The basis of this logic is flawed. Something being made or processed does not automatically mean it is dangerous, just as something natural does not automatically mean something is safe.

You may ask the question, “Is there anything that is processed that is good for us?” What defines processed?

For the purposes of this post I will use the following definitions.

-A series of actions, changes, or functions bringing about a result
-A series of operations performed in the making or treatment of a product
-Prepared or converted by a special process

This obviously spans a wide range and if taken to its height of being literal, or being annoyingly anal, it could be hard to find something that isn’t processed. Still, we will bypass a few basic steps and move to ones that would fend well for our argument which is that processed can mean good, and natural can mean bad.

“Good” Processed Foods and Supplements

Fish Oil
Creatine
Protein Powders
Vitamins
Water

You may not think of those things in terms of being processed, but they are. I don’t know anyone who drinks water from a lake, river, or stream. I don’t know anyone who squeezes their fish oil from their own fish.

“Bad” Natural Foods and Drugs

In the past 5 years these following items have caused serious illness/ death and are all natural.

Spinach
Natural Peanut Butter
Apple
Tuna
Red Meat
Chicken
Eggs
Natural Cocaine
Natural Tobacco
People

Before you think that something is bad because it is processed, or something is good because it is natural, ask yourself two questions.

Are you basing your opinion on the right information?
Is there ever a safe in the first place?

To read comments or to leave a comment click here

25 dollars.

Everyday the world tries to get you to spend at least 25 dollars on something. Here are just a few things that cost 25 dollars.

-2 person meal and tip at TGIF’s
-2-3 drinks at a bar with tip
-half a tank of gas in a SUV
-24 pack of paper towels
-plain tank top
-2 packages of gourmet coffee
-The chance to help save someones life and over 800 pages of some of the best training, nutrition, and rehab information you can find.

I bring up the last point because it was recently the anniversary of Liftstrong.  A  product where you get over 800 pages of goodies. The best part is that 100%, not some, but all proceeds go to help aid in research for cancer.

I fucking hate cancer.

Apparently I am more of a loner in this than I thought.

See, I have a emailing list. Any self respectful guru wannabe has a email list.

I try to provide my list with helpful information and updates about what I am doing. I have talked to over 1000+ people personally on that list. I assure you that is not normal. I genuinely care about what I send my list of readers.

I am also signed up on other people’s email lists. You know, to spy. To see what the competition is up to, to find out about the latest crazes, and to check up on what that bastard Mike Robertson is doing. Are you on his list by the way? I would link you but I don’t want to divert your attention just yet, but after you are done with all of this go sign up.

When the anniversary of Liftstrong came up I got asked to  get the word out. I didn’t give it a 2nd thought. I had nothing to gain either. I am not even on the damn thing. You think they would have done a 2nd edition. Just so I could have make an appearance. Maybe a video with me hugging the “fuck cancer” bear or something, but no.

In my humble state I did what anyone else should have done in that situation, I swallowed my pride, and I sent out the word to help fight cancer. You know, cancer, that shit that is killing millions of people we love everyday.

For a brief moment or two, I felt warm, and good about what I had done for the world.  Then I got bitter because I noticed that only me and a few other people had the same enthusiasm to help. It’s funny I kept getting emails about my abs, and flying lessons (because that is relevant to ab training), but no cancer support.

I am not going to jump to any conclusions…yet.

Hopefully they didn’t know about it. So now, this is where YOU are going to help me. I want you to let them know about it. You are going to share how much you would love to know about something like this.

Your assignment

I want to you send a message to all the gurus that you are subscribed to, and let them know that you want their support for Liftstrong. Ask them if they could send an email out or post up a blog.  I have made it even easier on you and am providing you with a pre-written email.

“Dear (enter 6 pack ab toting guru name here)

I have been a member of your email list for a long time now. While I do enjoy all the daily emails about how to look massively sexy, I feel the need for a little more substance today.

Recently, I stumbled over to the Flzine site and read a blog post by the amazing (and might I say highly underrated and talented) Leigh Peele.  It was discussing this great product, Liftstrong, in which all proceeds go to cancer. I hadn’t gotten any emails about that from you, and was wondering if you knew about? I think it would be great for you to send out to your list of readers, and also it will not lump you into a category of douches and vagina’s that shaft cancer research. Wouldn’t want that!

Here is the link to the Liftstrong site.

http://www.liftstrong.com/

Looking forward to seeing the email.

(Your Name Here)”

Don’t assume that someone else is going to do it. Even if you can’t buy the product yourself, take just 3 mins to copy and paste that on a blog you visit, or to email them personally.

I am going to be making the rounds tomorrow and I better see this any and everywhere I look on a blog. Even if you aren’t sure if they mailed it out, do it. Some people might NOT have known, and we really don’t want them lumped in with those others guys now, do we?

After you have spread the word, hop over to the Liftstrong site yourself and get an awesome gift and support the research that might change peoples lives.

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Hardcore PT: Chiro’s are a bunch of manipulative manipulators with back-cracking fetishes who are grounded in pseudo-science and vitalism.

Hardcore Chiro: PT’s are a bunch of narrow-minded allopathic puppets that are experts in placing hotpacks on patients while they iron them (ultrasound).

Discuss…

Right out of the shoot, this isn’t a one-vs-the-other argument. Rather it is an honest look at the professions of Physical Therapy and Chiropractic. It will look at the advantages, the flaws, and the opinions that relate to the fitness industry.

I’m hoping to tease out the best of both professions based on research, and my own experiences to help the fitness pro and enthusiast alike to make more informed decisions. I also want to start a massive fight between PT’s and DC’s….yeah!

Eliminating the Blanket Statement-ry

My opening scenario outlines the extreme opinion when it comes to both the PT and the Chiropractic profession, with reality settling somewhere in the middle. Here are some thoughts to consider when looking at both areas.

• There are both great physio’s and great chiro’s, as well as poor ones.
• We must look at the practitioner, rather than the discipline, when making a broad-based opinion on the profession.
• We must look at whether an intervention is evidence-based, rather than whether it is “chiropractic or PT” or on a broader scale, “allopathic” vs. “alternative”.

The line in the sand becomes even more blurry when discussing interventions. There are on-going legal issues regarding scope of practice and which profession may or may not do what. This is confounded by state and provincially-governed laws. Here is some clarification:

• DC’s don’t just “crack backs.”
• PT’s can and in many cases do “crack backs.”
• Manipulation is the “bread and butter” treatment used by chiropractors, while PT’s tend to use manipulation as an adjunct treatment.
• In many states, Chiro’s are able to perform rehabilitation services to their patients.

Without getting into a drawn-out discussion on education, suffice to say there is a good deal of overlap between PT and Chiro schools. The difference in terms of scope is small.

PT’s are trained in stroke rehabilitation, cardiorespiratory, rehabilitation, and post op orthopaedic rehabilitation.

Chiro’s have better training in radiology and diagnosis.

The Favorable aspects of Chiropractic

• Chiropractic treatment tends to have a high satisfaction rating amongst patients. This could be a function of its efficacy but may also be due to patient relationship and dialogue. Either way, PT’s could probably learn something from chiro’s in terms of communication and perhaps take a look at acute pain management – an area where Chiro’s seem to have an edge (some of these thoughts are anecdotal).
• Chiropractic treatments are generally effective for acute (and in some cases) chronic nueromusculoskeletal issues. There is also some evidence that manipulations are beneficial for migraine headaches. It should be noted, however that many trials prove inconclusive when it comes to chiropractic efficacy.

