đ˝ FOOD AS MEDICINE đ˝ My heart skipped a beat when I saw this report released last week, Which also includes 10 key recommendations to stakeholders to advance food as medicine practices in the prevention and treatment of disease which are all very impressive calls to action. đđť
This is the first of MANY posts I’ll be doing on this.
Let’s dive inđđť In the 18th and 19th centuries, scientific investigation and innovation dominated Western understanding of medicine During that time, American medical education underwent notable advancements. In 1745, the first formal course in human anatomy was established at the University of Pennsylvania, and in 1829, the first American textbook on pathology was published.
These innovations, among others, ultimately inspired a shift away from nutrition-based medicine towards allopathic medicine.
Allopathic medicine is defined by the National Cancer Institute as: âA system in which medical doctors and other healthcare professionals (such as nurses, pharmacists, and therapists) treat symptoms and diseases using drugs, radiation, or surgery. Also called biomedicine, conventional medicine, mainstream medicine, orthodox medicine, and Western medicine
However, the use of food as medicine is rooted in science and has been adopted and practiced by numerous cultures despite the fact that the history of food as medicine was largely ignored by academics until the 21st century.
Now, largely because of its increasing social media presence and online attention,academic study of the history and use of food as medicine has begun to gain momentum, finding its place in journals, conferences, and programs of study!
Last slide says it all đđť
SOURCE: Platkin, C., Cather, A., Butz, L., Garcia, I., Gallanter, M., Leung, MM., Food As Medicine: Overview and Report: How Food and Diet Impact the Treatment of Disease and Disease Management. Center for Food As Medicine and Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center; March 30, 2022
â ď¸If you’re adding intermittent fasting on top of exercise, you aren’t gaining any extra benefits.
Low energy availability is extremely common in females.
A 2019 survey of 1,000 female athletes across more than 40 sports published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine estimated the risk of low energy availability in women athletes at more than 47%.
Nearly half the performance-minded women may not be eating enough for their body to perform basic functions like creating muscle, regulating metabolism, and maintaining homeostasis after accounting for the energy they use for training.
đĽ Diets such as intermittent fasting and keto disrupt kisspeptin production. Women are more sensitive to kisspeptin, neuropeptide thatâs responsible for sex hormones and endocrine and reproductive function.
đĽ Adding exercise to the equation just adds to the stress of denying our bodies important fuel sources. Our thyroid activity is depressed as a result, which messes with your menstrual cycle.
đĽ The long-term effects of intermittent fasting with exercise for women athletes is endocrine dysfunction, increases in abdominal fat, more prone to depression, and subsequent fat gain.
Pretty much the opposite direction of your goals.
I think back on before I truly grasped this concept, not only was practicing intermittent fasting days, fasted workouts/cardio, I was also chronically under-eating and over-training in general. đ Never again!
Itâs common for new clients to hire a personal trainer wanting to lose weight (fat loss). While I understand the desire to do this, we can and will get there.. ⣠We usually have to enter a different kind of approach before we can actually âdietâ for fat loss because âŁour first intention must be to achieve optimal psychological & physiological baselines.âŁ
Most clients have struggled with yo-yo dieting, binge eating, poor relationship with food, negative body image and sporadic consistency with their workouts. When we first discuss the concept of dieting in reverse, they are naturally hesitant because itâs quite different than what they are used to. đ˛
The amazing part throughout this process they realize that achieving maintenance is a massive progress flex! đŞđť It still requires lots of effort and consistency.
In maintenance phase you experience:
đBetter sleep đImproved performance đMore muscle đNot đ¤ about đĽ all the time đStable energy đLess mood swingsđ đAbility to be socialđĽ đRestore hormone balance đIncreased libidođ
It’s important to spend enough time optimizing your metabolism, building muscle, and enjoying your life, so that when & if the time does come to enter a diet phase, things will be easier, an the progress will be sustainable.
All nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes contain anti-nutrients that require neutralization. Nuts and seeds contain enzyme inhibitors that actually block digestion â and this can potentially cause negative effects on the body. Grains and legumes contain phytic acid that robs the body of super important minerals such as magnesium, calcium, copper, zinc, and iron. The overall impacts are negative because of the frequency and quantity in which these foods are present in the modern diet.
Soaking grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes generally involve adding the food to a bowl, covering the food in the bowl with water, adding a neutralizer, letting the food sit at room temperature for a while, and then draining.
