Solving stress with Kraig Brockschmidt

Kraig Brockschmidt is the author of a new book entitled Solving Stress. In his book, Kraig explains that while stress is a consistent, persistent experience for most people. techniques and exercises can be used to help solve stress, not just manage it.

Kraig explains that stress occurs whenever there is a separation between what one expects and what occurs in reality. All people experience this. With any potential stressor, one will react. However, it is the nature of the reaction that one can control. The idea is to move the reaction away from anger and tension and toward relaxation and calmness in that critical moment.

Many of the popular stress management techniques offer immediate, but not long-term relief. These tips can be grouped into three categories within the Great Stress Exchange: Venting, Discipline, and Escape. These strategies buy time to avoid immediate and negative reactions to stressors.

A four-step process included in Kraig’s book involves the following prompts: stop, breathe, reflect, and choose. One should pause for 10 or 20 seconds and take a breath to put himself in-tune with the environment. Reflecting presents different options and choices, instead of feeling like a victim. Then an appropriate response can be chosen.

Kraig’s book includes a set of daily exercises to help people achieve a reaction of calmness. These exercises take about 20 minutes and include arm and shoulder rotations and neck rolls to help release stress and tension in the body. Meditation is also incorporated. By following these exercises, the brain is trained to know what relaxation feels like so that it can be triggered when a stressful situation arises. Over time, one’s stress threshold will rise and the intensity of a stressor that will push one over the edge will be very high.

To learn more about Solving Stress or to connect with Kraig Brockschmidt, visit http://www.kraigbrockschmidt.com. To facilitate his how practice, Allan is developing a checklist of exercises from Kraig's book.  To receive a  copy of this checklist of daily exercises, join the 40+ Fitness Podcast Facebook Group and post a photo of yourself with Solving Stress in hand.

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Eating healthy on the road

It is that time of year when we get on the road to spend the holidays with family and friends.  Travel is a time of disruption and that makes remaining on a diet that much harder.  On this episode, I'm going to share some strategies to help you stay on track.

Driving vs flying

How you're getting to your destination can have a big effect on how you go about things. Are you driving or flying. When driving, you're going to have more flexibility on food choices. That can be a good thing if you take the time to plan ahead. You don't want to get into a situation where you're dependent on foods you find on the road. Convenience stores and fast food restaurants dominate the exits along the way and can be a huge temptation.

Take time to plan the route and pack food for the journey. I'll go into the what and how later, but for now, consider how long the drive will be and what meals you're going to want to have.

If you don't want to bring all the food you'll need, you should do some research. Are there healthy restaurants along your way? Know where they are so you can stop there rather than ending up at a fast food place. This will take some time, but it is a great way to make the journey a more enjoyable part of the trip.

When flying, you obviously won't be able to carry as much food. But the upside is that the trip will be much shorter. More and more airports are beginning to offer more healthy restaurants. A little time researching ahead of time will help you make the most of your choices during a layover.

Flexibility of location

Are you going to stay with family or in a hotel?

If you're staying with family, a quick stop at a grocery store might work well. Have a list of staples for your diet and pick them up on your way there. Offer to cook some of the meals so you know what is in the food you're eating.

Staying in a hotel? Do some research into the room amenities to see whether they have a refrigerator and/or kitchenette. This will let you cook many of your meals right there in your room saving you some money and helping you stay on track.

The food

I am a bit obsessed with my food packing. I have several lunchbox sized coolers that I can use to carry food with me. I can pop in a cooler pack and it will keep for hours. I'll also put in some of the food that frozen like bone broth and that will keep things cold for even longer.

Rather than go through all of it, I am going to share a video I did showing how I pack for a day (of work or travel).

Healing with CBD – Leonard Leinow

Leonard Leinow is the author of the new book, CBD: A Patient’s Guide to Medicinal Cannabis. He wrote the book because he was constantly getting questions about the use of CBD. As such, he designed the book to be an introductory guide for people to learn about CBD and determine their own path to experience the substance.

