If you’re a baseball fan you may have noticed one of your favorite baseball players wearing what looks like a piece of cord around their neck. More than likely, he is wearing a Titanium necklace made by a company by the name of Phiten.
I was introduced to Phiten while visiting the New York Marathon Exhibition Hall last fall. It so happened I had a crick in my neck and the gentleman manning the Phiten boot gave me a sample pack of Titanium Discs. Believe it or not, after a while of wearing the discs, my neck started to loosen up.
I was so excited by this product I asked Phiten if they would sponsor a Jillian Michaels Bootcamp I was participating in and low and behold they donated 50 Titanium Disc sample packages for distribution to our bootcamp participants.
So, what’s the technology behind Phiten’s products? The titanium in the necklaces (discs, tape, massage cream, et al) supposedly realigns the bioelectric current in your body, thus increasing blood circulation and relaxing muscles. In a nutshell, placing these pieces of titanium on the body will stabilize your current and help your body run better.
You may or may not buy in to this philosophy. It could be that the true power of Phiten’s products lay within the wearer. With a host of professional athletes such as Josh Beckett (baseball), Joba Chamberlain (baseball), Lleyton Hewitt (tennis), Jennie Finch (USA Softball), Sergio Garcia (Golf), and Paula Radcliffe (Marathoner) using and wearing Phiten’s products, you’d be in awfully good company!
If you’re interested in trying Phiten’s products, I’m going to be giving away gift packages to some lucky Catapult Fitness Blog readers.
To qualify, simply reply to this posting and include details on your latest workout!! What exercises are you doing? How much weight are you lifting? How often are you working out each week?
Winners will be selected at random and hopefully your Phiten gift package will help cure your aches and pains!
[note: Due to shipping charges packages can only be shipped within the Continental United States. Sorry to all my other readers!].
Of course, once you test drive the products we’d I’d love to hear your feedback!
Oh, and by the way, between June 26 - July 31, 2009 Phiten is running some special Independence Day deals. You can check them out at www.PhitenUSA.com.
I realized this morning that my last 6 CFB postings have all been nutrition related, and I owe a bunch of avid Catapult Fitness Blog readers (you know who you are!), a Kettlebell workout!
I've actually spent the past few days looking for a killer KB workout to share with you all, and ultimately decided to go with the workout that would definitely give you a real kick in the rear. Yes, Turkish Getups are involved!
In addition to the workout itself, I'm posting an interview that Craig Ballantyne did with the program creator, Troy Anderson, as I found it to be very informative.
Troy M. Anderson is the owner of Anderson Training Systems, of Tempe, Arizona. Troy is often referred to as "the MacGyver of coaching" for his unique ability to build effective fitness programs using only the most basic equipment.
Troy's Smoke the Fat Meltdown Kettlebell Program features his "Big Iron Burn" and "Smoke Sessions" to help you smoke the fat from your love handles, thighs, and lower abs.
CB: So what's the big deal with Kettlebells anyway?
TA: They bring a few unique and very beneficial facets.
For example for those people that maybe coming off a bodyweight only home training program.
I am sure that you have a beginner program that fits this definition.
The kettlebell will allow that person to do really critical things for long term fat loss:
1. Introducing the progressive overload principle, this will allow the body to get stronger; a long with helping to keep the body in a state of metabolic disturbance which is a good thing as far a fat loss is concerned.
2. It also allows the individual to start to implement crucial movement pattern under load. Movements like:
- Squats - Deadlifts - Presses
However, do the nature of the kettlebell and its design it is a lot more effective at allowing the novice 'lifter' to learn these foundational movements, even more so than the barbell or dumbbell.
Along with those two key benefits to the fat loss enthusiast, the kettlebell is extremely versatile, it can literally be used anywhere anytime.
This can be seen with its popularity with the military it can commonly be found in war zones around the world and on the other end of the spectrum I work with a Dr. that keeps one in his office and uses it on a daily basis.
I personally love to take mine outside but I will elaborate more on that in a second.
It is also very versatile in the variety of drills that you are able to perform and combine.
For instance, a double kettlebell clean-front squat and overhead press is a brutal fat burning combo; and while you may be able to do this type of exact drill with a dumbbell the difference is it is a whole lot smoother with a kettlebell.
As far as how that relates to fat loss, once you implement the more athletic drills like, cleans, snatches, and swings your fat loss will go through the roof for two reasons.