If you decide to eat grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, always make sure to follow the guidelines below to prepare them for optimal nutrition (bio-availability) and health.
I do not recommend eating these foods all day every day, because even when soaked it can still be quite rough on the digestive system for some.
Soaking Grains:
Quinoa: Place 2 cups of quinoa into a large mixing bowl and cover with 6 cups of filtered water. Stir in 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar, fresh lemon juice, or whey. Cover and leave the bowl at room temperature for 24 hours. Drain, rinse and cook as usual.
Rice + Millet: Place 2 cups of grain in a large mixing bowl and cover with 2 cups of warm filtered water. Stir in 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or whey. Cover the bowl and leave at room temperature for about 7 hours. Drain, rinse and cook as usual.
Oatmeal: Place 2 cups of grain in a large mixing bowl and cover with 2 cups of warm filtered water. Stir in 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or whey. Cover and leave the bowl at room temperature for about 7 hours to 24 hours. Drain, rinse and cook as usual.
All Other Grains: place 2 cups of grains in a large mixing bowl and cover with 2 cups of warm filtered water. Stir in 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or whey. Cover and leave the bowl at room temperature for 12-24 hours. Drain, rinse and cook as usual or dry in a dehydrator.
Soaking Legumes:
Kidney-, Navy-, Black-, Pinto-, White Beans: Place 2 cups of beans into a large mixing bowl and cover with warm filtered water. Stir in 2 pinches of baking soda. Cover and leave the bowl at room temperature soaking for at least 18-24 hours. Every 7 or so hours drain the beans, rinse the beans, and cover with warm filtered water again, and stir in another 2 pinches of baking soda.
Drain, rinse and cook in a large stockpot, dutch oven, or a slow cooker.
Garbanzo -, Fava Beans, Split Peas: Place 2 cups of beans into a large mixing bowl and cover with warm filtered water. Stir in 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Cover and leave the bowl at room temperature to soak for at least 24 hours.
Drain, rinse and cook in a large stockpot, dutch oven, or a slow cooker.
Lentils: Place 2 cups of lentils into a large mixing bowl and cover with warm filtered water. Stir in 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Cover and leave the bowl at room temperature to soak for at least 7 hours.
Drain, rinse and cook in a large stockpot, dutch oven, or a slow cooker.
Soaking Nuts & Seeds
All Nuts And Seeds: Place 4 cups of raw, shelled nuts into a large mixing bowl. Cover with filtered water and stir in 1 tbsp of Celtic sea salt. Cover the bowl leave it at room temperature to soak.
âŚâŚ See the chart below for specific times.
Drain and rinse the nuts or seeds and place them in a dehydrator. | Alternatively spread the nuts or seeds on a large baking sheet lined with unbleached parchment paper and dehydrate them in a warm over (under 150 ËF) for 12-24 hours, you want them to have that crunch. I usually let the nuts dehydrate overnight when I use the oven. |
⌠Almonds: 8-12 hours ⌠Brazil Nuts: 4-6 hours ⌠Cashews: 3-6 hours ⌠Flaxseeds: 8 hours ⌠Hazelnuts: 7-8 hours ⌠Hempseeds: do not soak ⌠Macadamia: do not soak ⌠Pecans: 4-6 hours ⌠Pepita/Pumpkin Seeds: 8 hours ⌠Pistachios: do not soak ⌠Pine Nuts: do not soak ⌠Sesame Seeds: 7-8 hours ⌠Sunflower Seeds: 2-4 hours ⌠Walnuts: 4 hours
Sprouting Grains, Seeds, Nuts & Legumes
There are four simple steps to sprouting grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
Step 1: Using a large bowl soak your grains, legumes, nuts, or seeds in water. Make sure that the water is double the amount of the item being soaked. Leave at room temperature for the specified amount of time listed below. If you desire you may rinse and change the water halfway through the soaking time.
Step 2: Drain the liquid, rinse, and fill the bowl back up with fresh water. Next, drain the liquid at an angle to create a humid environment (use a mesh lid on a mason jar). The goal is to keep the kernels moist until they sprout a bud. This happens when the kernels are exposed to light and moisture.
Step 3: Repeat step 2 every few hours, but at least twice daily.
Step 4: In 1-4 days, your sprouted grain, nut, bean, or seed should be ready to use.
Have you ever thought about WHY you are engaging in your fitness & nutrition routine?
