Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Everything I Learned About Nutrition, Once I Got Healthy

 
There is no magic pill. Any 30 day promise is most-likely too good to be true. It takes work! Lift heavy weights; properly—learn how to do that. Overall nutrition IS the instant magic pill that makes your weightlifting and fat loss successful. It takes effort, consistency and discipline. Get going and get serious. THIS will transform your body, overall health and mental state because you will look and feel soooo much betterer. Let’s go! Inflammation, be gone! Joint pain, go away! Type-2 diabetes, disappear! And much, much more…

Sleep at least 8 hours each night, drink good [purified] water, try intermittent fasting [only eating during an 8-hour window each day] and do the following:

I don’t use all this stuff, but a lot of it. It is kind of Paleo plus other reasonable stuff. Since we are all wired a little differently, you have to test things. What kind of food works well for your energy and nutrition? We are highly tuned performance vehicles that need the right fuel for energy, strength and health. Experiment and tweak things to make you strong and pain free. This is a quick summary of things I focus on as an old man wanting to pack on muscle and reduce body fat:

Alcohol – very little beer or hard liquor. I like red wine, so this is my vice that I still allow and consider it my dessert [carbohydrate] ~2 days per week.

Algae – if you want this weird crap, you will probably need to get this in powder form so look for raw or low temperature processed varieties of blue-green and brown.

Almonds – go nuts for the aminos. Go plain, raw, unsalted.

Aluminum Foil – use it for wrapping and storing opened cheese but do not cook with it since it can enter the food you eat which may enhance onset of alzheimers.

Apple – a good pre-workout food with antioxidants: loaded with fiber to promote digestive health; great source of antioxidants and electrolytes.

Apple Cider Vinegar – 2 tablespoons per day is good for gut health. You can make a water drink with this, plus some lemon juice and cayenne pepper to get your stomach rolling in the morning.

Avocado – good fats, nutrient boosting abilities so you can absorb other fat-soluble stuff you eat.

Banananananana – small ones or half a large one each day. Loaded with potassium and electrolytes; contain inulin and prebiotics, a healthy fiber that promotes probiotic growth and promotes digestive health.

Beans – a little dab will do. I can only eat like 3 black beans before I have fiber disasters. TMI!

Beef – yes, please. Green-fed is best because they ate stuff from the pasture their whole life without the fattening grains and junk that have a negative effect on you. Grass-fed may only consume grass part (minimum of 1/3) of the time and grains could be a major portion of their diet. Eat lots to build muscle.

Berries – yeah, baby! Blue, black, rasp, Indian Gooseberry [aka amla]. Keep all fruit consumption to 1 cup per day since that is still a lot of sugar; even though, it’s the good kind.

Bread – flourless, sprouted; Ezekiel bread or similar. The rest is not good for you. Gluten is garbage for your gut. Whole grain foods are often disguised as healthy but are not.

Broccoli – it will make you sexy just like these will too: cabbage, bok choy, kale, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and other green leafy vegetables.

Butter – grass-fed is better; find the stuff with no junk added.

Celery – It is great for gut health and getting that bacteria in there to work correctly.

Cheese – a little once in a while; find some clean, pure stuff made without a bunch of weird chemicals in processing plants.

Chocolate – needs to be non-alkalized to be a good polyphenol. I add pure cocoa powder to my protein powder for the antioxidant and thermogenic affects. I have a supply of raw unsalted nuts that I throw in little pieces of chocolate that are from the highest % of cocoa bars I can find and break or chop up [baking bars are 100% cocoa and less pricey than fancy candy bars], this avoids the sugar and other chemicals added to chocolate to make it taste better.

Cinnamon – get Ceylon Cinnamon. Mix with natural honey and use as a facial cleanser to fight acne. In food this can actually help people with diabetes and be as effective their prescribed medicines. Thermogenic: I add this to my protein powder.

Cinnamon oil – has been shown to help balance blood sugar and has an incredible aroma.

Clary Sage oil - Clary sage’s biggest benefit is that is helps balance out estrogen in the body. If you have infertility or estrogen cancer, clary sage helps balance out your estrogen levels and hormones.

Clove essential oil - #1 herb in antioxidant value

Coconut – just do it; in every raw, pure form: flakes, flour, milk, sugar, water, oil… They contain MCFAs (Medium Chain Fatty Acids), a type of healthy fat your body uses for fuel.
Coconut Oil – Get extra virgin. I use it in my coffee, as a non-stick base when frying up steaks, chicken or fish in a pan. 3 tbsp. each day is also great for building muscle and decreasing body fat. I use it as a lotion on my scalp and under my eyes daily and on dry skin; when I think of it.

