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Tag: Sleep

Self-Maintenance

November 11, 2021
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| Health and Wellness

As I have gotten older and more banged up over the years it has become more apparent than ever the importance of taking care of myself. Unfortunately, as a busy father, husband, business owner and student I tend to always put other priorities in front of my own. This can oftentimes lead to me getting injured or sick and when your injured and sick you can’t really take care of anyone else. The key to long-term health, fitness, and fat loss is what I like to call self-maintenance.

 Imagine for a minute that the car you have now is the only car you can drive for the rest of your life. I’d bet you would take great care of that car, wouldn’t you? You would get all the maintenance done on time, keep it clean, use the best gas, etc. Well, our bodies are like that one car. It’s our only vessel for this lifetime so if you want it to last and run optimally you need to keep up on the maintenance. To keep this simple I created a checklist below. It’s kind of like the maintenance schedule in the owner’s manual of your car.

Priority 1: Medical Maintenance

  • Annual Physical and Blood Work. This should be done annually and always keep a record of your blood test results. Getting a regular check-up and blood work can help you discover if certain health markers are out of range and let you know of possible early illness or disease so that you can take the proper actions to fix the problem early. The basic blood test should be these, CBC with different DHEAS, free T3, free T4, TSH
    Total and free testosterone. CMP, B12/folate, GGT, Insulin, Glycomarck, HgB 1AC, PSA free PSA, Vitamin D. You doctors will also do a urinalysis.
  • Colonoscopy. I know this is most people’s least favorite exam. The prep for the test alone sucks. Nonetheless it is important to get it done. The ACS recommends that people at average risk* of colorectal cancer start regular screening at age 45. This can be done either with a sensitive test that looks for signs of cancer in a person’s stool (a stool-based test), or with an exam that looks at the colon and rectum (a visual exam).For people without a family history of cancer it is recommended to get this exam beginning at age 50.
  • Annual Mammogram and OBGYN Visit: All women should have an annual exam by their OBGYN. Women ages 40 to 44 should have the choice to start annual breast cancer screening with mammograms (x-rays of the breast) if they wish to do so. Women age 45 to 54 should get mammograms every year. Women 55 and older should switch to mammograms every 2 years or can continue yearly screening.
  • Prostate Cancer Screening. Yup time to bend over and take it like a man. Age 50 for men who are at average riskof prostate cancer and are expected to live at least 10 more years. Age 45 for men at high risk of developing prostate cancer. This includes African Americans and men who have a first-degree relative (father or brother) diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age (younger than age 65). Age 40 for men at even higher risk (those with more than one first-degree relative who had prostate cancer at an early age). It is also important for your urologist to exam your testes for lumps, varicoceles, etc. and testicular cancer signs.
  • Biannual Dental Examination and Cleaning. Going every 6-months for a dental check up and teeth cleaning will not only make the person you have to kiss happy but can help prevent developing more painful and serious conditions such as cavities, and gum disease.
  • Optometrist Exam: Having properly scheduled eye exams is important to keep your vision sharp. It is also important to discover any possible underlying conditions that may cause problems down the road. If you don’t have any symptoms or vision problems, doctors recommend getting regular eye exams based on your age:
  • Ages 20 to 39: Every 5 years
  • Ages 40 to 54: Every 2 to 4 years
  • Ages 55 to 64: Every 1 to 3 years
  • Ages 65 and up: Every 1 to 2 years

