Your doctor may be a drug dealer with Anna Lembke

Dr. Anna Lembke is the chief of addiction medicine and an assistant professor at Stanford University School of Medicine. She is also the author of the new book, Drug Dealer MD, which examines the layers of issues surrounding the prescription drug epidemic.

Dr. Lembke explains that the number of prescriptions for opioid prescription drugs quadrupled between 1999 and 2010. While attempting to better treat pain, the risk of overprescribing was underestimated, causing an epidemic involving a complex web of both patients and doctors.

Once addicted, the patient’s behavior is driven by a physiologic craving to use, causing them to go to great lengths to obtain the drug. Dr. Lembke describes several techniques that patients can use:

1. Psychfance – Flattering the doctor and abusing the doctor-patient relationship.
2. Senators – A filibuster technique where patients wait until the last 30 seconds of an appointment to ask for a prescription.
3. Exhibitionists – Using dramatic displays of emotion or pain to communicate the need for the medication.
4. Losers – Those who claim they lost their prescription or bottle of pills.
5. Weekenders – Those who call in for an early refill on the weekend when their regular doctor is not around.
6. Doctor shoppers – Patients who visit multiple doctors to get a similar or same prescription.
7. Impersonators – Those who pretend to be different people to get multiple prescriptions.
8. Dynamic Duo – Two against one, typically a patient and his/her mother.
9. Twins – Anyone in the healthcare field with an addiction and who can navigate the system more cleverly.
10. City Mice and Country Mice – Medically savvy patients and those who act unknowledgeable.
11. Bullies – Patients who threaten to sue or call patient relations.
12. Internet Copycats – Those who get advice on the internet about deceiving doctors.
13. Little Engines That Could – Those who want to get off the medication, but continue to have excuses as to why they need to refill.

 

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11 Reasons you’re not losing weight

Losing weight is an emotional game. If you’re not losing weight, consider these 11 reasons as to why you may not be reaching your goals:

1. Not committing – Connect your why with your vision. Why do you want to lose weight? Commit to do the things that are necessary for reaching that vision. Until you make that commitment, all you have is a want.
2. Quitting too soon – Many quit because it gets difficult. You must give your body time to adapt to a new lifestyle. Once you start on a plan, stick with it to see results.
3. Get duped by marketing – Don’t believe all the marketing claims. Success stories and marketing can be misleading.
4. Rewarding workouts – Rewarding exercise with food dismantles any weight maintenance you will have. You cannot use food as a reward.
5. Portion size – Restaurants have inflated portion sizes. Learn the appropriate portion size and eat slower, healthy foods.
6. Mindless eating – Be mindful about what you’re eating and why you’re eating it.
7. Eating inflammatory foods – Sugar is your enemy in weight loss. Eating inflammatory foods leads to weight gain. Consider trying an elimination diet to see what works for you.
8. Exercise is greater than food – You cannot out-exercise a bad diet. Start with eating healthy foods to see real results.
9. Undereating – If you skip meals or eat less than you should, your blood sugar will plummet and your metabolism will slow. Find balance in an eating program that you can maintain.
10. Having no plan – Without a plan, there will not be any weight loss. To see results, create and stick to a plan.
11. Doing it on your own – You may need accountability. Reach out and ask for that help.

Reflect on your own personal experiences with weight loss. Use these tips to consider what you can do to improve your approach and achieve your weight loss goals.

 

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11 Best cardiovascular training tips

Cardiovascular training is often the first trigger that gets people engaged in fitness. Participating in classes and running are enjoyable activities that cause a release of endorphins, while also improving blood flow and heart health. Here are 11 tips for better cardiovascular training:

My best cardiovascular training tips

Warm up

Don’t begin a workout without warming up. Try walking or doing jumping jacks to get a good sweat going.

Align to why

Knowing your why will help keep you committed. Your why could include having “me” time, improving cardiovascular health, or spending time with friends.