Flaws of Chriopractic

Again, I will reiterate the fact that I am talking about “ChriopracTORS” vs. ChiropracTIC”. As previously mentioned, I believe that there are very good ChiropracTORS out there. I believe, however that there are many aspects of ChriropraTIC that need to be addressed and/or exposed.

Here are some of the less desirable aspects of certain scopes of Chiropractic

1. Everybody is a candidate for manipulation: There is an undeniable trend in Chiropractic towards manipulating everybody – even hypermobile or osteoporotic individuals and children.

2. The subluxation factor: Many DC’s believe and convince patients that subluxations (when vertebrae are out of position) are a primary cause of disease and dis-ease and need to be treated. Most PT’s believe chiropractic subluxations to be a diagnostic apparition – a ruse to keep patients waling through the door to treat an invisible disease.

3. Treating diseases: There is a significant cross section of Chiro’s who claim that they can treat a wide variety of medical issues through their treatments. There is no convincing evidence that chiropractic makes your “organs function better” nor has it ever been shown to manage diabetes, asthma, blood pressure or menstrual pain better than a control group of a different intervention or sham manipulation.

4. Selling products, cleanses and Nutritional counseling beyond their scope: Many DC’s pad their pocketbooks by selling herbal remedies, providing nutritional counseling or by providing other services in which they are not fully qualified to do.

5. The Lifetime patient: Many DC’s will recommend “maintenance” adjustments whereby patients are encouraged to come in for frequent adjustments to continue to be “healthy”. The aforementioned “subluxation” argument is usually cited as the rationale for continued treatment.

6. Treating children: Selling parents on treating their children is a dubious tactic that some DC use. There is no substantive evidence that chiropractic improves the outcome of colic, nor does it cure bedwetting or digestive issues.

What about neck manipulation and strokes?

This area is a topic in and of itself so I won’t delve too deeply into it. In summary, the risk of stroke through cervical manipulation is very small. I can’t provide a risk/benefit commentary as I’m intimately familiar with the literature.

My off-the-cuff opinion?

Chiropractic is generally safe and the risk of stroke, although real – is likely overblown by overzealous MD’s and PT’s.

Getting the best of both worlds – a summary

• Like any profession, the practitioner is only as good as he/she’s dedication to continuing education and mastery of their profession and dedication to helping patients.
• Choose or refer practitioners that strive to stay on the cutting edge of science and those that exercise themselves and have a deep understanding of movement.
• PT doesn’t have the same stigma attached to it as does chiropractic, although PT’s could do a better job overall with patient care and satisfaction. Part of this disconnect may be because Chiro’s don’t have much in the way of a medical-based referral system.
• Look for a PT that is certified in manipulative therapy and that is “hands on” vs. modality-based. Find one with specializations related to the dysfunction or condition that you are your referral is struggling with.
• Steer clear of PT’s who treat only based on algorithms and formulas and who relies too much on modalities and cookie-cutter exercises.
• Choose a DC that is evidence-based and one with an interest in having patients “leave the nest” rather than create a dependence.
• Steer clear of “subluxationist” chiro’s and anyone who sells supplements or herbal remedies.
• Ask around, do your homework and find the best practitioner to suit your needs.

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Mike Howard is a Vancouver, British Columbia-based personal trainer, writer and educator – specializing in fat loss and corrective exercise.  He is a regular contributor to Diet Blog (www.diet-blog.com) and has been published in several other local and national publications.  Mike has also taught personal training certification courses and is a continuing education provider for trainers.  For more information visit www.coreconceptswellness.com

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References:

1. Koes BW, Assendelft WJ, van der Heijden GJ, et al. Spinal manipulation for low back pain. An updated systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Spine. 1996;21:2860-2873.
2. Glover JR, Morris JG, Khosla T. Back pain: a randomized clinical trial of rotational manipulation of the trunk. Br J Ind Med. 1974;31:59-64.
3. Triano JJ, McGregor M, Hondras MA, et al. Manipulative therapy versus education programs in chronic low back pain. Spine. 1995;20:948-955.
4. Cherkin DC, Deyo RA, Battie M, et al. A comparison of physical therapy, chiropractic manipulation, and provision of an educational booklet for the treatment of patients with low back pain. N Engl J Med. 1998;339:1021-1029.
5. Santilli V, Beghi E, Finucci S. Chiropractic manipulation in the treatment of acute back pain and sciatica with disc protrusion: a randomized double-blind clinical trial of active and simulated spinal manipulations. Spine J. 2006;6:131-137.
6. Olafsdottir E, Forshei S, Fluge G, et al. Randomised controlled trial of infantile colic treated with chiropractic spinal manipulation. Arch Dis Child. 2001;84:138-141
7. Hondras MA, Long CR, Brennan PC. Spinal manipulative therapy versus a low force mimic maneuver for women with primary dysmenorrhea: a randomized, observer-blinded, clinical trial. Pain. 1999;81:105-114.
8. Reed WR, Beavers S, Reddy SK, et al. Chiropractic management of primary nocturnal enuresis. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1994;17:596-60
9. Kukurin GW. Chronic pediatric asthma and chiropractic spinal manipulation. A prospective clinical series and randomized clinical pilot study. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2002;25:540-541.
10. Walsh MJ, Polus BI. A randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial on the efficacy of chiropractic therapy on premenstrual syndrome. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1999;22:582-585.
11. Goertz CH, Grimm RH, Svendsen K, et al. Treatment of hypertension with alternative therapies (THAT) study: a randomized clinical trial. J Hypertens. 2002;20:2063-2068.

To read comments or to leave a comment click here

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Feature item for this post: Magnificent Mobility

Can you separate your body goals from the economy? Do you have to be afraid in order to do the right thing? Is there a right thing to do in the first place?

The problem when you bring up the discussions of topics like corn, pesticides, fuel, organics, etc, is that people get so caught up in their cause that they step on mine. My cause is for the use of common sense and logic for determining what is and what is not helping you to achieve your diet, training and health goals. I don’t want to make something out to be bad (that may or may not be) because of another agenda.

If you can understand that then you would be wise to start to investigate the state of fuel, food, and how it affects your lives on a economical and political level. Over the next couple of months we here at Flzine are going to cover more on that topic, but on a fair playing field.

You might enjoy this short talk from “The End Of Food” author Paul Roberts about the important of corn prices and our food supply.

Click to Download Video

To read comments or to leave a comment click here

To read Part 2 click here

by Emma Leigh

Impact on Physique:
A (brief) look at the effects on the STEROIDS and PEPTIDES

THIS is a major topic and I am unsure of where to start and the detail to cover…. But here be a brief overview…. The body is a finally tuned ‘mesh work’ of hormones and chemicals that are aimed at maintaining ‘the status quo’. And if we are generally thinking about what the body sets out to do – humans are, above all, aimed at ‘survival’. We like any other organism, aim to survive in order to ensure procreation for survival of the species. As such – If you decrease energy intake or increase energy output you create a situation which places ‘stress’ on the body, and you ‘rock the boat’.  This is especially the case in females (substantially so) – with even small/ minor changes to energy balance seen to create very large compensatory changes to things such as appetite, reproductive hormones, and metabolism in general.