Priority 2: Self Care

  • Body Work and Massage Therapy. Getting a massage or other form of soft tissue work done weekly, once a month, or as needed is a great way to prevent injuries, and address, and care for injuries before they get worse. It will also keep you feeling great.
  • Chiropractic Care. Getting adjusted weekly or monthly is another great way to prevent you from getting injured. It can also keep chronic conditions that can flare up if left unchecked at bay.
  • Energy Work, Acupuncture: Energy work is something most people haven’t tried but I can tell you from personal experience that it works. Not only does it work, but it also can work wonders. The key is finding a qualified practitioner. If your body’s energy is not flowing properly it can lead to a host of injuries and illnesses. Getting energy work done once a month or as needed can make a huge difference in keeping you mentally, physically, and spiritually healthy.
  • Yoga and/or flexibility/mobility training. As people age, it is common to lose more and more flexibility and mobility. This can lead to injuries, poor movement, and aches and pains. Practicing yoga or other forms of flexibility and mobility are great ways to prevent injuries, decrease aches and pains and keep you moving young and nimble.
  • Weight training: Resistance training 2-3 days per week is the best way to add or at least prevent muscle loss as we age. It is also the best way to stay strong. Having more muscle mass and strength is one of the best indicators for longer life. Resistance training is also a crucial component for maintaining independence and quality of life as we age.
  • Anaerobic and Aerobic Training: Anaerobic fitness or interval training is a great way to improve and/or maintain fitness. Aerobic training or steady-state cardio is a great way to improve cardiovascular fitness. Incorporating both into your exercise routine will help keep your energy, physical stamina, and endurance high so that you can stay healthy and conditioned to be able to continue to participate in all types of physical activities.
  • Stress Management: Stress is a leading cause of disease. Aside from that, too much stress is just miserable. The key is to take steps to manage stress. Among these are meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, praying, getting outside in nature, exercise, improving sleep, massage, etc. By creating a routine or experimenting with different stress management techniques you can create a plan that works for you.
  • Improve Your Nutrition: This should be at the top of the list but I wanted to leave you with one of the most important aspects of self-maintenance, nutrition. The best way to help assure your health, fitness, recovery, and overall well-being is healthy nutrition. If you are putting crappy fuel, excess alcohol, or drugs into your body it cannot and will not run optimally. I will have a great new blog post soon on simplifying and saving time on nutrition coming soon. In the meantime, you can start by just choosing one of the following. 
  1. Reduce your sugar intake
  2. Reduce your intake of unhealthy vegetable oils and use olive oil, coconut, and avocado oil
  3. Eat more fruits and vegetables
  4. Eat more protein
  5. Drink more water

If you are not doing any of the above already I recommend choosing just one and starting with that until you have it down pat. Then add another etc. This makes it much easier to get going and stay consistent.

There you have it. It may seem like a lot but don’t let it overwhelm you. The first key is to stay on top of the medical aspect by staying up to date with the appropriate doctors’ visits. The second key is to choose which of the self-care techniques above resonates with you. You may need to experiment with different techniques or different practitioners until you find the modalities and practitioners that work for you. Once you do, however, you will always have a toolbox available to keep you fine-tuned and running optimally. It’s also great to have to fix you up when you have a breakdown.

To help you start getting these new self-maintenance habits in place I have created a FREE Trinity Fitness and Wellness Self Maintenance Schedule to make keeping track and staying consistent a hell of a lot easier. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please comment below.

Wishing you the best in health, fitness, wellness, and happiness.

Kevin

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How to Improve Sleep Part 2-Supplements for Sleep

June 10, 2021
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| Health and Wellness

In part one of this series (How to Improve Sleep Part 1) I wrote about the negative consequences of poor sleep. I also discussed different things you can do to help fall asleep and/or sleep more soundly each night. In this post I will be discussing different natural sleep aids. 

For many people the use of over the counter and prescription sleep aids are the only way they have been able to fall and stay asleep. Although the use of these sleeping medications may be beneficial for short term or sporadic use they can have negative consequences if taken regularly. 

Two major problems with sleep medications are dependence and the fact that sleep medications  do not produce natural sleep. Natural sleep is the sleep your body really needs to recover, repair and regenerate. 

If you are having trouble sleeping, and would like to try possible alternatives to drugs then please keep reading. Some of these natural sleep aids may work for you.

