5 inches

Benchmark Workout “Cindy” - Amrap in 20 minutes of 5 pullups, 10 pushups, 15 squats

Before 9 + 12 Rounds (blue band, pushups on toes)

After 11 + 8 rounds (blue band, pushups on toes)

What I’m not eating. . .

Mainstream health professionals are PUSHING grains, dairy, and legumes as not only healthy, but Necessary for wellness and weight loss.  It can be confusing and frustrating to be on the other side of the fence.  Accepting this paleo challenge isn’t just for losing a few pounds, but it’s about Inner Health and Wellness.   America is struggling from digestion problems and sickness that ARE preventable – this costs you money!  You wouldn’t have to buy Midol for the rest of your life.  You’re medication for diabetes will go to the back of your cupboard.  You can let your Tums go stale in your bathroom cabinet.  The reality is to continue to strive to be better than yesterday.  You already know what you need to do.  From this point forward you can not complain about your weight, your gym performance, or issues with a variety of sicknesses until you challenge yourself to 30 days of meat and vegetables, nuts and fruit, and no starch.  Think of it as Food Rehab.

“Potatoes are not part of The Paleo Diet because they contain some harmful substances, namely saponins (solanine and chaconine) which can’t be degraded by digestion or cooking. They can contribute to an increase in intestinal permeability which is associated to many chronic diseases.

Regarding legumes, they are also sources of saponins as well as lectins. Lectins are also toxic substances for the intestinal barrier, and they can adversely stimulate the immune system.

Corn is a cereal grain which is also a source of lectins (see Dr. Cordain paper entitled “Cereal grains: Humanity’s double edged sword” in our published research section).

Quinoa may contain high concentrations of saponins which as I pointed out with potatoes have the potential to adversely affect GI tract function by increasing intestinal permeability. These grains are also net acid yielding Sugars were part of our Hunter-gatherers ancestors’ diet but not year round. So, use them in moderation.”  – The Paleo Diet

LAST DAY OF THE PALEO CHALLENGE!

AH! It’s your last day of the challenge and I bet some of you have been dreaming of this moment for 30 days!

But Let’s Reflect on What the Last 30 days has meant for me, for you:

If it’s your first time doing the challenge, my goal for you is to be SOLD on the IDEA of paleo because of the possibilities; you may have felt more energy, gain in strength, increased sleep, and your spirit may feel more settled throughout the day.  You may have felt no changes at all, and this shouldn’t deter you.  Firstly, stress plays a MAJOR role as a silent killer.  Secondly, I can’t shove portioning down your throat any more than I already have.  Third, if you’ve raised the bar so high for yourself (or comparing your results to others) you may not see the little accomplishments you’ve made over the last 4 weeks.  My goal for you wasn’t perfection or  extreme changes in your body type. CrossFit and Paleo are not 6 week cardio bootcamp programs for you to shred fat RIGHT NOW; you can’t be that demanding if you want to see long-term changes without burning out completely.  Maintaining an 80%/20% paleo lifestyle is a great place to start; eventually and naturally you will stay away from shit food because you just won’t crave it anymore.  If you lie and cheat yourself (like say your 80% when you’re more like 50%, and 25% is fruit. . . which is why you maintain a journal) then you’ll wind up back where you started.  One Day You Will Not Feel Like You’re Missing Out On Life just because you skipped the doughnuts brought into work.  You will most definitely feel that everyone else is missing out on the opportunity to truly live life.

If it’s your second time doing the challenge my goal for you was to fix some of those mistakes you made the first time around.  From my observations, it appears there are many positive changes that were made.  My expectations of 2nd timers is, also, not perfection but  to continue making progress. From my personal experiences, I’ve always taken away something to improve my habits in between challenges.   For instance, after my first paleo challenge I didn’t buy milk anymore (but I still ate cereal w/ almond milk, macaroni and cheese, and pizza).  After the next challenge I didn’t go back to cereal; the challenge after that I didn’t go back to macaroni and cheese, a few challenges later – pizza, this last challenge in October – peanut butter.  After this one, my goal is to stop eating the free bread and tortilla chips at restaurants.

For everyone: If you’re stressed or lacking sleep FIX IT.  Sometimes (and, i’m speaking mainly to women because we are nurturers) you give so much of yourself to others that you often put your health and wellness needs in the backseat.  The worse part is that sometimes these reasons because excuses.   Caring about people is cool, but not if you use that as an excuse to welcome stress, workout less (or feel poor results when you do), eat worse and emotionally, and then start hating yourself for all of it. Fix It.

 

But I’m a starving college student!

“Ahh…the College Student. Let’s take a walk down memory lane to create some framework here!

