Education, Running, Triathlon, Yoga

Athlete and the Hamstring –> Yin Yoga gives you Relief

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Yin yoga can GREATLY benefit the athlete and tight hamstrings.

What’s YIN YOGA you might ask. Think of it like the really SLOW yoga. And then you say…”OH GOSH, yoga is boring enough as it is…”. Well, those that tend to run faster say that. But seriously, keep reading…

So YIN YOGA, you can nutshell it to, is holding poses longer. A lot longer. Yin Yoga is very COOLING yoga. Everything that the triathlete, runner, busy person does is very heating. “Do this.” “Do that.” “Check that off.” “Must get that done.” “Hit that pace.” “Do that hill workout.” All of this is very heating. Yes, for that workout moment, but also just in general, energetically, for the body, long term. And especially if you are the personality that has the tendencies to be the “Get it done.” mode more than not.

Yin Yoga is relaxing, calming and cooling. And it’s a great place to stretch parts that get chronically tight. Think about this…how many minutes or hours is the hamstring asked to work. Or whatever…to cause it to be tight. A LOT. So, just be mindful that you might need to invest a bit of time to help them stay longer. And consider this, due to the nature of the anatomy, slowness/caution/gentleness is a benefit. You really don’t want micro tears at the knee attachment points or the butt bones. Those stink!

So quick anatomy lesson. Surrounding and supporting the bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments is FASCIA. It holds you in place. So it must be stronger and hold things more. As a result, it stretches slower. So you must hold the stretch a bit longer (more gently). NO BOUNCING in stretching. Also, your brain sends muscles signals to help the muscles relax. Holding stretches longer helps enough signal get to the muscle, so it finally decides to relax and let go. If you are being too aggressive with stretching, thinking you need to “fix something”, then it really doesn’t work well. And you end up with micro tears in places. BE GENTLE. BE PATIENT. (I know, right!)

Here are the things to keep in mind when doing YIN YOGA.

Connect in with YOU
 
Help the position out, use props (pillows, blocks, etc)
This means, if you are doing the first video below, you can use a pillow to prop up your torso, relax of it.  The intent is to focus on the legs, not stress the back out.
Do not put up with pain
 
Try not to give up on the pose if you’ve done #1-3
 
Good time to practice the breathe
So if you get “bored”, focus on your breathing.  Count the inhales and exhales.
Be mindful of what the stretch feels like
“Watch” it move around as things loosen up
Athlete, Eating, Education, Personal Growth, Self Care

Are you tired of…being tired, PMS, restless sleep, not having enough energy to do what you want?

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Read no more if you…

  • Have all the energy in the world
  • Don’t struggle with hormones and PMS
  • You don’t know what a “busy mind” is
  • Wake up feeling like a FRESH DAISY
  • You don’t know what it’s like to live feeling OVERWHELMED (all the time)
  • Don’t crave carbs

If you are still reading, lets get right down to it.

We live in a society of GO GO GO.  Do MORE.  Have MORE.

Being BUSY is the norm.  If it’s not working, then work harder.

And if you are reading this…you are probably a lot like me.

Athlete. Looking for PRs. Parent. Striving to provide better. As a person, always looking to see what you can take on, looking to see JUST HOW AWESOME YOU CAN BE!

Nothing wrong with any of that!

Here is where we get into trouble:

Most of us are driven people. Type A. The movers and shakers.

out-of-order-tiredSo our person type leads us to run harder, faster and not give up. The price to pay for that, for a life time of living like that, is issues within adrenal health. Those babies are glands on the kidneys that are crazy important. Yes, everything is important. But these gems aren’t getting any publicity.

If you go into the docs office and complain about PMS they certainly aren’t going to educate you on how the adrenal produce progesterone, which levels out estrogen, which helps that week of PMS not be a FLIPPIN’ CATASTROPHE. Hey guys, HORMONES ARE FOR YOU TOO! The adrenal glads produce testosterone. And you can be deficient too. So maybe low energy. The adrenal glands work hand in hand with the thyroid. You really can’t help one without looking at the other.

There are varying degrees of adrenal issues. And various things to do for them. A lot of them are super awesome in that nurturing the adrenals is fairly easy and little negative side affects. The catch.