The following is a list of supplements that have been shown and used to help thousands of people fall and stay asleep.

As with all supplements it is important to make sure that you are using a reputable high quality brand. Poor quality supplements are often under dosed, and may contain added fillers and useless or potentially harmful ingredients. They also usually contain the cheapest or least absorbable forms of the active ingredient. Basically, poor quality supplements will most often not work and are a waste of your hard earned money. 

The following list is in a logical order to begin experimenting with. I recommend starting with the first supplement(s) on the list if you have never tried them. Then move onto the next one on the list if it does not work for you.  

One caveat. Insomnia can be a sign of something more dangerous and severe. If you are having trouble sleeping always consult with a medical professional specializing in sleep disturbances.

Supplements for sleep.

Magnesium.  

“Magnesium is involved in more than 300 enzyme systems that regulate diverse biochemical reactions in the body, including protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation” among other things. Many people do not consume enough magnesium in their diets and/or are deficient in magnesium. This fact alone is reason enough for most people to consider supplementing with magnesium.                                                                       

The other cool thing about magnesium is that is has a calming/relaxing effect on the body and can help improve sleep.

Three of the best forms of magnesium are magnesium citrate, malate, and bisglycinate. 

Try 200-400 mgs a half hour before bed. Start with a lower dose and work up if needed to avoid stomach upset. Otherwise you might end up sitting on the toilet all night instead of sleeping.

Herbal Teas

Lemon Balm,  Valerian Root and Chamomile are three common herbs that have been used for centuries to reduce anxiety and stress related symptoms as well as promote better sleep. Other common herbs are passion flower, and lavender just to name a few. There are many herbal tea combinations on the market that have helped thousands of people wind down and sleep. Look for reputable brands with good reviews.

Follow the instructions on the specific brand you choose.

Melatonin

Melatonin, is a hormone of the pineal gland, that helps maintain the body’s normal circadian rhythms. Melatonin has been shown to help individuals who have difficulty sleeping or who have altered circadian rhythms because of jet lag, night shift work, and time zone changes. Melatonin has been shown to decrease the amount of time needed to fall asleep, and promoting the ability to stay asleep.  It can also help those suffering from age related decline in melatonin production.

Take 3-5mgs a half hour before bed.

Glycine.

Glycine is an amino acid and inhibitory neurotransmitter that supports relaxation, healthy stress management, and sleep quality and quantity. Other great health benefits include improved cognitive function, cardiovascular, joint and metabolic health. It also enhances detoxification by increasing glutathione production.

Take 3-5 grams a half hour before bed. 

GABA

GABA is the body’s most important inhibitory neurotransmitter. Gaba acts by lowering the activity of neural cells in the brain and central nervous system. By inhibiting neural activity, “GABA facilitates sleep, reduces mental and physical stress, lowers anxiety, and creates a calmness of mood.” 

Most over the counter GABA supplements do not contain a form of GABA that can be readily absorbed so choosing the right form of GABA is key. PHARMAGABA by Thorne Research is a great brand with the research to back it up. 

Take 100-250 mgs. a half hour before bed.

5-HTP and L-theanine

A great supplement combination that I learned about and have used successfully to help me sleep is from my friend, mentor and one of the best functional medicine doctors in the world Dr. Jeffrey Morrison of the Morison Center in NYC .(If you re looking for a phenomenal functional medicine doctor I cannot recommend him highly enough.)

5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is an amino acid that your body uses to produce serotonin an important neurotransmitter. The serotonin levels in the body are associated with the regulation of sleep, mood, and appetite. A balanced serotonin level has been shown to support restful sleep, good mood, and decreased sugar cravings.                     

L-Theanine is an amino acid predominantly found in green and black tea.  L-theanine enhances the production of the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, and also appears to play a role in the formation of GABA . As I mentioned above, GABA is a neurotransmitter that helps calm you down and relax the mind and body during times of stress.