1. You are placing high demand on the entire body by doing these athletic movements
2. You can get a hell of a lot 'weighted' worked done in a brief period of time. The feedback I always get after someone does their first set of swings is: 'why am I so winded, I didn't movement my feet'
CB: Yeah, I know that feeling! So what exercises should we use to burn fat with Kettlebells?
TA: Here are my Top 5 movements in descending order:
#1 Kettlebell Snatch
The snatch is far and away the most athletic lift there is, when done well it is borderline artistic.
Not only that but it takes hell of a lot of different muscles firing in sequence, ultimately burning some series calories, i.e. fat.
The kettlebell snatch allows the beginning enthusiast to experience this movement, much quicker than would be possible with a barbell and more fluidly than with a dumbbell.
I love this drill I personally try to get in 25 snatches per arm per day. #2 Turkish Get-up or The Get Up (TGU)
If I only had one drill that would give my clients everything they need this would be the one.
- Upper body Strength - Shoulder Mobility & Stability - Leg Strength - Flexion and Rotational Trunk Strength - Hip/Pelvis Mobility - High Volume of Work
All that fits the needs of 90% of all my clients.
Plus it develops one of the 6 Points of Fitness that I identify as critical, and that is the ability to get you body up off the ground.
Due to the dynamic demand of this drill it really requires that one stays engaged with what it is that they are doing; this built in benefit will allow the client to get the most strength and fat loss benefit possible.
#3 2-Hand swing
This drill is #3 because of its quick and simple implementation. I know of fitness coaches that use the 2 Hand swing as 1 of 2 primary drills that use with their clients.
Think about that only two kettlebell drills and the 2 hand swing is one of them, and they get really excellent results.
The shear volume of work that can done is astounding, as we know in the fat loss world work usually = fat loss.
Along with that there is another little secret many often overlooked about the 'swing' and that is the dynamic stretch you get on the hip flexors, a very tight area for many of us.
#4 The Double Kettlebell Front Squat
My client absolutely hate this drill, they hate it so much that they actually beg to be able to do barbell back squats.
If that doesn't tell you something about this drill I don't know what does.
The two great things about this drill are:
1. Any time we hold a weight on the front side of the body to squat, it just makes squatting properly so much easier. Specifically that act of pushing your 'hips back'.
2. Again because the weight is on the front side of the body, you have to engage your core/trunk to a significant degree otherwise the weight will pull you forward and down.
Pretty slick really, your abs just get smoked doing this drill.
You end up getting and awesome leg and ab workout all at once.
#5 Kettlebell Overhead Press
(I actually prefer double kettlebell overhead press, but single KB's work well too)
The best thing about the kettlebell overhead press is that when done well it is a:
- Dynamic shoulder mobility drill, this is due the way the kettlebell sits it naturally allows the shoulder to move through a very 'open/unrestricted' range of motion.
- Along with that one that when the kettlebell is press properly it is very much a total body movement even more so performed with doubles.
Here's a quick little program protocol using just these 5 drills:
Day 1 Snatches-using ladders (see below to see specifics about ladders) Dbl Front Squat 5 x 5 Swings 4 x 30sec
Day 2 TGU - using Ladders Dbl OHP 5 x5 Swings 4 x 45 sec
Simple stuff.
CB: But brutally effective. What are some other cool things you can do with kettlebells, and explain those ladders for us.
TA: That being said a protocol that is common with KB's and not with other resistance implement is the use of timed work intervals.
That being said there are many different ways to program the kettlebell so; let me share a few of my favorite and more traditional protocols with you.
For the 'grind'/strength movements(squats, deadlifts, press, rows, etc..) I like to use rep ranges between 3-5 reps of 3-5 sets.
For the ballistics movements like cleans, snatches, swings, etc... I like to use a little higher rep protocol of course this dependent up the load.
If I am using a heavy kettlebell I may only do sets of 2 or 3 reps. However generally I like to perform sets of 8-15 with the ballistics at a medium load.
Another protocol that I really like is ladders, which are performing ascending sets like 1rep, 2reps, 3reps, 4reps, & 5 reps,
You will usually do 3-5 repeats with this formula; and never more than up to 5 reps, before adjusting the load.
Ladders are great for using a heavier weight especially with the ballistic movements.
Lastly, you have timed work intervals I have 2 general rules of thumb here:
1. With 2 hands movements I never go beyond 60 seconds of work time
2. With 1 hand movements I never go beyond 40-45 seconds of work time.
There is probably enough programming protocol in those four areas to keep someone in 'fresh' programs for quite awhile.