At the age of 16 my dad became disabled and could not work. It was not until I was 22 that his disability went through and I was freed from largely supporting my parents. Through all of high-school and part of college I worked full time to not just float my families boat, but also to get the things I wanted like a motorcycle, spending money etc. Even in college I sent money home to may parents, while maintaining an academic load of 18+ units. I worked at a vitamin shop and I tutored chemistry, physics and Spanish. I was president of the Chemistry club, VP of the pre-med club and it was a grueling schedule. But I WANTED it. I was the first person in my family to go to school since the time of Socrates. That’s a long winded way of saying I do not have ANY sympathy for the folks in school trying to make ends meet. It sucks, it’s also your opportunity to do something with your life. If eating clean is important, you will find a way to make it happen. If you are better looking than you are smart, become a stripper, they make great money. I’m not that smart, I’m not good looking, but I will out-work just about anyone.”

Read more from Robb Wolf

To recap:

1-Paleo is affordable.

2-Everyone has a different situation and must adapt to it.

3-Understanding your finances may liberate some cash you were previously squandering.

4-Many of our problems are an outgrowth of a diet and lifestyle at odds with our genetics.

5-If you really understand #4 we can quit feeling bad and make effective changes.

Bread = Sodium

CDC survey finds bread is top source of sodium in US diet. ABC World News (2/7, story 7, 0:35, Sawyer) reported that “the Center for Diseases Control said nine out of ten adults eat too much salt. And the number one source of their salt is a surprise — bread and rolls.” The CBS Evening News (2/7, story 9, 0:20, Pelley) reported, “The Centers for Disease Control said today that salty snacks like potato chips are not our biggest source of sodium.” NBC Nightly News (2/7, story 8, 2:25, Williams) reported that CDC Director Thomas Frieden, MD, said, “We’re eating more food made by others, in restaurants or prepared food from grocery stores. And when other people make food for us, they put a lot more salt in it.” NBC’s Costello added, “More fruits, veggies and home cooking are the solution, says the CDC.” The AP (2/8, Stobbe) reports, “Bread and rolls are the No. 1 source of salt in the American diet, accounting for more than twice as much sodium as salty junk food like potato chips. That surprising finding comes in a government report released Tuesday that includes a list of the top 10 sources of sodium.” CDC officials “are encouraging consumers to read labels and, for example, buy brands of bread that have lower sodium.” CDC Director Frieden noted, “Potato chips, pretzels, and popcorn — which we think of as the saltiest foods in our diet — are only No. 10.” “Most sodium in the US diet comes from bread, lunch meat, pizza, chicken, soup, and burgers, the CDC found,” according to the National Journal (2/8, Fox, Subscription Publication). In a statement, CDC Director Frieden said, “We’re encouraged that some food manufacturers are already taking steps to reduce sodium,” noting that manufacturers such as Kraft and Leprino Foods are “actively working on providing customers and consumers with healthier options.” The NPR (2/8, Barclay) “The Salt” blog reports, “According to the CDC, the average American consumes about 3,300 milligrams of sodium per day, not including any salt that may be added during a meal. … The US Dietary Guidelines recommend no more than 2,300 mg a day, except if you’re over 51 years or African American or have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (2/8, Jeffries) lists the “10 types of foods are responsible for more than 40 percent of people’s sodium intake,” according to the CDC list. The foods are “breads and rolls; luncheon meat, such as deli ham or turkey; pizza; poultry; soups; cheeseburgers and other sandwiches; cheese; pasta dishes; meat dishes such as meat loaf; and snack foods such as potato chips, pretzels and popcorn.” The Journal-Constitution points out that “breads and rolls aren’t saltier than many of the other foods on the CDC list, but people tend to eat a lot of them,” which makes them the cop source of salt in the diet. MedPage Today (2/8, Fiore) notes, “The data come from the ‘What We Eat in America’ portion of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2008. NHANES is a survey that relies on self-reported data, a fact that may introduce bias and also raises questions about the generalizability of its findings.” The study is published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. CQ (2/8, Subscription Publication) and the Los Angeles Times (2/8, Muskal) “Nation Now” blog also cover the story.

Thanks to Bryce W. For finding this article to share!

We have 4 days until the challenge is over! Wow! How many of you can’t believe how time flew!?  I truly appreciate those who attended the paleo meeting on Saturday; there were so many things you could have chosen to do instead.  Some of you had obligations with work and/or family, so I want you to review or look back at comments from this post to see what progress and advice people may have for you!

Weekly challenge winner this week was Heather R! She won a $50 scotty’s gift certificate for her southern inspired Jambalya.  Andy W.’s chicken and Chadd’s bacon cookies were also a big hit!

End of Challenge Needs!