YES THERE IS A CATCH. Depending on where you are at with your adrenals, it might take quite a while to build them back. It’s not a quite fix. 6 months to a year if you’re lucky. But you want to go down that road, because here’s the SCARY PART, the little issues…they pile up. PMS, Infertility. Female issues. Hysterectomy. Depression. Chronic Anxiety. Heart palpitations and other BIG BAD issues with the heart, like A FIB. The list will go on and on. Because these adrenal glands affect important hormones that affect everything. So…

Here are some classic symptoms:

  • You’re not eating breakfast because you chow down on carbs in the pm
  • You’re intake of carbs and quick energy in the am is OFF THE CHARTS
  • You feel awesome at night, have lots of energy (aka you aren’t winding down)
  • You can’t shut off the mind, you don’t stay asleep, you are taking sleep aides
  • You wake up feeling NOT RESTED
  • You have PMS (no, ladies, this isn’t normal)
  • You’re libido is in the tank
  • You struggle with low blood sugar or low blood pressure
  • Allergies, asthma, frequent illness, unexplained heart pains/palpitations

Ok. Thats the IN YOUR FACE, do you need to address this chat. Be on the look out for the following…

  • PART 2 on this topic
  • Information the the 30 Day KICKSTART to A NEW BEGINNING program. This is going to be a group activity that I will be hosting. Three levels to join…FREE, Level 1, and Level 2. We get started soon. This is going to be a very private thing. So if you are serious and wanting to commit, contact me. I’m going to be here throwing a lot of stuff at you, so you can use this next 30 days to develop and GET YOUR OWN PLAN in place. Email me if you want to join.
Athlete, Triathlon, Yoga

Easy Yoga Pose to help with Plantar Fasciitis and hamstring tightness

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Yoga is a great tool for preventing injuries.

As a sports lover, you know that injuries come with the territory. You know that injuries, whether caused by repetitive motion, imbalances in your biomechanics or both, can be painful, frustrating, and limiting.

Through a combination of active and passive stretching, yoga can be helpful to keep you injury-free.

One of the most common injuries for athletes is plantar fasciitis.To prevent plantar fasciitis, practice this yoga pose on days you train or workout. Perhaps at night before bed.

reclined-leg-pose-manReclined Leg Stretch

What it Does: Reclined Leg Stretch provides a safe stretch for the hamstrings and the tissue that runs along the back of the hip, thigh and calf, which tugs on the sole of the foot when it gets tight.

How to Practice: Lie on your back, legs together. Strongly extend through the heels.

Keep the left leg pressed on the ground as you bend the right knee to the chest. Place a strap around the arch of the right foot and hold the strap loosely in both hands.

Exhale and extend the right leg straight up. Walk your hands up the strap until the elbows are fully extended. Keep your neck relaxed and make sure you are not throwing your head back.

Lengthen the back of the leg between the buttock bone and heel. Try not to be overly enthusiastic about pulling your leg toward your chest. Instead, emphasize the grounding of your left leg as you draw your arms back into their sockets and lift your collarbones.

Hold for 30 seconds to one minute. Breathe evenly and then slowly release. Repeat on the left side.

Diet, Eating, Self Care

Say GOODBYE to HEARTBURN with clean eating!

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Do any of you have heartburn?

Boy oh boy, I do with certain foods.  Hamburger buns interestingly enough! Through the years as my diet has evolved and gotten better, my digestion has become very efficient. However as I age, I do notice that I tend to get pretty good heartburn every now and then with certain foods.

Did you know that antacids & proton pump inhibitors (PHPs) actually damage your belly?

They suppress your natural stomach acid, inhibiting your ability to digest food. This can lead to gastroparesis, overall slow digestion, nausea, and malabsorption of vitamins and minerals, especially zinc and the B vitamins.

I have a very personal experience with this, as when my youngest son was born he had severe colic, silent GERD.  HOLY COW!  I think we almost died.  What I felt then, that the medicine wasn’t making anything better and much worse in fact, I have not figured out why.  O M G!!!