CB: What the heck is a "Smoke Session" for fat loss?
TA: This is one of my absolutely favorite uses for kettlebells as you are aware in several of the programs that I have written simple protocol called smoke sessions.
A smoke session is generally a combination of bodyweight exercise and/or running with kettlebell work.
I have found that this technique really gets you in the proverbial 'fat burning zone'.
Two of my favorite places to perform these smoke sessions are either at a track or at a hill.
This great summer time exercise for those that are looking for a change of pace from doing intervals on the treadmill or bike.
You, a track or hill, your kettlebell and a sunny day, it doesn't get much better than that.
For those that might like to see what one of these type of Kettlebell smoke sessions looked like I have several of them posted on youtube, if the just enter the search 'kettlebell smoke session' they should be able to find it pretty easily.
Though I don't exclusively use kettlebell for interval training; I am always working on new bodyweight exercise circuit usually focusing on a sequence of movements so that they can be done with a quick transition and no rest in between.
Right now I am working on developing some jumping/plyometric and flexband combinations that are paired with flat ground sprints, some of these are pretty evil.
So while KB are used very frequently they are not the only tool I use for interval training.
CB: So what does a fat burning Kettlebell workout look like?
TA: I like to structure a pure kettlebell program much like I might any other program for fat loss.
That is front loading the first part of the workout with strength work and then moving into circuit work I have found this to be very effective. I call this my Big Iron Burn Method.
It might be easier to understand if I just script out a training day so let's give it a shot.
Here's what a beginning week might like for an intermediate client.
Big Iron Portion Double Kettlebell Front Squats 4 x 5 Kettlebell Snatches Ladders 3-5 x 1,2,3
Burn Circuit - 3 cycles Turkish Get-ups - 2 reps per side Renegade Push-Hold + Push-up - 30 sec + 5 reps Blast Strap Body Row - 12 2 Hand KB Swing - 20
This type of pairing has made for real high quality and high return training sessions for my clients.
There are those out there that may scoff at kettlebells being a strength tool; yet I think the Beast Challenge that the guys over at DragonDoor have put together really puts that one to sleep (The Beast Challenge is with a 106lb KB, 1 pistol, 1 pull-up, 1 press) I think out the thousands they have certified there are only around 5-6 that have done this challenge.
When you combine that strength component with the burn circuit, we can knock through a total body workout with very little additional equipment in a short period of time, some times less than 45 minutes, it depends on how 'winded' my client get.
I really think the KB is a great all around fitness tool, especially for those that training at home, and are looking for top fat loss results.
As a matter of fact I am about to head out into my home gym aka garage and do some kettlebell work. Double kettlebell clean to front squat to press, nasty.
I hope this interview will be beneficial to the readers.
Since arriving home this weekend I've spent the better part of the past 2 days food shopping, analyzing/modifying recipes and cooking.
My focus is 4-fold:
Re-gain the 9 lbs I lost due to the Endolymphatic Hydrops,
Stabilize my blood sugars to limit the possibility of another attack,
Keep my sodium intake to approx. 1000 mg/day and,
Ensure that I'm adding more anti-inflammatory foods to my diet, while limiting ingredients that cause inflammation.
Knowing that I need to start consuming less meat and more fish - in particular, sockeye salmon and black cod (sablefish), both being rich in Omega-3 and highly anti-inflammatory - I've focused alot of my efforts towards finding recipes for these two ingredients.
While I LOVE sushi, I've never been a huge fish fan. Go figure - I like raw fish but really have no taste for fish once it's cooked!
I came across a recipe by Jamie Oliver (you may have seen him on the Today Show or on Food Network) that after a little modification I am quite pleased with. I removed the yogurt dressing (trying to limit my dairy) and instead of using 2 slices of prosciutto, managed to wrap my 4 oz sockeye salmon fillet with just one.
Prosciutto is clearly NOT an anti-inflammatory food, nor is it low-sodium. I managed to find pre-packaged Prosciutto whereas 1-slice has approx. 153 mg/sodium. By carefully planning my day around this meal, I was able to stay pretty close to my target sodium goal coming in at 1,049 mg for the entire day.