And some major alterations seen during anorexia and bulimia can be divided into three main areas:

1. Leptin (the major hormone produced/ responding to adipose tissue/ energy stores)
2. Some of the hypothalamic-pituitary hormones
3. Some of the gastro-intestinal hormones

So… Let’s whip through these…

Leptin
-    Made/ expressed mostly in (white) fat/ adipose… But it is also secreted from the hypothalamus & pituitary, skeletal muscle, the stomach, and the placenta and mammary tissue in preggo females
-    It is thought to be secreted proportionally to the amount of energy stored in fat and it acts in the hypothalamus and a variety of peripheral organs to regulate homeostasis and reproduction. This includes thyroid and thyroid hormone conversion rates, cortisol/adrenal hormone secretion, gonadal hormones (sex hormones) and also growth hormone (and IGF-1).
-    When fat stores are low, and Leptin decreases, it acts to decrease energy output and ‘slow down’ the body. It also switches off reproductive capacity
-    Unsurprisingly, Leptin levels are low in those with AN and BN…. specifically:
-    In anorexia: Serum and CNS Leptin concentrations are significantly reduced. Low body fat being the major determinant of the decreased serum Leptin.
-    The ratio of free:bound Leptin changes – where free Leptin (thought to be the biologically active form) is relatively decreased with significantly higher proportions of bound Leptin. Thus, not only do you get decreased levels, but you get proportionally less ACTIVE form of Leptin too.
-    In bulimia: Patients have significantly lower serum Leptin levels compared to weight/age-matched controls, but not as low as in patients with anorexia nervosa (probably related to higher bodyfat/weight). Leptin is also related to chronic binge disorder – being more significantly decreased in those with more chronic/ severe disease.
-    Weight gain and normalization of eating patterns USUALLY leads to increases in serum leptin but may not restore NORMAL levels.

HP Axis Hormones

Thyroid Hormone
-    Thyroid hormone is made in the thyroid gland in response to TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) from the pituatry (which is stimulated by TRH from the hypothalamus)
-    It is mainly released as T4 (mostly inactive) and converted into T3 (the active form) in the tissues
-    It is a key regulator of metabolism in the body – relating to how ‘fast’ the cells of the body function
-    It is seen to change in response to energy intake/ output, disease, stress etc.
-    It is therefore not surprising that TSH, T4 and T3 are seen to decrease in Anorexia, with the low serum levels of T3 thought to be the result of impaired peripheral conversion of T4 to T3.
-    Thyroid changes are thought to be related mostly to Leptin – and some evidence suggests that Leptin, when given to food-deprived healthy volunteers, can restore TSH pulsatility-changes. It should be noted that during refeeding of those suffering from LONG term starvation these changes often persist – with free T3/ T4 levels remaining low for prolonged periods.

Cortisol
-    The ‘evil’ stress hormone – this is a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands in response to ACTH from the pituitary. It is seen to increase in states such as decreased blood glucose/starvation, illness or injury (plus many others).
-    In anorexia the elevated cortisol levels have been suggested to be due to two things – the first is an increased secretion, but also it seems to ‘hang around’ for longer due to the decreased metabolism / excretion rate.
-    Unlike TSH/ Thyroid hormone – Leptin given in replacement doses to food-deprived healthy volunteers does not alter the changes in cortisol (and in the renin-aldosterone system in the adrenals)

Growth Hormone (and IGF-1)
-    Growth hormone is a hormone released from the pituitary and relates to the stimulation of ‘growth’
-    This it does in a few ways: the most important being it’s direct action on the GHR (growth hormone receptor) that is found in a number of different tissues, and the second is via the stimulation of Insulin Like Growth Factor 1 and 2 (IGF-1 and IGF-2) from the liver.
-    Growth hormone levels are seen to rise in many different situations – in those who are growing, low blood glucose/malnutrition, severe illness/catabolic states, malabsorption, liver disease, and diabetes mellitus (insulin dependent or type one), and some forms of physical activity.
-    In Anorexia/ bulimia GH secretion is actually INCREASED – BUT there are two things that are also seen – the first is a reduced IGF-I concentrations and the second is a decrease in the peripheral GHR. This is believed to be a consequence of a malnutrition-induced peripheral GH resistance which alters tissue response, failure of IGF stimulation and an impairment of the negative IGF-I feedback action on GH secretion (circulating IGF-1 passing through the pituitary-hypothalamus usually influences the amount of GH released – but in AN you don’t get this feedback, and GH continues to be secreted).
-    The increased circulating GH and decreased IGF results in negative body composition and metabolic changes which I will go into a little later.
-    Lastly – The GH/IGF-I axis is generally restored by nutrition and weight gain.

Intestinal Hormones:

Insulin / Glucagon
-    The pancreas, found in the upper abdomen, is involved two main functions:
1.    Producing digestive enzymes to break down food; and
2.    Producing the hormones insulin and glucagon to control sugar levels in your body.
-    In a nut shell – when blood glucose goes up, the pancreas secretes insulin to increase uptake into muscles and other cells. When the blood glucose goes down the pancreas secretes glucagon which causes the body to mobilize endogenous fuels to raise blood glucose
-    Although it seems illogical – Patients with anorexia nervosa frequently have impaired glucose tolerance
-    This is associated with insulin resistance and an increased risk of cardiovascular pathology
-    During recovery there is often a ‘reactive hypoglycemia’, which is where the body becomes more insulin sensitive, but  still produces far too much insulin in relation to glucose feeding, and often those recovering will suffer from dips in their blood sugar after eating. This, like many other abnormalities, improves over the course of recovery.

Ghrelin
-    Synthesized predominantly in the stomach and increases food intake
-    Levels rise on fasting (with sharp peaks occurring just before each meal) and fall rapidly on feeding
-    It is thought to cause short term hunger – so called ‘pre-meal hunger’, and leads to meal initiation and stimulation of GH
-    It also plays a role in longer-term appetite and energy balance – with Ghrelin decreasing in response to chronic overfeeding (obesity) and increasing in chronic negative energy balance (exercise or anorexia nervosa). This means obese people usually have high plasma leptin they have low plasma Ghrelin where Anorexics have low Leptin and high Ghrelin.
-    It should be noted that chronic EXOGENOUS administration leads to continuing overeating and weight gain

Peptide YY
-    Secreted from the endocrine L cells of the small and large bowel
-    Released into the circulation after meals
-    Likely to be important in the everyday regulation of food intake and decreases food intake

Glucagon-like-peptide-1
-    Glucagon-like-peptide 1 (GLP-1) is co-secreted with PYY in response to nutrients in the gut
-    GLP-1 plays an additional role in enhancing insulin secretion and suppressing glucagon secretion after a meal
-    It acts to increase plasma insulin levels and inhibits glucagon release
-    It also  decreases food intake, which is thought to be related to a decreased rate of gastric emptying
-    GLP-1 concentrations are significantly higher in AN than in other ‘naturally thin’ individuals and may be related to the increased rate of satiety seen in anorexics

Cholecystokinin
-    Inhibits feeding, stimulates pancreatic enzyme secretion and gallbladder contraction
-    Peripheral CCK has a rapid & short-lived effect on feeding, (~20-30 mins) and mediates satiety
-    CCK may play a role in longer-term energy regulation by synergizing the actions of leptin which may occur by CCK activating brain stem neurons that project to the hypothalamus combined with leptin’s direct hypothalamic actions

So – to put these together:
-    Lower Leptin
-    Decreased thyroid hormone
-    Increased cortisol
-    Increased Growth hormone but GH resistance and decreased IGF-1
-    Decreased insulin response to feeding
-    Higher basal Ghrelin
-    Higher peptide YY and higher CCK

What does this mean in relation to body composition?
In anorexia – your bodyfat goes down initially. However, depending on the state of starvation and the degree of malnutrition, lean mass will eventually decrease and the patient is left with not much of anything.  In Bulemia most people are at normal weight, and can be overweight. This is because sufferers don’t usually ‘restrict’ enough between episodes to make up for energy intake during binges. Additionally – purging doesn’t result in removal of most of the energy intake. But what it DOES to is completely screw with your body’s homeostatic mechanisms (both in terms of health and weight /satiety regulation) and the whole process spirals into a vicious cycle.