• Wednesday will be Cindy!  Try to attend classes this day!  You can also accomplish it during open gym at 4:15pm on either Tuesday or Thursday.  In addition, Friday classes will be a Cindy Make-up Day.
• We will also take your Body Fat% measurements, sign ups will be at the gym!
• With your journal, you will submit your before/after picture (hard copy or digital), your before/after measurements of your thighs, hips, waist, arms, etc.), your before/after body fat %, and your before/after Cindy scores.
• Between Wednesday and Saturday, you need to drop off your entire journal and requirements at the gym.
• We will determine winners by Wednesday, March 7.

Review Questions for This week:

1. If it’s your first time doing the challenge, what do you have to say to someone who didn’t do the challenge to encourage them to do it next time?

2. If it’s your second time doing the challenge, why/how did you benefit from doing it again?

 

Andy B’s Cocoa Rub!

I’m making this soon!  Andy did a fabulous job sharing his pork loin with us last Valentine’s Day!  If you were wondering how he did it, the recipe is below!

5 lb pork loin

3 Tbs cocoa powder

2 Tbs chile powder

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 Tbs garlic powder

1 Tbs salt

Cut the pork loin in half lengthwise (so you have 2 long pork loins). Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Sprinkle the spice rub all over the pork. Use all of the spice rub and make sure you really coat the pork. It will seam like a lot of seasoning. Let the meat sit with the spice rub on it for at least an hour.

Turn the grille on high and let it heat up. Sear the meat for about 5 minutes on each side with te grille on the highest temp and the lid open. Move the meat to the middle of the grille. Turn off the burner(s) directly under the meat. Turn the side burners to medium low. Cook over indirect heat with the lid closed until cooked through. I usually take it off when the meat thermometer reads 150. Let it sit for 15 minutes before slicing.

1 week and 3 days to Go!

Last week’s winner of our Valentines Day Chocolate Challenge was Andy B.  He made a fabulous cocoa rub for his pork loin!  Instead of Satin Hands, he chose a blue CamelBack Water Bottle! 

WE WILL HAVE A PALEO MEETING AT 3PM THIS SATURDAY before the Bring a Friend WOD.  Your Challenge this week is to make a Mardi Gras inspired plate!  You can get creative with green, purple, and gold OR create a unique Gumbo or Seasfood recipe.  Make sure you can keep it hot or cold because we will be voting and tasting AFTER the Bring a Friend WOD on Saturday!  Non paleo participants will be encouraged to bring a plate, but will not be eligible to win.  The winner will receive a DINNER FOR TWO at a local restaurant!

Also, if you have not submitted your journal entry to me, please do it by This evening!

- – - – - – - – -Reflect on the past 3 weeks - – - – - – - – -

Are you making the most of this challenge?   Are you doing ALL that you can DO with the MOST effort you can POSSIBLY give?  OR, Have you been telling yourself, “This paleo thing isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be?”  You may or you may not be giving it your all!  It sucks to hear that when you feel like you’re working so hard to do the “right thing.”  But let’s just take a minute to reflect.

Treating yourself: when I eat a chocolate square (or two) after dinner, I, for sure, know this isn’t paleo (it’s a treat we allow acceptable from the modern world).  When I have a glass of wine, you better bet this is going to effect you.  If I have fruit for a late night snack, it’s the same craving craving for sugar that you’d have for ice cream, although fruit is definitely a better option :0)

Not Enough Food: If you eat a salad at lunch, It’s not enough food for a CrossFit Workout in the afternoon.  If this is you,  take a look at your portions.   Feed yourself more vegetables, meats, and fats to stay full and have energy (go back to Saturday’s Post if you’re still struggling with portion sizes).

You’re not losing weight:  “Just quick one here. I’ve received about 50 private messages, twitter pings and other reach-outs this morning with the general theme being: “Hey Robb, I think I’m stalled on my WEIGHT LOSS…should I go ketogenic? Cut out nuts? Join an Ashram?” -Robb Wolf wrote a great blog post about this. Take a minute to click this link and read it.   Being true to yourself, Sleep, and Stress go hand in hand with your progress.

Sleep and Stress: These are biggies.  There’s all kinds of sorting out in your life you need to do to accomplish these things.  Don’t put them on the back burner.  Tell yourself you’re going to go to bed and do it.  Organize a system to manage your time so your stress levels are down.  Your options are to reach out for guidance or do what you know you have to do and do it.  Read back at an old post to help you learn WHY these are important.

- – - – - – - – - – - REFLECTIONS - – - – - – - – - – -

Thanks for your reflections on the last week! We only have 1.5 weeks left!! Is it getting easier?!  What are you looking forward to after the challenge?!