Have a goal

Knowing your goal will keep you focused. Set a goal and work toward it. Once you reach your goal, set a new one.

Smart progression

Set a progression so your body can adapt and continue to do everything you’re asking of it.

Rest

Allow your body to recover from the work it’s doing. Ensure you’re getting enough rest between runs.

Balance with other modalities

Don’t neglect other modalities, such as mobility, balance, and weight training. These modalities will make you a better runner.

Equipment

A good pair of running shoes is all you need. Add equipment over time. There is no need to spend lots of money when starting out.

Mindfulness

Be in the moment and use runs as the “me” time you deserve.

Hydrate

You lose much moisture through sweating and breathing. Stay hydrated, especially while doing longer runs.

Consistency

Be consistent, as this is extremely important for progress and seeing long-term results.

Know your style

Try different classes and activities, both alone and with others. Determine what you like best and stick with it.

Set yourself up for success by embracing these cardiovascular training tips while doing your runs or taking classes!

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11 best weight lifting tips

As we age, our bodies naturally lose muscle mass. To counteract this loss, most people should incorporate weight lifting into their fitness routine. Here are some of my favorite weight training tips:

My best weight lifting tips

Warm up

Move your muscles through a full range of motion before working out. Consider walking on a treadmill or doing jumping jacks.

Address mobility

Lifting weights can improve your mobility and help you stay injury-free.

Have a plan

Have a goal and a plan to get you there. Understand what your focus is for the day, including which exercises and weights you’ll use.

Good form

Bad form can lead to injury. Study the correct form and execute it properly.

Safety first

Always use safety rack or spotter, especially when doing squats or using the bench press. Make sure you are using the equipment properly.

Compound/Isolation

Compound movements involve multiple muscles through a general range of motion, while isolation movements only use one muscle. When starting out, focus on compound movements to get more bang for your buck.

Consistency

You won’t see progress unless you’re working out consistently. Slowly build and maintain muscle over time.

Periodization

Change your workout focus every so many weeks. This adds variety and ensures you will keep seeing the benefits of the work you do.

Nutrition and supplements

You can get every bit of nutrition from whole, real food. There is no magic pill.

Rest

Make sure you’re resting enough between workouts and getting adequate sleep.

Patience

Reaching your goal may take months or years of training. Make weight training a regular part of your lifestyle.

By following these tips for weight training success, you will see a positive impact along your health and fitness journey!

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11 Ketogenic Training Tips

A ketogenic diet can impact how you train, when you train, and the type of training you’re doing. Ketogenic training will be safer and more effective if you follow these tips:

1. Keep carbs below 20 grams – Even though you’re training hard, keep your carbs low, ideally under 20 grams.
2. Testing – You will be able to feel when you are in ketosis, but it’s still a good idea to test your ketones through your urine, blood, or breath. For long-term use, invest in a monitor and strips.
3. Timing – Evaluate the timing of when you eat and work out to see what works best for you.
4. Carb withdrawal – When first trying to get into ketosis, your energy levels may be low. At the outset, consider doing mild activities instead of an intense workout.
5. Stay hydrated – Everyone needs to stay hydrated, but those in ketosis may need to drink more water in because of not eating as many vegetables and fruit.
6. Sodium – If you’re watching your diet, you may not be getting as much sodium as you need. Add a sea salt or natural salt to your diet.
7. Potassium – This helps maintain moisture in your organs and muscles. Consider a supplement if you’re not getting enough from food.
8. Magnesium – Again, if you’re not eating enough fruits and vegetables, you may need a magnesium supplement.
9. Protein – Find the right balance of protein for you. Avoid consuming excess protein, as your body can turn it into blood sugar, which may push you out of ketosis.
10. Quality – Ensure you are consuming quality fats and getting good nutrition.
11. Eat when you’re hungry – Ketosis will change your appetite and you will feel sustained for long periods of time without eating.