Take 200-400mgs. along with 200-400 mgs of 5-HTP a half hour before bed. Start with a lower dose and adjust if needed.

IMPORTANT: 5-HTP should not be taken with any neurological drug that has been prescribed for antidepressant or other cognitive purposes unless cleared by a medical doctor. This is most important for SSRI usage, wherein the combination with 5-HTP is potentially lethal.

Sleep Bundle

Lastly, here is a great combination of three of the supplements recommended above, melatonin, pharmagaba and magnesium. This is a great combination to try if you are not sure where to begin.

To summarize once again using the quote by Dr. Rob Rakowski: “If you are not running on rest you are running on stress”. Constantly high levels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline can have negative adverse effects on your overall health and weight loss. Sleep, along with proper nutrition and daily exercise are the foundations for health and wellness. If poor sleep has been an issue for you I hope this information helps you rest easy. 

Please post below and let me know your thoughts and if you tried any of the recommendations above.

Yours in health,

Kevin

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The Best Times to Eat Carbohydrates

May 18, 2021
| 2 Comments
| Health and Wellness

One of the questions I often get asked  is “When should I eat carbs if I am trying to lose weight?” Unfortunately, with all the news, media, social media, advice from friends etc. most people are not eating carbohydrates at the most opportune times to assist them in their weightless goals. So, if you are looking to shed excess fat, improve workout recovery, feel and look better please keep reading.

If your goal is to lose fat and become leaner it is best to keep carbohydrate intake low to very low for most people.

Before I discuss when the best times to eat carbohydrates are it is important to first recognize beneficial and non-beneficial carbohydrates.

Non beneficial carbohydrates are processed foods, white flour, sugar and corn syrup (among other syrups). These types of carbohydrates will not only prevent you from losing weight but can make you fatter. especially if you eat too much of them. These types of carbohydrates are also responsible for a host of negative health issues such as, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, inflammation, neurological disorders, cancer and digestive issues just to name a few.

So are carbohydrates the spawn of Satan himself?

Not necessarily. 

For most people trying to lose fat and gain lean body mass there are two optimal times each day to eat carbohydrates.

The first is immediately or within about 2 hours post workout on workout days.

Why?

Because at this time the glycogen stores in your body are low or depleted and spiking blood sugar raises insulin. Raising insulin at this time is a good thing.  Normally if you are not active and you spike insulin you will store most of the carbohydrates ingested as fat. However, when you spike your blood sugar and raise insulin levels  post workout your body will shuttle the glucose in your blood stream into your liver and muscle cells replenishing the depleted stores. This also, lowers cortisol and aids in recovery. Especially if you consume protein or branched chain amino acids with your carbs. These two factors assist in muscle growth and the body’s ability to burn fat.

For some individuals, they will function more optimally eating a small amount of carbohydrates pre workout. A good idea is to experiment to see which works better for you. Generally though, eating carbohydrates post workout is better for fat loss and workout recovery.

The second best time of the day to eat carbohydrates is in the evening. Many people are still under the perception that they should eat carbs in the morning. It seems logical because you will just burn them during the day right? Wrong. Yes if you are immediately going to exercise this is fine. However, if you are not going to exercise right away then you will spike your blood sugar and raise insulin early in the day. This leads to a crash a few hours later leaving you feeling hungry and craving more sugar/carbs for the rest of the day. This rising and falling of blood sugar and insulin throughout the day increases cortisol, and leads insulin resistance and storing fat.

This is why If you have/want to eat carbs each day then eat them in the evening. This will increase serotonin, make you feel full and happy.  The tired feeling the carbs bring on will help you fall asleep. Getting quality sleep each night is a key to long term health and fat loss. 

Now this doesn’t mean siting on your couch watching T.V. chowing down on a bag of Doritos and a pint of ice cream. It means eating a serving of 1-2 cupped handfuls size of  a complex carbohydrate such as, sweet potato, wild, brown, yellow, etc. rice, quinoa, small portion of whole wheat or gluten free pasta, and even a small white potato with a source of protein and some healthy fats with dinner can have a positive effect.