In a nutshell, your digestive system needs to be a beautifully acidic environment. The acidic levels of the stomach kill potentially harmful pathogens and bacteria – even the kind that lead to bacterial overgrowth and Candida!

Generally the medicines that are given are really only meant to cover put the symptoms, like discomfort in the throat. They do not address the issue and can make them worse. Antacids also lead to more serious conditions, like stomach cancer, chronic hepatitis, depression, anemia, and even anxiety.

The Real Cause of GERD

If you ask the average Joe on the street what causes acid reflux, you’ll likely get the answer, “too much stomach acid!” Contrary to popular belief (and the media!) this is wrong. Acid Reflux & GERD are actually caused by to little tummy acid and something called intra-abdominal pressure – which is basically stomach bloating that causes the acid to be pushed into your esophagus & upper tummy. And what causes the bloating?

Low digestive acid & poor carbohydrate absorption. See the chart below by Dr. Kresser for the process in a nutshell.

Reclaiming Your Stomach

So, here’s what you can do to heal your stomach and stop acid reflux from happening in the first place.

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  • Adopt a healthy grain-free diet, mostly talking about wheat. You can most certainly eat cleaner grains like quinoa and couscous. Treat your belly right with a diet high in plant foods and rich in healthy animal foods like pastured meat, whole dairy, and eggs.
  • Drink bone broth. Repair your damaged gut lining with the collagen-rich broth made from bones.
  • Take an HCI supplement. Betaine Hydrochloric Acid (HCL) promotes healthy gastric acidity, digestion of proteins, and nutrient absorption. This supplement is especially handy if you’re transitioning from a vegetarian diet to one containing animal foods. This stuff has been saving my husband’s belly – which was feeling rather sluggish and “basic” after transitioning from a SAD to grain-free lifestyle. Take one (650mg) before every meal, and increase the dosage as needed. Feel the power of strong belly acid!
  • Replenish your own gut flora by take probiotics.
  • Drink up the morning elixir made of ACV. Lots of recipes out there; the clean eating program goes over this one in depth.
  • Chill with yoga and breathing. Stress can have a bit impact on your gut.

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Athlete, Eating, Education

Healthy Oils – the quick skinny

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fatsMuch Smarter in Regards to Fats

In order to be healthy we need healthy fats. We’ve gotten SMARTER in recent years.

In fact Harvard is saying “dozens of studies have found that low-fat diets are no better for health than moderate-or high-fat diets—and for many people, they may be worse.”

Read more at harvard.edu.

As an athlete, healthy fat is a MUST. Men and women alike can suffer serious issues, like in the area of hormones, if healthy fats are not regularly consumed. Understanding that fat is the main fuel for the endurance athlete is important. Research is showing that chronic diseases are lower in fat-fit athletes.

Read more here…

The Quick Skinny

Olive oil: This oil has been so highly research. Let’s leave it at its seriously good for you. It’s a rich monounsaturated fatty acids. The cardiovascular benefits have been shown to be outstanding. Cook with it, add it to your smoothies, use it as salad dressing.

Coconut oil: The lauric acid in coconut oil may help improve your ratio of good to bad cholesterol. Select virgin or raw options. You can add to smoothies, good with it, put it in your coffee.

Grapeseed oil: Polyunsaturated fatty acids have been shown to lower total cholesterol. Cook with it as you would olive oil. It’s also makes a smooth base for salad dressings.

Pumpkin seed oil: Contains a blend of vitamins, such as A and E and antioxidants that can reduce free radicals and protect skin from UV damage.

Walnut oil: A great source of the omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid, and has been shown to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. It has a warm nutty flavor making it excellent for salad dressings or in soups.

Happy eating!