Because I'm not typically a cooked salmon fan, the prosciutto really enabled me to enjoy this meal. Additionally, I took into consideration the fact that lentils are a rich source of fiber, folate, iron, vitamin B-1 and protein. Add a serving of spinach in for good measure and I felt the trade-off was well worth it. Salmon Fillet Wrapped In Prosciutto With Herby Lentils and Spinach
4 oz French lentils 2 (4 oz) Sockeye salmon fillets Freshly ground pepper 1 slice Prociutto 1 Tbsp Olive Oil, halved 1/2 lemon, juiced 1 handful of mixed herbs (basil, parsley, and anything else you enjoy), chopped 2 handfuls spinach, chopped
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Rinse lentils, put in a pan, cover with water, bring to a boil and simmer until tender (approx. 30 minutes).
Season the salmon fillets with pepper before wrapping each piece in a Prosciutto slice. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven for around 10 minutes. You can cook the salmon for less time if you prefer it to be pinker.
Drain the lentils and season with pepper, the lemon juice and olive oil. Put the lentils back into the pan and just before serving stir in the herbs and spinach and cook on high heat until spinach wilts.
Nutritional Information for Susan's version, per serving: 449 calories; 18 grams fat (3 grams saturated fat); 36 grams carbohydrates; 34 grams protein; 219 mg sodium
A note about the ingredients: The brand of Prosciutto I used is Busseto. The sodium content of a product such as Prosciutto can vary significantly. For example, one slice of Citterio Fresco Prosciutto contains 365 mg/sodium. Lesson learned? Make certain to read labels, and if there is no nutrition label, stay away!
Since Endolymphatic Hydrops is an idiopathic condition (meaning that the cause is unknown), doctor’s simply treat the symptoms, rather than trying to cure the condition itself.
While I have been fully on board with taking a course of steroids and long-term use of a diuretic to help control inflammation, ultimately I need to take it upon myself to try to rid myself of this condition.
The initial course of action I will be taking is focusing on an anti-inflammatory diet as, let’s face it, many diseases are brought on by chronic inflammation.
Dr. Andrew Weil's Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid provides a nice visual in regards to recommended food choices. You can find a printable version of this food pyramid here.
I'll be heading back home this weekend at which time I will begin logging all the meals that I eat and how I feel between meals. Ideally, I'm hoping that balancing my insulin levels will help control my symptoms, but I'm also looking to see if any foods may be exasperating symptoms.
My shopping list for this weekend and the upcoming week includes:
Wild Alaskan sockeye salmon
Wild Pacific black cod
Shrimp
Canned Wild Albacore Tuna, no salt added
Chicken breasts
Great Northern beans
Organic, grass-fed lean ground beef
Omega-3 enriched, organic eggs
Unsalted edamame
Unsalted soy nuts
Low-fat Greek yogurt
Shitake mushrooms
Spinach
Bok Choy
Tomatoes
Carrots
Fresh ginger
Scallion
Daikon (Japanese radish)
Poblano chilies
Low sodium, whole wheat tortillas
Tomatillos
Dill
Cilantro
Garlic
Pepper Jack cheese (organic)
Raspberries (organic)
Blackberries (organic)
Apples (organic)
Some of the recipes I plan to tackle this upcoming week include a low-sodium enchiladas verdes and a Chinese Hot Pot (shabu shabu). Remember, eating a healthy diet does not have to mean eating bland, tasteless food!
So, do I really believe that by controlling my diet I can cure myself of this condition? On days when I'm not feeling so well, my answer to this question would likely be "no". On days when I'm feeling pretty good my answer is a resounding "YES" and for good reason.
That good reason is Donald Gazzaniga, the author of one of the low-sodium cookbooks I purchased when first diagnosed with Endolymphatic Hydrops.
Diagnosed with congestive heart failure and headed for a heart transplant (YES, this man was on a list to receive a heart transplant!), Don, along with his wife who is a Registered Dietitian, developed a meal plan for him that kept his sodium intake to < 500 mg/day.
The result? Don’s name has been removed from the transplant list.
Seriously!? Who would have thunk it possible?
Don's story is pretty amazing and one that we can all learn from.
While being on a very low sodium diet these past few weeks has proved challenging, truth be told, it's not nearly as difficult as I initially thought.
It's taken a bit of research, but I've found a host of no/low sodium products to replace my old staples. I'll be sharing my favorites with you once I've had a chance to give each a thorough taste test.