As touched on above – the alterations in insulin sensitivity and changes in testosterone, cortisol, insulin, DHEA, GH and IGF leads to changes in the distribution of fat mass.

Firstly – there is an alteration in the visceral to subcutaneous fat ratio – with a relative increased in the metabolically active visceral fat (found in the abdomen). This increase in metabolically active fat leads to further abnormality in glucose and triglyceride levels, and compounds / worsens the insulin resistance and cholesterol profile.

Hormonal changes and insulin resistance also lead to an increased propensity to lay down abdominal fat subcutaneously too. This is due to two major hormones – growth hormone and cortisol. Essentially – although normally GH concentration predicts regional body composition (and favors a redistribution of body fat such that Trunk to Extremity fat ratio decreases), in AN the peripheral GH resistance and low IFG-1, in addition to high cortisol, results in a redistribution of mass such that there is a decreased extremity mass and increased central adiposity.

Lastly – There are a number of other alterations that combine to worsen this ‘Mr Potato Head Phenomenon’ – with the abdomen seen as ‘being out of proportion’ to the rest of the body – lean, skinny limbs with a big abdomen. A loss of lean mass (which will cause your limbs to waste away); the fact the abdomen/ torso will always stay ‘larger’ due to bone structure and the housing of organs; Digestive issues as a result of more food being eaten and an increased faecal load; the delay in digestive efficiency – with the intestines needing a few weeks to ‘catch up’ with requirements, and a resultant abdominal discomfort and bloat….

And to finish…
What can you do if you think you are at risk?

Many people with AN or BN cannot easily “reverse” their illness and even after weight gain and normalized eating patterns, many have physiological, behavioral and psychological effects that persist for extended periods of time.

Treatment is challenging and complicated. Why?  Frequently, the disorder has been present for some time prior to presentation. There is often denial of the seriousness of the illness, both from patients and family, and often the complexities of the psychological aspects of the disease are lost in the ‘physiological’ recovery. Treatment also requires a coordinated ‘multi-disciplinary approach’ – whether it is done as an outpatient or in a hospital in those cases that are severe or those that have medical complications/ severe malnutrition. Treatment involves: Medical Care in order to help to improve the individual physically and prevent death. Sometimes restoring things such as electrolytes will also help to improve some of the altered behaviors and improve mood; nutritional management which is important to restore weight as well as helping with strategies to deal with anxiety/ concerns surrounding eating/ food;  psychological care to help target the root of the issues – with therapy as an individual, or as a family or group, aimed at challenging the abnormal behaviors and ideas; and may require medications (not really all that helpful – however, antidepressants and antipsychotics have been used to varying success and can also help with co morbid depression or anxiety).

So with that – My final word will be this:

If you are experiencing any of these problems, if you think you may have disordered eating, or an eating disorder, the most important thing you can do is go and get help. Although you may THINK you are ‘in control’ – it is very likely you are not. The disease/disorder is. And unless you do something to CHANGE this – Nothing will change.

To read comments or to leave a comment click here

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References:
The American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision, 1994, American Psychiatric Association

Gropper S.S., Smith J.L., Groff J.L., Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism, 5th Edition, Wadsworth Cengage Learning, Belmont, USA, 2009

Kaye W. Neurobiology of anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Physiol Behav. 2008 Apr 22;94(1):121-35.

Arun CP. Drive for leanness, anorexia nervosa, and overactivity: the missing link., Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2008 Dec;1148:526-9.

Misra M, Katzman DK, Cord J, Manning SJ, Mickley D, Herzog DB, Miller KK, Klibanski A. Percentage extremity fat, but not percentage trunk fat, is lower in adolescent boys with anorexia nervosa than in healthy adolescents. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Dec;88(6):1478-84.

Faris PL, Eckert ED, Kim SW, Meller WH, Pardo JV, Goodale RL, Hartman BK. Evidence for a vagal pathophysiology for bulimia nervosa and the accompanying depressive symptoms. J Affect Disord. 2006 May;92(1):79-90.

Marsh R, Steinglass JE, Gerber AJ, Graziano O’Leary K, Wang Z, Murphy D, Walsh BT, Peterson BS. Deficient activity in the neural systems that mediate self-regulatory control in bulimia nervosa. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009 Jan;66(1):51-63

Södersten P, Nergårdh R, Bergh C, Zandian M, Scheurink A. Behavioral neuroendocrinology and treatment of anorexia nervosa. Front Neuroendocrinol. 2008 Oct;29(4):445-62.

Misra M, Miller KK, Almazan C, Worley M, Herzog DB, Klibanski A. Hormonal determinants of regional body composition in adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa and controls. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005 May;90(5):2580-7.

Prince AC, Brooks SJ, Stahl D, Treasure J., Systematic review and meta-analysis of the baseline concentrations and physiologic responses of gut hormones to food in eating disorders. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Jan 28.

Kelly A. Gendall; Cynthia M. Bulik, The Long Term Biological Consequences of Anorexia Nervosa, Current Nutrition & Food Science, Volume 1, Number 1, January 2005 , pp. 87-96(10)

Monteleone P, Martiadis V, Rigamonti AE, Fabrazzo M, Giordani C, Muller EE, Maj M., Investigation of peptide YY and ghrelin responses to a test meal in bulimia nervosa. Biol Psychiatry. 2005 Apr 15;57(8):926-31.

Nedvídková J, Papezová H, Haluzík M, Schreiber V. Interaction between serum leptin levels and hypothalamo-hypophyseal-thyroid axis in patients with anorexia nervosa. : Endocr Res. 2000 May;26(2):219-30.

Owais B. Chaudhri, Benjamin C. T. Field and Stephen R. Bloom, From Gut to Mind—Hormonal Satiety Signals and Anorexia Nervosa J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2006, 91(3),797-798

Monteleone, P., Martiadis, V., Colurcio, B. & Maj, M. (2002) Leptin secretion is related to chronicity and severity of the illness in Bulimia Nervosa. Psychosom. Med. 64:874-879

Natacha Germain, Bogdan Galusca, Carel W Le Roux, Cecile Bossu, Mohammad A Ghatei, Francois Lang, Stephen R Bloom and Bruno Estour, Constitutional thinness and lean anorexia nervosa display opposite concentrations of peptide YY, glucagon-like peptide 1, ghrelin, and leptin, Am J Clin Nut, 2007 April;85(4), 967-971

Gianotti L, Lanfranco F, Ramunni J, Destefanis S, Ghigo E, Arvat E., GH/IGF-I axis in anorexia nervosa., Eat Weight Disord. 2002 Jun;7(2):94-105.

Right off the bat you read that title and you are thinking to yourself, “What is ‘R’ going to stand for this time. Funny how much a letter can evoke pondering. Had I titled this the importance of Rhubarb, who knows what you would be thinking, but likely you would be thinking something about Rhubarb.  Hmm maybe my next post should be about Rhubarb Pie.

Training, no matter what the the method, has one goal. That goal is to Refine.

Be it bulk, strength, fat loss, speed, corrective, etc the goal is to raise you to another level of yourself. It is to perfect and polish your ability to the best level that you can. If you aren’t following the importance of ‘R’ then your efforts are all in vain.

The 4R list of success

Rest-”Freedom from activity (work or strain or responsibility).”
Regeneration-”Renewal or restoration of a body, bodily parts, or biological system (as a forest) after injury or as a normal process.”
Recovery-”Restoration to a former and/or better condition.”
Reality-”The quality or state of being actual or true.”

The key to drive most of those things is balance in training. If you always rest, you aren’t training. If you push too hard all the time, you are never recovering, where is the balance?

