Monday, November 28, 2011

Latest & Greatest Updates...

Hello All - Hope the holidays are treating you well.  Remember these key words this time of year: "That looks wonderful, but I am in training mode, thanks!" or "That looks wonderful, but I am gluten/dairy/soy/fruit/etc.-free and that will wreak havoc on my stomach unfortunately!" Wanted to touch on 4 topics today: 1) Strategic snacking; 2) Gluten free dieting; 3) More Cycling Ketogenic Research and my diet progress; and 4) New gadgets and gift ideas for Christmas :)

Strategic Snacking: I get a lot of questions about hunger management and preventing binges, here are my recommendations for the 2 snacks a day (keeping to ~250 calories is best, higher protein/fat/fiber to keep you feeling full and your metabolism up) I recommend around 10am and 3pm.
  • Celery sticks + hummus (low or full fat) or nut butter (almond best)
  • Handful or individual wrapped nuts (soaked are best, I buy from Wilderness Family Naturals) - favor Macadamia or Hazelnuts which are higher in Omega 3, lower in Omega 6, over Almonds or Brazil nuts!
  • Protein shake - whey + fiber powder + flax or MCT oil
  • High quality grass-fed, soy/gluten-free beef jerky - I like Steve's Original or Sophia's Survival Snacks
Gluten Free despite not having celiac disease.  I've been largely gluten free for several months and the clarity and improvement in brain chemistry (lack of fogginess, particularly in the morning) and stomach/gut health is incredible!  For some it can be a cure from stomach/gastric issues as well as asthma, head aches, and other bodily challenges. With a Paleo or Ketogenic diet, being gluten free is quite easy.  If you haven't been tested for celiac/gluten intolerance, I would ensure you include that panel on your next blood test. In the interim, it might be worth a try, plus, it drives a low carb mentality and should be a breeze on the below diet options! Indeed, one in 133 people—or 1.5 million Americans—may suffer from a sensitivity to gluten and gluten-free alternatives to wheat-based staples such as pasta, bread, cookies—even beer - are cropping up. High-profile athletes such as Garmin-Slipstream rider Christian Vande Velde and tennis star, Novak Djokovic openly ascribe to a gluten-free diet. And the FDA is now developing standards for voluntary gluten-free labeling, similar to those used for organic foods.
Cycling Ketogenic Diet (CKD). Again, the basic premise behind the CKD - When you keep your carbs sufficiently low, you body switches to a fat metabolism; this is called the 'Metabolic Switch'. Switching from a carbohydrate to a fat metabolism has two huge results for the bodybuilder, endurance, or amateur athlete alike: 1) Increased Lipolysis (breakdown of fat) and 2) Decreased Lipogenesis (accumulation of body fat). This metabolic switch usually takes around 3 days to take full effect. Synthesizing the correct enzymes in sufficient quantities to become a fat-burner takes a little time. This is why some new comers to low carb diets can feel foggy at the beginning, but once the switch takes place and you start burning fat (9 kcals) vs. carbs (4 kcals), you feel phenomenal!  Thus far, I have been on the CKD since 11/5 and going strong, will be running it through the end of the year and into early next year, plan to post a progress report after 2 months. The first 10 days of re-orientation are tough, but once you get into the habit of 6/7 days at ~30G of carbs and a seven day of a 12-8pm or as I have been doing, single meal, carb-up, you feel phenomenal and can easily organize your workouts around the diet.

New Gadgets/Christmas Ideas (If you haven't already - check out my fav's on the right as well!):

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