So to sum it up.

  • Eat a meal with high carbs, high protein  post workout.
  • Eat high protein meals with healthy fats, and fiber-rich vegetables during the day. Then, make your evening meals consist of lean protein, starchy carbs and a some healthy fats. eg. olive oil, butter, fish-oil, coconut oil and animal fat on non-training days. 

One last thought. Totally restricting all non healthy carbohydrates is also not recommended. These can lead to excessive cravings and eventually binges and that can easily derail your diet. 

The simple solution is to limit eating non healthy carbohydrates to 1-2 meals per week IF you are consistent on your diet for the rest of your meals each week and on a day that you workout. 

Are there exceptions to this rule? Sure. However, this keeps it simple and will work best for the majority of people. 

Give it a try and let me know how it goes?

Yours in health.

Kevin

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How to Improve Sleep Part 1

March 22, 2021
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| Health and Wellness

One of the most common issues I see with clients is lack of sleep and/or poor quality sleep. What is good quality sleep? Sleeping from, the time your head hits the pillow until your alarm wakes you up in the morning. Not only is poor sleep annoying but it can have severe adverse effects on your health, fitness and fat loss goals. If you are interested in improving the quantity and quality of your sleep please keep reading.

Aside from making you a grumpy bastard here are some of the serious effects on your body form poor sleep quantity and quality:

  1. Depression
  2. Mood Disorders
  3. Stroke
  4. High Blood Pressure
  5. Diabetes
  6. Cancer
  7. Premature death
  8. Kidney disease
  9. Learning problems
  10. Memory problems
  11. Heart disease
  12. Metabolic Syndrome
  13. Hormone problems
  14. Obesity
  15. Danger while driving
  16. Low metabolism
  17. Weakened immune system

In the words of Dr. Rob Racowski : Without adequate sleep you get sick fat and stupid!

So, do you think sleep is important?

Let’s find out how to sleep better.

Shape the path. Simple changes to your environment can have significant effects on improving sleep. Here’s some of the best ways to do just that.

  1. Try to keep your room as quiet as possible. If you live in a noisy area you can also try a variety of apps that have peaceful sounds or white noise to help block out the noisy environment or just simply relax you into sleep. We all know how relaxing the sound of ocean waves, light rain, or a babbling brook can make it easy to doze off.
  2. Keep the room dark. The darker the room the better. Light from anything including electronic devices such as, clocks, or on t.v.’s etc. can impede sleep. Keep it pitch black. If you need to get room darkening curtains go for it. 
  3. Keep the room cool. Lower temperatures have been shown to induce deeper and more restful sleep. You all know how hard it is to sleep when it is hot and humid. Chill out.
  4. Get comfortable. One of the best thigs y wife and I ever did was to get a new mattress. I bought a really expensive mattress before we were married and it was great for years. However, over time it began to sag in places and I would wake up with back and neck pain each morning. After years of this stupidity we broke down and bought a new mattress and haven’t looked back since. Another way to look at this is, an average person will sleep for 229,961 hours in their lifetime or basically one third of their life. You might as well make it as comfortable as possible. On the same note, if you do have lower back pain keeping a pillow between your legs if you are a side sleeper or under your knees if you are a back sleeper will keep you spine in better alignment and this can dramatically reduce or eliminate back pain caused by uncomfortable sleeping positions. I started using the Contour Legacy Knee and Foam Support Pillow about a month ago and really like it. The pillow is small so it is not bulky if you turn side to side and it also contours very comfortably between your legs, Unlike a lot of memory foam products out there this one doesn’t get hot. A friend of mine turned me onto this awesome Novilla Mattress that is super affordable and is equally if not more comfortable than my higher end mattress I bought form a furniture store. 
  5. Keep electronic devices across the room from you or better yet in another room. The electronic radiation can not only negatively affect your sleep but may be harmful to your health. This is especially true of cell phones. Plus, if you have a phone near you the crack head in you will constantly want to check for likes, emails, texts, snap chats and all of the other annoying ways people can contact you. I like to put my phone on “Do not disturb” mode and it charges across the room from me.
  6. To piggy back off #4 above, it is recommended to not have a t.v. in your bedroom. Not only is watching tv. in bed not good for you for reasons I will discuss below but it will distract you from sleeping and/or keep you up later then you want because you must finish binge watching some show. The bedroom is for two things. SLEEP and SEX. If you keep your sacred sleeping space for those two things you will subconsciously know that when you go into the bedroom one (or two) of these will occur.
  7. Speaking of sex. Have more of it. Ever notice it is much easier to fall asleep after great sex? Not having great sex? Work on it. Practice makes perfect. 😉