Yakovlev's Fig 1

The Pusher

In your training program you have “The Pusher.” The pusher can be any internal or external factor that guides you to excel past comfortable levels of training expression.

The Coach
The Trainer
The Competition
The Inner Montage

All of the above can be leaders of the push towards conditioning and excellence. All above can be leaders towards your demise.

The Stressors

The Stressors can exist in physical training, but they can also exist in the realm of environment and mental. Meaning running long distance in hot polluted air while thinking about the fight you got in last night with your mother, is not helping bring forth the ‘R.’

The Healers

The overall problem is that there isn’t in most cases the factor of “The Healer.” For every push and stress you need an equal ‘R’ reaction.  Time and investment in the former always leads to snubbing of the later.

The Food
The Bed
The Foam Roller
The ART specialist
The Therapist

While some of the above doesn’t have to be literal, it all goes back to investment of your craft. People constantly invest in the wrong parts of progress. You can see this in every area of life.

Example of Investing Wrongly In Progress

-Doing aggressive intervals before having the ability to do progressive increase
-Disposing of rest times before imposing pause in training
-Utilizing superset training before understanding the basics of one move at a time
-Running for endurance before decreasing body mass and reading the body for impact

This kind of training is the equivalent of buying a cell phone on the basis of being able to have 10 people in a network, but you are lucky if your mom still calls and leaves that daily message about her favorite TV show.

You must walk before you run and you must regenerate for optimal recovery. It all ties together and being cheap in the beginning will leave you with half ass results in the end.

The Side Effects of Neglecting “R”

Obviously some things are specifically dependent on goals, but overall you can look for these side effects.

-Decrease in performance
-Decrease in desired body composition
-Decrease in sleep ability
-Decrease in strength
-Decrease in immune system
-Increase in stress
-Increase in sensitivity to mental and environmental factors
-Increase in fatigue
-Increase in stiffness and joint pain vs DOMS

Regulating “R”

A few logical reactions to training and stress will help you implement the “R” factor into your program.

-Higher intensity means higher rest time and a longer need for recovery
-A push is necessary for optimum advancement, but don’t expect such a linear advancement even with a balanced drive.
-Expect your greatest improvements to come after days of recuperation.
-Any decrease in nutrient value will lead in a increase of time need for optimal recovery. Because of this nutrient timing while in a hypercaloric state is crucial to obtaining maximum “R.”
-You can greatly improve the “R” factor with an extra focus on things like longer sleep, foam rolling, and proper warm up and cool down programs.

Tie it all together

When choosing or designing a program make sure that for all your actions you have set in place a recovery reaction. In doing so you will see tremendous improvement in RESULTS.

To read comments or to leave a comment click here

by Emma Leigh

Health Consequences of Eating Disorders

My third take home message:
> Eating disorders are bad for your health<

The degree of harm an eating disorder causes is related to the type of disorder, the duration & life stage over which it develops and the severity of the experience. It goes without saying that the more severe the disease, and the longer the time course, the worse the consequences. With regards to the life stage of the individual – this relates back to the organ system affected. For example, a younger person with AN/BN can have serious consequences for growth, bone mass, and brain development, where someone older may be more at risk for suicide or heart disease. Due to this variability in impact it is hard create a list that fits everyone without reeling out pages worth of material… but I shall attempt to summarize the main points….

Anorexia:

GENERAL STATE OF APPEARANCE AND ENERGY –
Deprive yourself of nutrients and you are going to end up feeling /looking like crud. This includes:
-    Muscle wasting and overall weakness
-    Dry hair, hair loss, dry and discoloured skin
-    Altered thermoregulation resulting in intolerance to cold (especially in the hands and feet) and growth of a layer of hair called lanugo (you know that ‘fluff’ that covers babies) in an attempt to keep the body warm.

CARDIAC -
-    Bradycardia (slow heart rate)
-    Loss of muscle in the heart – caused by your body breaking down the heart muscle for energy. This can damage muscle tissue and alter the ability of it to pump correctly
-    Low blood pressure (due to a combination of dehydration and weak heart muscle)
-    Rhythm disturbance (especially if the person involved is abusing laxatives) due to abnormalities in electrolytes critical for electrical pathways of the heart – this is most notably potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphate.
-    These can result in sudden cardiac death (one of the most common medical cause of death in severe anorexia)
-    Cholesterol levels tend to rise due to alterations in cortisol and thyroid hormones

RENAL -
-    Severe dehydration – which can lead to kidney failure
-    Renal stones
-    Dysregulation of antidiuretic hormone secretion (ADH) and alterations in electrolytes
-    Hypokalaemic nephropathy (kidney disease/damage)

GASTROINTESNTIAL -
-    Slow digestion & constipation caused by decrease energy, decreased bulk in the intestines, and laxative abuse (too much information: can be so severe that people have to ‘manually evacuate’ daily – I’ll leave out the details)
-    Decreased digestive enzymes causing bloating and irritable bowel symptoms
-    Severe and rapid weight loss can result in gall stones

HAEMATOLOGICAL -
-    Anaemia due to malnutrition and lack protein, iron and B-vitamins (at a rate up near 40%) -    Decreased immunity due to decreased white cell production
-    Decreased bone marrow turn over, platelet abnormalities and an increased risk of bleeding

NEUROLOGICAL –
-    Decreased concentration, decreased ability to learn new tasks, decreased reason, altered sleep patterns
-    Neuropathy can also occur in extreme cases. This is due to loss of essential vitamins/minerals, external compression from being too bony
-    Fainting and fitting if a person has electrolyte disturbances and/ or hypoglycaemia
-    Loss of brain tissue due to the stripping of myelin and nutrients from neural tissue (eg: choline).
-    Some of these may also be IRREVERSIBLE changes.

MUSCULOSKELETAL -
-    Muscle loss (obviously)
-    Stunted growth in younger individuals
-    Decreased ability to heal connective tissue, increased rate of injury, and a prolonged recovery when injuries occur
-    Stress fractures are often seen in those who are ‘athletic’ due to repeated trauma to weak bones.
-    The impact of malnutrition and hormone changes (low oestrogen/testosterone, high cortisol, low (active) growth hormone, and changes in DHEA (a adrenal sex hormone)) mean 90% of sufferers end having osteopenia or osteoporosis, and 40-45% having actual osteoporosis.
-    This is most severe in adolescents with up to 60-65% of girls failing to reach peak bone mass.
-    Importantly – weight gain may not reverse these effects – and the longer the disorder lasts, the more likely the loss will be permanent

HORMONAL –
-    There are major changes to many important hormone pathways in the body. I will go into some of these in more detail below… But to touch on them now – the most worrying result from alterations in the HP axis (hypothalamic-pituitary axis) and this includes:
-    Reproductive hormones decrease (decreased FSH and LH) – lowering oestrogen, testosterone, and progesterone – all of which are important for correct growth, bones, heart tissue, joints, vasculature and a myriad of other things
-    High GH & low IGF-1 – resulting in stunted growth, and dysglycaemia and metabolic abnormalities
-    Lower TSH and Free T4/ T3 – which results in lower metabolism and energy conservation
-    High Cortisol – a stress response altering healing, vascular integrity, gastrointestinal function, immunity, glycaemic control and many other things

REPRODUCTIVE –
-    Delayed puberty
-    Low libido and lack of erectile function in males
-    Menstrual abnormalities in females (note: if a person’s hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is fragile this can lead to years of fertility issues. Up to 25% never regain normal menstruation)
-    Disruption to normal pregnancy > with increased risk of complications such as miscarriage, caesarean, premature birth, low birth weight, & smaller head-circumference

Bulimia:

Some of the specific health issues related to binge/purge activity include:
-    Electrolyte imbalances – which can lead to things like arrhythmia, heart failure and death.
-    Gastrointestinal concerns such as oesophageal tears, gastric rupture, reflux, stomach ulcers
-    Tooth decay and staining from stomach acids released during frequent vomiting.
-    Facial swelling – so called “chipmunk cheeks” due to acids in the salivary glands. You can also get stones in the salivary ducts
-    Pancreatitis
-    Chronic constipation and irritable bowel concerns as a result of laxative abuse
Sounds fun, yes?

