Health Coach - Part 2

I like this picture because it's from a time when movement was nothing but fun. I adored gymnastics as a kid and that joy has translated into my love of yoga as an adult. Where else do you get to stand on your head as a grownup? It's also nice to see evidence of a time before my hormones went haywire and I was just a normal, cute little kid.

As I mentioned earlier, I've been working with a health coach to try and get things back on track. Sometimes you just need a little outside perspective! It's been a very positive experience and I would recommend that anyone who feels stuck to try working with someone.

Some things I've been working on:

• Tracking all my food on My Fitness Pal
• This is something I've actively resisted for a long time. Finding Paleo seemed to free me from the need for this but over time, the weight has started to creep back on. Seeing my food choices documented in black and white helps keep me honest and also allows for some wiggle room for a few indulgences within reason. 
• I've finally made my peace with this. I've found that tracking things really does keep me accountable. I also must do this 100% for every penny I spend so it shouldn't surprise me that it's important for my food intake as well. I feel great about it these days, which has surprised me. I've let go of the resistance and I'm just letting it be a tool that is helping me. 
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• Meaningful Activity
• I've been focusing on walking and yoga, mostly. I'm thinking about doing a membership at a local yoga studio -- it's the only "exercise" I really look forward to so why not go all in with it? 
• I also think sprinting (interval training) is super important. I've only actually done it a couple times since instituting it as a goal but the plan is to an interval workout once a week: 30 seconds hard; 2 min recovery. Repeat for 15 minutes. Doesn't sound like much, but it really gets the heart rate up and has great hormonal effects. I use the elliptical at my work gym and do some stretching afterwards. 

My initial bundle of consultations is now up with my coach and I'm deliberating about whether to continue. I was indeed super helpful, but it is another budget item. It's coming down to either the coaching or the yoga membership at this point and I'm leaning towards the latter. I can always seek out help again if I feel like I'm slipping. 

Low cholesterol levels predict high death rates in the very elderly

This study was published in Clinical Interventions in Aging 2014 Feb 13;9:293-300

Study title and authors:
Serum total cholesterol concentration and 10-year mortality in an 85-year-old population.

Takata Y, Ansai T, Soh I, Awano S, Nakamichi I, Akifusa S, Goto K, Yoshida A, Fujii H, Fujisawa R, Sonoki K
Division of General Internal Medicine, School of Oral Health Science, Kyushu Dental College, Kitakyushu, Japan.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24611005

This study evaluated the effect of cholesterol levels with death rates in the very elderly. The study included 207 very elderly (85-year-old) participants who were followed for ten years. The participants were allocated into three groups:
(i) High cholesterol: more than 209 mg/dL (5.4 mmol/L)
(ii) Intermediate cholesterol: between 176-208 mg/dL (4.5-5.3 mmol/L)
(iii) Low cholesterol: less than 175 mg/dL (4.5 mmol/L)

The study found:
(a) The group with the lowest cholesterol levels had a 72% higher death rate compared to the group with the highest cholesterol.
(b) Death rates decreased by 0.9% with each 1 mg/dL increase in cholesterol levels.
(c) Death rates decreased by 0.8% with each 1 mg/dL increase in low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels.
(d) Death rates decreased by 1.0% with each 1 mg/dL increase in high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels.
(e) Death rates decreased by 0.3% with each 1 mg/dL increase in triglyceride levels.

Takata concluded: "These findings suggest that low TC (total cholesterol) and low LDL-C may be independent predictors of high mortality in the very elderly".

Science of Nutrition Podcast

I recently did an interview with Seth Yoder, who has a master's degree in nutrition science and writes the blog The Science of Nutrition.  Seth caught my attention recently with his withering review of The Big Fat Surprise, the latest book to claim that ideological/incompetent scientists and public policy makers got the science of nutrition backward and we should all be eating low-carb, high-fat, high-meat diets.  I was impressed by how deeply Seth dug into the reference list, and how well he picked up on subtle but troubling misrepresentations of the evidence.

Last week, Seth and I got together at a local brewpub to do an interview.  We were joined by Carrie Dennett, an MPH/RDN who has a nutrition blog and writes for the Seattle Times.  I'd probably do a lot more interviews if I could ride my bike to them and have my interviewer buy me a drink.

Speaking of drinks, by the end of the interview I had a little buzz-- you might hear it in my voice if you listen closely.  As usual, I had plenty to say about body fat regulation, food reward, and other topics, with plenty of side trips to discuss particularly fascinating studies.  Also, the word of the day was 'compelling'.

Enjoy the interview!

How To Never Give Up On Your Martial Arts Ever Again

When I was in China, a friend of mine called to say that he was unwell. I asked him to come and visit me so I could teach him Qigong, he told me he didn't have time, I said to him, but when you are sick you will have time to go to hospital because you have no choice. The next day he came and studied with me for seven days. 

It has been my experience that one of the best ways to stay healthy and fit both internally and externally is through the practice of Shaolin Qigong and Kung Fu; it includes all we need for mind body health in one fully integrated unit.

The way to avoid never giving up on our martial arts is to start with a plan. My friend wanted to get better and feel strong again, the best way forward for him was to focus on internal training and not do any external training until he had regained his health. 

What do you want? If you are a beginner, it depends on your goal and your age as to what DVD you should start with. If you want to get fit and lose weight quickly then it's best to start with the Bootcamp DVDs or the Circuit Training DVDs. In these DVDs, we don't put so much emphasis on form but on fitness. If you want to be a martial artist then you start with Shaolin Workout and move through all three DVDs before you move onto Bootcamp and Circuit because you are working with your form and perfecting your movements. 