Substances in cannabis help with healing, as it is a complicated substance with a number of chemicals. Most medicinal qualities are in the cannabinoids. However, the entourage effect of all components will create different varieties of CBD based on the various ratios of cannabinoids and terpenes included.

CBD does not have a psychoactive component, but it lowers your appetite which could assist with weight loss. It is also good for having the body break addiction qualities and has uses with the opioid crisis. It impacts diabetes, as many have reported that their disease has been improved as a result of introducing CBD. With Alzheimer’s, CBD also has a beneficial impact in that it can help to prevent the disease, as well as easing the effects of those who currently have the disease. CBD can also help with sleep, specifically helping people go to sleep easier and sleep longer.

Leonard also speaks about the methods of delivery. Smoking involves an onset that is very quick, usually within 30 seconds. Vaporizing also includes a quick onset, but would be a safer and cleaner method of delivery. When taken orally, it could take 30 to 45 minutes for one’s system to digest the substance, but it will have a longer effect of up to eight hours. By using a topical application, it will penetrate through the skin possibly up to an inch. This will be anti-inflammatory and help with the pain, but anything deeper will require ingesting the substance. Patches are gaining popularity, as they include a continuous application, lasting six to eight hours. Dosing is critical. Leonard recommends starting small, with a quarter of one’s target dose and slowly raising the dosage over the course of one to two weeks.

To connect with Leonard Leinow or to learn more about CBD: A Patient’s Guide to Medicinal Cannabis, visit http://www.synergycbd.com or email Leonard at leonard@synergycbd.com.

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Making it through the holidays

The holidays can be a very tough time to stick to your new lifestyle choices. We use food to celebrate.  Unfortunately, the types of foods we eat during the holidays are often unhealthy and fattening.  On this episode, I'll share some tips to help you make it through the season.

Pre-fill the tank

When you know you're going to attend a party that will have a barrage of sweets and bad foods, drink some water and eat some good fats, fiber, and a bit of protein.  This will satiate your hunger.  That way when you're at the holiday party, you won't be hungry and you won't eat nearly as much bad food.

Mini-portions

It can be uncomfortable to be the only one not partaking in the pie.  Split the portion or just take a mini-portion of the food you want to eat.

Go slow

Don't do mindless eating.  Savor each bite, enjoying the flavor.  This also allows your satiation hormones to do the signaling.

With alcohol, have a glass of water between each drink.  The water will help you stay hydrated and will likely reduce the amount of alcohol you drink.

More movement

While you cannot out exercise a bad diet, during times when you are taking in more calories, you should make an effort to move more.  Take some time to walk around and enjoy the sights and sounds of the season.  See the lights and decorations.  Do some window shopping at the mall.

Focus on friends and family

This season is really all about being thankful and enjoying time with friends and family.  Make this more about them than about the food.  Don't stress about whether you're eating too much or eating the wrong things.  Enjoy the holidays!

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The 7 principles of stress with Ori Hofmekler

Ori Hofmekler is an acclaimed author on the topic of diet and health whose new book, The 7 Principles of Stress, shares how people can live their best lives while under stress.

Ori explains that chronic stress occurs when the body experiences prolonged stress, which can actually cause damage. Several signs of overstressing include chronic fatigue, anxiety, craving sweet foods, and weight fluctuation.

The human fight or flight reaction allows the body to respond to stress very quickly. Over many years, this mechanism evolved for short reactions. However, in today’s age, we find ourselves in states of prolonged stress, creating a chronic situation of stress, where the stress hormone becomes dysfunctional and the metabolic system can be destroyed.

Ori explains 7 principles of stress:

1. Exposure to low level stress yield resiliency to high level stress
2. Reach maximum resiliency to stress
3. Low dose of toxin can help relieve and prevent respective toxicity
4. Energy deficit is the key factor
5. Excess of energy shortens life
6. Stress must be intermittent, never chronic
7. Resiliency to stress extends virility

One area of confusion surrounds the topic of antioxidants. Despite the production of oxidants, people stay alive well under stress. This is because oxidative radicals signal the body to produce its own antioxidants. These are essential for one’s life and longevity and they cannot be bought. Yet when synthetic antioxidants are introduced into the body, these shut down one’s defenses and prohibit the production of powerful antioxidants, making one vulnerable to damage. Synthetic antioxidants should be avoided.