Of course, for both of these diseases, there is also: Death… As mentioned above – both diseases have death rates of up to 20%. Causes include heart disease, overwhelming infection, and organ failure. Suicide is also very high. There is a greater risk of death in those with:
-    Younger onset, late diagnosis & severely low weight at the time of starting treatment
-    Having an accompanying severe psychological disorder or personality disorder
-    Previously being obese
-    Being male (may be due to the fact that men tend to be diagnosed with anorexia later than women)
-    Poor social supports (e.g.: poor family/ dysfunctional marriage )
-    Chronic disease (the longer it lasts, the more at risk you are of dying)

Psychological and Social Impacts

Ok… enough with the take home messages… And I am not going to discuss this area in detail – simply because the more I talk, the deeper it will go – and this topic deserves an article in its own right…

As mentioned – There are often associated with other co-existing psychiatric disorders, particularly mood disorders. The role of ‘pre-morbid personality’ has a lot to do with this. For example – Bulimia nervosa, as it is seen more in those with Cluster A traits (impulsivity etc), is particularly associated with alcohol and/or drug abuse problems.  Anorexia, more common in those with ‘cluster B’ traits (perfectionism, dependence etc) often presents with co-morbid anxiety disorders, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Psychological impact cannot be understated – these diseases often results in chronic low mood, feelings of guilt, and frustration, and can go so far as to cause the degradation of an individual’s entire identity. This is especially the case in adolescents – who essentially ‘grow up’ as their ‘eating disorder’ and, as such, they often have significant issues with discovering ‘what they are’ when they are not ‘Anorexia’.

Both diseases will also impact markedly on their global social functioning – Causing issues with interpersonal relationships, and job performance… And although most sufferers tend to be highly functioning – and can ‘maintain’ their social functioning for many years of the disease, there is a gradual deterioration that can often leave them in sudden psychosocial crisis when they do finally ‘hit that wall’.

Impact on Fitness & Performance

So now that the ‘general health’ impacts have been touched on… We can get onto some of the specifics regarding the impact of these things in the athlete (and alter – the impact on those who just want to look athletic).

To start with – it goes without saying that being involved in the athletic industry immediately puts an individual at a significantly higher risk for developing these diseases with both males and females feeling the pressure to achieve ‘perfection’. Some figures quote numbers as high as 60% of those involved in sports being impacted. This is especially for those that need a competitor to ‘hit a weight’ or ‘look a way’ (gymnastics, wrestling, bodybuilding, rowing, and dancers). Interesting to note – there is also a greater risk associated with anaerobic sports rather than aerobic sports.

Females in the industry are at risk of what is known as the ‘Female Athlete Triad’ which is a fancy name for the combination of ‘disordered eating’, osteoporosis and amenorrhea…  It actually used to be the case that in some circles/sports, it was thought a female was not ‘training hard enough’ unless she suffered from amenorrhea. Luckily, this has changed, because we now know that the impact of amenorrhea on bone health is significant and needs to be addressed to prevent consequences such as osteoporosis. The impact on menstruation was originally thought to be related to weight/body fat alone – but it is now recognized that there are many other factors that come into play with more evidence pointing toward the overall ‘energy balance’ of the individual. In fact, some state that no matter how hard a female trains if she is ‘eating enough’ to combat the energy output she *should* remain ‘intact’ in a hormonal sense. The evidence is not convincing either way – many variables and confounders make it difficult to fully assess. And although it is often seen in those not fully ‘categorized’ with AN/BN (disordered eating) it is noted more frequent in Anorexia than Bulimia.

Moving on and getting back to the impact on performance – It is no surprise that those suffering with eating disorders/disordered eating while trying to maintain athletic output will eventually face consequences in regards to their performance. I will not dwell excessively here (it really a ‘no brainer’), but the malnutrition/inadequate energy, and disturbances to hydration and electrolytes that these individuals suffer will eventually results in the following:

1. increased fatigue/ decreased endurance,
2. decreased power/ strength/ speed,
3. decreased co-ordination and reaction time,
4. altered thermoregulation with increased risk of hyperthermia, muscle cramping,
5. increased risk of injury (both due to increased fatigue and decreased judgment but also due to decreased recovery rates and increased propensity to overtraining)

To read comments or to leave a comment click here

To read part 3 click here

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Feature Product: If looking for a program to help aid recovery for AN or Bulimia check out the Metabolic Repair Manual as part of The Fat Loss Troubleshoot program.

Introduction: So….. Way to throw a huge topic my way, Leigh! Anorexia AND bulimia? Sheesh….!! Hmmm…. So – Let’s get my thoughts in order so I can make sense of where I want to go…. I think I will first go over what will I cover (and therefore, what you should ‘take away’ from this rambling) and then I will get into the actual information….

The points I shall cover:

- What are Bulimia (BN) and Anorexia (AN) (the definitions)

- What causes them

-What are the Consequences – including:

• PHYSICAL and HEATH consequences of these things (the ugly issues)
• A brief look at PSYCHOLOGICAL and SOCIAL impacts (which many people ‘forget’ about)
• PHYSIQUE and ‘FITNESS’ consequences (body composition/ neurochemicals/ muscle mass/performance)….

But I am sure there will be random other stuff thrown in to boot… And with that – let’s get on with it so I can finish this before the turn of the century….

Eating disorders: The Definitions

My first take home message:
>Eating disorders are not just odd eating habits or diets… They are – deadly patterns of thinking and behavior that go beyond this…<

Ok, ok… so that is a no-brainer but many people do confuse these things. Regardless – Anorexia and Bulimia, in their ‘true meaning’, are actually forms of ‘mental illness’. They require certain ‘criteria’ to be met for a person to be classed as suffering from the disease. Are these criteria necessarily ‘correct’ (that is – is it right that someone must have ‘x, y and z’ before being classed as anorexic)? Many would argue no (psychiatrists/ medical professionals included) – but just as with other illnesses in mental health, something needs to be given as a guideline to ensure the *majority* with that illness are ‘defined’ and treated.

Adding from this – it means that a person’s eating patterns can be very ‘abnormal’ while not strictly being ‘a disorder’. And going a step further – a person can face a problem of ‘disordered eating’ but *technically* they do not have the diseases.

It must, however, be remembered that how one eats needs to be taken in light of the social context (just like anything).

For example – to someone who is NOT a bodybuilder – eating ‘chicken and rice’ for every meal would be considered slightly abnormal (and in some bb-ing circles it is considered such anyway). Does it mean this person has a ‘disease’? No. Does this person have ‘disordered eating’? No again. Because these two issues eventually come back to the THOUGHTS, COMPULSIONS or RITUALS behind the actions. Sadly, in saying that, there are MANY people in the fitness/ health/ athletic industry that have what would be termed ‘disordered eating’. Rituals/ thinking patterns and ‘food phobia’s’ that create unhealthy relationships with food and ‘eating’.

What is Anorexia Nervosa?