Cod Liver Oil – [Garden of Life brand] fat soluble antioxidants

Coffee – I am not energized enough to make bullet-proof coffee in the morning with a blender and don’t like the butter residue aftertaste, so I just stir in a teaspoon or 2 of coconut oil into my first cup of the day. I have about 20oz per day of mostly black coffee; no sugar because it is dehydrating & fattening, other phony sweeteners and absolutely no stinking creamers because they are merely soft plastic—yuck! Plain, unadulterated, unfiltered coffee either cures or prevents everything! Ha!:
                https://authoritynutrition.com/coffee-brain/

Corn – I haven’t seen any of the healthy doctors publish anything about eating it. I guess it’s unnecessary. Do not use the oil or anything that has its byproducts in them like corn syrup, etc.

Dairy – as fresh as possible; nothing mass produced and not even the organic stuff since they are all pasteurized, cooked, additivized to the max. Search for raw. How about some cultured dairy like greek yogurt, amasai and kefir? Awesome superfoods.

D3 (more than a Vitamin, it’s a prohormone) - It affects “the adaptive immune system, the innate immune system, insulin secretion by the pancreatic β cell, multifactorial heart functioning and blood pressure regulation, and brain and fetal development.” [Dr. Axe]

Eggs – one of the best bioavailable sources of protein. Pastured or free-range eggs have up to 20 times more omega-3 fats than factory hen eggs, more vitamin A, less saturated fat and less cholesterol.

Eucalyptus essential oil – improves respiratory health and fights sinus infections. Also, it decreases mucus production and improves digestive health.

Fennel essential oil – has a natural sweet flavor and has been shown to relieve indigestion and a wide range of stomach issues. It has been used to treat colic, coughs and to reduce stomach cramps. Also, fennel helps cleanse toxins by stimulating the liver and naturally balances hormones.

Fermented Vegetables – sauerkraut and the like have a lot of benefits including probiotics

Fish – wild, not farmed; absolutely no Tilapia – it is garbage.

Fish Oil – a great source of omega-3’s and helps balance hormones.

Flour – pretty much a no. OK. No! Got it? Replace with coconut flour and ... or just get rid of fattening, high sugar desserts—I know this is scary but the sugar bug wears off after 6 weeks of detoxing, believe me. I thought I was stuck with a sweet tooth. Now my mouth rejects sugary foods instantly. Sorry, mom.

Frankincense – Fights cancer, reduces inflammation, boosts immune system, cleanses and detoxes body, improves mood and fights depression, spiritual awareness, fights infections, heals skin of scarring and sunspots and acne.

Fruit – a cup of dark berries per day is good. Small amounts of the rest due to wanting to control your sugar intake. And, no juice—unless it’s the whole fruit being juiced which is still a LOT of sugar. All sugar makes you fat! Most people are not working out hard enough to burn off their sugar intake.

Garlic – fights cancer and heart disease by killing bad viruses, bacteria, parasites. It’s pretty much an anti-all the bad stuff thing: antioxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-coagulant, antiseptic & anti-fungal.

Ginger – eat it. Put the powder in soups and casseroles. Eat the fermented stuff at sushi. Great for your gut.

Ginger essential oil – is one of the most anti-inflammatory oils in the world and can help settle GI distress. Using ginger oil has also been shown to help heal leaky gut and strengthen immunity. Ginger also benefits joint health, reduces anxiety and slows aging.

Grains – find the healthy stuff; not regular breads or even whole grains: some quinoa or black rice.

Hand Sanitizer – do not use them; ever. Wash with warm water and a cleansing oil or soap.

Honey – raw and local in small amounts as a sweetener. It is also an actual food and can help reduce allergies but use in small amounts. It’s a sugar!

Kale – eat this garnish superfood. Very nutrient dense unlike most people’s diets. The weird taste disappears when cooked in soups.

Kombucha – great for probiotics, if you can find clean stuff that isn’t processed or loaded with sugar or other junk.

Lavender oil – Relaxes body and reduces anxiety, heals wound and burns, reduces high blood pressure and cholesterol, relieves insomnia, heals skin disorders, supports hormone balance, balances blood sugar for diabetes.

Lemon oil – Cleanses body and lymphatic system, improves weight loss, can reduce cellulite, improves fatigue, supports immunity, kills bad bacteria, improves mood and reduces anxiety.

Liver – it’s good for… wait for it… cleansing your liver; so eat it! Go beef.

Melaleuca oil – Kills funguses and yeast, eliminates parasitic infections, heals gum disease, improves acne, reduces dandruff and cleans out poison [not sure which ones or how potent].

Myrrh oil – stop murmuring. …

Olive Oil – research the label to make sure no other oils are added, it should smell nice and herby. It should be extra virgin, in a dark bottle and the good stuff will turn a bit cloudy in the fridge because the fat is solidifying. It is still difficult for your body to digest.