I'm even finding restaurants to be accommodating. I went out with my family this past Friday night to a local Italian restaurant (La Cauronne in Montclair, NJ) and they prepared for me a delicious, no sodium added meal.
My next step is to start revamping some of my old standby recipes to meet my new low-sodium lifestyle.
Having gone to school in Buffalo, NY, I've been a huge fan of hot wings for many, many years. I developed a low-fat Buffalo Chicken Wrap recipe that I've now modified further to cut sodium. Specifically, I've gotten rid of the wrap and found some lower-sodium ingredients that enable me to keep this meal below 250 mg/sodium.
Enjoy! Susan's Hot Chicken Tenders On Greens
4 oz skinless chicken breast cut in to tenders 1 Tsp Choula hot sauce 1 Tsp white wine vinegar 25 grams Fage 2% Greek style yogurt 1/4 ounce Artisinal Valdeon Blue Cheese 1/2 cup lettuce 5 cherry tomatoes, halved 10 slices cucumber
Grill chicken and while still warm soak in a mixture of the hot sauce and white wine vinegar. While the chicken marinates mix the blue cheese with the yogurt. Make a salad out of the lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber. Place the chicken on top and use the blue cheese yogurt as a dressing.
I would add a quarter cup of cooked, whole wheat couscous to round out this meal.
A note about the ingredients: I've found Choula brand hot sauce to be lower in sodium than my old standby, Louisiana Crystal. Artisinal Valdeon Blue Cheese is an intensely flavored Spanish Blue, that is less salty than Stilton or Gorgonzola. A little goes a long way.
I blog often about the importance of food journaling. It wasn't until I started journaling that I was really able to get a grip on my nutrition and make the changes necessary to lose weight. Journaling forced me to be accountable for what I was eating and how much I was eating.
The days of consuming a 6 oz filet mignon pan fried in a tablespoon of butter (472 calories) were replaced by my handy George Foreman grill and a 3 oz petite filet (185 calories).
I typically hear alot of moans and groans when I tell people they'll need to weigh and measure foods. The good news is that after a while, it becomes fairly simple to eye-ball portions.
In the meantime, here are a few guidelines you may find useful, courtesy of Cara Regas(MA, ATC, ACE certified), a strength and conditioning coach at Fitness Quest 10:
Grains
1 cup of cereal flakes - The size of a fist
1 pancake/ waffle - A compact disc
½ cup of cooked rice, pasta - ½ of a baseball or an ice cream scoop
1 slice of bread - A cassette tape
Potato - A computer mouse
Fruits and Veggies
Apple, pear, banana - A baseball
1 cup mixed fruits - A tennis ball
1 cup cooked veggies - A fist
1 cup raw veggies - A rounded handful
Dairy
2 oz low fat cheese - 2 domino's or 6 dice
1 cup Low fat/ fat free milk or yogurt - A fist
Meat and Beans
3 oz fish, 1 chicken breast, ¼ hamburger patty - A deck of cards or palm of hand (no fingers)
1 comments
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Posted by
Susan
If you have the time, watch this 45-minute lecture by Michael Pollan, the best-selling author of In Defense Of Food, An Eater's Manifesto and The Omnivores Dilemma.
Whether you agree with Pollan or not, it may change the way you look at the foods you eat.
Note: The YouTube video is choppy thru the opening 2 minutes, but it runs smoothly after that.
Really interesting research just became available today from Precision Nutrition founder and fitness nutrition guru, Dr. John Berardi.
A total of 150 participants undertook one of three training regimes designed by JB and Alwyn Cosgrove, with the overall study goal being to compare the effectiveness of each program for fat loss and overall fitness.
Participants were assigned to one of the following workouts:
1. One was a strength program that also included steady state cardio: get on the treadmill at a given speed and go for 30-45 minutes.
2.One was a strength program that also included interval training (aka high intensity interval training or HIIT): get on the treadmill and run really fast, take a short break, and repeat for a given number of rounds.
3. And the final group was a strength program that also used suspension training (aka TRX training) as part of their conditioning work. Don’t know what suspension training is? Well, read on.
In this study, we asked three questions. Which of these three programs:
-would most effectively improve performance?
-would most effectively promote weight loss?
-would people find most fun, and thus, stick with the longest?
For complete study findings including the entire 4 phase workout plus video demonstrations click here.
We had a fabulous weather weekend finally here in the Northeast - perfect for a good ole' fashioned outdoor bootcamp workout (who needs a fancy gym anyway?).