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) (as much as I hate its ‘slots’) -

- Resistance to maintaining body weight at or above the minimum of normal weight for age and height
- An intense and irrational fear of gaining weight or becoming fat
- Disturbance in perception of body weight or shape, or denial of the seriousness of their low body weight (on this note: some feel anorexia should be classed as a ‘psychosis’ of sorts – as these irrational thoughts/ perceptual disturbances could be seen as ‘delusions’)
- Amenorrhoea of > 3 months (in females who have reached puberty) Anorexia is then subclasses into two categories (which blur)

a. Binge Type [which is, as it states, involves periods of binging/ purging associated with the restriction]
b. Restrictive Type [pure starvation]

Anorexia occurs in about 1:100-150 females (mostly in late adolescence and early adulthood) but there are many more sufferers that are sub-threshold (they don’t meet all the criteria) with rates being similar in most developed countries of higher socioeconomic status. Although rates are far higher in females, and 90% of cases are female, Anorexia should not be thought of as a female disease with 1:10 sufferers being male. Length of illness figures varies depending on the source quoted, but average duration of illness is between 5-8 years. Only about 10-20% are thought to recover fully, with 10-20% of the population lifelong sufferers (never fully returning to a healthy weight/ healthy body image). Death rates are 15-20%, and up to 35-40% are also at risk of developing Bulimia.

What about Bulimia?

Again according to DSM-IV this is defined as -
- Recurrent episodes of binge eating, characterized by:

• eating an excessive amount within a discrete period of time
• a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode

- Recurrent (inappropriate) compensatory behaviour to prevent weight gain ( self-induced vomiting, laxatives/ diuretics/ enemas, medications, fasting, or excessive exercise)
- These behaviours both need to occur, on average, at least twice a week for 3 months
- And there needs to be a process of self-evaluation that is unduly influenced by body shape and weight.

Just like Anorexia, Bulimia tends to be a long-term disorder which tends to ‘wax and wane’. Most cases start in adolescence, but the disease tends to last many years beyond this time – with sufferers relapsing at times of crisis. About 90-95% of those affected are females – but adolescent males are also at risk of the disease, especially those who participate in sport/ athletics (which I will discuss later), and also those who have identity issues (eg: bisexual/ homosexual tendencies). Just like anorexia – rates tend to be higher in western society, average length of illness is usually long (with many going up to 8-10 yrs before they are diagnosed), and mortality rates are estimated to be up to 18-20%.

Other Eating Disorders: What else is there?

Other types of eating disorders would be things like ‘eating disorder, not otherwise specified’ – which covers the ‘catchment’ that is not covered by the above. But we are just focusing on these disorders for now – so I can cover those things at a later date if need be….

The Causes of Eating Disorders?

My second take home message:
>Eating disorders are not just related to ‘being skinny’<

NOT just a result of ‘the media’ – eating disorders need to be discussed under the ‘Bio-Psycho-Social’ model of disease development… This means that there are a number of factors that play a role in their development – divided into (surprise, surprise):

1. Biological Factors – eg: neurochemicals and genetic influences. And in this there has been many advancements regarding the various neurobiological vulnerabilities that make substantial contributions to whether or not someone develops AN and BN. Most of this revolves around altered brain serotonin (otherwise known as 5-HT) and dysregulation of appetite, mood, and impulse control.

2. Psychological Factors – eg: personality style, coping mechanisms, robustness/ resilience and a person’s sense of self. In this – individuals with AN and BN are usually characterized by perfectionism, obsessive-compulsiveness, and are usually described as having ‘dysphoric mood’ (that is – an abnormal or incongruent mood). To divide traits further – those with AN tend to have higher constraint/constriction of affect and emotional expressiveness (that is – they control their emotions), ahendonia (they gain little enjoyment from activities) and asceticism (‘barren of emotion’). Individuals with BN tend to be more impulsive /sensation seeking (that is – they are ‘all over the place’ in their emotional experiences). What needs to be stated is that these traits are often seen BEFORE the onset of the eating disorder, and will also persist afterward (which is important in identifying CAUSE v’s EFFECT of disease).

3. Social Factors – eg: home life, education, stress, relationships, and trauma. Unlike many other mental illnesses – rates are not related to things such as ‘broken homes’ or ‘poor backgrounds’… AN is actually seen more in middle class, well educated, ‘high achievers’. With that said some figures suggest up to 40% having also suffered some sort of traumatic experience in the past. As mentioned above, western societies have higher rate of disease. Many people try to blame media influence on the disease and rates seemed to sky rocket after ‘Twiggy’ hit the scene in the 1960-1970’s… and although there is no debate that this probably DID have a role in altering the perception of what is considered ‘beautiful’ for a female – it cannot be seen as the cause/reason for the disease. It is when all these three things place a venerable person in a venerable position that you get ‘the sum’ of their impact…. And the above can also demonstrate this with a pretty diagram: If you then go more deeply into the disorders you can also describe Anorexia and Bulimia in terms of The ‘4 p’ principle of Mental Illness… In this – A gentleman Barker developed a ‘four p-model’ to psychiatric illness where he proposed four ‘categories’ for which people do (or do not) develop/ recover from an illness.

These are:

1. Predisposing Factors
2. Precipitating Factors
3. Perpetuating Factors
4. Protective Factors

Each of these have contributions from all of the three groups above. So – to *quickly* run through the issues:

Some of the predisposing factors you would consider would be venerable personalities (anxiety, obsessive, perfectionist), family history of disease (or family history of mental illness such as depression or anxiety), external locus of control, and poor self-esteem, western society…. That sort of thing…. Things that mean a person has an INCREASED RISK of the disease.

Precipitating factors would be the ‘trigger’ for the development of the disease (as I mentioned – a person can be ‘AT RISK’ of something without developing the problem and it is only when you ‘add water and mix’ – that you create the issue). So these could be things such as family stressors, a conflict or incident, or a relationship breakdown. Going through puberty also seems to be an ‘at risk’ time for many and there are a few different factors that may act to cause this. Going back to neurochemical pathways – gonadal steroids (eg: oestrogen/progesterone/testosterone) are thought to exacerbate 5-HT and dopamine dysregulation (one of the reasons females get PMS and why males going through their teenage years are more at risk of schizophrenia).Second, stress from peer groups/ cultural and societal pressures to ‘fit in’ and even interfamily ‘tension’ about the ‘growing up’ of the individual may contribute to stress – increasing anxiety and further pushing a person into feeling ‘out of control’. So it is thought that the restriction of food causes changes in cortisol and 5-HTP levels, which ‘quell’ this anxious mood, and puts the individual ‘back in control’.

Perpetuating factors are those things that prevent recovery/maintain the disease state – in the case of ED this is a complex area and involves not only things like a person’s personality and social surroundings (obsessionality in itself = resistance to change… and having dysfunctional family relationships such as overbearing parents or neglect will impact), but also the disease state itself. For example – starvation has an impact on the frontal lobe functioning of sufferers. The frontal lobes are the parts of the brain that are responsible for things such as reason, insight, judgment, logic, and planning. Thus people with anorexia lose the ability to ‘think’ properly about the consequences of what is happening, and the disease state is prolonged. The psychological state they are in also maintains ‘thinness’ (hyper-anxious/hyper-aroused state = alterations in energy expenditure). Additionally, there is also this odd mechanism seen in starvation states which causes a paradoxical INCREASE in energy expenditure (the so called ‘frenzy of starvation’). This is thought to be a survival mechanism that flicks on to make people ‘get up and search for food’…. Problem is that those with AN end up getting up and ‘exercising’ instead…..