Orange peel oil – a powerful citrus fruit that contains d-limonene, which has many benefits, including cleansing and anti-inflammatory benefits. It has also been shown to improve mood, freshen odor and improve metabolic function.

Peanuts – only if you can find them grown in a good way; there is so much processing in most that it ruins any nutritional value they might have. I have been a peanut junkie my whole life. Bummer, now I am mostly cutting them out for real nuts and seeds, not legumes like these.

Pear – a great source of fiber, antioxidants, and electrolytes

Peppermint oil – Improves focus and concentration, supports digestion, relieves muscle aches and pain, fights bad breath and odor, improves breathing by fighting respiratory and sinus infections, anti-viral to fight the flu, reduces nausea and acid reflux and bloating.

Processed anything – NOPE!!! Don’t buy it. Don’t eat it. Don’t touch it. Don’t smell it. Don’t even look at it. Just STOP!

Protein Powder – Whey [not hydrolyzed], some forms of casein and egg. If you can eat enough high quality food, you do not really need this. Read the label to make sure everything is described and no fluff or fillers and no “proprietary blend” B.S. Do some research to make sure what is claimed on the package is really in the product. I trust JYM products.

Quinoa – this is a healthy loofa; I mean, grain.

Rice – Try black if you can find it [Winco bulk] and soak for an hour or more and rinse before cooking. The next best healthy stuff is brown and sprouted, not refined. Eat small amounts due to the insulin spike.

Rosemary essential oil – has been shown to protect the brain and reduce risk of dementia. It also has been shown to improve health of skin, hair, nails and naturally balance hormones.

Salmon – eat it wild, not farmed: most of it in stores is farmed.

Salt – Himalayan is best because of the minerals in it – you actually need some of this. It contains all 84 of the essential elements in the human body. Pure unprocessed sea salt is your second choice.
Sandalwood oil – It helps balance out testosterone levels in both men and women. Rub it on yo’self.

SLEEP – yes, this is a valuable part of your nutrition plan. Tired people tend to eat crap. Don’t eat crap. It’s yucky! If you are hungry late in the evening try one or some of the following: cottage cheese, a small banana, a max of 13 raw unsalted almonds, real turkey, tuna or plain cherries [Authority Nutrition].

Spinach – Loaded with Vitamin K, alkaline, reduces acidity to promote recovery

Sprouted seeds – chia, flax and hemp for smoothies, baking, one-pot meals, etc. as a source of healthy fiber, protein and omega-3s.

Stevia – use this as a natural sweetener instead of the other “S” word IF you can find the pure stuff that is not processed with added garbage that makes it as bad as aspartame [like Truvia = bad]. I no longer eat anything that needs a sweetener added to it.

Sugar – I just don’t. It is fattening and dehydrating. But if you must; pure, unrefined, natural but only in small quantities. Or; replace with coconut sugar. Dextrose is OK post-workout.

Tee Tree oil – great for ….

Thyme essential oil – Natural antimicrobial for fighting infections, Balances hormones, Supports skin health and fights eczema, Supports dental health & a Natural bug spray. It helps benefit the body by producing more progesterone, which helps balance out the body's hormones.

Tobacco - just don't.

Turmeric – [Curcumin] anti-inflammatory; unlike politics. It is a super herb for muscle recovery, anti-inflammatory and a magical healer.

Vegetables – eat a lot of them; dark green is best. Frozen with no added flavors or sauces is best unless you can get stuff within a day or two of picking from a local farm that doesn’t spray poisons on them and do not peal or over wash because the good dirt has healthy bacteria that your body needs for gut health. Supermarket stuff is over 7 days old and losing its vitamin and health benefits. No canned stuff. Raw will leach your protein absorption more than cooked.

Vegetable Oils – No. Get rid of this toxic crap. These were originally a waste product that some executive wanted to find a use for via marketing. See the olive guy above or coconut or grass-fed butter.

Water – pure, filtered, non-tap water; which means a no to most bottled waters & use BPA free containers. Drink half to 2/3 your body weight in ounces each day [example: 150 lb. person needs to drink at least 75 oz. water each day]. Did you know that pure water is dehydrating when not combined with a meal? It needs to have some minerals in it. Stir in some Himalayan salt for better absorption.

I will add more as I learn more. It is a never ending process of learning and growing. The healthier I get, the more I want to improve.

Hey big dude, Stop being a snotty toddler and get healthy.


References:

www.draxe.com              - lots of great nutrition and essential oil information





anything by Stan Efferding; check his rants on Youtube


-          This was my exercise & nutrition plan 7 months in to getting healthy. I have added power lifting work to the front of most of these routines due to wanting to see how strong I can get.