By Personal Fitness Trainer and Primal Health Coach Adriana Brown
I hear this from people all the time, “What if I don’t want to do Paleo 100% or not 100% of the time? What if I can’t do it or if I screw up and have a sandwich?” Well then I punch you in the face. Kidding. If you don’t want to be all in on the Paleo bandwagon that’s just fine with me. Everyone’s fitness journey is different and their personal journey to nutrition and wellness should be as well. If it was a one size fits all we would all workout the same and we’d all eat exactly the same and we’d all look like Greek Gods and Goddesses. But every person’s body is different and so we were not made to fit into a box. But I’m here to tell you that one of the best boxes you can try to fit into is the Primal Box! But again, what if you just can’t pull the trigger and be 100%, I mean a lady needs some cheese with her dry red wine from time to time. I have good news for you! I have some helpful tips that I believe are the cornerstones for any healthy way of life and worthy of your efforts.
- EAT LESS (or NO) PROCESSED FOODS! The average American eats more than half of their calories from Ultra Processed Foods! That’s insane. What you are eating on a consistent basis isn’t even real food. We have become so nonchalant about our processed food we don’t even care to read the label and if we do we just shrug at all the random things that are in our food. Do you know what Soy Lecithin is? If you can’t say it or don’t readily know what it is, or better yet if it’s ingredient #4 on a list of 15 ingredients on your food package probably don’t eat it.
- CUT THE SUGAR. Drink coffee with heavy cream not the flavored creamer. Cut out the processed dressing/sauces/soups that have sugar. Avoid dried fruit/bars/shakes with added sugar. Sugar comes in all forms, it’s in everything. READ LABELS, make conscious choices. The power is in your hands, take charge of your refrigerator, your cupboards and your closets. Added sugar comes in disguise in many different forms. Don’t let the FDA trick you into eating your way to diabetes!
- EAT REAL FOOD. You know the kind you can grow in your garden, the kind that you see at the farmer’s market, the kind your local butcher gets from a local cattle farm, the milk that has to be used in 5 days instead of 35 days because it’s just milk from a cow and not 500 other things. Eat the nuts that are not slathered in oil before roasting. Eat the dips, salad dressings, marinades you make YOURSELF that don’t come from a package or jar. Get in the kitchen, connect to your food. Appreciate food for what it is, not what kind of wildly addictive powders and additives they put in it to make you eat 5 servings in one sitting. Get nuts, join a CSA!
- TRY NEW THINGS. Don’t turn up your nose at butternut squash noodles. Don’t judge cauliflower rice before you give it a try. Its 2017 people, break away from the staples of cereals/bars/baked goods and make something in your own home. Pinterest has anything and everything you need to get creative and really broaden your horizons!
- REMEMBER TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY. You had a crappy day, you lost your mind and you ate a whole pizza with a side of breadsticks for dinner. Is it time to throw in the towel? No way, tomorrow is a new day. Try harder, surround yourself with good choices and remember you are in control of what goes in your mouth, no one else!
- BE PREPARED. When have you ever succeeded in anything by just winging it? Your S.A.T’s, the beginning of soccer season, your firm wide presentation, your wedding vows? At what time did you ever have something extremely important happen in your life that you didn’t prepare for and things went just as planned? Literally, maybe never. Food is the same way. You cannot expect success without effort. You cannot expect success without having a plan. Whether it be meal planning, grocery shopping lists, looking at the menu ahead of time online so you know your options, or just having good snacks in your purse/car/backpack so you are never faced with a crisis of eating a bag of Doritos or dying from starvation. Be thoughtful with yourself.
- IT’S MORE THAN YOUR WAISTLINE. Food and nutrition affect all aspects of health; from weight loss to muscle gain, from digestion to healthy skin, from joint health to restful sleeping. Nutrition is all of who we are and what we do. Listen to your body, love and respect yourself. You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to try. You don’t have to be all in; you just have to be conscious.