By following these helpful hints, you can get the best possible results through your personal training while in ketosis.

 

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Making fitness a lifelong habit with Kathleen Trotter

Kathleen Trotter is a personal trainer and the author of Finding Your Fit, a great new book that encourages people to find their own unique recipe to sustain long-term success with health and fitness.

Kathleen explains that becoming fit is an active, lifelong process. She details seven strategies that will help set you up for success:

1. Stop aiming for perfection – Something is always better than nothing. Forget the all or nothing approach to health.
2. Convenience and consistency is key – Find ways to make your workouts convenient, which will contribute to long-term consistency and success.
3. Find your exercise bliss – Adopt fitness activities that you enjoy and will want to do consistently.
4. Find your why – Tie a deeper meaning to why you are committing to your fitness lifestyle.
5. Find your inner athlete – This helps in working toward your long-term goal.
6. Flip your negative thoughts – Moving is a privilege. Think positively and be grateful for the ability to move.
7. Mindfulness and preparation equals success –Determine your priorities and plan for the week ahead.

Kathleen also speaks about the concept of goals versus wishes. Your goals may not be connected to your life and reality. To adjust this, follow these six steps:

1. Stop using a “too busy” excuse – Pair your fitness activities with other non-negotiable activities.
2. Gradual progression – Don’t try to tackle everything at one time. Try adding one good habit and removing one bad habit per week.
3. Establish a WWWH plan – Be realistic about what you’ll do, where you’ll do it, when and how.
4. Respecting your genetics and the realities of your life – Be the best version of you possible.
5. Form goals that are relevant and important to you – This may include engaging in activities with family members.
6. Learn from yourself and others – Determine what was successful/unsuccessful and learn from that.

To connect with Kathleen Trotter or learn more about Finding Your Fit, find her on Twitter at @ktrotterfitness or visit her website at http://www.kathleentrotter.com/.

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11 Great Health and fitness gifts (for them or for yourself)

Great health and fitness gifts

With the holidays upon us, consider giving the gift of health and fitness. If you’re looking for a few ideas, here are several great health and fitness gifts:

Note: The links below are affiliate links at Amazon. It doesn't cost you any more, but does give the podcast a small commission. Thank you for your support!

Yoga Mat

Used not only for yoga, this mat makes it easy to get down on the floor and perform mobility and stretching work.

Food scale

Getting your portion sizes right can be difficult in the beginning. A food scale can help you get a better grip on how much you should be eating.

Resistance bands

These bands allow you to work out anywhere, doing any type of resistance exercise to build muscle, strength, and endurance.

Once you've gotten your bands, you can use this free mini-course to help you get started – Get Started on Strength.

Fitbit

A Fitbit with a heartrate monitor is a great tool for assessing your activity level. I prefer the fitbit because it just seems a little more fashionable and holds up very well (I've taken one on a tough mudder).

Foam Roller

As you know, I'm a big fan of mobility training and a foam roller is an essential tool.

Bands

Unlike resistance bands, these bands are multi-purpose. You can use them in your mobility work, use them for resistance work, or use them as an assist in your pull ups. These are the most effective way ot build pull up strength using progressively weaker bands.

Workout gloves

Ok, I'll admit it… I'm a bit old school in my lifting and I don't wear gloves. But I see where you may. Who wants hands that look like you workout? Well, if you body says it, maybe your hands don't have to.

Adjustable Kettlebell

If you try to buy a full set of kettlebells, they can get quite expensive and they'll take up a lot of space. I own two of these adjustable kettlebells.

Running belt

Keeping your phone, money and emergency contact details on you when you run is the smart way. This belt can help you do just that.

Adjustable desk

Sitting is being called the new smoking. Having an adjustable desk can help eliminate too much sitting.

Desk treadmill

If you're looking to buy me a gift, this is what I want! Set on a low speed, you'll be able to get your work done and get some exercise. Win-win!

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