Pre-bed Rituals: Other great ways to improve sleep are what I like to call pre-bed rituals. These are certain habits that you do each night within an hour of going to sleep.

  1. Gratitude log. A grateful log is simply a notebook or journal you keep at the bedside. Each night before you go to bed you reflex on the day and write down 3 or more things that you are grateful for that happened in that day. Write down 3 nice things you did for someone else. Write down 3 nice things others did for you. Lastly, write down 3 things that you are grateful for that you have not achieved/received yet. My mentor Charles Poliquin always said that “What you appreciate, appreciates”. My favorite gratitude journal is the 5-Minute Journal. It is a beautifully made journal and makes the process of journaling easy and fun. 
  2. Deep Breathing Exercises. Simply focusing on doing long slow inhales through the nose for 4 seconds. Pause for a 4 count and slowly exhale through your mouth for 4 seconds can have a profound effect on relaxing you. Do this for 5-10 minutes and it can work wonders.
  3. Just like the deep breathing exercise above, one of the best ways to not only improve sleep but to improve your health is through meditation. I know meditation is hard for many (including myself) so that is why I like guided meditation. Apps such as, Headspace and Calm provide all types of guided meditation for sleep, stress relief, focus, performance etc. Many are short (10 minutes) and easy to do. My favorite meditation is the Primus Meditation. You can access it here FREE. It is a amazing guided meditation that can positively improve your life. 
  4. No TV, computer, iPad, phones, social media. Along with unwanted/unhealthy radiation of electronic devices is blue light. This is the light frequency emitted by these devices and has a direct negative effect on your hormones and sleep Try to stay off social media, the computer, watching t.v. iPad, etc. for about an hour before you go to bed. Avoiding this type of light allows melatonin (the hormone that makes us sleep) production and the natural cycle for your body to fall asleep. If you must use these devices then turn on “Night time mode” on the cell phone. This changes the light ways from blue to the red/orange spectrum associated with a setting sun and falling asleep. For your computer, there is a program called f.lux. It is free and does the same thing. For each to these apps. Set them to turn on just before sunset and return to normal at sunrise. These are simple tools to make using some electronic devices safer before bed.
  5. Avoid caffeine and other stimulants (energy drinks etc.) after 12-1 pm. The effects of caffeine can last up to 10 hours in some people and will not only make it harder to fall asleep but sleep soundly. I am sure you have all had caffeine too close to bedtime and slept like crap that night. Some people can drink coffee late and still sleep but to be safe just avoid it. Besides the other negative effect of coffee is it is a diuretic so you will most likely have to get up in the middle of the night to pee.
  6. The last “hack” for part one is to go to bed and wake up the same time each day. This can be hard for a lot of people. However, if you can do it or keep it within an hour difference earlier or later your body will develop a more stable sleep cycle.

That is all for part 1. Stay tuned for part-2 where I will discuss which natural supplements help to improve sleep quantity and quality. In the meantime, sleep, tight.

To your health,

Kevin

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