Primal Health Coach, Wellness
By Julie Bacon, LMP, and Certified Onsen Techniques Therapist, Instructor, Examiner
Did you know that it’s possible to detect skeletal misalignments without having to take X-Rays? In fact, not only is it possible, it’s the first thing I look for when treating an injury, particularly if the pain or discomfort is felt in the neck or low back and pelvic regions. This type of treatment is called Muscle Energy Techniques (MET). It has been used by osteopaths for decades and is far more palatable for the patient to receive than the much more stringent “adjustment” performed by chiropractors. When a misalignment has been observed (or assessed), Hold/Relax stretching is applied (a series of isometric contractions, each followed by a slight stretch) to loosen and lengthen the tight muscle that has been pulling the skeleton out of alignment.
If you are wondering how one goes about finding these deviations, it is by palpation and observation.
For example, there are several bony landmarks in the pelvic girdle that can tell us what is going on with this structure. By palpating and then observing these landmarks, we can discover deviations such as high ileums (one hip will be higher than the other hip), anterior or posterior rotations of ileums, sacroiliac (SI joint) fixations, pubic bone misalignment, and deviations of the sacrum.
By observing from behind the client, it’s also possible to identify side-bending curves and rotations of the spine. We can even detect rotations of individual vertebrae, although one wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at the only bony landmark we can see (the spinous process). The cool part about this is that by close examination of the skeleton, osteopaths discovered that in the lumbar portion of the spine, the transverse processes of each vertebra are located laterally, (about an inch wider on each side), half-way between the spinous process of the vertebrae we are investigating, and the spinous process of vertebra directly above the one we are investigating. So, by placing my thumbs about an inch wide on both sides, half-way between the spinous process I’m investigating and the one directly above it, I can see if one side is sticking out more (or is more posterior) than the other side. Depending on which side is posterior, we would identify it as being either “rotated left” or “rotated right.”
The muscles that control individual vertebrae are very small compared to the bigger muscles (prime movers such as hamstrings, quads, etc.) and as such, they need only a tiny effort (10%) when applying the series of isometric contractions used to loosen the tight muscles that are causing the deviation. In either event, one must always re-assess the bony landmarks to confirm that the misalignment has been corrected!
Ultimately, without having to rely on X-Rays, we can assess the entire spine, both in flexion and extension, and this will amount to about one half of the entire protocol known as the Onsen Techniques (developed by Rich Phaigh, renowned Sports Massage Therapist in Eugene, Oregon).
SAC Team, Wellness
As a long time student of all things yoga since the tender age of 12, I decided to make a commitment to the sister science of yoga–Ayurveda.
Ayurveda, the word itself meaning “life knowledge”, is the medicinal system of India. The origins date back to 5000 BCE. It began as many ancient practices did, orally. Later it evolved into written form and its roots are evident in the Vedas, primarily the Atharvaveda.
I stumbled upon Ayurveda when I met my mentor Dr. Robert Svoboda while on a yoga retreat high in the mountains of Utah in 2001. He has helped me vastly in the art of living and extracting the best out of life. With an added assist in how I care for myself and others. Part of that journey has involved meeting other extraordinary practitioners of all kinds. One of which has crafted the oils we carry here at the club! I use these oils in my practice and in my life!
They are of a super special quality, full of Ayurvedic herbs and medicines of the naturopathic vein. I have chosen two. Tridoshic Shakti is a daily oil that can be used as one would use lotion. It takes a bit longer to soak in after the shower but trust me, it is worth it! It is great for use in Abhyanga (self-massage) and can be mixed in with other lotions to absorb the herbs there in. Tigress Oil is for bumps, bruises, and other boo-boo’s that cause discomfort. Think analgesics! Both I use regularly and highly recommend. I use the same brand for my massage services here, a bit more of a dense, viscous variety that is blended for Ayurvedic massage.
If you are curious, stop by the pro shop and try it out! They are made with love by Sarada Anastasia in Ojai, California and Kerala, India. They are made upon order, very fresh and packed full of vitality! Keep in mind that the skin is the largest organ of the body and deserves the very best!
Be well!
Jessie Jo Egersett, LMP jegersett@sacdt.com 206.443.1111 x.276
Massage, SAC Team, Wellness
