Supplements and Supplementation

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Regarding diet and nutrition, our primary concern is, of course, clean eating beginning with a Paleo approach.  For the most part, we do not promote the use of supplements, save for a select few (no, protein powder is not on our list).  The number of supplements we considered worthwhile could be counted on one hand, with a finger or two to spare.  Since receiving some nutritional enlightening from Robb Wolf this past summer, we have added a few other supplements to our list (ALA, for example).  Fish oil is the #1 on our hit list and we suggest taking it on a daily basis.  In fact, we don’t really consider it a supplement but rather food (it is oil, after all).

Mark Sisson over at Mark’s Daily Apple has a nice post on supplementation where he lists his top 4 supplements.  Check it out here.

What are your thoughts on supplements and supplementation?

Workout

Press 3-3-3-3-3 reps

rest 5 minutes

Row 1000m using as many intervals of 40 sec. on / 20 sec. off

Cr-cr-cr-Cravings

Friday, December 4, 2009

Life is so unfair.  First TTC fare went up to $2.75 (old news, you say?  I’m still irate!), then your PVR didn’t reprogram itself when the hockey game was moved to a different channel, and now your favorite foods might be trying to kill you.  Wait.  Back up.  What?

It’s quite common among people with celiac disease to crave bread, crackers, and pasta.  What the hell?  Why would your body direct you to consume the very substance which is doing so much damage?  Theories abound.  Specific to gluten intolerance: Gluten irritates your intestines, making for really inefficient nutrient absorption.  Simple, refined carbohydrates are absorbed earliest, in a less-irritated region of intestine… so your body craves white flour and sugar because those are pretty much the only things making it through in a useful form.  Here’s one theory about why we might crave or be addicted to other foods (including, but not limited to, gluten) to which we’re intolerant.

cycle of addition

Image credit: World’s Healthiest Foods

Does the thought of cleaning up your diet leave you in a panic?  Is there one food or food group that you think of more as a close personal friend than as fuel?  Consider this:

Hint: how do you know you may have these food sensitivities?  There are all sorts of ELISA allergy tests you can take, but if you feel particularly “addicted” to something, it may actually suggest you are sensitive to it.  When we took our kid off milk, he acted like he was coming off heroin for the first few days, he kept screaming for milk and cheese.  If you’re intrigued, take yourself off these things for a few weeks and introduce them back in, and then see how you feel.  (from Green Fertility)

You can do anything for a week, right?  Except hold your breath.  Or stand on one foot.  Or run nonstop.  Or… well… ok, so there’s a lot you can’t do for a week.  But avoiding, say, cheese?  Just to see if it changes your wellbeing for the better?  Might be worth a shot.

Workout

Complete 5 rounds for time of:

  • 5 One arm dumbbell thrusters, left side (1/3 of body weight)
  • 5 One arm dumbbell thrusters, right side (1/3 of body weight)
  • 30 Double-unders

Fertility, Anyone?

Thursday, December 3, 2009

DSC_0334

I want you all to be having lots of sex and making lots of babies.  There.  I said it.  In fact, I’ve been saying it in various ways since I started contributing to this blog!  Every time I suggest that a lower carbohydrate diet made up of real foods might be a good idea, every time I mention intense exercise or strength development as a means for improving insulin sensitivity… Well… That’s all just double-talk for “make lots of babies”.  It’s obvious, isn’t it?  I go on and on about lowering your carbohydrates and maybe even fasting a little here and there… it’s all been a covert op: when you’re struggling with infertility one of the drugs you may be prescribed is:

Metformin (Brand name: Glucophage).  Metformin is an insulin-sensitizing agent… Metformin may increase your fertility to the extent that it reduces insulin resistance, and thus helps to normalize insulin.  (from Natural Health Solutions for PCOS)

Weird, right?  And it’s not just you gals I’m after.  Oh, heck no.  Boys, I want your swimmers to be doin’ their thang and doin’ it well.  Turns out you guys can be just as affected by gluten sensitivity and insulin resistance as the ladies.  (See celiac disease and infertility, as well as gluten sensitivity and infertility).

Sure, we claim that the CFTO blog is all about fitness and nutrition and gym-related exploits, but it turns out we’re all about the horizontal mambo around here.  Take heed: If you’re not looking to produce a mini-you and you’ve just jumped into a Paleo lifestyle, maybe double up on the protection.  Just sayin’.

Workout

Split jerk 3-3-3 reps

Rest 5 minutes

Complete 3 x as many rounds as you can in 5 minutes of:

  • 7 Pull-ups
  • 7 Kettlebell swings (boys: 32kg; girls: 24kg)

Rest 1 minute between rounds

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