Athlete, Diet, Education, Recipes, Smoothies

15 Healthy Smoothie Making Tips – great for athletes 

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Change up the ingredients.
Using different fruits and vegetables will help you get an even amount of nutrients and health benefits from the varying components.
Fresh is always best
The fresher the juice and ingredients you use in your smoothie, the better the flavor and nutrition. Use organic ingredients in your smoothie whenever possible, not only to increase nutrition and avoid pesticides, but also for better taste.
Healthy Tea Time
Use a healthy tea instead of water, milk, or juice as the base of your smoothie to boost the nutrition.
Smoothie Sweetness
Using dates is a great way to sweeten your smoothie. Remove the pits and soak them overnight or for at least an hour before blending. If using a sweetener, stick to the good ones. Honey, maple syrup, and stevia are excellent choices. In the winter you might find your fruits are not as sweet as you’d like, causing your smoothies to not taste the best ever. Try using fruit juice as the base of your smoothie instead of water.
Juice it up
Juice your own fruits and vegetables for use as the base of your smoothie. Nothing is fresher, tastier, or healthier.
Add in some Kefir magic
Milk and young (Thai) coconut water kefir deliver a probiotic punch while improving digestion and nutrient assimilation.
Spice it up
Various spices enhance both flavor and nutrition. Play with them and perfect the taste. Cinnamon, cayenne pepper, ginger, and nutmeg, are a few good options.
Protein Power
A good protein can go along way, especially for guys looking to put on muscle. Make sure you’ve got a good source, Juice Plus Compete is what I use. For more information, check out Juice Plus Complete.
Healthy Fats
A good fat like coconut, flax, or hemp oil, an avocado, or cream will keep you satiated and full of energy for hours, and put the smooth in smoothie.
Get Salty
Adding a high quality salt to your smoothie not only provides much needed minerals, but also enhances the taste. Celtic Sea salt, Himalayan Pink salt, and Redmond salt are excellent options.

Fresh-Fruit-Smoothies

Superfoods
Experiment and try different superfoods to really boost the nutrition of your smoothie. Maca, cacao, goji berries, bee pollen, aloe vera, coconut oil, hemp seeds/protein, spirulina, and acai are great to start with.
Seed it
Flax, hemp, and chia seeds are perfect for boosting the nutrition of your smoothies.
Herbalicious
Adding Chinese herb powders like Ginseng, Astragalus and Rhodiola is a great way to increase the medicinal properties of your smoothie.
Turn up the Base
Don’t skimp on the base of your smoothie. Use high quality water (filtered or spring water), almond, coconut, or raw milk, or fresh juice. One of my favorite bases is water from a young (Thai) coconut, which provides sweetness and a bevy of electrolytes.
Have Fun!
Get everyone involved in making smoothies – your friends, family, children – and have fun! Note, if you dance while making your smoothie it will turn out much better 🙂
Athlete, Education, Yoga

3 Simple Activities where Yoga helps the Athlete keep calm

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The yoga practice of mindful breathing and meditation can greatly help with the areas that the athlete struggles mentally.

Like if being in the water really scares you. Or you let yourself mentally quit before you are physically done. Or you doubt yourself, not reaching higher.

Here’s the skinny on breathing/meditation and I even want to talk about “mantra”.

They are meant to help you get back to your most awesome self. Because you know what…

YOU ARE FLIPPING AWESOME!!!

Breathing practices help the athlete to manipulate/use the nervous system; to calm yourself or get yourself going.

Meditation helps us to learn to turn the volume down on life and live in our Awesomeness.

Manta, which literally means “mind protector” is a crazy easy way to put positive thoughts into our being. Helps us to live in our awesomeness, not the silliness that we sometimes believe to be true. It’s not weird stuff, it’s the same as positive affirmations, praying, etc. Just a different language/word for a universal truth.

Here are things easy ways to practice.

Breathing practice:
Sit, stand, lay, walk, bike, run, skip (whatever). Just count the breath. Inhale “1”, exhale “1”, inhale “2”, exhale “2”…”10″, “9”…”1″, “2”… Over and over. When the thoughts pop in say “oh hi” then back to “1”, “2”… It’s a powerful mental muscle to be able to sit with the breath. The heart rate goes down. Blood pressure down. Cortisol down. Good stuff.
Easy meditation practice
Walk around where you can relax. Focus on your feet. Barefoot is best. Everything else is fine. Concentrate on your feet. How they feel as you walk. The heel strike, how the ground feels, the temp, texture, etc. When the thoughts come on, move back to the feet.
Simple mantra
Find a saying that you want to embody/color your whole being with. For example, for those athletes who struggle in the water; with each stroke repeat to yourself “I am long, I am strong.” Other possibilities, “I am enough” “I do not quit” “I will make it”. The key to this one, SAY IT LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT.