As mentioned above – disturbances of 5-HT function are common and this, in association with the dysphoric temperament, is thought to lead to food-emotion reward pathways and disturbed appetite behaviours. In Anorexia, as touched on before, there is a cycle where calorie restriction leads to relief from mood abnormalities. The problem in this is that malnutrition eventually alters other neuropeptides/dopamine levels which will create worsening of the dysphoria and the cycle is worsened. In the case of BN there are alterations in satiety hormones. These decrease satiety and causes changes in ‘hunger’ pathways, as well as modifying the neurochemicals involved in mood and reward (serotonin and dopamine). The result is the reinforcement of addictive patterns similar to those seen in those with gambling or drug problems.

And finally – protective factors include things that PREVENT the disease from developing. And it would include a strong sense of self, internal locus of control, robustness/resilience, strong family/social supports and any other number of things…

To read comments or to leave a comment click here

To read part 2 click here
To read part 3 click here

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Feature Product: If looking for a program to help aid recovery for AN or Bulimia check out the Metabolic Repair Manual as part of The Fat Loss Troubleshoot program.

When I first heard of treadmill desks I had an instant thought about a guy on his cell phone accidentally hitting the speed increase button, slipping, and then busting his ass. While I am sure it is a possibility and in my lifetime I will witness it via Youtube, I doubt it will be as frequent as I hope it to be.

If you are a fan of James Levines work you have likely heard of treadmill desks before. If not, give the video a watch to play catch up.

A lot of people say that a treadmill is stupid. “The idea will never work.” If they are speaking about full office integration within companies, I have to agree. I can’t see a lot of companies jumping on board to implement this type of system. The lawsuits alone must fill the minds of office managers everywhere. If you asked me if I think you should start hounding your boss for the new “TrekDesk’s” for work? You can, but your smooth talking and understanding of policy had better be amazing.

This tutorial is not for an office takeover. This desktop transformation is for home use or private offices where you have that kind of reign, but the company wont pay the bill.

The Benefits

In today’s society we sit, a lot.  The average office worker is seated for 8 hours a day. Even on lunch breaks people drive to a restaurant, where they will sit to eat.  Since I believe in physical evolution of the body, I know that one day (if things don’t change) our asses will evolve into flat padded office chair seats. All the glute ham raises in the world wont be able to save that.

If you think the benefits are just calories burned per hour, think again. While walking at just 1mph will double your caloric burn in a 8 hour period of time, it will also help to aid productivity, mental clarity, and fatigue.  I know a lot of you are thinking, “How can an activity that makes me tired help me from being tired?” I just read a  study with the  Journal of Clinical Psychology that those with fatigue saw decrease in symptoms from just walking. Lots of research points to the fact that movement in of itself on a more constant basis can be almost curative for a lot of problems with physical and mental pain that people are dealing with today. Even that blasted adrenal fatigue.

Lastly, it will help you not be fat by making your tubby butt move more.  Sorry, but I have to appeal to your vanity.

The Cost

Treadmill Desks that you can purchase are pretty expensive. As I go through life I say one phrase to myself when trying to determine if something is expensive. “Could I buy a decent used car for that amount?” If the answer is “yes,” then that item to me is expensive. With most treadmill desks you could buy a decent used car. Here are two high end models.

Our version

It may not be as sexy or come with its own ipod docking station, but it gets the job done.  Better yet it costs $20 bucks to make and can be better for you than some of the other models out there. One of the main problems with most homemade or manufactured treadmill desks is the height system for the keyboard. With this model you can adjust the height (within a limit 6-8 inches) to fit your typing needs.

Most of the websites I found that ventured into making tread desks either didn’t go into detail enough for the average person to figure it out, or went into way to much detail to where the average person is thinking “Yeah, right, I am going to just build a entire desk, sure.”

My point is, I felt this was a solid, cheap, and “lazy” alternative. You can also easily return your treadmill back normal if you decide you don’t want to use it as a desk anymore. Since I hate treadmills for running and think its one of the worst things for most people, I don’t mind disabling for use above 2mph.

What You Will Need

1 Piece of white board (home depot)

1 Package of Industrial Strength Velcro (Home Depot)

2 Styrofoam Blocks (Craft Store)

1 Tube of  Strong Glue (wood, plastic, metal, butt cheeks, strength)

1 Box Cutter

Instructions

This is beyond simple.

1-Before you buy the board measure the distance between your rails/grip bar on your treadmill. Most are going to fit with the standard board, but you may have to up the length. If so check the “Shelving” section of your hardware store VS the lumber area as their are more length options, and the price raise is just a little (maybe 10 bucks more at most).

2-Before you buy the foam try and gauge the height you are going to need to best suit your typing or reading. Remember you do not want to be hunched over your treadmill typing, that kind of defeats the purpose. If one set of blocks isn’t enough you can buy additional or smaller ones to give a slight height increase if need. You can also add it latter on top to the actual keyboard or laptop area. I highly recommend that option more as it will provide a be sturdy system and better height tailoring.

3-Once you have all your items the first thing you want to do is cut the slots in the Styrofoam for the rails on the treadmill.  This is going to be different for every treadmill. Some are circles, and some are rectangles.  What you want  to accomplish is a deep enough slot to cover at least 1/3 of the rail area. You also want the area snug, you don’t want tons of room on either side of the “gripping.” You are going to be putting the velcro in the slot area, BUT you also want it to be tight enough to where it could likely stay fit without the velcro. Make the velcro the “back up” catch to the area.

4-I will admit I am taking the pictures of this AFTER the fact. Meaning I already put this thing together, so I don’t have detailed pictures to show you of these next steps, but it is really easy and I will try to talk you through it.

5-Give the side of the board that is going to be glued a little sanding to make the area less slick. You just want the area to be slightly rougher for the glue/Styrofoam area.

6-After you have cut the slots for the grips test slide them on there. To not be too aggressive as Styrofoam is not the toughest substance in the world. All you are doing this for is to line up and mark your board of where you want it to be. Lay the board on top of your test area and mark the spots of where you are going to glue the Styrofoam to the board.

7-Glue the foam to the board in your marked space.  Since you can’t “clamp” Styrofoam take some heavy weight plates, flip the board over so that the foam is on the floor supporting the board, and place the plates on top of the board in the areas where the glue is. You don’t have to overdo it with loads of 45’s.  A good 45lb on each side will be more than enough. I waited about 4 hours before I messed with it again. If you want to be uber safe, give it longer.

8-Now you are almost done, seriously. Simple take the velcro and cut 2-3 strips (depending on length of rail/foam) and stick the “teeth” side of velcro to the rail.

9-cut the same size strips of the “fuzzy” side of the velcro and tape them along inside of the slots you cut for the rail on the foam.

10-Slide the board and foam on the railing matching the velcro to velcro.

11-Your done. That’s it, you now have a Treadmill Desktop.

Notes:

-Styrofoam is delicate.  I have never removed my board from the treadmill and I image that it might not go that well. The velcro is not so you can take it off and put it on (at least with this model). I utilized the velcro because it was a solid replacement for glue and wouldn’t damage the treadmill.

-To add height- measure where your laptop or keyboard will be and add block using the board as just a base.

-If you have a desktop system no big deal, just place the treadmill and monitor to where they can see each other. There is plenty of room for a keyboard and mouse.

Closing

This treadmill has served me well for doing work on my laptop, reading, and even playing video games on.

As a final push to think about doing this while surfing here are some stats.

Sitting and typing on the laptop=68 calories per hour
Walk/typing at 1.5 mph and incline of 2=172 calories per hour

Sitting and reading=59 calories per hour
Walk/reading at  1.5 mph and incline of 2=155 calories

Sitting and playing video games=85 calories per hour
Walk/gaming at 1.5 mph and incline of 2=190 calories per hour

That is a difference of:

3 hours = 212 calories
or
3 hours = 517 calories

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