Ori describes three parameters for staying young:

1. Fast more, eat less and introduce stress mimicking nutrients
2. Avoid substances that inhibit your stress response system, including sugar, chemical additives, and GMOs
3. Exercise while fasting

To connect with Ori Hofmekler or to learn more about The 7 Principles of Stress, visit http://www.defensenutrition.com or http://www.orihofmekler.com.

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Keto for cancer with Miriam Kalamian

Miriam Kalamian is a nutrition consultant and ketogenic diet enthusiast whose new book, Keto for Cancer, shows how the ketogenic diet can be used to improve the body’s response to fighting off the disease. Cancer is generally thought of as an older person’s disease.

Though cancer is generally thought of as an older person’s disease, Miriam’s passion for nutrition developed when her four-year-old son was diagnosed with brain cancer. He started with chemotherapy, yet every treatment failed. After learning that a ketogenic diet could slow the growth of brain cancer, Miriam immersed herself in learning and implementing the diet with her son. In three months, his tumor had not only stopped growing, but had actually shrunk.

Miriam discusses the genetic and metabolic aspects of cancer. Plenty of evidence suggests there is a metabolic component to consider beyond genetic causes. Miriam recommends we look at the underlying cause, which is something that has gone wrong at the cellular level. Often this is an accumulation factor, which is why cancer is often seen in older people. Unhealthy eating also promotes inflammation, which creates a perfect environment for cancer and other diseases to progress.

Because the ketogenic diet slows the growth of cancer, Miriam offers three options on how someone can get into ketosis. These include:

1. Begin by fasting. While fasting, get your plan in place so you can maintain the advantages of the fast.
2. Learn everything they need, get what they need, and dive in with a rigorous ketogenic plan.
3. Remove sugar and carbohydrates and add fats at each meal. Then remove all carbohydrates.

Exogenous ketones can be used for therapeutic reasons for epilepsy, Alzheimer’s Disease, and other conditions. They can be beneficial for a pre-workout energy boost and improved mental clarity. However, the real impacts of exogenous products are unknown. Mariam would not recommend using exogenous ketones for weight loss.

To connect with Miriam Kalamian or to learn more about Keto for Cancer, visit http://www.dietarytherapies.com

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The stevia deception with Dr. Bruce Fife

Dr. Bruce Fife is a nutritionist, physician, and author of the book, The Stevia Deception. The aim of this book is to give people facts from both sides of the story regarding stevia.

Though stevia is a natural herb, has some safety concerns. First, it may impact reproductive health for both males and females. In fact, it has been used as a contraceptive or to cause an abortion. When eating stevia, insulin is released into the digestive tract. As a result, a Type 2 diabetic may experience issues with the pancreas, as it may become overworked. Stevia also seems to put stress on the liver and kidneys. Some studies have also shown that stevia may cause mutations to the DNA.

When people think of stevia, they think of a healthy plant or herb. However, it’s actually a highly refined, powdered chemical. Anything sold in stores is not pure stevia, but mixed in with other items such as sugars or other chemicals.

Stevia also has the ability to prevent people from getting into ketosis or may kick them out of ketosis when they are currently in it. When stevia is consumed, it triggers the body to take muscle tissue and break it down to produce glucose to store. When this occurs, the liver cannot produce ketones at the same time.

Because all sweeteners share many of the same adverse consequences, including the ability to kick you out of ketosis or lower your ability to get into ketosis, they should be avoided. The best sweetener you can eat is sugar, as each cell in your body knows how to handle sugar. Limiting your added sugar intake to eight teaspoons per day is a good guideline to follow.

To connect with Dr. Bruce Fife or to learn more about The Stevia Deception, visit http://www.piccadillybooks.com.

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