For those of you at an Intermediate level, here's a sampling from the Turbulence Training Bootcamp workout series:
Workout A – Turbulence Training Bootcamp Workout #3 – TT Intermediate Intensity
Make sure to listen to the call for more details on all of the exercises and why I put the workout together in this order…Each exercise is done for 30 seconds.
Warm-up (30 seconds per exercise) – 10 minutes Jumping Jacks Prisoner Squat Plank-to-Pushup Cross Crawl Waiter’s Bow Shuffle Rest 1 minute before repeating 1 more time.
TT Strength Circuit (30 seconds per exercise) – 5 minutes Pushups Split Squat (30 seconds per side) Rest 1 minute before repeating 1 more time.
TT Big 5 Conditioning Circuit (30 seconds per exercise) – 10 minutes Chops Close-grip Pushup Stick-up Reaching Lunge (30 seconds per side) Side Plank (30 seconds per side) Rest 2 minutes before repeating 1 more time.
Water Break – 1 minute
TT Depletion Circuit (30 seconds per exercise) – 10 minutes Side-to-Side Jumps Pushup Y-Squat Cross-Body Mountain Climber Diagonal Lunge Jumping Jacks Rest 2 minutes before repeating 1 more time.
Water Break – 1 minute
TT Total Body Abs Circuit (30 seconds per exercise) – 5 minutes Grasshopper Pushup - (check out the pushup variations video below for exercise technique) Plank on 1-Foot (30 seconds per side) Cross Crawl Rest 1 minute before repeating 1 more time.
If you give this workout a try, would love your feedback - especially if you typically head to the gym for your exercise. How does this workout compare to your typical regime?
When I hear the word ‘yoga’ I think of a means for reducing stress, relaxing and increasing flexibility. However, yoga is also a terrific means for increasing core strength.
Hollywood trainer Desiree Bartlett (Alicia Silverstone is a client) has been kind enough to provide Catapult Fitness Blog readers with some direction in regards to key poses for strengthening the core. The good news – not even one crunch is necessary!
If your cable station carries Exercise TV, check out some of Desi's fabulous yoga workouts!
Yoga for Core Training By Desi Bartlett M.S., CPT, YT
Core training is an important component to any fitness regimen. Maintaining a strong midsection assists with many everyday activities, including postural alignment, improved balance, and greater freedom in functional activity (e.g.picking up your kids).
Most people do not associate Yoga with a super strong core, but the practice of Yoga can in fact, dramatically improve your belly and low back strength. Yoga is associated with longer deeper holds in a posture. So instead of doing 3 sets of 15 crunches, you might hold a posture, for 10-15 breaths.
This sustained isometric contraction can have amazing results for more than 1 muscle group. So for example, if you sustain a pose like Navasana (Boat pose, see picture) for 10-15 breaths, the main focus is the rectus abdominus (your 6 pack muscles).
Additionally, the oblique muscles are assisting, so your waist muscles are very active. Lastly, because you are leaning back in the pose, you are also working the erector spinae- the lower back muscles.
This one posture trains your entire core!
Don't forget that it is important to stretch the muscles that were the primary focus in any posture. In Yoga this is referred to pose and counter pose. So for example, after you have worked the rectus abdominus, you would then practice a back bend to stretch out that musculature. This is part of the reason why so many Yogis maintain a long and lean appearance.
A great counter stretch for Navasana (Boat Pose) is a variation of Vasistasana (side plank) that moves into a backbend (see picture). Begin in side plank, with one hand and one foot on the ground. Walk the top foot behind you and stretch the top arm back. This posture will stretch your entire belly and improve low back strength. It is a lot easier than it looks!
For more ideas on core training through the practice of Yoga, log onto http://www.desibartlett.com/ and purchase a copy of 'Better Belly Yoga,' this is appropriate for all levels.
Desiree Bartlett M.S., CPT, has been teaching health and wellness for over 17 years. Her innovative approach to teaching is to tap into one's inner joy and let movement be an outer expression of that state. Originally from Chicago, she has earned a degree in Kinesiology, a minor in dance and her Master's degree in Corporate Fitness. Desi holds advanced certifications in Yoga, Personal Training, and Group Fitness. She is also a continuing education provider through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and the National Council for Personal Trainers.
Roughly 2 ½ months ago I was diagnosed with BPPV, a form of positional vertigo where depending on how your head is positioned, you may feel a slight sensation of spinning for a few seconds.