đ§ Intention is is a mental state that represents a commitment to carrying out an action or actions in the future. Intention involves mental activities such as planning and forethought.
Body Neutral Fitness is shifting the intention behind WHY you want to workout.
Instead of aesthetics being the main intention, the focus is more on how you want to FEEL and cultivating a more positive body image through developing body appreciation
It can be easy to fall into the trap of pointing out what you are insecure about, or hearing someone else do the same. But try to avoid this, or at least notice when you are doing it and how it makes you feel. Redirect the conversation to another topic
Body neutral fitness is about nourishing our bodies with foods full of vitamins and nutrients that you need, but also not depriving ourselves of delicious treats. We do not engaging in restrictive dieting behaviors.
Exercise is not meant to be a punishment. If your body needs a rest day, then give it a rest day. I work closely with my clients to build their programming with activities that they enjoy. More recreation, more walks and MORE FUN!
For me, Iâve spent years dieting and exercising to change my body and make her look a certain way. To be accepted. To be seen as worthy.Â
I’ve torn down my old identity and entire sense of self and rebuilt a new version from the ashes of who I once was.
I’ve shared a bit about this process, how a lot of it revolved around SELF-ESTEEM and improving my concept of self.
Contrast can be an amazing teacher. When we experience things we do NOT want or like, it provides clarity and insight into what we DO want.
đąYou’ve got to CHOOSE growth đ We can either go through life, or GROW through it. đą
Growth hurts. & it’s always worth it. It’s also never ending. đ
Health is not a destination that you “arrive” to and stay. đ
It’s a flowing, growing, shifting, seasonal journey. đş
This past year Iâve done some deep soul digging to rebuild my identity around fitness to be coming from a place of excitement and joy !
âThe deeper your why, the higher you flyâÂ
Ready to make the shift into Body neutral fitness? Apply for coaching HERE
â Schedule it in & Commit When time is your biggest challenge when it comes to exercise, then knowing what you’re going to do and when you’re going to do it is very important! At the beginning of each week, schedule your workouts like you schedule your meetings or appointments. Create a plan, know what you’re going to do and when you’re going to do it, and commit! You can even have an alternative day to make up your workout if something does happen.
â Morning or Earlier in the day workouts. Plan your workouts in the morning or during your lunch breaks. This way you dedicate that time for you before the day slips away. Being busy throughout the day usually leads to fatigue by the end of the day and can make commitments to workouts later in the day harder.
â Boost Your Daily Activities Try giving some of your daily activities a boost to get your movement in. Take advantage of every situation. This can be parking a little farther from the grocery store, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking while chatting on the phone, or walking during meetings that you do not have to participate in.
â Change Your Mindset Around Movement Movement should not be looked at as an activity that you dread or that takes over your life. We want to view movement as a GIFT to yourself not a chore. If you wake up and think “I don’t have time to workout today” you’re most likely not going to find the time to get it done. If you wake up thinking of it as a priority and how much better you’re going to feel after its done you are more likely to find the time.
â Make It Enjoyable Do something that you actually enjoy. It’s easier to get something done when you like the activity. Focus on what makes you feel the best, helps you to reach your goals, and is rewarding for your mind and body.
Change of any kind intimidating and it may seem like you have a long way to go in achieving your goals…
Here are some tips for hacking consistency:
1ď¸âŁFocus on 1-2 habits that you can easily commit to start. Get into the groove with them. Next, build one or two habits on top of those, this concept is called habit stacking.
Example: Two daily habits could be eating protein with almost every meal and getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Next you could focus on drinking water first thing before coffee and adding in a morning stretch routine.
Building on habits is what creates a routine.
A routine is what creates consistency. Consistency is what creates results.
This is why fad diets, 30 day challenges and 75 hard is a waste of your time. If itâs not based around your own individual health markers, lifestyle and goals, if itâs not teaching you about your own biofeedback and empowering youâYouâre likely not gonna stick with it.
2ď¸âŁFocus on whatâs being added in and improved. Adding in more protein, more fruits and veggies, more movement etc. (not whatâs being taken away or restrained.)
3ď¸âŁHowever your path looks like on the journey to feeling better it should be rewarding and tied to deep personal meaning and intrinsic motivation.
4ď¸âŁSelf-Efficacy is the name of the game- building belief in oneself over time, creating a foundation of knowledge that is a sustainable lifestyle.