With each of these three simple activities to help the athlete rock it out, you MUST PRACTICE when it’s easy. Then it becomes a skill. Rote. Habit. Something that you can call on when you need to dig deep.

“The bravest thing to do when you are not brave is to profess courage and act accordingly.”  ~Corra Harris

Eat Clean, Live Well, Be Awesome

Eating, Education, Triathlon

Athletes eat more CHIA SEEDS because they are awesome and benefit you greatly

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EVERYONE, especially athletes, would greatly benefit from adding chia seeds into their nutrition lifestyle

Yes, they are small and tiny. They are also an excellent source of all things good. They are a good alternative if one needs to stay away from certain foods. And they are easy to get. Personally I order mine off amazon. The grocery stores also do buy one get one sometimes. Great way to save copious amounts of $$. Here’s why you want to eat them!

Why CHIA SEEDS will rock your world:

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  • Benefit: Source of Omega-3 fatty acids. A 2-tablespoon serving of chia seeds contains 5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s reduce inflammation and improve cardiovascular health. This reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Reduced inflammation also correlates with fewer swollen joints and less morning stiffness for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Chia is a rich plant-source of this healthy oil. By weight, chia contains more Omega 3 than salmon, and it still tastes like whatever you want! Omega 3 oil is important in heart and cholesterol health. It’s also recently been targeted as a weight-loss helper. USA Weekend magazine also reports on a study where overweight dieters who included omega 3s in their eating plan lost 2 more pounds monthly than the control group, who did not.
  • Benefit: Source of antioxidants. Anti-oxidants have been in the news lately due to their super healthy benefits. You know that blueberries and several exotic fruits (that aren’t always in season) have them, but did you know that chia is extremely high in anti-oxidants too? These helpful substances are what makes the Chia Seed stayfresh for so long. At room temperature, they’ll stay fresh and ready to eat for over two whole years! And that’s all without a single chemical or preservative. This amazing ability is not found in other seeds like flax or sesame, because those seeds don’t have the same rich anti-oxidant content. Anti-oxidants help prevent free-radical damage in your body. Free radicals lead to problematic conditions such as premature aging of the skin and inflammation of various tissues. Fight free radical damage by staying fresh and healthy with nature’s anti-oxidant powerhouse.
  • Benefit: Source of fiber. One serving of chia seeds provides 7 grams of fiber, which improves digestion and also helps reduce cholesterol levels.
  • Benefit: Source of protein. One serving contains 4 grams of protein, which the body uses to repair and build cells. Adequate protein intake is essential for athletes to maintain proper muscle function and increase muscle size. Great addition to animal protein.
  • WHOLE FOOD NUTRITION – take a moment to consider that nature has provided us with sources of what we need. Perhaps rethink your primary method of getting nutrients. Perhaps the vitamins shouldn’t be our primary source of getting what we need.
  • Benefit: Source of Calcium. There are 205 milligrams of calcium in a serving of chia seeds. Calcium is an important component in bones and teeth, and it is used during muscle contractions, blood clotting and hormone secretion. Adequate calcium intake during all stages of life reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis during the later years. Great alternative source of calcium.
  • Benefit: Hydration. Chia seeds absorb 10 times their weight in water, and when they are soaked, they form a gel. Chia seed gel provides athletes with important nutrients along with water for hydration.
  • Benefit: Balance Blood Sugar. This information is important to everyone, not just the diabetic. Keeping balanced levels of blood sugar is important for both health and energy. Blood sugar may spike after meals, especially if you eat high-starchy foods or sweets. This can lead to ‘slumps’ in your day where you feel tired and out of energy. By balancing your blood sugar, you not only lower your risk for type 2 diabetes, but you also ensure steady, constant energy throughout your day. But how does the Chia Seed help with this? Both the gelling action of the seed, and it’s unique combination of soluble and insoluble fiber combine to slow down your body’s conversion of starches into sugars. If you eat chia with a meal, it will help you turn your food into constant, steady energy rather than a series of ups and downs that wear you out.

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Source:  mayoclinic.org

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