For the internal training, it's best for most people to start with "The Way Of Qigong Volume 1" but if you are under forty, impatient, training to be a fighter, or you want to quickly strengthen both internal and external then it's best to start with Qigong For Upper Body and Lower Body. Why? Because it means you will stay on target as you see and feel results  rapidly. 

Regardless of what you want, it's best to train 5 - 6 days a week. If you want rapid change then do kung fu in the morning and Qigong in the evening. Remember, you don't need to do all of the Qigong DVD, take a section, just fifteen minutes of Qigong is enough for you to feel the benefit. Alternate between Qigong For Upper Body and Qigong For Lower Body to balance your body. 

It's the same with the circuit training and bootcamp, unlike the Shaolin workouts, you don't need to learn them before moving onto the next DVD, keep surprising your body by changing your workout. Don't worry that your movements aren't 100% correct, as you keep working out, you will slowly slowly begin to perfect the kicks, punches and forms and at the same time you will gain exceptional stamina. 

Having a clear plan gives you a clear workout and keeps you on the path of The Shaolin Warrior.  

For more information on Shifu Yan Lei and his DVDs, please visit: www.shifuyanlei.com

Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Dry:

1/3 cup buckwheat flour

2 tbsp. coconut flour

1 tsp. baking powder

Wet:

1 chia egg (1 tbsp. ground or whole chia seeds + 3 tbsp. water)

1 small banana, mashed

1/3 cup almond milk

Mint:

1 tsp. matcha green tea powder

½ tsp. wheatgrass powder

A few drops of peppermint oil or extract (adjust amount according to strength and preference)

Chocolate Chip:

½ tbsp. cacao or carob powder

¼ Squarebar (optional) or ½ tbsp. cacao nibs

How to:
1. First, stir all the dry ingredients together with a fork, to make sure the baking powder is evenly incorporated into the batter. 
2. Prepare your chia egg by grinding your chia seeds either by hand or using a coffee grinder. You could leave them whole but then they’ll take longer to thicken so I prefer doing it this way. 
3. Mix the ground seeds with water, stir and leave to thicken.

4. Mash your (ripe!) banana, fold it into the flour mix along with the other wet ingredients and stir until no clumps remain. 
5. Transfer ½ of the mixture to another bowl, set that aside and mix the rest with the carob or cacao powder. If you want chocolate chips in your pancakes, fold in ¼ of a chopped Squarebar/ ½ tbsp. raw cacao nibs/ 1 tbsp. chopped dark chocolate.

6. In the other bowl, mix the other half of the batter with matcha powder, wheatgrass powder and peppermint extract. Now we have both our chocolate chip and our mint pancakes!

7. Fry the pancakes over medium to high heat for a couple of minutes on each side. Stack, drizzle with chocolate sauce (the one I used is just 1 tbsp chocolate peanut butter thinned out with a splash of almond milk) and add whatever toppings you want!

Minty-breath-kisses, Tilda ;)

Statins increase the risk of suicidal thoughts by 159%

This study was published in Crisis 2014 Jan 1;35(4):278-82

Study title and authors:
Lipophilic statin use and suicidal ideation in a sample of adults with mood disorders.

Davison KM, Kaplan BJ.
School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada Health Science Program, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, BC, Canada

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25113893

This study investigated the association between statins and suicidal ideation (suicidal thoughts) in adults with mood disorders. The study included 97 patients, aged over 18 years.

The study found those taking statins had a 159% increased prevalence of suicidal ideation compared to those not taking statins.



Gluten-free (Sliceable) Pizza Crust

Though I’ve never been one for pizzas, I’ve caught myself craving one like crazy more than once these past few months (and no, I’m not pregnant), which got me thinking. What if I made a gluten-free pizza crust based on my recipe for buckwheat wraps? Hmm, that might actually work. So I grabbed my buckwheat flour, chia seeds, herbs, salt and almond milk and just played it by ear. Out came a crust that exceeded my highest expectations! And I'm only exaggerating a little!

First of all, it does not crumble into oblivion when you cut a slice, as I’ve heard many other gluten-free pizza crusts do. You can actually pick up a slice and eat it like that if you want to (although I prefer to roll them up and eat them like “pizza snails” hehe). Second of all, it’s super easy to make and doesn’t require a gazillion different ingredients. Lastly, it tastes pretty good, at least in my own, not-so-humble opinion. Let me now if you give it a try, I’d love to hear how this recipe works for other people than myself!

Gluten-free (Sliceable) Pizza Crust

Serves: 1

50g or about 1/3 cup buckwheat flour

1 chia egg (1 tbsp ground or whole chia seeds + 3 tbsp water)

4 tbsp almond milk

½ tsp psyllium husk (optional but recommended)

Salt and herbs of choice, such as dried oregano or basil

Toppings: A thick tomato sauce loaded with oregano, sliced mushrooms, aubergine, zucchini, bell peppers, artichokes, vegan cheese… it’s up to you!

How to:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 220C. 
2. In a bowl, mix all dry ingredients then whisk in the wet until they’re all evenly combined. 3. Pre-heat a non-stick frying pan (or a skillet with a drizzle of oil on the bottom*), to medium to high heat, pour in the runny "dough" and make a big circle using a spoon. Leave it thicker around the edges for an authentic pizza feeling.

5. Fry for 4-5 minutes or until it’s firm enough to move from the pan, then transfer the crust onto a lined baking tray. 
6. Brush the crust with a bit of oil if you want to (I didn’t but this can prevent soggy bottoms). Spoon on the tomato sauce and desired toppings, then bake the pizza in the oven for 12-15 minutes.

Slice it up, sprinkle generously with nutritional yeast and eat to your heart’s content!

*Note: I have not tried frying the crust in a normal frying pan but I’m sure it’d work just as well as long as you have enough oil in there! It might burn quicker so make sure to watch it carefully and turn down the heat if you must.

Love, Tilda