Consistency is everythingâ if what youâre currently doing is too difficult to stick with, itâs not YOU. Itâs your approach.
From a health standpoint, intermittent fasting is useful – especially for the general population who are not very active and struggling with metabolic diseases.
â ď¸ However, if you’re adding intermittent fasting on top of exercise, you aren’t gaining any extra benefits.
âď¸ In fact, if youâre a woman, adding intermittent fasting on top of exercise can be harmful to both your performance and your health. âď¸
đĽ Women are more sensitive to kisspeptin, neuropeptide thatâs responsible for sex hormones and endocrine and reproductive function. Diets such as intermittent fasting and keto disrupt kisspeptin production.
It comes down to kisspeptin, is a neuropeptide thatâs responsible for sex hormones and endocrine and reproductive function, which also plays a significant role in maintaining healthy glucose levels, appetite regulation, and body composition. Itâs also more sensitive in women than men. When it gets perturbed, our sex hormones arenât produced and released the way we need them to be.
Intermittent fasting and keto both disrupt kisspeptin production. When our brain perceives we have a deficiency in nutrients, especially carbohydrate, we have a marked reduction in kisspeptin stimulation, which not only increases our appetite, but also reduces our sensitivity to insulin. This is why research shows intermittent fasting is more likely to cause impaired glucose intolerance in women, but not men.
What happens when we layer exercise stress on top of the stress of denying our bodies an important fuel source? Stress hormones like cortisol rise even higher. As you keep increasing that stress, it keeps your sympathetic drive high and reduces your ability to relax. Your thyroid activity is depressed, which messes with your menstrual cycle. Your body also starts storing more belly fat.
So now youâre looking at disrupted menstrual cycles, higher anxiety and stress, impaired performance and often weight gainâpretty much the opposite of what youâre looking for!
The ketogenic diet has very similar effects on women athletes. We hear people rave about the increased mental focus with a keto diet. In men, yes. They have an increase in their parasympathetic (a.k.a. rest and digest) activity, so they can be more relaxed and present. In women, keto kicks up our sympathetic (a.k.a. fight or flight) drive, so weâre more anxious, more prone to being depressed, and we canât sleep very well, which again hurts our hormonal health, performance, well being, and body composition.
Sometimes women will contend that these diets work so well for them. And they might for the first three months, because nearly any diet will yield some effects in the short term. The long term effects for women athletes, however, is endocrine dysfunction, increases in abdominal fat, more depression, and a backlash of subsequent fat gain.
Women athletes perform far better in a fed state. Women athletes need to eat.
đĽ The long term effects of intermittent fasting with exercise for women athletes is endocrine dysfunction, increases in abdominal fat, more depression, and subsequent fat gain.
Weâve degraded the soil through industrial ag, turning millions of acres into dirt, not soil.
And growing food on dirt requires a lot of synthetic chemicals.
The more we implement these practices, & degrade soil biology, the more & more inputs we need to grow food.
External costs rise, profits of farmers dwindle, while the profits of agrochemical companies, like Bayer, rise.
These chemicals have severe environmental & human health consequences!
Intensive agriculture near the Mississippi River, for ex, has led to fertilizers leeching into the river, & ultimately the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in a huge oxygen-deprived dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.
A new report by USGS, National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project, reveals the presence of pesticides is widespread in U.S. rivers & streams, with almost 90% of water samples containing at least 5+ pesticides.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention says Americans now have an average of 43 different pesticides in their bloodstreams.
We can grow food without these nasty chemicals, but this requires working with nature & restoring the soil biology with regenerative agriculture practices.
Regenerative ag refers to a set of farming practices with the main goal of improving soil health. Some of these practices include holistic planned grazing, biodynamic farming, permaculture, agroforesty, silvopasture, integrated livestock crop management, & diverse cover cropping. The strategy selected for a given farm depends on the farmerâs goals & what makes sense to the farmâs ecosystem & location.
These practices leverage the power of photosynthesis to close the carbon cycle & restore the balance between carbon in the atmosphere & carbon stored in the soil.
In proper functioning soil, plants intake carbon from the atmosphere, convert it into sugars, & then pump some of the sugars through their roots to feed microorganisms that use the carbon to build soil.
In exchange for these sugars, the microorganisms (that are not âfedâ & are killed off by industrial ag practices) send water & a wide array of nutrients back to the plant. A beautiful symbiotic relationship, how nature intended.
Wellness Simplified with Meganmefit 