As it turns out, my BPPV was a pre-cursor to a larger problem that was brewing and yesterday I received a diagnosis of Endolymphatic Hydrops, which is a disorder of the vestibular system of the inner ear.
In a nutshell, people with Endolymphatic Hydrops have abnormal fluctuations in the fluid called endolymph, which fills the hearing and balance structures of the inner ear.
So, this has pretty much knocked me on my butt for the past several weeks, both physically and emotionally. My balance became so un-steady that I was finding it increasingly difficult to under-take daily tasks. Luckily, I have a tremendously supportive family who has come to the rescue, and I live in an area where there are specialists who are well versed in recognizing and stabilizing this type of condition.
My Otolaryngologist/Neurologist is wonderful, as is my Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapist. I mention this because vestibular related problems are often mis-diagnosed by general practitioners. My own doctor initially attributed the problem to being sinus related. If you feel you are having balance issues, seek out an appropriate expert – even if it means visiting a specialist in another city.
So, my prognosis? For now I am on a 10-day course of a steroid to help alleviate the inflammation of my vestibular nerve and acts directly on fluid homeostasis in the inner ear by interacting with glucocorticoid receptors in the ear. I will also be on a diuretic for the next 3 months to help increases the excretion of sodium and chloride from my body.
Hopefully in another week to 10-days I’ll start feeling more back to normal and notice decreasing symptoms of vertigo and tinnitus. If I can stay symptom free for 3-months, we’ll see if I can wean off of the diuretic.
So, you may be wondering why I’m sharing all of this with you. My reasons are two-fold:
1) Reiterating what I said earlier, Vestibular issues are all too often mis-diagnosed. If I stayed the course that my General Practitioner put me on the likelihood of my Endolymphatic Hydrops progressing to Meniere’s disease would be greater and would likely result in hearing loss. As a Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach, I do not take going on a course of steroids lightly. I would like to think that I could control this condition entirely through a holistic approach. With that said, I’m a firm believer that as far as health issues are concerned, a combination of Eastern and Western philosophies need to be considered based on an individuals condition.
2) Due to the Endolymphatic Hydrops I will need to maintain a very low sodium diet (~ 1000 mg/day). This is proving to be more than challenging as you quickly become aware of how sodium laden most pre-packaged foods are. Prior to my diagnoses my daily sodium intake was typically less than 2000 mg/day with the exception of when I would go out to eat. It’s going to be interesting to see how well I can maintain a 1000 mg/day diet, and I will certainly be sharing those trials and tribulations here on CFB. My biggest struggle right now is that I’m finding it hard to eat very low sodium and intake enough calories whereas I can start to gain back some of the weight I’ve lost these past few weeks (approx. 8 lbs). As I begin to figure this all out, I’ll be posting the details.
While Endolymphatic Hydrops is considered a chronic condition, I truly believe that once this initial out-break is controlled, I can significantly reduce my chances of future outbreaks though a proper diet and nutrition program.
So, thanks for hanging in there and continuing to visit CFB throughout this period. I greatly appreciate your continued support and if you suffer from any type of Vestibular disorder, I’d love to hear from you!
I received a great question via a message board that I'm active on and wanted to share both question and answer here on CFB.
This is clearly one of those questions that can potentially lead to debate, so feel free to chime in with your own opinions!
The question: Is there the benefits/differences to pumping iron before or after cardio?
Susan's response: Just as your exercises need to be designed to meet your goals, so too does the order of your exercise modalities.
If you're training for a marathon, you would be best off starting your training session with your cardio workout as you want most of your energy and effort focused in this area.
However, if you're training for fat loss, my recommendation would be to start with strength training as ultimately, the more lean muscle mass you build, the more calories you'll burn at rest. As such, you want your energy and effort focused on the strength training component of your workout to ensure you're lifting at a maximum effort to realize optimal results. Quality strength training is ultimately more effective for fat loss than cardio training (note to self: get ready to be blasted by cardio enthusiasts).
Another reason that I feel it is best to strength train prior to cardio is that strength training requires complete mental and physical focus. One mistake can lead to serious injury.
Personally, my preference is to strength train and run HIIT on separate days, so I can focus maximum effort on each modality.
Susan is a NESTA Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and Core Conditioning Specialist, and a contributing writer for DailyBurn.com, Ohiooutside.com, HealthierAtlanta.com and other online health & wellness publications.
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